Chapter 09.
"Yes, what is it?" "What do you think of the current state of the shop?" "I was thinking, 'I might be in trouble right now...?'" "Are you a preschooler!?" "I, I'm sorry." "Ah, no. I'm sorry. I got carried away and used my usual 'slapstick' voice." "Ara, ara. So that's how you usually talk around Aqua-sama and others." "Well, this is not by my 100% free will. You could say I need to talk like this since they have too many things to slap at... hey, why did the topics change!? Enough about me. Tell me what you think of your shop, Wiz." "Well, I know it's better if this shop prospers?" "Have you ever thought or planned anything to make this shop prosper?"
"I had several ideas but I thought, maybe it's too bitchy if I only pursued coin? So..." Oh, Wiz... There is a difference between being nice and being idiotic. "No, no. Of course, prosperous and pursuing coins may be the same, but being bitchy is a completely different matter. You could at least make a profit along the lines of making sure this shop falls into deficit?" "Yes, I understand. I will try my best." "That's a relief." "Of course, the only thing I can think of is lowering the prices. And even if I did that, it still doesn't sell." "Don't smile while saying things like that!" "Ah, of course. That sounds right." "Okay, then what do you say we think of a way to prosper this shop, together?" "Together?" Oops. I'm going to be called a pervert again, aren't I?
"Ah, I didn't think of anything weird, if that's what you're thinking." "I didn't think that. On the contrary, I'm glad I got such a great offer." Ah, Wiz. You just jinxed me.
No, I got to believe in this. It might be too basic to be called an idea, but it could still worth something! Remember what you've thought of last night! Kazuma took in a deep breath. "Alright, I have an idea. Wiz, I'll be frank with you. This store is full of unpractical knickknacks." It looked like Wiz wasn't going to take this now relevant and obvious fact well. Again. "K, knickknacks..." Kazuma quickly went on. Not tho give Wiz time to get depressed again. "But there are some things are practical and could be sold. But since nobody knows or cares about this shop, people don't know about it. You can't do anything when you don't know about it. So we'll go out and promote and sell our products. Like a door-to-door salesman!" "Muri desu! I'm not comfortable doing that... I like promoting my things to other people but I'm not sure if forcing them to buy it is a good idea..." "Yeah. It would probably end with you getting dragged into an endless conversation with a gossiper." "Well, I can't deny that."
He drank down the last drops of tea and put the teacup back on its saucer. He didn't show it, but he wanted to yell at Wiz as he did with those three idiots. He knew Wiz was soft, but this was too soft.
Wiz was too kind. It may be a different world, but Kazuma knew the same principles of society could still be equivalent here as well: Kindness will only put dust in your pockets. Unmoral men's pockets spill coins as they walk. 'So it's best to step between those two lines.' Maybe he was being too drastic here. In Wiz's case, her head was only full of flowers.
There are people like her. Those who always goes along with the flow. Those who always tell themselves: be kind. Don't be a burden to others. Those who accept any shit that was thrown at them. ...Or was she that terrible at shopkeeping? Too stupid to even not know the basics of everything? She was called the Ice witch for a reason, right? Then why is she acting like total shit? Being nice is totally different from being a complete stuttering idiot who would sell her body to appease others. ...That was too mean. Calm down, Kazuma. Wiz is not darkness. Even if she has a fuller body than her, she's still Wiz.
But still. 'Society isn't a structure that is kind to kind people.' If she keeps denying everything to not be a burden to everyone, not thinking for herself and not true to their inner greed, that can't be called kindness from that point. It should be called stupidity.
Stupid enough to forget she was a burden to Vanir instead of helping him. Stupid enough to let people look down on her. Stupid enough to let people to think of her as their personal pot at the end of the rainbow. Didn't she think she deserved better? Was he the only one to think of that?
HE really wanted to scream. HE wanted to verbally punch some sense into her. But that would only ruin his chance of doing anything with her. It might distract her from doing the exorcism rituals tonight. It might ruin his chance to change Wiz into... a somewhat decent Shopkeep who could help herself.
'I should step down a level. How can we step down a level from this?'
(Wiz holding a teacup): KO! NO! SU! BA!
They say you need to teach a man how to fish, not give him fish. Or else that man will never learn how to stand up for himself. Though Kazuma had no idea if this quote is completely accurate in this situation, it sounds similar enough. Kazuma decided that would be more likely to work on Wiz.
"Hey Wiz, let's go outside." "Ha? But the shop..." "It's alright. Alright. Nobody comes here anyway." "I don't mind if I say it, but hearing that from someone else..." "Hora, it's alright! Don't forget to lock the door!" "Ah, hai! Of course!"
Kazuma started at Wiz's back as she took the tray back to her kitchen. 'I hope this works.'
A/N 2019, Project Augustus. In courtesy of Sammo909.
Kazuma is truly furious with Wiz. But realizing the facts is any first step in creating a real relationship.
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