Chapter 1 (2/2)

“Fuu… Speaking politely’s hard, huh…”

“NOT LOSING MY TEMPER’S HAAAAAARD―!”

…Fino’s training turned out to be rather difficult.

Thoughtlessly glancing at the register counter just as he recalls yesterday’s disastrous event, Raul took a really deep breath. …Oh man.

The store’s interior was dead silent during mornings. Did no price tags fall off? Were articles on display in disorder? Raul’s manner of walking, while going around checking the sales floor, was awfully heavy, even though business hadn’t even started yet. Thinking about how he had trained him yesterday without a break, and would train this silver-haired demon today too, made him dejected enough to make him want to run away.

After all, when Raul had been done with teaching the day before, compared to the outset, Fino only had kept that awkward smile out of which that atrocious feeling had vanished to some extent… Or rather, that was probably the limit.

Bearing that terrific mental fatigue for quite a while, Raul made himself a tea, while had given up on the register coaching and bestowed the special task of checking the inventory on the silver-haired boy, who had been lying in wait for the next directions. Counting the storehouse goods and comparing that with a list was a task simple enough for even demons. …Polite speech and so on once I’ve composed myself, let’s count really carefully until then.

…But then.

“Yo, Raul!”

Raul wondered what to do. A sinister figure unexpectedly appeared from within the sales floor in the refres.h.i.+ng morning atmosphere.

“Hey, what the heck can I do today?”

Not even paying a little respect towards his company senpai like always, the silver-haired demon came throwing some relaxed casual talk to Raul with one hand upraised. Like that, Raul was looking at the boy with his eyes half-opened as if he had given up on various things. And after some time, Raul s.h.i.+fted his gaze towards the shelves on the sales ground.

“…Let’s see, what shall I get you to do with the wares today…?”

He stepped up to the magical toy shelf before his eyes. While pointing to that section, Raul said:

“The article from here is popular, so after it’s sold, it feels like there’s a hole left on the sales ground. Leaving it like that’s bad, so take out stock from the back and get it here. And please let it be what has been here before. On that occasion, tidy up the displays as well. Understood?”

The Simple Tasks Even Demons Can Do 2. Actually, the aforementioned are the retail business’ basics. That’s why this is absolutely no dodging. Permanent supervision of this guy’s training isn’t a pain in the a.s.s at all, yep.

Towards Raul’s instructions, however, for incomprehensible reasons, Fino only frowned his eyebrows in dissatisfaction.

“Eeeh, no register practice todaay?”

“That’s no good, no good. The register’s way too early for you. Unflaggingly earn your XP with what I’ve said, level up your employee level, and then after you didn’t one-hit anyone, alright? Mainly customers.”

“Tzk.”

Despite clicking his tongue, the silver-haired demon did as he was told, reluctantly faced the shelves on the opposite side, and diligently started tidying up the wares on display. Reaching out with the arms that were covered by the long sleeves of the parka, he one-by-one corrected the direction of the price tags precisely. It was a surprisingly careful working style that didn’t match his face.

Then…

Recalling something suddenly, Raul put his hands into his ap.r.o.n pockets.

“Ah, that’s right, you have to wear that too.”

What Raul held out while saying that, was a small box-like item, that had two chords. Fino looked over his own shoulder and came asking seemingly curious.

“What’s that?”

“Ehm, you connect these, this is where you can hear, and…”

The moment he pushed the earphone into Fino’s ear without consent or refusal, Fino’s back stiffened in surprise. However, expecting that kind of response from the demon, Raul brought the mic near himself, which was fixed to his own collar.

“[Eeh, this is a sound cheeeeck for Finooo. Can you hear meee?]”

“―?! W-What was th―?! I heard Raul’s voice double just now…”

[Here I am! Can you hear me?]

“―――――――――――?!”

That moment, Fino’s seemed to be even more surprised.

“That… The manager’s voice―! That was the manager’s voice―?! How―?! …She isn’t anywhere close, but―?! How’s that possible―?!”

“[Do you get it now?]”

Letting go of the mic switch in front of Fino, who surveyed the vicinity seemingly upset, Raul continued with his words just a wee bit proud:

“That’s a staff exclusive [Magical InCom]. If it’s attached, you can talk to the fellow staff everywhere and anywhere inside the store.”

“From here the voice can be heard?!”

Picking up the chord of the earphone, that was showing from his own ear, Fino shouted in excitement:

“I get it! If one has this, their strategical freedom expends extremely, right?! Cooperatin’ with the fellow staff and lurin’ customers into the store… Flankin’ ’em would be so easy…”

“No flanking anyone―!”

