AIWON Mall Isekai Store, Grand Opening Today! - Chapter 75
Episode 8-2
On the 17th day since I became the manager, at the Aion Mall Otherworldly store.
After finishing the peak until after noon and preparing for the upcoming Dragon Sale in four days, I was at the rotary in front of the main entrance of Aion Mall.
“Dear, please be careful on your way.”
“Take care, Daddy!”
“I’ll be back soon! Today is just a test run.”
The merchant’s wife was supporting their daughter, who was just recovering from an illness. It seems they both pushed themselves a bit to see him off.
“Anna-san, please take care of the store while I’m gone. I should be back during business hours.”
“Naoya-san, it’s okay if you take your time. Leave the preparation of the dragon meat dishes to the skeletons.”
“…Take care.”
“I leave the store to you, Anna, Barbera! Let’s go, Naoya! We need to test the comfort of the remodeled carriage!”
“Aren’t you supposed to be the guard, Chloe? … Well, I made it so you can see outside while riding, so it should be fine.”
Anna-san and Barbera also came to see us off. For some reason, Chloe was in high spirits.
“Alright, let’s go. Test run for the free shuttle bus—free shuttle carriage!”
With that call, the merchant took the coachman’s seat. I placed my foot on the short ladder serving as a step and climbed up onto the carriage bed. I pulled up the ladder and placed it behind.
Chloe jumped nimbly onto the bed.
“Let’s go! We must also check the comfort of the ‘cushions’! With my experience as a former store manager and a seasoned traveler!”
“Yes, yes, Chloe. I seem to recall hearing most of your travels were on foot.”
As we conversed, the carriage began to move. Sitting on the bench installed on the bed, I could see the four waving their hands. Waving back, we set off from the Aion Mall Otherworldly store.
We’ll identify and address any issues during a few round trips. Once sorted, the free shuttle carriage will start operating. It should help bring in more customers. At least, I hope it will.
“Hey Naoya, couldn’t we have made more seats? The public carriages were pretty packed.”
“Yeah, I asked the merchant about that. But you know, even if it’s just for a short time, I don’t want to make our customers uncomfortable.”
“Hmm, is that so?”
“Chloe, you wouldn’t want to be crammed in with a bunch of sweaty old men for 30 minutes either, right?”
“Surrounded by unknown men… at first, their hands would brush against me because of the jolting… and then, pretending it was an accident, they’d intentionally touch me repeatedly… their excitement growing, they’d eventually pin me down.”
“So this world does have the concept of ‘Chikan’. Or maybe Chloe just has a really wild imagination. Or a really dark one.”
I stared out the window absentmindedly.
The merchant’s carriage wasn’t that large; it was a two-horse covered wagon. Yesterday, I modified the wagon a bit with the skeleton engineers. The covering, which completely enclosed the top and sides, could now be rolled up halfway along the frame. This way, we could see outside and let the breeze in. Since we’re transporting people, not goods, this seemed like a better setup.
Another significant modification was adding benches to the cargo area. Long benches with backrests were installed on both sides, facing each other like in a train. If we squeeze in, we could fit five people on each side, making a total of ten.
“Well, we could put a bench without a backrest in the middle. It’d give people the option to face either side.”
“So, even more men… surrounded by 14 men, and I’m the only woman… ugh, just kill me!”
“Or maybe we could install poles for standing. But it does shake quite a bit, and the ceiling isn’t that high. It might be tough.”
I ignored Chloe’s continued fantasies. There’s a lot to consider if we want to attract more customers.
“Then there’s the monster problem. Today, Chloe is with us, but…”
“Manager, you’re worrying too much. There haven’t been many monsters around here lately.”
“Merchant? But when Barbera’s parents came, there were Thunderhorn Deer, Cockatrices, and Basilisks.”
“Those were exceptions. If monsters like that appeared regularly, it’d be impossible to travel between towns and villages.”
“Well, that’s true. But I did encounter a One-Horned Rabbit and Goblins on my trips between the town and Aion Mall.”
“Ha ha, those guys are everywhere. But they’re not serious threats. Chloe wouldn’t even need to step in.”
“What? We can’t have our customers fighting monsters.”
“Naoya, did you forget? I used to travel without a guard. For small fry like that, I can handle them by myself.”
The merchant turned around and raised his hand, showing a short bow. He must have chosen a bow as his weapon so he could attack monsters while still seated in the driver’s seat.
“Well, if monsters do start appearing more frequently, I could have my wife serve as a guard and leave my daughter to mind the store.”
“Oh, your wife can fight too? Interesting.”
Life as a merchant in this world seems tough. It might not be just because of the gratitude for curing his child’s illness that he set up shop at the Aion Mall. It’s probably also for safety and stability. Though for now, the sales might not be enough to achieve that.
“Naoya, you know Anna’s subordinates take care of monsters around here at night, right? Even if they miss a One-Horned Rabbit or Goblin, big ones hardly ever show up!”
“The skeleton crew is too efficient. No wonder the farmers can go about their work so leisurely.”
“And I keep an eye on things during my trips to and from town! Plus, to mark our territory, Barbera occasionally shows her strength—mgh!”
“Wait, Chloe, keep your voice down. The merchant doesn’t know Barbera’s true identity.”
I quickly covered Chloe’s mouth to stop her from revealing too much. Though it feels like the merchant might have guessed, especially after seeing Barbera’s parents.
When I released my hand, Chloe exhaled sharply.
“What are you doing, Naoya! Are you trying to silence me and push me down? Right here on the carriage bed! This is… ‘ka-s—'” (Kabedon? Dunno what the word)
“Shut up, Chloe. Who taught you that Japanese word? If it wasn’t me, it must have been Anna.”
I stared ahead absentmindedly. The merchant was focused on driving and didn’t seem to pay us any mind. He probably had a good sense of when to tune out our conversations.
Ahead, I could see the outer walls of the town.
It was the 17th day since I became the manager of the Aion Mall Otherworldly Store. Despite some areas for improvement, the first test run in one direction was coming to an end. I felt exhausted, not from the jolting of the carriage, but from dealing with Chloe.