The woman who took off her goggles had brown eyes.
That meant she looked human.
Earlier today, I had only seen inhuman beings, so I found it strangely refreshing to see a human now.
"So is my sister on break right now?"
"She clocked out already. I'm not sure what she's up to."
"Wow, I can't even imagine my sister taking a break."
Muttering to herself, the woman got off the Pegasus, and the question I had briefly wondered about earlier came back to me.
This convenience store sells chocolate milk and cigarettes.
It doesn't really matter who's delivering those, but the abnormal cargo like blood packs, horse hooves, or anything resembling a corpse - where on earth are they getting those from, and how are they transporting them?
This woman might not have all the answers, but she could be part of it.
The sword hanging on her waist was the reason I thought so.
I'm not sure if there are weapon permits in this world, but there's no need to carry one around if you're not using it.
Apart from that, the woman didn't really look like a delivery person to me.
The way she stretched after getting off the Pegasus showed her slender physique.
The combination of her leather jacket and jeans was especially model-like.
It seemed to suit her better.
She also seemed quite easygoing.
Flashing a small smile, she asked me,
"How's the convenience store job? Is it manageable?"
"It's so-so. I think I'll know better the more I do it."
Even as I answered, there were harpies flying in the sky and centaurs running down the street, but I no longer felt much amazement.
I'm not sure if it's because I've adapted to it, or if I've just become numb...
The woman sighed heavily and shook her head, continuing,
"I could never do the convenience store job. I tried it for a few days when my sister helped out, but..."
"So, you've worked here before?"
"For a few days. I quit because of the difficult customers. Just thinking about it still gives me the chills."
Convenience store work is easy to pick up and the tasks are simple, but it doesn't suit everyone.
Some can't stand staying in one place for long, or they hate being looked down upon, or the pay is too low, and so on.
But the biggest reason is usually those damn difficult customers.
You can avoid stepping in dog poop on the street, but these pieces of crap actively come seeking you out.
It's dirty and disgusting, and you can't even escape, so it's no wonder people go crazy.
"And the job I'm doing now is better, too."
"Logistics work?"
"No. Hunting."
Hunting? What's that?
My curiosity was slowly piqued, but this wasn't the right time to keep probing.
The bystanders were trying to avoid the cargo the woman had brought, and the Pegasus was flapping its feathers, causing nothing but a nuisance.
"I think we should bring that inside first. Shall I get a cart?"
"Huh? No, it's fine. I've got this."
I thought a cart might work, seeing the cracks on the sidewalk where the cargo was dropped. Just how heavy is that thing?
"Hup."
But the woman effortlessly lifted the cargo with a grunt.
It was a sight that defied the laws of physics.
I, on the other hand, unlocked and opened the shutters.
"Are you sure you don't need any help?"
"It's okay. It'll be more trouble if we both carry it. Just open the office door for me."
I had already opened the door earlier.
The reason the office door was left open was because the convenience store's storeroom was connected to the back of the office.
Most convenience stores have this kind of layout.
The refrigerated drinks are usually stocked in that stockroom.
You know, like when you go into a convenience store and the cashier isn't at the counter, and when you go to the fridge to get a soda, you hear some rustling sounds from the back, which is the employee stocking the drink shelves in the stockroom.
To do that, they have to leave their station, and convenience stores don't give them dedicated time to restock, since they're open 24/7.
So, the customers can't really blame the employee for not being at the counter.
They're not ignoring you on purpose, they just take the chance when there are fewer customers.
They usually keep an eye on the CCTV to see if anyone comes in.
But this convenience store seems different.
When I opened the stockroom door, there was a staircase leading down, suggesting an underground storage area.
I've never seen a convenience store with a basement stockroom before.
The woman set down the cargo for a moment in front of the office and asked me,
"Oh, and... um, Manager?"
"I'm Chan."
I just gave my name.
Since she's doing deliveries, I figured I'd be seeing her more often than the store owner.
"Sorry, it feels weird calling anyone else 'Manager' besides my sister."
"There's no need to apologize."
"Yes. Then Mr. Chan, can I leave this in the fourth compartment inside the basement storage?"
"I'm not sure either. I haven't been able to go inside the storage yet."
To be honest, I'm still hesitant about it.
The manager said the body was stored in that inner area, didn't they?
I should check sometime to see what exactly is in there...
"Right, you said it's been two hours. Shall we go in together?"
"How long will it take?"
"Hmm, considering the internal structure... about 5 minutes?"
"But leaving the counter unattended for that long doesn't seem right."
5 minutes is more than enough time for a problem customer to turn into a complete nightmare.
I'll probably only be able to go in when the manager switches shift during the day.
