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Chapter 118: In the limited space the sales area is bound to compete for room with the show area

Translator: “Pink Tea” Editor: ”Ryunakama”

Day 45 – Morning, the general store

Leaving early in the morning I went to finish the exterior of the general store and the reinforcement of the building. Thinking that I’d also decorate the interior and arrange the merchandise I stepped inside… And saw the general store lady with dark circles under her eyes, working, as she wobbled from side to side? Hmm, I suppose that’s not a ghost?

「Good morning? I guess? Does this count as one? Kind of? Panda?」

「Who are you calling a panda! Morning! Thanks to a certain someone I didn’t sleep at all! Even though I worked for the whole night, lining up wares, I barely got any closer to setting everything up. I don’t even know how I am supposed to arrange the goods. I have to open the store soon, but I’m nowhere near the end…!」

「Yeah. Well, you have no shelves or tables, so of course, you won’t be able to? I will create them now, so there is no point trying to set things up before I do? I’d move the stuff anyway?」

Ah, she suddenly got crestfallen. And really bad on top of that. I only made one basement floor, so please don’t fall that deep into depression? If you fall too low, you might accidentally stumble upon a dungeon emperor? I’m saying this from experience. Look, she is right next to me right now?

Since I felt bad for the shopkeeper, I create racks right on the wall, while Armored Pres-san is lining up wares on them at high speed. As expected, though formerly, she is still a dungeon emperor, an amazing product placement speed, her hands leave 10 afterimages as she moves! S-so that’s the true ability of the lord of the lowest floor? ATATATATATATA… And while we were playing around, the shopkeeper finally returned to her senses. Looks like she somehow managed to crawl out from that pit of despair? [1]

We cleared up most of the stuff, as for the detailed layout of the store, it would be better to do it while discussing with the manager.

「Look, about the walls, I don’t really want to give the place a too high-grade look? I mean, it’s a general store, so it might scare some customers away? But I also want to make the place brighter, so I’d like to increase the number of windows, but sunlight also can damage some of the goods, and it can also be the reason for colors fading, so I thought that making the interior white is a safe choice. Yeah, and the shelves, having more of them is very merchant-like, since you will be able to display more goods, but having more useless space also makes the place look more fancy? I mean, giving off the right atmosphere is important to stir up customers’ desire for purchase. Also, I think instead of placing cheap trinkets somewhere further in the store, it’s better to put them near the counter, since people might just buy them without thinking. Yeah, and for clothes and accessories let’s use that wall, and in turn, put a lot of shelves over here, and show off the abundance of goods, sort of? But for appearance sake, I think it’s better to restock on tablewares? And also cookware? I mean, you are making a trade of providing a steady source of necessities, so replacements are also important, and also the prices… Ah, it would also be nice to feature some kind of glassware, right? Even if it’s expensive, people might want to buy it someday, and it would also make prices on other goods look more reasonable. Yeah, there has to be an assortment of goods of a wide price range. And also, I think…」

「SHUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUT UUUUUUUUUP! AAAh! ENOUGH!!! I want to sleep, okay? I didn’t sleep all night! And even so, I couldn’t set all of the wares! Because the place is too huge, too large! Why is there so much pomp? What kind of big-time firm is this? Even the capital doesn’t have such stores. Just what is this building? You know, since yesterday, people from all over the town are flocking here to see it? This is just a general store! Just what do you all expect from it? You especially! Just what are you trying to do? In the first place, do you even understand what a general store is? Why do tables and shelves keep popping up right as I’m saying this? Why does everything fit so well as if you took measurements beforehand? Why are you arranging wares as you please, even though it is my store?! Wait, you are going to do the second floor as well? Are you? Large merchandise? Like beds? Sofas? You are placing them there? In a general store? Even though this is a general store? Your own creation?! And even tables and chairs the likes of which I’ve never seen before… Eh? Are you sure about selling them this cheap? Eh? You are the one who made them so you basically got them for free? Were you actually a furniture craftsman? But didn’t you construct this building? Wait, you also dived into the dungeon, right?! Just what is Jobless?! Rather, aren’t you getting involved in all kinds of jobs!? You also were cooking and making potions. Why is your self-made stuff of such high quality?!!」

Aaah, what a pain. The shopkeeper is angry, seriously angry. With the lack of sleep, her wrinkles are even more prominent, at this rate calling her a lady might be a stretch…… No, it’s nothing. I’m gonna do my best.

With this and that we kept working on completing and furnishing the interior until the opening hour, finishing placing all of the goods, and to conceal the lack of wares, putting furniture made by me into an empty area for which we didn’t have enough items. And also, medicine, cookware, and mid-century modern-like art objects, all of my own making. Of course, I can’t deny that a lot of my own preferences went into it.

Okay, this looks like a stylish shop now. This is it. Let’s go back.

「Soo, good work? Hm, good luck with sales? There is a huge crowd outside? A general store that people line up for? I guess? Well then.」

The shopkeep waved her hand with a blank stare. She must’ve given up, realizing what is going to happen as soon as the store opens… After she saw that long, long line.

Now, let’s hit dungeons.

