From the store's Warehouse, Ben gathered up the completed foods and items. These were all neatly displayed in the proper departments that grouped the items of any similar type for the customer's convenience.
Not only were the displays stocked the store was additionally decorated with the beautiful painting and masterfully created statues.
Small touches were also added to the store to give it an opulent look. Around the archways entering into the departments, one could notice artfully decorated wood moldings that appeared to have been hand carved by master artisan woodcrafters.
Colorfully woven carpets decorated the floors beneath the luxurious sofas and chairs stationed around the interior to provide customers with an enjoyable place to rest during their visit.
When one stood back and looked at the stylish wood paneling that blended with deep burgundy carpets and wallpaper, along with the artful decorations and grand furniture it was hard to believe this was simply a store and not a private estate for some well-off royal family.
While Ben strolled through the store admiring the changes he had made from when he had purchased the store until now his attention was drawn to the flashing notification icon.
[You have learned a new profession! Interior Designer Level 1!]
[Interior Designer]: You now have the ability to remodel a room to make it functional and beautiful. You can analyze other people's remodeling desires and use colors, lighting, furnishings, and decorations along with many natural and man-made materials to design the perfect room for them or even yourself.
Ben laughed while reading over the new profession that he gained from all the remodeling he had done to his store.
'I am starting to pick up a few strange professions. If ruling a fortress doesn't work out for me I could always become a general contractor like my uncle in the future with my growing collection of professions.'
Once he had made a few passes through the store and found there wasn't much more he could display or organize Ben decided to make use of one of his professions.
With some paint and wood, he made a simple sign to place in the entrance window that had Open on one side and closed on the other.
He was aware that the most people would not know how to read it, but over time they would learn what the green colored word "OPEN" and the red colored word "CLOSED" stood for. It was as simple as a stop light if you saw green you can go in if you saw red then you stopped from entering.
When the sign was complete he asked if Athena had added the recruits sizes to the store workshops, which was already done upon first arriving earlier.
He immediately began production of the nylon shell wool lined winter gloves that looked like ski gloves. The outer nylon material would create a waterproof barrier that kept the inner wool insulation dry and warm.
Production was started on over 300 more of the plastic hygiene kits he had designed in the past that had items like a hairbrush, comb, toothbrush, shaving razor, scissors, and other assorted items that people on Earth often packed with them in small kits when traveling.
Ben went and sat at the table and began skimming through his virtual collection of military books and manuals to look for anything that his troops might still need.
The first thing that caught his eye was the LBE or (load bearing equipment). The LBE looked like cushioned suspenders that connected to a nylon military web belt.
The soldier could then attach pouches that contained items used out in the field along with canteens onto it. This provided easy access to these items and helped distribute the weight so it wasn't all carried on their backs.
Ben used the Nyon products manufacturer to begin fabricating Load Bearing Equipment that could be worn over the soldier's chainmail and would still fit comfortably under the lightweight Mithril breastplate armor.
When the recruit was wearing the LBE under the breastplate the belt that the pouches were attached to hung just below the chest plate around the waistline. The LBE was designed with cushioned shoulder straps so that the weight from the web belt would not make the nylon suspender straps cut into the recruits shoulders on long marches.
There was yet another list of things that he wanted to make for his troops after going through the gear soldiers on Earth would carry in the field. Ben typed out a list of equipment he wanted to supply his troops with as he continued looking through his virtual books collection.
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Black wood handle black steel blade KA-BAR knife and sheath
Mess kit and pouch: includes fork, spoon, knife, cup, flat bottom metal bowl
Woodland camouflage nylon rain poncho with drawstring hood and carry pouch
Compass and snapping pouch
Camouflage gillies poncho and carry pouch
Canteen and canteen carry pouch
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The camouflage nylon rain poncho and carry pouch and other assorted nylon pouches need for the items on this list were also added to the production interface menu of the Nylon Products Manufacturer.
As for the mess kit, KA-BAR knife, and camouflage gillies poncho they would need to be made at the fortress because the store did not have the proper workshops.
As for the compass and canteens they were added to the store's Plastic Products Manufacturer production list.
There was still another problem that Ben would need to address. His troops would have mess kits, but they did not have any type of convenient foods that could be packed along on patrols or for when they were heading toward a battle. If he wasn't with them they wouldn't have the convenience of his inventory and Warehouse so they would need a food which was easy to carry. Ben thought that he had found a possible solution for their food when he looked through his Build Menu. There he found the [Food Processing Facility].
[Food Processing Facility]: Produces premade vacuum sealed meals from provided ingredients and recipes. Snacks like chips, popcorn, or crackers can also be made and bagged here. Recipes can be found in the interface or added to create meals that can then be packaged.
