บท 326: [324] Shop
Despite her sharp tongue, Meidri diligently posted August's announcement on the bulletin board.
[Magical Beast Shop: We are purchasing magical beast carcasses at one gold coin per kilogram, no upper limit! — Opposite the Ale and Eats Tavern.]
The moment this announcement appeared, it created quite a stir.
"Is this for real? Buying magical beast carcasses?"
"Wow, if that's the case, we could earn hundreds of gold coins every day."
"One gold coin per kilogram? Isn't that a bit low?"
"Are you serious? A single magical beast weighs at least several dozen kilograms. The bigger ones can reach hundreds, even thousands of kilograms! How is that not worth it?"
"But what does he need so many carcasses for? Is he opening a restaurant?"
"Who cares what he's doing? If there's money to be made, that's all that matters."
...
Around the bulletin board, a crowd quickly gathered, all of them shocked by the announcement.
At a nearby table, Stunk and Jere exchanged astonished glances as they learned about the situation from August.
However, to avoid complications, August chose not to elaborate too much. Stunk and Jere understood this and didn't press for details.
"Hey, August, we're heading to the seaside tomorrow. If you're running this shop, won't you miss out?" Stunk remarked. After all, it was a succubus shop, and missing out would be a significant loss.
"I never said I wouldn't go," August replied.
"But what about your shop? It'll take several days for us to go and return."
"Don't worry about that. Have you ever seen a boss working every day?"
"Did you hire someone?" Stunk asked, intrigued.
"Well, sort of," August smiled slightly. Inside his little world, he had around twenty demon maids, nearly half of whom possessed the strength of high-level demons, while the rest were at least mid-level.
Once he had set everything in motion, August had delegated tasks to them. With their ability to cast space-transfer magic, combined with the powers he provided from the Shadow World, they could open portals to the Shadow Realm using magic circles.
So everything was under control. As for the gold coins, he entrusted all of them to the maids, keeping only a small portion for himself.
Thus, the news of the magical beast shop began to spread. Although many remained skeptical, some ventured out, driven by luck, to hunt small magical beasts and brought them back.
The magical beast shop occupied the first floor of the house August had purchased. Though the storefront wasn't large, it was sufficient for his needs.
Among those he had brought along were five people, led by none other than his head maid, Laura. The other four maids were Bella, Julie, Marjorie, and Ivy.
When they realized they were no longer in their original world, they were utterly stunned.
Especially Laura. For years, as August had brought back countless magical beast carcasses, she had been curious about where they came from. Now, she finally understood—it was another world.
This revelation elevated August in their eyes to an almost mythical status. Crossing worlds? That was a power beyond even the gods.
August chose not to explain anything further. If his maids regarded him as divine, that was a good thing.
"Excuse me, is this where you accept magical beast carcasses?"
At that moment, an adventurer walked in, dragging a Fire Wolf behind him, one of the most common magical beasts, known for its relatively weak strength.
"Welcome, sir! Yes, we do accept magical beast carcasses here. How many do you have to trade?" Bella replied with a charming smile.
"Uh…"
As he laid eyes on Bella, he was instantly captivated. She was stunningly beautiful, her aura enchanting beyond measure.
Although she was a maid, Bella had once hailed from a respectable family. She had become August's maid to climb the social ladder, and later, he had chosen her for this important role.
"Excuse me, sir?" Bella prompted gently.
"Oh, sorry! It's this Fire Wolf," he finally managed to say, refocusing on the task at hand.
"Alright, please wait a moment."
With a graceful gesture, Bella summoned a magical barrier, placing the Fire Wolf on it.
In an instant, the numbers "25 KG" appeared. This was a convenient spell for quick weighing.
"Hello, sir. This Fire Wolf weighs 25 kilograms, so its value is 25 gold coins."
She produced 25 gold coins and placed them in front of him.
The adventurer's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the coins. This shop really could exchange magical beast carcasses for gold—one gold coin per kilogram.
And this was just for a Fire Wolf! What if it were a larger magical beast? He could make hundreds of gold coins!
Filled with excitement, he left the shop and headed straight out to hunt more magical beasts. This was far easier than completing quests, and best of all, there were no requirements; the more he hunted, the more he earned.
"Bella, why do you think August is collecting so many magical beast carcasses? The magical energy in this world is so low," Ivy wondered as she stepped out from the back, perplexed by August's motivations.
"Perhaps it's for the young master. He's still in the budding stage, and according to Laura, he needs a lot of nourishment. These magical beast carcasses might serve as his food," Bella speculated.
"The young master? I can't understand why August would go to such lengths for just a plant," Ivy said, shaking her head.
'Bang!'
Before she could finish her sentence, she was sent flying.
"Ivy, you're becoming increasingly reckless. Have you forgotten your place?" Laura emerged from the back, her expression icy.
"A plant? That's the beloved child of the young master! Although it's still in its budding phase, it already possesses full consciousness and awareness. I believe it's a divine tree," Laura chastised.
Ivy had dared to speak ill of the young master behind his back, uttering such audacious words.
"Laura!" Ivy stammered, lowering her head in fear. Laura was the closest maid to August, and her words could easily condemn Ivy to a lifetime of servitude.
"Ivy, your audacity grows by the day. The young master's heart belongs to the young master. Do you know that if he found out what you just said, you would be no different from those magical beasts?"
"What? That's impossible!" Ivy exclaimed, her eyes wide with disbelief.
"Impossible? Have you forgotten your identity?"
"I—"
She was a maid, a personal belonging of August. How he chose to treat his belongings was entirely up to him.
The realization struck Ivy with a sense of dread.
"Laura, I promise I won't do it again! Please have mercy!"
"Ivy, this is your first warning, and it will also be your last. If there's a next time, I won't need August to deal with you; I'll handle it myself."
"Yes, I understand."
___
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