CH 8

The water station, huh? Ah, I wonder what the water and sewage facilities are like at Aion Mall. Let’s go check …… for power generation facilities, too. There are no guests anyway! Nobody’s here, even a customer!”

After seeing the merchant family off, I sat up from the bench.

Put the gourd-type vegetable waste in the bag I had brought with me properly.

I wonder how they dispose of the…… garbage.

I guess the obvious question is that I’m finally starting to calm down.

I just arrived in another world last night, after all!

And in the morning, I was confronted with a sword by the former manager, a clumsy elf!

Back inside the Aion Mall Otherworld Store, the former manager, the clumsy elf, was humming a tune as she cleaned the store.

I call out to Chloe, who is cleaning a space that is not open for business.

“Chloe, I’m going to go have a little tour of the store.”

“I got it. Naoya, do you have a weapon? The Japanese don’t have the strength to fight, do they? If you want, I can be your escort. …… Ha! Don’t tell me you offered to escort me, dragged me to an empty place, and forced me to do something I didn’t want to do! Ugh, kill me!””

“Come on, Chloe, that’s all you’re trying to say, isn’t it? It’s like I know I can’t fight, and you know I’m not strong enough to fight, no matter what, so you’re just going to have to beat me back.”

“You’ll attack me, saying things like, 【 The manager’s orders are absolute!】  I guess the human race is still beasts, using their authority as a cover to corner us!”

“The former manager is so screwed up, she is a total pain in the ass. Ah, that’s enough. I’m off then.”

Leaving Chloe, who was not quite conversational, I straddled the off-limits rope and entered the tenant space.

As I walked, I checked to make sure that the ring was still in place on the middle finger of my left hand.

My conversation with the peddler earlier had worked fine.

“Either it’s a malfunction, or it’s not communicating with the elves in a sophisticated way. But without the translation ring, we shouldn’t even be able to have a conversation, and I believe we’ll be able to communicate properly in due time! I also trust the judgment of the human resources department that hired someone like Iori-san ……”

It might not work.

“Is the power generation facility here?”

The document summarizing the current status of the Aion Mall Otherworld Store was accompanied with a floor map.

It was intended for the staff, depicting not only the interior of the store, but also the inside and various facilities.

Looking at the floor map, I arrived at an underground passageway that did not exist in the Aion Mall Kasugano store.

“I suppose it’s supposed to be some kind of other-worldly specification.”

I put my hand on the door labeled “boiler room”.

The basement passage continues onward, and according to the floor map, there are several rooms.

I was curious about the rooms whose purpose was not indicated on the floor map, but I was now thinking of the power generation facilities.

After all, this is another world, and the Aion Mall Otherworldly Store has electricity.

I opened the door with a big flashlight in my hand.

The boiler room was bright.

” It looks like an emergency generator, doesn’t it? But it’s supposed to be diesel, and it can’t power the whole mall all the time.”

I approach the generator with a flashlight in my hand.

By the way, this flashlight is a kind of weapon.

Remembering Chloe’s words, “You got a weapon?” I stopped by my room to get it before I came here.

Well, it’s not really my room, I just carried my personal belongings into an empty tenant space.

“The generator is so loud! So that’ s why it’s underground!”

I approach the generator which makes a loud noise.

I approach it, but I’m not a licensed engineer.

I am neither a Chief Boiler and Turbine Engineer nor a Chief Electrical Engineer.

Of course, I had no idea what was going on when I saw the generator, and there was no way I could mess with it.

‘Well, I can tell this isn’t normal! What is this pattern? Is it magic, a magic circle? What about the fuel?”

I can tell that there are usually no geometric patterns painted all over the generator.

I also know that there is no magic circle-like thing that glows faintly on the floor normally.

“Who the hell developed this stuff! But thanks to you, we can use electricity in another world, thank you very much! Aion is so ferocious!”

The loud noise, probably the turbine spinning, caused me to yell out too.

There is no one to answer me.

This is a space where customers aren’t allowed, and Chloe is either serving or cleaning at the store.

It’s another world, but the Aion Mall Otherworldly Store is supplied with electricity.

Probably through some kind of technology that combines magic and science.

“Okay, I have no idea. I’ll ask Chloe later. I don’t think Chloe understands. W-well, let’s just think it works just fine! Ah, but I’ll have to check the full cost.”

After all, I’m the manager of the Aion Mall’s Otherworldly Store.

After thinking about it, I realized a terrible thing.

