The owner of the General Store Krita, self-proclaimed to be kind to the customers, had come to the Lanpeach Complex in the passenger bus. 

He heard the rumors and thought it must be mostly boasting, but he had nothing to do within this cold winter where snow is piling up, so he decided to go there. 

He didn’t have much hope at first. 

What he could see from the window of the armored bus advancing through the falling snow were tattered abandoned buildings that only had the outer walls remaining, and even if their shape remained comparatively well, they had big holes and were covered in cracks to the point that it wouldn’t be strange for them to collapse at any moment. 

He came here despite that because he was told there were signs of big profit, and secretly speculated that the gathering place could be the Lanpeach Complex. 

To be more precise, he thought that there would be a large-scale black market that deals with stolen goods. 

He was sure they would have a tent set in a tattered building to sell stolen goods. Considering the location and how the merchants were gathering, he felt like this guess was more realistic. 

That said, he still had questions. 

The first one to show up in the Lanpeach Complex was Sage from his rival general store. 

His management policy is different from Krita’s. He would sell at a discount to troubled explorers, and accepted deferred payments. Someone who is unsuitable to be a manager. 

The unbelievable thing is that they would feel indebted, and once they become high level explorers, he would be favored by them, so he was profiting more than the store of Krita. 

What that goody-two shoes heard from an explorer was about the Lanpeach Complex. 

He went out of his way to prepare an armored bus for transportation, so that other merchants could come. There’s a limit to stupidity, so he smirked at how Sage is finally troubled by cash and has put his hands on unlawful business, but he still felt something was off. 

That feeling was right. 

“W-What’s this? Why is there a new apartment complex in the dead center of the slums?” (Krita)

The first thing he said after getting down from the armored bus was about the appearance of the Lanpeach Complex. 

That’s how much he was doubting his own eyes. 

Not only were there no holes, there weren’t even cracks, it had an aesthetic retro style with the outer walls showing hints of the bricks. 

It is a building that wouldn’t be strange to be in the 1st class areas of the Surface District. 

Moreover, the site was massive. It may be called a complex, but judging from its size and shape, it looks like a building that was prepared for the rich with a shopping mall inside as well. 

It is far more fancy than the store of Krita that doubled as his residence. 

This building alone was already telling of something abnormal being afoot. 

“I get you, Krita-san. I was also surprised the first time I came here. I heard about this place from someone that was trustworthy within the explorers I know, so I came here just to see what was the deal with it though. It was far more impressive than what I was told.” (Sage)

‘There’s no trustworthy explorer’ -is what Krita secretly thought about Sage who he considered his rival.

If the person that had come to the place of Krita had told him the same thing, he would have thought this is surely them trying to brazenly deceive him and attack him. 

There’s no doubt he wouldn’t have had any intention to listen to them. Explorers are full of underhanded people like that. 

“Oh well, please buy something in this complex as well, Krita-san. The boss of this base has an evil face, but is actually a good guy who treasures children. Well then, I will be parking in the underground parking lot, so see you later.” (Sage)

“Yeah, Sage-san. I will also try searching for profitable businesses.” (Krita)

(Keh! What a goody-two shoes. What are you doing not monopolizing a place like this that reeks of cash? Now then, let’s check around and see if it smells of cash. If Sage says he is a good person, it should be easy to scam him.) (Krita)

Krita insulted him internally while showing a smile on the surface as he saw Sage off. Krita turned soon after and entered the Lanpeach Complex.

His smile was a muddy one like a beast in front of prey. 

No matter how pretty the outside is, it is still a base in the slums. Their residents are all people who have sticky hands. 

Krita had brought 1,000,000 Ele with him since they wouldn’t be able to use their cards in a negotiation, and is wearing Spirit Armor under his clothes as an inner suit. 

He entered with caution.

There was an automatic door as if natural, and the inside was just as pretty as the outside. 

The reception was lonely without any decorations, but he checked the surroundings without lowering his guard. 

Krita was probably the first guest to show up, a single man approached him with an amicable smile. 

“Welcome to the complex, Shangri-La. The shopping mall goes on until the 2nd floor… Man, to think I would be able to say there’s a shopping mall in this complex… Ah, and so, the first store you will see after crossing that door is the door of my mama. She sells warm water, so please buy it, boss.” 

Shangri-La; the name Lanpeach gave to the complex. 

A grandiose and easy to understand name for a base, but it is true that the building has an appearance that doesn’t lose to that name. 

The one who spoke to him was a level-headed man. 

He is a guide and also recommends what a customer would want the most in a cold winter.

A man that’s pretty skilled in business with his low base funds.

“Warm water, huh. That would serve just perfect in this cold. I will buy some. It is not exactly in exchange, but where do they sell electric appliances?” (Krita)

He passed by the lobby while talking and crossed the door, and an old lady with a kettle was waiting for them. 

“One cup for 50 Ele~. Warm water that will warm your body to the core. How about a cup?” 

