Ch 41: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World

Mrs. Sid stood in front of the nail salon, looking up at the sign—Lu Yao Nail Salon. It was an odd name, but easy to understand.

Annie remained standing in the middle of the road, lost in thought. Mrs. Sid called over her shoulder, “Annie, we’ve arrived.”

Snapping back to reality, Annie’s mind was still preoccupied with the sparkling fingertips she’d seen earlier, her resentment toward her mother dragging her out no longer as intense. She reluctantly followed.

Inside the shop, Muxin had just left, and Lu Yao assumed no more customers would come, so she started tidying up the table and preparing the materials she had recently bought. She retrieved the formula for dragon-specific glue from her storage and carefully measured the ingredients, placing them in labeled paper bags. Once she gathered the remaining three ingredients, she could attempt the production.

She wrote the missing materials on a note, with an emphasis on the need to visit Sib Herb Shop for ten pairs of twelve-level magic beast eyes. According to the local merchant, two other herbs could potentially be found in the nearby mountains, so Lu Yao planned to ask the herbalist, Lixiu, later.

As the door swung open, Lu Yao looked up to see a well-dressed lady fanning herself gracefully. She quickly pushed her materials aside and stood up to greet her, “Hello, if you’re here for a manicure, please take a seat over here.”

This was a bit of a sales tactic on Lu Yao’s part—greeting all guests as potential clients. But if they weren’t interested, she wouldn’t press them.

Mrs. Sid glanced around the store. The décor was simple but neat, with bright windows and clean shelves displaying unfamiliar yet intriguing items. Two young men sat on a sofa nearby, though it was unclear whether they were customers or staff. The shop didn’t match her expectations.

Annie walked in, scanning the room before approaching her mother. “Is this the interesting shop you mentioned?”

It didn’t seem special—except for the two strikingly handsome young men on the sofa. She wondered who they were.

Mrs. Sid nodded at Annie, then turned to Lu Yao. “Are you the owner?”

Lu Yao nodded slightly and guided them to sit down, handing Mrs. Sid a tablet and showing her how to use it. With no help expected from the two dragons lounging nearby, Lu Yao got up to serve tea.

Annie’s attention was drawn to the sofa, particularly to the two men. One, Harold, looked youthful, about her age, but it was the golden-haired, golden-eyed Si Jin who truly captured her interest. His noble aura made him naturally attractive to young women.

Feeling her gaze, Si Jin looked up, his expression cold as a hint of his dragon aura leaked out, his eyes narrowing in warning.

A shiver ran down Annie’s spine, and she quickly averted her gaze.

Who is he? His aura is terrifying.

She had no ill intentions—just admiration for his appearance—but she dared not stare any longer. Turning back to Lu Yao, she noticed the shopkeeper’s distinct black hair and eyes, marking her as foreign. Her mother was discussing nail styles with the owner.

As she looked down, Annie saw her mother holding a tablet, swiping her fingers to reveal a new page full of intricate nail designs. She suddenly remembered the woman in the green dress she had passed by earlier and snatched the tablet from Mrs. Sid’s hands, quickly scrolling through.

Mrs. Sid showed a resigned expression, though there was a hint of subtle satisfaction in her eyes. She had expected this reaction.

Annie scrolled to the end, where she found an image of green and white checkered nails, two fingertips shimmering with an indescribable brilliance. The scene from earlier on the street replayed in her mind, filling in the details she had missed. She looked up at Lu Yao and asked, “Did you make this? Was the woman in the green dress wearing this design?”

Lu Yao nodded and answered only the first question, “Yes, it’s one of my designs.”

Sensing that Lu Yao was being cautious, Annie explained, “I ran into her at the door earlier. Her fingertips caught my eye, but I couldn’t see them clearly. I was just curious, not trying to intrude.”

Her sincerity reassured Lu Yao, who confirmed that a guest had indeed received that design but didn’t disclose any personal information about Muxin.

So it really was nail art, Annie thought, finally feeling satisfied. Her intense curiosity had been piqued but was now soothed.

Lu Yao showed her how to zoom in on the image for a closer look.

