Sage runs a general store famous even in the Surface District. 

The reason for being famous is simple. His personality was the so-called ‘goody-two shoes’. 

If there’s a wounded explorer, he would sell the potions at a really cheap price. For the people who can’t go exploring because they don’t have enough money to repair their equipment, he would repair them and tell them it is okay to pay later. 

It is a store that’s mainly centered around explorers, his personality is goody-two shoes, and runs his store on deficits. That would normally make you a target to take advantage of and make you fall in an instant.

But he is both a ‘goody-two shoes’ and a man who has business acumen. He has a good eye for people, has foresight, and several talents. 

He would accurately see who is worth investing into, has luck, and the explorers that he helped out would eventually become high rank explorers, and buy expensive items from the store of Sage, so he is earning quite the profit. 

And so, even if he saves people and expends money, he is profiting more than that, so he has a stable management. 

There’s rumors he is a good person and that he is doing sincere management, so his name is pretty famous even within the Surface District enterprises. His sales are also at the bottom of the top earners. 

But Sage didn’t stop going outside even when he was earning that much, and would go see for himself whenever there’s something interesting. 

Sage had strong curiosity as well. 

He heard a story about one of the explorers he helped out before, and went to the complex in the slums. 

A complex that has a grandiose name like Shangri-La. 

He could tell that it was given that name for the boss to display their own greatness. 

Even the small bases in the slums like to give grand names like Osaka Castle and Valhalla. 

They are apparently selling electric appliances that have Artificial Spirits installed in them for a cheap price, and intend to sell natural chickens. Pretty much unbelievable stuff. 

It is normally an insane story that would smell like a trap, but if they wanted to lie here, they would have made a more believable one, so he thought this was interesting. 

“Man…these are some splendid chickens. Selling 100 of these wonderful chickens everyday…huh. And have these many electric appliances with installed Artificial Spirits…” (Sage)

The table had chicken meat with its feathers plucked, and at the corner of the room there’s sparkling clean electric appliances placed randomly. 

He honestly thought that the story was a half-truth. The people from the slums would be able to pick up electric appliances from the scraps, would do their best to repair them, and the chicken meat was probably the meat of a monster that they were doing their best to sell. 

That’s what he was expecting. 

And so, he couldn’t sell the monster meat, but he could at least pick up the electric appliances a slums resident did their best to repair out of goodwill, but he was proven completely wrong. 

“How about it? Wanna buy chicken meat? The electric appliances are also cheap.” (Lanpeach)

The one that waved his hand at the chicken meat on the table with pride, and sat across him was a man that looked sly and crooked. There’s two girls by his side that are most likely his lovers. 

Truly the sight of a boss in the slums that has a base and has women serve him. 

“It certainly is the real deal. I did see them alive as well after all. It is of this level. Can I confirm whether there’s any issues with the quality?” (Sage)

“Yeah, go ahead.” (Lanpeach)

He got his permission, so he moved his finger that has a ring on and poured mana into it. 

The ring is a magic tool that is pretty hard to obtain from normal stores. 

Light covered the chicken meat. 

[Appraise]

[Chicken Meat: Highest Quality]

“H-Highest Quality?! Impossible!” (Sage)

He unconsciously stood up, making his chair fall, and let out his voice in surprise. 

“Hm? Was there anything weird?” (Lanpeach)

“N-No, my apologies. I was a bit surprised…” (Sage)

Lanpeach made a questioning look, which made Sage tilt his head, and the two girls seemed to not understand the surprise of Sage, which shocked him. 

He forcefully swallowed his surprised voice, and checked the expressions of the 3, but it seems like they don’t think at all that these chickens are weird. 

But Sage can tell as someone who has done countless deals. 

(Highest Quality?! I thought they were broiler chickens, but they are the highest quality that’s raised properly… I can’t believe it, but this is quality that’s dealt with in restaurants of the highest class in the Surface District!) (Sage)

Sage was shocked by the quality and glanced at Lanpeach. 

If Lanpeach were to hear that it is the highest quality, he would have answered with a silly response like ‘it could cure a senile granny if cooked in boiling water’.

But Lanpeach didn’t notice the shock of Sage and instead made a worried face. 

“Hey, can this be sold? I won’t say 100, but I wanted to at least sell 20. How about buying at least 1?” (Lanpeach)

Lanpeach with his gamer mentality remembers that you could only sell 1 or 2 in the game when you just opened your store. 

And so, he was thinking carefreely about sharing the leftover chicken meat with everyone. His brain is rotten with gaming to the core. It turns him into an idiot. 

“U-Uhm, how to say this… This is…” (Sage)

The highest quality. It is obviously going to sell. 

But he found it hard to speak because of his shock. 

“I was thinking that maybe it could be sold for 10,000 Ele. How about around 5,000? I am fine with selling it to you at 5,000 Ele right now.” (Lanpeach)

Lanpeach mistook this as him hesitating about buying them. He thought this was bad so he lowered the price. 

Sage could tell that there was no hidden intentions in that face of his. He is a merchant to the core despite appearances after all. 

Lanpeach was most likely really worried about whether it could sell. 

His face looked like that of an evil crook, but he would share the chicken meat with everyone without any restraint, and had everyone drink the beer that Sage brought as a present. 

He thought this man must be a good person. A man he could get along with. 

