The Shop Fairy

Classes ended today too, and it was after school.

Today, Caro and I ended up heading home together, happily.

“It feels like it’s been a while since we walked home with just the two of us.”

Caro said as she clung to my arm while we walked.

To anyone watching, we probably looked like nothing but a couple.

“Yesterday you weren’t there because of cleaning duty, and the day before that Josette-san and Akane were with us, so that might be why.”

“How long do you think the renovation will take?”

Caro asked me.

“I still don’t really know yet. Anything I can’t handle with the device will have to be done by craftsmen, and I haven’t even met with them about that part.”

“I see. I’m excited to see what kind of shop you’ll make, Kent-san.”

Caro and I went home, got ready, and headed to Marie’s bakery.

“Welcome back, Kent-san and Caro-chan.”

“Welcome back, big bro and Caro big sis!”

““We’re home.””

I placed orders for the ingredients we were short on, and Caro went to fix the product displays.

I’d already told Marie about the device, so I stopped going back home and started placing orders from the bakery workshop in the back.

Not having to travel back and forth made things a little easier.

“Good day, everyone.”

After we’d been working for a bit, Josette arrived at the shop in a carriage.

“Welcome, Josette-san.”

Catherine said from the front as she watched the store.

“Catherine-san, thank you for your hard work today as well. I’m not here to help today—I have business. Could you call Marie-san and Kent-san for me?”

“Wait a sec.”

Catherine said, then went into the workshop in the back.

“Mom, big bro—Josette-san says she’s here because she has business.”

Called by Catherine, Marie and I came out to the front.

“Welcome, Josette-san.”

I said.

“Then, as you told me today, I brought twenty large gold coins. Would you confirm them for me?”

A maid standing behind her set a bag of money on the counter.

Marie and I checked the contents.

“Seeing this much money makes me nervous…”

Marie accepted it with trembling hands.

“Then repayment can begin once the business stabilizes… Let’s see. We’ll set the deadline as the time Kent-san graduates from school. Is that acceptable?”

Josette asked us.

It was May now, so even if things stabilized starting next month, it was about twenty-two months until I graduated.

If you divided it by month, we’d have to repay about one large gold coin—roughly a million—every month.

By any normal standard, that was brutal.

If it came down to it, I could always offer myself as collateral.

I didn’t dislike Josette—if anything, I liked her—so it didn’t feel like much of a burden.

“Understood. That works.”

I answered.

“Kent-san… can you really repay that much?”

Marie asked, worried, because she’d assumed we’d have a longer repayment period.

“It’ll be fine. Just relax and trust me.”

I said to reassure her.

“Then I have an engagement after this, so I must excuse myself. I’ll come help again when I have time.”

With that, she hurried into her carriage and left.

“Huh? Did Josette-sama already leave?”

Caro returned from the back, where she’d been cleaning up the trash that came out of the shop.

“Nice work, Big Sis Caro. Josette-san said she had something to do.”

Catherine explained.

“Then, Kent-san, please take care of this money.”

Marie handed me the money we’d just received.

“Alright, I’m going to start the work. There might be some loud noises along the way, but please don’t worry about it.”

I said.

Caro remembered what she’d experienced before.

“Yeah… there was a really loud sound from the ceiling. I thought the house was going to collapse.”

Caro had gotten used to this life to the point that it felt normal now, but she suddenly remembered how shaken she’d been the first time she saw things appear out of nowhere.

Back then, she’d tried to act calm, but she’d been panicking inside.

I stepped into Marie’s family home next door.

“Welcome home, Master.”

The instant I entered, Emily clung to me.

She was wearing a thin outfit that made her body lines stand out clearly, and I didn’t know where to look.

“Emily… can we do something about that outfit?”

“This? It reflects my previous master’s tastes. If it doesn’t please you, I can change it.”

“Can you change it that easily?”

“Easily. The outfit you picture in your mind will be reflected exactly. Want to try?”

Emily said.

So I pictured something immediately.

(For now… how about a nurse outfit?)

I imagined it without thinking too hard.

“I’ve received your image, Master. Converting now.”

Emily’s body glowed, and her outfit changed into a white uniform that emphasized her figure.

It didn’t look like workwear at all—more like cosplay.

“Amazing… it’s exactly what I imagined.”

I was genuinely shocked.

“Um… is this outfit acceptable?”

“Sorry. Change it.”

This time I pictured something seriously: a calm maid outfit with low exposure.

“I’ve received your image, Master. Converting now.”

Just like before, her body glowed—and she transformed into the maid outfit I’d pictured.

“Is this acceptable?”

“Yes, that’s fine. By the way, can you change your outfit as many times as you want?”

I asked.

“As many times as you like. Of course, you can also undress me, or have me wear real clothing as well. Enjoy it however you wish, Master.”

“Can you handle customer service too, Emily?”

I needed to confirm how useful she could be.

“No problem. To ordinary customers, I only look like a normal employee. However, merchants who similarly command shop fairies will be able to tell what I am. Still, they can’t do anything just by knowing, so you won’t suffer any disadvantage—please don’t worry. And you, Master, will also be able to recognize shop fairies working at other stores.”

“How do you tell?”

“There’s one place that’s different from normal people, right? That’s how you tell. Other people can’t see it.”

Emily said.

It sounded like the wings on her back were the tell.

But that made me wonder something.

“I’m pretty sure I could see your wings even before we contracted, though?”

“Good catch. Actually, I can choose to show my wings by my own will. I showed them so you would become aware of my existence, Master.”

So she’d intended to form a contract from the start.

“So, Master. What will you do today?”

Emily asked.

“Today I’m going to start the renovation according to the plan.”

I answered her question.

“But there are no craftsmen here.”

“They won’t be needed today. I’ll do it myself.”

I spread out the plan I’d written and took out the device.

“That’s my first time seeing such a tool. What is it?”

Emily stared at it curiously.

“With this, I can summon items. But when I do, my funds go down.”

On the device’s funds display, 20 million—equivalent to the twenty large gold coins Josette loaned me—had been added.

Like Marie’s bakery, this building also had the first floor as shop space and the second floor as living space.

“Emily, how do you sleep and live here?”

“I’m a shop fairy, so I can’t leave the property. Also, I don’t need food or drink, so it’s more like I just ‘float’ inside the building. I can eat and drink if I want, but then it will come out the other end, so you’d need toilet facilities.”

“Aren’t you lonely by yourself?”

“My duty as a fairy is to protect the shop and assist my master, so I’m fine.”

“Got it. Then I’ll renovate with the assumption that you’ll be living here.”

“Master… you’re spending precious money for my sake. Thank you.”

Emily said happily.

While checking the plan, I operated the device and assembled everything the shop would need: a solar system and batteries, exterior and interior work, climate control, wiring, kitchen equipment, plumbing, water supply and drainage, insulation, tables, chairs, counters, a cash register, display shelves, and refrigerated display units.

Emily helped me with placement and fine adjustments as we set everything up.

Then I built a room for Emily and a shower room on the second floor.

“Incredible, Master. In just this amount of time, it’s become more than enough equipment to run as a restaurant.”

Emily seemed to be able to read my thoughts.

She already understood how to use each machine without any explanation.

Not having to teach from scratch saved a huge amount of effort.

“It is, if we’re running it as a restaurant. But this is going to be part of a bakery. Next, we still have to renovate the building next door. So I think it’ll take a little longer before we can open.”

“I see… That’s a shame.”

Emily said, looking disappointed.