Actually, today I’m going as an aide, a helper. Among the dungeons that we were attacking while split into groups was one which the capture wasn’t progressing at all. It took me, in essence, only one day, can’t they take it more seriously? I entered two dungeons so far, and both were dead on the first day? Why aren’t they making any progress? Killing the dungeon master first must be the trick, probably?

「And so I came to help? Everyone, get along with me? Kind of? Or rather, you are still yet to beat it? Sort of?」

「「「Dungeons don’t usually die on the first day! We aren’t that slow compared to normal!」」」

The president and Vice Presidents said in sync, one of them is left out though? Ah, it’s one of the front liners, the one that always gets blown away.

「What? Board members are all in harmony and Shield Girl is left out? Is this bullying? Is it because she is not on the board? Can’t she run for Shield President or something? 」

「「「It’s not bullying! And also, Miwa-chan was Shield Girl? When did you give her such a name?! Also what do you mean by board members?!」」」

「I was Shield Girl?! Do I really have to become a Shield President?」

She will go for it, I guess? Shield President sounds like someone who will get along with Armored President, speaking of which, isn’t the armor completely useless for her? No one could even touch her yet? At this rate, she might lose the next elections of the armored president. Looks like they might not be able to get along? Well, no idea though?

「「「You shouldn’t take Haruka-kun’s words seriously. It is worse than devil whispers.」」」「Yeah, he is a villain that butchers demons!」「Hey! Isn’t that cruel? Is this bullying? Isn’t killing demons something one usually gets praised for? I’d cry if you say that killing demons makes me worse than them?」

「The demons are the ones who should be crying. In your case, you kill them in such a way that it makes them appear less evil in comparison. It even makes demons look pitiful.」

Is that the problem? Didn’t you rush to buy swords that I plundered from Demon Blades? You are carrying them on you right this very moment? Yes, I caught them with the net and skewered them, getting a whole bunch? But since you rushed to buy them, aren’t you an accomplice? I didn’t do anything wrong.

「But you are only on the 9th floor after 3 days? With a Lv 90 party? And you are trying to set aside that you were slacking off? What were you doing? Having a dance party? In a dungeon? Dance till you are dead? It’s dangerous, you know?」

「「「We weren’t dancing and we weren’t slacking off! This dungeon is just difficult. In the first place, what kind of maniac would dance in a dungeon? It’s not just dangerous, it’s more like something a dangerous person would do!」」」

「There is nothing but tough golems in this dungeon. A hit from them sends me flying. Like, swoooosh.」

Looks like Shield Girl was getting blown away here as well. I remember how back in the forest she would often be sent flying by orcs. She is fairly tall, but she doesn’t seem like a power type, and despite being delicate she is a shield user. How did she end up being a tank? But she is also a very good customer of mine, who bought 『Counter Shield – 【Returns magic or impact once the damage reaches a certain threshold】DeF 20% Up』 and 『Armored Plate – DeF Enhancement (Great), Magic Resistance (Intermediate), Auto Heal』, a good shield girl. Yes, a regular high bid winner.

「Hey? Don’t golems break when you drop them? No? In my experience, they usually break and die upon the fall? Mostly?」

「You must be the only person in the whole world making holes in dungeons! Ordinary people can’t do that and they normally don’t even try! Also, this dungeon is still alive, so you wouldn’t be able to make a hole here.」

Hmm, looks like it can’t be done in a functioning dungeon. Until now I had an easy time because I first killed a dungeon, but it looks like a dungeon can’t be damaged without killing its dungeon master first. I was able to remodel the great dungeon but probably wouldn’t have been able to open a hole. Would it have angered the dungeon emperor if I tried? Well, she is getting angry at me every morning though.

For starters, we went to the 10th floor, and it was really golems. 『Stone Golem Lv 10』, which we whacked all together. But they aren’t breaking. Oh, here comes the Great Sage from the backline, Vice President B-san, and hitting it! Hitting it! Hitting it! Hitting it! Continues hitting it!

Somehow, this doesn’t look very smart, despite her being Great Sage? What about the magic? And they are shaking with every hit! Shaking! Shaking! Shaking! Shaking freely as they please swaying left and right! Is this great size somehow linked to her being Great Sage? …Ah, no, I’m not looking at anything? No, no, I saw nothing! The enemy is the golem-san over there! I’m an ally? Is this 『The ally of my ally is my enemy』? They are glaring at me so hard… Even though I came to help?

The staff that Vice President B-san is wielding is a long one, with a large mass of metal on one of the ends. That’s quite an unusual shape. It’s my first time seeing one like this. Though I often see hammers of this shape? But she is proudly claiming that it is a staff. Ah, but the clothes are struggling so hard, that size……「Cough, cough」, so it’s a staff, it would seem. She is using it for striking, but it’s a staff. Well, I’m using my staff for cutting, so it’s fine. For now, let’s move onwards since it is getting scary. I mean, there is no way golems can scare me? They are nothing compared to that bloodthirst I feel behind me? Seriously.

[TL Notes:
[1] The Hokuto Hyakuretsu-ken (北斗百裂拳, translated as Hundred Cracking Fist of the North Star) is a fictional martial arts technique used by Kenshiro, the main protagonist from the Japanese manga series “Fist of the North Star”, which consists of numerous rapid punches that result in the illusion of several arms appearing at the same time. It is also known by Kenshiro’s trademark battle cry “AH-TATATATATA!”.
]