The woman who nodded in understanding pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to me, then suddenly looked back at me as she was lifting the box, saying,
"Sorry, but how old are you?"
"I'm 29."
"I'm a year older. I'm Seo Yunha. You can call me comfortably. You can even call me noona if you like."
"Uh... I'll try."
She's a really cheerful woman, like I felt before.
It's been about 20 years since I've used the word 'noona'...
As Yunha noona was putting the inventory into the storage, I took a look at the paper I had received.
Normally it would be a full list of the items that came in, but since only one item came, it was just a single line.
What was written there was... dragon scales?
I rubbed my eyes and checked again.
The quantity was 1, the weight field was blank, and the price wasn't listed either.
Since I had received it, I circled it with a pen and went to the counter to call the manager.
"Manager, I received the item, so what do I do next?"
[Just scan the barcode on the receipt, put the proof of arrival slip in the safe under the register, and that's it.]
"Okay, I'll do that. But this... it seems to be a new item, so where should I display it?"
This is one of the most annoying moments for a part-timer - when new products come in.
You can't just stuff it somewhere, because convenience store shelves are always packed full.
It's hard to make space to display it.
You can force-fit it somewhere, but then the balance gets messed up and the manager might get upset.
Most of the time it goes that way.
The manager's not likely to yell at me over this dragon scale thing, but still, it's in the reptile shed category.
I had no idea where to display it.
[Don't bother displaying it for now. It won't be sold this week anyway.]
"Ah, I see."
[Oh, while I'm at it, do you see that locked locker under the counter?]
Looking down, I saw a tall, vertical locker.
"Yes."
[Want to open it up? But don't push any of the buttons inside, absolutely not.]
When I opened it, there were dozens of buttons lined up, just as the manager had said.
"I see the buttons now. What are they all for? They're not light switches, right?"
[I've assigned coordinates to each of those buttons. If you press one, the store will instantly teleport to the corresponding location. The product inventory will change to match that location too.]
"Instantly?"
[Yep, instantly. So don't you dare press any of them, got it?]
Even though they told me not to, I kind of wanted to push one just to see what happens.
Maybe I could press one that takes me somewhere and then press another to come back here.
But of course, I didn't actually push any.
I shouldn't do something I was told not to.
Instead, I continued my earlier question.
"So, for the dragon scales that came in today, which customer location do people usually buy those from?"
[We can't actually sell those. There's a cluster of craft workshops that usually buy them, the dwarven blacksmiths and such. Outside of that, the academy district sometimes gets them as samples.]
The academy district? Where's that?
"What do they use them for?"
[Mostly for hunter equipment or jewelry. The academy buys them as samples for their students to examine.]
"I noticed the price isn't listed. Are they expensive?"
[Oh yeah. A full batch can be worth a few million won.]
Whoa.
I was thinking it'd be something like a high-end bottle of Chivas Regal whiskey.
Not something that costs millions in a convenience store.
[But we don't sell them all at once. Just little bits and pieces at a time.]
"Listening to all this, this place feels less like a convenience store and more like a general store of wonders..."
[I had pondered that part as well. But... a convenience store would probably do better business than a general store.]
If I had to choose one, I'd probably go with the convenience store too.
A general store feels like it would only attract older customers...
Wait a minute.
Hearing the story, this question occurred to me.
The fact that the manager was considering between a convenience store and a general store means they had a reason to run a business, right?
"Manager, don't get me wrong, I'm just genuinely curious - is there a specific reason you opened the convenience store?"
[...Huh? Why?]
The response was a bit slow.
There must really be a reason.
"No, just curious."
[To make money, why else?]
The manager doesn't even seem to know the minimum wage.
I should tread carefully here.
"Money is important, of course."
[Right. Money is important.]
The manager's voice had lowered slightly, though it was still gentle.
It feels more like they had been asked an uncomfortable question, rather than wondering why I asked.
So, I didn't press the issue further.
In the workplace, you have to be mindful of your superiors' reactions.
Especially when they're the one signing your paychecks.
And in a relationship, that's only a day old, it's still too early to be asking these kinds of questions.
Sensing the mood shifting, I spoke up first.
"Manager, I've printed out the receipt and put it aside, is there anything else I need to do?"
[Ah, the customers have calmed down a bit?]
"Not yet, but I think I'm starting to get the hang of it..."
As I was responding, the office door opened. Yunha had just come out.
But her expression didn't look very happy.
Seeing me, she apologetically spoke up.
"Ah... Lee Chan. Sorry, are you on the phone with the manager?"
"Shall I pass it to you?"
"No need, just let the manager know I'm going to take this shipment back?"
When I asked why, this was the response I got.
"It's defective. Seems like it wasn't properly processed."