(Translated and Edited By: Nakahara)
I should have anticipated this when I first consulted Tree Wiki. This repository of knowledge, often likened to an ocean, either faithfully reproduced information or provided the most rational descriptions based on available records and contexts.
As the dwarves emptied several beer cans, they began singing, their voices echoing through the store: “Far away, following the wind, heading towards the cave~ searching for gold and jewels sleeping in the deep mountain range~”
-Kim Hyun-woo-
[Do I really have to leave the dwarves alone?]
-Store Manager-
[Are you going to keep repeating the same thing? I clearly said that for 8 hours, we won’t interfere. If it’s so loud that you can’t stand it, press the red button.]
I asked about how to handle the situation with the store manager, but as usual, she remained indifferent, merely observing. She was the type of manager who seemed unperturbed even when bullets were shot in the convenience store, so it was unlikely she'd be bothered by a bit of singing.
I couldn't confidently say whether I could endure it compared to the daytime. Perhaps the events of the day had been too intense, and the current situation felt overwhelming.
"Oh my, look at those dwarves over there," remarked a passerby in front of the convenience store, chuckling at the heavily intoxicated dwarves singing away.
Yet, why was I the one feeling embarrassed?.
Especially since the counter is positioned where my face can be seen from outside, it's even more awkward to make eye contact with people passing by.
"Look over there, aren’t those dwarves regulars at Ilmir’s tavern?."
They seem to be well-known dwarves around the neighborhood, and for a specific reason.
"Quite a lot of trouble, bachelor. Those dwarves don’t stop until they’re completely drunk. They used to have a regular tavern they frequented, but it seems the owner has been ill lately and can’t open the place, so they’ve come here now."
As I heard stories from the customers, I realized that they’ve been wandering from one bar to another, and due to the dwarves’ reputation, they kept getting turned away.
It just so happened that I, oblivious to their reputation, was able to sell them alcohol and even provide snacks.
Thanks to that, they’ve settled in and are even singing.
Darn it, I wish I had just sold them the alcohol and made them leave…
Should I try asking now? Fortunately, the dwarves don’t seem too aggressive or anything like that, so if I ask politely, they might leave without making any sort of fuss.
If that doesn’t work, I can always press the red button.
“Excuse me… Guests?,” I cautiously approached the dwarves.
“Oh! Look at this young lad! Drink up, drink up! The entrance to the cave hasn’t collapsed yet! Let’s gather as much gold and gems as we can!.”
“If you’re too loud, you’ll disturb other customers…”
“Let’s go find the gold vein! We’re going to turn this mountain upside down!.”
My attempts to get their attention were futile as their voices drowned out my own.
Even when I tried to tap their shoulders, they didn't respond so I resorted to a stronger shake.
“Huh, is there a bug?.”
The dwarves merely scratched their shoulders in response, oblivious to my efforts.
Meanwhile, my hand throbbed with pain.
These dwarves, even though they weren’t wearing armor, were as tough as rocks.
Realizing my attempts were futile, I contemplated pressing the red button to remove them forcibly.
“Where are you going? There’s still so much gems and gold left! You can’t leave until you make your share!.”
“What?.”
Yet, why am I being involved with them?.
I reluctantly tried to press the red button on the counter, but the dwarves grabbed me and forcibly seated me.
Could it be they noticed I was trying to call the police?.
“Drink up, drink up!.”
It wasn’t that.
The dwarves sat me in a chair and pushed a can of beer toward me.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t drink alcohol…”
“I knew that, so I prepared in advance! There happens to be something good here!,” one of the dwarves excitedly said.
Moreover, since I couldn’t drink alcohol, I was forced to gulp down non-alcoholic beer against my will.
By the way, it wasn’t long after dinner, and I was already full. And to make matters worse, drinking non-alcoholic beer on top of it made my stomach feel bloated, as if it were about to burst.
Originally, if you didn’t feel like drinking a beer with alcohol, it would just be a barley-flavored drink that filled your stomach.
After singing their masterpiece of a song for about three hours, the dwarves finally cleaned up and left.
I’m grateful that they cleared away everything they brought for themselves, but who in their right mind comes to a convenience store, drinks beer for three hours, and sings?!.
“Is there no normalcy in the universe?!.”
Alone in the now silent convenience store, I sighed in despair.
Until this afternoon, I had thought deeply and sympathetically about Seretini’s serious story but I still didn’t know exactly who these entities were.
In my current situation, dwarves who suddenly barge into a convenience store and start drinking were more frightening than some unknown and unknowable thing.
“Next time they come, I should press the red button right away…”
Still, it’s fortunate that they at least cleaned up and left. To be precise, it seemed like they carried the beer cans separately to bring back home because they were made of interesting metal, but whatever, I’ll be satisfied if my workload is reduced.
Moreover, thanks to Lagos, the dwarf I had bumped into earlier, noticing my discomfort, he suggested to his friends to go elsewhere for another round, allowing me to clean up a bit earlier.
“…As it gets darker, the number of customers seems to have decreased a bit.”
To be precise, by 9 o’clock, the number of people walking on the street seemed noticeably lower.
