> Shoot Flan an apologetic look.
> "Sorry, Young Mistress."
> Follow the shopkeeper.
>"It's alright," says Flandre.
>Shuuei leads you through the back door, and into a well-appointed living suite, Not that you can see much of it, there are paper screens everywhere, but the glimpse you get of the furniture suggests she is doing well for herself. She pauses by the door to take and light a candle, then leads you toward a door to the side. Opening it reveals darkness and a stairway down.
>Following her down the stairs, you find that they curve around and take you down some yards before opening to a basement. The basement doesn't seem very impressive, there's some old furniture, a wooden floor and walls, and the smell of old dirt in the air. You note some unsold bags of stuff sitting in one corner, unidentifiable at a glance.
>"Before I took over the store," Shuuei says as she leads you toward a spot in the wall, "There was a customer who worked with the old management. I decided to continue the relationship, it was an easy enough reliable customer to keep." As she speaks, she presses against the wall, revealing a small panel that you couldn't see before. She fiddles with something, then pulls on the side of the wall, sliding it open to reveal a tunnel burrowed into the dirt.
>She offers you the candle. "From this point on, I can't guarantee anything. If you don't return within half an hour, I'm going to assume you won't be coming back."
>_
