MV – Chapter 20: Minor Villain and Selling Potions

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There’s no clear border between the Surface District and the slums. There’s no wall or a sign saying it is the Surface District from here on.

That’s because the Surface District has been increasing in population and it is always expanding. The slums get changed into the Surface District.

The method to change the slums into the Surface District is simple. You improve the security in that plot of land, people who can earn money become residents, and clean up the buildings.

The government official then comes, checks the income of the residents, and records their activities.

That’s how it becomes a new part of the Surface District.

There’s a price to the land, the people who have achievements live in proper buildings, hire guards, and it becomes an area where crimes are not forgiven.

The people from the slums either make teams or join up other big teams when that happens…with the dream of one day entering the Surface District.

And so, there’s no border line, but the buildings become visibly cleaner, guards are found here and there, and security is kept, so that part is the Surface District.

Chihiro and Dry headed to the Surface District to buy a potion, but Chihiro had a conflicted expression, and her steps were somewhat indecisive.

“Chihiro, acting weird. What’s the matter?” (Dry)

Even Dry who is not interested much in others was tired of seeing that state of hers and spoke to her in worry.

“Ah, uhm… Isn’t the Surface District…kind of scary?” (Chihiro)

“Safer than the slums. Not much robberies and pickpocketing. Won’t be attacked if you walk on main street, you know?” (Dry)

The face of Chihiro was twitching, and was trembling a bit.

Dry noticed she really does think that, but didn’t understand what was going on.

Dry survived the harsh environment in the slums. What Dry thought from this is that the Surface District is safe. You don’t get attacked all of a sudden after all.

Even if you walk in the back alleys, pickpockets or robbers won’t show up.

The residents at the outer edge of the Surface District have a stronger sense of security compared to the ones in the center of the Surface District and other districts after all.

But it seems like that’s different for Chihiro.

Dry couldn’t understand this.

Chihiro thinks the Surface District is scary just like Lanpeach. But the reason is different.

“A lot of people here have clean clothes. We could get shot to death if they think of us as pickpockets, and if they misunderstand us as robbers, they might shoot us to death too. If they think of you as a scammer, they can shoot you to death.” (Chihiro)

This is the truth for Chihiro, and it is the fearsome power of the law. Chihiro was insistent about this with a different serious expression than normal that even Dry, who always goes at her own pace, was troubled about how to respond to Chihiro who was unexpectedly a scaredy-cat.

“Y-Yeah…that’s true. But won’t shoot you to death so easily. The land would get rowdy if they shoot you to death on purpose.” (Dry)

They might be whispered as guards with light trigger fingers if they were to shoot someone to death.

The result would be that the people of this district would think that the place is dangerous and might leave.

And so, it doesn’t go well in most cases when they try to pin false charges or bring you down. That’s how safe of a place it is.

“I understand in theory, but I still end up drawing back.” (Chihiro)

Chihiro muttered sadly. She herself understood that this might be paranoiac.

…But when she looked at the other people walking by, everyone had clean clothes aside from the people who you could tell were explorers at a glance. There’s no frays or patches.

In comparison, her own clothes are frayed, are for spring use despite being winter, the dirtiness stands out, and you can tell at one glance that she is from the slums.

That’s really sad, and it made her feel as if she is a worthless person. She felt as if they were staring at her despite that not being true.

That’s why she was being so sensitive here and was ruining her beauty with that attitude, but she couldn’t notice this because she was walking while facing down.

“So, why don’t we search for a magic drug store that’s not that popular? A resident of the slums wouldn’t go to a magic drug store after all.” (Chihiro)

“Muh… As you say, Chihiro. We would be chased away with our clothes.” (Dry)

Magic drugstores that deal with high grade potions only sell to high earning explorers or affluent people. Dry herself was wearing a dirty hoodie, so she agreed there.

People who passed by snorted in superiority after seeing Chihiro and Dry standing on the road, thinking they reek of poverty, and there were also guards who were slowly getting closer, wondering if to chase them away.

This state of things made the two of them feel suffocating pressure, and even the dense Dry felt uncomfortable, so Chihiro couldn’t endure it and grabbed the hand of Dry and walked fast.

“Let’s go without stopping.” (Chihiro)

“Hn. Peach-oniichan is waiting.” (Dry)

This is how they decided to somewhat compromise with the surroundings watching them, and entered a single store.

The sign showed the name: Krita General Store. The store that’s kind to the poor.

◇◇

The Krita General Store that deals with miscellaneous goods also deals with potions.

It is either the type that has begun to deteriorate and is less effective, or has been made by an apprentice alchemist but came out bad. Whichever it is, having bad performance is certain, but it is so cheap that you can’t complain about it.

The store owner Krita doesn’t have a shred of guilt. He instead boasts that it is time for him to show his skills as a store owner with so many potions of bad quality.

For newbie explorers this is a helpful and kind store… Krita seriously thinks that’s how he is seen and that his store has a good reputation. Who knows what his actual reputation with others is.

Krita was humming happily while trimming his beard with scissors and watching his portable TV.

“The Ice Candies that hoodlum brought were nice. I didn’t expect to sell them for 100,000 Ele. Aah, speaking of which, I sold all the wooden guns he left as well. Luck must be smiling at me lately. Must be the good karma I have gathered on the daily.” (Krita)

He lined up the wooden guns on the shelf without expecting much, but a whole bunch of men came and bought them.

Each for 1,000 Ele. He didn’t expect trash to sell.

His funds were warm now. Krita didn’t need heating anymore even in winter.