There didn’t appear to be a curfew or anything of the sort, but similar to my past life, when it’s over 11 o’clock at night, the streets were almost deserted, mirroring the situation here.
Seeing this, perhaps I don’t need to worry too much about working 24 hours. Even during shifts with few customers, I can take breaks in the break room, and if a customer arrives, I can simply return to the counter without any issues.
“Give me one Az Forest.”
“…Excuse me?.”
Damn, what now?
“Do you happen to not know what that is? Over there, in the second row, third column. It’s made from dried leaves of the World Tree.”
Observing the cigarette display case as she spoke, I noticed a cigarette that closely resembled the popular convenience store brand I was familiar with.
However, like most U.C. convenience store items, there were subtle differences from the conventional ones, but that’s not important at the moment.
Before me stood a child slightly taller than the dwarf who had left earlier and she had short green hair. Despite wearing a hat akin to Seretini’s, she lacked any halo or horns, suggesting she was just an ordinary child.
-Kim Hyun-woo-
[Do you also sell things like cigarettes or alcohol here? Is there an age restriction?]
-Store Manager-
[Yes, of course. It's a law established by the transcendent beings of this universe and U.C. convenience stores when they entered Universe-1221. Items with addictive substances such as alcohol or cigarettes are restricted from being sold to mentally immature sentient beings.]
“I’m sorry, but if you’re not an adult, you can’t buy cigarettes.”
I did my best to reassure the child on the other side of the counter.
I wanted to punch through their ignorant brains and smash their heads if they were foolish enough to try to get alcohol or cigarettes. But this child was too young for me to even consider such thoughts.
Let’s just calm them down and send them on their way. I didn’t want to stir up any unnecessary trouble.
“What? Are you kidding me? Who are you calling a child?.”
This time, the child removed their hat and became visibly angry.
“Hey, human. Are you deliberately teasing me?.”
As the hat came off, it became evident that they were indeed a child. However, their pointed ears suggested they were some kind of elf, and a portion of their hair was made of leaves.
Is she a dwarf after all?.
“Just when the bar I frequently visit is closed, now humans are disrespecting me by calling me a child.”
The green-haired elf-dwarf seemed to have made a face as they heard something unpleasant, their eyelids trembling with fury.
Or perhaps I touched on some kind of complex.
But if they were an elf, they would have mentioned it from the start.
How was I supposed to know when they covered their ears and hair with a hat?
Anyway, thanks to them, I realized something. No matter the type of convenience store, nights are naturally busier than days.
And on top of that, whether in the city or countryside, even in a different world, crazy things often happen at night after the sun sets.
“I’m 20 times older than your mother and father combined, you! This is a good chance! Just today, I was kicked out of 20 nearby bars for looking too young, and now let’s relieve some of the stress that has been building up here!,” The elf grabbed me by the collar.
Their grip felt like that of the elderly person from the convenience store I used to frequent.
I felt no urge to resist, nor did the thought even cross my mind.
“Oh, I see….”
Losing all sense of humanity in just three days, I replied dryly, “So that’s how it is. Be careful not to hurt yourself.”
The elf grew even angrier at my attitude and crushed the silver coin they were holding in their hand with their strength.
“Are you trying to squash me like that?”
“Well, hold on a moment. There’s something I need to take care of before you kill me.”
“…What?.”
After requesting a brief excuse, I stepped behind the counter.
Surprisingly, the elf willingly released their grip on my neck, sparing me from having to resort to strange tactics like licking their hand or using pepper spray.
"Just wait about five minutes while I tidy up. I'll make it up to you afterward," I said.
"Why do I have to do that?" the elf questioned.
"Well, elves have a long lifespan, right? So why can't you wait just five minutes after living for so long?," I countered.
"Haha, that's right! You're an interesting human. I'll let you write your will even though I don't know what you're thinking."
"No, I already wrote my will," I replied.
“?.”
[♣ The Universe of Knowledge You Cultivate ♣]
[Welcome to the Tree Wiki!]
[The Red Button at the U.C. Convenience Store]
[Summary: A very small and precious button that protects the employees of U.C. Convenience Store. If pressed for more than three seconds, it automatically reports a situation.]
[Features: When the button is pressed, the U.C. Convenience Store system automatically assesses the situation and reports it to the police. Depending on the situation, the police officer from that universe or the police officer stationed at Universe-1 may respond. The arrival time is generally faster for the former than the latter.]
Confused, the elf raised an eyebrow as I discreetly reached for the red button beneath the counter.
Without hesitation, I pressed and held it for more than three seconds, activating the store's emergency reporting system. Then, I returned to the elf, who willingly resumed their grip on my neck.
"...What were you trying to do—" the elf began to question, but her words were interrupted by the arrival of a knight in plate armor, the same one I had seen with Alencia not long ago.
"You coward, reporting so sneakily…”
Thunk!
Following that, a very clear and crisp sound echoed.
In the midst of the elf’s confusion and hesitation, the knights delivered a blow to her head with a wooden cudgel.
Thud!
The sound echoed through the convenience store as the elf stumbled and collapsed, unconscious.
The knights efficiently tended to the fallen elf, giving me a thumbs up as they exited. I nodded in acknowledgment, silently reminding them to be cautious.
Ah, I should have done this earlier.
