107 - - 105.Before Opening

"This is the store. Well, it's a general store. Next to it on the right is a light armor shop, and on the left I don't know yet."

This street is lined with stores with a frontage of about eight meters. The store to the right is Elias's, which may make you feel safe, but it may also make you feel uneasy about being identified. The store on the left has also changed its appearance and there are no craftsmen coming and going, so it looks like it is ready to open, but it is a weekday afternoon in the real world...

I came here by carriage.

I had already registered for the transfer, and I asked the two of them to help me remember the way to get here since they said that a new carriage stand had been built from the temple to the plaza via the branch office of the guild of commerce here.

At first I was convinced that it was a one-way trip because the capacity would be exceeded if all the transfers were made to the same place at the same time, but it may be that there is a conflict with the carriage shop.

The route of this carriage is scheduled to be extended when a new commercial zone is built to the southwest.

When we got off the carriage, we saw a liquor store next to the commercial guild branch office, which seemed to be doing well and was guiding the wagons.

The liquor store is starting off calmly and without confusion, since they know in advance the approximate amount of liquor they will wholesale since they rarely do retail sales, and they cannot suddenly reduce the amount of liquor coming in from King's Landing to zero due to their relationship with the city.

This is what you would expect from a commercial guild. Instead, it seems that there was a great deal of preliminary coordination of wholesale quantities, and Cuero looked unusually tired.

The frontage of the store on the liquor store side of the street used to be a warehouse and was wider than the one on the general store side, with the guild branch on the corner and the liquor store next.

The general store is on the opposite side of the street from the liquor store and is the third building from the corner. It is located close to the coach stop.

"I'm sure Cal, the bouncer of this store, is inside, so if you ask him, I'm sure he'll open the door for you.

I glanced at Lapidus, who was clutching the key I had given him in the carriage in front of his chest.

I'd better make him a chain so he can wear it around his neck.

"Shall we open it, then?"

LAPIS nodded his head and ran up the three short flights of stairs with a swish of his tail and inserted the key into the keyhole. Noel was supposed to be his brother, but it seemed to me that it was the other way around. Lapidus does not talk much, but his face and tail are expressive, while Noel's face does not move much and he speaks in a mature manner and with a clear message. Even in the carriage he gave the keys to Lapidus.

He had intended to give one to each of the residents, but there were not enough because of the unplanned increase in the number of residents. I had originally planned to have a bouncer, so I gave Trinh a spare key and asked him to duplicate two keys for me. I will give Noel the key when it is ready.

I help Lapidus open the door by giving it a slight push.

The bell on the top of the door rings with a ringing sound. I could have used a ringing bell, but I asked Trinh for a more gentle sound, and he recommended this one. I asked Trinh if there was a gentler sound, and he recommended this one. It may be a little less assertive than a doorbell, but it has a gentle resonance.

"It's a beautiful sound.

"It's a small space, so I think this is about right."

Hmmm, I wonder if the stiffness is caused not only by the food but also by the shampoo. I'll have to bring shampoo as well as food to the orphanage.

I pat Noel's head.

His tone seems to be casual, but when he looks around the store, his ears perk up and he's curious!　And if the head is in a place where it is easy to pet it, I have no choice but to pet it.

"Welcome home."

"Good evening."

They emerge from the room by the counter when they hear the doorbell ring.

"Reno, you've arrived."

A familiar dragonet was there.

"Yes, just now. I'm afraid I was a bit conspicuous, so I've been let in by Mister Cal.

"I didn't think there were any other dragonews in the area, so I took the liberty of including them."

"Oh, thank you."

I thought it was a strange place to be, but I entered without permission, and the compromise was up to the space for the guests. Both of them are serious and loyal.

I noticed that both Lapis and Noel's tails were in great shape.

"Lapidus, Noel. This is Cal the bouncer and Reno the dragonet. They're good people, don't worry."

I lightly patted them on the backs, which made them freeze, and broke their bonds. I was already used to seeing them, but would it be a surprise to meet a dragonut for the first time?

"Let's have tea in the back for now.

I lift Lapidus and Noel into chairs and go to the kitchenette to make a pot of tea. We were short of chairs, so Leno brought one from the small room by the counter.

We need to buy two chairs that are comfortable for small children, not to say chairs for children. Also, the counter needs to be raised up a step, or at least a step above the floor, or it will be too hard to work for a long time.

Here you go.

Iced tea, hot apple pie and cold vanilla ice cream. Smaller portions as I'm holding off on lunch.

I can switch it out if you don't like sweets.

It's times like this that the world really comes in handy. You can put it away and it's still hot.

"Two swords."

Cal says happily, rubbing his hands together.

"I'm okay with everything but raw meat and fish, so I'll probably be fine."

"I like sweets. But I've never had this one."