“Since I can’t contact …… Japan, the management of the Aion Mall Otherworld Store is left to me, the store manager. In other words, the management of this mysterious power generation facility is also …… No, no, no! The person in charge! Come over here, the person in charge! Ah- shit, that’s me!”

I hold my head up.

Oh man, I feel like I’ve had my head in the clouds ever since I came to another world.

“The next one. So, there will be drinking water, and then the water and sewage facilities. Also, how are they disposing of the garbage? I feel like …… don’t want to know.”

Mumbling and grumbling, I wander around the rear yard with a floor map in my hand. No, I don’t wander around. I have a purpose.

Aion Mall’s Otherworldly Store at night.

I was leaning against a couch on the ground floor of the tenant space.

“The water and sewer facilities were also using magic circles, and the garbage disposal was just tossed into a dust hopper and had nowhere to go. …… Are they dumping it in the basement? Or maybe monsters are handling it? Hahaha.”

I’m sure I have empty eyes now.

Last night, when I saw the appearance of the store from the parking lot, I mistook it for the Aion Mall Kasugano store.

When I went inside, I was convinced it was not the Kasugano store because of the different structure.

I thought it was just an ordinary Aion Mall.

No, if I had only seen the empty backyard and store area, I might not have known that it was another world.

>Until we check the various facilities.<

“It’s really a different world. ……”

At least, I’ve never seen anything like this in the Aion Mall in Japan.

I was more surprised to see elves in armor, adventurers, merchants, and carriages than I was to see monsters.

Perhaps it was because “I thought it was normal”, but it was totally surprising to me.

“There you are, Naoya! I’ve been looking for you!”

“Oh, Chloe. What’s up?”

“Hey, what’s going on? You’re the manager, right? I’m just reporting to you that we’re closed for the day after business hours!”

“Is it that time already? ……. I want to ask, but I don’t want to. But if I don’t, it won’t start.”

“What’s the matter, Naoya? I thought you were going to interrogate me!”

“I’m really tired today, so please don’t be like that. I’m not sure what to do with the rest of it. Chloe …… How were the sales today?”

“That’s what you want to ask me? I’m surprised to hear you ask that, Naoya! We’ve had customers this… day… and this evening! Today’s sales are……”

Chloe sticks her hand through a gap in her armor and rummages around her waist.

She pulls out a sheet of paper and stares at it.

It appears to be a piece of paper with sales printed …… or handwritten on it.

“Today’s sales are 16,000 yen in Japanese Yen!”

“Sixteen thousand….”

“There were 42 customers! I can do the math, Naoya! After all, I am a Paladin!”

“42 customers. 16.000 yen per month. Monthly sales target, 100 million yen. Store manager, which is me. The person who is responsible for this store is me. Ha-ha, ha-ha-ha.”

“Naoya? What’s wrong? Ah, you omitted some complicated number? Would you like me to explain it to me?”

“The target is too high! The number of customers and average spend per customer are both terrible! And of course the revenue is terrible, too! I’ve noticed it from what I saw today, but what the hell is this?!”

“Na, Naoya?”

“Ahhhhh! It’s no longer possible to grasp the situation leisurelyStoporMedaStoporeye! It’s okay if both electricity and water are working! from tomorrow! I will be the manager! Well, the first thing to do is to find a product for sale! “

“Oh! I asked you, Naoya! Finally, Nihonjin’s business of Ion Mall will start!”

The monthly sales target is 100 million Japanese yen.

I would like to know the rate of conversion, but frankly speaking, it’s not that important.

It’s Aion Mall, and we have 42 customers a day! Revenue of 16,000 yen per day!

It’ s not even enough to cover the vending machine sales at the Aion Mall Kasugano!

Hearing my determination, Chloe’s eyes light up.

I take a deep breath to calm my mind.

“Chloe, I’m looking forward to working with you tomorrow.”

“!!! Ah! Nice to meet you, Naoya!”

Chloe smiled at my words and smiled back at me, not knowing what to be happy about.

With a heart forcing itself to calm down, I saw Chloe off on her way home.

I lock the store entrance.

I take a deep breath.

“I’m not sure how many months I have to meet this monthly goal!　It’s too much of a risk, Ioriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!”

My screams were swept into the unoccupied Aion Mall Otherworldly Store.

I feel like I’ve kept on screaming since last night.

Thanks to Aion Inc. and the Aion Mall Otherworldly Store!