Chapter 52

### The General Store "Witch Hand Craft," Shelland Branch

A "Now Preparing" sign hangs on the door, but the opening preparations are almost complete. The renovation is already finished, and now curtains and shelves are being moved in.

"It's so bright in here...!"

"Too bad Matthew couldn't see this. He would have been disappointed to leave without seeing it."

"Exactly. My brother may look serious, but he's a real wanderer, which is a problem."

Carol, Garda, and Maureen looked around the interior, impressed, and murmured.

"Right? I tried a bit with the curtains. If we could use glass windows, it would be even better, but we'll have to make do without them."

"Can't help it. We're not going to live here forever, so they might get stolen."

Glass products, like white porcelain, are luxury items.

While they can be made on Algenes Island, there are few craftsmen. Glassmaking requires strong heat and a furnace that can withstand it, and on Algenes Island, skilled magic users who can handle fire and earth are essential.

However, for the past twenty years, a war involving many countries has continued, and many glass craftsmen have been drafted into the war. The trend of "becoming a brave soldier rather than a craftsman" has become stronger. Rebellions are still frequent, and it will take time for this atmosphere to dissipate.

Incidentally, the situation with white porcelain is similar, with few craftsmen. However, white porcelain is more commonly used as tableware, and because tea masters protect porcelain craftsmen, the glass industry has not faced the same existential crisis.

"If only we could make glass without magic... But I'm a bit scared I might break it."

When Carol said this, Jill giggled.

"But glass can be repaired with kintsugi."

"Really!?"

"Yes, but the repaired surface will be visible, so you need to apply gold leaf and other techniques. It's more difficult than pottery, but the basic process of using lacquer remains the same."

The three of them looked at Jill, who spoke so casually, with blank faces.

"Master... You could probably make a living just doing that. Repairing dishes for nobles would bring in a decent amount of money, you know?"

"Really...? Kintsugi has a strong visual impact, so it's uncertain whether people will accept it. But I do plan to use kintsugi-repaired dishes for tea and light meals to see how people react."

"No, I predict that the richer the person, the more sensitive they'll be. It's the kind of thing tea masters would like. It might cause a big stir."

"That would be nice."

Jill replied with a carefree tone.

Garda and Maureen smiled wryly, sensing that things would likely get chaotic as usual.

"But Garda and Carol, is it okay for you to help? Is your time free?"

"I was free because I finished my delivery. Besides, a disciple is opening a store, so I should help."

"Thank you very much, Master."

Jill said with a playful tone, and Garda laughed heartily.

However, Carol looked slightly gloomy.

"I'm, well, a high-class idler..."

"Is that so... If you can't find a job, would you like to help out in the store?"

"I'm always causing trouble, but if it comes to that, I'll ask you."

Seeing Carol on the verge of tears, Garda raised his voice to break the awkward silence.

"Then, let's get to work on the interior! We just hung the curtains, and there's still a lot to do, like arranging the shelves and displaying the items."

"Right. How do you plan to arrange them?"

Jill smiled slyly, as if she had been waiting for this.

"Well, the theme of this store is going to be a tropical paradise."

"Tropical paradise?"

"Yes! I want to create a place where you can enjoy a sparkling atmosphere, like a resort with a view of the sea."

Jill pointed to the curtains.

The curtains indeed evoked the sea, with a warm white linen base dyed half in deep blue. Nearby, colorful potted plants added to the vibrant atmosphere even before the items were arranged.

"I plan to create a spacious area by the windows, place the curtains and potted plants as a backdrop, and put a few mannequins dressed in aloha shirts, dresses, and straw hats."

Mannequins are sculptures of the torso, similar to mannequins without limbs, used to display clothing.

"Sounds good. That will make the theme clear."

"I'll place a shelf in the center of the store to display clothing and accessories... As for the kintsugi dishes, I plan to display them behind the counter."

"You're going to sell them, not use them?"

Carol asked curiously.

But Jill shook her head.

"No, I'll sell them. But they're fragile, so I don't want to display them with the clothing. The counter is the only place to display them."

"I see. So customers can admire the dishes while drinking tea at the counter."

"Exactly. If they're displayed, more people might want to buy them. Also, if anyone wants to buy the curtains or shelves, I'm open to selling them. The only things I don't want to sell are the dishes I use for customers, the counter table, and kitchenware."

"Everything is for sale... What a unique store."

Carol was impressed.

"Alright, let's get to work! Move, move!"

