Chapter 76 The Magic Shop’s Overwhelming Rush and a Promise to Keep
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
A few days after the “Ddo Buddy Trial,”¹ my magic item shop, “Harvest,” was suddenly incredibly busy thanks to the “Vibrating Comfort Ddo” finally going back on sale.
”Yes, yes, coming right up! That’s the set of three: a ‘Vibrating Comfort Ddo,’ a ‘Nipple Clip,’ and an ‘Inner Massager!’ ” I called out, my voice nearly hoarse.
Customers who had been eagerly awaiting the resumption of sales were streaming in without a break, buying whatever they desired—albeit somewhat furtively. I didn’t even have a moment to enjoy any mild flirtation. I was simply selling, selling, and selling, like a stall at a festival. Naturally, I wasn’t the only one who was busy.
”Master, we’re almost out of Metag Stone² stock! Also, Lady Tania has started muttering to herself from overusing her hardening magic, so please ‘Recharge’ her!” Lily announced.
”Hmph, do not worry, Lady Lily,” Tania stated with an exhausted yet formal sigh. “Even if I were to use magic all day, it is nothing compared to the experience of wandering through a massive blizzard for three days and three nights while constantly maintaining a cold-weather magic shield in the Northern Lands…”
Lily, my experiment slave, and Tania, my adventurer elf, were both pushing forward with the manufacturing of our products in the combined living and workshop space out back. Since our products are used on customers’ delicate areas, each step of the process requires a certain amount of care. Repeating the same simple tasks endlessly wears down the spirit.
I guess it’s like a factory worker in my old world. Speaking of which, I never did find out if the job of placing a single dandelion on top of a lunch box box was a real thing before I came to this world… I mentally formulated my next instructions, half-lost in a fugue of reality-escaping thought.
”Don’t worry, Sera-chan is scheduled to bring the Metag Stone this afternoon! Tania, get over here. Come on, I’ll give you a big hug, so please try to keep going just a little longer!”
I grabbed the wobbling Tania as she approached and hugged her as hard as possible. I stroked her head, making her ears twitch, and then kissed her forehead. In our industry, we call this “Replenishment.”
Her skin seemed a bit better, and the life returned to her eyes as she went back to work. Her back was coated in soot, which made her look strangely pitiful. You wouldn’t believe it, but that’s a legendary adventurer right there!
I also gave Lily a quick “Replenishment” when she came over, then looked around the room. Our beloved dog, Laika, was supposed to be working, too, but where was she?
”Hey, Lily, where’s Laika?” I inquired.
”Oh? Ah, she is there, crushing the materials into the proper size while curled up in the corner,” Lily explained.
Right, right. Laika couldn’t use magic, and the assembly work was quite delicate, making it difficult for my clumsy dog. She could do it if she took her time, but she couldn’t keep up with the pace of this busy season.
I walked over to Laika, who was tiny in the corner of the room, continuing to crush Metag Stone and Pororo Snail³ shells with her bare hands. They should be about the same hardness as a regular pebble, so what kind of grip strength does she even have? By the way, I need a chisel and a hammer to crush them. In fact, that’s normal for any ordinary person.
”Hey there, Laika?” I called out softly.
”Ah, Kento… Look, look—Fairies…” she responded, turning around. Her eyes were spinning in circles, and she was staring at something that wasn’t there. She was seeing things she shouldn’t be seeing, and I had the feeling her cheeks had become quite hollow.
”Whoa, Laika! Lily, Laika is breaking down! Let’s take a break!” I yelled, rushing to hug Laika.
”It is quite alright, Master. She can last another half-day from that point,” Lily replied flatly, saying something a person with a heart would never say. Dammit! Lily looks pretty broken herself! How did things get this bad while I was stuck minding the shop?!
* * *
When the break started, Laika just muttered, “A break? What’s a break…?” I hugged her tight and gently stroked her head. That’s enough! Just rest!
After a while, she seemed to have reached a certain level of “Replenishment,” as she pressed her nose into my stomach and started sniffing. It seems like I can’t let her go back to work yet; she needs a bit more rest.
”So, will we be able to make the delivery to the Tasogare Merchant Guild⁴ in time?” I asked.
”Yes. It’s not so much if we’ll make it as we have made it, which is why we are all exhausted,” Lily stated with a sigh.
”Ah—Right. I really am sorry…”
That’s right, sales aren’t just booming in the shop; they’ve also grown through the Tasogare Merchant Guild. On top of that, there are the distant sales the Guild Master and I discussed before the “Trial.”
