—A story from 11 days after the Home Farm was opened. 

“Ooh~. 100 chickens can increase in numbers so much even without giving them food? This is a bit scary.” 

Lanpeach was dumbstruck in the Home Farm with a frown on his face. 

A gentle breeze blew, making the prairie undulate and creating a healing sight for the heart, but he was not getting healed at all. 

“That’s impressive, Lan. So much, uhm… Is it okay to eat this?” (Chihiro)

Chihiro tried to praise him, but her worries ended up coming out from her mouth. 

It takes a week for the egg to turn into a chick, and a chick to a round and fat chicken. She was worried that maybe it is only a chicken in appearance. 

“There’s rumors that monster meat is being used for synthetic food, and it is said that the cheap ones are dangerous. Late at this point. Be able to tell after eating them.” (Dry)

The only one who wasn’t worried about this was Dry. She held up a chicken and her stomach rumbled. 

Lanpeach and Chihiro looked at each other’s faces in agreement. 

It is popularly known that synthetic food isn’t assured to be safe. There’s no rumors of someone getting sick and dying, but this topic is discussed fervently between people, and the companies don’t refute it, so it is extremely suspicious. 

It is probably incomparably more dangerous than even the additives and colorants from Earth. 

He would lose HP sometimes in the game when he ate gadokurie mates after all. 

“It is better compared to that, huh. It does feel as if they are born from pure energy.” (Lanpeach)

“Right. The techniques of the Underground District are incredible. Also, this is my first time seeing something from nature. As expected of Lan. To think you would be able to set something like this. Your negotiation skills shine!” (Chihiro)

“You could say that. This is a piece of cake. Wahahaha.” (Lanpeach)

Chihiro resumed praising him. Her smile was shining like a blooming flower to the point it was hard to look at directly. 

Also, the event of being praised by a pretty girl was something Lanpeach couldn’t get unless he paid money for it in his previous world, so he laughed out loudly from happiness. 

He was wondering what this Underground District was, but he didn’t really get it, so he decided to not care and activated his ignore skill. 

The Minor Villain skill activates to make him ignore the minor details. It might also simply be how he was originally. 

“Well then, I will use the Dismantle skill to—” (Lanpeach)

He was about to put his hand up, but Libra appeared in front of the chicken and looked at him with a smug face.

[Wait, Soldier! You actually have also obtained the knowledge and experience even in automatic skills, so you can do it manually. There’s even patterns where it would be better to do things manually especially with dismantling. Putting it simply, the 1 kilogram of chicken breast can instead turn into you being able to dismantle without wasting any chicken meat!] (Libra)

[Seriously?! Eh, so I can get chicken wings, legs, and the skin as well?! The hearts and gizzards too?!] (Lanpeach)

Libra showed up in front of the chicken all of a sudden, so he couldn’t stop his hand and ended up touching something soft and springy which made him happy, but he looked at Libra seriously when she mentioned something so unexpected. 

It was an accident that he touched her. An accident. 

It is true that the knowledge on how to dismantle them was in his head. 

It is better to dismantle machine fused monsters like the Toaston, but pure animals like chickens would be far more profitable to dismantle manually. That’s what his knowledge and experience was telling him. 

“Uhm, Lan… What’s the matter? Is there something there?” (Chihiro)

Lanpeach was opening and closing his fingers in surprise which worried Chihiro since she couldn’t see Libra. 

“I just suddenly felt like doing a skit.” (Lanpeach)

It is the line that Lanpeach uses when he thinks it is better to just not make an excuse. 

“I-I see… I will bring you a cup of coffee later, so please take a deserved break.” (Chihiro)

“Yup, I will give you a lap pillow, so rest.” (Dry)

You could say it is his own fault that Chihiro and Dry are directing gazes of pity at him. 

◇◇

—One hour later.

“You guys, eat today. It is sad that I can’t add drinking to that, but we’ve got no alcohol.” (Lanpeach)

The team of Lanpeach and the residents gathered in the big room that must have been a bar before. 

He is holding skewered chicken in one hand and water in the other like a generous man, but he called for a toast. 

The reality is that he was making a suspicious smile that would make you wonder what he is scheming, but he is a minor villain, so it can’t be helped. 

The people sitting around looked at each other, but were gulping in front of the cooking stove that had chicken and fried eggs cooking. 

“C-Cheers?”

“Is it okay to eat?”

“This is not synthetic food.”

The people were being cautious towards the crooked smile of Lanpeach -which the person himself thought was a gentle smile- but took a bite of the chicken and…

“T-Tasty! What’s this?” 

“Is this real meat?! Then, what was the block shaped synthetic meat we have been eating until now?” 

“The natural stuff… Just how much would it go for?” 

They opened their eyes wide at the taste to show their surprise, and began to wolf it down the next instant. 

It grew noisy and unbelievable cries of happiness began to rise, the atmosphere turned brighter in one go. 

“So you have eaten it.” (Lanpeach)

But cold water was poured onto their parade right after. 

Lanpeach’s lips warped into a sly grin and he laughed with an ‘ukeke’. They all thought: ‘So there really was a catch to this’.

Could it be that he planned to make them fall into debt with this meat and force them into working?