Annie’s eyes widened when she realized the sparkling fragments weren’t ordinary gems but silver and obsidian crystals—rare and highly valuable magical gems.

Both silver crystals and obsidian crystals were extremely precious, practically worth their weight in gold. Zooming in, she could clearly see the shape and texture of the gemstones on the nails, as well as traces of the magic used to shrink them. A single gem of that size could be worth several cities.

How could anyone be this extravagant?

Wearing the equivalent of dozens of cities on her fingernails, the noble and pampered Miss Annie suddenly began to question her life choices.

The tablet’s screen was very sensitive, and while Annie was lost in thought, the ruffles on her sleeve brushed the screen, flipping the page.

Her eyes widened, and her heart nearly stopped when she pointed to the image of glittering gemstones on the screen. She stammered, “Are—are these jinjing crystals?”

Lu Yao nodded calmly.

Annie: “…”

Who were these high-profile people frequenting this shop?

Mrs. Sid, tired of watching her daughter act foolish, took back the tablet and flipped to a design she liked. “I like this style, but I’d prefer roses instead of daisies. Could that be done?”

She had her eye on the oil painting-style nails that Fisa had chosen earlier, and Lu Yao assured her that it was no problem.

While the shopkeeper worked on her mother’s nails, Annie stood by, watching with wide eyes.

The owner’s hand was incredibly steady. She used a fine brush to paint intricate, beautiful rose branches, and even managed to outline the petals with gold, more delicately than the instructors at the Royal Academy of Magic who taught magical array construction.

With just the first nail design complete, Mrs. Sid was already satisfied. The owner’s taste and skill far exceeded her expectations.

It had been worth traveling all the way from Onorton City for this manicure.

Mrs. Sid could already envision herself stealing the spotlight at her next social gathering.

Though the shop had silicone rose pattern stamps that could be used to print a similar design, Mrs. Sid preferred the texture of the oil painting nails. Without mentioning the stamps, Lu Yao chose to paint by hand.

To highlight the vibrant and passionate roses, Lu Yao imagined Mrs. Sid’s hands as a lush rose garden.

Each finger displayed roses in different stages: a budding flower on the thumb, intertwined thorny stems on the index finger, roses barely visible in the mist on the middle finger, and morning dew-covered petals on the pinky. Every finger was unique.

As Mrs. Sid gazed at her fingers, she couldn’t hide her delight. She commented, “I particularly love this wilting rose—it’s very special. You’ve put a lot of thought into it.”

The wilting rose was painted on her ring finger, the only design in the set with gray tones. The base coat was a light gray, and the withering rose stem was dark gray, with just three petals left clinging to the stem. The heart of the flower glowed gold, as if symbolizing that the rose had once bloomed passionately, only to burn out.

Lu Yao smiled and shook her head, modestly saying it was nothing. She then raised her hand to create a magic array, preparing to seal the nails.

Annie had been admiring her mother’s stunning nails, but when she saw what Lu Yao was doing, her eyes filled with surprise. “Are you a Light Mage?”

Lu Yao nodded. “You could say that.”

Annie: “…”

Why would a Light Mage, of all people, not attend the Royal Academy and instead open a nail salon in such a remote town?

She even used the precious Light Magic to seal and reinforce nails.

—This was such an outrageous use of her talents that if the academy’s headmaster saw it, he’d clutch his heart and scold her for wasting her gifts.

“You like your mother’s style, right? We can start now,” Lu Yao said as she tidied the table, glancing at Annie.

Annie snapped back to reality and replied without thinking, “I want the same nails as my mother’s, but I don’t like the wilted rose. Could you design something else for me to replace it?”

Lu Yao nodded. “No problem.”

Annie’s nine fingers had the same design as Mrs. Sid’s, but the ring finger on her right hand was only coated with a protective base, left blank for now.

She waited patiently.

Finally, Lu Yao switched brushes, mixed a new color, and began painting on the blank ring finger. The initial gray tones made Annie think the shopkeeper had run out of new ideas.

When Lu Yao added fallen petals and scattered leaves, Annie’s disappointment deepened.

