AIWON Mall Isekai Store, Grand Opening Today! - Chapter 60
Episode 6-11
Anna-san, who headed to the town, conducted business in my absence, but the 13th day since I became the manager ended without any issues.
Number of customers: 141.
Sales: ¥392,000.
Gradually, both the number of customers and sales are increasing.
Thanks to the Dragon Sale, word of mouth about cutlets, hamburgers, and beef stew is spreading.
Anna-san returned in the evening.
She’s undead, a lich, so I was worried about sending her alone, not because of her combat capabilities, but rather about her not getting caught. And if needed, there’s the magic of “Charm.”
Anna-san reported that she administered the medicine to the gatekeepers and the merchants she made contact with.
But that’s not all.
“Ah, the Guild Master approved the sale of the potions I’ve been making. I handed them over for investigation the day before yesterday afternoon, right? The application was submitted yesterday… Is it normal for approval to come so quickly?”
“Maybe they were concerned about it. Oh! Don’t worry, Naoya-san. I haven’t used the ‘Charm’ magic, okay?”
“W-What, Anna!? Did the Guild Master say something like, ‘If you want approval quickly, you know what to do, right?’ and tried to manipulate you with that body of yours? Gross!”
“Damn Erof, shut up for a moment. We’re in the middle of an important conversation.”
Before starting the 13th day of business at the Aion Mall Otherworld Store under my management, I checked with Anna-san.
Yesterday, I just asked for the results briefly.
Due to the sudden illness the night before yesterday and operating with one less person yesterday, I seemed a bit tired too.
“The head of the Merchant Guild is concerned about the Aion Mall Otherworld Store, huh?”
“Not exactly, Naoya-san. The head of the Merchant Guild is concerned about you, not the Aion Mall.”
“That man is concerned about Naoya!? N-Naoya, be careful, okay? I don’t deny your interest in men, but that guy is something else.”
“Hey, I told you to be quiet, Chloe. But still, it seems I’ve caught his attention completely.”
The conversation wasn’t progressing, and I thought of ignoring Chloe, but I decided to confirm. I can’t let rumors like that spread.
“The Merchant Guild’s leader is interested in you, Naoya-san.”
“I’m just a regular guy who likes girls. But because of working in a workplace full of older ladies… I’m still a virgin. School days? What’s that?”
“What’s wrong, Naoya? Your eyes look empty.”
“Naoya-san! Come back, Naoya-san! Magic, I mean, a wake-up potion.”
“… Are you okay? Want some beef stew?”
The world seemed to be shaking somehow.
Suddenly, when I looked straight ahead, Chloe was grabbing my collar and shaking me. Anna-san looked flustered and bewildered, trying to administer a potion, and Barbera was tilting her head with a worried expression.
What’s going on?
“Uh? What was I… ah, we were in the middle of a conversation. By the way, Anna-san, did you explain about the medicine for the Red Death to the Guild Master?”
“Y-Yes. I explained and handed over the medicine we gave to Naoya-san and others. I also told them that if anyone develops symptoms, they should take this medicine and let me know. So, Naoya-san, are you okay?”
“Yes, no issues. Well, we need to price the Red Death medicine. What value does a cure for an incurable disease hold?”
“That wasn’t my concern, but… yes, we need to consider that too.”
Yesterday, when I asked Chloe and the peddler about it, it seemed that the Red Death is a rare disease. Well, of course, if it happened frequently, it wouldn’t be strange for humanity to be extinct. In Anna-san’s case, it seemed like a whole city could have been wiped out, and it might have required sealing it off to prevent the entire country from perishing.
“How much should we sell it for? Well, maybe it’s better to sell the recipe? Depending on the incubation period and where it occurs, people may not have time to come and buy it.”
“Naoya-san, even if you sell the recipe, you can’t make this medicine. The ingredients are valuable, my magic is original, and, above all, one of the ingredients is a medicine brought from Naoya-san’s country.”
“Ah. Well, let’s think about it later!”
“But if there are more cases in that city…”
“…L-Let’s for now consider it a clinical trial and promotion! If it doesn’t work, it’ll be a problem, and it’s a new medicine! Not because I find it hard to think and give up!”
I declared. Anna-san showed a relieved expression. Despite being undead, she was worried about the Red Death causing deaths. Depending on the pricing of the medicine, some people might not have been able to afford it.
“Alright! Let’s get ready for the opening! It’s going to get busy again!”
“Yes, Naoya! After all, ‘Drugstore’ is starting today, and my recovery magic will be provided! This is the duty of the holy knight, me!”
“Hehe, Chloe-san, you’re so enthusiastic. I’ll do my best too! After all, I’m in charge of the ‘Drugstore’!”
“… I’ll do my best.”
At the Aion Mall Otherworld Store outside the town, you apparently don’t need permission to sell medicines. However, even if it’s said to be a distance, it’s a one-hour walk or 30 minutes by carriage to the town. As someone who’s being watched by the Merchant Guild, I thought it would be better to discuss it in advance to avoid causing any trouble. So yesterday, I had Anna-san go to the Merchant Guild. Approval for the existing medicines Anna-san made was easily obtained. Anna-san also spoke to the wholesaler, the apothecary. “Following the mid-meal and now the drugstore space is open from today!”
In other words, the drugstore can open without any issues.
“Store manager, I’ve prepared my part too. As someone who is indebted to you, I’ll help for a while.”
“Thank you, peddler-san. I’ll make sure to pay you a proper wage.”
“Wage…? You mean a salary? No, no, if you could think of it as our accommodation fee. Of course, we’ll pay separately for the help.”
That’s right.
The peddler, who couldn’t move due to needing to observe the girl for another two or three days, had wholesaled daily necessities from the Aion Mall Otherworld Store. He intended to sell them in several villages down the road, so there was stock in the carriage. Moreover, since he had free time, he said he would work as a part-timer.
“Chloe, please go set up that sign where it’s visible from the road. Oh, and make sure not to hide the swimsuit sign advertising the side dishes, okay?”
“Grr, is that staying as it is? To humiliate me and find joy in it! Naoya is truly a pervert!”
“Who wants to be called a pervert when it’s said by an ero-elf. Just go do it, Chloe.”
“This time the sign is simple, Naoya-san.”
“Yes, I kept it straightforward. The Aion Mall Otherworld Store is located outside the town, so I thought if people going outside might buy daily necessities, then this would do.”
As Anna-san mentioned, the sign made for selling daily necessities in this world is simple. The text reads, “Forgot something? We sell it at our store!” with drawings of the items: rope, knife, leather bag and flask for water, a fabric bag for collected items, repair supplies for carriages, and cushions. In essence, small items that adventurers or peddlers might forget when traveling on foot or by carriage. If someone were to say, “I forgot to buy this in the town, but Aion Mall has it,” it would probably be for a forgotten item. Well, daily necessities aren’t the main products, and if we can expect some impulse purchases, that’s good enough.
“With side dishes, drugstore, daily necessities… good, good, the product lineup is gradually expanding.”
“As expected of Naoya! With this, we can surely achieve a monthly sales goal of one billion yen!”
“Hey, that’s tough, Chloe. You’re too positive, just like the previous store manager.”
Anyway.
On the 13th day since I became the store manager, Aion Mall Otherworld Store.
Today, we start selling products from this world, including medicines and daily necessities, and a new genre of products.
… We’re still far from the monthly sales goal of one billion yen, though.
What should we do next?