“Yeah, got it. No strikin’ down customers, right?”

Nonchalantly declaring that, the demon’s improper thought circuit was as powerful as ever.

“But this is really handy, right? If my father had known these, he’d probably wanted ’em bad―”

“…No, InCom in the devil king’s stronghold is unthinkable…”

…At that moment, the somewhat surreal imagination of the devil king and the demons holding contact via InCom crossed his mind, and Raul unintentionally shook his head.

“Listen, at times where you’re troubled or asked about something by a customer, press this mic switch and call for a.s.sistance. After that, the manager or I will probably give you instructions, so properly listen to what’s being said.”

“[Yeah, roger that!]”

“Don’t answer every single bit over the InCom!”

[Fufu, seems like Fino-chan understood how to use the InCom.]

Like that, the manager’s soothing voice leapt likewise into Raul’s and Fino’s ears.

[Raul-kun, Fino-chan, could you open the store soonish?]

“[Ah, yes, I’m looking forward to working with you!]”

Replying to the manager’s InCom, Raul, who attempted to return to the counter once more, looked at Fino in front of the shelves.

“Or wait… Fino! I think you got it by now, but you may absolutely not harm the customers, alright?! Also, give ’em the standard smile, smile!”

“Yeah.”

Reminded by Raul, Fino nodded while grabbing a box of Magical Trumps and resuming the aforementioned task.

…Seriously, what kind of story twist is this?

It’s a normal weekday. And even though it’s still in the morning, immediately after Magical Shop ・Rion’s opening, it’s totally busy!

“Welcooome―!”

Even while I speak, new customers keep coming in.

If customers can’t come during a holiday, even the day after, when they come all at once, isn’t anything like this. I really don’t get how customers think!

[Raul, I’m leaving the register for a biiit!]

Finis.h.i.+ng the consulting on the magical stationery sales ground and turning around, Raul saw some articles in the corner of his eye, which reflected the figure of a customer who went towards the register.

Getting fl.u.s.tered, Raul rushed back to the counter. He took position behind the magical register and quickly put on his business smile.

“Welcome, thank you for your business!”

Like that, Raul made haste cas.h.i.+ng the customer with his experienced hands. However…

Almost as if arranged, one of the customers, who was gazing at the dispersed wares inside the shop, and another one started gathering at the register.

…………

As soon as he was done with the ones at the register, two more appeared out of nowhere. And when he finished those, new customers kept showing up… In the blink of an eye, a line of customers that were waiting for their turn had taken form.

[Please excuse meee, someone please help me with the registeeer!]

He took a short pause from working the register and used it to transmit that over the InCom. However, there was no reply.

…Well, can’t be helped. The staff that had reported in for work today was the same as yesterday. The manager, Raul, and the backburner Fino – only three people. Raul guessed that judging by the lack of reply, the manager surely was in the middle of consulting with a customer or something,.

In other words, I have no choice but to hang in there with full speed!

Before he’d make the line grow longer in his mind by raising his head all the time, Raul steeled his resolve to the max.

“I’m truly sorry for making you wait. Do you have a member ca―”

While saying that, he reached his hand into the customer’s basket – that moment.

Suddenly a shadow came sliding next to Raul behind the register.

“Waiting customers, please come to this register!”

…What.

Recognizing something silver that was fleetingly reflected in the corner of his eye, Raul realized that that wasn’t the chestnut-colored hair of the beautiful manager he had been hoping for. The new prodigy part-timer, who had shown a legend cla.s.s register simulation yesterday, the silver-haired demon, Fino the Great, made his magnificent entry.

…Or more like wait! Why the heck did he come?!

Towards the uninvited being’s appearance, Raul’s hands trembled in despair as he worked the register.

Don’t. But it was too late. Fino had the customers coming to the register that he had opened and Raul also had to tend to the customers in front of him right now. It was impossible to plunder the barcode scanner from Fino and do something like billing two customers at the same time.

In his anxiety, Raul felt like his heart was being crushed. He dedicated himself to praying everything he knew to every G.o.d he could think of while he kept scanning articles. Aaah, please, don’t let a fatal trap occur out of somewhere…!

…But.

――From beside of Raul an awfully bright voice could be heard like that.

“Thank you for your business! Do you have a member card?”

Eh?

“Those are three items, it’s 480 Gold in total.”

Huh?

“You’ve given me 5000 Gold.”

Huh, what?

“Here, you’ll get 4520 Gold back. Thank you very much!”

