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Chapter 5—The Mageka on Duty (Part 5)
A draft document was displayed on the screen, where the first line in large bold font read: “Sakura Minazuki’s Store Opening Proposal”.
I could hardly believe what my eyes saw.
The business plan was written down to the very detail, including ways to kick-start the business, equipment required, contact method, operations and logistics, etc. As for the projected income, she put a question mark in the section since she was uncertain how much profit could be made per case to be exact.
Is she serious? I thought for sure she was joking. Wait, how much time did she pour into preparing this big-corporation-marketing-plan-looking-like proposal?
No actually, the real question here should be: When did she start planning all this?
It did seem like the business could break even and start bringing in profits within the first two months of operation. However, regardless of how promising the proposal might sound…
“But… this is impossible! You know how it is - magekas are outcasts in this world…” Her idea failed to convince me.
Had this business been feasible in the first place, I wouldn’t have gone for being an average clerk!
“Nothing’s impossible in this world. Mm… right, ‘Nothing in the world is difficult for one who sets his mind on it’, isn’t it?” In response to my doubt, Kou only let out a calming smile.
That was how the saying went, still, the gap between expectations and reality was often as wide as the vast ocean.
“Even if this is possible, will there really be any customers after the business starts running? Will anyone trust my identity and powers?” My doubts soon shifted into worries.
“Well, that depends on how far you’re willing to go for it.” Kou only kept smiling.
“But…”
“Rather than worrying your head about the result, why don’t you give it a try first?” Kou’s speech went straight to my heart. “There’s nothing to lose even if you fail.”
She’s right. What am I worrying about?
Three years back when I knew I didn’t stand a chance, I could’ve tried creating one for myself, yet fear got the better of me. I backed out from the thought. Throughout the years, I had always whined about not being given a chance, yet never learnt that opportunities were open to those who paid effort in making them happen, instead of those who solely waited for a miracle.
Now, the golden opportunity is standing right before me. Am I gonna be held back by my own cowardice again, and let go of it like I once did?
Hell no! Am I, Sakura Minazuki, a fearless mageka, supposed to be impeded by matters as trivial as this?
We’ll eventually figure something out if this doesn’t work. What am I even hesitating about?
“I must say, I’m impressed by all your time and thoughts that went into this.” After moments of contemplation, the first smile of the day finally beamed on my face.
Okay, it’s a deal.
“So, any amendments you wish to make? Or is there anything else that concerns you?” Pointing at the proposal, Kou further questioned. Despite my ambiguous response, the smile must have given away my thoughts.
“What do you mean by ‘online store’ here?” I referred to the section of interest.
“Opening a store online, literally,” she answered with pure certainty.
“That means… creating a website, like those shops online?”
“Brilliant.” She nodded confirmingly.
Online stores huh… I’m not too familiar with stuff that has to do with the Internet, but I do learn from the news that online stores will become “the thing” in the near future. It must be a trouble to work with this, but I’m sure it’s gonna be alright with Kou’s help.
She was always good at managing these tech gadgets. I heard from our friend Viola that Kou was the best tech savvy she had ever met.
For real, is there anything that’s beyond her reach - cooking exclusive?
“I’ve always been brilliant… and I guess we won’t need an office.” It came out naturally when I saw the word “office” in the “Work Venue” section. For most of the time when I worked as a mageka, I rarely sat in the office. Wouldn’t it be a waste of money to rent one solely for this business? Not mentioning how insanely expensive it was to do so in Hong Kong, a place that had been facing a perplexing issue of land shortage.
“But how are we gonna arrange meetings with our customers without an office? We can’t just meet them in public spaces!” Kou opposed.
“Can’t we just do it here?” I pointed my finger at the ground.
“You mean inviting strangers to our home?” Judging from Kou’s anxious look, it seemed my suggestion had triggered her.
“No-no-no, I mean ‘my’ home.” I shook my head vigorously.
“Look, you most definitely live here.” The grin on her face suddenly gave off a terrifying vibe. “But if I remember correctly, the host of this house is me, ain’t it?”
Why does she have to be pissed about it… does this part really matter anyways? Jeez, guess it’s best if I just show her what I meant in the simplest, most straightforward way before things get out of hand.
“Let me show you something,” I said, “come and wait outside my room for a while.”
I closed the door after leading her to my room, then retrieved a necklace from a wooden case in a drawer. Three gems, shaped in a sun, a moon and a pentagram, were embedded on it. The sight of them put me in a good mood.
“Finally, I can put them to use.” Wrapping it around my neck, I inhaled and declared, “Come to me, ‘Sceptre of Luna’.”
The moon gem on the necklace emitted a soft pure glow. Right after the glow vanished, a silver-white sceptre about four feet tall stood firmly in my palm.
Sceptres was a tool that every mage and mageka must possess as a medium for performing magic. Technically, the act of performing magic itself did not necessarily require a sceptre, but its presence did help stabilise the output of magical power, especially when exercising control over the casting of certain advanced magic could be complicated. Over time, it grew essential among mages and magekas. Spectres were typically rod-shaped, but had developed into a variety of appearances through the passage of time, such as in shapes of a paper fan, a padlock and a smartphone. Rod-shaped spectres remained mainstream regardless.
Some spectres were crafted by mages and magekas themselves, while others were left to the hands of experienced spectresmiths. Since there were not any rules in Glace that offered strict protection against spectre design replication, sceptres’ appearances were not unique. Nonetheless, if the owner of a certain spectre was famous enough, his or her spectre’s design would usually be recognised by the public, which served as a way to distinguish a mage or a mageka other than their nicknames. In that case, the presence of another spectre of the exact same design would be highly unlikely.
I pointed it to the ground. Ascertained that things were all set, I took a deep breath and cast a rusty spell, “Let’s bring this guest to my space. Space Creation!”
At the blink of an eye, a gusty wind orbited around the sceptre and swept through the entire room. However, it did not seem that the slightest physical change was made to the room.
Great, it works. I grinned.
“Come in.”379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCvFa2dZpjC
