Convenience Store Branch No. 2.
Let’s say a second WR branch is established.
“I don’t like it.”
“Why not?! Shouldn’t you agree when you see the sparkle in my eyes?”
Why not?
Because I don’t like it.
“Listen carefully, Nephti.”
“Yes. I’m all ears, senior!”
“Do you have the initial capital? I’m talking about the franchise fee, monthly building rent, and modeling costs.”
“…Um.”
“….”
“I will earn it! I’ll work hard!”
“Good. That’s the right attitude.”
I’m not so mean-spirited as to crush the dreams of a young girl trying to earn money to start a business.
And then the second issue.
“Alright, Nephti. Let’s say you run a convenience store. Where would you locate it?”
“Of course, it would be centered around the Zone 1 Knight Department, wouldn’t it?”
Of course.
You’re wise.
I’ll give you 100 points for wisdom.
“Right. That makes sense. You really are wise. But it won’t work.”
“…Eh, why not?”
“That’s why.”
“What, why?”
I was lost in thought.
Nephti takes all my management strategies and items.
And opens a convenience store in the Zone 1 Knight Department.
She’ll probably make a killing. Monthly sales might even reach the hundreds of millions.
And then suddenly, Nephti, having sucked all my technology and accumulated money…
Will come to me, who’s in the Zone 8 Magic Department, and proudly say,
‘Your convenience store has failed. From now on, this place is under my control.’
“This traitorous beast…”
“Wha, what?”
“No, never mind. Anyway, I’ve never considered opening a branch.”
“Oh, I see.”
Nephti seemed visibly disappointed.
“Why do you want to run a convenience store?”
“…Well, that’s the thing. You won’t get mad if I tell you a disloyal story, will you?”
“Go ahead.”
“Actually, graduating top of the academy is the best way to climb up in the Roengreen Empire.”
I nodded, urging Nephti to continue.
“If I can maintain these grades, I’ll probably start as a junior knight in the empire. Probably.”
“Is your salary insufficient?”
“No, it’s not that. It’s just that things are not easy these days. I face a lot of jealousy.”
“Hmm.”
“Especially as you’ve seen, there are people who hate me like a piece of Trashy Gaby… Ahaha. It’s tough.”
Trashy Gaby?
That weird kid?
…Ah. The kid who hated Nephti. How could someone’s name be Trashy Gaby?
“So?”
“Even though I’m working really hard, I’m still hated, and it’s really frustrating.”
“When you think you have to keep walking this path, it gets frustrating. I get it.”
“Exactly! That’s it! Isn’t there another thrill to life? Being a knight is great, but hmm…”
Somehow, I ended up conducting a high school career consultation.
“So why a convenience store?”
“…Don’t they, sparkle!”
“Sparkle?”
“Yes! The snacks and drinks you create! They have various effects! The world has never seen such fun and exciting things! It makes my heart race!”
“True. So let me ask you this. What is your belief in the convenience store?”
“….”
Nephti froze.
“What is your belief?”
“To protect my mother, my family, my village, and eventually the smiling faces of the people around me.”
There was no hesitation as she expressed those words. It was as if having faith in her beliefs came naturally to her.
Right.
Nephti was like that in the original work as well.
When forming a party, she was the most dedicated to ‘protection.’
Her dedication was so high that she could safeguard allies even in ‘impossible moments.’
Someone I trusted more than anyone else, the greatest defender.
In terms of defense, she had qualities even better than top-tier defenders.
Even in poverty, the child never forgot to smile, protected the family, and considered it a mission to guard the siblings, becoming an unwavering shield for the allies until the end.
But not anymore.
Since she doesn’t leave the academy grounds, there are no fights with monsters, and free time has increased. It’s also true that there are fewer opportunities for her convictions to shine.
Then I have to awaken her.
“What’s your belief?”
“To be the shield for the ones I cherish.”
“Why do you dream of that?”
“My father defended the village from a monster attack and passed away.”
“So?”
“That’s why I came here to become someone’s shield.”
“…”
“My dream is to be the shield of belief that protects everyone from the lowest places.”
“Good. Remember your belief once again. You’re not a Knight of Desire, are you?”
“Yes, you’re right. I had forgotten this.”
