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“That would be 3 million Ele.”

The owner of the Krita General Store and self-proclaimed kind man to the poor, Krita, appraised the Shadow Viper Spirit Armor that was placed on the counter, and spoke out his kind price.

Of course, it is kind towards Krita.

“Oi oi, look at it properly. This is practically new, you know. If I were to trade the parts, it would go for 5 million Ele. Giving 3 million Ele instead is way too much of a scam. Can’t you compromise a bit more here?”

The one who placed an elbow on the counter and was making a frivolous smile as he complained was Lanpeach.

He didn’t show his displeasure, but still negotiated the price. He only looked like a crook that’s trying to strike big on an item that he stole.

[Minor Villain has been activated. Your affection rate will begin from minus.] (Libra)

Libra moved her body stiffly and flapped her mouth like a robot.

(Can you not talk in a tone as if it were the system? Are you going to harass me? I will cry, you know?) (Lanpeach)

[Sorry, Soldier. It just suits you so well. Let me tickle tickle~ as an apology.] (Libra)

Libra teased him after seeing the interaction of the two.

It seems like she was telling him how this looked to others. She is also totally harassing him here and having fun with it.

But she made sure only Lanpeach could see her while grabbing her own silver twin tails and using them to tickle Lanpeach on his cheeks.

She laughed cutely and impishly, so he couldn’t dislike it seriously.

A beauty is teasing him here, so you could say this is a reward for a man. It is impossible to push her away or dislike it, so this little imp knows the heart of a man.

Lanpeach allowed her to do as she pleased.

Lanpeach and Libra were practically flirting here, but Chihiro and Dry, who came together with him, were having a heartwarming conversation.

“3 m-million Ele? It is not 300 Ele, right?” (Chihiro)

“Get a grip. With 3 million Ele…can eat tasty food?” (Dry)

“I-I think you can eat whatever you like. You would probably be able to enter the restaurants of the Surface District, too.” (Chihiro)

“Hn, that’s impressive. Will request Lanpeach. Should I just wriggle and push my body onto him?” (Dry)

“You have to wriggle with baggy clothes that you can show a bit of chest from above and push them onto him.” (Chihiro)

It wasn’t that heartwarming of a conversation.

It is true that such teasing can make you feel the lewdness, but Chihiro would normally not talk about such topics in front of Lanpeach. That’s how little her senses are working here.

Chihiro and Dry have never seen such a large sum like 3 million. If you were to obtain such a sum in the slums, there would be a line of people who would go as far as killing you to get it.

And so, the price that Krita proposed made their brains stop functioning, and they were confused about what to do.

That’s why they thought Lanpeach would happily nod. They didn’t even dream that he would begin negotiating, and their heads refused to believe what just happened and concluded that they just heard wrong.

Krita saw that panicking attitude of the two at a corner of his vision and thought that’s the normal reaction. He felt something off about Lanpeach who went and asked for even more than what was proposed.

(Why is he unfazed even when offered such a large sum? I would understand being happy by the amount, but there’s no fear or faltering. Also, where did he get this Shadow Viper Spirit Armor?) (Krita)

Shadow Viper is a Spirit Armor that’s not popular among explorers.

Its body strengthening capabilities are also low since it is putting its resources on stealth. There’s also no decent spells, so it is hard to call it useful to fight against monsters.

It is mostly used as an assassination weapon against people.

Even so, Spirit Armors are weapons on a whole different level from normal weapons.

It is on a different spectrum from stealing the Ice Candies of before.

Spirit Armors are bulky and are under strict security, so they can’t be stolen from stores or storages.

The moment you try to steal it, you will be killed by security, and it was hard to believe the crook Lanpeach would be able to steal it.

He felt something off from this.

“How did you obtain this Spirit Armor? It would be troubling for me if this is stolen.” (Krita)

And so, he raised his chin provokingly and said this as if looking down on him.