Moments later, Lu Yao swapped brushes again, mixing a darker red, two shades deeper than a bright crimson, to add petals to the bare flower core. She then mixed a hint of misty blue to paint thin streaks of rain, darkening the background.

Annie blinked in surprise—it was different now.

This was a rose battered by rain, its petals drooping and leaves scattered. Yet, despite its tattered state, the rose held its head high, unbowed.

What was most remarkable was how this rose’s posture and hues mirrored the wilted rose on Mrs. Sid’s nails.

Annie’s rose stood firm despite the storm, while Mrs. Sid’s rose had burned brightly before leaving behind only embers.

For some reason, Annie felt a lump in her throat, and her eyes stung, though she held back her tears.

Crying over a manicure would be ridiculous, she told herself.

Mrs. Sid’s gaze toward Lu Yao softened, containing a restrained warmth.

She had lived long enough to know what she wanted and wasn’t afraid of withering or fading.

But Annie was different. She was still young, and she needed courage.

Whether intentional or not, this shopkeeper had a keen sense of insight.

Mrs. Sid turned her head and noticed the messy pile of materials on the table, her eyes lingering on a lone piece of paper. A slight smile tugged at her lips, but she said nothing.

She knew this wouldn’t be their last encounter with the shopkeeper.

After leaving the nail salon, Mrs. Sid and Annie checked into a nearby inn. They decided to stay in Emeraldstone Town for a while.

Lu Yao stowed away the four gold coins in a drawer. With no other customers in sight, she turned to Harold and Si Jin, her face serious. “I think you two need some employee training.”

Harold, disinterested, didn’t even look up from his comic book, and it was unclear if he was paying any attention at all.

Si Jin was similarly absorbed, admiring his nails with a look of utter fascination.

Crossing her arms, Lu Yao said sternly, “If you two don’t change your attitude, I’ll have to consider firing you. I don’t need employees who ignore customers, reading comics and being vain during work hours.”

The word “firing” seemed to finally catch their attention. Harold and Si Jin glanced at Lu Yao with confusion.

Lu Yao sighed. She didn’t expect them to behave like normal employees, but their attitude of acting like guests in the shop was something that needed correcting.

“As staff, when customers come in, you should at least greet them and invite them in instead of acting like you have nothing to do but read comics or play with your nails,” she said seriously. “Harold, you can’t just lounge on the couch all day. If you want to sit, sit properly.”

Harold’s face darkened as he begrudgingly sat up, his brows furrowing into a dramatic landscape of ridges. Si Jin, meanwhile, couldn’t help but gloat at Harold’s discomfort.

Lu Yao turned to look at Si Jin. “You’re no better, always playing with your nails and ignoring customers.”

Harold and Si Jin exchanged glances, both looking offended, but neither argued back. Their expressions were a mix of frustration and resignation.

Lu Yao wondered if she had been too harsh. Dragons were used to living freely, so it was understandable that they weren’t immediately adjusting to the role of shop assistants. Still, she didn’t need them to be perfect—just not to lie around ignoring customers would be enough.

Reflecting on this, Lu Yao softened her tone and started patiently explaining what being a shop assistant entailed. Harold and Si Jin nodded repeatedly, but their eager, wide-eyed expressions made her even less confident they’d actually understand.

After nearly an hour of explaining, Lu Yao finally gave up trying to “train” the dragons into competent shop assistants. She called on the system, “Post a job listing for an assistant.”

The system responded: “Deducting 50 popularity points. A new staff position has been added, and the job ad has been posted.”

Lu Yao also checked her current task progress. While business at the nail salon was doing well, it wasn’t attracting nearly as many customers as her snack shop. The task of serving twenty customers was still stalled.

With no customers on the horizon, Lu Yao decided it was a good time to ask Lixiu about the herbs she needed. Lixiu’s apothecary was just across from the nail salon, so it only took a few steps to get there.

Lixiu was just preparing to gather herbs in the forest, so Lu Yao immediately asked to join her. Hearing that Lu Yao was looking for Thorn Star Grass and Black Lotus, Lixiu happily offered to take her to the swamp where they grew.