However, it’s also true that she struggles with money.
Well, nothing can be done about that.
“If you’re short of money, let me know. As you can see, I’m making a decent amount now.”
“…”
“There are plenty of jobs that pay well. So don’t forget what you need to do, Nephterian.”
“Thank you, senior Wolfram von Roengreen, for listening to my whims.”
***
Student council room.
Eve von Roengreen nodded as she received the papers from the knight department’s executive officer.
“This is the sports festival report.”
“Good work. Anything unusual?”
“Uh… the rate of magic sickness has decreased compared to previous years, but there’s a peculiar trend.”
“A peculiar trend?”
“The magic sickness decreased around certain seniors who were present in specific areas, but there were no magic stones installed there. It’s too inconsistent to be a coincidence, but too vague to make a big deal.”
“Interesting. Can you tell me who made the most revenue there?”
“Huh? Let’s see… mostly from the convenience store… Ah, could it be?”
“Indeed. People who bought potions from that man’s store.”
“I see… The report wasn’t lying.”
Eve sighed as she looked at the high-quality mana potion next to her. She felt much better after drinking the potion that the man had instructed Sylphia to give to her. Not only that, the effectiveness of the potion sold at the sports festival was also true.
“This will… start some rumors in aristocratic society, and those rumors will circle back to…”
“Yes, they will come to the Academy.”
“…”
Indeed.
Parents will exchange gifts, and once the effectiveness is proven, it will eventually reach the ears of Jephryn Academy students, who will then approach Wolfram under their parents’ orders.
“It’s nice to have a guardian wolf beside you, but it could be annoying if all of Golden Hand intervene.”
“But wouldn’t it be fine since the fiancée is from the Tristar family?”
“That’s exactly the problem. If Wolfram were alone, it would end in a fight for Wolfram’s mysterious magic tool, but he already has a connection with Tristar, one of the two leading merchant families of the Empire. Will the Ciel family just sit still?”
“…”
“Leave, I want to think alone.”
“Yes, excuse me.”
Left alone, Eve clutched her throbbing head.
“It’s going to be more tiring than I thought, especially since Ciel won’t sit still.”
Ciel. Tristar.
These two major merchant families of the Empire have slightly different focuses. Ciel specializes in ‘distribution,’ concentrating on domestic circulation and luxury goods, while Tristar is more involved in ‘mining and construction,’ exploiting ores from monster-infested mines or constructing buildings.
Therefore, Ciel has greater financial power and a wider network among merchants.
But Tristar will be more interested in the items Wolfram von Roengreen made. It could be seen as a blatant territorial infringement.
“And Wolfram is engaged to Aila Tristar… This could be considered a declaration of war by Tristar, and Ciel won’t stay still… Especially how that dangerous Regina Ciel will react… Ugh, really!”
Eve unleashed her mana, shaking the student council room before it dissipated.
“I can’t help it. It’s best to pretend that there’s no connection with the Tristar family. Like making it look like Wolfram started a third force on his own…”
Eve’s contemplation deepened.
***
And so, the sports festival came to an end.
I earned a lot, but strictly speaking, there’s nothing left over.
Excluding the cost of materials spent at the black market, the expedition with Eve, and the set sales at the sports festival, I’ve made a decent profit. However, all of it has to be invested in the production of the next item.
“Why can’t I just maintain a bit of wealth and live peacefully?”
That’s the most foolish and discardable thought.
Whether it’s online or offline games, that’s how it is with money in games.
If you save 10 gold in the early game to buy an item that’s 10 gold more expensive in the mid-game, the price of weapons in the late game will surpass tens or hundreds of thousands of gold anyway.
Instead, you should invest in growth from the beginning. That’s the way to gather wealth, whether it’s through running dungeon buses or crafting.
So, investing the tens of millions of Rin I’ve just earned in materials is the standard way!
“For the happiness of the future, I should go all-in… That’s life. That’s my way of living.”
Moreover, the path has been revealed.
“Handy Work. Mix Beans. Since I’ve succeeded in a skill combination of potion-making at level 3, maybe it’s time for something bigger… Hmm, what should I do next? Actually, blacksmiths make more money…”
“···Wolfram.”
“······?”
As I was muttering, a leisurely voice calling me was heard from the side.
