The man’s smirk widens as he surveys the shop, his gaze landing on the blacksmith behind the counter. “So this is the place?” he says, his voice dripping with disdain. “Someone told me you had good weapons here, but I’m not seeing anything impressive. This shop is just straight up trash.”
The blacksmith doesn’t respond immediately, simply continuing to polish the sword in his hand as if the man’s words hadn’t even reached him. “No one is forcing you to buy my wares, young man,” he says calmly, his voice steady and entirely unbothered.
The young man’s smirk vanishes, replaced by a flash of anger. He steps closer to the counter, his posture growing more aggressive. “You think you can talk to me like that, you decrepit old dog?” His hand tightens on the hilt of his sword, as if the mere suggestion of defiance is enough to provoke him to take the old man’s life. “I could buy and sell this entire dump without breaking a sweat.
So, how about you show a little respect?”
The blacksmith, unfazed and uninterested in the young man’s bravado, continues polishing the sword with the same calm demeanor. “Please, by all means, buy it. A thousand gold coins sounds like a fair compensation for all the trouble I’ve gone through while building my brand up throughout the decades.” he replies evenly, not even bothering to look up.
Brand? What brand? You don’t even have a shop name… I can’t help but smile at this old guy’s snarky response.
The arrogant guy’s face reddens with fury, and for a moment, it seems like he might really draw his sword. The tension in the room thickens- at least from his perspective- but I remain entirely undisturbed, watching the scene with casual interest. This is the kind of encounter you expect when someone like a rich kid walks into a room and isn’t pampered with attention.
The first annoying young master I encounter is finally here it seems.
Ayame and Blossom seem equally unbothered. Ayame’s fingers play idly with the hilt of her new katana, not out of concern, but because she’s itching to get back to more interesting matters, such as our next stop at the armorer shop. Blossom, meanwhile, glances around the shop while holding my hand affectionately, as if the newcomer’s outburst is merely background noise.
The woman who accompanied him watches the exchange with growing irritation. Her disinterest shifts as her gaze sweeps across the room, pausing when she notices that they are, in fact, not alone in this place with the shopkeeper. Her gaze sharpens the moment she registers us- three dark figures clad in robes and masks, standing silently in the dimly lit shop, watching the scene unfold motionlessly.
A strong sense of foreboding visibly washes over the arrogant female as she clutches her staff closer to her body.
Are we really this intimidating?
A glee forces its way onto my features. I absolutely love her reaction.
“Cedric,” she snaps, her voice cutting through his ego trip. “Why do you always have to pick such useless fights?! There’s still a month until the Trials, we will visit other shops that sell much better looking wares instead.”
He glances back at her and smirks. “Selene, baby, stop worrying. I could put this old fart into his grave with a single slap of my wrist.” Though, when he sees where Selene is looking, he follows her gaze and finally realizes that there are three people standing only a few feet away from him. He freezes for a moment before bolting into action and jumping away.
“What the fuck are you creeps hiding in the corner for?!” He shouts with a mix of surprise and anger.
Cedric’s sudden jump backward, combined with his outburst, is rather comical. I can’t help but let out a low chuckle, the sound muffled slightly by the mask. “Nothing…? We were trying to pay until you barged in.”
“I asked why were you hiding in the corner?!” The arrogant warrior screams.
… Is this fucker deaf? There’s no point in entertaining a raging man-child so I just shrug my shoulders, not bothering him with a snarky reply. In the next moment, though he comes to his own rescue without me even having to accuse him of being incompetent as his eyes narrow threateningly. “Hmph! I’m a damage dealer, not a detector,” he snaps, clearly trying to regain his composure.
“If we had Robert with us, I would’ve noticed you sneaky fuckers as soon as I stepped into the shop.”
I nod, “I believe you wholeheartedly.” This guy is really something. First, he’s all bluster, and now he’s making excuses. It would be so easy to get under his skin, though I think I will just settle for mocking him in my head. It’s best to just remain ignored by people like these two, for they bring nothing but trouble.
For some reason Cedric’s anger flares up again, his body tensing as if he’s about to make a move. “You think you’re so tough while hiding behind those masks? I could take all three of you on without breaking a sweat!” His voice is loud, almost desperate, as if he’s trying to convince himself or his Wizard girl more so than us.
Why are you so angry at me, my guy? You have some serious issues.
His attitude reminds me of online gamers that get a bit too competitive when they have their ego challenged.
Ayame shifts slightly beside me, her hand still resting on her katana’s hilt, but her posture remains relaxed. Blossom, on the other hand, barely acknowledges Cedric’s outburst, her attention seemingly more focused on molesting the crevices of my hand than on the angry swordsman. It’s clear neither of them sees him as a real threat.
It’s not that they appear to be weak, not at all. In fact, I would argue that just from a glance, they would have the upper hand in a 2 vs 3 battle against us. Their attitude though, takes a lot of the impressiveness that they would rightfully deserve away from these two arrogant love birds.
Before Cedric can escalate the situation further, Selene steps forward, her own frustration now evident. She’s clearly had enough of this charade. “Cedric, stop it!” She commands, her tone cold and sharp. “You’re embarrassing yourself…”
Cedric turns to her, his eyes blazing with anger. “Embarrassing myself? These nobodies are- ”
“I don’t care!” Selene cuts him off, her voice rising slightly as she steps closer to him. “We have more important things to focus on than picking fights with random people in some rundown shop. We need to be preparing for the Trials, not wasting our time here!”
Cedric’s face twists with fury as he takes a threatening step toward me. “I couldn’t care less.” He snarls. “I’ll deal with you three right this instant.”