Of course, our products are being wholesaled through the Tasogare Merchant Guild to the Chromans Chairman’s Grizzly Merchant Guild⁵ and Ouka-shi and Aerith-jou’s Garou Merchant Guild,⁶ resulting in an overwhelming supply shortage.
”Do not concern yourself, Kento. We all discussed and agreed to this increase in production, didn’t we? This is the time for the shop to push through,” Tania stated, regaining a little energy.
”Well, yes, that’s true, but…” I muttered.
Naturally, I had anticipated this happening. In fact, I didn’t even need to anticipate it since we received orders from all over. We simply had the Tasogare Merchant Guild collect the orders and accepted the volume.
”However, the question is how long this busy season will last,” Lily remarked, elegantly sipping the tea I brewed.
Yes, how long this mass production system would last was the core problem. This situation, which burdens Tania and the others, can’t continue forever. But hiring new people to prevent the recipe from leaking is also difficult.
Furthermore, if we were to invest in new people or workshops, and then the orders suddenly dropped off, we’d be looking at a huge deficit. That was a problem companies in my old world had to deal with when a product went viral on TV or social media. Giving up on expanding the scale of production and simply maintaining high demand is one option, but…
”Wh-What is it?” Lily questioned, looking puzzled when I stared intently at her.
Needless to say, I was remembering the “promise.” The “promise” to take responsibility had been continually postponed, and expanding the business was essential to keeping it. I definitely had to take a step forward somewhere.
I should organize the things I need to do. It’s like the time I organized things when the ‘Vibrating Comfort Ddo’ was taken off sale. Listing them out, it looks something like this:
* Final Goal: Expanding the business scale.
* Intermediate Goal ①: Securing new staff and a workshop.
* Intermediate Goal ②: Processing and maintaining the increased orders.
* Intermediate Goal ③: Developing new products.
The Final Goal goes without saying. To achieve it, Intermediate Goal ①, “Securing new staff and a workshop,” is necessary. If that’s successful, the Final Goal will have been achieved, too.
And, of course, to hire people and increase the number of workshops, I need capital. For that, Intermediate Goal ②, “Processing and maintaining the increased orders,” is essential. If I can successfully fulfill the orders coming in now, I should get a decent chunk of money.
I could use that money to hire people and expand the workshop, which would, in turn, lead to more sales… If I can successfully create this cycle, the business will expand like a snowball. Getting someone to invest in me beforehand is also an option.
Finally, Intermediate Goal ③, “Developing new products,” is probably the best way to maintain or increase sales. If the “Warming Comfort Ddo” had been sold normally, I wouldn’t have had to worry this much in the first place.
My original plan was to use the sale of that item as a selling point to solicit investment, compensate for the losses from the “Vibrating Comfort Ddo” ban, and build a production system for the “Warming Comfort Ddo.”
Now that the “Vibrating Comfort Ddo” is back on sale, if the “Warming Comfort Ddo” hadn’t been banned, we’d be in an extremely comfortable financial position. Thinking about it this way, I want to say a few harsh things to the Queen, Your Majesty, but I’ll hold back since she paid me some money in advance.
Ah, that’s right, I had that money too… Wait, could I expand the workshop right away?
”Alright, I’m going to buy a building! A new workshop!” I announced excitedly.
”That’s quite an abrupt statement!” Lily replied.
”Are you sure you can just decide to buy a building so casually?” Tania questioned, confused.
”No, I think I have a better idea of the funds needed than I thought,” I clarified.
I explained the business plan I’d formulated in my head to Lily and the others. I’ve forgotten which iteration of the plan this is now… I’d have to check the documents—the memo I keep filed away—to know for sure.
”Lily, you mentioned negotiating a sale with the neighbors a while back, right? Go ahead and finalize that,” I instructed.
”Yes, yes, I understand. But please don’t forget that the debt for non-contractual labor is piling up enormously!” Lily stated pointedly.
”Ah—Right… Please allow me to pay in installments…” I pleaded.
”I see, so the workshop space has been secured. Now all we need is more personnel?” Tania asked.
”Yes. Ideally, someone with an aptitude for magic, no aversion to adult magic items, and who is trustworthy,” I specified.
”In that case, we have one person—no, two people—who fit that description perfectly,” Lily declared confidently.
”Huh…?” Tania and I exchanged glances and tilted our heads. The two people she named, once we heard them, made perfect sense.
