It was a difficult birth (sweat).
It was the second day of Golden Week, and yesterday I spent it relaxing with Himik, but I still had more days off.
Normally, one would think about what to do with their free time.
However, unfortunately, I don’t have any sophisticated hobbies.
If I had to say, kendo, which I used to practice, would be one. I also played games, but I’m already doing work that involves both, so I don’t feel motivated.
I was living a life where it would be understandable if someone called me hobby-less.
Even so, the thought of just spending another day relaxing in my room felt unsettling.
“So you’re here to help out at my shop?”
“That’s right. I thought it wouldn’t be bad to help out my wife’s shop once in a while.”
“Yes, well, we have a lot of merchandise prepared for new customers, so help with stocking the shelves is welcome.”
If you asked me why didn’t I go out somewhere, the result of not feeling like going out was that I ended up at Memoria’s shop.
And not to visit, but to work.
No, if you think about it normally, going to work instead of just wandering around the underground facility would have passed the time, and that might even be considered the correct way to spend a holiday.
However, my feet naturally headed towards her shop, so there was nothing I could do.
And so, I entered the shop with a casual demeanor, raising my right hand. Inside, Memoria, wearing a black apron, was opening cardboard boxes, and that’s how I ended up here.
“After all, this is a shop that has been taking care of me from the beginning. It’s good to do something like this on my occasional days off, don’t you think? Is this merchandise supposed to go on this shelf?”
“I think you should rather be resting since you’re always overdoing it. Please put that on the shelf next to that one.”
When she heard my words, that I came to help because I was bored, she was initially surprised, then sighed.
She murmured “What a handful” and then, likely realizing I would help even if she refused, she resigned herself and silently took out an apron, different from the one she was wearing, from behind the counter and handed it to me.
She was smiling faintly at that moment. I took it, put it on, and when I asked if it suited me, she smiled clearly this time.
And so, the stocking began.
The number of customers doesn’t immediately increase just because new staff is hired.
However, to attract customers, certain efforts are needed, so they implemented a “Newcomer Welcome Campaign” setup.
But what we were doing was the same as usual. Only the sounds of my and Memoria’s voices and the placing of merchandise echoed in the quiet shop.
“Speaking of which, you’ve been running this shop alone all this time, won’t you hire any part-time workers?”
And, while chatting and stocking shelves, checking inventory, and cleaning the store, I suddenly thought and asked her.
“…Part-time workers?”
She came to this company and this underground facility a little later, when they were established.
That’s when we met.
And since then, she had been managing this shop alone.
I had never seen any other staff besides her, and yet she rarely seemed to take days off.
There wasn’t a fixed holiday, and she only closed the shop when I invited her out or for some special occasion.
Other than that, she had always kept the shop open.
Normally, managing a shop slightly larger than a convenience store requires help, and being alone must be quite challenging.
Despite this, she had continued on her own.
She, who would normally answer immediately or, if there was a slight pause, answer clearly, hesitated at this question.
“Is there some kind of problem?”
“Yes, well…”
And when I asked if there was a problem based on her hesitant demeanor, she answered honestly this time.
“As a premise, trust is paramount for a shop.”
However, that didn’t resolve my doubts, so I stopped stocking shelves for a moment and waited for her to continue.
And she explained a fundamental principle of being a merchant.
“That’s true. From a buyer’s perspective, they trust that this product is fine and buy it. If that trust is broken, no one will buy anymore, but what about it?”
“In this world, or rather, in Japan, it’s relatively easy to find people to work, isn’t it?”
“Well, for popular jobs, it’s relatively easy. Conversely, for difficult jobs, people don’t gather… Could it be that the job openings at this shop are unpopular?”
Could the talk of trust be related to the difficult work, and she gained trust in a strange way?
No, I’m sorry to say, but I wondered if she could even afford to hire employees, given how dead the store was.
That couldn’t be it.
“No, in terms of popularity, my family’s business is considered a major one, so if we put out a recruitment notice, plenty of people would gather.”
My prediction was correct. She shook her head in negation of my words.
Hmm, she seemed hesitant about the word “part-time job,” emphasized the importance of “trust,” the work environment is relatively good? And Memoria’s merchant family is popular compared to others.
“The problem is whether the talent we hire can be trusted?”
“That’s right.”
Integrating the results of my exchange with her, my predicted answer hit the mark. Without changing her expression, she produced a stick with a red circle marked board from somewhere.
“The biggest difference between Japan and our world is probably the crime rate. Unfortunately, our country is not blessed with the same level of public safety as this one. Therefore, we must be cautious when employing people from outside.”
“Is that so?”
In Japan, getting a part-time job usually involves preparing a resume and, as long as your identity is somewhat verified, you’ll be hired unless you’re a complete sociopath.
The bottleneck in Memoria’s world seems to be the identity verification part.
That makes sense. Hiring someone whose background is unknown requires information, especially for a merchant dealing with money.
“Then, can’t you have people dispatched from other merchant families? Ask your father and the others.”
“I’d love to, but new recruits can’t handle this place, and experienced people are busy with their own work and can’t spare their time. Special environments are often inconvenient.”
So, relying on connections with relatives is also difficult.
This company is, in essence, a state-owned enterprise run by the Demon Lord’s Army.