Is he going to make them work in a shady business or sell them as prostitutes somewhere? 

Their hands holding the food stopped and…

“You see, this requires quite the troublesome butchering process. There’s the need to butcher a hundred of them every day. And so, I want to hire people to butcher them. I will pay you properly.” (Lanpeach)

They opened their mouths wide at what Lanpeach said…

Their heads slowly processed his words and…everyone raised their hands. 

“I will do it! Please let me do the butchering!” 

“I will do any work!” 

“I’m good at butchering!” 

People gathered around Lanpeach saying ‘me too’ ‘me too’. 

They were desperate. 

The people of the slums don’t get work after all. You could even say they don’t have any means of earning money in winter. 

It would be a great help in their livelihood if they were to get work here. 

They can live by without the need to enter the sewers while fearing the possibility of dying from frostbite as they hunt for rats. 

“Alright… Got it, got it. Don’t smother me here! Let’s see, I plan on hiring 20 people. It will be pretty rough, I’ll have you know. It would take around 30 minutes for a single one if you are not used to it, and you will be using water, so it will be cold.” (Lanpeach)

“I don’t mind that at all, Lanpeach-san!” 

“That’s right. I will do my best.” 

“Please hire me! I won’t let you down.” 

He obtained their agreement in the blink of an eye. 

Lanpeach didn’t need to do the troublesome butchering anymore. 

The people who couldn’t manage to get hired were disappointed, but this is destiny, so they didn’t stop eating. 

It is the natural stuff after all. It is the stuff that slum residents wouldn’t be able to get their hands on no matter what. 

There’s meat worth 100 chickens, so they all conversed as they enjoyed the party at their leisure. 

Lanpeach was a bit sad that there was no alcohol, but there was a happy atmosphere, and everyone had smiles on their faces. 

“It is awfully prosperous, isn’t it, Lanpeach-san.”

“Hm, who?” (Lanpeach)

Lanpeach was telling Chihiro ways to cook chicken and a man dressed awfully nicely spoke to them with a smile. 

“My apologies. Nice to meet you, Lanpeach-san. My name is Sage and I manage the humble business called General Store Sage. I look forward to working with you.” (Sage)

“Yeah, nice to meet you… I am the boss of this base…uh…Shangri-La. My name’s Lanpeach. What’s your business?” (Lanpeach)

Lanpeach raised an eyebrow at the words of Sage, but he crossed his arms as if saying he is important and acted ignorant. 

He decided on the name Shangri-La just now. 

“I heard the other day from one of the explorers that you sell electric appliances here, so I wasted no time to come here and do business in regards to that.” (Sage)

Sage easily told him his objective without underestimating him, in a respectful manner, and with a kind smile even though he is talking to a person from the slums. 

It is true that there were a number of explorers who went there because of the sales of the Insect Toll. 

It seems like he heard about this and came quickly. 

“Just when I did, I was surprised by the fact that you sell chickens. I thought I just had to extend my greetings to you, Lanpeach-san. I have brought beer as a commemoration of this moment -though it is synthetic.” (Sage)

Sage waved his hand behind him and brought 3 beer barrels. 

“Ooh, nice timing! I can say eat and drink with this. Keep ‘em coming!” (Lanpeach)

“Ooh, thank you very much!” 

“Drink drink~.” 

“Bring cups!” 

Lanpeach tried to act cool here. 

It would be awkward if he were the only one drinking, and it would be tastier for everyone to drink. 

“Hm, what is it? You are giving it, right? Could it be that that was no good?” (Lanpeach)

“…No, it is just that I didn’t expect you to share it with everyone immediately. You are a good person despite appearances.” (Sage)

Sage made a surprised face for an instant, but then he made a gentle smile and requested a handshake. 

“That was one word too many.” (Lanpeach)

“Hahaha, right. My apologies… How about it? Will you allow me to help you out? I am sure I will be of use to you.” (Sage)

He stared at the hand offered by Sage with a ‘fumu fumu’, coughed, and shook his hand. 

“Counting on you. We have a whole bunch of newbies here, you see. We had no means to sell the chickens, so I was thinking the only way was for us to consume them all.” (Lanpeach)

It is questionable the people there even know how to write after all. Even if he tried to sell them, it is possible they would buy the chickens at a cheaper price than the game, or make him sign a contract that is disadvantageous for him. 

“Then, please leave it to me. I can’t really say since I haven’t seen the goods, but I will provide proper business, including the electric appliances.” (Sage)

“I see. You are also family then. You guys, this is the merchant Sage! Welcome him! Now, Sage, go ahead. Drink and eat!” (Lanpeach)

“Thank you very much. Then, I shall have a taste first… T-This is some tasty chicken meat!” (Sage)

He watched with a grin as Sage disappeared inside the crowd of people. 

This might have been a stroke of luck. 

[Hey, Soldier, is it okay to believe him so easily? You are dealing with a merchant to the core, you know?] (Libra)

[…He is someone that can be trusted if my knowledge is right. He is a goody-two shoes merchant…and the next death flag of Lanpeach.] (Lanpeach)

He drank beer as he laughed at Libra who seemed worried. 

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