Chapter 48

"Then, I will formally set the rules for this contest."

An elderly man dressed in a suit-like garment.

This was the elderly supervisor who had appeared during the previous battle with Antimishka.

I thought, "What a mysterious appearance..." but then, considering this was the capital, the heart of the kingdom, it made sense that the response was swift if this was their base of operations.

The supervisor, who was here to oversee and record the battle between the princes, would now establish the rules for this contest.

Their existence was probably a measure to ensure the competition between the princes proceeded smoothly.

If the princes were to fight each other randomly throughout the kingdom, it would be chaotic and could lead to collateral damage.

This "direct confrontation" format might be to prevent such negative outcomes.

"This time, the contest will be somewhat unconventional. Prince Iksa wants to support the people who own the land rights, while Prince Nero and the bodyguard association, represented by Mr. Brad, wish to acquire these rights... Is this the correct understanding of the situation?"

"Yes, that's fine."

"Ah."

Brad and Iksa responded.

"Understood. The contest will be a direct confrontation between the heirs to the throne, each represented by an agent. Of course, we have not yet obtained Prince Nero's consent, so once that is confirmed, the contest will begin."

"I appreciate it. I didn't expect things to escalate to this level, so I was hesitant about agreeing without his consent."

"Fair enough."

Iksa said with a dismissive tone.

"Wasn't this the goal all along? There's no need for confirmation. He'll participate."

"..."

Iksa seemed to have a poor impression of Prince Nero, the eighth prince, his opponent this time.

In fact, his impression seemed to be the worst possible.

...Come to think of it, the eighth prince was mentioned in a conversation before...

"Regarding this contest... The primary goal of the agents, including Mako, is to open a store in this capital, which means engaging in business. I believe the best way for Mako and the others to compete is through their business acumen."

The supervisor then looked at Brad.

"Brad and his team's goal is to acquire this land. Therefore, the best way for Brad and his team to compete is through their usual line of work, which is bodyguarding."

By "bodyguarding," he meant extortion, intimidation, and other dirty work—essentially, the business of the yakuza.

However, from the supervisor's explanation, I understood the general outline of the contest.

"I will now read out the proposed rules of the contest."

The supervisor, while writing on a piece of paper with ink, stated:

"Three days from today. Is that an acceptable date for the store's opening?"

"Yes."

I responded.

It was the original plan.

"However, considering the repairs needed for the damaged interior, we would like an additional day."

"Understood. The opening will be set for four days from now."

It was supposed to be a soft opening, but given the circumstances, it couldn't be helped.

"After the opening, you can operate the store as usual. The key to victory will be the 'revenue' generated from the business. As for Brad—"

The supervisor looked at Brad.

"Brad's role is to prevent Mako and the others from increasing their revenue. You can use any methods or means that are part of your usual work. Use your expertise."

We would run the store and generate "revenue."

Brad and his team would interfere to prevent us from achieving our revenue goals.

"The contest will last one week. The 'revenue' generated within one week of the opening will determine the winner. The most successful grocery store in this area, operated by the Glossem family, generates about 5 million G in a week."

G is the currency unit in this country.

For reference, one gold coin is worth 10,000 G.

I don't know how the prices and currency value compare to modern times, but I'll think of 10,000 G as roughly 10,000 yen.

"Prince Nero and Brad have stated that they will buy this land at twice the original price. Therefore, the target is 10 million G in one week. Mako and the others need to generate more than 10 million G in one week."

"Ten... million...!"

Everyone was understandably shocked.

"Finally, the rewards for the winner. We have tried to balance the benefits and desires of both sides... If Brad, representing Prince Nero, wins, he will acquire the land rights for free. If Mako, representing Prince Iksa, wins, the land sale and acquisition will be canceled, and the money Brad offered will be awarded to Mako. Additionally, Prince Nero will be prohibited from interfering with this land or store in the future. The results of this contest will be recorded and reported to the king, potentially affecting the rankings of Prince Iksa and Prince Nero."

The supervisor looked at me.

"Is this acceptable?"

I summarized the rules:

We need to generate 10 million G within one week starting from the opening four days from now.

Brad and his team will interfere to prevent us from reaching this target.

If we lose, we lose the land and the store.

If we win, the opponent is banned from interfering with the land, and we get the money they offered.

The results will also affect the rankings of Prince Iksa and Prince Nero.

"..."

Achieving double the revenue of the most successful competing store in the area is an extremely high target.

If I were a store manager in a modern home center, I would be speechless.

And there would be interference from the yakuza.

Moreover, Brad is not the only opponent.

The Glossem family's daughter and other nearby stores, unaware of the situation, are also competitors.

