"Whew..."
Drawing a hand across her brow and grimacing, Byakuren Hijiri squinted into the sunlight and let out a little sigh. "It's March, but it's sweltering. Maybe the Kobbers should go somewhere temperate for a change." She looked over her shoulder. "Are you holding up alright, little one?"
A simple, quiet nod was the only response from Byakuren's companion.
"Good! Now, she told us to meet her at The Midnight Store, but I don't think it's open yet, so let's go grab some food at the bar. Sound good, sweetie?"
Another nod.
"Wonderful!"
---
A few hours later, The Midnight Store was opening for business. Megumin was arranging things on the shelves while Missy settled in behind the counter and flipped through a newspaper she'd taken from the store's magazine stand. Print news was in decline all over the world, and Agama was no exception, but the city still managed to hang onto some printed news. There had been two major papers serving the city - The Blue Tongue and The Moonlight Gazette - but with The Blue Tongue having shut down last year, a new challenger had popped onto the scene: Agama Outpost. Formerly a smaller, less popular indie paper that had focused on niche news and thinkpieces, it had ballooned in popularity after suddenly finding itself the number two paper in the city by default, and it was doing its' best to fill the void left by the Brume publication's collapse by including a broader spectrum of stories while also trying to not alienate the existing base. It was a tricky balancing act. As Missy examined the paper, she came across a large advertisement reminding people of the grand opening of Omega Mart. She frowned slightly thanks to being reminded of her upcoming competitor. Omega Mart had a host of advantages thanks to the fact that it wasn't technically located in Agama, keeping it from paying a lot of taxes and fees and avoiding various other regulations that The Midnight Store and other businesses in the area had to deal with. And thanks to the warp points installed by Meiling and Lord Var, it was easier than ever for Agama to get visitors, and that was a rich well of potential profit for every business in the city. Where those possible shoppers spent their money could make all the difference for not just The Midnight Store, but the Grand Market and every other shop and restaurant around as well.
Missy was shaken out of her thoughts by the sound of a hand slapping onto her counter, and a voice that jolted at her memory.
"Heyyyy!"