—
Summary:
The post-trial business boom hits Kento’s magic shop, “Harvest,” hard. Sales of the newly re-released Vibrating Comfort Ddo are overwhelming. Staff members Lily, Tania, and Laika are completely exhausted from mass production, forcing Kento to perform a special “Replenishment” ritual. Facing a critical supply shortage, Kento realizes he must stop making temporary fixes and finally implement his expansion plan—starting with buying the neighboring property for a new workshop to keep his promise to Lily. The chapter ends on the cliffhanger of Lily suggesting two perfect new hires.
—
Character Insight:
Kento is clearly a kind master, putting his staff’s well-being over profit when he sees Laika and Tania breaking down, but he is also a sharp business owner whose internal monologue pivots quickly to finance and expansion plans. Lily is dutiful and pragmatic, maintaining her formal tone even while joking about Kento’s labor debt. Tania, the legendary adventurer, is revealed to have a dramatic past, but she’s reduced to a soot-covered wreck by factory work.
—
Behind the Scene:
This chapter focuses heavily on the logistical consequences of a successful Isekai business. The idea of mass-producing magical adult items leads to real-world industrial problems like overwork and the need for capital investment. Kento’s past life as a Japanese office worker influences his management style and his anxieties about business expansion and market saturation.
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T/L:
¹ [Ddo Buddy Trial]: This refers to the previous legal battle over the Vibrating Comfort Ddo, where it was temporarily banned.↩
² [Metag Stone]: A fictional raw material used in the creation of the magic items.↩
³ [Pororo Snail]: A fictional creature whose shell is used as a raw material for the magic items.↩
⁴ [Tasogare Merchant Guild]: The Merchant Guild that Kento works closely with for distribution. ‘Tasogare’ means twilight/dusk.↩
⁵ [Grizzly Merchant Guild]: A major merchant guild, led by the Chromans Chairman.↩
⁶ [Garou Merchant Guild]: Another major merchant guild associated with characters Ouka-shi and Aerith-jou. ‘Shi’ and ‘Jou’ are honorifics, roughly meaning Mr./Master and Lady/Miss, respectively.↩
Notes:
• Tania – An Elf adventurer who, despite her race’s reputation for low sex drive, is secretly quite passionate. She initially seemed ‘wasted’ (emotionally dry) to her friend Raika, but was easily introduced to the pleasure-items sold at ‘Harvest.’ She is easily embarrassed and attempts to maintain a dignified facade, despite her recent, frequent purchases. She wears practical but light armor over a simple cloth tunic and short pants, highlighting her grace and agility. Her primary relationship is one of friendly senior-junior with Raika.
• Lily – the sl*ve and primary experiment subject for the magic shop, ‘Harvest.’ She has striking pink hair, Blue eyes, medium breasts, which the Protagonist associates with being ‘wanton’. She has a working knowledge of magic, which she kept hidden from the slave trader.
• Sera – A young, earnest salesperson from the Tasogare Merchant Guild, Kento’s supplier. She is characterized by her braided brown hair, large round glasses, and freckles. She’s serious about her job and easily flustered, especially by Kento’s adult goods business. Looks like Onodera from certain series.
• Laika – The beastwoman dog.
• Kento – The owner of the magic tool shop ‘Harvest,’ which discretely sells adult goods. He’s a former overworked, ordinary salaryman from modern Japan who was suddenly transported (isekai’d) to this fantasy world. He has dark hair and an unremarkable appearance, typically wearing a plain, slightly suspicious-looking shop owner’s clothes looks like Kazuma Satou from certain series. He has a minimal amount of magic power, enough to craft his specialty items.
• Chromans – President of the ‘Royal Capital Beast-person Mutual Aid Association’ and the manager of the ‘Grizzly Merchant Guild,’ a top-tier weapons and armor dealer. He’s powerful, influential, and very business-savvy. Have round, cute bear ears (sooty brown), bushy beard and hair (sooty brown), and large build with muscular physique under a expensive gown.
• Aerith – A wolf beast-person and Ouka’s daughter. She is intensely attracted to Kento’s creative genius and is not shy about showing her interest. Have gray fur hair and tail, wearing elegant dress.
• Ouka – The middle-aged head of the Garou Merchant Guild, known for leather goods and accessories. He is a prominent figure using his own family’s experience to advocate for the ‘Tremble Ddo-Buddy’. Have gray wolf ears and wear merchant attire.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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