Welcome To My Humble Store, Prince!

Chapter 1: Prologue

“Happy birthday, Manager!!” The entire sales team shouted as confetti poppers blasted around her. Cheers resounded in the empty office building as her beloved team celebrated her birthday. Hildegard Gartin smiled and thanked everyone for pulling the surprise party. “Thank you, thank you! I didn’t expect all this…” She said bashfully. In truth, she really didn’t expect this. Hildegard was a quiet but frank woman. Only saying things when needed. She didn’t have the best looks, but it was above average thanks to cosmetics. Bunned-up brown hair and piercing brown eyes. Half-smiles are the biggest smiles anyone has seen on her. The company’s sales team has been the most efficient they’ve been in 50 years. Now that Hildegard has become the head manager of the sales team, there has been no room for complacency. It was normal for her to think that no one would invite her to parties, much less know and celebrate her birthday. Who would want to be in the same room as the strictest person on earth?

“Speech! Speech! Speech!” The small crowd cheered as they put the spotlight on her. Hildegard cleared her throat and raised her hand for silence. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Thank you, everyone, for throwing this beautiful party! Although it may just be us, the sales team of fifteen, I am extremely grateful for everyone who attended. Though I am usually quite meek, I thank all of you in ways that words cannot express.” Hildegard said wholeheartedly. She smiled a full smile for once. The entire room was silent in gleeful surprise to finally see her smile. Cheers and whoops erupted from the crowd as she finished. “Gift time!!! Open the drinks!” One of her juniors said. They laughed and gathered around the present table. 

There were a variety of gifts, such as jewelry, drinks, books, and more. The last one caught her attention the most. “Here, boss! The Weak DragonHearted Prince is such a good game. You need to try it in your free time.” The enthusiastic employee said. The others laughed and joked that the quiet manager wouldn’t be interested in such games. A stern woman like Hildegard wouldn’t be expected to play video games. Hildegard patted the back of her subordinate. “Oh? This reminds me of my childhood, when I’d play with my schoolmates! Thank you, dear. I’ll make sure to play it.” Hildegard said with a smile. The employee blushed as the others’ reaction turned into teasing how he was red as a tomato. Hildegard laughed and enjoyed the night. Drinks were endlessly passed around and laughter echoed away in the night. Soon, one by one, her subordinates passed out in different angles across the room. Hildegard laughed and sat back at her desk, closing her eyes to rest.

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The night passed so quickly and soon it was the start of dawn. The workers groaned as the first shine of daylight crept into the office. Hildegard fought off the tiredness and clapped for everyone to awake. “Now, now, everyone. Time to rise! I’m sure your comfy beds are missing you already. Good thing today’s a Sunday! Get some rest for Monday. We still got a big event coming up.” Hildegard chirped. She had a ghost of a smile, as her employees looked like zombies more than usual. No one was happy about the upcoming Monday. Hildegard waved farewell and thanked everyone again. She was finally the last one left in the room. Her eyes gazed at the overflowing bag of presents. “How am I going to fit all these in the cab?” Hildegard stretched as she gathered her belongings as well. 

“Umm... boss?...” A voice came from behind her. Hildegard whirled around in surprise. She breathed a sigh of relief. It was the employee who gave her the video game. “Yes? How may I help you, dear?” She said, tilting her head. She was certain everyone had left already. “Oh... umm...about that game. Will you definitely play the game?” he said, bashfully avoiding eye contact. Hildegard nodded and got the game from her bag. “A game filled with adventure and determination! You will play as a prince who needs to prove his worth to his father, the king. You are up against three princes with different levels you must surpass. Will you be able to gain the throne and get the hand of your beloved? Or will you fail to achieve your goals?” Hildegard read out loud the description at the back of the box. She looked up at the employee, who watched her in anticipation. “Now how can I pass up a chance like this? Of course, I’ll play it!” She said enthusiastically. A big grin lit up on the employee’s face. He did a small cheer and bid farewell to the manager again. She waved as the giddy employee exited from her sight. 

Hildegard looked back on the box and examined it a bit more. It seemed like a normal straightforward RPG game. She wondered why the employee was so eager for her to play it. Hildegard mused as she headed back to her apartment. Perhaps it was the graphics of the game? It looked very detailed and eye-appealing from the cover art.  The game being famous could be a possibility as well. Hildegard still held the game in hand as she exited the cab and into her apartment. She couldn’t stop thinking about it. Her curiosity was getting the best of her. It’s been a while since she played with things like this.

