After Getting Kicked Out, I Opened a General Store
The autumn breeze carried the faint rustle of crimson maple leaves.
“I’m sorry, but you need to leave our guild.”
The woman’s face was utterly expressionless as she spoke. She was Baek Seorin, Guild Master of Samdocheon and South Korea’s one and only S-class Mage, known as the Black Witch.
“Choi Seojun, you no longer belong here.”
She had just fired me.
“May I ask why?”
“You already know. An E-class appraisal ability is completely useless.”
Among appraisal abilities, E-class was the lowest rank. For an appraiser working at Samdocheon—one of Korea’s top guilds—it meant I didn’t meet the minimum standard. Of course, that wasn’t the only reason. Even at E-class, appraisers were extremely rare, and I had always carried out my duties faithfully. The fact that someone like me was suddenly no longer needed could only mean one thing.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Kim Gitae, a C-class Appraiser.”
“He’s your replacement.”
The tanned man, Kim Gitae, extended his hand with a smug, triumphant expression. He looked flushed with excitement at becoming Samdocheon’s new appraiser. After all, it wasn’t a position one could easily obtain at Korea’s premier guild.
“I’ve heard you’ve been working as Samdocheon’s appraiser. It’s an honor to meet you.”
Despite his polite words, Kim Gitae’s face was practically dripping with mockery. The sneer was clear: How did an E-class loser manage to hold this job?
Yet facing that sneer, I felt no irritation at all. In fact, the sight of that tanned face practically blinded me with joy.
It made sense. My savior had finally arrived to pull me out of this hellish, soul-crushing appraisal purgatory.
Finally…!
My bluebird had come at last!
I grabbed Kim Gitae’s hand with both of mine.
“W-why are you suddenly—”
“Welcome aboard.”
“…Pardon?”
Completely clueless, Kim Gitae accepted my enthusiastic congratulations with a dazed, awkward expression. Even that vacant reaction pleased me. He looked like the perfect fresh graduate—exactly the kind of naive sucker who’d get eaten alive in this industry.
Where on earth had they found such a wonderful talent? As expected of the Black Witch. Baek Seorin’s ruthlessness never failed to impress me.
“Congratulations on the new job.”
I sincerely congratulated Kim Gitae on his employment.
And on my own fresh start.
It was an autumn day, with maple leaves dancing in the wind, when I was expelled from the guild I had slaved away at for ten long years.
Artifacts from the past possess special powers. Their value varies wildly depending on which era they come from and which great figure once wielded them.
For example, Excalibur from the legend of King Arthur or Sigurd’s Gram are treated as national-treasure-class relics. The more famous the historical figure, the more powerful the artifact’s abilities become.
The profession responsible for appraising these artifacts and assigning them ranks was, of course, the Appraiser.
At first glance, it might seem like an important job—but that only applied to those with high ranks. An E-class Appraiser like me was stuck evaluating junk that wasn’t even worth calling artifacts.
Especially at a massive guild like Samdocheon, the daily workload was staggering. Appraisal after appraisal after appraisal…
It was horrible.
Appraisers were basically human barcode scanners, slapping rank stickers on relics like products on a shelf. On top of that, the chronic manpower shortage meant that if a replacement couldn’t be found, even quitting was nearly impossible. We were modern-day slaves.
So why had I endured it?
Because the honey that drips down is all the sweeter.
A satisfied smile tugged at my lips as I gazed at the shelves. Rings of Regeneration, Necklaces of Poison Resistance, Goggles of Far Sight, and more… The shelves reaching up to the ceiling were packed with items beloved by Hunters.
This was my personal relic collection, painstakingly gathered over ten years of suffering at Samdocheon. The guild’s murderous workload was offset by excellent pay—that was the secret to their success. If not for that, I would have fled long ago.
Anyway.
“Looks about done.”
I straightened my back and looked around. A cozy general store with one wall entirely occupied by artifact shelves. This was my very own shop, the first thing I’d obtained after leaving Samdocheon. A sense of pride made me smile without thinking.
This place can’t possibly fail.
Located near Incheon—the literal heaven of Gates—there were plenty of Hunters and the merchandise was top-notch. The store was ready. All that remained was to sit back and suck up the sweet rewards.
While organizing the relics, I suddenly noticed an item in my hand.
“Oh, I still had this.”
It was a small hand mirror. A magical tool that revealed one’s abilities as an Awakened. An outdated relic no longer used in the modern era.
There was no point in looking, but curiosity made me pour mana into the mirror.
“As expected.”
The mirror’s surface turned the brown color that signified E-class. Since my rank as an Appraiser was E-class, the result was only natural.
But then…
“Hmm?”
As I was about to set the mirror down, I blinked at the sudden rainbow-colored glow.
Rainbow?
I had never heard of rainbow being one of the colors used to represent an Awakened’s rank. Yet the rainbow light vanished as quickly as it had appeared, as if it had been an illusion.
“Did I see it wrong?”
Staring at the mirror, which had returned to its ordinary brown hue, I tilted my head and withdrew my mana.
“Must be sleepy.”
It wasn’t until I woke up from a nap that I realized it hadn’t been a mistake at all.
Knock knock knock!
The rhythmic sound of someone tapping on the door pulled me from my light sleep.
I dozed off.
A glance at the clock told me an hour had passed since I’d fallen asleep.
Knock knock knock!
“It’s unlocked! Just come on in!”
“Pardon the intrusion.”
When I saw the person who opened the door and stepped inside, I couldn’t help but tilt my head in confusion.
Is there some kind of cosplay event nearby?
The visitor was a Western man dressed in what looked like a modern-era military uniform straight out of a history book.
“Apologies, but might I trouble you for something to drink? I will repay the kindness.”
“Of course. Water’s no problem at all.”
The man looked utterly exhausted, so I poured him a cup from the water dispenser and handed it over.
“My thanks.”
After drinking, the man looked around the shop with curious eyes.
“What manner of place is this?”
“Ah, this is a general store—”
The moment I started to answer—
You have encountered a transcendent being from a failed worldline.
◆ Connector of Transcendent Beings (???) has been activated.
“Connector?”
“Is something the matter?”
I stared at the puzzled man with wide eyes. The system message seemed to have appeared because of him.
And its contents were anything but ordinary.
A transcendent being from a failed worldline?
This guy?
I examined the exhausted man with renewed interest. The bicorne hat perched on his head. The sword at his waist. The blue-and-white military uniform. Now that I looked closely, his appearance felt strangely familiar. As if I had seen him many times before.
“Excuse me, but may I ask your name?”
“Napoleon de Bonaparte.”
“……!”
The first customer of my general store.
He was the hero who had led the French Revolution to victory. The great Emperor of Conquest—Napoleon himself.