"What? You want me to work as a clerk in your shop?Why would you suddenly come up with an idea like that?And don't get me wrong—I don't have any talent for business. With the kind of magic tools you sell here, even the Goddess of Commerce herself would probably give up and walk away."
Faced with Wizu's hopeful, sparkling gaze, Ren Kuroda rejected her proposal without a second thought. Not wanting even more trouble to come knocking on his door, he tossed a pouch of Eris onto the counter, grabbed the magic crystals and potions he'd bought, and turned to leave.
But he'd barely taken a single step.
"Hey—let go already, Wizu! You're not Akua, you know. We've already settled payment and goods fair and square. There's no way I'm working for you as a clerk.Besides, just look at the state of your shop—you're the owner, and you're practically starving to death. Can you really afford to pay my wages?"
A drop-dead gorgeous girl was right in front of him, yet Ren wore an unmistakable look of rejection on his face. It wasn't that he disliked Wizu—quite the opposite. Over time, he'd grown fond of this pure-hearted, kind lich, and they'd even become good friends.
But asking him to manage Wizu's magic-tool shop and somehow turn it profitable?
That was harder than asking him to personally go and behead the Demon King.
And there was another issue. Wizu herself could barely survive without Ren occasionally feeding her. Expecting her to pay him a salary was already questionable—but what if the shop went bankrupt? Would he end up saddled with her debts too?
Akua's outrageous bill had already forced Ren to grind monsters for days on end just to barely keep up.But Wizu?
Ren was pretty sure that even if he worked himself to death in this world for the rest of his life, he still wouldn't be able to fill that bottomless pit.
So for Wizu's suggestion, Ren didn't even need to think about it. He rejected it outright.
"Don't say that," Wizu pleaded. "Didn't you say my business strategy was the problem? Then I'll let you act as the store manager—full authority!And who says I can't pay you? Haven't you always been eyeing those high-quality magic crystals in the shop? If you help me sell all the unsold stock, I'll give you those crystals as your reward!"
Wizu genuinely believed her taste wasn't the problem. Every magic tool she selected, she'd chosen because she thought it would sell like crazy.
Yet every single time, reality slapped her in the face.
Just like Ren said—if she didn't change her approach soon, she really wouldn't even be able to afford bean sprouts anymore.
The Demon King Castle's treasury had already been drained dry by her. Years ago, she'd promised Duke Vanir that she'd build him a magnificent palace, and ever since then, she'd been desperately trying to earn money.
But no matter how hard she tried, the deficit only grew worse.
In the end, she'd completely emptied the Demon King Castle's reserves—and still hadn't made a single profit.
At this rate, the luxurious palace she'd promised Vanir would probably take as long to complete as her own lich lifespan.
Which meant… practically forever.
"Wait—you're serious?" Ren paused."If I manage to sell off all the unsold junk in your shop, you'll give me those high-quality magic crystals as payment?"
He couldn't deny it.
That offer genuinely tempted him.
To most people, "high-quality magic crystals" were nothing more than absurdly rare, outrageously expensive items. But Ren had firsthand experience with them.
Every time he crossed into a new world, the System converted his original powers into that world's power framework.In this world, that meant his spiritual energy and yokai power were converted directly into magic power.
Magic crystals—true to their name—were consumables used to restore and enhance magic power.
Normally, something like that should never become unsellable stock.
That was exactly what the merchant who sold them to Wizu had thought as well—convinced he'd struck gold.
And to be fair, there was nothing wrong with the crystals themselves. Their purity and grade were flawless. As a high-level spellcaster, Wizu's appraisal skills were excellent; she wasn't the type to get scammed on quality.
The problem was simple.
They were too good.
The crystals' grade and purity were so absurdly high that they were practically unusable.
Ordinary magic crystals could be absorbed directly by the body or used to recharge magical equipment. But these? Absorbing them directly would overload a human body and cause it to explode.
Even most magic weapons couldn't handle them—after being charged, they'd break down shortly afterward.
