"What do you wish to call it, Master?" Gruen said with reverence. He was sitting on the ground in front of Arthur's cell. Glancing at the dwarf with confusion, Arthur turned to Gala.
"He's like this after I've given him a hundred artificial artifacts." Gala shrugged. "He says he'll follow you unconditionally."
"Even if he didn't get Aimee's favor?" Arthur raised a brow, but the dwarf flinched. Arthur smiled. "Don't worry. The shop isn't just for your sake. You'll be the manager and the blacksmith of the shop."
"Did you decide on a name?" Gala repeated Gruen's question. Arthur fell into deep thoughts. He smiled in nostalgia as he remembered his shop in Jerano. The events which unfolded didn't allow him to expand that shop.
"Hidden Gems."
"Catchy," Gala nodded. "What about the slogan?"
"A hidden gem is better than a flamboyant ore." Arthur recited, and Gruen looked taken aback. He glanced at Gala, who smiled in satisfaction.
"This will make those nobles fume with anger." Gala showed her canines. "As expected of our Seika, you love chaos just as much as I do."
Arthur didn't say anything, but he shook his head at the similarity of the situation he was in at the moment. Between the nobility of his world and this one, there were too many similarities.
'The system of the elite is corrupted.' Arthur watched Gala and Gruen leave the room. As the door opened, he saw Dia standing guard outside. He didn't ask her to do this, but it came out of her violation. 'I guess not everyone?'
He still remembers how she went back on their deal once her powers awakened. She tried to reason that she couldn't allow a human by her side with her father and Alva watching her.
'The past is the past. We are what we choose today.' Arthur looked at his remaining arm and then looked at the missing one.
He would need to replace his arm eventually. The only question was: with what? He could either have Gruen construct a metallic limb for him to inscribe runes on them. The other option was Gala's idea: to contract a spirit.
'Both are tempting.'
Arthur felt like he was choosing an evolutionary pathway, further away from being human. The concept of humanity in his mind was vague, so he didn't care as long as 'he' remained 'him.'
"That is, given that I'm still me." He looked at his hand. He could still smell the faint traces of blood on it. This arm killed a human being, no matter how rotten he was. "Would I have done the same on Earth?"
He could tell that Alka changed him. It stole away something that made him value human life, even the ones of others.
When you dehumanize someone, you'll take away a part of their humanity. They'll never regard human life as valuable once you make them feel like theirs is not.
'I need to find myself,' Arthur clenched his fist. 'But not now. The current me is the only one capable of surviving in this world.'
***
Gruen raced as fast as his short legs could carry him. Today will be the official opening of the shop that will change Contracts City forever.
Yesterday, he was there when they laid a hundred artifacts for selling. Usually, small shops had five to ten artifacts, famous shops had tens, and trading houses were the only ones who had a hundred.
Now, he was the manager and the blacksmith of a new shop: Hidden Gems. This shop that appeared overnight was the talk of the city. The artifacts it offered ranged from elemental offensive artifacts to healing to vegetation.
Despite being artificial, the vegetation artifacts sold like hotcakes. Farmers were the biggest buyers once they caught wind of this. Mana was abundant, but it could harm the plants if used directly.
The vegetation artifact allowed these farmers to harvest crops faster. If used on a large scale, they would be revolutionary to the whole kingdom.
He made sure to report this fact to the Seika, the miracle man. He took out artifacts as if they were copper coins and handed them to him with such trust that it burdened Gruen.
'If he betrays me, I'll kill him.'
Gruen's body shivered as he passed the alley leading to his shop. He was there to see it, the sight of that man beheading one like you would do to a chicken.
'Ruthless, terrifying, and cold.' Gruen swallowed hard as he imagined himself headless. 'I will never betray him.' He vowed.
The Seika nodded nonchalantly. Today's morning, Gruen went there to get the inscribed items. There were two hundred items.
'Does he have a factory?' Gruen sweated as he stopped at the intersection that carriages passed through. 'He's in prison. What kind of factory does he have?'
This ability could change the nation. No, it could build nations. You only need greedy citizens and enough artifacts for them to follow you. After all, a vegetation artifact could yield twice the usual crops.
The two hundred artificial artifacts came in two groups: vegetation artifacts and others. This shop will blow up, Gruen was sure. The Duke of Contracts will never dare belittle him again once he meets him as the manager of Hidden Gems.
As he passed the street, he finally saw it. Lady Gala, the biggest supporter of his love, was there in front of the shop. The tiny shop from before turned into a grand mansion overnight. She bought a different place with the money they made.
"Oh, lovestruck birdy." Gala turned at him and smiled. "What do you think about our shop?"
She wore a cloak and a hood, as per the Seika's instruction. He didn't want anyone to know he was behind this. As for Gruen, he was released from the mansion once they arrested the Seika. His meetings with the Seika were thanks to Lady Gala's help.
"O-our..." His words came out as a stutter, but Gruen was too dazed to notice. With high brick walls and a giant sign that read Hidden Gems, the shop looked grandiose. This was what a hundred artifacts could buy overnight.
"Yes, you are the manager, so act the part. I hired a few helpers to make the sales for you. I think that a master from the Magic Vault will be arriving today."
"The Magic Vault?!" Gruen shouted, drawing attention from the passersby. "Why would they be here?" He whispered, fear taking hold of his heart.
The Magic Vault was an arrogant bunch; Gruen knew that. They were hated by every blacksmith and vendor in the kingdom, as they stole all the resources in the king's name. They also shut down many businesses for 'marked items.'
They proposed that these items were taken from the king's vessels or had the mark of a famous runemaster. It wasn't unusual that such artificial artifacts were leaked since this business was profitable.
The only ones that the vendors can sell were marked for trading or created by rune masters outside the Magic Vault. However, the Magic Vault had every book and technique of inscribing runes, making masters outside of the Magic Vault seem like amateurs.
"Don't worry. They're here to inspect that the items we're selling aren't stolen. If things get hectic, just tell them that King Solomon created these artifacts."
"His... Majesty?" Gruen muttered. "That can't be. His Majesty is in Livia. Saying this will have me hanged by noon! They'll see through it!"
"The Seika instructed as such, so it's up to you to disobey him." Lady Gala shrugged with amusement.
Gruen wasn't a fool. He knew that the witch in front of him enjoyed the image the Seika portrayed of himself. However, it was best not to antagonize such a character. He simply nodded and watched as the witch left.
"Today will be chaotic." Gruen sighed when a man, taller than him as usual, walked up to him.
"Manager Gruen." The man wore formal attire, and Gruen was taken aback that he would speak to him. "I was hired to work under your supervision. You can call me Ma."
"Ma?" Gruen nodded after composing himself. "How are the preparations going?" He asked as he walked into the shop.
"Every case has been arranged, and there's a salesman on every corner," Ma explained. "The only missing piece is the items we're selling."
Gruen was keen enough to hear the curiosity in Ma's voice. After all, this shop was the talk of every citizen. Gruen nodded and waved his hand.
Two hundred artifacts appeared out of thin air. The Seika gave him this ring to keep the items. Ma's eyes turned wide, but Gruen wasn't afraid of anyone stealing these artifacts.
After all, 'she' was watching. Gruen heard stories from the servants of the mansion. The Ice and Fire Princess was said to be the weapon that can change the fate of this war, and she was the guard that the Seika asked to protect this place.