His plan was for Lanpeach to lose to the provocation, slip up, and tell him how he obtained it.

“I beat up the guy that attacked me. It is not stolen goods.” (Lanpeach)

“Aah, the security of the slums is bad after all. I get ya. A guy in Spirit Armor attacked you, huh.” (Krita)

(Don’t lie. As if you can defeat a guy wearing Spirit Armor with such shoddy equipment. Moreover, this Spirit Armor is practically new. There’s no wounds. There’s some signs of having been used, but it has been maintained to perfection. This is definitely not something you just find lying around in the slums!) (Krita)

Lanpeach used Repair on the Spirit Armor. It was almost new as if he had gotten high quality maintenance from a weapon factory in the center of the Surface District, but Lanpeach only saw the window that said it has been repaired, so he didn’t notice that such high quality maintenance was performed because he is seeing this from a game perspective.

You could say this is natural. Repairs in the game don’t really tell you that a high quality maintenance was done.

It is a difference between the game and reality, and it is also a downside from the perception of Lanpeach.

And so, it is exactly because he knows the selling price of the item in the game world that he can negotiate here with conviction that 3 million Ele is way too cheap. The selling price is 5 million Ele.

Libra has noticed that the perception of Lanpeach is messed up, but she can’t ask him, and she wouldn’t be getting an answer.

She thought this might serve as a hint to analyze this mysterious person that is Lanpeach, but he himself had no intention of proactively telling her.

“Fumu… Fine. 5 million Ele then. Which account should I put it in?” (Krita)

Krita decided to change his attitude towards Lanpeach. He has taken interest in Lanpeach who brings about results that are different from the impression he gives from his appearance.

(That must have been why he needed a potion. But he didn’t die and looks completely healthy. He looks like he is in pain when he moves, so he is still injured though.) (Krita)

Anyways, it isn’t normal.

He thought this guy had something that betrays his appearance. That he smells of cash.

He felt as if they would be knowing each other for long, so he decided to change directions.

“Account… I don’t have one.” (Lanpeach)

“Hah? You are an explorer, right? Get one. Then it would be in cash, huh. Wait for a bit.” (Krita)

Lanpeach looked away awkwardly.

Krita felt like he really might be just a normal crook and lowered his evaluation of Lanpeach a bit.

Wads of cash were placed one after the other in front of their eyes, and Chihiro and Dry gulped.

As for Lanpeach, the wads of cash from Ele instead of yen felt like toys, and simply looked at them with interest without being moved by the presence of such a massive sum.

“Then, buy from my place a bit. I don’t mind giving you a discount.” (Krita)

Lanpeach didn’t notice at all that such a stance was completely unlike someone from the slums, so Krita was even more interested and showed the smile of a merchant as he recommended him to buy something.

◇◇

After that, Lanpeach and his group bought certain working clothes in the Krita General Store.

It is gray and doesn’t have decorations, but it looks tough, and it is thick which is a bit better for winter compared to their current clothes.

They had Yuuma and the other boys and girls, who were waiting outside to not raise any alerts, enter the store, and bought 30 baggy worker clothes for adults.

One was 8,000 Ele for a total of 240,000 Ele. Also, they bought a set of blankets and futons that seemed warm even in winter for 20,000 each for a total of 600,000 Ele.

Half of the children brought back the futons together with Dry as their bodyguard.

Their clothes until now were frayed like scraps of cloth, and would have holes and smell a bit, so it is more proper now.

It is an appearance that they wouldn’t be chased away even if they were to enter a store in the edges of the Surface District.

“Please spare me from calling it boorish. Leave the fancy accessories for when you can earn for yourselves.” (Lanpeach)

Lanpeach shrugged his shoulders and Chihiro, who was walking by his side in a good mood, said:

“No, you prepared this much for us, Lan. Everyone is really happy.” (Chihiro)

Chihiro showed a smile and thanked him from the bottom of her heart. These were her true feelings.