Lu Yao returned to the nail salon to inform Harold and Si Jin that she’d be away collecting herbs. She told them to handle any customers by taking appointments, and promised she’d return by the evening.

…

Lixiu, familiar with the terrain and plant locations, led the way into the forest. She explained that Thorn Star Grass and Black Lotus both grew near the swamp and warned that one had to be careful not to fall into the swamp while collecting them.

Lu Yao noted her advice and followed closely behind.

Soon after they entered the forest, Lixiu spotted a large patch of thriving Illusion Grass and stopped to gather it. Illusion Grass was a rare plant that had the tendency to “run away,” growing near water in the morning and under tree shade by afternoon. Its elusive nature matched its name.

“If you find Illusion Grass, you have to harvest it immediately,” Lixiu said apologetically. “It’s rare and improves the quality of sleep potions. I’ll have to pick as much as I can, so we’ll be delayed a bit.”

Lu Yao knelt down to help her. “It’s fine. We’ll finish faster together. I’ll go this way, and you go that way. Let’s meet back here when we’re done.”

Lixiu smiled gratefully and bent down to start harvesting the grass. The Illusion Grass covered half of the mountainside, and Lu Yao, armed with a small sickle, focused on gathering the herbs and storing them in bundles in her inventory. Without realizing it, she had wandered quite far.

When she finally straightened up for a break, she noticed something odd hanging from a nearby tree.

Lu Yao rubbed her eyes. “Am I seeing things?”

The strange creature seemed to notice her as well and began struggling frantically in the web it was caught in, letting out cute “chirp chirp” sounds.

System: “It seems to be asking for help.”

Lu Yao, hands on her hips and slightly out of breath, remarked, “That thing’s body looks fluid-like, and it can change shape at will. How could it be stuck in a web? Is this a trap?”

The system scanned the creature and replied: “It’s not a human-made trap. That’s a hunting web spun by a White Spirit Spider, meant to catch magical creatures. Although it’s technically a magical creature, it’s too weak to even be considered prey. The spider likely left it there because it wasn’t worth eating.”

Lu Yao: “…”

System: “Would you like to rescue it?”

The little creature in the web seemed to understand the system’s words and stared at Lu Yao with big, teary eyes, looking pitifully in her direction.

Lu Yao: “Is it dangerous?”

System: [Slimes are the weakest creatures on this continent. Saving it won’t benefit you, but not saving it won’t harm you either.]

“…Well, it’s too cute to leave behind.” Lu Yao approached, supporting the bottom of the white spider web with one hand while carefully cutting it with her small sickle.

The slime felt soft, slippery, and cool—just like jelly. Unable to resist, Lu Yao gave it a little squeeze before setting it down. “Be more careful next time, so you don’t get caught again.”

The blue, transparent slime flopped onto the ground, resembling a pool of clear water, and responded with a series of “chirps.”

Lu Yao heard Lixiu calling for her, so she waved her sickle and walked back, unaware that the little pool of blue liquid was quietly following behind.

Lixiu had gathered a full basket of Illusion Grass, though some of it had escaped. With her basket full, they couldn’t collect any more herbs, so she suggested they head to the swamp to gather some Thorn Star Grass and Black Lotus.

Upon reaching the swamp, Lixiu scoured the area but only managed to find a patch of Thorn Star Grass and no Black Lotus.

After Lu Yao finished harvesting the Thorn Star Grass, she, too, searched for the elusive Black Lotus, but it was nowhere to be found.

Lixiu sighed, “The Black Lotus has a sweet scent that attracts magical creatures. It seems like they’ve all been eaten.”

As the sky darkened, they decided it was best to leave since the forest could become dangerous at night. Just as they were about to give up, Lixiu suddenly pointed towards the center of the swamp. “Lu Yao, look! A Black Lotus is coming this way!”

Lu Yao turned to see a cluster of Black Lotus flowers seemingly floating toward them across the swamp, as if moving with intent.

Lixiu’s hand tightened around Lu Yao’s, her voice trembling, “It might be a magical creature. What should we do?”

“…”

What else? Run!!!

Grabbing Lixiu’s hand, Lu Yao sprinted down the mountain in a panic.