That’s― Eeeeeeehhhhhhhhhhh?!

“Oi, still there?”

“Eh, ah… Y-Y-Y-Y-Yes――! I’m back―!”

Being urged by the customers voice, the completely dumbfounded Raul got surprised and came back to his senses. …No, but… Why?!

Bowing his head quickly up and down to apologize to the customer and giving a sidelong glance towards Fino, who was seeing his customer off, Raul blinked his eyes with a face that seemingly said, ‘I can’t believe it!’.

――Why’s this d.a.m.n guy suddenly able to work the register?!

“One… Two items…”

As if yesterday’s tragedy was an act. Even though his barcode scanner handling is awkward, the style’s acceptable for now, and most importantly he uses those precise words. He gets pa.s.sing marks as a newcomer for his good performance, and to be honest, I don’t have any real complaints.

But.

“Excuse me, a receipt please.”

The next moment, Raul became agitated once more due to the words of the customer that could be heard from Fino’s counter.

Under no circ.u.mstances can Fino know how to write a receipt. To demons that don’t have a monetary economy, the concept of receipts is probably nonexistent. Yesterday, he followed the basic stuff to the best of his abilities, but he hasn’t struggled up to this thing yet at all.

Feeling as if being at his wits’ end for a short while, then making his brain go full-throttle, Raul opened his mouth instantly:

“Fino! I’ll do that, so you go here inste―…”

“Understood.”

However, when Raul raised his voice, Fino had already nodded in a great manner.

“Would you please tell me your name?”

Next to the dumbfounded Raul, Fino took out a receipt form from the drawer under his register. Then he took out a pen from the pen stand beside the register and interviewed the customer in a calming voice.

“…Thank you for your purchaaase!”

…At last, the waiting queue dissolved.

Seeing the customer off with a slight nod, Raul immediately rushed over to Fino. He timidly looked at Fino’s skills while gulping.

“But what shall we do about the proviso?”

“Ah, it’s alright somehow.”

“Understood. Well then, it will be included in the dispatch note.”

While replying, Fino fluently run the pen over the receipt.

What kind of trick is this? She isn’t even faltering a bit, and… G.o.ddammit. Especially surprising Fino’s handwriting was much prettier than Raul’s.

Raul was staring blankly and in front of the register new customers kept appearing.

“Ah, welcome! I’ll receive your order here!”

Opening the neighboring register right away, while reading a barcode that had come off, Raul was, however, still confused.

How did it turn out like this? This Fino’s definitely strange―! Or is it perhaps that? Was he kidnapped by a mysterious organization and being remodelled by force? Into some flawless register warrior? …No, who’d profit from that―?!

…With more than shaking hands, Raul half-seriously suspected something of this kind.

“Thank you for your business!”

“Thank you for your busineeess! Hey, Fino, you―!”

――Both of them finished their cas.h.i.+ng almost simultaneously.

The second the customers were seen off from the register, Raul drew closer to the side of the silver-haired demon.

“You― Why can you the register― No, rather than that, why are you able to write receipts―?! I still haven’t taught you things up til this point, right―?!”

“Eh… But I saw Raul doin’ it a few times yesterday, it’s also written in the manual…”

“Wait, written in the manual…?”

“I’ve memorized it.”

Then, in front of blankly staring and gaping Raul, Fino indifferently continued with his words while containing a composed expression:

“A register’s standard complaint, receipts, or member card applications, I’ve read out loud what I had noted in the notebook, and… simulated it while I checked up on the inventory, and so I eventually got it right after spendin’ a night on it.”

“…Wait, a night? You couldn’t possibly have been in the store all night―?!”

“I was.”

In front of the indifferent looking Fino, Raul unintentionally pushed his hand against his forehead.

“What’s up with that?! You’re a part-timer, right?! Once you did your part, you hurry home! …Or rather, why did you go that far―?!”

However… Just then Fino starred with his big eyes in wonder.

“Eh, but… If I don’t give it my all, I’d cause trouble for Raul, right?”

――Fino’s expression was trying to say, ‘Why are you asking something so obvious?’. The silver-haired demon stared at Raul, while he made his light-blue eyes blink in surprise.

“I also don’t have somethin’ like a home. I’m cleanin’, givin’ it my all, and so on, so I’m allowed live here, or so the manager asked me to. I’m fine with sleepin’ on the floor or somethin’ like that, and I wanted to get to know the store better. That’s why, when I was told to go home, where should I’ve gone to, there’s nowhere… Ah―”

“Raul, a customer came.”, while muttering that, as soon as he raised his head, Fino smoothly opened the register in front of Raul, who was at a complete loss for words and stood stock still.

