Chapter 5

004. Who am I? "Third-rate Convenience Store Owner" (2)

Phil decided to hand over all the items in the grocery store, including the deposit, to me, and in return, I would exchange the sword and the clothes. If there was any loss, it would be slightly more on my side. After all, both the sword and the clothes had been appraised by Maestro and Yggdrasil.

The problem is that I didn’t buy them from ‘Wolfram,’ but if Phil wants to sell them, I’ll buy them.

Anyway, the price alone would leave me with at least 20 million won in change after buying this grocery store. Phil was even taken aback by this.

“Hmm. I’m making too much profit here.”

“Then leave some for me.”

I nodded and started to look around the grocery store, following the former owner’s words. The place was clean, and the shelves were neatly arranged, giving the impression that the previous owner had tried hard to run it. However, the lack of items was a significant drawback.

If the black bread is about to go bad, that’s a big problem.

“There is a bit of an issue.”

“Hmm...”

Phil nodded. There were indeed too few items.

The only things available were about a hundred low-level healing potions and various mundane items like pens, paper, black bread, and water.

As I stared at the items, Phil scratched the back of his head and laughed.

“The quality and quantity of the items themselves are not bad, but... they’re a bit old.”

“...?”

What the hell is this guy saying?

Is he trying to get his money back?

Not bad? “

“...Alright. Let’s do it this way. You need some money for the next order, right? I have 5 million rin right now. I’ll give it to you as well.”

“...Hmm.”

So the actual acquisition cost would be 75 million rin.

Considering the deposit and prepaid rent for the grocery store, the price seems reasonable.

And I got the certificate, which is worth ten times its value, and an item I can’t cash in on anyway.

“Alright. Let’s do it.”

I nodded. This seems doable.

From now on, the grand revival of Wolfram will begin.

“By the way, the landlord wants to be present at the contract signing.”

“?”

What?

Let’s just get started, okay?

***

Landlord?

It’s rare for the landlord to personally oversee such a small store contract.

Is Phil some big shot?

No, I don’t remember anyone like him.

Then why for such a small store contract...

“He said he would come as soon as you mentioned your name. He’s quite a kind person.”

...I see.

A person who is interested in the beginning of Wolfram von Loewen格林 and is also kind.

A face flashed through my mind, but I shook my head.

She’s someone who makes money automatically and doesn’t need money because of her power.

“Who is it?”

“You’ll see. Anyway, I’m going to cash in the items. Good luck.”

No, tell me, you bastard.

I glared at him, but Phil left, saying he was going to cash in the items.

And he didn’t come back.

...

...

“No.”

If someone like Eve, who is obsessed with justice, tells you to leave the building, what would you do?

Am I really done for?

I was already in a bad state, but to be pushed down like this?

And when the landlord, who would judge this transaction, entered the grocery store, I opened my eyes wide.

“I’m a bit late.”

“...”

I carefully examined her face.

No doubt about it.

“...”

Her voice was monotone but couldn’t hide her youth. Her long black hair reached down to her waist, and her dark emerald eyes were cold and sunken.

Her face seemed to lack enthusiasm, or was expressionless, a perfect poker face.

Her eyes were unreadable.

Aila Tristara

The second daughter of the Tristara family and the second-year vice president of the Magic Department.

A named character I know.

Her detailed specs, status, and skills flashed through my mind, and I could even read parts of the setting book.

A monster with a innate magic value of 19.

The second daughter of a commercial district that controls 20% of the Loewen Empire’s business.

A brilliant mind.

Already capable of using third-tier magic.

As I scrolled through my memories, a faint sentence shone in the corner.

“Really hit rock bottom, haven’t you, Wolfram?”

The middle boss of Act 3 of the Merchant Route.

“Do you still have something to use me for?”

“Aila.”

And, Wolfram’s fiancée.

***

When people encounter something they can’t imagine, their thoughts stop and they forget how to speak.

I faced a crisis that made me want to tear my hair out just two days after becoming Wolfram von Loewen.

Starting as a school refugee and then a jobless person,

But this is the most surprising of all.

If my fiancée, whom I don’t remember, suddenly appears, wouldn’t you be surprised?

