helter 31 was also known by the name "Peacemakers."
It was not the name they gave themselves but how others referred to them. The Peacemakers are the strongest and most respected clan in the entire continent of what was once Europe. It is now called the Heart Continent.
The peacemakers were based in the very center, which was strategically advantageous for them regarding the quick possibility of moving to the places where they needed to be. Shelter 31 uses their positions to go out and help those in need.
Which they also used. The Chen brothers ran the entire Shelter 31. Unlike the hierarchy in other Shelters, here, the eldest of the brothers ruled, while the younger one was his strategist, but when it comes to the leadership of the Shelter, they have almost equal weight. Other clan heads hold various positions such as General, Researcher, Diplomat, etc. Shelter 31 uses their positions to go out and help those in need. For example, if it is a too-strong beast or an attack by aggressors. Shelter 31 believes they will not allow another great war to happen under any circumstances. With their help, quite a few Rift Beasts were killed, and many evil clans were destroyed. That's why they were called Peacemakers.
All countries and states have disappeared, and cultures have intermingled. Now the world was divided into continents: West Continent, East Continent, North Continent, South Continent, and Heart Continent. There was still a North Pole and a South Pole. However, according to travelers and explorers, the North Pole was still in Nuclear Winter, which made any deeper exploration impossible, and the South Pole had become the territory of the Giant White Bone Bears, a mutant variant of polar bears who were forced by a strong radiation storm to migrate to the South Pole. They were one of the most dangerous beasts mutated on their planet. Killing one requires combined forces and several Shelters. Luckily, these beasts stay within their territory and maintain a stable population among themselves. So the South Pole became a place abandoned by man.
Chier Comos slammed his clenched fist on the table.
"If they want to fight, we will give them a good battle!"
Chier Comos was the unofficial ruler of Shelter 22 and was not interested in ruling, but when it came to fighting, he was thrilled to get involved and do what he wanted. Chier looked like a young man in his thirties with the masculine figure of a warrior. He had short golden hair and blue eyes, a prominent aquiline nose giving him a noble appearance.
His wife, Wallane Comos, sitting in the chair beside him, looked up at him.
"Husband, calm down. Listen to the elders," she asked him. Wallane was a small, well-proportioned woman. She looked soft and refined, like someone who was being pampered. She had long, half-length wavy brown hair and doe eyes. Her pale skin showed she didn't go out in the sun much, which was the opposite of her husband, who was tanned from the sun.
Chier looked at Wallane with disdain in his eyes. "Why? Don't you listen to them enough for both of us? You better shut up."
Wallane pursed her lips and lowered her eyes. Chier scoffed at his wife's weak nature.
He stopped paying attention to her and looked at the three elders of their clan.
"Chier. We can't attack them. Without good reason, we can't anger the Peacemakers." The only woman out of the three was conniving with him. Her white hair was tied in a high bun, and her back was straight. She radiated an air of authority around her.
The man beside her was scowling evilly; he was the youngest of the three, and his dark red, like dry blood hair, was beginning to turn silver.
"We cannot continue to tolerate Shelter 10 provocations! They are increasingly hunting our territory, and we have many reports of attacks on our fighters and citizens!"
"But they didn't kill anyone." Objected to the third, so far the calmest of the three. He was sprawled out in a chair with his big belly sticking out. If it weren't for the beard and hair, he would look like a laughing Buddha.
Chier snorted. "Of course not. They know that's a line they can't cross."
"That's why we can't attack them. Border violations and skirmishes are not something we can attack them for. The Peacemakers would come to wipe us out as aggressors." the straight woman insisted. Chier frowned and jabbed his finger at the map on the table, where markers were placed in many places.
"They have been making regular incursions into our territory for six months. They are exterminating herds, raiding our hunting parties, and stealing natural treasures; we have allowed ourselves to be bullied and robbed of our resources for too long! You know very well that we need these resources for our people. Obviously, they attempt to weaken us!" Chier was not someone who would allow others to step on him.
The elderly woman looked at him coldly. "So what do you want to do? Should we call the Peacemakers?"
Chier glared at her. "And look like some whiny brats?!"
"So what do you want to do, Chier?"
Chier pressed his lips into a thin line and was silent for a while. "First, we have to find out if the reports of the upcoming attack are true. Then who's behind it. And then kill the bastard!"
Everyone sighed in disappointment. It already sounded like Chier had some real plan.
The rotund elder changed his position on the chairs. "Not a bad start. If we get evidence that Shelter 10 is about to attack us, that might be enough to go after them first and take the fight to their territory."
Hearing this, Chier looked much more satisfied. "Yes! That's right! We'll get the evidence to drop on the Peacemakers and destroy Shelter 10!" In the end, he listened to the elders. But why wouldn't he do it when they give him what he wants?
"In that case, we must call the other clan heads together and devise a proper plan." The older woman said. Chier twisted his face. He hated sitting and chatting.
*****
Dai, without knowing what was happening, continued to live her life.
It's been two days since she first opened. But since then, she hasn't gotten any more customers. She suspected Leonid was not doing his job properly, so she tried to spy on him once. But strangely enough, his behavior was good.
Leonid even occasionally actively approached people passing by, but for some reason, no one wanted to go to the store.
When she didn't have customers, she was at least rolling stones up the hill. She felt silly doing it and, more than once, had to jump out of the way of a large boulder as she lost her grip, and the boulder started rolling back down. But she had to admit that she felt like she was getting better.
She only came home for a few hours, for a bath and a few hours of sleep, before spending most of the day and part of the night in her shop.
Now after two days of routine, she stood in front of the former perfume shop with Leonid by her side as they both watched him.
