Mastore 92 - Dumpster

Magic Realm Convenience Store – Ch. 92

Fast-track promotion, I'll give it a shot (3)

I stepped out of the store and headed straight to the road construction site.

When I got there, the scene was way stranger than it had looked from inside. The elf officer was standing there with a completely blank expression, staring at the dwarves…

The dwarves were having a drinking party. What the hell? A drinking party in the middle of construction?

It's hard to tell whether this is a construction site or a get-together after a long day of work, with a bottle of makgeolli in each of their hand, sitting on curbs, roller wheels, tool boxes, and so on while chatting away.

Or maybe mixing makgeolli with asphalt was some kind of Isekai road paving technique. Whatever it was, it was my first time seeing something like this, so I just stood there and stared blankly. Then the elf officer approached me silently and said,

"They said they'll clean up their empty bottles themselves, so you needn't worry."

“Empty bottle?”

"I thought that's why you came."

It is annoying when customers finish a drink they just bought outside the store and then chuck the bottle or toss cigarette butts. If I don’t clean that up, other customers start thinking, ‘Does this store even bother to clean?’

Hearing that did irked me a bit, but since they said they would clean up after themselves, I let it slide for now.

"...Judging by your expression, Boss, you must have some other matter."

“Well… earlier, you said to come find you if something happened.”

“Yes, I did say that.”

"And something actually happened."

“?”

She looked puzzled, so I immediately explained the situation. Right after the officer left, three different customers came in one after the other, all asking the same thing—if there was a lost money bag at the store.

Moreover, the customers looking for the money bag were all of different ages and appearances, and they wouldn't even describe what the money bag looked like. I thought it was suspicious, but what does the officer think?

“…Hmm…”

She didn’t answer immediately but picked up her baton and tapped it lightly against her head. Must be a habit when she’s thinking.

Then she narrowed her eyes slightly and gazed intently in the direction of the store, murmuring to herself.

“…I do have a suspicion, but…”

“Really?”

"I'll need to confirm it directly at the scene. May I ask for your cooperation?"

Wow, she’s asking for my cooperation. Is this really some kind of case? From a police perspective?

Though confused, I had no reason not to cooperate. Honestly, I was already annoyed by the fact that random strangers kept coming to my workplace asking about some mysterious money bag.

Manager probably felt the same way. For now, I figured I would help as much as I could and report back to her later if necessary. But then….

"How can I cooperate?"

“Judging from the circumstances, I don’t think the visits for money bags will stop at three. There’ll be a fourth, maybe a fifth. Each will have a different way of asking.”

"Ah, you want to observe that? The customer interactions?"

“Yes. Just respond normally, as you always do.”

With that, the officer began removing their reflective traffic vest, uniform jacket, and hat, one by one.

Once they were done, they were left wearing just a shirt and black uniform pants. She look more like a tired office worker coming off a late shift. Especially with those dark circles under her eyes.

“I’ll follow you inside after finishing the handover on the radio.”

I nodded. Right after the officer left, one of the dwarves who must have overheard our entire conversation raised their makgeolli and said,

"Want a drink?"

"I can't drink while on duty."

I could really go for a drink, but… well, I’ll manage somehow.

Back at the store counter, I tried my best to clear my head. Earlier, I could just laugh off the three visitors as weirdos, but now I knew this was a situation serious enough for the police to ask for cooperation.

If someone asked about a money bag in this state, I felt like I’d end up blurting out needless things. Stuff like, ‘Why are you looking for a money bag here? What do you need it for?’ Things like that.

And that’s definitely not the ‘normal response’ the officer was asking for. And yeah, I would have no excuse if someone said I was overreacting, but come on. This is the first time in my life as a convenience store clerk that someone’s come asking for a money bag.

... No. Is this that? The things that the elderly customer who bought all those gift cards mentioned? About possibly facing several big incidents-

I stopped that train of thought. Two customers had entered. One was the elf officer in just a dress shirt, the other a middle-aged elf in a tracksuit.

"Boss, do you have energy drinks?"

The officer walked up to the counter and asked directly, so I responded casually.

"Would you check under the mirror over there?"

“Thank you. And by the way, that customer doesn’t seem to realize I’m a police officer.”

“Uh... really?”

"Yes. I appreciate your cooperation."

The words after ‘Thank you’ were barely audible, but it was spoken with more energy than I had ever heard from her before. Has this officer entered the enjoy-the-moment mode?

But thanks to that, I was able to relax a bit. While the officer brought the recovery drink and paid for it, and while I sat at the table and drank, the elf in the tracksuit just kept watching me without making any move to buy anything.

They kept glancing at the officer at the table as if waiting for her to leave. When a customer lingers too long, convenience store clerks usually ask the standard question.

"Customer, are you looking for something?"

"Oh, me? Ah. Well... do you have red ginseng extract?"

“Yes. It’s in the squeezable packets. Here it is.”

Judging by their reaction, this person must be here for the money bag story too. When I handed him the ginseng extract, he actually seemed flustered.

