Mastore 64 - Dumpster

Magic Realm Convenience Store – Ch. 64

Convenience Store Clerk in the Basement (1)

Nothing much happened during the early morning shift. The weekend was over, so even the troublemakers probably needed a break.

By 8 a.m., I was fending off the office workers, and after that, I cleaned up the tables that were a mess with spilled coffee and sandwiches, emptied the trash bins...

While I was mopping the floor, Manager came around 9:20. Only after Manager arrived could I ask what I had been curious about all dawn.

“Why are we going down to the basement storage?”

I went down to the basement storage exactly once. That too on my first day of work.

I haven't been down since then. There was no reason to, and no time either. I can't leave the counter when I don't know when a customer will come in the middle of the night, and finding time during the morning rush wasn’t feasible either. When I'm dying of sleepiness from staying up all night, I need to sleep. Why would I go down to the basement?

For these reasons, I only know two things about the storage. One, that there are many strange things. Two, it’s definitely not my concern.

Manager restocked most inventory with magic, and all I stocked was the liquor section. Until now Manager hadn't said anything special so I just went along with it, but now it seemed there was a reason.

“That’s... Hold on a sec.”

Manager put her bag under the counter and pulled out a piece of paper from the corner, laying it on the counter. It was the employment contract we signed before.

"We agreed to renew the contract, right?"

"Yes."

That’s why I got the license in the first place. I couldn't hide the fact that my constitution is unique, so I figured it was better to get the license, renew the contract, and settle down here.

“To renew it, I have to state that we’re employing you as an anti-magic specialist for our convenience store…”

As she spoke, Manager pointed to the section of the employment contract labeled ‘Job Responsibilities’. It said, [Product sales, store management, and related tasks]. Basically, it meant my job was to scan barcodes, clean up, and handle customers without causing any trouble.

None of this has anything to do with the license I earned. Even though this is an other-world convenience store, the items currently displayed on the shelves were of the normal variety. Ramen, snacks, instant foods, beverages, liquors, etc.

Sometimes vampires and dwarves buy things like blood packs mixed with alcohol or beard cream, but these are also branded products made in factories so that don’t require me to deal with anything strange....

“So, Manager is considering I should manage the basement storage?”

I understood up to that point, but another question came to mind. Whether it's a demon taxidermy or something else, why do we bother to make a basement storage to store products that won't even be displayed on a shelf?

When asked, the store manager blushed slightly and answered in an embarrassed tone.

“Well, it’s kind of a silly story... but promise you won’t laugh?”

"Yes."

"Actually, this convenience store was my first time starting a business."

"This is your first store?"

“Yeah. So, at first, we were actually going to display and sell the stuff in the basement?”

There are almost no restrictions on the items sold at convenience stores. If the owner wants to, they can stock padded jackets or flip-flops, or even sell butane gas. If there are any restrictions, it's just prescription medications?

Manager explained that this world's convenience store law is even more lenient than where I live, saying that if the owner has relevant certifications, they can even sell demonic beasts or dragon scales.

"I'm not bragging, but I have many licenses. Though not the one Chan have."

"What on earth did you do in the past..."

"I was a mage. Here and there."

Even if Manager say here and there, I have no idea what that really means.

I didn’t bother asking why the laws here were like this either. After all, drunk driving gets your license revoked in Korea, but in El Salvador, it’s a death sentence, and in Bulgaria, it's hanging after a second offense. I was more curious about something else…

"Didn't customers say anything when they saw the display?"

"They didn't say anything. Because they didn't even come in..."

Imagine coming to a convenience store to buy some ramen, only to see a demonic beast with its mane blazing, standing guard at the front door. Or something that looks like it.

Naturally, no one came in, and it took exactly half a day for Manager, who was a novice merchant at the time, to realize this and have a wake-up call.

It’s surprising to me because I always thought Manager had lived as a sensible person her whole life. But after hearing this… it’s a bit disillusioning.

“Still, I really thought it would work out at first…”

Manager's face was red as a carrot as they mumbled as if making excuses. Even after hearing the whole story, I didn’t feel like laughing. I just felt sorry for her, so I added:

“Well... differentiation is a high-risk strategy, after all, Manager.”

“Uuuu....”

“If it’s bothering you that much, I could share one of my dark history too?”

“....”

"Well."

I remember Manager saying yesterday, 'Magicians are a profession that seems logical, but they're actually highly illogical by nature’ It seems that applied to Manager as well.

Anyway, though there's this story behind why they don't display items, it doesn't mean they doesn’t sell. Quite frequently, actually—one item every day or two, which is pretty often..

"How do these customers know about and come looking for things that aren't even displayed?"

“There are plenty of ways. Some hunters come through Yoonha, others hear about it through word of mouth.”

“Even if there are plenty of ways, I’ve never had any come through on my shift, so…”

"I asked them to only come during the day. Saying night shift employees wouldn’t be familiar with it.”

That's what happened. Manager finished explaining that since customers who come during the day visit so frequently, they've been operating without closing the storage until now ―Manager finished his explanation and looked up at me right away.

"But if Chan is okay with it, I'd like to entrust the basement storage work too..."

“Sure.”