“Arf! Arf!” A small bark came from behind the door. Hildegard giggled. “Who may this little beasty be?” She teased as she hugged her small dog. The small dog trotted beside her as she went to her bedroom. Hildegard set the game and the bag of presents on a nearby table. She yawned the exhaustion out of her system. Hildegard flopped on her bed and waves of exhaustion washed over her. As much as she appreciated the party and everyone, the fun and exciting lifestyle is not for her. People have been judging her ever since she should remember. For having a boring peaceful life. 

“Get a dog”, her friend teased.

“Alright... I guess?”, Hildegard reluctantly said.

A small puppy to follow her around her apartment wasn’t that bad of an idea. Maintaining it was quite tough sometimes. It is lovely to have another... being in this empty apartment with her.

“Get an important but exciting job.”, her father demanded.

“Okay…” She would hesitantly apply.

Being a manager in a big company should be good. The pay and environment are decent, but the stress could really do a number on her. It was a good job, but she wasn’t too crazy about it. Human interaction wasn’t her strong suit; luckily being the manager allowed her to delegate that part to another employee.

“Get a new look! You look so bland”, a shopkeeper commented.

“Really?” She doubted herself in the mirror.

Shoulder-length brown hair, brown eyes, and a decent face. She didn’t think she looked that bland. She looked pretty average to most. Perhaps some makeup, a new hairstyle, and an updated fashion sense would do the trick. A professional look suited her job more and she looked less weary with make-up.

People desperately telling her how to get a good and worthy life by what they see in the media or what they think was best. “Who said a life like theirs was a good life for me?” She sighed into her sheets. Hildegard looked back at the bag overflowing with presents. Her gaze wandered towards the game that she set on the table. It’s been a while since she last played. People said that it wasn’t good for her. She sat up and stared at it. “A few minutes playing shouldn’t be too bad.” She debated with herself.

Hildegard picked up the game and started setting up her computer. A bright game menu flashed as she opened it. She winced in pain as her eyes strained. “The Weak DragonHearted Prince” popped up on the screen. Hildegard blinked out the strain in her eyes. “Wow, that is quite bright. All I have to do is click play right?” Hildegard wondered as the cursor hovered over the big play button. She felt like an elderly by asking that question out loud.

The prologue scene started. Clouds faded and mountains separated to reveal a majestic old-fashioned kingdom. It showed a young prince…

“...a good leader and adored by many but weak-willed when great problems arise. A right sense of justice but no common sense. The king thought he was not fit for the throne unlike his three brothers who had an actual chance in running for it…”, the dialogue continued.

Hildegard scoffed at how the game portrayed the character. “That’s quite rude. He can’t be that bad.” Shaking her head, she clicked for the next scene. 

“...Enraged by such thoughts of his father, the young prince trudged on and into the woods with no name and no title. He stripped himself of luxury and asked a farmer from the market to bring him to the farthest village. There he found the start of his new journey.”

Hildegard’s eyes widened as the scene opened up to a beautiful valley village. Wooden fences lined the several pathways that spread far and wide. Luscious greenery as far as the eye can see and mountains taller than any skyscraper she has ever known. Her mouth was agape and her eyes twinkled as she saw more of the scenery. 

“Cujametibus…” Hildegard breathed, as the game introduced the village. 

Hildegard’s character stepped off the cart and looked around. An elderly clothed in simple wear came walking up to him. Behind the elderly was a small village. “Welcome to Cujametibus, young traveler! Do you have a name?” The white-haired man said with a welcoming smile. A text box opened up to make a name. Hildegard shrugged and clicked the random button. “Garttrick? A wonderful name!” The elder rejoiced. Hildegard pouted at the very odd name. She hoped for a cooler-sounding name. “Since this is your first time in this village, let me introduce you to it! I am the head leader of Cujametibus. This is the largest village on this side of the country. The other three domains near here have all those big cities. Personally, I prefer small villages. Look at me babbling on! Would you like to head to the village straight away or would you like to check out the surroundings?” The leader talked endlessly. Hildegard looked at the two options on her screen. She picked the village option. “Excellent! I’ll introduce you to everyone.” The leader said joyfully.

Small houses lined the main street. Icons popped up on each house, indicating what each house was intended for. The blacksmith had a hammer symbol, the synthesizer had a potion bottle, and so on. The character went through the normal introduction to controls and how the system works overall. The leader of the village was leading the entire introduction smoothly. Since it has been a while that she’s played such a game, she was in awe. The games she played before weren’t as detailed and lively as this. The more she played, the more eager she was to do the next thing on the list. From how to swing a weapon in the adventurer’s guild to how to mine items by the mountains at the blacksmith, everything was so new and interesting to Hildegard. The leader was such a joyous person and everyone in the village was very welcoming and kind. The game mechanics were also very easy to understand for a beginner like her. To think that all these keys could do more than put up a sales chart.

