Astral Online: Cursed by the Demon Lord to Become the Strongest Beautiful Girl, I Rapidly Grow and Dominate with Cheat Skills Despite Being the Weakest Profession - Chapter 12
Chapter 12: The Girl’s Hospitality Job
“Thank you for your purchase.”
Hearing the chime signaling the completion of a transaction, Sora bowed with an awkward smile.
The item just purchased was a ?D-rank? one-handed sword, the ?Steel Sword?.
It was a sword made of steel with high specifications: Attack Power ?D+? and Durability ?E+?.
Of course, the price was 100,000 El for one.
With Sora’s current balance of 6,950 El, it would take relentless slime hunting day and night today and tomorrow to afford even one.
There might be better hunting grounds in the next country that could offer higher earnings.
Admiring the advanced players who effortlessly make such expensive purchases, Sora stood dazed at the register after watching them leave.
The transactions were handled by the system, so there’s nothing for Sora to do but stand at the register and say “Welcome” to incoming customers and “Thank you” to those who have finished shopping.
Though it’s Sora’s first experience as a shop clerk, it seems manageable with such simple tasks.
What? My smile is stiff?
Well, a gamer who has never done customer service can’t be expected to do it well.
Sora had tried to force a pretty smile on several customers, but still couldn’t do it naturally.
Earlier, Shin and Rou had given a harsh critique, calling Sora a “broken toy,” which made Sora sulk. In response, Sora took out two ?Slime Jelly? items from her inventory and slapped them against their faces.
As a result, the cleanliness of the floor, which was at 80 percent, dropped by about 10 percent due to the slime debris scattered on the floor.
Sora reflected on the action but didn’t regret it.
After all, it was frustrating.
Sora turned her gaze back to the store.
It had been an hour since Kirie had locked herself in the workshop.
Inside the store, a few players were examining weapons, mumbling “Hmm” as they checked the prices.
They didn’t seem like beginners.
They were likely intermediate players who had started around midnight last night.
According to an advanced player Sora had talked to earlier, this shop is reputed to be quite popular.
Thus, intermediate and higher-level players who visit for the first time are generally attracted by the performance but then crushed by the price.
Well, it was expensive.
The performance is undoubtedly excellent, but since the store’s products were just released yesterday, only top players who spend more time playing than taking breaks can afford to buy them immediately.
Handling such high-quality and expensive items raises concerns about theft, but there’s no need to worry about that here.
Weapons and armor are equipped with a security system that prevents them from being taken out of the store unless properly processed.
If someone tries to take an item outside, they will be stopped by a security barrier.
I felt reassured after learning this from the support system.
Not having to worry about theft is a relief and allows me to stay more relaxed.
Just as I was thinking this, a new customer walked into the store.
“Welcome.”
This time, I managed to greet them with a natural smile.
Even I thought it was a pretty good smile.
As I pondered this, the boy who entered turned beet red and muttered, “A-Angel?” as if he was trying to fit me into some imaginary concept.
He became frozen, unable to move a step, and stared at me, completely petrified.
Could it be that my smile scared him?
Trying not to provoke him further, I cautiously asked, “Is something wrong?”
“I-I’ll come back later!”
The boy then quickly turned around and fled from the store.
… I don’t understand.
Was my smile really that terrifying?
Sora’s puzzled expression caused the other customers to chuckle. “A bit too much for a young guy like him, isn’t it?” they whispered among themselves.
“Alright, I’ll remember all of your faces,” Sora growled.
After a while, I noticed people outside peeking in, but none of them came inside.
It stayed like this for a while.
Feeling a bit bored, I stretched my arms and legs to shake off the heavy mood.
“Phew…”
Letting out a single sigh, I watched my two close friends, who were currently cleaning up.
They were currently struggling with the remains of the slime that they themselves had splattered across the floor.
“You two are really giving it your all.”
“Well, someone went and scattered slime everywhere.”
“It’s surprisingly hard to clean up slime…”
“Haha, this is just another trial. Look, you’re gaining experience points, right?”
Shin and Rou, having finished selecting their weapons, were working hard to clean the store with brooms and rags, having received Kirie’s permission.
Their ultimate goal is to raise the cleanliness of the current floor from 70 percent to the maximum 100 percent.
According to the support system, this game allows players to gain experience points through various actions.
For instance, craftsmen like Kirie earn experience points by making weapons, and cleaning the store is also a way to earn experience.
From what I’ve seen, the amount of experience gained is higher compared to defeating slimes, and it increases by 1 percent with each improvement, making it a good option for those who aren’t fond of combat.
“But for me, it’s inefficient, and you don’t get money or items from it, so hunting monsters might be more fun.”
“I completely agree with that.”
“The reason Shin and I are cleaning is because it feels awkward to get weapons from her for free.”
Saying this, they lightly touched the equipment they had chosen with one hand.
Shin had chosen an ?E-rank? spear, the ?Iron Lance?.
It has a high attack power of ?D?? and decent durability of ?E??.
His father was a master of spear techniques, and Shin, along with his older brother who would inherit the position, had been training since he was young.
She was pretty sure his skills were nationally recognized.
“Well, when it comes to Shin, the spear is a perfect fit.”
“Indeed, no matter what weapon he holds, this one feels the most natural to him.”
Shin gave a wry smile and shifted his gaze to what Rou was carrying.
As a knight, Rou chose not a weapon to increase attack power, but a shield essential for defense.
It was an E-rank Iron Shield.
Though the shield was plain without any decorations or engravings, being a product of Kirie, its defensive power was quite high at ?E?? and its durability at ?D??.
According to the support system, if a shield is used effectively, it could provide more protection than its defense rating alone would suggest. The formula seems to be: damage taken – defense rating = damage to durability.
Rou beamed with happiness and demonstrated how he would use the shield.
“With this combined with the skill ?Provocation?, I’ll be a perfect tank.”
“Wow, that’s so knightly.”
“A shield really adds to the knightly feel.”
Both items are top-tier for early equipment.
Especially with the defensive enhancement magic on Rou’s shield, it’ll be interesting to see how robust it becomes.
Shin’s magic and spear techniques are also a very reliable combination.
Once my main weapon is finished, we might be ready to head to the Spirit Forest.
Just then, I heard a surprising commotion from the players peeking in outside.
I wondered what was happening.
Though slightly curious, I decided to ignore it and focus on attending to the male player who came in with his weapon.
“Thank you for your purchase.”
I bowed and saw the male customer off.
A moment later, the next customer entered.
I greeted them with a smile, saying “Welcome,” but then froze when I saw the customer.
It was a girl around my age with long black hair covering her left eye.
Her waist-length hair was styled into a flowing ponytail, and she had a face as exquisitely beautiful as a finely crafted doll.
But what surprised me most was the aura she carried, which was completely different from the other players.
It was as sharp as an unsheathed blade.
Dressed in a black dress with light armor, she looked at me with half-closed eyes and said,
“…Are you the ?Silver Sword Princess??”