I saw her sip the energy potion I made—she had long black hair and eyes like amethysts… It was Aila.
“By the way, Wolfram, I heard you did well in this sports festival. Did you make a good profit?”
“Uh, I did okay.”
“I see. As expected… Hehe.”
“But it’s not about the income.”
“Huh?”
“What’s more important is my plan. That I’ve passed the point I expected… Hmm, this opens up another direction for me.”
“······What did you sell?”
“A fusion of beginner-level potions that anyone can drink, regardless of their stats.”
“···Are you planning to raise an army or something?”
Well, I’m not particularly interested in raising an army.
“You always exceed my expectations, Wolfram. Hmm…”
“What about the magic department during the sports festival?”
“We just paid for admission and watched… we basically just played. Most of us aren’t really into sports.”
“···I see.”
I looked at Aila closely.
Her stats isn’t public because she’s not a colleague, as far as I remember.
So, I did some research on her stats in this world and found interesting results.
Her stamina is a whopping 15. Was it 16?
Her magic power is lower than Eve’s, but her stamina is higher. She also has a decent strength stat.
A battle mage that could be called a melee mage, considering her relatively high stamina, strength, and talent. That’s Aila Tristar.
“Aila, you must’ve been quite bored.”
“Oh, you know? Yes, I was bored.”
“I see.”
“But I don’t think I’ll be bored soon.”
“Something fun happening?”
“Oh, didn’t you know? It’s the upcoming field trip.”
“···Ah. The outing.”
“Yes, Wolfram and I are in the same group? So, our destination is the same.”
“Where are we going?”
“Where else? Of course, it’s the Eden territory where the Tristar family resides!”
“······What?”
Aila stretched and chuckled.
“It’s been a long time since I visited my parents. It will be a good chance to greet them; it’s really been a while!”
“······What?”
“What’s wrong, Wolfram?”
“···I’m going to your territory?”
“Hehe, yes!”
Aila looked at me and smiled foolishly.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve been home! Wolfram will be there too, it’s been a long time for you as well, right?”
“······.”
One hundred percent.
She doesn’t know what she’s talking about.
Convenience Store Branch No. 2.
Let’s say a second WR branch is established.
“I don’t like it.”
“Why not?! Shouldn’t you agree when you see the sparkle in my eyes?”
Why not?
Because I don’t like it.
“Listen carefully, Nephti.”
“Yes. I’m all ears, senior!”
“Do you have the initial capital? I’m talking about the franchise fee, monthly building rent, and modeling costs.”
“…Um.”
“….”
“I will earn it! I’ll work hard!”
“Good. That’s the right attitude.”
I’m not so mean-spirited as to crush the dreams of a young girl trying to earn money to start a business.
And then the second issue.
“Alright, Nephti. Let’s say you run a convenience store. Where would you locate it?”
“Of course, it would be centered around the Zone 1 Knight Department, wouldn’t it?”
Of course.
You’re wise.
I’ll give you 100 points for wisdom.
“Right. That makes sense. You really are wise. But it won’t work.”
“…Eh, why not?”
“That’s why.”
“What, why?”
I was lost in thought.
Nephti takes all my management strategies and items.
And opens a convenience store in the Zone 1 Knight Department.
She’ll probably make a killing. Monthly sales might even reach the hundreds of millions.
And then suddenly, Nephti, having sucked all my technology and accumulated money…
Will come to me, who’s in the Zone 8 Magic Department, and proudly say,
‘Your convenience store has failed. From now on, this place is under my control.’
“This traitorous beast…”
“Wha, what?”
“No, never mind. Anyway, I’ve never considered opening a branch.”
“Oh, I see.”
Nephti seemed visibly disappointed.
“Why do you want to run a convenience store?”
“…Well, that’s the thing. You won’t get mad if I tell you a disloyal story, will you?”
“Go ahead.”
“Actually, graduating top of the academy is the best way to climb up in the Roengreen Empire.”
I nodded, urging Nephti to continue.
“If I can maintain these grades, I’ll probably start as a junior knight in the empire. Probably.”
“Is your salary insufficient?”
“No, it’s not that. It’s just that things are not easy these days. I face a lot of jealousy.”
“Hmm.”