“Welcome, thank you for your business―!”

Still smiling a bit awkward and yet expressing it to the best of his abilities. The silver-haired demon carefully read the barcodes of the articles in the basket, which he had lined up one by one on the counter.

――If one looked really carefully, his eyes seemed somewhat inflamed, and slight shadows floated over the skin of his eyes… Despite that, Fino didn’t let his smile disappear.

“Thank you for your business―! Please shop with us again―!”

While gazing at Fino like that, Raul felt something deep inside his chest, an indescribable feeling, that was welling up inside of him.

Fino. Your birth aside, I don’t know if you’re bound to take things away just ’cause you’re a demon, or the Devil King’s heir. You’re a guy with a bad att.i.tude, big mouth, and no common sense, but…

…You’re probably a really honest, diligent, and good fellow.

Geez., Raul unwillingly laughed at himself.

The excitement when he had finally received an unofficial job offer at the end of the long and painful job hunting. Before he knew it, he had completely forgotten about it. In Raul’s eyes, who had developed a half-a.s.sed att.i.tude towards work, the figure of Fino, who kept trying his hardest, seemed terribly radiant… Haha, I’m so pitiable. Raul thought. I have to follow this guy’s example…

I must. ――Suddenly.

The smas.h.i.+ng noise that echoed nearby forcibly blew away Raul’s impression.

“Wha―”

Jumping into the Raul’s sight, who reflexively turned his head, came… a tragedy.

The fragments of the colored gla.s.s that freely scattered among the counter, spread up to under Raul’s feet. The sentimental chemical scent of a potion hung in the air. And chasing after the potion that had slipped out of his own hands, the silver-haired Fino fell losing his balance… As if sinking to the floor, the demon’s body tumbling down like that.

“Eg―”

The customers were dumbfounded and speechless from the sudden unconsciousness of the salesperson, who had been working the register until just now. Raul also couldn’t grasp the situation for a moment, as one might expect. Right after he came to his senses, he got fl.u.s.tered and rushed over to Fino.

“Fino―?! Oi―?!”

Leaning over Fino, who had collapsed on the floor, Raul tried to extend his hand to that pet.i.te body of Fino. Raul gulped in worry. Impossible… Could he be…

“Guu…”

“Wait, don’t just sleep―!”

――The ap.r.o.n dyed white by the potion, Fino moved his mouth mumbling while still flattened on the narrow counter floor.

No, well, somehow or other, I had a hunch that it’d be like this… or wait.

“You… Even though you had work the day after, you carelessly pull an all-nighter! Working to that extent isn’t something admirable at all, you know! Managing your physical condition is also part of your job! Oi, c’mon, wake up! Wake up, already―! d.a.m.n it, he’s not waking uuuuup――!”

“Ehm, excuse me, is that person alright…?”

Turning towards the customer, who had raised an awfully worried voice, Raul tried to express a stiff smile to cover up the situation.

“Ah, alright, he’s alright, totally fine! For this idiot’s lineage it’s typical to be a person of endboss level… Or rather, sorry, Ms. customer, we must’ve surprised you. I’ll go and fetch you a new potion right away―!”

“Err, wait a―”

A voice was directed towards Raul from a different direction, while he tried to run to the sales floor to get another potion.

Raul turned his head in alert and in front of the neighboring register, where the inactive barcodes were being put, was someone with a face that he remembered from somewhere.

After a short pause, it dawned on Raul. If he remembered correctly, it was the customer that Fino had handed out a receipt to earlier.

“The receipt I got doesn’t list the price…”

…To what the customer was pointing out, Raul unintentionally turned his head towards the silver head, which was lying at Raul’s feet and almost succ.u.mbed to the impulse to send that head flying.

This idiot! Big demonic idiot―! You can’t skip that, right?! That’s the most important part, right?! Not writing that down renders the receipt itself worthless to begin with, riiiiiight―?!

“I-I’m sorry! Please wait a moment, okay? Eeehm―…”

While apologizing to the customer with all his might, the sixth sense of Raul, which a well-trained employee has, the Customer Radar, informed him now again that new customers were approaching the counter.

By moving his eyes only, he confirmed with a fleeting glance: One, two… five customers are waiting?

Following the opening of the store, the second customer peak had arrived.

He kept surveying the sales ground. However, Raul was pushed off to the depths of despair like that.