Dai rubbed her jaw and thought about what needed to be done to attract more customers to the store.
Leonid thought along with her.
"Maybe it's the empty storefront?" suggested Dai.
"That never got in the way. But we can try to arrange some imitations there." Leonid replied.
"Maybe make the facade more colorful?" she suggested further.
"If you want them to think a clown is in charge, why not?"
"Plant flowers?"
"They'll mistake us for a flower shop, lass."
"You can start serving shirtless.
"That would only result in a bunch of unconscious women."
"Like they'd pass out in terror of some old guy pulling out his hairy chest?"
"I knew you were looking. You certainly know the color too."
The ideas slowly turned into poking each other.
Dai stopped and sighed.
"I don't understand. What's the problem? Why isn't anyone coming?" she threw up her hands.
Leonid scratched his chin and looked around the street. After the boy from the Clan of the Moon Serb left, he expected rumors to spread and people to start coming, at least from this counter clan. But he didn't see or notice any cultivators around.
Dai stamped her feet and turned, walking away down the street.
Leonid looked behind her in confusion. "Where are you going, lass?"
"On the main street! We need to do some research," she replied passionately. She wasn't going to leave things as they were and just wait. Like a good shop owner, she has to find out what people want!
Leonid followed her after a few seconds, curious about what she would do. They both arrived at a busy main street full of luxury and popular shops.
They stood side by side again, watching the people walking down the street.
"What are we looking for?" asked Leonid, for whom something like market research was something new. In his time, he was an old man who already had his clients, so he didn't have to do these things. But Dai was full of energy and desire to succeed, so he could only follow and make sure she didn't hurt herself.
Dai kept her eyes on the street, barely blinking. "I don't know yet. We have to track which stores people visit the most and which products they are most interested in. That could give us some direction and come up with strategies."
"I thought you didn't want to make things big?"
"I still don't want that. But I need some good customers to advertise our store by themselves. It's not about the quantity; it's about the quality. You said you know who the cultivator is, right? Just look out for them."
Leonid shook his head and began to look around. Of course, he had seen quite a few cultivators. Most of them were weak, only in the low realm. A few were slightly above it. He didn't have to think much about where the true elites shopped. They get everything from their clans or have another source.
They stood in silence, both watching. Some people started giving them strange looks. A few kids pointed fingers at them before their parents pulled them away.
Dai gradually began to notice the two shops where she noticed the most frequent door openings.
"What about the candy store? And the weapon store?" Dai asked. "A few cultivators went to the candy shop, but even more went to the weapon shop," he replied. Leonid also watched them for a while.
Dai sighed. She could sense that weapons would be the most sought-after commodity. But that was something she couldn't do anything about. She could only get one weapon. And the staff is not exactly the most popular weapon.
And sweets? She had lollipops... and she certainly wouldn't look weird trying to lure people in with lollipops!
Dai shook her head. "Although this is a good direction for the future, I currently have nothing to offer in this branch." She admitted. She pointed to a nearby medicine and raw material shop. "My greatest strength right now is in the cultivation pill. Because it seems that the unique compote, no one knows anything about Life Providence."
Leonid pondered the direction of her thinking for a moment. He felt like she was overthinking things. If she were a typical merchant, it would be fine. But didn't she have strange powers on her side, plus him as a strong cultivator? Why did she try to make things complicated?
He scratched his neck and looked down at her.
"How about you go to Hermes and order some imitations for the window? I'll get the customers." He proposed.
Dai looked at him suspiciously. "You can't beat anybody."
Leonid looked hurt. "I told you he started it!"
"And I told you, how old are you to fight in the street? You've become even more aggressive with cultivation. You have to control yourself." She didn't poke him this time, but she meant what she said. Even if he hadn't started the fight, he couldn't have behaved so unprofessionally.
Leonid would like to protest, but he acknowledged that in that situation, he wasn't exactly trying to avoid the fight as much as possible, and he could have handled it better.
He looked away from her a little guiltily. "Don't worry, Dai. This time will be different. Trust me." he said appealingly.
Dai looked him over and finally nodded.
"Okay. I'll trust you. So I'll go." She said, walking back.
"Hey, lass?" Leonid spoke up.
Dai looked back at him. "Now you were acting like a real boss," Leonid said.
Dai smiled. "Thanks."
*****
After Dai left, Leonid turned to look at the crowd again.
He set out ahead and found a suitable cultivator with his eyes who seemed to have crystals to spend.
"Hey, brother?" He addressed him and put a hand on his shoulder to stop him.
The man turned to him in surprise and was startled even more when he felt the difference in strength.
"Yes?" he asked cautiously.
"Have you ever heard of Dragons&Fan?" Leonid asked him.
The man thought before shaking his head. "I can't say I do."
Leonid sighed in disappointment.
"No? Damn, that's a shame. I heard that shop has the best cultivation stuff. And it's not even expensive!" Leonid was good at faking enthusiasm.
"They already have pills there that will increase the effectiveness of cultivation by 30% and its purity!" he revealed.
The man still looked doubtful but also interested. "So much? The best pills I've ever seen managed it to a maximum of 10%, and that's only if..."
Leonid nodded his head. "Make no doubt about it! It used to be somewhere here, but I can't find it. A shop like this should be pretty well known? How come no one knows about it?" he sighed.
The man was getting caught. "Well… maybe I could help? I'm quite interested in this," he admitted.
Leonid smiled with real joy. He's hooked!
"Thanks, brother! I'm Leonid. So let's ask together, and we'll surely find him!" He patted him on the shoulder in a friendly manner.
Dai will be proud!