Mastore 80 - Dumpster

Magic Realm Convenience Store – Ch. 80

This is Not a Convenience Store, but a Mess (3)

I really didn't know what to do with it, so , I just stashed the money under the counter as lost property.

I figured he would come looking for it whenever he remembered. It's 500,000 won after all. That could buy like 25 boxes of ramyeon, right?

But he didn’t come back during the dawn, nor did I see him among the stream of office workers rolling in after sunrise. As I keeping an eye out for an elderly customer among the others...

I gave up. I didn’t have the mental capacity to keep looking for him.

"One pack of Hill please."

"Um... Sorry. All sold out."

"Then... one pack of Purple."

“That’s sold out too.”

“No, how can a convenience store be out of cigarettes?”

Regardless of margin, cigarettes make up half of convenience store sales. Also, it’s hard to find a place that sells cigarettes other than convenience stores.

So I understand the reaction. I do, but what am I supposed to do when they're genuinely sold out? Go grab a few dried leaves from outside and roll them up on scrap paper?

Repeating like a parrot that we're out, and hearing 'Why doesn't a convenience store have cigarettes?' over and over really wears you down and makes you numb. 500,000 won or whatever, he’ll just show up for it on his own…

Either way, I didn't want to think about it anymore today, and after 9, I didn't even look at the money. I absentmindedly counted cigarettes and filled up the inventory―

“Chan, I’m here... Huh?”

Manager came at 9:50. She entered the store, looked at the cigarette display once, tilted her head, then looked at my face and tilted her head twice as much and asked.

“Did something happen today, too?”

It was pretty sad how naturally Manager said 'Today, too'. And my life where this doesn't even feel strange is just as pathetic...

“It wasn’t anything special, just a lot of customers.”

After opening with that, I started the handover shift. The skeleton soldier guys cleared out our cigarettes at night, and an elderly customer bought all our gift cards. We'll need to restock.

"Also, the elder who cleaned us out left a piece of lost property.”

I pulled the 500,000 won from under the counter and set it down. Manager stared at it quietly for a bit, then said,

"That amount seems like hard to lose..."

“There’s a story behind this.”

I explained that I helped him figure out the gift cards, and he wanted to give it to me as a thank you, but I declined. Then he asked if he could at least read do face reading if not give money.

At this point, something seemed to click for Manager, and she asked me right away,

“Do you happen to know what species that elder was?”

“I don’t know. He seemed very old, and wearing sweats—”

"Ah, I see. He must be the Land Deity."

"Huh?"

What's this about a Land Deity? Am I possessed last night?

“Well, not a real deity, exactly, um….”

She pondered while choosing her words, then asked me what I thought was here before this downtown area became downtown.

"Well... there must have been oxen pulling carts? And farming."

“That’s right, and they were the mages who made farming successful back then. With magic.”

They're magicians who specialized in agricultural magic like helping crops ripen or solving droughts, and the local residents gave them the title 'Land Deity' as a token of gratitude.

It wasn’t just a title, either. Apparently, a lot of them were even given small plots of land as a thank-you. It's something like an honorary position, I guess.

"But what’s someone who uses that kind of magic even doing in the city? He could be like a celebrity if he went to farming regions in the countryside."

"They need to retire too. Can't work forever."

"Aha."

"And they don't have any reason to work anymore."

Makes sense. They received land in this neighborhood decades ago, and now it's become an urban area. With all the new buildings going up, land prices must’ve gone through the roof too.

Now that I understand this, it's not hard to imagine that elderly person becoming a heavy spender in gacha games soon. I also get why they wouldn't care about this money at all...

And that it wouldn't be a problem even if I used it myself.

"Still, I'd like to keep it as a lost item."

“Oh, really?”

“Yes, it still just kind of bothers me.”

I’ve been working nonstop since I graduated high school, only ever taking what I earned. This is my first time receiving money this way, so I don't know how to handle it.

"If possible, I'd like you to keep it, Manager. I feel like I might accidentally use it later.”

“I don’t mind, but… how long?”

“A month or so should be fine, right? If he doesn’t come for it by then, well… we can just use it for a meal.”

“Ei, why buy food with this? I’ll treat.”

"We need to use it for something anyway."

“Then Chan, use it to pay the rent.”

“I already paid mine?”

We debated about it for a bit and eventually agreed that I would just figure it out if I found something to use it on. So, that sorted out the money, and next on my mind was…

“When he do face reading, does Manager think there’s anything to it?”

Until I heard Manager's explanation, I was planning to take it as just an interesting story. But now we're talking about deities. It’s just a title, but still.

“What did he tell you?”

“He said I would face some big events.”

“What else?”

"That they'll all be resolved well, because I'm blessed with good relationships with people..."

