Death Frost | Deathsworn #2

Chapter 77 ❆ Opening Day

With stuff having been settled over at the River End (for the most part), we were due to open within a day or two. For convenience's sake, it had to be done on the weekend. Not only would there be more people, I would have the whole day off from the Temple and would therefore be able to pour all my energy towards making the opening day a success.

Of course, I wouldn't actually be coming forward as the owner of the store. I would be leaving the front face to my Mistress Veronika, who had a Merchant's Union badge certification in her name. She was also a very charismatic woman, so no doubt about it she would be able to carry the name very well.

I would be helping around in the sidelines meanwhile. No one would believe it was being run by a thirteen-year-old 'child,' anyway. And I best not humiliate myself or make trouble on the opening day.

Eren had promised she would be there, but she might be held back.

Anyway, in the earlier days, I practically showered the streets with pamphlets. I also planned to set up a small stall outside the shop to offer test samples with those little paper strips. Let's not forget that massive 'OPENING SOON' banner hanging outside—all bright and colorful and elegant. The date was posted under it just a tad bit smaller along with a caption of freebies and gifts to be given to first customers.

I should be able to spare a few small bottles of perfume and it should encourage people to come in and have a look—who wouldn't want free things? There were lots of brainwashing strategies, so I decided I would make Mistress Kora at the helm of public speaking, considering how charismatic he could be.

I remember the aromatherapy stuff they shoved into our heads in my other world, and I do admit it set the atmosphere a lot tor certain occasions. So I was confident we had some stuff to start with for the most popular niches.

Of course, I intended to keep things simple for now. I did not intend to bite off more than I could chew. I'd already made a list of scents that I could make and release intermittently to keep customers interested for a good while. But while I was making plans for the future, I also kept in mind to focus on the present more. My goal right now was to make the opening day at least successful.

And although it might probably be naïve of me to think the store would be successful, I did not want to break my enthusiasm and continued the dream in my mind that I would be able to safely establish the brand among the people.

It had to work.

We would be open to customers before lunch at ten in the morning, but I had been up as early as five. The rest of the store's crew came out at seven, and the mistresses came in at around eight.

They all had the same question when they came in. "Since when have you been here?"

"Five," I said, holding up a full hand at first. But since I had to repeat myself a couple of times since then, I threw the answer almost instinctively.

There were many things in the store that I would not feel comfortable about without double-checking. I was almost certain, with my paranoia, that something would go wrong if I wasn't careful.

The advice was nearly the same every time; "please take it easy," "it will be fine," or "you worry too much." Sad to say that, as much as I wanted to follow those words, I hadn't been able to catch much sleep since last night. The reason why I came early was because there was no use sitting anxiously in the Temple anyway.

Maun came in looking a little troubled somewhere in between, but he held a bag of warm bread and mugs filled with hot drinks—probably from the bakery nearby. I beamed at his thoughtfulness and bit into the breakfast he brought. The savory smell of the ham, cheese, and mushrooms sandwiched between the bread made my stomach grumble.