“Especially as you’ve seen, there are people who hate me like a piece of Trashy Gaby… Ahaha. It’s tough.”
Trashy Gaby?
That weird kid?
…Ah. The kid who hated Nephti. How could someone’s name be Trashy Gaby?
“So?”
“Even though I’m working really hard, I’m still hated, and it’s really frustrating.”
“When you think you have to keep walking this path, it gets frustrating. I get it.”
“Exactly! That’s it! Isn’t there another thrill to life? Being a knight is great, but hmm…”
Somehow, I ended up conducting a high school career consultation.
“So why a convenience store?”
“…Don’t they, sparkle!”
“Sparkle?”
“Yes! The snacks and drinks you create! They have various effects! The world has never seen such fun and exciting things! It makes my heart race!”
“True. So let me ask you this. What is your belief in the convenience store?”
“….”
Nephti froze.
“What is your belief?”
“To protect my mother, my family, my village, and eventually the smiling faces of the people around me.”
There was no hesitation as she expressed those words. It was as if having faith in her beliefs came naturally to her.
Right.
Nephti was like that in the original work as well.
When forming a party, she was the most dedicated to ‘protection.’
Her dedication was so high that she could safeguard allies even in ‘impossible moments.’
Someone I trusted more than anyone else, the greatest defender.
In terms of defense, she had qualities even better than top-tier defenders.
Even in poverty, the child never forgot to smile, protected the family, and considered it a mission to guard the siblings, becoming an unwavering shield for the allies until the end.
But not anymore.
Since she doesn’t leave the academy grounds, there are no fights with monsters, and free time has increased. It’s also true that there are fewer opportunities for her convictions to shine.
Then I have to awaken her.
“What’s your belief?”
“To be the shield for the ones I cherish.”
“Why do you dream of that?”
“My father defended the village from a monster attack and passed away.”
“So?”
“That’s why I came here to become someone’s shield.”
“…”
“My dream is to be the shield of belief that protects everyone from the lowest places.”
“Good. Remember your belief once again. You’re not a Knight of Desire, are you?”
“Yes, you’re right. I had forgotten this.”
However, it’s also true that she struggles with money.
Well, nothing can be done about that.
“If you’re short of money, let me know. As you can see, I’m making a decent amount now.”
“…”
“There are plenty of jobs that pay well. So don’t forget what you need to do, Nephterian.”
“Thank you, senior Wolfram von Roengreen, for listening to my whims.”
***
Student council room.
Eve von Roengreen nodded as she received the papers from the knight department’s executive officer.
“This is the sports festival report.”
“Good work. Anything unusual?”
“Uh… the rate of magic sickness has decreased compared to previous years, but there’s a peculiar trend.”
“A peculiar trend?”
“The magic sickness decreased around certain seniors who were present in specific areas, but there were no magic stones installed there. It’s too inconsistent to be a coincidence, but too vague to make a big deal.”
“Interesting. Can you tell me who made the most revenue there?”
“Huh? Let’s see… mostly from the convenience store… Ah, could it be?”
“Indeed. People who bought potions from that man’s store.”
“I see… The report wasn’t lying.”
Eve sighed as she looked at the high-quality mana potion next to her. She felt much better after drinking the potion that the man had instructed Sylphia to give to her. Not only that, the effectiveness of the potion sold at the sports festival was also true.
“This will… start some rumors in aristocratic society, and those rumors will circle back to…”
“Yes, they will come to the Academy.”
“…”
Indeed.
Parents will exchange gifts, and once the effectiveness is proven, it will eventually reach the ears of Jephryn Academy students, who will then approach Wolfram under their parents’ orders.
“It’s nice to have a guardian wolf beside you, but it could be annoying if all of Golden Hand intervene.”
“But wouldn’t it be fine since the fiancée is from the Tristar family?”
“That’s exactly the problem. If Wolfram were alone, it would end in a fight for Wolfram’s mysterious magic tool, but he already has a connection with Tristar, one of the two leading merchant families of the Empire. Will the Ciel family just sit still?”
“…”
“Leave, I want to think alone.”
“Yes, excuse me.”
Left alone, Eve clutched her throbbing head.
“It’s going to be more tiring than I thought, especially since Ciel won’t sit still.”