“But…I should have asked where he stole them from. No, the information might have gone to waste if he were to give me half-baked information.” (Krita)

He thought that he would be able to sell them at a higher price if he were to have a magic drugstore sell them instead of his own store, so he left them at a drugstore that he is friendly with.

The drugstore was terribly surprised by the quality and performance as well, and they persistently asked him where he got them.

He couldn’t tell them he just passed them stolen goods, so he shook it off by saying he can’t leak money making means to others.

They felt something was off when Krita didn’t answer no matter how much money they offered, so they assumed he probably didn’t get them from a decent place.

They made a guess from the reputation of Krita and decided to not ask anymore.

It is certain where the skilled alchemists are, but it is impossible for them to be hidden.

An alchemist living underground has come out to the surface out of curiosity. Their sense of danger was low, so the bag that they were carrying was stolen by a hoodlum. -That’s most likely how it went.

There’s no way he would have been able to tell where that alchemist resided even if he were to ask that hoodlum.

Krita guessed that much, sighed, and gave up.

Krita didn’t think for one bit that Lanpeach himself was the one that made them.

Krita came to a wrong conclusion with his wrong deduction, and assumed that he won’t be getting those Ice Candies again.

He wondered if there will be any new profitable venture as he yawned and thought whether to change to a more interesting channel.

Just when he was about to stretch his hand towards the TV, the doorbell rang to tell him about someone entering the store.

“Welcome.” (Krito)

He spoke with a friendly tone, saw the customers that entered, and immediately lost interest.

The ones who entered were Chihiro and Dry.

He could tell immediately that those two are from the slums by their dirty and frayed thin and cheap clothes despite being winter.

The residents of the Surface District judge people by their appearance, so slum residents are a quality of customers that are normally not provided service.

They are pretty, but he could tell at a glance that they have no money.

He brushed the Spriggan Bracelet on his arm with his fingers, activated [Alert] to stop thefts, and went back to watching the TV again.

Dry has come to this store a number of times in order to buy the Frost Bracelet, so she is not that nervous, and was acting normal, but that wasn’t the case for Chihiro.

Chihiro grabbed the sleeve of Dry, looked around the store restlessly, and gulped from nervousness.

Chihiro was born and raised in the slums, and has adapted to it, so she can put up a front and is good at acting. However, when she goes out of her hometown and into the Surface District, she is just a normal girl.

There’s a variety of goods lined up in the store.

Miscellaneous goods you can find anywhere, ready-made food, potions, and magic tools. Mostly the standard types that require spirit crystals as fuel.

Potions and magic tools are expensive.

They are at least a price that a normal citizen would hesitate buying, and they are like gems for people of the slums.

It is a wonder drug that can heal any wounds instantly by sprinkling it over or drinking it after all. That’s at the very least what Chihiro believed and Dry thinks so as well.

And so, they were flustered after seeing the price, and they got closer to each other to whisper.

“This is 40,000 Ele. This one is 80,000 Ele. Why is the price so different? Can you tell, Dry?” (Chihiro)

The pill type potions are inside a box, so they can’t tell at all.

“Don’t know. Probably different effectiveness. Please ask the store owner. Wonder what it means.” (Dry)

The reality is that the potions that are placed on the shelf are the lowest quality, moreover, deteriorated, so their effectiveness is extremely questionable. Explorers wouldn’t even spare a glance at it.

And so, Krita has high quality potions for explorer use, but they are not on the shelves and are kept in storage. Chihiro and Dry would peel their eyes in surprise if they were to hear the price.

And then, their perception might change that cheap potions have low effectiveness. However, he didn’t leave any expensive potions out, and there’s no paper that has the price written, so there was no way for them to know.

Ignorance is a sin and is pitiful, but the two believed that it had unparalleled effectiveness, and spoke with passion.

“Do you think Lan will recover with this potion? It would be better to buy the more expensive one, right?” (Chihiro)

“Hn. Want Peach-oniichan to recover quickly. Dry also agrees.” (Dry)

“Right. Then, let’s go with this 80,000 potion.” (Chihiro)

Chihiro grabbed the potion with trembling hands, held it with care in front of her chest to not drop it, and brought it to the counter.

Krita was listening in to that. He sighed with pity.

(Lan and Peach. So it is that Lanpeach guy. I see. I don’t know what happened, but probably his theft was discovered and they learned about him selling it elsewhere, which ended up with him getting heavily injured, and now the children have come to buy a potion.) (Krita)

Krita’s evaluation of Lanpeach lowered even more.

“Uhm, this please. It is a potion, right?” (Chihiro)

Chihiro was fidgety, but looked at him with firm eyes, making him think she might be an unexpectedly courageous girl, but he saw the potion placed on the counter and thought…

(This potion is the lowest rank. It can only heal a thin layer of skin…) (Krita)

He could guess that this hoodlum called Lanpeach is terribly injured, and there’s no way he would recover with this potion.

Krita faced the two innocent girls.

“Of course. Our place is an ally of the common. Its price is fair and properly shows results. It is a new magic drug after all. Gahahaha.” (Krita)

“T-Then, this please!” (Chihiro)

“Thanks for your patronage!” (Krita)

This is how he made an 80,000 sale, and the kind store owner Krita that doesn’t lie saw those two off.

(It is the role of a store owner to give a bit of hope after all. The effect suits the price, but it should work a bit.) (Krita)

He was certain he wouldn’t be meeting Lanpeach anymore and immediately erased him from his mind as someone who won’t be bringing him any more money.

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