AIWON Mall Isekai Store, Grand Opening Today! - Chapter 76
Episode 8-3
“It does shake quite a bit, doesn’t it?”
“Naoya, aren’t you worrying too much? This much is normal.”
Chloe, who was walking alongside the carriage, responded to my muttered words.
After leaving the Aion Mall Otherworldly Store, the carriage reached the nearest town. As Chloe mentioned before, it took about 30 minutes at a leisurely pace. Walking would take an hour, and considering it would take two hours round trip, it makes sense to run the free shuttle carriage.
“Tires, suspension… but that sort of thing seems difficult. Wasn’t the carriage designed to reduce shaking by suspending the cargo bed?”
“Naoya? Are you listening? …No good, he’s at it again.”
I was lost in thought, gazing absentmindedly at the town scenery as the carriage rocked. Comfort in the shuttle carriage is important, but…
From the nearest town to the Aion Mall Otherworldly Store, it’s an hour round trip by carriage. Even when full, it can only carry a little over ten people. This means that we can only increase our daily customer base by about 100 people. Considering the average customer count over the past 16 days has been just under 104, this could be significant.
“…Increase the number of carriages, or increase the number of passengers. During the Dragon Sale, there were several carriages in a row. Well, I guess we won’t know until we try.”
As I was thinking about these things, the carriage slowed down. The peddler, who was also acting as our driver, turned around to speak to me in the cargo bed.
“Naoya-san, we’ve arrived.”
“Thank you.”
“Wait, this is the Merchant Guild! What business do you have at the den of that scoundrel, Naoya!?”
“Chloe, it’s harsh to call the Guild Master that. Besides, I don’t have any business with him directly.”
“Could it be that you plan to curry favor with ‘This should ensure your cooperation,’ and leave me to be at the mercy of that scoundrel!? Darn it, I’ll—”
“Hey, my character’s changing there, you pervy elf. And it’s weird for you to react like this to the Merchant Guild even though you’re a former store manager. What did you do before?”
While we were talking, the carriage came to a complete stop. We disembarked. The peddler, who also served as our guard, got off the carriage too.
“Huh? Aren’t we going to move the carriage to the parking area?”
“It’s fine as it is, store manager. Look.”
The peddler pointed, and I saw a boy who seemed to be a Merchant Guild employee approaching. After exchanging a few words with the peddler, the boy climbed into the driver’s seat. Apparently, the Merchant Guild offers a service where they park the carriages for you, akin to high-end hotel service.
“I see, they really pay attention to these details. Our place could learn from this.”
As I nodded in agreement, Chloe tugged at the hem of my clothes.
“…Chloe, do you want to wait outside? You could wander around and meet up with us later.”
“No, I’m coming! I must protect Naoya, the peddler, and the Aion Mall Otherworldly Store from the clutches of that scoundrel! As a holy knight, it is my duty!”
“I have a feeling taking you along will be more trouble than it’s worth… Well, fine, let’s go.”
With Chloe, who was full of bluster but a bit unsteady, the peddler and I entered the Merchant Guild.
“Are you sure about this? It’s a very generous offer on your part.”
“Yes, it’s fine. I will be closing my ‘peddling’ business.”
At the counter of the Merchant Guild, the peddler was discussing the transfer of his peddling routes with a staff member.
Typically, each peddler develops their routes independently—visiting villages and cities, sourcing goods, and selling products. This knowledge is usually passed down from parent to child or from master to apprentice, making it a considerable effort to start a new peddling business. The guild staff member initially seemed puzzled by the peddler’s offer but was now struggling to hide a smile.
The peddler had chosen to become a tenant at the Aion Mall Otherworldly Store, abandoning his previous hard-earned work. In essence, I, as the mall’s manager, was now responsible for the fate of his entire family. The responsibility weighed heavily on me.
“Since you’re closing your business, what will you do with the carriage? If you plan to sell it, we’d be willing to make an offer.”
“We won’t be selling the carriage or the horse. We plan to use them.”
“Understood.”
The guild staff member quietly backed off from the peddler’s firm refusal. If it had been the guild master, he probably would have pounced on it with, “Oh? What do you plan to use it for?”
“Store Manager, my business here is done.”
Our visit to the town wasn’t just for the “free shuttle carriage test run” and the “transfer of the peddling routes.” Upon the peddler’s prompting, I placed a piece of paper on the counter.
“Um, I’d like to request the posting of this. I heard that the Merchant Guild can post information for merchants, even if they’re not guild members.”
“Yes, depending on the content… May I take a look?”
“Of course.”
“Naoya, what is that? If you show any weakness to merchants, they’ll make you pay with your body!”
“Your image of merchants is skewed. Forget about that corrupt merchant we met during our travels.”
I pushed Chloe, who was leaning in to peek, aside. The peddler had already reviewed it, and there shouldn’t be any issues with the content. The guild staff member also nodded after a quick check.
“The content is fine, but—”
“But?”
“Given the nature of this posting, it might not attract any applicants.”
“Really? The rent is a percentage of sales, so it seems like a good deal for tenants.”
Yes, the paper I handed over was a notice for recruiting tenants. With a free shuttle carriage running between the town and the Aion Mall Otherworldly Store, employees could commute back and forth. I thought this would attract tenant applications.
“What part of it is a sticking point? Depending on what it is, we could adjust—”
I was cut off, not by the guild staff, but by a voice from behind me.
“Well, well, if it isn’t the new store manager.”
A slick, oily voice. I didn’t need to turn around to know who it was.
“There he is! The scoundrel of the Merchant Guild!”
“That’s too much, Chloe. I’m sorry for my employee’s behavior.”
I tried to calm Chloe, who was ready to snarl. Turning around, I saw the guild master in his usual flashy clothes and gaudy accessories, wearing a greasy smile. The Merchant Guild’s top, the guild master himself, had appeared. His demeanor and speech were as shady as ever.
“What brings you to the Merchant Guild? Oh, perhaps you’ve given up on doing business outside and decided to come under the guild’s wing?”
“Grrr!”
“Easy, easy! Growling won’t help, Chloe! Are all elves like this…?”
I sighed. I had hoped to finish our business before the guild master showed up, but things rarely go as planned. Maybe it would have been better to leave Chloe waiting outside after all.