Arifureta Shokugyou de Sekai Saikyou (LN) - Volume 3 - Chapter SS3

A Store Owner Like This... Might Really Exist 

The TSUTAYA video store, a bustling chain that boasted a large selection of movies, books, some other merchandise, and the ever present UFO catcher games. Every weekend people flooded the store looking for new releases or old classics. One particular store had an abnormally large amount of visitors. As many as you’d expect to see in a theme park during a parade. TSUTAYA may have been a convenience store, but this was clearly irregular. Furthermore, almost all of the customers were men, and they weren’t just standing around the books, reading like usual, they were actually sifting through the merchandise. 
By their demeanor, one would be justified in thinking they might be thieves. In fact, it wouldn’t have been surprising if one of the store clerks walked up to them and gave them a stern warning. However, the workers at this particular store were used to this behavior, and they carried on like usual. “Haaa, you know...” One of the part-timers, Hajime Nagumo, looked down at his wristwatch with a sigh. He wasn’t counting down the minutes until he was off the clock, but rather waiting for a specific event to occur. 
Just then, the door to the staff room began creaking open. Everyone in the store started talking noisily. Their attention was focused entirely on that door. Some of the guys were even panting heavily with perverted expressions on their faces. When the door was finally fully free, the customers... 
“The manager’s here!” 
“S-She’s so hot...” 
“Apparently she’s over twenty. Can you believe it...it’s like some kind of miracle.” 
The crowd was going wild, as if they’d just met their favorite idol. The person who’d came out of the staff room wearing TSUTAYA’s trademark uniform and apron was none other than Yue, the manager of this store. She looked like a perfectly crafted doll brought to life. With her small frame, tottering steps, and lustrous golden hair the word cute didn’t do her justice. Despite her lack of expression and breasts, there was an undeniable sexiness to her. She was the intimidating, aloof queen of TSUTAYA. 
“Hajime, Shea, have you finished stocking the shelves?” 
“Ah, yeah. We finished this morning, Manager.” 
“Aye aye, ma’am! We are ready for battle!” 
Today was the day a famous author’s new book went on sale. Hajime, and his fellow part-timer Shea, had spent all morning stocking the exclusive corner with said book. Yue nodded with a satisfied “Good,” and turned to face the members of her fan club that had gathered. Like trained soldiers, they fell into a neat single-file line in front of the exclusive corner. They had likely trained for this moment. They stood at attention, waiting for Queen Yue’s words. 
“...Mmm, go forth and buy.” 
“Yes ma’am!” They did as their queen commanded. It was a bit questionable whether someone in the service industry should have been ordering her customers around like that, but at this point no one said anything about it. The new part-timer, Hajime, muttered something about it under his breath, but that was all. The queen’s faithful servants all grabbed copies of the new book and rushed to the register. As the first customer arrived, their queen spoke once more. 
“Hm? Just a single copy?” Yue tilted her head. “You’re only buying one thing?” her gaze clearly said. What a cunning move. Nothing was off limits for her, as long as it improved sales. 
“O-Of course not. Let me buy one, no two more copies. One to give away, one to keep in my collection, and one to read!” 
“I recommend this book too.” 
“I’ll buy it! Three copies of that too!” 
She really was merciless when it came to business. Yue smiled faintly as the first customer ended up buying six books. Everyone else waiting in line gulped and she tilted their heads at them too. “Won’t you buy that many too?” her gaze seemed to implore. The results were instantaneous. 
“Manager! I’ll buy 5! Please just give me your phone—” 
“Bastard, you think that’s enough!? Manager, sell me the most expensive thing you have!” 
“Hah, fools. It’s not about the price. You’re all buying the newest stuff, but it’s obvious the manager will appreciate you even more for getting stuff that doesn’t sell well! Manager, do you still have that box set of Chupacabra? By the way, would you like to go out for dinner—” 
“Manager, can I take a picture of you!?” 
In a desperate effort to win her smile, the customers bought more and more items. Hajime stood in front of Yue, protecting her from the mob of jostling customers. 
“Please don’t push! Line up in an orderly fashion, please!” 
“My apologies, but please refrain from asking the manager for her personal information!” 