He also told me to cherish the little things. Now that I said it out loud, it's all just vague things. Manager seemed to feel the same way, offering speculation rather than explanation.

"Everyone has different standards for what counts as a big event. Like, for me, missing my bus connection feels like a big deal.”

"That's quite modest."

"For that Land Deity, losing at baduk would be a big deal. Of course, he likely didn’t say it without considering this…”

Manager's conclusion was that big events by my standards might happen. While I'm not sure, it seems big events will occur...

Maybe because I stayed up all night, my brain was getting foggy trying to think of what it might be. The only thing that came to mind was getting told to move out by my landlord.

* * *

When I woke up at night and came to work, there was a big event by my standards.

“Oh, Chan came early.”

In front of Manager, who greeted me cheerfully, stood a customer with a sharp look. From the black coat to the pale skin, it was someone I'd met a few times before. His name was—

"Is there something on my face?"

Dekard. That vampire who was my certification exam proctor. I know who he is, but why is he here?

"I'm here to deliver your license."

As if it was written on my face, he bluntly said this while pulling out something like a notebook from his coat front. The cover had a huge hexagram on it, and above it was written 'National Qualification License.'

“I believe I mentioned you would receive it within a few days.”

"I remember. But I thought it would come by delivery."

This yangban said 'delivery' with his own mouth. So, naturally,I thought it was a courier service. Besides, is there any common sense which a proctor would personally deliver a license?

“I happened to have business nearby.”

I don’t know what kind of business a professor would have around here.

"This person has been waiting here for 30 minutes."

Manager who had been watching from behind chimed in. This guy, it seems like he came here with the intention of seeing me one more time, using the certificate as an excuse. The reason would be to bring up that unfinished professorship offer again...

The proctor furrowed his eyebrows slightly at Manager’s words. He seemed to want to pretend not to know. After a moment, he sighed softly and waved the license again.

“So. Are you going to take it or not?”

“Ah. Please give it to me.”

I received it and flipped it open. The layout was pretty bare-bones. First page had precautions, second page had my name and photo - seems like Manager submitted the same photo from my convenience store resume...

In addition, the qualification number and qualification type are written down, and there were many pages after that, but they were all completely blank. What’s with this format? Is it written in some kind of magic ink or something?

“Do you have any questions?”

"Can I use this as ID when going to bars?"

The proctor gave me a very disapproving look at this question, but it was an important issue for me. I can’t stay an undocumented nobody forever.

“It is possible.”

“Thanks. And about those blank pages at the back—what exactly are they for?”

"Those are pages you'll need to fill from now on."

What does that mean? Like, ‘your adventure starts here,’ or something?

The proctor must have felt his words were vague too. He glanced at his watch after slightly rolling up his sleeve and added,

“Since there’s some time left before my next appointment, I’ll go over a few more details with you.”

With that, before I could refuse, he went to a table and took a seat.

But it’s 9:55 now. I prefer to change shifts now and listen to the conversation at the counter....

"I'll stay here a bit longer, so go and hear what he has to say.”

"Will that be okay?"

“Yup. I don’t think it’ll take long, and honestly, I feel more at ease over here.”

“... I’ll listen quickly and come back.”

Sooner or later, I should at least get Manager a set of beers, even if I can’t treat her to a meal. As soon as I sat next to the proctor, he began speaking.

“First of all, the initial message: As of this moment, you’re officially an anti-magic specialist.”

"Uh...."

"Congratulations."

Nice of him, but why is congratulating me part of the formal briefing? Was he ordered to do this or something?

“The next message is about what you should do and how you should do it.”

Continuing in his stiff, formal tone, he explained the rest.

From this point on, assuming there are no legal issues I can do any anti-magic work I want. Whether it's hunter-related or civilian work, it doesn't matter.

Of course, this assumes there are clients who will entrust work to me.

“You may have graduated at the top of the practical and written exams, but… from an outsider’s perspective, you’re still just a rookie with four days of experience.”

“Sounds like everyone’s only looking for folks with experience.”

"Generally, yes. Therefore, most license holders start their early careers through connections in their previous fields."

Everyone uses personal connections, but the only acquaintances I have are Noona and Manager. Hearing this, even Manager giving me warehouse work feels like divine providence.

“Otherwise, there are certain policy supports available.”

“Policy supports?”

"Those who receive license right after graduating from the academy and have just become adults, and are of different species. For these cases, there's a policy where existing license holders act as mentors. Though it's a policy that's rarely been implemented due to low numbers."

Since there’s no age limit, they’re going to apply this policy to me as well. In other words, one anti-magic specialust will act as my mentor....

"By any chance, who will be my mentor?"

“Me.”

Wow, that elder really a prophet...





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