AIWON Mall Isekai Store, Grand Opening Today! - Chapter 55
Episode 6-6
“Is dragon meat really that valuable if the guild leader is coming to check? Well, it sure is delicious.”
“Naoya, the reason dragon meat is popular isn’t just the taste.”
After encountering the Guild Master of the Merchant Guild and experiencing no trouble, Anna-san and I left the town. We hurriedly made our way towards the Aion Mall Otherwordly Store, trying to arrive before the evening peak.
“Not just the taste? Oh, is it that thing the Guild Master mentioned earlier, the one about ‘increasing magical power and becoming stronger’ that sounds like a lie?”
“Naoya, it’s not a lie; eating the meat of dragons, which are a kind of mythical creature, does make you stronger.”
“Huh, like a nourishing and invigorating effect? Is it all just imagery or belief, a sort of placebo?”
“Well, it’s different. It actually has an effect.”
“…Really?”
“Eating dragon meat does make your body stronger and increases your magical power, even if it’s in small amounts.”
“So, does that mean I might become stronger if I tried some? Like, I’ll be able to use magic because my magical power increases?”
“Naoya, it’s like ‘zero multiplied by anything is still zero.'”
“Right, right, it won’t work out that smoothly, I guess. By the way, Anna-san, have you been reading math textbooks, by any chance?”
“I’ve been studying Japanese, so I can read to some extent. I’m sorry; I read a book from the bookstore shelf without permission.”
“Oh, well, it’s not a big deal since most people in this world can’t read Japanese anyway. But that’s amazing, Anna-san.”
I can have conversations with Anna-san, Chloe, Barbera, and the people of this world thanks to the Translation Ring. I’ve been studying the local language, but I can only read numbers for now. I’ve been in this world for just 12 days, and Anna-san must have started learning much earlier, but I’m still impressed that she can read a math textbook on her own. Truly a brainy undead. Not needing sleep must give her more time.
“Dragon meat makes your body stronger and enhances magical power. Dragon scales and hide are used for armor and magical tools, and their claws, fangs, and bones are used as weapons. Additionally, dragon blood can be used as an ingredient for medicine.”
“I see. Dragons are incredible. Speaking of Barbera, what did you do with the dragon meat scales, hide, bones, and blood from the other day?”
It seems that dragons are utilized in every way possible. Not that I’m going to do anything with them, though. Even if I did mention the goal of achieving a monthly sales target of one billion yen, I wasn’t thinking about stuff like growing nails or shedding scales. We’re just cooking and selling the meat.
“Um, when we cooked it, the scales and hide had already been removed, and the bones seemed to have been taken away by the skeletons. Also, they had already removed the blood. I spoke with Barbera, and she’s keeping them for us. As for the blood, I’d like to use some of it.”
“Oh, I see. If Barbera’s fine with it, then it should be okay. We’re not planning to sell them. Oh, and we should pay Barbera for buying the dragon meat.”
Faced with the busyness and the overly ambitious sales target, it seems I was getting a bit flustered. That includes the situation with the young girl selling galettes and my tendency to overlook things.
“Right, I need to take it slow, one step at a time…”
As I walked, savoring each step along the road connecting the Aion Mall Otherwordly Store with the nearest town, I heard a commotion.
“Naoya, let’s move aside a bit.”
From the direction of the road, a carriage was approaching at a tremendous speed.
We quickly moved off the dirt road, prompted by Anna-san.
“Sorry! Please make way!”
The coachman, driving the carriage at high speed, called out loudly, making a rattling noise as the carriage rapidly approached.
Just before passing us, the coachman nodded to us respectfully.
The carriage swiftly passed, and all I could see now was its rear.
“Anna-san, I think that coachman just now might have been the merchant who visited the Aion Mall Otherwordly Store in the morning.”
“Was there something wrong?”
“Based on our morning conversation, he didn’t seem like someone who would recklessly drive a carriage.”
In no time, the carriage disappeared from view.
“I can’t figure it out, so should we head back? It’s getting to the time when more people will be returning to town.”
“Yes, that sounds like a good idea…”
Looking at the spot where the carriage had vanished, I spoke to Anna-san, and we resumed our walk.
We were on our way to the Aion Mall Otherwordly Store, trying to make it just in time for the evening peak.
“Oh, you’re back, Naoya! Anna-san too!”
“We’re back, Chloe. Looks like we made it just in time for the evening peak.”
“…Welcome back.”
“Haha, we’re back, Barbera. I’ll go change my clothes real quick!”
“Chloe, did anything happen while we were away?”
“Nothing in particular, Naoya! Huh! You’re not going to say something like ‘this is a problem, you’ll take responsibility’ and try to make me take responsibility with my body, are you? Kuh- kill me!”
“Alright, alright, there was no issue. Stop your lecherous fantasies, Elf. Lewf.” (OG: Erofu)
“What! To abbreviate it like that! What a humiliation!”
With greetings exchanged, Anna-san and I returned to the backyard. Anna-san, at least, needed to change out of her tattered robe, as I couldn’t just stand at the store in my current attire.
After a quick change and getting ready, I headed to the prepared foods section of Aion Mall, which was starting to see more customers. While we didn’t sell dragon dishes, our hamburgers, cutlets, and beef stew were selling well. The concept of eating a meal in between was catching on, and that contributed to the success of our prepared foods section.
“Hehe, hahaha! Well done, Naoya, we had a lot of customers today!”
“We’re still far from one billion yen, though.”
Chloe, Anna-san, Barbera, and the helpful rabbit mascot, along with me, the five of us were in high spirits as we made it through the evening peak. The store’s closing time had arrived, and we were cleaning up the special booth where we had been selling prepared foods. The sun had set, and the area was now dimly lit by the lights for the cleanup and the parking lot in front of the Aion Mall Otherwordly Store.
While we were in the midst of closing up, a carriage suddenly rushed in.
“Is there anyone here who can use recovery magic like this morning?”
The traveling merchant we had passed by earlier was driving the carriage at high speed.