《I Graduated to Become an... Ant Queen?! (Isekai)》Side story 2: I Got Employed at an Anime(What's that?) Store.
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Ziiiiiiiiiiiirrrrr!!
Fwooooooosh!!
Wooooooooooooooooosh
A prophecy was made long ago. For when the four sect monstrosities would rise again. A hero, unrivaled in strength, wit, intelligence and inspiration. Would unite all beings against their common enemies.
Wooooooooooooooooosh
For centuries, since the dreadful year of darkness, the year the four monstrosities descended onto Celestia. After they fell into deep slumber, the sect along with their born leaders, the sect overlord, always ruled over most of the lands. Until a few decades ago, the three kings and their armies rose up and pushed the sect into near extinction and destroyed the sect overlord. Now the lands are divided into three kingdoms. The Third kingdom lay high north beyond the Black lands while the First and Second kingdom stayed south of the sect’s lands.
Wooooooooooooooooosh
War never stopped between the Second and First kingdom. And not long after, I was born. As the one the prophecy foretold, as the one to stop the forthcoming four sect monstrosities, the hero. I’ve trained most of my life from my fifth year to my twenty first year. On the day of my twenty first, I was thrown a large celebration in the First kingdom. It was to celebrate me becoming the true hero that the prophecy has stated me to be. Despite being a woman, I conquered all thrown at me. Fought in some of the wars for the First kingdom and slaughtered countless sects and Elder sects. On my journey back to my master’s hut in the Black lands something strange happens.
Woooooooo- Craaaaaaaaasshhhh!!
Sucked through some unknown portal I fell through the sky. Unable to do anything, I fall from the height of the highest mountain in Celetsia. I crash land into an unknown building. Laying on the ground I take a second to regain my clear vision. But coming to, only made me more confused than I initially was. All around me were books and small statues. Everything, vibrant and colorful like an artist just vomited all their ideas into one room. Strange music and singing, by what seems to be a girl, echoed throughout the place. I stand up and look at what it seems to be a sign.
“Ota… ? Ota-… attack… Ota-attacku??”
“ 大丈夫か ”
“Wh- what?”
I turn to see a man dressed in strange clothing and what seems to be a type of apron. I blink at him a few times and look around again. He continues to talk to me in a sort of gibberish. Soon he slowly became more understandable. [Language LV 1] obtained.
“ 分かったか Hey… do you speak japanese? Or… maybe do you speak english?”
“Oh hello, yes I speak. Um. First of all where am I?”
“Um… you’re in… Ota-attacku. Uh… one of the most popular anime store in this city.”
“Ah… Ah… annnn niiiii meh? What’s that?”
I look down to check on my injuries. Luckily, the fall wasn’t that bad. Only got a few scuffs on my armor and my hair got a bit messy.
“Listen, I don’t know who you are and… how you did this all, but you seem okay. Somehow. So I’m gonna ask you how are you gonna pay for all this?”
“You don’t know who I am? Hm… must’ve been transported to a far off land in Celestia. Interesting. Well allow me to introduce myself, I’m Celeste. Nice to meet you. Oh and I sincerely apologize for damaging your… humble shop.”
I kneel down bowing, placing one hand on my chest while the other hand, open palm, firmly placed on the ground.
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“Oh. Uh, nice to meet you Celeste, I’m Juro Matsui. I’m the owner of this shop. You… you can get up now.”
I stand up and face him. He looks down at an object strapped around his wrist.
“OH CRAP!! It’s almost time for the release!”
He goes off into a different room leaving me still standing by the destruction that I caused.
Strange name. Plus everything about this is strange beyond belief. Never knew there’d be this type of ‘art’ in Celestia. He said this is a store? Must be… for only the distinguished of nobles and such if he’s selling all these… exotic items.
I take a walk around the store looking at every little piece. The small statues around the store are mostly women and girls. Some were dressed while others showed too much skin. The books had more of the same sort of females on the covers. Most of the text and symbols on the books are unreadable to me. Aside from the sign hanging above, I couldn’t read much of anything around me at all.