That was because these crystals were originally designed to power ancient weapons.
And good luck finding one of those nowadays.
In short, the crystals themselves weren't defective—but the number of people who could actually use them was vanishingly small.
Most people couldn't touch them.
But not everyone.
After using one once, Ren had become completely hooked on their absurd efficiency.
As a half-yokai, his body was exceptionally tough. Combined with his enormous magic reserves, he could easily withstand the surge from these crystals.
What's more, he'd realized that magic crystals in this world were functionally very similar to the System's Yokai Power Crystals.
The problem was that the highest-tier crystal currently available in his System shop was still a low-grade version—completely useless to him now.
By contrast, the high-quality magic crystals sold in Wizu's shop were outrageously priced, yes—but their effects were just as outrageous. In his normal state, two crystals were enough to fully restore his depleted magic reserves.
That was exactly why Ren kept coming back to Wizu's shop.
No reputation points required. Just money.
From Ren's perspective, that was an absolute steal.
The same went for recovery potions and resistance-boosting items—he'd been stockpiling them nonstop. Even if he didn't use them here, who knew when they might come in handy later?
Magic crystals were expensive, sure—but Ren could afford them.
What truly tempted him was the quantity.
According to Wizu herself, she'd spent two billion Eris to acquire that batch of high-quality magic crystals.
Two. Billion.
She'd assumed magic crystals would sell instantly and make her a fortune—until she met Ren.
Before him, she hadn't sold a single one.
Of course, she never stopped to consider that even if you tied together every adventurer in Akuseru, none of them could afford merchandise worth two billion Eris.
Even Ren himself—grinding monsters day and night—had no idea how long it would take to accumulate that kind of wealth.
Which was why Wizu's offer hit so hard.
For him, those crystals were genuinely invaluable.
Working as a shop clerk in exchange for items worth two billion Eris?
That was infinitely more efficient than risking his life as an adventurer.
And staying in Akuseru also meant he could keep an eye out for the Mobile Fortress, which could appear at any moment. As for the Demon King's generals, he could wait until the Adventurers' Guild gathered solid intel.
Easy work. Massive rewards.
Honestly, he couldn't find a real reason to refuse.
Still, looking at Wizu—beautiful face, curvy figure, and all—Ren couldn't shake the strange feeling that he was being… kept.
"…Fine," he finally said."Once I finish my current commissions, I'll officially accept your employment.But listen carefully—the position of store manager will be entirely under my control. Wizu, you'll stay here as the shop mascot. No interference in operations. No meddling with purchasing decisions. Deal?"
Faced with overwhelming profit, Ren ultimately caved.
Two billion Eris was two billion Eris. And it didn't even require him to risk his life. There was no reason to turn down a rich benefactor.
Besides, after a month of nonstop extermination, the monsters around Akuseru barely gave him any experience anymore.
Meanwhile—
The person largely responsible for Ren's crushing debt was currently sleeping soundly past noon, completely carefree.
Akua and Kazuma once again woke up frozen stiff by the wind blowing into the stables. When the hopeless duo arrived at the guild, they even tried to pull the same old trick of running a tab—
Only to be met with Luna's withering glare.
"I told you last night—you really went too far," Kazuma muttered."Stuffing your face was bad enough, but you even treated other guild members to food.If Ren finds out about this… are we going to get cut in half?"
Anyone could tell that Luna's friendliness from yesterday was completely gone today. And the main culprit behind that shift was a certain goddess who'd gotten carried away.
"Oh, please," Akua scoffed. "You're one to talk. You ordered plenty of expensive stuff yourself—and even packed a bunch to take home.And I was a little drunk last night, so…"
Kazuma covered his face in despair.
After experiencing the sheer horror of the giant frogs, he'd been planning to cling tightly to Ren—their fellow countryman and ultimate safety net.
But after last night's performance?
Forget being carried.
Kazuma was genuinely worried that the next time they ran into Ren Kuroda…they might not survive the encounter at all.
..
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