He saved her with his life on the line when she was a hostage, and this time he generously bought clothes and beddings for everyone with the money he earned. He also gave them food.

He is clearly different from the Lanpeach until now.

His atmosphere was far more like that of a crook than before, so she had a bit of a bad impression of him, but his actions are kind.

She unconsciously wanted to get close to him more than ever before, and leaned on the arm of Lanpeach.

“Ouch! Sorry, Chihiro, but can you please move a bit away. The wounds from the battle have not healed.” (Lanpeach)

“Ah, yes. I am sorry.” (Chihiro)

Lanpeach would normally be happy about this, but he hasn’t recovered from the damage dealt by Jakots, so he frowned from the pain.

She thought Lanpeach had the ability to spoil a romantic event and made a dubious smile, but she was grateful towards Lanpeach for protecting them.

“I-Is it okay to buy this too, Boss?”

“Yeah, it is food for a month. Go ahead and buy more. Buy more.” (Lanpeach)

And so, everyone went to a supermarket.

Yuuma nervously showed a box full of gadokurie ramen, so Lanpeach waved his hand without much interest as he answered.

The group had gone to a supermarket.

It is a famous supermarket for explorers, and there’s a mountain of food that you can easily get nutrients from.

For the boys and girls of the slums, this is an overwhelming sight, and it can’t be helped that they would falter at this.

Even so, the rough-looking explorers were shopping just like them, so it felt similar to the slums and they somehow began to shop as well.

Gadokurie ramen and gadokurie lunch. They are not even worth 100 Ele, but they have nutrients. Gadokurie lunches are a bit better than ramens.

It is hard to feel bad when looking at boys and girls having a meal.

“Is it okay to buy this?”

“Yeah. It is a gadokurie product, so I think it will be okay.” (Lanpeach)

“We will be fine in winter with this much.”

The boys and girls were placing stuff inside the basket with smiles in front of the mountain of products.

They got clothes, futons, and food before the winter began in full. Their happiness had taken form and they were in bliss.

“…”

But Koume pulled Lanpeach’s sleeve and was staring somewhere.

“Mom, can I buy this sweet?”

“Can’t be helped. Only one, okay?”

She was watching the exchange between a child and their mom doing shopping while biting her finger and staying silent.

She looked jealous, but she is not begging here.

Lanpeach was sad at how she is not being selfish despite being so young and sighed.

He placed a hand on the head of Koume and smiled at her.

“Come on, Koume. You can buy one sweet you want.” (Lanpeach)

He didn’t want to leave a child with such a pitiful face.

“Is that okay, Papa-shan?!” (Koume)

“Yeah, buy one that has a whole ton.” (Lanpeach)

“Yesh! I will buy a bi~g one!” (Koume)

Koume rushed off to the sweets corner with enough speed she could trip on herself.

She of course wanted the sweets, but she was also jealous of the mother and child interaction.

Papa-shan petted her head in the same way, so she was so happy she had a big smile on her face.

“Which one should I get~? Thish one with the delicious drawing~?” (Koume)

Lanpeach watched her cheerful steps as she wandered around with sweets in her hands, and he felt happy as well.

“A game world. Even if I think of it in that way, there’s still the need to help out.” (Lanpeach)

(The smiles of others can become fuel to live on no matter the time.) (Lanpeach)

He thought this and smiled faintly.

“You really have changed, Lan. You are making a kind face.” (Chihiro)

“Really? I might have become cruel.” (Lanpeach)

He couldn’t nod at the words of Chihiro.

It would change depending on how he will be living from here on.

He wiped out Tsuyoshi and his group and saved the children; he chose both.

He will most definitely be making choices when faced with enemies.

It may be the cruel villain route, or the paragon route where he saves people.

“But well, there’s no need to think about that today.” (Lanpeach)

He looked at the children, who were carrying food with smiles on their faces, and he himself smiled gently at this.

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