I answered right away. Manager's eyes widened, then she tilted her head.

“But I haven’t even explained what the job involves yet?”

“That’s true, but it’s not like this is something I can just say ‘no’ to, is it?”

If I say no, I won’t be able to renew the contract. Then I have to do it, what else?

Plus, it was something I had to do eventually. In this scary world where even ATMs rob customers, I can't live just being chicken forever. I need to get used to these things if I want to handle other jobs down the road.

If there's anything I feel sorry about to Manager, it's that she’s trying to assign me instead of the specialist who've been working until now. I mean, if there are people out there doing the job better for the same pay, I would think they should be the ones doing it....

"Where in the world is there a species who's good from the start?"

"That’s true. Which is why everyone wants to hire people with experience."

“I don’t like that, Chan. If everyone only hires experienced workers, where are the newbies supposed to gain experience?"

If I had the creativity to answer this question, I would have been working at Google headquarters long ago. Manager, still smiling, kept looking at me and wrapped up her point.

"Besides, I’m not worried at all. Chan’ll get the hang of it in no time."

“You think so, Manager?”

"Un."

"Then I'll think so too."

Conversations like this make me realize that I’m not too unlucky. Who would have thought I would meet someone who believes in me this much, in a whole other world?

With that, the conversation wrapped up, and now it was time to learn how the job’s actually done.

"The process really isn't much. First, print out a simple receipt from the register machine."

Manager turned the key in the register machine two notches and tapped on the management menu option on the screen. She then pressed the print option in the corner and handed me the printed receipt.

"See the expiration periods written on the right side of the items on the receipt?"

"Yes."

"That’s the expiration date for the items under management. Chan only need to check the ones that have less than a week left. Just once a week."

"Are there many things to manage today?"

"Only one. That's why I came 30 minutes early."

As Manager said, the process itself seemed simple. The printed receipt was short too. It's good that I can leave work on time, but somehow the item listed on the receipt... it’s a bit...

"Manager, what exactly is a Hero Set?"

I asked because nothing came to mind immediately, but Manager also had a face suggesting she weren't sure how to explain this.

"What comes to mind when Chan think of 'heroes' in Chan’s world?"

Top of Form

Bottom of Form

"Um... collects scrap in dungeons every day. About 8 people taking turns."

"A hero collects scrap? In 8 shifts at that?"

"Everyone's busy trying to earn a living....”

To be honest, I don’t really have a clear image. If you think of something typical, it would be a male human character with a sword and shield, but these days, in Korea, male human characters with swords and shields are all treated as trash characters, right?

(Note; Male lead character is often called as Hero, while female lead character is Heroine.)

In Japan, when you think of a hero, you imagine a guy with a stern face going around smashing every jar in the neighborhood, like some kind of thug. It feels like everyone would have a different answer, so I told Manager I wasn't sure.

(Note; Dragon Quest reference maybe? Lol I often played jrpg back then, and this is true, I always search for any breakable item, not just jar kekeke.)

"It might be faster to just see it directly."

"I think that would be better too."

So, we locked the front door and stuck a little sign on it that read ‘Be back from the restroom soon,’ and then we headed together toward the beverage storage. When I opened the storage door, I saw the basement storage door that I had been gritting my teeth and ignoring all this time came into view.

With an ‘oof’, Manager skillfully hooked her foot into the door handle to open it wide, then casually went down the stairs. I follow her down the stairs and there is the basement storage.

I felt the same thing I did when I first came here, but this place is bizarre.

Though it's built under the beverage storage, it's not cold, and though everything's made of cement, it's not humid. I don't even know how the ceiling lights are on when there aren't any electrical wires connected...

“Chan, did you hear anything about the storage from Yoonha?"

"Not much yet. I remember there’s a stack of dragon scales four aisle down, though."

"Those haven't sold yet, but we won't be going that far today."

Manager gave a brief explanation of the storage layout. There are six aisles total, and the aisle closest to the entrance has normal items that wouldn't be too strange to sell in the convenience store right away. Sometimes she even store overflow stock here when there's an ordering mistake.

The farther back you go, the more ‘niche’ items you’ll find. As for the very last aisle at the end of the corridor, the manager cut her explanation short like this,

“As for that one… Chan don’t need to go there. Not yet.”

"What's in there that makes Manager say that?"

“The things are usually docile, but can be dangerous if handled incorrectly.”

Somehow dynamite or uranium comes to mind. But considering the most that’s happened so far was a microwave blowing up because of batteries, I figure it’s probably nothing too crazy over there either…

Looking at the receipt again, I asked Manager,

"Which aisle did you put this Hero Set in?"

“First aisle.”

A ‘Hero Set’ is something normal enough to sell in a convenience store?

I wasn’t sure what to think, but when I followed Manager inside and saw it for myself, I became even more uncertain. Among the various items piled up, there was a large rock with a sword stuck right into it, plain as day.

“That’s the Hero Set.”

“Uh…”

I asked just in case.

“Is that real?”

"No? It's a toy?"







|Note

Certain blue haired young man, “Isn’t it fine, even if I’m a fake hero? I will defeat demon king and restore world peace. That way, whether I’m fake or not isn’t important.”