If someone is to be brought to this facility, screening is mandatory. Talent that can pass such screening would not likely give up their own work or status unless there was a very compelling reason.
It’s a matter of cost-benefit analysis.
It’s a merchant-like mindset, and I can’t help but laugh.
Perhaps connections made here might become useful in the future, but it’s a question of whether one can form those connections versus staking one’s life as a merchant.
She, who came here as the daughter of the person in charge, is an exception.
She is here to fulfill the request from the Demon Lord’s Army.
“If I had one more person who could take responsibility for this shop, I could also adopt a lifestyle of supporting my child.”
“Himik also said that, you’ve really been proactive lately.”
“If I see Suella’s face every day, I’ll get that kind of feeling, you know?”
Despite her petite stature, when Memoria leaned against me, her face showed a woman exuding undeniable allure.
“A happy face, can you show me a face like that?”
Such a suggestion from a woman made me a little embarrassed, but not responding here would be a man’s shame.
“Gladly.”
I gently turned around and embraced her small body.
However, it didn’t proceed from there as one might expect.
“Then, let’s finish our work quickly.”
“That’s true.”
That’s that, and this is this.
She said we should finish our work properly before moving on to private matters.
Memoria lightly pulled away, leaving the sweet atmosphere from before, and returned to her work.
Is it because I’m in love, or is it her weakness, that I find her attitude, which seems to make me wait, also endearing?
It also feels like a subtle nudge.
“What about this one?”
“That goes here, and bring me more cardboard from the back.”
“Understood.”
The stocking proceeded briskly.
For someone trained as a Dungeon Tester, unloading boxes is just simple physical labor.
Without getting tired, I quietly utilized my physical abilities, and the work was finished in no time.
And the problem that arose was this.
“What should we do? We finished faster than expected.”
“Well, it’s simple calculation. The labor of one person was added, after all.”
“Jiro-san, you worked like five people. How about changing your job to work here?”
“Haha, that’s not a bad idea either. If I can’t do my current job anymore, I’ll ask.”
“Then, let’s look forward to that time.”
The problem was that the work finished sooner than expected.
I originally came here to help with her work.
Finishing the work quickly is good.
The problem is…
“There’s still a little time until closing.”
“It’s very much like Memoria not to suggest closing early.”
“I’m a merchant, and even if there are only a few people, if there’s a possibility of customers coming, we keep the store open. That’s the contract.”
Since we finished early, we couldn’t close yet.
The working hours hadn’t passed yet.
So, the proper thing to do would be to continue working, but unfortunately, there was no more work to be done. Do you think the two of them, with their future enjoyment planned, might spend the time impatiently? No.
“I see. Then, would it be alright if I waited?”
“Yes, I’ll make some tea.”
In that case, all it takes is a slight change to the plan.
While Memoria went behind the counter, I brought a chair from the storage room and placed it in front of the counter.
If a customer came, they would probably ask what I was doing, but fortunately, I’m used to sensing presences.
If someone comes, I can tidy it up quickly.
While preparing for that, Memoria returned with a tray holding two steaming teacups and a small plate of cookies.
“This is the herbal tea I got the other day.”
“It smells good.”
A sweet, floral scent tickled my nostrils, and the color was a faint hue, lighter than black tea. I accepted the cup with a sincere compliment and took a sip. A faintly sweet taste spread on my tongue.
“Delicious.”
“I’m glad.”
I gave another sincere compliment, and Memoria smiled.
She wasn’t much of a talker to begin with.
For a while, I thought a quiet time would follow, but she rummaged around behind the counter and took out a box.
“What’s that?”
It looked like a cosmetic box. I thought she was going to start putting on makeup, but upon opening it, I realized it was different.
“This is merchandise too. However, it’s something I’m considering whether to stock or not.”
Inside, there were small compartments, and within them were various jewels and plates.
“I thought, besides things used for dungeon exploration, how about some recreational items?”
And then she took out a plate and infused it with magic.
“A knight?”
“Yes, it’s something like a simulation game in this world, if you will. By channeling magic, a simple soul appears, defending the territory and sometimes attacking. It’s like a war game.”
It’s quite elaborate for that, I thought, looking at the knight in armor projected holographically. It seemed more impressive than many games. Memoria took out a jewel and channeled magic into it, projecting a scene like a fort.
“How about it? Shall we play a round?”
With the appearance of an item that appeals to a man’s heart, Memoria turned to me with a provocative smile. She’s probably experienced and knows the know-how of this game well. Winning against her would be quite a challenge.
“Yeah, I’ll play. Teach me the rules.”
There’s no way I can refuse such an invitation from her. A brief moment of play within the shop. Watching Memoria explain the rules with a cheerful expression, I thought it would be nice to spend time like this sometimes.
Today’s word:
It’s up to you how you use your days off.
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*The first volume of the book is published by Hayakawa Bunko JA.
It was released on October 18, 2018.
The e-book version was released on October 31 of the same year.
The second volume was released on December 19.
The third volume was released on February 20, 2019.
The content has been revised and expanded from the content posted on “Shosetsuka ni Narou,” with the inclusion of an unpublished interlude.
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A comic adaptation is being serialized in Kodansha’s “Young Magazine The Third.”
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