"I'll probably be fine."

None of the three of you have ever eaten. I felt a little pity for the two young ones. I thought Reno was a carnivore, but he was not. And their eyes, which had been fixed on Reno warily, are now glued to the snacks.

"Well, I'm going to serve you a lot more, so if you don't like something, just let me know."

"Suki kirai?"

Tilting his head cockily, Lapidus asks, "What do you want?

This reaction makes me wonder if it's safe to serve customers. Will it be popular with some people who like young girls?

"Unless the food is very bad, you should eat without leaving any leftovers, both for health and for courtesy. But if I know you don't like it, I'll cut it into small pieces, and <> are a luxury item ...... I don't want to serve you something you don't like because I want you to enjoy eating it."

""Yes.""

""Yes, sir."""

Hey, second half! Two adults!

"This one has just the right amount of acidity."

"The ice cream with vanilla bean is also ...... bliss."

The two beasts munching away while the two adults eat their food.

Should I send this to the orphanage for shampoo as well as the occasional sweet?

I thought dogs were poisoned by onions and chocolate. I'll check later to see if beastmen are safe. There was a beastman adventurer who ate a lot of strong-flavored food in the guild's cafeteria, so I think he should be fine.

"I'm going to open the store after lunch, but first let's go and buy some more stuff. And what about Leno?　We could use the upstairs here as temporary lodging, but would you be more comfortable in the open air?"

"I think what Mr. Partin said about seeing things is just that, experiencing things, so if it doesn't bother you, please let me live upstairs."

"I don't mind, but for a dragonut to live in the city, you'll have to go through the Adventurers' Guild and be tagged and observed for three months."

"Oh, it's okay. I registered as an adventurer a long time ago on a whim of Mr. Partin. Well, it was a long time ago for humans, so I am not sure if my card is valid or not. I was able to use this card at the gate.

When he entered the city, he presented his card and was allowed in for a one-day stay, and was told to go to the guild if he wanted to stay longer.

I show the four of them around the store, now that they have gotten used to the place through sweet treats. First, the counter area.

This shelf is attached to the production warehouse above, so if you run out of goods, you can restock from here.

He points to the shelf on the right as seen from inside the counter.

The sales shelves in the store are already categorized, so you can just use this shelf to insert items that match the category you want. If it is inconvenient, you can customize it. Of course, you can also arrange them by hand.

In case you are wondering, I had Cuero set it up for me.

By the way, what kind of store is this?

"We sell consumable goods for adventurers, a general store.

I answer Leno's question.

"Were you in production?"

"No?　I'm mainly a fighter. I'm an apothecary, and I'm mainly selling concoctions and alchemical items."

"It sounds like you have a lot of competition."

"There are some high potions around these days. ......The small room by the counter was made as a business meeting space for some reason, but after thinking about it, it's not a business meeting space, so please use it as you like when someone you know comes in, or use it as a waiting area for Cal."

"Ah, this door is interesting. It doesn't take up much space, and if you close it, it looks like a wall.

Cal is admiring the sliding door.

"So, this is the break room where we just had tea. You can use the kitchen there as you like, including the stuff on the shelves. We'll try to keep some food and ingredients here, so you can finish your meal here or go out to eat as you like.

"Thank you."

"This is the dirt floor and the stairwell. The second and third floors are the production facilities and the main warehouse. Upstairs there are two small rooms and a bathroom for Cal and Reno. The back door here leads to the liquor store in the back.

In fact, when I opened the back door, the backyard turned out to be a small garden with the beautiful yellowish-green hair grass that I had asked for. The sun barely shone, yet it did not feel damp.

"It's a luxury to have a garden in this city, isn't it?

Lapidus and Noel, who are accustomed to the large garden of the temple orphanage, and Reno, whose home is in the natural wilds, reacted subtly to Cal's words.

"You can use the backyard as you like. I'll give you the key to the back door of the liquor store later, so if anything goes wrong, just run out the back door."

The liquor store had no intention of giving the key to Cal, so there was no spare key, but considering Cal, it would be better to give it to him.

"Why the liquor store key ......?"

"In case you're wondering, the liquor store in the back is mine, too."

The Commercial Guild is a whole lot of fun.

"I'm a little confused about you, are you a merchant?"

No, I'm just an adventurer.

"...... normal?"

Cal and Reno look suspicious to me.

"Adventurers ......"

Noel looks up at me.

"Yeah, that's your day job."

"Well, one day Lapidus will fight with you."

Oh, that's cute.

"I do it because I like it, and I won't stop you if you really want to do it. But if you just want to copy me, it's a risky business and you should think twice. There are still many professions that Lapidus and Noel don't know about."

A light pat on the head soothes him.

"You're smiling, aren't you?

