Chapter 26: Preparing the Popular Shelf
The morning air was unusually crisp, brushing against Abid's face as he stood by the window, sipping a cup of steaming lemon tea. Sunlight painted golden stripes across the concrete walls of nearby rooftops. Somewhere, the honk of a rickshaw and the melodic hum of a distant song mingled with the rustle of drying laundry.
It was a peaceful start, and Abid appreciated every second of it.
[System Message:
"New Day Detected – Merchant Progress Recorded"
Mood Bonus: Calm Morning – Production Buff +5% (6 hours)]
He took another sip and smiled. Calm was good. Calm meant he could think.
The last few weeks had been steady. Steady was better than busy. While orders were flowing in regularly, most were small commissions or repeat requests from regulars. He had started to recognize the usernames of customers from the magical realm—names like *LyriaTheLeafScribe*, *Grumblequill87*, and *MintyMageElna*. They often wrote little notes in their orders too, thanking him for previous deliveries or asking if a particular volume would be restocked soon.
That's where today's task came in.
It was time to prepare for his first *curated shelf drop*—a concept he borrowed from Earth's manga shops. Instead of simply listing all his stock, he'd begin spotlighting a handful of manga series each month. Ideally, the most popular ones.
He opened the merchant interface and scrolled through recent buyer data.
[System Notification:
Top Trending Titles (Realm-Wide):
1. "Crimson Blade Chronicles" – Action/Fantasy
2. "Sweet Days at the Apothecary" – Slice of Life/Romance
3. "Dungeon Life With My Ghost Cat" – Comedy/Supernatural
4. "Knights of Plastic" – Mecha
5. "Our Days in the Café" – Romance/Drama]
Abid rubbed his chin. The top two were no surprise.
Crimson Blade had sold out twice in the last month. Its art style was crisp, the story fast-paced but emotionally resonant. As for *Sweet Days at the Apothecary*, it had become a favorite of librarians and herbalists alike. Soft dialogue, charming characters, and occasional potion recipes written in kanji had created a niche craze among alchemists.
He opened his stock log.
[Inventory Report:
* Crimson Blade Chronicles (Vol. 1–3): 6 sets
* Sweet Days at the Apothecary (Vol. 1–2): 8 copies
* Dungeon Life with My Ghost Cat (Vol. 1): 10 copies
* Knights of Plastic (Vol. 1–2): 5 sets
* Our Days in the Café (Vol. 1): 7 copies]
"I'll need to reprint a few," Abid muttered.
He moved to the wooden cabinet he had repurposed as his print and enchantment station. The enchanted printer hummed lightly, its settings dialed to mimic authentic manga stock—slightly glossy paper with deep black inks and accurate panel sizing. The system handled most of the formatting.
As he loaded the blank sheets, he selected *Crimson Blade Vol. 1* and let the process begin.
[System Message:
"Printing Enchanted Replica – Crimson Blade Chronicles, Vol. 1"
Estimated Time: 18 minutes per copy
Paper Type: Semi-Gloss Earthstock
Quality: 97% Accuracy – Certified Replica]
While the printer did its work, Abid sat on the floor and began sketching mockups for the curated shelf layout. In the magical realm, most customers experienced the storefront via magical projection—a kind of illusionary booth that appeared when the customer activated their browsing orb or enchanted window.
"Let's make it feel like a real corner of a bookstore," he murmured. "Wooden signs, handwritten staff picks, maybe a warm lighting effect…"
[System Suggestion:
"Recommended Shelf Theme: Cozy Autumn Book Nook"
Additions: Simulated lighting, parchment-textured labels, audio ambience option (optional lute music)]
Activate design template?
[Y/N]]
He chuckled. "Sure, let's give it that old-world charm."
He pressed "Yes."
[New Shelf Template Added: "Cozy Autumn Book Nook"
Components:
* Simulated Wooden Shelves
* Dynamic Firelight Glow (soft)
* Handwritten Notes (Auto-convert text)
* Shelf Scent: Cinnamon Ink (Optional)]
"Wait… it has a scent feature?"
Abid leaned back and blinked. He hadn't noticed that option before. Maybe it was a newly unlocked perk from his Tier 2 status.
[System Note:
"Scent Nodes" are a sensory enhancement unlocked for high-trust vendors. Customers equipped with Enhanced Browsing Crystals will experience ambient scent simulation based on vendor settings.]
"That's... a bit extra," he muttered. "But kind of cool."
He selected a light cinnamon scent to accompany *Sweet Days at the Apothecary*, and a faint iron tang for *Crimson Blade Chronicles*. Each label would include a short note in his handwriting, like:
– *"A tale of sword and soul. Fast-paced but surprisingly thoughtful. I re-read the duel at the end of Chapter 5 more times than I'd like to admit."*
or
– *"Gentle stories for quiet afternoons. If you liked 'Spice and Wolf,' this one's for you."*
By midday, the newly printed volumes were neatly stacked, labeled, and ready to be uploaded.
Abid paused for lunch—just simple rice and mashed egg curry—and sat on the floor beside Tanveer's now-empty sleeping mat. His friend had gone out again to pick up a second-hand flatbed scanner someone had posted on a local buy/sell group.
The room was silent save for the ceiling fan, and the occasional pitter-patter of feet above from the neighbor's restless child.
Peaceful. Very peaceful.
[System Prompt:
"Upload 'Popular Picks' Shelf Now?"
Current Items: 24
Estimated Reach: 3,200 viewers in first hour
Event Boost: Spring Reading Festival – 1.5x Visibility]
"Yes," Abid said, softly.
The moment he pressed "Upload," the items vanished into a flash of light, represented on-screen by gently falling sakura petals.
[System Message:
"Popular Picks Shelf Now Live – New Tag Created: 'Abid's Staff Picks'"
Live Shelf Rating: 4.9 Stars
Early Reactions: Positive
First Sale: 'Sweet Days at the Apothecary' Vol. 1 (Sold to User: HerbalMuse82)]
He smiled. There was a unique satisfaction to this kind of quiet success. Not dramatic. Not loud. Just… real. People were reading what he loved. That was enough.
As he leaned back, a new notification flickered.
[System Message:
Mentor Arrival Countdown – 24:58:44
Prepare Introduction & Portfolio
Optional Goal: Include New Shelf Showcase (Recommended)]
Abid tapped his pencil on the table thoughtfully. "Let's make a good impression then."
The sun continued its slow climb in the sky. Down in the alley, a kitten chased a crumpled paper ball, and the scent of frying onions signaled the start of someone's lunch.
He returned to his screen and began crafting a small welcome note.
"Dear Mentor," he wrote, "thank you for taking the time...
[A\N: If This book Got 350 Power Stone. I Will Continue This Book ]