I really must be on a different island entirely. I never saw a single symbol of sorts anywhere across the First and Second kingdom’s lands. So bizarre… but I need to find a way back home.
I look up through the hole in the ceiling to see the blue sky. It’s a clear sunny day, no portal in sight.
“Uh… Oh portal of Celestia, I, Celeste, hero of the First kingdom require transportation back to my original location!”
I place my hand up facing the sky, closing my eyes. Getting a feel of the air, I use my mental images of where I last saw myself in Celestia to open whatever portal that sucked me into this place.
“Uhhh… what are you doing?”
“Ah! Oh… please don’t break my concentration, I was trying to return from whence I came.”
“Huh… well maybe you can do… whatever you were up to after closing?”
He places some human-size boards with art of a woman in showy armor around the area that I fell in from. Using the boards to somewhat hide most of the damage done.
Why does she barely have any armor on??? What’s with her way too well-endowed breasts???
“Here this is your nametag, your cosplay is honestly in theme with today’s launch so you got a lot of points for that. Just greet whoever comes in and direct them to this big stand over there. Got it? Great, I’ll be around and at the counter over there if you need me.”
He clips on a name tag, with ‘Celeste’ written on it, onto my breastplate. Before I could get another word in he ran off to the entrance of the shop to this door made out of glass. He fiddled with it for a quick second before magically the doors slid wide open.
“Woah! Wait, you're a sorcerer??”
After witnessing the strange magic from afar I approach the glass doors. After a few seconds of closing it opened up again when I came close to a certain distance.
“You are a sorcerer!”
In awe I inspected the doors as it repeatedly opened and closed to my presence.
“Um… well on this online game I play I usually am called that. But… that’s just a sliding door.”
“Sliding door? Wow! I don’t see any runes or gems of sorts. Plus very uniquely made to show off your wares while being protected. You must have LV 7 skills, maybe even a LV 8!”
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“I just paid for these to be installed, they are the best in the market but… Well anyways. I’m not sure what you mean by LVs, but could you please stand over there by the counter?”
He points over to the big stand full of the same art of the women barely dressed in metal armor.
“You want me to stand over there?! I can’t possib-”
He turns to face me giving me the sternest look he could ever give me arms crossed and standing firm.
“You made that huge mess in my store. And you won’t go anywhere until that is all repaired and paid for.”
A shiver shoots through my spine as I look up at him. [Danger Sense LV 6] activates. I feel the ends of my hair stand. The tinge on the back of my neck from him stating the situation I got myself in.
“Y-yes sir!”
His attitude and posture! It’s… it’s too similar to my master! Is he somehow the long lost brother?!
Straightening up my posture I stiffly make my way to the front of the big stand. Behind me all I can hear now is strange voices. I turn to see a large dark glass hanging above the pile of books on the table. A light flashes and the dark glass begins showing moving pictures with sound coming out. The same scantily dressed armored woman appeared, this time moving and seemingly in a fight against odd creatures.
“Huh… I never knew armor can still stay on in an intense battle despite barely holding on… she might have a skill that allows her to dress in such a manner and still retain some sort of protection…”
“Hey, Celeste there’ll be a lot of customers today so stay focused and remember to greet and lead them to the stand! That’s it! I’ll handle the rest!”
Juro shouts from across the store.
“Okay! I’ll do my best!”
I’ve worked in the streets selling bread from a basket many times when I was really young, I’m sure the concept is somewhat the same here. Maybe if I fully repay the damages and gain this sorcerer’s favor he can send me home. Yeah what a great plan, if I do say so myself!
Soon enough crowds of men came bustling in. All of them were wearing all kinds of weird clothing. Most of them wore articles of clothing with the face or full body of the skin-showing woman.
“W-welcom-”
“OH WOW, a- a- a- a new employeeeeee?”
“She’s super cute! Waifu material!”
“Oh look she’s also cosplaying for today’s release!”
“P-please shake my hand!!”
“Si-Sign my shirt please!”