“Both the box set and the revised edition of Chupacabra are unfortunately sold out!” 
“No pictures, please! This store has a no picture policy!” 
“Please stop trying to touch the manager, dear customer. If you do that again, I’ll beat the shit out of you!” 
“Give it a rest, you bastards! Quit trying to get close to the manager!” 
Hajime grew less polite as the requests continued. By the end he was a grinning demon, disposing of rowdy customers. Shea, who was almost as popular as Yue, handled the ones he couldn’t with her toy hammer. Many of the customers bopped by it came away grinning. The remaining clerks worked furiously to handle the waves of customers. Finally, the daily event that started with Yue’s appearance drew to a close. Mixed among the dwindling sea of male customers was a black haired beauty, who muttered some words. 
“I wonder if Hajime-kun’s working here today too?” As Hajime was still busy handling customers, he didn’t even notice her. However, Yue swooped down in a Char mask and intimidated her. 
“Our store is now closed. We are looking forward to never having your patronage again. Kindly get out.” And thus, Kaori was evicted from TSUTAYA. 
“Haaa it’s finally over. I feel like I say this every time, but the manager’s ability to attract people is ridiculous. Our sales are on a completely different level from the other TSUTAYAs. Probably for the wrong reasons, though.” 
Hajime was taking a break in the staff room after the storm had passed. Everyone took their breaks in turns, so he was the only one free at the moment. However, a few minutes later, Yue came in with some drinks. It seemed they were for him. She passed him a can and Hajime gave her his thanks. It was the little things like this that made her loved and respected not just among the customers, but by the staff as well, which was why Hajime didn’t complain even when he looked down and noticed the label on the can read “Ambrosia.” 
“Thanks for the drink, Manager.” 
“Mhm... Thank you for protecting me back there. You were cool.” 
“Ah, that was nothing... Anyway, it’s dangerous to keep going out like that, so I’d prefer if you stopped.” 
“It’s to increase sales. I won’t stop until we’re the best selling TSUTAYA in the country.” Yue puffed her chest out proudly. Hajime smiled wryly. This was why he could never quit, despite the crazy rush hours and all the extra work he had to put in. The manager was just too lovable. 
As Hajime sipped on his Ambrosia, Yue pulled out a light novel and proffered it to him. It looked like she’d pulled it out of her bra, but Hajime was a gentleman, so he made no comment. Her body heat still lingered on the cover, but he pretended not to notice that, too. 
“Um, Manager, what is this?” 
“Our next big hit. You should read it.” 
“You want me to read it? Am I gonna be writing a review on it or something?” He looked quizzically down at the cover, then noticed something strange. 
“Hey, Manager... The girl on the cover, the one who looks like the main heroine... look a lot like you, doesn’t she?” 
“Mhm... By the way, the protagonist looks like you, Hajime.” 
“Why are you licking your lips like that?” 
Shivers ran down Hajime’s spine. He found himself unable to meet Yue’s gaze, and stared down at the book instead. According to the summary it was about how a kind, normal boy got summoned to another world. Thanks to the harsh experiences he faced there, he changed into a completely different person, and went on adventures with a vampire princess that he met along the way. As he flipped through the pages, he noticed the main heroine got naked an awful lot. She was naked when the protagonist first met her, again after their first big battle together, and then again when she visited him in the bath and pushed him down. 
What kind of surreal situation is this!? Hajime was staring at naked pictures of a girl who looked just like Yue, as the real Yue watched him rifle through the pages. 
“Read it. In fact, make it your bible. It’s got the greatest heroine you’ll ever see.” 
“Y-Yes, ma’am.” Hajime started stuttering as Yue leaned in close. The title of the light novel she had given him was— 
Arifureta: From Commonplace to World’s Strongest.