Meanwhile, deep in the forest, the slime emerged from the swamp, balancing a cluster of Black Lotus on its head. It noticed the humans were gone and let out a sad “chirp chirp” before slowly inching its way down the mountain, following their scent.

…

After running out of the forest, Lu Yao handed the Illusion Grass to Lixiu and returned to her shop, only to find that Harold and Si Jin were nowhere to be seen.

“…I’m too tired to even be angry,” Lu Yao muttered as she downed two glasses of cold water before collapsing onto the sofa for a rest.

She had no idea how long she had been asleep when a knock at the door startled her awake.

Groggily, she asked, “What’s going on?” Her voice was hoarse from just waking up.

System: [The slime is outside the door…]

Lu Yao: “…”

System: [It brought a cluster of Black Lotus with it.]

The little guy sure was resourceful.

Lu Yao got up and opened the door. The street outside was dark and quiet, with all the shops closed. The soft glow from the shop’s doorway spilled out onto the street.

A now pitch-black slime with large, watery eyes chirped at Lu Yao, nudging the Black Lotus balanced on its head toward her.

Lu Yao took the Black Lotus and, with a smile, asked, “Would you like to come in for a drink?”

In the afternoon, the slime had been a clear, beautiful blue. If the system hadn’t pointed it out, she wouldn’t have recognized this dark, murky creature as the same one she had helped earlier.

So that explains the mysterious moving Black Lotus in the swamp.

The slime wiggled and shook itself, filtering out the dirt mixed into its body. In no time, it returned to its original form: a beautiful blue slime.

A small, pudgy paw extended from its round, gelatinous body, pointing toward the job posting stuck to the shop’s door, while it chirped softly.

Lu Yao: “?”

System: [It seems like it’s applying for the job.]

Lu Yao was silent for a moment before deciding to give the little creature a chance. “Alright, a seven-day trial period. If you perform well, I’ll consider keeping you.”

After the failure of hiring two dragons, Lu Yao was determined to train the slime properly. That night, she decided to stay at the shop instead of returning to her place.

…

Meanwhile, lying in her bed at the inn, Annie couldn’t sleep.

After hearing the news of Zeran and Helena’s engagement spreading through the magic academy, Annie found out she had been dumped. When she tried to confront Zeran, she was blocked by Helena Kinklay’s maid, who warned her that if she dared to trouble Zeran Rui, the Kinklay family would erase the Sidleves family name from the empire.

Annie was terrified and, above all, felt powerless.

What did it matter if she was the top magic student or the best-ranked mage in the city’s adventurer guild? In the face of absolute power, she was still small and helpless.

The Kinklay family represented the highest glory of the empire’s aristocracy.

Over a hundred years ago, a low-ranking noble from the Kinklay family became a dragon knight, saving the crown prince in battle. From that point on, they rose to prominence as one of the most powerful high-ranking noble families in the empire.

Though the legendary dragon knight had long since passed, the power and prestige of the Kinklay family had not diminished.

Annie had returned to Onorton City in disgrace, not of her own accord but because Helena had forbidden her from ever appearing at the Royal Magic Academy again—threatening the ruin of her entire family if she disobeyed.

Annie had resigned herself to her fate. She couldn’t risk losing her mother, even if it meant sacrificing her own life.

Her gaze fell on the rain-beaten, battered rose on her fingernail. Could she really never go back?

…

While Lu Yao was away from the shop, Harold and Si Jin grew bored and sneaked out for a bit of fun. Unfortunately, when they tried to teleport back, they miswrote the coordinates and ended up in the central desert.

Remembering that Lu Yao was looking for twelve-level red scorpion eyes, they decided to collect a whole bag of them. It took them an entire day and night to return to Emeraldstone Town.

Harold pushed open the door to the nail salon, lugging a bag of fresh, frozen red scorpion eyes. Inside, Lu Yao was busy with a customer. She glanced at them briefly before returning to her work.

A blue slime timidly slid over and, in its soft, adorable voice, said, “Hello, if you’re here for a manicure, please have a seat over here.”

Harold & Si Jin: “…”

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