Chapter 43

After meeting the NPC foreman and completing the quest, I was left penniless and had to scramble for money. It took four days, but I finally opened my long-desired shop yesterday.

I still run my fingers over the counter, grinning from ear to ear.

"Yun, are you that happy?"

"Of course. This is my long-cherished dream! Being the lord of a castle is a man's romance, right?"

"You're a woman, Yun."

Kyoko, who responds like this, is a woman, but I don't mind since I'm a man.

"Well, I'm just an employee, but you can't manage money, can you? I have to hold the purse strings."

"Um..."

"It's embarrassing to be just the owner of a counter shop. If you pay, they should be able to expand or renovate it for you."

"...Okay."

That's right, the counter is impressive. On the other hand, the item box behind the counter for storing goods is sparse, with only a few sample potions and enchantment stones on the shelves.

This wooden counter alone cost 300,000. Additionally, I pay 50,000G per month to hire Kyoko as a shop assistant.

Because I paid extra for agricultural work, it feels cheaper than hiring her normally.

To achieve the goal of having a shop with a residential area, it costs 30 million G. It's a long way to go, but my immediate goal is to get a proper high-temperature furnace and a mixing kit. My current mixing kit is for beginners, and the tools aren't good enough to use monster meat or the vitality tree fruit.

The estimate for just the high-temperature furnace is 1 million. I'll save up 200,000 for the mixing kit first.

"By the way, your business strategy is a bit off, isn't it? You're selling cheaply with a limit of five of each type, so you end up holding inventory. If you want to sell, you should remove the limit and sell a bit more expensive."

"I guess I'm a bit of a hobbyist, so making money is secondary. Besides, if I lower the price, I'll get more repeat customers. If the items are good, they'll come back every day, even if it's a hassle. It's a way to prevent reselling, so I think it's better to gradually increase the number of customers."

I introduced my shop to all my friends, but after waiting a whole day, the only customers were Mew's party...

I thought Tak might come by to check it out, but apparently everyone is leveling up around the third town.

Sey is apparently busy for a few days and hasn't logged in. When she does, she'll probably forget about it.

"Even if no one comes, please take care of the shop. Do you remember the important points?"

"Yes. The important thing is to explain the featured item, the enchantment stone, properly. I won't forget."

"Still, having only enchantment stones as the featured item seems a bit limited, doesn't it?"

"There are no other shops in this town that stock beginner potions, pills, high potions, MP potions, and status effect remedies. Be confident."

Kyoko, with her charming smile. It feels good to be smiled at by a beautiful woman, even if she's an NPC.

The reason it's not selling well is probably the location.

The southern area is only visited by people who are planning to conquer the south or those who want to own a field.

Even those who own fields seem to be buying several for resale. Looking around, no one else has a field as lush as mine.

Occasionally, people look at my field's harvest with curiosity, but crops can only be targeted by those involved and are just part of the background to others.

"By the way, this is a message from Magi. She wants you to supply enchantment stones to her as well."

"That's great to hear. I'll talk to her directly."

I haven't been to Magi's place for a few days. We chat occasionally to update each other, but it's not like we're tied down, so it's fine.

I've been hunting around the second town to make money. There are many insect-type monsters, and from them, I get insect silk, meat, and other items. I also get good-quality wood and familiar herbs.

I told Magi that these items aren't very profitable for me, and she said Claude and Lili want them.

The materials themselves aren't low-grade, so I might process them into higher-grade materials through alchemy and sell them.

Magi also invited me to explore the area around the third town together. Indeed, the minerals in that area are attractive, and I want to get revenge at the bar from before.

It's crazy, but summer vacation is halfway through, and I'm completely immersed in the game.

"Ha~ I'm having a good time, aren't I?"

"...? It's good to be fulfilled every day. But you don't have any money, so please work hard."

"You're right. I'll be off. Take care of the shop. You can leave on time."

"Yun, have a good day."

I stood up from the counter chair and checked my equipment.

Bow: Good, armor: Good. And... my homemade iron ring. It has one point of attack enchantment. Well, I can't get iron ingots in the second town, so my stock is gone.

"Should I run to the second town? It would be nice to pick up some iron ore on the way."

Muttering to myself, I stepped out into the sunlight and looked back.

There, a brand new wooden shop stood. Built adjacent to the main street, it stands out despite its ordinary appearance because there's nothing on either side.

The shop, which uses only a third of the land I bought, has a grand sign.

In the game's unique language, it reads 'Atelier'.

A portmanteau of 'Atelier', meaning workshop, and 'Eール' (Eeru), meaning encouragement for adventurers.

A name that reminds me of my initial character goal—thorough support.

"I'm off, Atelier."

I threw those words into the sky and sprinted through the city.

Leaving a trail of yellow light, I dodged passing players and headed out of town.

The sky is blue today. It's going to be a fun day.

---Status---

NAME: Yun

Weapon: Black Maiden's Longbow

Head:

Outerwear: CS No. 6 Oak Creator

Innerwear: CS No. 6 Oak Creator

Arms:

Torso:

Waist: CS No. 6 Oak Creator

Accessory Equipment Limit 1/10

- Clunky Iron Ring (1)

Held SP: 17

【Bow Lv20】【Eagle's Eye Lv30】【Speed Boost Lv14】【Discovery Lv10】【Magic Talent Lv32】【Magic Power Lv30】【Alchemy Lv22】【Enchantment Lv8】【Potion Making Lv2】【Production Knowledge Lv20】

On Hold

【Taming Lv1】【Crafting Lv23】【Synthesis Lv22】【Earth Attribute Talent Lv3】

I'll cut it here for now.

Is it about the length of a thin light novel volume?

Finally, here is Yun's status, which I've cultivated so far.

I hadn't decided on the accessory equipment limit, so I set it to 10, the number of fingers on both hands.

Bracelets use two ingots, so they have a capacity of 2.