“Say something, Wolfram.”

“...”

I stared at her blankly.

So, the landlord of the new corner store I moved into is my fiancée and the middle boss of the story?

Wow, this is insane. Why is the difficulty so high? It would be easier to fight the final boss with my fists.

“...I heard the story.”

“What story?”

“You were dismissed, right? The Student Council President.”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

Even a well-built body would hurt less than this.

“So when I first heard the new tenant’s name was you, I was quite surprised.”

“...”

“You’re still at the Academy. If it were the Wolfram I knew, he wouldn’t have tolerated the humiliation and would have run away.”

“...”

“Are you afraid of being avenged by the card you threw away?”

Wow, she’s really my fiancée.

How does she know Wolfram so well?

“Answer me, Wolfram. Why are you still here? And why did you come to me?”

“...Came to me?”

“Hmph. Buying this grocery store is a sign to me, right? A plea for help? Or an order?”

“...”

“Is there anything worth mentioning about a man who only had ambition, was overtaken by his younger sister, and ended up relying on his fiancée? How low do you plan to fall, Wolfram von Loewen?”

Hold on. Stop. Wait. Just wait a moment. Let’s think.

I don’t know how many hatreds towards Wolfram are swirling inside you. Go and confront him.

“Anyway, this deal is off. Disappear before you get any worse.”

“...”

No, that’s impossible.

I can’t do that.

If I leave, it’s a knife ending.

A zombie resurrection ending.

A death by a younger sister’s rival.

“Aila Tristara.”

“What?”

Aila is the middle boss of Act 3.

Her main skills are black magic and crystal magic.

A formidable enemy in Act 3.

Her combat power hasn’t changed much from then to now, so if she goes all out, I’ll die here.

But I have the weapon of thought.

To survive, Wolfram, who has no strength or magic and is surrounded by danger, must use thought as a weapon to make the best judgment.

Let’s not stop thinking.

Jefrin’s characters are full of life, and fortunately, I know most of their personalities.

Scripts for conversations with characters flowed through my mind.

[Act 3, Chapter 2. The Rebel Witch. The Ambitious Lady.]

What was Aila’s character like?

Ambition. And middle school syndrome.

I came to a conclusion.

Then I leaned back in the chair, interlocked my fingers, and smiled calmly as I spoke.

“Funny.”

“...What?”

“A building like this is yours? Investing in such a building is not a good idea.”

“Ha! Nonsense!”

This is the kind of line Aila would say.

Aila is the embodiment of ambition, or in other words, middle school syndrome.

She often says something that sounds impressive and is actually cool, but from the outside, it seems too serious and like middle school syndrome. She’s a ball of ambition.

So, if I pretend to be someone important, I can have a conversation with her to some extent.

“What do you mean by nonsense?”

“A cheap lie. You must have known. Did you approach me because this building is mine?”

“Would Wolfram von Loewen remember such a trivial building?”

“...”

“Listen carefully, Aila. I didn’t know who this building belonged to until just now. If you think I’m lying, your eyes are blind and your ears are deaf. I am Wolfram, and I am the prince of this country.”

“Alright. I’ll believe that. Then why are you trying to take over this grocery store?”

This is important.

Take a breath, snap your fingers, and smile arrogantly.

“For my ambition.”

“Ambition...?”

Start with something Aila loves to hear.

It’s not for nothing that the chapter is called “The Rebel Witch. The Ambitious Lady.”

As a boss, her characteristic is having countless followers, all of whom are talented.

“I haven’t lost anything.”

“Nothing, not even one thing...?”

“Yes. My ambition starts now. That’s why I wanted to get this grocery store.”

“...What’s so special about this grocery store?”

“Shadows must hide in the most secret place.”

“Ha! Empty words without a plan...!”

As she said this, why is her heart racing and her hands trembling? Aren’t you curious too? The atmosphere is intense, isn’t it?

This is the moment to strike.

“I have a plan.”

Next, let’s rattle off a plausible plan.

Aila will love it.

“...Alright. Tell me. Hurry up. Quickly. I’ll listen to your method.”

“No, I can’t tell you.”

“What? Still nonsense...”

“You’re not on my side.”

“...!”

