Leaving early in the morning I went to finish the exterior of the general store and the reinforcement of the building. Thinking that Iâd 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 thatâs not a ghost?
ăGood morning? I guess? Does this count as one? Kind of? Panda?ă
ăWho are you calling a panda! Morning! Thanks to a certain someone I didnât sleep at all! Even though I worked for the whole night, lining up wares, I barely got any closer to setting everything up. I donât even know how I am supposed to arrange the goods. I have to open the store soon, but Iâm nowhere near the endâŚ!ă
ăYeah. Well, you have no shelves or tables, so of course, you wonât be able to? I will create them now, so there is no point trying to set things up before I do? Iâd move the stuff anyway?ă
Ah, she suddenly got crestfallen. And really bad on top of that. I only made one basement floor, so please donât fall that deep into depression? If you fall too low, you might accidentally stumble upon a dungeon emperor? Iâm 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 thatâs 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.
ăLook, about the walls, I donât really want to give the place a too high-grade look? I mean, itâs a general store, so it might scare some customers away? But I also want to make the place brighter, so Iâd 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 customersâ desire for purchase. Also, I think instead of placing cheap trinkets somewhere further in the store, itâs better to put them near the counter, since people might just buy them without thinking. Yeah, and for clothes and accessories letâs 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 itâs 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 itâs 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 thinkâŚă
ăSHUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUT UUUUUUUUUP! AAAh! ENOUGH!!! I want to sleep, okay? I didnât sleep all night! And even so, I couldnât 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 doesnât 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 Iâm 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 Iâve 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 didnât you construct this building? Wait, you also dived into the dungeon, right?! Just what is Jobless?! Rather, arenât 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?!!ă
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 stretchâŚâŚ No, itâs nothing. Iâm 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 didnât have enough items. And also, medicine, cookware, and mid-century modern-like art objects, all of my own making. Of course, I canât deny that a lot of my own preferences went into it.
Okay, this looks like a stylish shop now. This is it. Letâs go back.
ăSoo, 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.ă
The shopkeep waved her hand with a blank stare. She mustâve given up, realizing what is going to happen as soon as the store opens⌠After she saw that long, long line.
Now, letâs hit dungeons.
Actually, today Iâm going as an aide, a helper. Among the dungeons that we were attacking while split into groups was one which the capture wasnât progressing at all. It took me, in essence, only one day, canât they take it more seriously? I entered two dungeons so far, and both were dead on the first day? Why arenât they making any progress? Killing the dungeon master first must be the trick, probably?
ăAnd so I came to help? Everyone, get along with me? Kind of? Or rather, you are still yet to beat it? Sort of?ă
ăăăDungeons donât usually die on the first day! We arenât that slow compared to normal!ăăă
The president and Vice Presidents said in sync, one of them is left out though? Ah, itâs one of the front liners, the one that always gets blown away.
ăWhat? Board members are all in harmony and Shield Girl is left out? Is this bullying? Is it because she is not on the board? Canât she run for Shield President or something? ă
ăăăItâs 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?!ăăă
ăI was Shield Girl?! Do I really have to become a Shield President?ă
She will go for it, I guess? Shield President sounds like someone who will get along with Armored President, speaking of which, isnât 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?
ăăăYou shouldnât take Haruka-kunâs words seriously. It is worse than devil whispers.ăăăăYeah, he is a villain that butchers demons!ăăHey! Isnât that cruel? Is this bullying? Isnât killing demons something one usually gets praised for? Iâd cry if you say that killing demons makes me worse than them?ă
ăThe 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.ă
Is that the problem? Didnât 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, arenât you an accomplice? I didnât do anything wrong.
ăBut 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? Itâs dangerous, you know?ă
ăăăWe werenât dancing and we werenât slacking off! This dungeon is just difficult. In the first place, what kind of maniac would dance in a dungeon? Itâs not just dangerous, itâs more like something a dangerous person would do!ăăă
ăThere is nothing but tough golems in this dungeon. A hit from them sends me flying. Like, swoooosh.ă
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 doesnât 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 ăCounter Shield â ăReturns magic or impact once the damage reaches a certain thresholdăDeF 20% Upă and ăArmored Plate â DeF Enhancement (Great), Magic Resistance (Intermediate), Auto Heală, a good shield girl. Yes, a regular high bid winner.
ăHey? Donât golems break when you drop them? No? In my experience, they usually break and die upon the fall? Mostly?ă
ăYou must be the only person in the whole world making holes in dungeons! Ordinary people canât do that and they normally donât even try! Also, this dungeon is still alive, so you wouldnât be able to make a hole here.ă
Hmm, looks like it canât 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 canât be damaged without killing its dungeon master first. I was able to remodel the great dungeon but probably wouldnât 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. ăStone Golem Lv 10ă, which we whacked all together. But they arenât 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 doesnât 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? âŚAh, no, Iâm not looking at anything? No, no, I saw nothing! The enemy is the golem-san over there! Iâm an ally? Is this ăThe ally of my ally is my enemyă? 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. Thatâs quite an unusual shape. Itâs 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 sizeâŚâŚăCough, coughă, so itâs a staff, it would seem. She is using it for striking, but itâs a staff. Well, Iâm using my staff for cutting, so itâs fine. For now, letâs 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 (ĺćçžčŁćł, 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 âFist of the North Starâ, which consists of numerous rapid punches that result in the illusion of several arms appearing at the same time. It is also known by Kenshiroâs trademark battle cry âAH-TATATATATA!â.