In recent years, a national chain of toy stores had enjoyed explosive growth all over the Wind Continent; that chain, of course, was “Toys ‘B’ We”. With an enormous selection of toys and consistently high volumes of new products coming onto the shelves, they were well known for their low prices. Our own toy fanatic, Aria, was a frequent customer of their stores.
Toys ‘B’ We, as it turned out, also had a store here in the Revant Kingdom.
Wataru & Co., having obtained the orb from Alibaba and leaving the mansion behind them, quickly headed over to the Revant Kingdom branch of Toys ‘B’ We. Alibaba’s mansion had been in a quiet, residential district, but as they continued down the street leading out of his neighborhood, they entered a lively market. Beyond all the shops advertising the famous pottery and the various fruit stalls stood a massive billboard advertising a very specific store.
On the billboard was Toys ‘B’ We’s mascot character, a green goblin whose name was “Goblob.”
“Wow, look! This is Revant Kingdom’s Toys ‘B’ We!” Aria exclaimed, full of excitement upon catching sight of the store. The massive, warehouse-like building was painted in bright rainbow colors designed to be attractive to children. Over the entrance, in big, bold letters read: “TOYS ‘B’ WE! REVANT KINGDOM BRANCH”.
“Whoa, so this is it...!”
Wataru had paid a visit to a Toys ‘B’ We before, back in the Sky Kingdom with Aria and Résistance. This store, however, was a good deal larger than the Sky Kingdom one had been. Just as one would expect for the less-populous Revant Kingdom, everything was bigger there. The Sky Kingdom was practically jam-packed with people everywhere one went, but here in the less-populated Revant, the land was cheaper.
“All right then, let’s head on inside!”
Led on by the biggest Toys ‘B’ We fan of them all, Aria, the three of them stepped inside the store. Just like the Sky Kingdom Store, the aisles were narrow, tall, and stacked with toys like stuffed animals and figurines, all carefully aligned in their spaces.
They were, of course, also selling “Payblades” here as well. Today was a school day, so there weren’t any kids around at the moment, but there were some rather ferociously otaku-looking young men looking feverishly at each and every Payblade as they inched down the aisles.
“Ahhh! It’s so nice to be back at Toys ‘B’ We!” Aria was practically walking on air as she strolled down the aisles.
Allow me to explain: Aria had been the perpetrator of a certain incident at the Toys ‘B’ We store back in the Sky Kingdom (see Volume One’s Special Side Story: No Holds Barred! The Duel at the Toy Shop!) and as a result had received a lifetime ban from the store. What’s that, you say? You can’t believe that a light novel heroine would be banned from a toy store for being involved in a violent incident? Unprecedented it may be, but it’s the truth—that’s just who our Aria is, folks.
“Let’s buy something while we’re here!”
“Hey, Aria! We aren’t here to go on some shopping spree,” Résistance coolly admonished Aria for her immaturity. She was entirely right to do so, of course—the three of them weren’t there to buy things, after all.
“Excuuuuuuuse me!!” Wataru yelled at the nearest employee walking by.
“Yes, sir? How can I help you?” The employee asked with a friendly smile on his face.
To which Wataru reacted by demanding, “Can you get the manager out here right now!?”
Wataru’s request was most dismaying to the employee. “Ummmm... What business might you have with the manager?” The employee’s expression was now one of fear, and it was quite clear that he was afraid that Wataru would be complaining about him to the manager. But of course, anyone who worked at a store like he did would be positively beside themselves with anxiety at being told, “get me the manager” by a two-meter-tall, excessively muscled man.
“Oh, it’s just, there’s something I’d like to discuss with him!” Wataru may have had a stern expression on his face, but he certainly wasn’t attempting to appear intimidating.
But then—in the very next moment!
“I’m the manager! What can I do ya for!?” A gallant, dashing man suddenly appeared, claiming to be the manager!!
But he looked absolutely nothing like one expects such a person to look like! He was wearing ripped jeans that completely exposed both of his knees and a long, black leather coat! What was he, some sort of rock star!?
And then there was that hair! His long, bright red hair was spiked up by unbelievable amounts of hair gel into a massive mohawk! From a distance, it looked as though a red star had fallen from the sky and was walking around the store!!
“Who the hell are you!?!?!?” Wataru was quick to shout his indignance at this most unexpected appearance!
“I just told ya! I’m the manager!!”
“You’re lying! Nobody would want to shop here if they knew a freak like you ran the place!” Aria was quite upfront about her willingness to judge books by their covers!
“Well now, hey! That hurts, y’know? The name’s Justice, Justice Katou! I’m the one, the only, abso-frickin’-lutely real manager of this Toys ‘B’ We here in Revant Kingdom!” The whole time he was speaking, he thrashed his entire body about in a fluid series of martial arts poses, finishing by thrusting his right fist up into the air!
“...What the hell are you doing?” Résistance demanded, with the frostiest of frosty looks in her eyes!
“You don’t know what... this is?” Justice Katou answered, with his fist still in the air. “This here’s a victory pose!”
The employee standing next to him was kind enough to offer the adventurers a more helpful explanation! “Sorry about him. You see, our manager, he’s a little odd...” He bowed repeatedly to the three adventurers-slash-customers in apology!
“I-Is that so... All right then, Mr. Justice Katou! Know that my name is Wataru! I have something very important to discuss with you!” Wataru cut straight to the point! Justice Katou folded his arms and tilted his head to one side!
“What’s up??”
“I want you to give me the orb you bought at an auction!”
“Wha-Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat!? The orb!? You want ME! To give you... the ooooorb!?!?” He was overreacting even by our own high-octane standards! Justice Katou, shut up!!
“Yeah. If you’ve got it, hurry up and hand it over.” Résistance was not amused in the slightest by his theatrics! Not amused at all!
“Naw, man, I don’t thiiiink so! I bought that cool, cool roundy boy a coupla months ago an’ it’s become one of my most cherished treasures!”
“We’ll pay as much money as you want,” Aria said! “Just talking with you has been one of the worst experiences in my life, so name your price and let’s get this over with, Mr. Manager.” Her face was completely straight as she said this! How unbecoming of a light novel heroine to be so mercenary!
Justice Katou let out a most confident, brazen laugh at her idea! “HA! I’ve no interest in money, kiddo! If it’s the orb you want... you gotta beat me in a ‘Monster Duel’!”
“A ‘monster duel’...? What in the world is that!?!” Wataru was befuddled! Luckily, Aria immediately stepped in to explain!
“You don’t know about Monster Duels!?” yelled Aria obnoxiously! “It just went on sale, and in just the blink of an eye, every single boy wants to have it! It’s a super popular card game!” Of course Aria knew all about boys’ toys! She was absurdly well-versed in topics like these!