“Congrats, dear traveler! You met everyone in the village. Everyone is so happy to see a new face in this town. We practically know every single person as if they were family here! So, don’t be hesitant to feel right at home. Now then...let’s see. Oh! There’s still one more person you’ve yet to meet. The shopkeeper Hilde!” The leader continued on, heading back to the arrival spot. 

Hildegard gasped in excitement. “I guess this is why my junior wanted me to play so much.” Hildegard giggled. She wondered how Hilde would look like and what kind of character she would be. Judging from the other villagers’ characters, she would most likely be very kind as well. 

“Ho..ho...the walk to her shop is quite far…It’s a good thing we chose to talk to her last. I would’ve lost my breath in front of many of my followers.” the leader huffed on the steep pathway. His face was all red and small white air puffs came from his character. The traveler chuckled and patted the tired man on the back.

Hildegard sat up proudly. She was glad she made the right decision. During the introduction, she had the choice to either explore the main village or the outer village, including the woods and the farms.

 “You see, she lives on the hill over yonder there. Not too far, but quite a journey due to the steep hill. She likes to stay on the hill because it improves the quality of the products, she says.” The tired leader stopped and caught his breath. 

Hildegard chuckled in amusement at the character on her screen. While the character was catching his breath, she looked around at the view. It was just splendid. The clouds cast silhouettes on the village and the flora danced in the wind. It was a scene straight from a storybook. Hildegard gave a bittersweet smile at the screen. How she would give everything up just to have a life like that. It was much calmer than the busy city life she was in. She sighed but smiled. She was ecstatic by just seeing it virtually.

“RAAAAGGHHH!!!” A roar broke through her thoughts.

Hildegard jumped in her seat as her headphones continued the tremendous uproar. The characters on her screen jumped and covered their ears. She regretted putting the volume so high. As much as she wanted to be engrossed in the game, she didn’t want to be deaf.

“Oh, my...is that what I think it is?” The leader said as he turned as white as a sheet. “A....dragon…” The prince said hesitantly, taking a few steps back. “It’s so close to the village...I must ask the village soldiers to slay the beast that poses grave danger to my village. I’m sorry to ask this of you, dear adventurer. Please scout where the dragon is. Do not engage and send out a signal when you find it.” The leader spoke as he hurriedly went back to the village. The prince nodded and hurried towards the ferocious cry.

Hildegard’s heart raised and her hands shook. It’s been a while since she felt such adrenaline. There was a choice that she was given. “If only I went to the woods first, maybe I would’ve been able to prevent this…” Hildegard grumbled. Who knows if the shopkeeper is alright. Hildegard’s eyes intently followed her character as he ran up the hill. 

After a while, the prince was nearing the peak of the hill. A loud scream came from the top of the hill. Flaps and roars accompanied the shriek. The prince burst through the last leg and the screen faded to black. When the screen turned back to the scene, there was a sharp inhale, both in-game and in real life. Both she and her character were shocked by the sight before them. A small cabin was completely in flames. A terrifying beast was flying around and breathing fire everywhere. 

“Help!!! Someone!!!” A shriek came from within the flames. 

Immediately Hildegard jumped into action. She focused intently on the action keys and back at the screen. She breathed deeply for a while and then...sprinted into action. 

The prince lunged into the flames and carried the frightened maiden out of harm’s way. He then rushed back to face the beast. The young figure dodged flawlessly from left to right and was blowing hits on the dragon from its north to south. The player’s stamina was slowly depleting by the types of actions he was doing. Hildegard slowly started panicking. Although the dragon’s health was nearly gone, she wouldn’t have enough stamina to land the final hits. 

“Soldier! Use this!” The maiden called out, as she hurriedly got something out of her pocket. She took out a small bottle and tossed it with all her might. The player stumbled to catch in and zoomed into the label. 

“Full Regeneration Bottle...Regenerates player’s full health and eliminates opponents effects on the player.” Hildegard read out loud. She quickly clicked the drink button and watched her player regain strength. “Yes!! Good job, Hilde!” Hildegard exclaimed. The prince quickly finished up the dragon and soon the fires died down. Hildegard gave a sigh of relief as the adrenaline slowly went away. She closed her eyes as she felt her heart calm down little by little.

“Thank you so much, dear soldier!” A voice brought her back to the game.

Hilde, the shopkeeper, was joyfully shaking the hand of the prince. “You have no idea what a pickle I was in back there. I’d give you a reward and all…” Hilde looked at the burnt-down cabin. “Eheh...well, you get the picture.” She said bashfully. The prince nodded with a smile. “Let’s head back to the village, shall we? I’m sure-” Hilde’s voice cut off.

