Chapter 41. Pyramid Scheme (3)

The sight before him made Gunther Irons' thoughts come to a halt.

How could he describe this?

How could this even happen?

‘Is this... the Forest of Beginnings that I know?’

It was only natural for such doubts to arise.

How could one not have doubts upon seeing such a scene?

"Line up, line! Hey you, no cutting in!"

"Hey, you can't sell that at that price."

"...Just give me a little discount, please."

A dozen or so aspiring cadets gathered in small groups.

Roughly made stalls from split wood.

And the items placed on top of them.

Seeing this, Gunther naturally thought of one word.

‘Market?’

The scene of people buying, selling, and haggling was certainly fitting for a market.

The problem was...

‘...This is the Forest of Beginnings, right?’

Even if they started fighting over the items with knives, it wouldn't be strange. How could they act so nonchalantly?

‘What’s going on here?’

While Gunther was lost in thought, the boy who came with him tugged at his sleeve.

"Come on, this way!"

Gunther didn't resist the pull and followed along.

After walking a bit, the boy waved his hand vigorously toward one side.

"Eric!"

The one called Eric was none other than the boy who had been the first to receive a tosaba from Yuri.

In just ten days, he had transformed from the dirty state he was in when he first met Yuri to a more presentable appearance. Not only did he look cleaner, but his eyes sparkled with renewed confidence.

"Huh?"

When Eric turned his gaze, the boy who brought Gunther smiled brightly and shouted.

"I brought a new customer!"

Saying this, the boy patted Gunther's shoulder.

While Gunther was trying to understand the situation, the boy extended his hand toward Eric.

"I want my commission."

"Already met your quota?"

"Yeah, this guy is the last one."

Hearing this, Eric took out a wooden board and checked it.

"Let's see... Your name is Dennis Wayne, right?"

"Yep."

"Dennis Wayne... Ah, here it is. This makes the sixth one."

Eric added a line next to Dennis's name on the board and then asked him.

"So, what do you want for your commission? Food? Or something else?"

"Obviously, food."

"Great choice."

Nodding, Eric placed a rather thick tosaba in the boy's hand and winked.

"Since you've brought six regulars, I picked something special this time."

"Wow, thanks!"

"Thanks? I should be the one thanking you. I hope we can continue to do good business."

"Sure!"

Dennis waved goodbye and walked away.

Meanwhile, Gunther was stunned by what was happening around him.

‘Did he... sell me?’

Is this human trafficking, right in front of me?

And I was the one being sold?

What kind of situation is this?

Seeing Gunther's extremely confused expression, Eric smiled as if he understood everything.

"Feeling a bit overwhelmed?"

"Just now... what was that?"

"Just now?"

"That Dennis guy... did he sell me to you?"

"Oh! That? It's not like that."

"Then what is it?"

"Well... he just took a commission. Existing customers get a reward for bringing in new customers. If you bring in two new customers, you can get a reward in the item of your choice."

"...Isn't that usually called human trafficking?"

"Hey, it's different! We don't harm you; we actually help you."

"Help?"

"Here, you can get the items you need to survive. As long as you can pay the price, that is."

Saying this, Eric took out a tosaba from his pocket and showed it to Gunther.

"This is called a tosaba. When cooked, it's quite flavorful, and just a couple can be enough for a meal. The price is 150 silver coins per root!"

Then Eric pointed to one side with his finger.

"Over there, they sell well-dried firewood in bundles of ten for 200 silver coins, and that guy sells flint for 100 silver coins. And..."

Eric paused slightly and scanned Gunther's appearance.

Even though the test was already on its 20th day, Gunther still seemed to have some leeway.

Eric realized that Gunther was no ordinary person.

He leaned in and whispered in Gunther's ear with a gleam in his eyes.

"...We also have premium items."

"Premium items?"

"Fresh meat for 1,500 silver coins per piece, and lapis lazuli and malachite for 2,000 silver coins per piece."

Hearing that he could also get honey, Gunther was speechless.

Eric's smile grew wider at Gunther's reaction.

"There is a bit of a markup, but I think you can afford it. What do you think? Interested? If you are, just say the word, and I'll get it for you."

Despite Eric's tone, which made it sound like a special opportunity just for him, Gunther didn't show much enthusiasm.

Instead, he wanted to understand the situation better.

"...I'll think about it."

"Sure, sure. It's not a small amount, so you should be careful. But don't overthink it. Even though they're premium items, they sell out quickly because a lot of people want them."

"Got it."

"And..."

"..."

"If you bring in new customers, come to me. I manage the new customer relations. If you bring in two new customers, you get a tosaba as a reward."

"...I'll keep that in mind."

Nodding briefly, Gunther preempted Eric before he could say more.

"Hey, I have a few questions."

"What is it?"

"How long have you been selling things here?"

"Hmm... I've been properly set up for a few days, but if you ask when I started, it's been about ten days, I guess?"

"...Ten days? You've been selling things here for ten days? Where do you get all these items?"

Eric flinched at Gunther's question.

He stiffened and said,

"Are you asking me to reveal the source of my business? The items I sell here are all legitimate, so don't worry about it. Just go and look around."

Eric, looking like he didn't want to say more, pushed Gunther's back.

Thus, Gunther was pushed toward the open space.

As he began to look around, his eyes sparkled.

‘This isn't a market; it's a store.’

The main items traded were food and other survival necessities.

And not just a little, but enough for dozens of people.

As Gunther gradually understood how this place operated, he couldn't help but be amazed.

‘Impressive.’

He identified three key elements of the store:

First, the large quantity of items.

‘They sell enough food and supplies for at least a dozen people. Where do they get all these items?’

Second, the customers and promotion.

‘They don't actively promote, but once a customer finds the store, they bring in new customers to attract more business.’

Third, safety.

‘This is the only place that can provide a steady supply of food until the end of the test, so other aspiring cadets want it to continue. It's essential for them.’

If the competition for silver coins was abandoned, the ‘survival’ test set by the Cradle could be passed smoothly.

Passing this test would turn aspiring cadets into real 50th batch cadets, so most of them wanted the store to continue.

The weaker ones, in particular, were even more eager, so they volunteered to guard the store.

Realizing this, Gunther was impressed.

‘Even though it's a makeshift store, balancing all the elements is no easy task.’

It was even more impressive that they had set up such a system in just ten days.

‘Although this store can't last long...’

Even if the items keep coming, the silver coins in the Forest of Beginnings are limited.

Eventually, the available goods will run out, and the store will have to close.

‘But until the end of the test...’

It should be able to operate sufficiently.

The person who created this place likely aimed to earn a large amount of silver coins in a short time.

‘Who could it be?’

Gunther's gaze swept over the aspiring cadets using the store.

A few of them caught his eye.

‘Including Eric, three of them... they are the core of this store.’

Eric managed new customer relations.

The other two sold items regularly.

There were a few others who seemed to be helping, but the core members were Eric and the other two.

He could feel that the main flow of the store revolved around them.

‘But considering the volume of items sold here... it can't end with just these three.’

How could just three people handle the volume of items here?

There must be others who collect the items.

‘A collection team and a sales team. This store is likely the result of their cooperation.’

A store run by a few aspiring cadets.

Gunther was confident in his assessment.

Anyone would have thought the same.

Who could have gathered such a large volume of items alone?

Who would have guessed that the person who set up this system was just one person?

And the owner of this store...

"Eric, I brought the items!"

"Ah, good job."

"I'll put these over there!"

"Y-Yeah..."

No one would have expected the busy, black-haired boy to be the owner.

Thus, the pyramid scheme store created by Yuri thrived on