Magic Store 31



I can't eat hearts very well.

Because, you know, it's kind of gross.

So when Yoon-Ha Noona suddenly pulled out a heart, I nearly fell over backwards.

Fortunately, I managed to suppress a scream, but upon closer inspection, there were a lot of odd things about it that made it hard to believe it was a heart.

It wasn't bleeding, it was purple, it wasn't beating...

Well, if a heart were still beating outside a body, that would be strange too, but anyhow, even though it looked like a heart, it clearly wasn't one.

So...

"This is a monster core."

"Core or Taepodong, why did you suddenly pull it out?"

"What's ‘Taepodong’?"

She tilted her head in confusion.

Oh dear, I must have blurted out something from my world in my surprise (laugh).

Anyway, why did she pull this thing out?

"No way."

"Hey. Can't you at least hear me out before deciding?"

"I don't care. This thing smells like chicken poop."

"Never mind the smell. It's not harmful to your body."

It's harmful to my mind, though, to my mind...

But I didn't want to make a fuss and raise suspicion.

I decided to listen to what she had to say.

Monsters.

These creatures come out from a place called the Gate.

These monsters rampage through the world, but if you catch them and process various parts of their bodies, they become valuable resources that can be used in the outside world.

For example, you could catch dozens of slimes, concentrate them, and make wax to fix dwarf beards, or you could pull out a golem's joints and use them as conveyor belt gears...

And as for this monster core, it's said that using it as a power source for a train doubles the speed, making it quite valuable.

According to Yoon-Ha Noona, the monster she brought in was intended for display after being taxidermied, but since there's no need to attach an invisible heart, she kept it aside.

"But I can't fully trust my supplier."

"Really?"

"Since this is literally a lump of magic power, it needs to go through a purification process. They claim they did it properly, but remember when those guys messed up the scales last time?"

Of course, I remember.

If they had done their job right, I wouldn't have had to put my hand in dragon pus, wouldn't have received a bonus, and wouldn't have discovered just how bizarre my constitution is...

And I wouldn't be dealing with this now.

Though Yoon-Ha Noona was looking at me with expectant eyes, no matter how positively I tried to think about it, I just couldn't bring myself to do it.

Why should I, a convenience store clerk, must handle something like a demon core?

"Of course, I'll pay you extra. If I transfer it directly to your account, it might cause issues, so I'll do it through my sister. What do you think?"

Is she trying to bribe me with money?

The amount she offered was exactly one month's rent.

By my standards, it was quite a large sum.

This was somewhat of a request and somewhat a favor, but I leaned towards considering it a favor and asked,

"What happens if I don't do it?"

"I'll have to wake up and work a few extra hours. The core is a particularly sensitive material."

"...Give it to me then."

She said all I had to do was touch it.

And she came here after working overtime, so people should get a break on weekends.

Even though this core had been through an unreliable supplier, it had still been handled, so it shouldn't be a problem...

"Oh. Are you worried about me?"

"Worried? Not really. I'll give it a try, but don't expect too much."

After taking a deep breath, I grabbed the monster core Yoonha Noona handed me with both hands. At first, there was no reaction, or so I thought, but then,

"What the... why is this happening?"

Two large blood vessels, seemingly responsible for transporting blood within the monster core, suddenly began to emit purple smoke.

Once again, the meerkat had been tricked.

“You said it would be fine! You said it would be fine!!”

“The supplier said it would be fine, but I guess not.”

As I continued to hold it, keeping it far from my head, it started to beat like a living heart, with an estimated BPM of 180.

Dropping it seemed like a terrible idea, so I added my thumbs and gripped it tightly.

For several seconds, my palms opened and closed in rhythm with the beats.

After what felt like an eternity, the core finally stopped spewing smoke.

After counting to ten in my head, I asked Yoon-Ha Noona,

“This purple smoke isn’t harmful, is it?”

“I can breathe it in with no problem, but are you feeling dizzy?”

“I’m not sure about dizziness, but this does smell like chicken manure, right?”

“You really have a knack for this.”

The musty, eye-stinging smell didn’t seem beneficial.

I opened the convenience store’s front door, grabbed a broom, and fanned the smoke out.

Afterwards, I returned to the table and examined the monster core.

It looked much the same as before, but when I poked it with my finger, there was no reaction.

I shrugged my shoulders at Noona, while she picked up the core, examined it, and said,

“I really should cut ties with that supplier.”

“Did they do a sloppy job, or didn’t they do it at all?”

“Both. The smoke that just came out was accumulated magical energy. If left unchecked, it would have condensed and ignited the air around it. They only worked on it just enough to prevent that disaster.”

I guess it was like LPG gas.

“So it’s fine for now?”

“It still needs to be verified at the workshop, but… it should be fine. You handled the scales well, right?”

Noona, after placing the core in the pouch at her side, began to look at my face with an intense, meaningful gaze, which made me incredibly uncomfortable.

“No matter how I look at it, it’s really curious.”

“What is?”

“You said your company went bankrupt, and you changed jobs. I’m just wondering why a company that employed someone who could handle this kind of stuff would go bankrupt.”

Well, it’s because I was doing something completely unrelated in a world where this kind of thing didn’t matter.

Just like how I could see the cigarette fairy, I have no idea why I have these talents or this constitution…

And I don’t particularly want to talk about things I don’t understand or topics that put me at a disadvantage.

Luckily, there came a moment when Yoon-Ha Noona yawned widely, so I seized the chance to change the subject.

“Are you getting enough sleep?”

“No. I stayed up all night the night before last, and last night too… but it looks like I’ll have some free time starting the day after tomorrow.”

“Why not from tomorrow?”

“Gates don’t open much in May, statistically.”