Hildegard flinched back in shock. The game froze and her computer started glitching. She heard some odd electric noises coming from below her table. Hildegard whimpered out in terror. She accidentally spilled some water while she was so indulged in the fighting scene. Palms on her face, she groaned loudly. 

“No. no. no.” Hildegard muttered over and over. “Is this punishment for playing video games?...” Her voice trailed off. It was her fault for not being more careful. Hildegard tsked and started cleaning it up. She had to fix this for more reasons than one.

“Well then, I suppose I could spoil myself with some walkthroughs.” Hildegard reasoned as she got her phone. She scrolled through some videos on a streaming site. “Aha! This one.” She said, finding a ten-hour long one. “Complete routes and multiple endings.” the title read. Hildegard gingerly tapped on the video and watched it, as she continued cleaning up and tried to start up the computer again. 

The video game was more than she ever realized it could be. It had such dramatic lore and a plethora of side stories. Hildegard took longer to clean as she would pause and completely be enraptured by the gameplay. She saw the three princes. Each prince had a domain of the kingdom already. The player would have to sway the hearts of the people and the hearts of his brothers. Lastly, he would have to prove himself worthy to the king, by showing skills, reputation, and more. Hildegard gazed in awe at the final route. The prince...got to choose a woman for her hand in marriage. He could either choose his father’s choice or one girl from a domain. There were four domain choices, including his brother’s domains and the starter domain. Hildegard clasped her hands and hoped Hilde was one of the picks. “For Cujametibus, Elaina, from the adventurer’s guild.” The streamer announced. Hildegard’s hands dropped. “Oh...Hilde was so useful though. I suppose she was just another NPC. Elaina isn’t that bad, I guess. She was the only one who had more dialogue anyway.” Hildegard pouted. 

Hildegard yawned as sunlight shone brightly through her curtains. “If it was my choice, I’d let Hilde be one of the choices. She was such a sweet maiden.” She said as she clipped the curtains together. As much as she liked the option to choose a maiden to be the queen, Hilde would very much prefer to stay in the village after all. She would be free from all drama and political affairs. 

“To just be minding one’s business and doing what you love in a place you love.” Hildegard’s voice trailed off as she headed to bed. “What a good life that would be…” Vehicles zooming along the highway and people buzzing about were all she could hear in the silence of her room. “Oh well, time to get some shut-eye after all that.” Hildegard tucked herself back in her sheets and slept soundly.

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Birds sang in the distance to signal another sunrise. Tree branches creaked as the wind danced it around. Sunlight flooded across the room. To the floors, to the ceilings, and to the person about to wake. The sleepy figure yawned and blinked at the sun in her eyes. She stretched as she was about to ready for a new day. 

“Haahh!” The person yawned as she got out of bed. “Another day to be with my beloved...employees…” A confused face fell upon the person. She scanned the unfamiliar room in shock. It was quite different from her modern apartment. A small bed at the corner of the room. A dresser and a cabinet at the other end. A round window looking out into a forest at the other hand. The person peered out into the wilderness below. A dirt path came from the doorstep and into the end of the wilderness. A pasture was on the right side of the path. Some farm animals and crops were divided by a wooden fence. Wooden fences also lined the dirt path. 

“Have I been kidn*pped? To a farm..?” Hildegard stumbled backward. “Where am I?” She frantically spoke to the empty room. Not to her surprise, the space responded with complete silence. Hildegard sighed and searched the room. She opened the dresser but only saw a comb and some stationary. Where there was supposedly a mirror, there was a frame of a familiar woman. “A farm woman?... She looks quite familiar. Did she bring me here?” Hildegard mumbled under her breath. She approached the cabinet next. A standard double door wooden cabinet. The design of it looked like that of the victorian era but one for commoners. Hildegard opened the left door and saw some apparel. There were two sets of straw hats and aprons. One set looked more well-kept than the other. The set had flowers stitched on the edges. The floral designs looked quite simple but elaborate. The other set had faded stains of mud and dirt. It had no designs whatsoever. Just a plain brown apron and an unraveling straw hat. “Two sets, huh?” Hildegard said in disbelief. She had more than ten sets for everyday clothing. Although this was because she had more than ten arrangements in a day. Hildegard closed the door and peered into the right one. She cupped her hands in shock. “This is...Hilde?...” Hildegard stuttered.

The reflection meeting her was that of Hilde the Shopkeeper. Her messy brown hair reached her waist. Those honey gold eyes stared right back at her. Freckles dotted around her cheeks. Tanned skin as if she worked under the sun all her life. Hildegard put a hand on the mirror. No doubt about it. Although she didn’t look as animated or two-dimensional, it was Hilde... the Shopkeeper.

“What...what’s happening?” Hildegard choked.