By building this facility Ben could vacuum seal meals, fruits, and snacks. This would be comparable to the MRE (meals ready to eat) that many soldiers on Earth packed along with them. When they were in the field a soldier could cut open a pre-cooked vacuum sealed meal and simply heat it up and eat it.
Ben could not find anything else that could be added to his troop's gear and had begun production on what he could. The rest of the new things on his list would have to wait to for his return to the fortress.
Once everything was set up and producing the needed military gear, Ben went downstairs to the third floor and entered the room he had jailed the mercenaries. He had never cleaned the cells after handing them off to the soldiers so they still stuck of urine and waste.
This was fixed with the help of the high-pressure hose on the wall. Ben used the system to remove the grate covers over the drains in the center of the cell and blasted the waste and water down them.
When he built these cells he had attached these drains to the Waste Treatment upstairs. All the waste and water was sent off to a spatial pocket dimension and disintegrated by extremely high-temperature flames.
There was a hint of odor still in the air around the cells, but it was a vast improvement from the earlier pungent smell that had him holding his breath to avoid breathing the stench.
"That's good enough, it isn't like I am ever going to have anyone I like staying in this room and a little smell could help get the next prisoners in here talking quicker in hopes of leaving this room." Ben snickered as he left the room closing the door behind him.
Now that there was nothing left to do he decided to go upstairs and raise the security shutter. As the creaking shutter rose up it caught the attention of the passing crowds on the street who were out doing their shopping.
Ben walked outside the store into the street and was quickly recognized. He had sold his foods to so many people living in the city that he had already become a minor celebrity to them.
The people looked up to and were fascinated with cultivators. Not only was Ben a cultivator he also had fantastic food and products that people often talked about. This made him one of the most discussed persons of the city so people were sure to remember the young cultivators face.
Ben walked up to the people who noticed him and began to tell them all he would no longer be in the market and that his store would be opening tomorrow.
As he went from person to person the crowd began to grow as people pointed out who he was and that this beautiful newly remodeled store was actually his. Soon he began to just address the gathered crowd because there were just so many curious onlookers.
After spending weeks in the market helping customers all day long he no longer had any type of stage fright. He could calmly speak in front of a large group of people without any stress.
It seemed that the people were all wondering who had made this amazing new store. Since they could not read the sign that read Spirit King on the front and they did not see any noticeable nobility crests out front it was a growing mystery.
Ben projected his voice to be heard by everyone,
"As of tomorrow morning, anyone who wishes to still purchase my spirit foods and other products can visit my store. It is open to all classes of people and no one will be barred from entering due to their social status. The poor, middle class, rich, nobles, and royalty are all welcome here to shop. I think you will all be surprised to see how many amazing items we have for sale other than the ever-popular spirit foods! So please tell your family, friends, and neighbors where my new store is and stop in tomorrow to have a look around. Even if you do not buy anything I think you will enjoy your visit to The Spirit King!"
When Ben stopped talking the crowd began to grow with excitement knowing they would have a location open almost every day of the week now in the city to buy Ben's food. It was great when he was in the market, but there were times when he would disappear for days or weeks on end and they would have to wait for him to return.
Staying out front he continued to talk with anyone who approached him. Even though it was mentally tiring going from one person to the next this would help him to advertise his store.
People would talk about how they got to talk with the Spirit Food Cultivator and mention his store and where it was located.
When the sun began to set and the sky turned orange the crowd of people began to make their way home. Ben talked to the last few people who had patiently waited to have a chance to meet him and then went back into his store.
Ben stopped in the store entrance to check his notifications. His notification icon began to flash after he had addressed the crowd and spoke with the gathered people.
[Notice] [You have learned a new profession! Public Speaker Level 1!]
[Public Speaker]: Provide you with the ability to add passion while using proper voice tone modulation making you a more engaging speaker who can connect with the crowd. As this profession increases in level people will find what you have to say more interesting and will want to listen to what you have to say.
'I gained another weird profession again. What am I going to do with this profession become a town crier or a motivational speaker? I guess it might have its uses on occasion.'
The streets were soon empty after Ben looked over his new profession so he went outside to replace the old lock on the front double doors. Ben had replaced the doors when he remodeled the store but they had the old lock from when Remi owned the store in them.
Ben replaced the old lock with a modern style deadbolt design and made three keys for the new lock. He did not like the fact that Remi could still have a key for the store's old lock or even worse that there might be a few bandits who avoided capture out there with a key to his store.
Now there was nothing to do until the morning so he went up onto the roof to enjoy the night air and cultivate. For the next nine hours, he cultivated undisturbed. When the sun began to peek over the horizon out past the city walls Ben opened his eyes to see his notification icon flashing.
[Notice] [You have advanced in cultivation! Cultivation Stage Five: Level One!]