“Have you heard about the most recent shop that opened near the Bazaar?”
“…Which one? Are you talking about the one from the Gray Chamber Merchant Group?”
“That one!”
“Then, of course, I’ve heard about it! Has anyone not heard about it?”
Virith-Anash was alive with activity, and on this particular day, a certain topic dominated the conversations of the city’s people.
It was about a shop that mysteriously appeared out of nowhere.
One… that seemed to offer things that hardly anyone had ever seen before. From fine silk items to clothes, relics, and even food. It had everything that one could dream of, all of which was of extremely high quality.
As such, word spread, and a massive line appeared on the inconspicuous-looking shop.
“Make sure to remain in line! Do not cut! If you cut you will be immediately put on the blacklist and be refused access to the store!”
Standing at the entrance of the store was a worn-out An’as.
While he had originally anticipated the store to become popular once it opened, he didn’t expect it to be this popular. It was beyond anything that he could’ve ever imagined, and seeing the long line he could see no end of, he felt his stomach flip.
‘Why am I even doing this…?’
He was playing right into that merchant’s hands by doing this.
Not only that, he was also not getting paid!
And yet, it wasn’t as though he could leave as he wished. An’as had no choice but to remain close to the merchant. He was afraid he’d spill something, ruining his chances of ever becoming a Luminarch.
As such, even though he didn’t want to do this job, he had no choice but to.
“There’s no need to be restless! Line up properly! There’s enough goods for everyone—”
In the midst of his shouts, An’as suddenly noticed several figures approaching in the distance, and his lips paused.
That…
He wasn’t the only one to react, as the long line of people gracefully moved out of the way, granting passage to a tall yet rather heavy man who was accompanied by several menacing-looking people, arrogantly walking forward.
An’as felt his entire body freeze at the sight of the people before him.
It was the Crimson Wraiths.
At the helm was none other than their captain.
Sylas ‘Red Veil’ Vane.
“Hm? Is this the place?”
Coming to a stop before the store, his deep voice quietly rumbled across the surroundings as An’as felt his entire body stiffen.
‘He’s strong… really strong.’
Just standing next to him felt extremely suffocating.
“It should be captain. Look at the long line.”
“…You’re right.”
With a nod, the captain moved into the store, completely dismissing the pale-faced An’as.
Clank!
The door swung open to reveal a pristine-looking shop. Two towering shelves ran along the walls, neatly stocked with all manner of goods. At the center of the room stood a counter with a register, topped by a large sheet of paper.
On the paper was a list of all the items that the shop provided.
“….!?”
“Oh my god!”
The moment the members of the Crimson Wraith entered, the customers within the store panicked. It took less than a second for them to drop whatever item they were holding and make a run for it.
The captain smiled at the sight.
This was going to save him a lot of trouble.
He calmly walked towards the nearest shelf, scanning the items on display. He had only just laid his eyes on the first item when his brow rose.
“This is…”
He extended his hand and pinched the cloth in front of him. Just one touch and he was able to feel the smooth yet delicate texture of the finely colored cloth before him. Not only that, turning his head, he saw all sorts of goods he had never seen before.
There was also a small plate of tasting items, and when the captain tasted one of the items on the tasting board, his eyes couldn’t help but show certain glints.
‘…It’s delicious.’
He didn’t bother with any courtesies and finished all of the items to taste.
“Wow, Captain! Look at this! It’s amazing!”
“Oh my god! Can’t you feel the texture of this?! I’ve never felt something like this before!”
The captain wasn’t the only one to show surprise and delight at the presented items. The other pirates also showed similar reactions as they found themselves unable to hide their excitement.
Looking at them, Sylas slowly turned his attention towards the counter.
Or more specifically, towards the man sitting behind the counter, his head slightly lowered as he calmly read a book. As if sensing his gaze, the man adjusted his glasses before turning his attention towards Sylas and smiling.
His lips parted, and a charming voice flowed out of his lips.
“I take it that you’re satisfied with the items provided by our shop. Is there anything that I can do to help you?”
“…Yes, actually.”
Sylas moved closer towards the merchant and pressed his hand against the counter. The atmosphere within the room grew tense the moment he did so, and as he looked around the place, he laid his gaze on the merchant once more.
“The goods over here… Where did you get them?”
Though his words seemed more like a simple question, the moment they left his lips, the already tense atmosphere turned frigid.
It was enough to make anyone freeze on the spot.
And yet…
“Haha.”
The merchant laughed.
Yes, he laughed.
This brought the atmosphere to a standstill. Was he really laughing…? Was he not aware of who exactly was standing before him?
“Oh, I apologize for that.”
Raising his hand, the merchant apologized before settling his book down.