Is it because it’s Family Month, or maybe the monsters have pollen allergies?

“So, I might drop by more often even if there’s no work. I want to see my sister too.”

“Is it necessary?”

“I don’t have anyone to hang out with. I’m thirty and don’t even have friends to drink with. Is it because I’ve only been working?”

I couldn’t say that’s the reason, but it was surprising to hear she had no friends.

Yoonha Noona might not look as young as the manager, but walking around a college town, she’d easily be mistaken for a sophomore.

At least 20 times a day.

“Then drop by whenever. I don’t turn away visitors.”

Working here, I realize I get to meet some of the most beautiful women in the city.

And yet, I look like a half-used steel wool pad.

“I’ll come even if you do turn me away. Oh, while I’m here, I should grab some beer. Any recommendations?”

"Well, I don't really have any recommendations..."

Speaking of beer, something came to mind.

I told her to wait a moment and then grabbed two cans of wheat beer from the drink storage, handing them to her.

Her face brightened up a bit.

"Oh, I've been wanting to try this."

"It's already paid for, so just take it and try it. It’s an acquired taste, so don't get your hopes up too much."

"What do you mean, 'already paid for'? Did you buy this for yourself?"

"Not really. Some crazy chihuahua tossed it to me and told me to drink it."

"Huh?"

She looked curious, but it wasn’t a story worth telling to someone who looked like they were about to fall asleep.

I told her I'd explain tomorrow, and she pouted but took the two cans of beer, tucked them into the pouch at her waist, and waved goodbye.

"See you tomorrow."

"Yeah, see you."

She then put on her raincoat, tightened the belt, and flew off into the darkness on her Pegasus.

I watched until she was out of sight, then called the manager.

The manager answered after two rings.

[Hey, Chan.]

"Manager, I received the shipment."

[Good job. Were there any issues this time?]

"No problems with the shipment. By the way, about what Yoon-Ha Noona said earlier."

[Yeah?]

“She brought a monster core and asked me to purify it, so I did. She said she'd send the payment through your account and mentioned she'll be coming by often.”

I summarized the three points quickly, and the manager made a worried noise before asking me in return.

[Did she mention when she’ll be back?]

"Um... I haven't heard anything regarding that yet."

[...Nevermind. Regardless, Yoonha wouldn’t bring anything dangerous…]

The mention of danger suddenly made me uneasy.

What if she eventually brings a living hellhound and asks me to groom it?

Of course, worrying now won't resolve any of this anxiety…

This isn't even a formal job, it's just a favor I'm doing.

If I don't want to, I can just refuse.

It’s not like I'll be receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars.

That would be overwhelming in its own way.

When large sums of money are involved, something always goes wrong….

"Are you okay with this, Manager?"

[Yeah, but if you decide to quit the part-time job, let me know in advance, okay?]

What is she talking about now?

"Why would I quit this job?"

[Well… you might find another job somewhere else.]

"I can't say for sure since it hasn't happened yet, but I'd need to come to this world to work somewhere else first."

[…]

"Right. But I only know of one way to get here, and that's through the front door of this convenience store."

Neither the manager nor I know how I can come to this world.

I doubt anyone else does either.

If there were another way, other beings from this world would be wandering around mine.

Since I haven't seen that, it must not exist yet….

As long as this convenience store is the only way to travel between worlds, I must keep coming here to make money.

And that's entirely up to the manager.

If she decides she doesn’t want me around and throws salt at me, I wouldn't be able to come back, would I?

Probably not.

So, I want to maintain a good relationship with the manager, who is a really decent person.

Who else would hire a high school graduate for ten thousand won an hour as a part-timer?

I realized that explaining everything would only make things worse, so I summed it up in a single sentence.

"It's all about self-interest, Manager."

[ …Thank you for putting it that way. ]

"Don't mention it. I might as well work here for a year, save up a decent amount, and then leave."

[ Oh, really? ]

The manager sounded pleased, and honestly, I was just going with the flow.

Even if this experience doesn't help my portfolio, if I manage to save up around three thousand by living frugally, I could probably open a convenience store in my own world...

The doorbell rang, signaling the arrival of a customer.

"A customer just came in. You should get some rest, Manager."

[ Alright. ]

After hanging up, I quietly observed the customer.

A cyclops with a single eye.

Its enormous size made the buttons on its jacket strain as if they might burst, but I didn't think much of it anymore.

The cyclops didn't do anything that required much thought either.

It just approached me and asked,

"Where's the eye drops?"

"Could you check the corner under the mirror over there?"

It nodded, went over to the mirror, grabbed the eye drops, paid for them, and left.

After that, I sat there for 30 minutes, an hour.

Even after several hours, no other customers showed up.

So I ended up with plenty of time to think, and maybe it was the rain, but a lot of gloomy thoughts crossed my mind.

Working here as a convenience store part-timer, I felt like I was doing all sorts of things.

Just today, in the few hours I’ve worked, I’ve handled a monster’s heart, received cigarettes from a fairy, and even dealt with a pesky Chihuahua.

When I lay it all out, I really don’t know what I’ve been doing with my life.

But work is work, and I’m earning ten thousand won every hour.

On top of that, if I keep helping Yoon- Ha Noona out, maybe after a year, I’ll really be able to do something in my world.

Whether it’s opening a convenience store or something else, at least I wouldn’t have to worry about making a living.

Of course, it’s a pretty far-fetched dream.

Just look at my situation.

I'm 29 years old, a high school graduate with no qualifications.

And I’m thinking I can live without worrying about a job?

Live without worrying about making ends meet?

What a joke.

It’s a pitiful dream, so small that even a stray dog would laugh at me for dreaming such a thing.

But this is another world, isn't it?

A different world...

Maybe in this world, someone like me could live differently.

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