Me, Reno, Lapidus and Noel were going to the Adventurers' Guild.

Reno checked to see if the registration was still in order. Lapidus and Noel went to the guild to get their cards made since they had no IDs. The temple will give them a letter of recommendation and a certificate of identity from the orphanage if they follow the procedures, but it would be better to have a guild card. If they are under 14 years old, they are not allowed to receive a request for a defeat unless they are accompanied by a person of D rank or above (a protector), and this is also to make sure that the person himself is confirmed.

What is it? A child is in trouble because of recklessness!　I have to go help!　We don't want to see any events like this, so we'll keep the nail gently in the coffin.

When Cal went to buy sheets, towels, and other daily necessities for his upstairs living, he asked for a comfortable chair for the child to sit on and a step stool to stand on in front of the counter.

There is a chance that we might run into Gawain, but since we can't stay cooped up in the house anyway, he decides to avoid it only when he knows in advance and doesn't worry about the rest.

Instead of giving Cal and Reno the silos that they are free to use, he tells them to buy whatever they notice in the common areas and the rest areas. Leno was about to say something, but he looked at me and took the money.

It would have been difficult to give it only to Cal, and I am glad that Leno received it.

"By the way, what should I call you, Mr. Homura?"

"You're hiding your name, aren't you?"

"If you wear this mask, strangers cannot recognize your name even if you call it Homura, or if you say a proper name in advance, it will sound like that name, so you should be fine. Well, like the owner (tenshu) or something?"

"Are you the master?"

Reno confirms it.

""""Master."""

"It's kind of like a bartender who is a hired shopkeeper when it comes to horizontal letters."

"...... maybe the three of us have different nuances."

If it's not a bartender, I don't know what the image is. I'm no better at reading the nuances of language than a dragon man. .......

You may not recognize me since I went there wearing a mask, but Emel's button flew.

This time it was tall Leno who got hit by the button, and it sounded pretty good. The commotion of seeing Leno is swallowed up by the usual commotion of the receptionist's chase. It seems that the players are all loyal to their desires during the daytime on weekdays.

I wonder if there are any <> besides <> and <>... When I see a young girl chasing after a receptionist at an adventurer's guild, I imagine what's inside and get a delicate feeling. Apparently, since the discrimination in the U.S.A. against same-s*x marriage in social games a long time ago, the major game companies have been free from such discrimination, but I guess the inhabitants are normal. I wonder if they will ever be rewarded, little girls.

After registering Lapis and Noel, check if Leno's registration is still available.

Lapidus and Noel are registered at the age of eleven. And instead of my soft nailing, Plum told me a short story about an actual incident and gave me a hard nail in the coffin.

--It is a story about a child who went into a dangerous forest to rescue an adventurer who was not sure of his own ability because he longed to be an adventurer, but the adventurer died defending the child.

Lapis and Noel looked at me with their ears flattened and their faces like they were going to cry when the adventurer died. Don't worry, I'm a gentile, I won't die... No, I'm not going to say it here because it wouldn't be a nail-biter!

I was a little nervous inside, but I thanked Plum for the nail-biter.

Since Reno's card was valid, all I had to do was to clarify where I would be staying in the city - just a form to report my store.

Reno's race is <, and he is said to be a rational person. However, I was warned that they are not known for their violent behavior when they lose control of themselves in anger. By the way, when drunk, they would rather take off their clothes and go into the water than become violent, so they are allowed to drink in moderation. If you drink at home, you are free to do so. In moderation, please.

As we leave the Adventurers' Guild, a few people follow us.

Well, Reno stands out.

I should just tell them that they can follow us since we are opening anyway.

It's annoying.

"Let's fly for a bit, shall we?"

"Yes?"

I put my hands on the far shoulders of Lapidus and Noel on either side of me and wrap my back with the sleeves of my robe. He transitions without answering Reno's questioning voice.

"Yes?"

Reno's voice is raised again, as if she is not keeping up with the suddenly changed scenery.

He goes to the transition gate of the temple and immediately to the transition plate of the store. If we are going to build a house on the island, we should be able to mark the transition. I've got [magic circle making], but I have no idea what kind of magic circle it is, and I've failed to look up the information on the necessary items.

This transfer plate was ridiculously expensive, and I have a feeling that marking the island is going to be expensive, too.

"You have a transfer skill?

"Yeah, it's useful."

It's not a skill, it's magic.

"You can explore whatever you want in the store until Cal comes back, we'll open after he gets back and has lunch. Maybe Reno can help you set up the beds and stuff in the rooms.　You can start looking for the island tomorrow."

"I was originally told that the island search would start tomorrow, so that's fine, but I can help you right after we open, can't I?"

"I don't think we'll get that many customers since we haven't advertised, right?"

It was not until some time later that I learned that this was not true.