“Here, money.” (Krita)

“Thanks. Ours is special, you see. It is so tasty it will melt your cheeks.” 

He gives her a coin, thinking this is probably the entrance fee. 

The price is a rip-off, but the inside of the bus only had the bare minimum heating, so it is vexing, but it helped him out here. 

He thought there’s no point in being stingy here, so he watched the old lady pour warm water into the cup with her kettle while looking proud. 

The old lady smiled with a steaming cup in hand and offered it to him. 

“Here. It is tasty. Give it a try.” 

“Isn’t it just warm water—hmm?” (Krita)

He frowned as he received the cup and tried to drink it in one gulp, but…once he tasted it, he stopped gulping it in one go. 

Krita has trained himself by managing his own store. He would be comparable to a Star 1 explorer. If you don’t train yourself to be comparable to a Star 1 explorer by defeating monsters, you could be easily controlled with magic, be put to sleep, or even killed by strong hoodlums. 

And so, he hires strong explorers and would hunt monsters once every month. 

He can train his body with monster hunting. That’s far more efficient than muscle training. 

You will get physical and also magical resistance, and it will be harder for you to get sick. It can also prevent aging to a small degree. 

That’s why managers and rich people would always hunt monsters until they are comparable to a Star 1. 

If they hunt monsters every day, most would be able to reach comparable power to Star 1 in around a year, so it is a handy method. 

Within the strengthened things in your body, there’s the sense of taste. To be more precise, you will become sharp to the point that cheap synthetic food will only feel like clay. It also makes you picky with food, but…

“Oi! Y-You must have used natural stuff for flavor, didn’t you?! I-It is not synthetic food!” (Krita)

He felt a high quality natural taste that synthetic food wouldn’t be able to bring out and ended up holding the cup tightly. 

Is it chicken? 

There’s a faint taste of natural stuff that even he rarely has the chance to eat. 

She must have expected Krita to be surprised, the old lady waved her kettle with amusement. A gesture to tell him there’s still more inside. 

“Hm hmph, surprised, right? You see…this uses chicken stock. Actual chicken carcass. Well, you should be able to tell yourself without me telling you since you are a merchant.” 

The surprise of Krita was something the old lady was used to seeing. The merchants coming here would almost always be surprised. 

“The boss here is kind, you see. He shares the chicken carcass. We boil that up, and use it for taste. The taste is faint, but it is nice, right? So, you will of course be drinking a cup more, won’t you?” 

“…Yeah, give me one more!” (Krita)

He gave her the cup. Krita drank 3 more cups in the end.

◇◇

Krita walked with quick steps inside the Lanpeach Complex, and he observed the surroundings with a serious face this time around. 

It was originally a shopping mall, so the 1st and 2nd floor were atriums, and there’s stores lining up, but the inside was awfully orderly. 

“Welcome, welcome. We have clothes~. Cheap~.”

“How about some gadokurie mate on the go~?” 

The clerks were energetically calling to people. 

They would be selling old clothes and cheap synthetic gadokurie food. It is pretty rare to have a store in the slums, but there would be outskirt stores in terms of the Surface District. 

There’s nothing rare about what they are selling.

That’s fine, but there’s unusual stores here and there. 

“How about some gadokurie ramen~? It has chicken carcass stock from Shangri-La.” 

“The okonomiyaki gadokurie has vegetables. Real vegetables~.” 

What’s unbelievable is that they are using natural ingredients. He thought it would just be scraps even if they say vegetables, but getting scraps in itself is already rare. 

“What’s going on? I came here because I heard they sell cheap electric appliances here. And now you are telling me they are dealing with natural vegetables? That damn Sage, he must have deceived me!” (Krita)

This is different from the rumors -is what he thought as he complained with an angered face. 

The truth here is that he rode the armored bus, but didn’t have a proper conversation with Sage because he hates him, however, Krita didn’t care about that. 

He thought all talk about big profit should gather under him. 

He walked through the explorers and slum residents who were coming and going even though it is winter, and went deeper in. 

He heard the electric appliances are being sold in the stores deep in, but…

He heard ‘uhaha’ laughs and the noisy talking of rowdy people from the bar, and stopped his feet. 

He could smell the faint scent of smoke, but that was the smell of real meat being cooked that would stimulate your appetite. 

He could also hear the sizzling of oil jumping. 

“Bro Lanpeach, have some beer!” 

“Boss, the grilled chicken is here.” 

“Uhaha, booze really is what the body needs when you are tired.” 

It is a voice he has heard before. 

He crossed the curtain entrance and peeked inside…

“If I remember correctly, he is the Ice Candy guy.” (Krita)

There are rowdy explorers drinking right in the morning, but the man called Lanpeach was at the center of this. 

Krita saw him laughing like an idiot and his face changed into a grin. 

“This is great. I should hear it from him. Looks like he would know about this after all.” (Krita)

Krita approached the man that he could only see as a sucker. 

It is possible that he is not a sucker but a vicious carnivorous beast, but Krita stepped into the tiger’s den without any doubts.