"Understood."

I nodded.

A target twice that of the leading competitor?

Interference from the yakuza?

A prime location with top-tier competitors?

Bring it on.

"I will put my entire being into this challenge."

"Quite confident, aren't you? Scary, scary."

While Brad shivered dramatically, the supervisor formally acknowledged, "Understood."

"Then, that concludes everything. All aspects of the contest will be recorded by our supervisory agency."

—That night.

The supervisor returned to our location, where we were repairing the interior, to inform us that Prince Nero had agreed to the contest.

As Iksa had predicted, everything was set.

Third Prince Iksa vs. Eighth Prince Nero.

The agent war was about to begin.

※ ※ ※ ※ ※

It was late at night, but our work was not done.

We were repairing the interior and making other preparations.

There was no time for a soft opening; the real opening was in four days.

We needed to work quickly.

Our current team consisted of me, Mau, Meala, 18 people who had been with us since the store construction, and 12 more who joined for the product delivery, totaling 30 Beowulfs. Two of them had to return with the boars in the morning, so 28 remained.

Gurai, Orkhidea, and Fressa.

Entia and, for some reason, Cro.

And Iksa and Suaro.

In total, 37 people + 2 animals.

I told Mau, Meala, and Fressa they could go back to the inn and rest, but they insisted on helping.

Just like during the battle with Antimishka, everyone was working together to face this crisis.

"I'm really sorry."

After the supervisor left, Iksa and I had a private conversation outside the store.

Iksa bowed his head and apologized.

"I was targeted by the worst person. I never thought it would come to this. It's my lack of foresight."

"It's okay, Iksa. Thanks to you, we were able to establish this store in the capital. Don't worry about it."

I reassured him.

Because it was true.

No one could have predicted this, and we were all in this together.

"By the way, Iksa. The prince who's causing trouble, Nero—"

"..."

Iksa frowned and said, "He's a dangerous person."

"In a way, he's the most purely enjoying the throne succession battle among all the princes and princesses."

He wants to knock everyone else down.

Iksa continued.

"Nero Bahamut Groug... He's currently 7 years old."

"Seven...?"

Seven years old...

Like Shin-chan from *Crayon Shin-chan* but two years older.

"Despite his age, his upbringing and inherent qualities or talents... His personality can be described as a 'tyrant.' He doesn't follow common sense."

Iksa pressed his forehead and sighed.

"He has knocked down and defeated other princes and princesses using any means necessary, rising to the position of eighth prince. He does it with the pure enthusiasm of a child engrossed in a game. And the one he targeted, the seventh prince, was me."

I remembered.

When I first met Iksa.

In the market city, the Weeble family's grocery store was attacked by robbers.

Mau and Meala were taken hostage.

The mastermind behind the attack was suspected to be the eighth prince.

"I thought that by becoming the third prince, I would be out of his sights, but it seems the situation hasn't changed. I'm sorry."

"Don't worry, Iksa. We all understand."

I reassured him.

Because it was true.

No one could have predicted this, and we were all in this together.

"Given this, it's no longer just someone else's problem. I was never really treating it as such, though."

Iksa rolled up his sleeves and tied his hair back.

"I'll help with the store operations as a staff member."

"Thanks. Here, start with this."

I immediately handed Iksa a bucket and a brush.

I know it was sudden, but we needed all the help we could get.

I used my Skill, *Paint*, to fill the bucket with a dark black paint.

"Use this to paint the sign and wooden boards Gurai made."

"What is this?"

"It's called 'blackboard paint.' It turns the surface into a blackboard. You can write on it with chalk and easily erase it with water. We'll use it for signboards and menu boards."

Blackboards in front of stores are quite stylish.

Also, having a lot of text information (like POPs) in the store helps customers get detailed information without needing to call a staff member, which is very practical.

It can be easily updated, so it's useful for price displays and "Today's Specials" signs.

"Is the storage of the incoming goods okay?"

"It's fine for now."

We had already stored the goods in the inventory area we built behind the store.

The crops, being living things, were kept in multiple "vacuum-insulated buckets" I created with my *Alchemy* skill, which were cooled and stored in a shaded area to maintain freshness.

"Before the opening, I want to organize ideas and make preparations. I think we can get a lot of things in the capital. I believe we can increase the variety of products."

"..."

Iksa smiled.

Yes, I was determined.

When I saw the injured Beowulfs and the damaged store, I was momentarily stunned.

I'm going to do this with all my might.

I'll make them regret ever messing with us.

First, I need the products.

There are limits to what I can create with my skills.

So, I'll use the materials available in this world to create "popular home center items" and offer them.

"I'll go all out with my knowledge and ideas."