“Hehehehe…. Could I have a picture?”
“S-sure?...”
Already surrounded by groups of men, some of them had a small-box like item in their hands. They held it up as it flashed and made noise before looking at the glass part of the item. From a glimpse of what I saw the small box was able to capture a very real-like picture of me and the guy in a small glass.
What is this magic? Skill? Are they all well trained in sort of new arts??? What kind of advanced skills are these to capture a still picture of me and themselves in such a small item???
I could only utter a few words here and there in the crowd as they overwhelmed me with requests. Some were moving past to grab the books at the stand, but the majority of them were fawning over me.
“Sure um… please buy this book over there. Oh! Uh… yeah you’re welcome. Yes… uh I’ll shake your hand. Hey!”
A guy had snuck up behind me and grabbed my butt firmly. Immediately, I turn to face the man. He smirked, still holding out the hand that inappropriately touched me. A vein popped in my head and I grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. I lifted him off the ground and walked him to the door before throwing him out a few feet away.
“If I ever. See your face again, I will break your face with your own hand.”
His face was flushed. He whimpered and stumbled as he ran away as fast as he could. Turning back I head to stand at my original spot, the crowd silent from witnessing my strength.
“Oh… no I did it again.”
Because of my own power and strength I’ve always have to be careful not to get too heated in things when around normal people. One misuse of my powers could mean the end of an innocent’s life. I mean it's all in the title name ‘Hero’ and a hero can’t be destroying other people’s lives. But what he did is still a despicable action and such shall be met with an appropriate punishment. I just hope I didn’t frighten the public too much with my strength, I’m not too known to them. I’m a foreign person in this foreign land and if I’m not too careful I could make an enemy of the people. Maybe I should bow and apologize before it’s too late. I can’t go damaging my reputation even if this isn’t Celestia!
“WOOOOOW!!”
“Strong waifu! 10/10! Holy crap!”
“I got all that on video! Shit that was awesome!!”
“U-um… um Would you please step on me!!”
“Make me your slave!!”
“W-... what?”
Astonished as the crowd formed a line to me. Even more rigorous with their fawning, more began wanting to meet me and shake my hand. For the rest of the day the customers were more behaved around me. Although I kept getting many odd requests for me to ‘dominate’ them or something along those lines. When it came to closing all of the books on the stand and some of the stuff around it had been sold.
“Hey, Celeste you don’t work anywhere else right?”
“Huh? Uh no… but I am a hero of Celestia so my duties are plentiful.”
“Huh… well does this ‘hero of Celestia’ have any money?”
“Well I do hav-”
I feel around my back, only to have my stomach sink. A couple pats around my body and nothing. My nifty bag that I always carry is nowhere on me.
My… my bag’s gone!
While I looked around myself and the area I crashed into I felt a growing threat beside me. Looking to see where the sense of danger was coming from, I only saw Juro standing there. Silent, yet exuding dominating pressure.
“Uh… hehe… I guess I don’t have anything to pay for the damages…”
“Thought so. Well, you’re in luck I am looking for more employees. My last one quit on me and I’m super understaffed for a big store. So… I’d like to welcome you to Ota-attacku! Cough… ahem Hurraaayyy…!”
The way he said hurray wasn’t anywhere near enthusiastic at all.
“But hey you did a great job getting all that stuff sold. Surprisingly you’re a natural. So you’ll be able to pay off the damages… in due time.”
“In due time? How much is the damage?”
“You did crash through the most essential part of the store… The hole is pretty big plus all the expensive equipment got crushed underneath it all.”
Holding a small book he writes things down.
Whatever the cost I’m sure I’d be able to pay this debt off easily. After all with my years of training and vast amount of experience as Celestia’s hero, I’ll be able to overcome almost… no. I have to overcome everything!
“I’d say 14,502,420 yen... give or take.”
I stood there. The number repeated in my head over and over. All I could do is look at him as he stares at me. He holds up the small book showing me the things he wrote with the same number written big and bold.
14,502,420 yen.
“WHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT??!!”
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