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I closed my eyes for a moment, and when I opened them, an entire day had slipped by.
As per routine, I readied myself for work, positioned myself behind the counter, and after organizing today’s disposals, enjoyed a simple breakfast of kimbap and milk.
-Store Manager-
[Starting today, we're extending your working hours. If your usual shift is 8 hours, it will now be 16 hours, beginning at 9 AM and concluding at 5 PM, then resuming at 6 PM and ending at 2 AM.]
As expected, the day had come when they seemed intent on entombing me within the convenience store forever.
The original 8-hour shift had now doubled to 16 hours.
-Store Manager-
[Ultimately, our goal is for you to work 24/7 throughout the year. Please adjust to consecutive shifts promptly, and we hope it won't interfere with your formal duties]
"Well, convenience stores are supposed to be 24/7, but..." I trailed off, questioning the logic behind making one person work round the clock.
Under normal circumstances, while not ideal, it would be more humane to hire additional part-timers and rotate shifts every three times a day.
Naturally, I broached this topic with the manager.
-Kim Hyunwoo-
[But why are you having me work 24/7 alone? Wouldn't it be more efficient, from a human rights perspective, to hire more part-timers and rotate shifts three times a day?.]
-Store Manager-“
[Why should I consider the rights of my employees? Shouldn’t you be grateful that I’m not discarding and still making use of you?]
[Furthermore, if we hire another employee, my workload will increase. Thus, Mr.Kim Hyunwoo, I am already diligently managing you]
From what I saw on the second floor, she seemed to indulge in gaming sessions all day, interspersed with occasional messages.
Could it be that she simply harbored a disdain for mundane tasks? .
After all, I stumbled upon discarded underwear scattered here and there, and even a makeshift cactus crafted from cigarette butts. Furthermore, the lingering scent of alcohol permeated the air, painting a picture of someone who indulged in such activities frequently.
Adding to the mystery, he appeared quite young, was she of a similar race as the White Mage?.
Clank
Just as the saying goes, "speak of the devil," the White Mage from yesterday greeted me with a “Good Morning” and a wide smile as she swung open the convenience store door.
Of course, she didn't forget to brandish her gun as part of the greeting.
Can we just skip that part, please?
Thankfully, this time, it was a relatively smaller handgun, unlike the imposing one from yesterday.
But was that truly a stroke of luck?
Regardless, I couldn't shake the familiarity of the small firearm.
I had encountered it countless times in FPS games—it was unmistakably the Desert Eagle.
Still, would it be less painful to be shot with a smaller gun than a larger one? Or perhaps it would be preferable to be struck by a larger firearm and meet a swift end without prolonged suffering? Which scenario was truly better?
"Did you enjoy yourself yesterday?" she asked, interrupting my thinking.
Perhaps due to the morning greeting involving a pointed gun, my brain seemed to be operating with a few glitches today in response to this unconventional daily routine.
"Yes, I had a good day. Good morning to you, too. What brings you here today?" I replied, trying to maintain a semblance of normalcy.
"I came to pick up the gun I ordered last time. It said it would arrive today when I placed the order for it. But why are you raising your hands again?," she questioned.
"Well, it's become a habit. Why are you carrying a gun again today?.”
"Oh, it's also out of habit for me. I probably won't need it today," she remarked casually, tucking the gun away with a happy expression.
I couldn't fathom why the White Wizard had made a habit of pointing a gun at people, but I hoped today wouldn't be the day I found myself on the receiving end of it again. Just the sight of the gun had nearly caused me to vomit.
“So where are the things I ordered,” she asked, scanning the convenience store with an expectant smile.
“There aren’t any….”
“What did you say?.”
But there had been no mention of a delivery.
If it had arrived, the store owner would surely have informed me.
I also heard that when a customer orders an item through RocketPang, the store owner would confirm it and keep it in the customer vault at U.C Convenience Store.
"You said it would definitely arrive today, right?" she persisted, her hand inching towards the pocket where the gun was stowed.
"Just a moment. It seems there is a misunderstanding. Let's find out," I suggested, taking hold of her hand and guiding her towards the kiosk where RocketPang orders were processed.
"If it's not a misunderstanding, then I assume you plan on taking my cherished item," the White Wizard remarked, her tone tinged with suspicion.
"If it's a cherished item, it's okay to handle it with care,"
"But if it's a cherished item, wouldn't it be best to keep it close to you at all times?"
Was she referring to the rifle she had brought yesterday as a cherished item?
Her determination to turn me into a follower seemed unwavering.
[♤RocketPang♤]
Let’s see, the order list should be somewhere here.It seems that this White Mage requested same-day delivery.
While it typically arrives the next day, the issue lies in whether same-day delivery actually means what it implies—a common frustration with large corporations.
[Delivery in progress ‧ Estimated arrival at 1 p.m.]
[Same-day delivery] – [H&K G11, White Edition, 1 piece]As expected, the delivery I ordered yesterday, as the White Wizard had mentioned, arrived today. However, as I had anticipated, the order list stated that it would arrive in the afternoon.