His last ray of hope, the manager, was in the middle of advising an old lady with naturally curly hair in the magical audio corner. That counsel is likely to get quite drawn-out… In other words, I can’t expect any a.s.sistance.

――That moment, Raul steeled his resolve.

Tightly grabbing the new potion and returning to the register counter, sliding on the wet floor with his feet, while also violently stumbling over the obstacle, that had once been an employee, finally arriving behind the register in one way or the other, Raul began working it with great speed.

“I’m here, I’m terribly sorry for making you wait, I will tend to you in turns―! Thank you for waiting so long, that’s 360 Gold, sorry for troubling you―! Yes, I am terribly sorry, I’m back, let me correct that, eeehm, receipt, receipt…! I am terribly sorry for making you wait, thank you for your business! Now, sorry for making you wait so long! The member card gets one, two items added to…”

While handling the vigorous waves of customers that were surging towards the register counter, Raul s.h.i.+fted a fleeting glimpse towards his feet in a brief moment.

Fino, who was sinking into that potion puddle, seemed to be feeling good and wore an expression so careless that it almost made Raul angry, and―― for some reason, Fino had a somewhat happy smile.

“Welcomee… *mu’nya*…”

…I somehow get the feeling that I want to break out in tears right now.

Raul instinctively shouted in his heart with all his strength:

WHO’D FOLLOW SUCH A GUY’S EXAMPLE?! SOMEONE LIKE YOU SHOULD GO AND GET SEALED UP ALREADY―!

“Thank you for your business―”

…That long and longer battle surely had appeared to last for eternity.

Finally seeing off the last customer, Raul, with a completely exhausted expression, looked down to the person at his feet.

The silver-haired demon was covered in potion and breathed like a carefree sleeper.Geez, I don’t wanna hear ‘I’d cause trouble for you’ from you again…

However, it was impossible to leave him alone like this. First and foremost, even under normal circ.u.mstances, if someone fell over within this narrow corridor, they couldn’t be helped but be an obstacle.

Coming near the corner by almost tiptoeing over the bottle fragments, that were making *crackcrack* noises, Raul reluctantly kneed on the floor.

“Oi, wake up…”

Raul’s movements stopped like that as he began to speak.

…Unintentionally, he started to want to extend his hand to this tender looking face.

Eyelashes so long that he was almost startled were secretly hidden under the disordered silver hair, sticking out of the parka’s collar was a slender nape that set off a bewitching s.e.x appeal… Wait!

Reflexively, Raul shook his head in a grand manner.

Geez, I’m almost having delusions. That are certainly well-featured looks, and if he sleeps like this, then there’s no maliciousness to be seen, but it’s not like he’s be to my liking…

“―Get up already!”

Glossing over his agitation, he tried to violently shake Fino by his shoulders. However, there was no sign of waking up. Raul sighed in front of the comfortably tossing and turning demon.

…You’ll catch a cold like that. While looking at Fino’s clothes, which were wet from the potion, Raul scratched his head. Well, I don’t know whether or not demons can actually catch a cold, but we can’t let you work dressed like that at least.

“Geez, can’t be helped.”

Getting up while clicking his tongue, and also eyeing the sales ground, Raul looked into the shelf behind the counter. If I remember correctly, in here… Ah, there it is.

Raul took out a t-s.h.i.+rt with a maker logo on it, a remnant of some promotional articles that had been lying there for a long time, and pulled up the demon’s pet.i.te body from the potion puddle.

Leaning Fino’s upper body against the wall and unfastening the strings of the ap.r.o.n, Raul innocently dragged down the zipper of the parka, which that had been dyed by the potion.

“Hee…”

That moment.

Something stuck out from the parka’s gap. White skin consisting of only gentle curves, therein dwelled an extraordinary presence of two firm puffs.

“Nnn… funya…”

Almost simultaneous with Raul’s gulp, Fino raised an extremely sleepy voice and opened his big eyes with a snap.

“…………”

“…………”

Their eyes met at point-blank.

…And before long.

Fino blinked his eyes due to his focus not being adjusted and quickly followed Raul’s gaze to the Raul’s hand that was still being extended towards him.

After that, he absentmindedly looked down on himself.

That instant.

“―――――――――――――――!”

Shaking off Raul’s hand with an absurd force, Fino all of a sudden raised his body. In a hurry, he tightly grabbed the fringe of his parka. The second he had joined the aforementioned together and hugged himself, he glared at raul, who tried his best to keep his eyes upturned.

“S-S-S-StrippinÄ me in this kind of place, a-a-a-are you a pervert―?! ARE YOU A PERVEEEEEERT―――?!

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