As she said this, Aila clenched her fists. She really likes this kind of thing.

“There’s no reason to reveal information to someone who isn’t on my side. Go away.”

“...Do you know that I can evict you anytime as the landlord?”

“Third-rate threat.”

“...Alright. If I become your ally, will you tell me?”

What if?

Then it’s not bad.

If Aila helps me, I’ll become a tenant on good terms with the landlord.

I don’t need to do anything great. What Aila expects from me is ‘Wolfram who hasn’t lost his ambition.’

Wolfram’s ambition is probably to win the lottery. No, not that lottery. To become the Student Council President again.

Let’s see.

“I will acquire talented people.”

“...Talented people will come to you? Do you know who they are?”

“Yes. Starting with the druid girl you cherish so much, there’s a new student in the Magic Department who specializes in fire magic. There’s also a boy in the Knight Department who shows the potential to be a future sword saint.”

“...How do you know that?”

“Aila. Aila Tristara. Who am I?”

“Wolfram... Wolfram von Loewen. The expelled Student Council President.”

“Yes, I was the Student Council President. The former Student Council President. But do you think I was just expelled?”

“...What?”

“My eyes are everywhere in the Academy. Now that Eve has taken my throne, I have the opportunity to rule this Academy from the shadows.”

“...Do you think that’s possible? Eve von Loewen has the right. She’s the Student Council President of justice. Do you think a rebellion can succeed?”

“A rebellion is the most secret, the most quiet, and the most great.”

“...!!!”

Aila’s expression visibly hardened at my words.

This was the conclusion I reached by not stopping my thoughts.

“Rebellion.”

“Yes.”

She said the word that makes her most excited.

‘Rebellion’ is her identity as a boss.

[Oh, a rebellion is carried out in the most secret place, the most quietly, and brings the greatest results.]

This was her signature line in Act 3. I used it first. Sorry, but I need to survive.

“You... You... still...”

Aila bit her finger and glared at me with a look of frustration.

Her face was red, showing how aggrieved she was.

Well, it seems Aila hates Wolfram while also knowing him very well.

Inside her, Wolfram is an unlucky, arrogant man who can’t bend his pride.

She thinks Wolfram was overtaken by his younger sister and even came to her for help, so she despised him.

At the same time, there was another hint in her words.

‘His ambition was worth seeing.’

So, to survive now, I need to show that the man Wolfram is not dead. Ma!

“...I can’t believe it.”

“I never asked you to believe.”

“What?”

“Belief is a delusion. It’s the most trivial word that follows a result.”

“...”

“I won’t ask for your help. Just don’t interfere. If you do, I’ll eliminate you too.”

“...”

Aila stared at me intently and then stood up, still glaring at me with disdain.

“That arrogant attitude is the same even in the gutter. I’ll watch when you fall, Wolfram.”

I remained arrogant, waving my hand.

With a clenched jaw, she walked towards the door, and I called out to her as she was about to leave.

“Before you go, what will you do with this grocery store?”

“...If you pay a fair price, there’s nothing that can’t be sold. That’s the Tristara family.”

“Is that so. Here’s the price. Take it.”

After Aila left, I stared at the spot where she had been for a while, then leaned back with a sigh.

“Thought I was done for.”

I covered my face with both hands and let out a deep sigh.

“I somehow talked my way out and made it sound plausible.”

Am I a messenger of rebellion? Are you crazy?

I’m sorry to Aila, but I’m a person who likes peace and tranquility.

I’ll gather capital through the grocery store, get my diploma, learn a skill, and live in the countryside.

“...Ah. I’m tired.”

I was despised by the next Student Council President.

All the other races are filtering me out.

I need to think about how to revive this old grocery store.

I pretended to be a great rebel in front of the middle boss, my fiancée, and I need to maintain this concept in front of her in the future.

Still.

I’m alive now.

Even if it’s a dump, I have something to eat, and even if it’s cramped, I can sleep in the staff room.

Looking at the clock, it was past midnight.

The tomorrow I thought wouldn’t come was already today.

Then.

“Tomorrow, let’s survive again.”

In this convenience store, let’s survive and keep living.

With that thought, I turned off my exhausted mind and fell asleep.