AIWON Mall Isekai Store, Grand Opening Today! - Chapter 72
Episode 7-12
“Is it really okay to let them go so easily, Barbera?”
“…It’s fine. We’ll meet again.”
“Well, they’re strong enough to handle themselves in a dangerous world.”
I patted Barbera on the head. Although she appeared to be ten years old, she was a dragon and was intently watching the sky where her parents had flown away. The pre-dawn sky was too dark for my eyes, but maybe Barbera could still see her parents.
“…They’ll probably return in about five years.”
“The time perception of long-lived species is beyond me! Barbera, you’re 140 years old, right?”
“Naoya, does that mean we won’t be able to receive shipments of fruit, fabric, ornaments, or alcohol?”
“If it comes to that, we’ll just have to adapt. We’ll hold events if and when we can get new stock.”
“Are you sure, Naoya-san? Even with irregular intervals, consistent restocking could help us meet our sales goals.”
“We shouldn’t count on it too much. Events are unpredictable, if they succeed, that’s a bonus.”
Some events turn out to be big hits, while others fall flat. Since we’ve never held events at the Aion Mall Otherworldly Store before, there’s no past sales data to predict outcomes. It’s better to focus on steady sales to achieve our monthly target of 100 million yen.
“These past few days have been like a storm, even though it hasn’t been a full two days.”
I looked in the direction Barbera was staring. The sky was beginning to lighten, and the stars were fading. The two dragons were no longer visible.
“I hope they come back within six months rather than five years. Otherwise, the Aion Mall Otherworldly Store might not be around.”
“Naoya-san?”
“Ah, sorry, just a bad joke. We’ll work hard to prevent that.”
“Don’t worry, Naoya! If the worst comes to worst, we can sell dishes made from the Ancient Dragon meat in the freezer! We also have the bones and scales from its tail!”
“Let’s not rely on that, Chloe. We need to stay motivated. If we think we can always fall back on that, we might slack off.”
“Don’t worry about finding buyers! I can ask the Knights, or if that fails, the elders in Verth’s village would be grateful to buy it!”
“No, that won’t work, runaway girl. Our sales target is set by the government, which means the Knights’ budget, which comes from the government, might not be sufficient.”
“Really? Wait, are you saying that just to make me buy it, Naoya? So you can say something like ‘You’ll have to pay the rest with your body!’ and then… kuh- kill me!”
“Alright, alright, Chloe, your imagination is running wild again. Isn’t it getting a bit forced?”
Chloe’s antics actually brought me some relief, making things feel like they were back to normal.
“Okay, let’s start getting ready for today’s business.”
At my words, Barbera, who had been watching the sky, started moving. Chloe and Anna-san followed, along with the skeleton staff who disappeared into the shadows to prepare.
“In a world with underdeveloped logistics, being able to import goods from distant lands, even irregularly, is huge. When should we start selling the souvenirs from Barbera’s parents?”
I started preparing for the 16th day of business at the Aion Mall Otherworldly Store, organizing the gifts left by Barbera’s parents.
“If we could get more frequent or larger shipments, we could set up a permanent store. But with the current limited stock, that’s not feasible.”
The Aion Mall Otherworldly Store currently has part of a supermarket, fresh food, daily goods, a deli, and a drugstore section open. Plus the bathrooms.
“Since it’s an Aion Mall, I want to add more tenants. Increasing customer traffic will naturally require more staff, which means considering their commute. Maybe a free shuttle bus… or even a free round-trip carriage?”
We survived the arrival of Barbera’s parents, the Fire King Dragon and Water Queen Dragon, but there are still countless challenges ahead. We’re still far from our monthly sales goal of 100 million yen.
“We haven’t even finalized the details for the Employee Appreciation Day… Oh.”
“Naoya, what’s wrong? The preparations are already finished. Are you alright?”
“Don’t worry, Chloe. Naoya-san often talks to himself when he’s deep in thought.”
“… Like usual.”
“Feels like I’m being treated unfairly. Anyway!”
While working on our next steps, I lost track of time. The preparations were done, and Chloe, Anna-san, and Barbera were standing before me.
“Barbera’s parents were dragons, and just visiting caused quite a stir… Anna-san, your parents aren’t around, but Chloe, your parents aren’t that intense, right?”
I apologized to Anna-san and then looked at Chloe. She was sweating profusely and avoiding eye contact.
“Don’t worry, Naoya! My father and mother aren’t as anti-human as the rest of the village!”
“Hey, runaway girl? I’m starting to get really worried.”
“Don’t worry, it’ll be fine. If we talk, they’ll understand. Yes, they’ll definitely understand. They’ll understand that I’m living in a human town, working as a holy knight at Aion Mall, and working with humans.”
“That’s where you’re starting? Oh, come on, Chloe, shouldn’t you report this properly first? Like, ‘What? A lowly human is our daughter’s boss?’ or something.”
No answer. Chloe was sweating profusely and avoiding eye contact.
“No, it’s more like, ‘You humans plan to attack our daughter, don’t you?’ and they might just start casting spells or something.”
“N-no, no, no, that’s not going to happen. It’ll be fine. Probably. I think.”
“Anna-san, please teach me some magic. Defensive spells. Something that can block the magic of elves, which seems pretty superior. I’ll even eat Ancient Dragon meat to boost my magic power if I have to.”
“Hehe, don’t worry, Naoya-san. If worse comes to worst…”
“You’ll protect me, right? Or heal me? As expected, Anna-san, you’re reliable!”
“I’ll fix you up. With your consciousness intact, of course.”
“That doesn’t sound like living, does it? This is an undead joke, right?”
“…I’ll protect you.”
“Thanks, Barbera. Really, thank you. Knowing the strength of a dragon, I feel reassured.”
I was comforted by Barbera clenching her fists and showing determination. Anna-san’s smile? Lately, I’m not sure I can trust it. I hope she’s just teasing.
“Anyway, Naoya, the customers are here! Time to start today’s business!”
“Hey, don’t change the subject, Chloe. Please, at least send a letter. And let me or Anna-san check it before you send it. With your parents, they might misunderstand something.”
I grabbed Chloe’s shoulder as she tried to end the conversation. Even now, she wouldn’t look at me.
…I’m really getting anxious.
This is my 16th day as the manager of Aion Mall in this other world. Today, I pray that we won’t have any uninvited guests, whether they’re employees’ families or monsters.