Well, well. I apologize," I said, displaying the kiosk screen to the White Wizard.
She seemed to understand, scratching her head in relief.
[Angel Halo (Space-1221)]
[Features: Advanced White Mage reach a certain level and create a form called ‘Halo’ that can change depending on their emotions or mental state. When sleeping, their Halo emits a bright light, and White Wizards often suffer from chronic sleep disorders.]
According to the information I saw on Tree Wiki, it says that they can change their halo depending on their emotions or mental state.
In that case, if I were to get drunk or do drugs, would I also flicker like a neon sign?
I became slightly curious
“Alright then. It seems like it’ll arrive around 1 PM, so if you have any other errands, come find me after that. Around 2 PM should be fine.”
“Got it. I’ll do that.”
[Delivery time may be slightly delayed depending on the weather conditions of the multiverse. Please take note.] [U.P Delivery]
I didn’t know there was weather in space, but sometimes the delivery arrives quickly while other times it arrives late.
So it would be best to come and pick it up around 2 PM, just in case.
“Excuse me, ma’am? You can come around 2 PM to pick it up.”
“Alright. I’ll pick up the delivery around 2 PM.”
“....”
But why was the White Mage lingering inside the convenience store? /
Was she planning to wait until the delivery arrived? It was only 10 AM, so even if the delivery came at 1 PM, she would have to wait for a staggering 3 hours!.
“Is there a problem?,” she asked, sensing my unease.
“Well, this store doesn’t have any restrictions on opening hours, and there’s no law saying you can’t wait for the delivery inside.”
True, there were hardly ever cases where people stayed in the convenience store for two or three hours.
Even the middle-aged pseudo-old men who told New Year’s jokes usually only stayed for about an hour.
Who in their right mind would wait for a delivery at a convenience store for 3 hours?!
-Kim Hyunwoo-
[Manager, what do I do with that customer? I’d rather not use force since she’s holding a gun, but she said that she’ll wait for the delivery that will come to the convenience store in 3 hours.]
[....]
[No seriously, at least read the message. You always read them normally, why suddenly not this time?]
[Didn’t you say, if you’re curious or don’t know something, ask the store manager then!]
This was the first time in my life at the convenience store that I sought the manager's help, yet he remained unreachable, leaving the message unread even after 10 minutes passed.
Why was it that he always seemed unavailable when I truly needed her?
Should I take matters into my own hands and personally call her on the second floor?.
“Oh, welcome sir.”
But as the lunch hour approached, a stream of customers began to flood in, making it impossible for me to leave my post at the counter.
Customers were selecting their items—instant noodles, bread, snacks, and coffee—while the White Wizard lingered nearby.
Um, if you continue to stand in front of the counter, other customers won’t be able to pay,”
“Got it. Then I’ll sit over there and wait,” he replied, taking a seat at one of the tables in the store, patiently awaiting the package.
Despite his willingness to wait, his intense gaze in my direction began to unsettle me. Was he plotting something sinister? I couldn't shake off the feeling that he might be searching for an opportunity to cause trouble.
I wonder if he’s already searching for an opening to create a hole in my body…?
******
Meanwhile, at the church, after completing the morning prayer, Saint Alencia exited the worship hall hand in hand with the children.
For her, leading the children in morning prayers was an ingrained routine, a sacred duty she faithfully fulfilled each day.
But now, faced with a new challenge, she pondered her next course of action.
“What should I do about this?. I lost the picture of the demon.”
That picture was also an important piece of information for the Church of Ecclesia.
Of course, the one she carried around was just a copy, so losing it wouldn’t be a major issue.
But if by any chance that picture became known to the public, it would make things difficult in various ways.
Information about demons is strictly limited to basic common knowledge for the people of the state.
Yet, Alencia losing the picture of the leader of those demons only added more trouble to an already troublesome situation.
“No, it should be fine. The last place I took out that picture was the U.C convenience store. It’s probably still there.”
So, she went to the U.C convenience store last night, but unfortunately, it was already closed.
Now, she could only hope that he wouldn’t show the picture to others and she would have to go to retrieve it during lunchtime.
“I’ve come such a long way as well. To think my faith would waver just because I had some spicy food.”
Unknowingly, Alencia muttered to herself.
The intensity of the spiciness left her body drenched in sweat, longing for the soothing touch of holy water that awaited her back at the church.
“What do you mean, Saint?” asked the child walking beside Alencia, puzzled by her sudden discomfort.
“Oh, it’s nothing. I just found this morning’s meal a bit spicy,” she replied, trying to dismiss the topic.
“But this morning, we had salad and potato soup, right?,” the child countered.
“There was a hint of pepper in the soup, wasn’t there? That’s what I meant. I can’t handle spicy food... That’s why…,”Alencia hastily fabricated an excuse, determined to mask her true discomfort.
Resolved to find relief, she made a silent vow to visit the U.C convenience store at lunchtime.
With her luck, she would arrive before 1 p.m., eager to escape the lingering effects of the fiery meal.
