Konbini Ossan Volume 2 Chapter 12 – Cuckoo
At long last, the shop is open. From here on out, my life as a magic tool merchant begins.
…That said, no customers showed up on the first day.
A completely unknown magic tool store — of course we couldn’t expect people to just wander in.
The few customers that did step inside would quickly leave the moment they realized we were only selling junk magic stones and ragged robes.
Every one of them left with the same skeptical expression.
Well, I can’t really blame them. To the untrained eye, all we had on display were worthless objects that didn’t even look like magic tools.
“Hey, old man. This is way too slow.”
Finally, Arisa seemed to have hit her limit and voiced her complaint.
“Isn’t it a good thing? Getting paid without having to work. Sounds ideal to me.”
“No, that’s not what I mean. At this rate, you’re in the red, right? Are you even gonna be able to pay me?”
Arisa shot me a sharp glare.
“Well, if things continue like this, then no—probably not.”
“That's the worst.”
When I answered honestly, she sighed heavily.
“Ugh… Should’ve known better than to expect anything from a shady old man like you.”
I could almost feel my stock price dropping. I needed to show her something more dependable.
“Don’t worry. Rest assured, Arisa-san. The rumors about the Light Stones will spread soon enough.
…
Once that happens, profits will start rolling in. Your wages are guaranteed.”
“If you say so, then I guess I’ll believe it. But what’s with the fist pump and sleeve-rolling, huh?”
Arisa gave me a weird look.
Apparently, while trying to appear reliable, I had rolled up my sleeves and struck a power pose.
I must’ve looked like I was cheering myself on.
Well, no matter. The point should’ve gotten across. I casually rolled my sleeves back down.
“In any case, we’re bound to see more people soon. After all, I’ve already laid the groundwork.”
As I said this, I recalled the overly confident C-rank adventurer Gaius.
Now that the store’s open, I’ve likely caught some unwanted attention.
When adventurers visit and see that I’m selling junk magic stones at outrageous prices, rumors will spread.
And if those rumors reach Gaius’s ears, the plan is a success. He’ll definitely start talking about the Light Stone I gave him.
Once word spreads, more adventurers will stop by. All I need to do is explain the usefulness of the Light Stone and sell it to them. That’ll seal the deal.
After that, the product will practically sell itself. And while they’re here, I can offload those ragged robes to new or broke adventurers. A perfect plan.
As I reviewed the strategy in my head…
The shop door suddenly slammed open.
“Yo, Otogi! So this is where you set up shop, huh?!”
It was Gaius. Seems like he’s already heard the rumors. He probably came to check it out for himself.
“You're already getting talked about, Otogi. Folks are saying some creepy old guy who looks like a Cave Dwarf is selling junk magic stones for dumb prices.”
“That’s good to hear.”
“Huh? How’s that good?”
Gaius tilted his head at my response, clearly confused. No point explaining now — time to change the subject.
“Anyway, Gaius-san. What brings you here today?”
“What else? I came to tell you what I thought about that glowing stone.”
Right. I’d forced it on him earlier under the pretense of wanting feedback.
“And? How was it?”
“Super handy. I ended up using it all the time. So much, in fact, that one stone wasn’t enough.
…
Plus, a bunch of my buddies want one too. That’s why I came to ask if you could make more.”
“I see.”
Sounds like the word has already spread among Gaius’s party. That’s perfect.
“Actually, all the junk stones in the shop are already enchanted with that glowing effect.”
“Wait, seriously?!”
“Yes. The smaller ones start at ten silver coins. Would you like some?”
“I’ll take ‘em! Gimme three of the big ones!”
Without hesitation, Gaius decided to buy.
I quickly pulled out three of the larger stones — each priced at twenty silver coins.
“The large ones are twenty silver each. So three comes to sixty silver. Is that alright?”
“You bet. With a light this useful, dungeon crawling’s a breeze. I wouldn’t mind paying a whole gold coin.”
“Thank you for your purchase.”
With that, Gaius pulled out a gold coin for payment. I gave him forty silver coins as change. He put the coins away and then accepted the Light Stones.
“Hey, Otogi, these better actually glow, yeah?”
Even after buying them, Gaius still double-checked.
“Of course. If you’d like, try flowing some mana into them right now. I’ve pre-charged all the stones with a bit of mana, so they should light up just fine.”
Following my instructions, Gaius infused the stones with mana. All three lit up properly. His face lit up too.
“Now this is nice. I got myself a hell of a deal.”
“And thank you again for your purchase.”
“Later, Otogi! I’ll spread the word about these bad boys!”
“Please do. I’m counting on you.”
With that, Gaius left the shop.
He really seemed to like the Light Stones. And now he’s promised to spread the word too.
Considering there are already weird rumors going around, the hype for the Light Stones should gain even more traction.
Alright — now it’s time to turn things around.
——————
E/N:
Business is slow but a merchant must have patience. On that note, Ossan has a good head for business, such a waste of talent in his time on Earth working in a Konbini.
Anyway, the title, 閑古鳥 literally translates to 'Cuckoo' bird but in modern usage it’s an idiom meaning: "lack of customers" or "business is slow" or "deserted place"
It comes from the idea that in a very quiet, empty shop, you could hear a lonely cuckoo calling.
——————
Comments
Post a Comment