(The rumors of him being connected to the Underground District must be true… If not, he wouldn’t be able to obtain things of this quality… Also, this man looks like he is somewhat airheaded, so it must be easy for the people of the Underground District to utilize him. It doesn’t seem like he has any intention of hiding the machine that raises the chickens either.) (Sage)

He is a man he could get along with, but he also judged that he was a dumb man. 

You would normally try to hide as much as possible that you are connected to the Underground District. 

If Sage were in the same position as him, he would have tried to sell them secretly without anyone being able to tell it was him. And yet, he was showing this blatantly, so it feels like he isn’t worried at all about the effects it has on the surroundings. 

Lanpeach didn’t care at all since he considered it an unlocked feature of the game. 

No one is asking him about whether he is connected to the Underground District, so he just assumed that the people weren’t bothered by it since it is a game. 

“Got it. Then, I will accept all the chickens and eggs first. How about 10,000 Ele for each one? I am thinking of 100 Ele per egg.” (Sage)

Sage slapped his knee and told this to Lanpeach.

“Ooh, is that an extra?” (Lanpeach)

“No! Isn’t that too cheap? I think that’s terrible! Please don’t take us for fools just because we are from the slums.” (Chihiro)

Lanpeach thought this was the listed price of the game and was about to nod at the deal, but Chihiro, who was silent until now, was furious and slammed the table. 

It was way too cheap no matter who saw it. So cheap even people from the slums could tell that. 

She was fuming at how there should be a limit to a scam -excluding the gamer Lanpeach who doesn’t care at all about the price of merchandise when selling them for some reason. 

But Sage also knows this is too cheap. He had no intention of scamming them either. He had an idea. 

He got a bit nervous before telling them. 

“Now now, I know that it is way too cheap. But no matter how natural the chickens are, there will be a lot of people who will hesitate in buying them since they originate from the slums. And so, we will sell them at a super cheap price with the pretense that it is a big sale, and have them all recognize it as the real deal.” (Sage)

“I-I see. But isn’t it okay to just hide that it is from the slums? You should be able to sell them at the original price if you do that.” (Chihiro)

Chihiro stopped slamming the table and made a dubious look, but Sage shook his head and raised his index finger. 

“It can be profitable short term, but it wouldn’t be able to sell when the origins are discovered, so I don’t recommend it. Also, I would like to support this base and Lanpeach-san.” (Sage)

Sage has decided to support Lanpeach. He decided to take a gamble. 

He licked his lips and continued talking. 

He would require private funds for what comes next, so it is a dangerous gamble. But there’s a chance of victory. 

“It has been a dream of mine as a manager to incorporate a sector of the slums into the Surface District. I will be preparing a large amount of fabric, clothes, and food with the profits of the chickens. Please open a lot of shops in this base with those products.” (Sage)

Creating a city as a manager. A dream-like objective for a manager. 

“? But this is the slums. The people here have no money, so they can’t do shopping though?” (Chihiro)

“Hire people to this base with daily payment. The people who get money will begin to buy in these stores. Lanpeach-san will need to use the profits for the personnel, but once the cash begins flowing, customers and merchants from other areas will begin gathering more and more. If you do that, the income of the people in the base will increase, and it will eventually change into the Surface District.” (Sage)

“T-That’s a grand plan. But it wouldn’t be a dream for this district to become part of the Surface District.” (Chihiro)

“Yeah, normally the boss of one base would rule the surroundings to improve the public order, attract merchants, and take a long time to finally be acknowledged as being from the Surface District, but you should be able to get acknowledged in around 5 years if it goes well.” (Sage)

The plan is simple, but the boss of the base needs to have a lot of funds and goods, and would need to bring out of their own pocket. 

Considering the possibility of failing would make anyone hesitate. 

“How about it? I think you will have little money remaining in your pockets for a while, Lanpeach-san, but you will obtain a massive fortune once it becomes the Surface District!” (Sage)

“I will follow the will of Lan. I think it is a good plan, but it is true that there won’t be much money remaining in the pocket of Lan.” (Chihiro)

This is an important cross-road. He can gauge how magnanimous their boss Lanpeach is.

Chihiro and Sage were looking at the face of Lanpeach with nervousness and serious faces. Dry didn’t understand what all this talk was about, so she was sleeping. 

“That’s okay. I am fine with my share being 3,900,000 Ele. I am an explorer. I will earn my cash in explorations.” (Lanpeach)

Lanpeach was unfazed and answered easily. 

He was fine with his share being low. 

That answer made Sage think he really just looks like a crook, but is actually a big deal; Chihiro fell in love all over again, her eyes teary; and Dry was still sleeping. 

“Leave it to me. This Sage will definitely turn this Shangri-La into a real Shangri-La. Yeah, I will show this to you.” (Sage)

“I will also do my best as your legal wife, Lan!” (Chihiro)

The two of them lowered their heads with determination, but for Lanpeach…

——

Lanpeach Complex (Shangri-La).

An 8 floor former mall and apartment complex. 

Population: 334 people.

Production Power: 3,900,000 Ele.

Defense Power: 1,400.

Facilities: Electric Generator, Water Purifier.

——

It is because the production power of his base was 3,900,000 Ele. 

He thought this must be the game’s way to explain to him in lore that he has to settle down the money he earns, so he wasn’t bothered by it at all. 

And so, Lanpeach let a massive sum of money escape with his gamer brain, but he will be able to get abundant stable funds thanks to that, and the Lanpeach Complex will be growing. 

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