It looked like they didn’t even bring his wallet, as they rummaged through their pockets for a while, then let out an awkward sigh. Only then did they speak to me.

"Oh my, I forgot my wallet. Sorry about that."

“No, well, these things happen."

“Right. But, uh… by any chance, are there any lost items here?"

Oh damn, here we go again.

“What kind of lost item are you referring to?”

“A bag of money. A money bag."

“And what exactly does this money bag look like?”

“I don’t know exactly what it looks like either since I’m just doing this as a favor. But I think I’ll know it if I saw it….”

Exactly the same repertoire as the harpy from earlier.

If I were a curious convenience store clerk, I might’ve asked something like, ‘Are you really doing this as a favor for the person who lost it?’ or ‘Is it normal to ask someone else to find a money bag for you?’ But….

“Unfortunately, there haven’t been any lost items at our store today. Could you have mistaken this place for another?”

Interrogation is the police’s job, not mine. I’m just cooperating. I figured this was a reasonable response, tut then this elf shook their head at my answer.

“No, they said they definitely lost it at this convenience store.”

“Even if that’s what they said, there haven’t been any lost items here today. Really.”

“You’re not lying, are you?”

“Excuse me?”

“I’m asking if you’re lying, trying to pocket the bag for yourself.”

Is this guy serious right now? Why would I take a money bag for myself?

I wish I was lying. If the money bag is really here, I would’ve handed it over without hesitation. Why bother insisting? It’s not like I’m being paid a storage fee or anything.

The three earlier at least tried to put on a polite act for the first few sentences, but this guy doesn't even do that. Am I really supposed to stand here and listen to someone accuse me of lying over a non-existent bag of money?

The thought made my blood boil, and I blurted out what came to mind.

“I’m not lying. If we find lost items, we just confirm the owner’s identity and hand them over immediately. What benefit would we get from forcibly keeping them?"

"Well, you know. It's a money bag. Must have lots of money in-"

"I don't know about that either, and if you want, I can show you behind the counter, or show you the storage room. But if there’s nothing there, then can I do as I please?”

“W- What? I’m just here to find my lost item. What are you planning to do…?”

“You’re the one who said I might be lying about it not being here. What else can I do but report you for obstruction of business? I need to serve other customers, and it seems like you're going to keep insisting everything I say is a lie anyway."

If I let this elf keep talking, it was only a matter of time before their voice got louder. Based on work experience, most elves were like that. Except for that one officer sitting back there.

If it was going to escalate to the point where I had to call the police anyway, I figured I might as well bite first. It’s not like I would lose anything by calling the police. If anything, wouldn’t they be the ones to panic more?

“…Tch. Man, if it’s not here, then it’s not here. Why do you have to say it like that?”

This pointy-ear rascal apparently lacked the courage to search for the money bag if it meant involving the police. They mumbled while avoiding my gaze and left, but...

But not before slamming his fist hard on the counter. Watching his back as he walked out only made me angrier.

This is a convenience store, not some loan shark operation. What reason could there possibly be for a damn bag of money to be here? ‘Why do you have to say it like that?’ Then how exactly am I supposed to say it?

It might be different if they showed even basic decency, but all four who've come have been impressively varied in their rudeness. One asked about the weather before changing their tone. Another flirted, then turned sour. And this one? Their tone was just downright obnoxious―

“Why the hell are they taking out their nonsense on me, huh? Why? Why not go all the way and ask for some white powder while they’re at it? Maybe pick up some glue to fry their brains while they’re at it?”

“Does this convenience store really carry white powder?”

"Of course we do. What do you need? Cake flour? Granulated sugar?"

These days, more people have baking as a hobby so convenience stores even sell cake flour. Though not all-purpose flour. All-purpose flour is for noodle-making, and there aren't many noodle-making hobbyists, right?

“Ah. That kind of white powder.”

The elf officer’s voice sounded a little deflated as she nodded. What other kind of powder were she expecting? Happy powder that makes everyone’s day better?

Come to think of it, when did this officer sneak up on me so quietly? Looking at her dark-circled face made the whole angry exchange from earlier feel awkward. Uh…

“I’m sorry, Officer. I let them go without hearing more because I spouted unnecessary things..."

"No. I think you handled it perfectly well."

"That just now?"

“Anyone would’ve been angry hearing that. Myself included."

The officer was saying that getting mad was a completely normal reaction, so my response earlier could be considered normal too. This officer might be bad at jokes, but she’s good at consoling.

“And… thanks to that, I’ve learned something new.”

“What is it?”

“They said it was definitely lost at this convenience store. That the bag probably had a lot of money in it. They received instructions. All four of them."

Didn't an unusual word just pop up there? Instructions?

“Officer. Did you just say 'instructions'?"

"Yes. Instructions. Do you remember what I told you before about the black market?"



|Note

Consider supporting me by subscribing on Patreon for 5$. 

Advance chapters of Magic Realm Convenience Store Worker : 10 Chapters

Also, consider visiting my patreon to check out my other projects