After lunch and our game of Sugoroku, Alice and I sat side by side, idling the time away.
"……Customers really aren’t coming, are they?"
"I suppose not……"
I was keeping an eye on the shop while leafing through a book at the counter, but as I’d suspected, not a single soul walked through the door. Alice seemed to have expected as much; she chatted in a relaxed tone while busying her hands with some small accessory.
"……Seriously, no one’s coming."
"……Well, that’s just how it is~"
"Wait, does this place…… ever actually get customers other than me?"
"Hmm, I’d say we get about 'one a month' or so~"
"……Is there even a point to keeping the shop open then?"
Apparently, Alice's General Store was perpetually deserted. It was tucked away off the main street, sure, but was it really that bad? I couldn't help but wonder if people avoided it out of fear, thinking it was some dangerous establishment run by a suspicious person in a stuffed costume.
As I pondered that, my gaze drifted to a product sitting next to the counter.
"……Is that a Magic Box?"
"Hm? Oh, no, it isn’t. That’s a 'Random Box'."
"……A Random Box?"
The small container next to the counter held several black, square objects. They looked remarkably similar to my own Magic Box, but they apparently went by a different name.
"They're a product made using disposable Magic Boxes. They're crafted from 'Magic Paper,' which is processed from Magic Crystal dust shaved off during the manufacture of Magic Tools. They aren't reusable, but they can hold a Magic Formula for a single use. Since they’re much cheaper than Magic Crystals, adventurers use them all the time."
"I see. So you can only put things in them once."
"Exactly. I mean, they only have the capacity of a small chest of drawers, but they’re handy for travel. As the name suggests, though, these 'Random Boxes' are filled with randomized goods. To put it in terms you’d find familiar—it’s a Gacha!"
"……Right. That makes perfect sense."
"They’re 10R apiece. You don't know what's inside until you crack it open, but sometimes you find something truly valuable. By the way, they’re manufactured by the Seditch Magic Tool Trading Company."
One for about a thousand yen, then. In other words, if I shelled out the money for a box, I’d get whatever was inside. I assumed some items were worth more than the purchase price.
"They’re actually quite popular."
"……Well, it doesn't really matter how popular they are if no one ever comes to the shop."
"Tell me about it~"
"……"
"Oh? Kaito-san, are you interested?"
"Y-Yeah. I think I’d like to try a few. 10R, right?"
"I’ll give you five for 45R."
I was curious enough to want a try, so I reached for my wallet. Alice, never one to miss a business opportunity, immediately pushed the bulk-buy discount.
"I’ll take five, then."
"Much obliged! Go ahead and pick whichever ones you like."
I paid Alice and grabbed five boxes at random from the pile.
"……Wait, how do I open these?"
"Just pull the string on the bottom. The seal will break and the contents will pop right out~"
"Let’s see…… like this?"
The moment I pulled the small string on the bottom of the box, it gave a brief flash of light. When the glow faded, a single card-like object appeared before me. It was roughly the size of a standard trading card, but it felt high-quality and looked beautiful.
"Mumu! Could that be……?"
"Wait, is this rare? It’s…… it’s Kuro."
I flipped the card over to find an illustration of Kuro eating a Baby Castella. It must have been drawn by a master painter; the soft color palette perfectly accentuated her cuteness.
"Ooooh! That’s incredible! As expected of Kaito-san, to pull a Kuro-san's Bromide right off the bat! That’s ridiculously rare!"
"A…… Bromide?"
"Yes! Bromides of the Six Kings and Supreme Gods are included as super-rare prizes. But Kuro-san's is special. She’s a bit shy about this sort of thing, so she only gave permission for a few of them back when she first started her trading company."
"I-Is that so?"
"It is! Since they were only in the initial lot, they’re practically impossible to find now. But, well, our stock has been sitting here since the very beginning, so……"
A Kuro-san's Bromide, one of only a handful in the world. Yeah, she looked adorable. I’d have to keep this safe.
"By the way, if you put that up for auction, the Underworld King Fan Club would probably bid an astronomical amount for it."
"R-Right…… That’s actually a bit terrifying. I’ll just keep it."
"Probably for the best. Anyway, don't stop now! Open the next one!"
"A-Alright…… Whoa, this one’s huge!?"
Following Alice's lead, I opened the second box. This time, a large, fifty-centimeter dragon model materialized.
"Oh, look at that! It’s the Random Box-exclusive Ancient Dragon Model!"
"……What am I supposed to do with this?"
"Actually, Duchess Lilia is desperate for one of those."
"She is?"
"Yeah. They’ve discontinued production, so she was apparently crying because she couldn't get her hands on one."
"……Lilia-san."
Now that she mentioned it, Lilia-san was a massive dragon enthusiast. I decided I’d give it to her as a gift later.
Moving on to the next one……
"……A crown?"
"A toy crown. It’s the kind of thing they put in for kids. This one is surprisingly well-made, though, so it’s actually worth a bit."
"I see. Then the next one is…… uh."
When I opened the fourth box, a familiar-looking mask appeared. Specifically, it looked almost exactly like the one the girl standing next to me was always wearing.
"Whoa! Talk about a jackpot! A Phantasm King-sama's Handmade Mask! That’s incredibly rare!!"
"Tch, a dud."
"You threw it away so effortlessly!?"
Well, it was a gacha. You had your grand prizes, and you had your complete trash. I tossed the mask straight into the wastebasket and opened the final box.
This time, a potted plant appeared. I suppose items don't wilt or rot inside a Magic Box, so even things like this could be included.
"Alice, what’s this?"
"That’s a Crystal Herb."
"Is it rare?"
"Quite. It doesn't do much on its own, but it amplifies the effects of other herbs. They usually trade for a high price."
An herb, huh? This was likely a win too, but I had no idea what to do with it. Wait—didn't Fia-sensei grow herbs as a hobby? If so, she might appreciate it.
"……Kaito-san, your luck is actually frightening. Usually, these things are full of junk like single pens. To buy five and get nothing but hits……"
"No, I had one dud. That weird mask."
"But it’s cool! You should put it on, Kaito-san! We can match!"
"I’d rather die."
"Such absolute rejection!?"
I let out a wry smile as Alice’s shoulders slumped in disappointment. We were just idling away the time with our usual banter when the bell above the shop door chimed.
"……Oh."
"……Eh? Don’t tell me we actually have a customer. That’s rare."
The arrival of a customer was so unexpected that both Alice and I stared toward the entrance in unison.
"Welcom—"
"Tourism. General Store. Visit."
"……Turn around and leave! Go home!"
Alice’s bright greeting died in her throat. Her face contorted as she immediately ordered the new arrival to leave.
Dear Mother, Father—While Alice and I were leisurely keeping shop, a customer actually showed up at Alice's General Store. Or so I thought, but the person who appeared was—a familiar Angel.