“I didn’t mean to laugh. It was just the way you were talking about the items and acting. It almost made it seem like you wanted to take them all for yourself.”
“…..”
Sylas’s eyes narrowed as he stared at the merchant. On any normal occasion, if someone spoke to him like that, he’d have killed them in an instant.
However, something about the merchant’s calm gaze and voice made him hesitant.
But that wasn’t all. He could also tell that the items present weren’t ordinary. He could tell that they came from afar. Perhaps… the land outside. However, the distance between the land outside and Virith-Anash was extremely far.
To be able to bring so many goods over…
It surely wasn’t something that just anyone could do.
These thoughts were the only things that were keeping him in check. He wasn’t just here for the goods. He was here to learn more about this mysterious merchant.
A smile soon marred Sylas’s features.
“Is that so? I guess I may come off like that given the way I look.”
“Well, you certainly do look quite intimidating.”
“Hahaha.”
Sylas’s boisterous laugh echoed throughout the room as he looked around and grabbed a chair, placing it near the counter and sitting down while staring straight at the merchant.
“You still haven’t answered my question. Where did you manage to get these items from? I can see that they aren’t ordinary.”
The merchant merely smiled and shook his head.
“That’s a trade secret.”
“Trade secret…?”
Sylas was just about to frown when he stopped himself.
“Very well. Everyone must have their own secrets. If you don’t wish to tell me, that is okay.”
“…I appreciate your understanding.”
“It’s nothing.”
Sylas dismissively waved his hand.
Then, looking around the place, he asked,
“How much for all the goods here?”
“Everything?”
“Ye—”
“Thirty million Solas give or take.”
Sylas’s entire body stiffened. Thirty million? What sort of ridiculous number was this? Taking into consideration all of the items that were offered, while he could see them being worth a lot, none of them were truly of any use.
Silently clenching his fist, Sylas tried to maintain a smile as he looked at the merchant.
“You can’t lower the price?”
“…It cannot be done.”
“I see.”
Sylas gradually stood up from his seat, his tall frame casting a shadow over the calm merchant. Just by standing, he emitted an extremely powerful and vicious pressure. And yet, it still did not arouse any reaction from the merchant.
This made Sylas close his eyes and nod his head.
“Very well then.”
He twirled his finger in the air.
“…I’ll take everything.”
The merchant’s smile grew then.
“Very well then.”
He stood up and looked around the room.
“Do you wish to pay now? …The most I can wait is a day before waiting for the payment. In the meantime, I’ll need you to give me a down payment in case you do not fulfill the end of your deal. This is so that I don’t make a loss on the rent.”
Sylas’s mouth twitched upon hearing the merchant speak. He was truly a merchant through and through.
He quietly pretended to nod to his every demand before extending his hand towards the merchant.
“I understand. I’ll comply with everything that you’ve mentioned. I hope for a happy cooperation.”
The merchant paused, lowering his head to stare at Sylas’s hand. For a split second, the smile faded from his face. But it was only for a split second. Enough to make anyone doubt whether they had seen things or not.
The same was for Sylas, who licked his lips.
Don’t tell me he noticed something…?
His brows furrowed, and just as he was about to say something, the merchant brought his hand forward and grasped his hand.
“To a happy cooperation.”
And so, an agreement was struck: within the following day, Sylas was to deliver thirty million Solas to the merchant. Failure to do so would nullify the deal, and he would forfeit a deposit of one hundred thousand Solas.
Clank!
Coming out of the store, under the gaze of all the people present, Sylas slowly moved away.
It was only when he was far away enough that his crew members rushed towards him.
“Captain, why did you agree to the deal?”
“Why are you spending so much money on goods like that? Isn’t it a waste?”
“Captain!”
They were clearly distressed by the transaction, and Sylas couldn’t blame them. This was a lot of money, and they usually took money, never gave it away. He quickly raised his hand to stop them from speaking.
“Don’t worry, I’m not interested at all in buying that crap.”
“Eh? You’re not?”
“Then…?”
“I just wanted to check something.”
Sylas lowered his head to stare at his hand, his lips slowly pulling up.
“I think… I found him.”
The last ingredient to his ascension.
***
Moments after Sylas left, An’as quietly slipped into the store, his face stiff as he looked around.
Eventually, seeing the merchant completely unharmed, his expression grew grave.
He was able to survive?
An’as was just about to call for the strange merchant when he suddenly stopped.
No, rather than stop… it was more like he couldn’t move at all!
His pupils suddenly trembled, and just as he was about to open his lips, he saw the merchant turn his head, their eyes meeting.
It was in that moment that An’as saw it.
The emptiness.
…He saw the emptiness in his gaze.
In that moment, he seemed like a doll.
A doll without personality.
What sort of…?