Ciel. Tristar.
These two major merchant families of the Empire have slightly different focuses. Ciel specializes in ‘distribution,’ concentrating on domestic circulation and luxury goods, while Tristar is more involved in ‘mining and construction,’ exploiting ores from monster-infested mines or constructing buildings.
Therefore, Ciel has greater financial power and a wider network among merchants.
But Tristar will be more interested in the items Wolfram von Roengreen made. It could be seen as a blatant territorial infringement.
“And Wolfram is engaged to Aila Tristar… This could be considered a declaration of war by Tristar, and Ciel won’t stay still… Especially how that dangerous Regina Ciel will react… Ugh, really!”
Eve unleashed her mana, shaking the student council room before it dissipated.
“I can’t help it. It’s best to pretend that there’s no connection with the Tristar family. Like making it look like Wolfram started a third force on his own…”
Eve’s contemplation deepened.
***
And so, the sports festival came to an end.
I earned a lot, but strictly speaking, there’s nothing left over.
Excluding the cost of materials spent at the black market, the expedition with Eve, and the set sales at the sports festival, I’ve made a decent profit. However, all of it has to be invested in the production of the next item.
“Why can’t I just maintain a bit of wealth and live peacefully?”
That’s the most foolish and discardable thought.
Whether it’s online or offline games, that’s how it is with money in games.
If you save 10 gold in the early game to buy an item that’s 10 gold more expensive in the mid-game, the price of weapons in the late game will surpass tens or hundreds of thousands of gold anyway.
Instead, you should invest in growth from the beginning. That’s the way to gather wealth, whether it’s through running dungeon buses or crafting.
So, investing the tens of millions of Rin I’ve just earned in materials is the standard way!
“For the happiness of the future, I should go all-in… That’s life. That’s my way of living.”
Moreover, the path has been revealed.
“Handy Work. Mix Beans. Since I’ve succeeded in a skill combination of potion-making at level 3, maybe it’s time for something bigger… Hmm, what should I do next? Actually, blacksmiths make more money…”
“···Wolfram.”
“······?”
As I was muttering, a leisurely voice calling me was heard from the side.
I saw her sip the energy potion I made—she had long black hair and eyes like amethysts… It was Aila.
“By the way, Wolfram, I heard you did well in this sports festival. Did you make a good profit?”
“Uh, I did okay.”
“I see. As expected… Hehe.”
“But it’s not about the income.”
“Huh?”
“What’s more important is my plan. That I’ve passed the point I expected… Hmm, this opens up another direction for me.”
“······What did you sell?”
“A fusion of beginner-level potions that anyone can drink, regardless of their stats.”
“···Are you planning to raise an army or something?”
Well, I’m not particularly interested in raising an army.
“You always exceed my expectations, Wolfram. Hmm…”
“What about the magic department during the sports festival?”
“We just paid for admission and watched… we basically just played. Most of us aren’t really into sports.”
“···I see.”
I looked at Aila closely.
Her stats isn’t public because she’s not a colleague, as far as I remember.
So, I did some research on her stats in this world and found interesting results.
Her stamina is a whopping 15. Was it 16?
Her magic power is lower than Eve’s, but her stamina is higher. She also has a decent strength stat.
A battle mage that could be called a melee mage, considering her relatively high stamina, strength, and talent. That’s Aila Tristar.
“Aila, you must’ve been quite bored.”
“Oh, you know? Yes, I was bored.”
“I see.”
“But I don’t think I’ll be bored soon.”
“Something fun happening?”
“Oh, didn’t you know? It’s the upcoming field trip.”
“···Ah. The outing.”
“Yes, Wolfram and I are in the same group? So, our destination is the same.”
“Where are we going?”
“Where else? Of course, it’s the Eden territory where the Tristar family resides!”
“······What?”
Aila stretched and chuckled.
“It’s been a long time since I visited my parents. It will be a good chance to greet them; it’s really been a while!”
“······What?”
“What’s wrong, Wolfram?”
“···I’m going to your territory?”
“Hehe, yes!”
Aila looked at me and smiled foolishly.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve been home! Wolfram will be there too, it’s been a long time for you as well, right?”
“······.”
One hundred percent.
She doesn’t know what she’s talking about.