Maureen clapped her hands.

They placed the shelves, displayed the items, and the store began to fill with color.

This was the real start.

A wave of emotion washed over Jill.

She held back tears and raised her voice.

"Let's do our best!"

---

### A Corner of Shelland

There is a street known as "Whisper Alley," a somewhat dubious nickname.

In the past, it was a hotbed of coffee shops. Many new coffee shops opened and closed, and the area was always bustling with people. There were even rumors that high-ranking nobles would visit incognito to enjoy the renowned flavors. It was a place where anyone could come and go without raising suspicion.

This made it an ideal spot for secret meetings and clandestine affairs. Young couples would use it as a dating spot, merchants would hold confidential discussions, and married couples would meet for forbidden trysts.

However, that was in the past. The coffee shop and restaurant booms had faded, and many businesses moved or closed to avoid the seedy image of "Whisper Alley." The area is now a quiet residential street. The final blow to the trend was the closure of the coffee shop "Andromarius."

The surrounding residents deeply sympathized with the unfortunate owner, who died tragically. They also feared the place, as anyone who tried to renovate the shop was reportedly attacked by ghosts. The cries of a burglar who broke in, "There are ghosts!" still echo in the residents' ears.

Construction began on the site of the abandoned shop, which was steeped in dark memories.

"Hey, do you know about this?"

"Oh, what's up, Karen?"

Wallace and Karen have lived on this street for about ten years, right when the coffee shop boom was starting to wane and land prices were dropping. They built their house then, and while their friends thought they were crazy for living on "Whisper Alley," they didn't mind.

Wallace had accurately predicted the future of Whisper Alley. The area's value as a bustling district would decline, and it would eventually become a quiet residential street. His prediction came true. Restaurants closed, and new houses were built, attracting more people who worked in non-food-related industries.

The only miscalculation was that the neighboring coffee shop owner died tragically, turning the place into a haunted house.

"I'm talking about the abandoned house next door."

"That again..."

Wallace's face visibly soured.

Honestly, Wallace was tired of this topic. He felt deeply sorry and sad when he heard about the owner's death, but it had been seven years. The building had been unclaimed for years, weeds had grown, and people had started dumping garbage in front of it.

Cleaning up the mess had become an unofficial responsibility for Wallace and Karen. Neighbors wouldn't directly ask them to clean, but they would apply silent pressure. For example, at community meetings, someone might say, "It would be nice if the neighbors cleaned it up."

Worse, delinquents started using the abandoned house as a hangout. Wallace had to warn them, saying, "It's a nuisance to the neighborhood" and "You'll be cursed by ghosts." The delinquents laughed, saying, "There's no such thing as ghosts," but they were chased away by ghostly attacks.

This led to resentment. The delinquents vandalized and damaged Wallace and Karen's house. One time, a delinquent's parent even stormed in, yelling, "It's your fault for not warning them properly!"

Finally, after all this, the unclaimed building found a new owner. Wallace briefly hoped for compensation for the years of trouble, but the new owner, a young girl in her early twenties, had no financial means. She had been forced to take on the unclaimed property from her relatives.

Wallace told her about the troubles, and Carol, the new owner, bowed deeply and started cleaning up, almost in tears. She didn't have the money to hire professionals.

It was clear that the building, being old and in disrepair, would only bring debt. Still, Wallace and Karen felt sympathetic and helped with the cleaning. They were kind-hearted people, and their kindness often led to internal stress.

One day, Wallace muttered, "I wish we hadn't built our house here." This led to a heated argument with Karen.

Wallace had dealt with the delinquents, the monstrous parents, and the stray animals, while Karen handled the daily cleaning, minor troubles, and dealing with unpleasant neighbors. Both felt they were working hard.

"That's not a nice way to say it!"

"Can't we talk about this on a day off? It's not a good feeling to be consulted on a weekday night."

"I'm also working hard, cleaning up dumped garbage, pulling weeds, and enduring the neighbors' complaints. Don't say it like that!"

"I'm not blaming you."

"Besides, it was your decision to build the house here!"

"Of course it was! But I didn't expect this! We're saving for a down payment on a new house!"

"You always come home late, using that as an excuse!"

Both felt they had made a mistake. They couldn't blame the other, but they also felt they weren't at fault. This created a vicious cycle of resentment.

"I'm sorry, let's stop."

"...Sorry, I'm tired. I'll listen properly. I'm sorry."

"The haunted house is being renovated, apparently."

"Really?"

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