After what felt like an eternity of trying on different suits and casual yet fashionable outfits, Alister finally stood by the counter, ready to check out. The attendant held a calculator, her fingers moving across the buttons as she called out numbers while adding up the cost of each piece of clothing.
“Dark Arachnis suit, 1.5 million Union credits… Frostbane Leviathan outer coat, 2.2 million… Thunder Serpent accessories, 500,000 credits… Casualwear bundle, 3.8 million credits…”
Alister felt his stomach sink with each figure. By the time she finished, the total amount felt like a sledgehammer to the chest.
“That will be 8 million Union credits,” the attendant said with a polite smile, as though she were discussing the weather.
Alister and Lila’s eyes widened in shock. “Eight… million!?” they both exclaimed.
“That’s more than-more than most people make in a year!” Lila added.
The attendant remained calm, her smile never fading. “Yes, eight million credits,” she confirmed, nodding slightly as if this were a routine purchase.
Alister turned to Lady Aiko, ready to give her his thoughts. “Lady Aiko, I-this is way too much. There’s no way I can afford this. I’ve only been paid by the guild once, and the Union hasn’t even handed out the prize from the Wasteland Displa-”
Before he could finish, Lady Aiko raised her hand, silencing him mid-sentence. She stepped closer to him, her expression cold yet composed as she spoke.
“Alister,” she said, her tone leaving no room for debate, “your Union card.”
Alister froze. His heart raced as he looked at her. “I-”
Lady Aiko leaned in, her voice dropping to a low, dangerous whisper that only he could hear. “Don’t play smart with me, Mr. Hazenworth. I know exactly how much goes in and out of that account of yours.”
Alister blinked, momentarily caught off guard. “What?”
“I know you’ve been acquiring money through… unconventional means,” she continued, her words sharp. “I don’t know all the details, but I know you can easily afford this.”
He narrowed his gaze, feeling the weight of her words press down on him. She wasn’t guessing—she knew enough to put him on edge.
“So,” Lady Aiko added, stepping back slightly but keeping her piercing gaze locked on him, “would you rather explain the mysterious flow of funds into your account, especially when you’ve told Master Yuuto you can’t go on dungeon raids? Or do you pay for this, we leave, and I pretend like I don’t know… like I always do?”
Alister spoke calmly as he asked, “Was that supposed to be a threat?”
Lady Aiko adjusted her glasses as she spoke. “If it was, do you plan to go against your vice guild master?”
Alister paused slightly. Looking to his side, he noticed the intense gaze Cinder had locked on Lady Aiko; it looked like she could snap at any moment. Not wanting things to escalate, he let out a sigh, then said, “I see no reason for it to come to that.”
He then pulled out his card and handed it to her.
Lady Aiko smiled slightly, satisfied. “Good,” she said softly as she calmly took it.
Lady Aiko took Alister’s Union card and hovered it over the payment device. A soft beep echoed through the boutique, confirming the transaction was completed.
Lila stood beside Alister, her eyes wide with shock. “It actually went through?” she whispered. freēwebnovel.com
The attendant simply smiled, bowing slightly. “Thank you for your purchase, and we hope to see you again.”
Moments later, Lady Aiko, Alister, Cinder, and Lila stood before the grand entrance of Finesse Fabrications, the upscale boutique they had just left.
Lady Aiko turned to Alister. “That will be all I’ll help you with today,” she said calmly.
She pointed to a spot further down the hall on the same floor. “There’s a salon nearby where you can get your hair cut. I suggest you go there next.”
Alister, still processing everything, nodded.
“I must attend to other matters,” Lady Aiko continued as she adjusted her glasses. “Take care of your appearance. I’ll see you soon.” Without waiting for a response, she turned and walked away, disappearing into the crowd.
Lila watched Lady Aiko disappear into the crowd and blinked. “She just left… just like that?”
Alister sighed, glancing toward where Lady Aiko had been moments earlier. “Yeah, seems like it. Well, I guess I should go ahead and get this over with,” he said, turning around to head toward the salon.
As Alister began walking, both Cinder and Lila quickly caught up to his side. Cinder’s eyes widened as she noticed the many bags Alister was carrying, filled with the expensive clothes they had just purchased.
“You’re carrying all that?” she asked, surprised. Without waiting for a reply, she offered, “Let me take some.”
Alister chuckled softly. “It’s fine, really,” he said, though there was a slight strain in his voice. Cinder raised an eyebrow and insisted, “I insist, my lord.”
With a small smile, Alister nodded. “Alright, let’s do things like this…” He handed over a few of the bags to Cinder but still held on to some.
Watching the exchange, Lila spoke up hesitantly, “Um… I-I’d like to carry some too.”
Alister paused, looking at her awkwardly. “Really?”
Lila nodded eagerly. Alister let out a soft sigh, amused. “Okay, sure.”
To his surprise, Lila took every single bag from him, leaving him completely empty-handed.
“Uh… this feels a bit awkward,” Alister muttered, scratching the back of his head.
Lila’s cheeks flushed slightly, her gaze dropping to the ground for a moment. But then she lifted her head, a look of resolve crossing her face. This is my chance, she thought, her hands gripping the bags tightly.
Gathering her courage, Lila spoke up softly, “So… um, do you have any other plans after this?”
Alister paused mid-step, glancing at her. “Well, nothing much. Maybe train with my dragons later. I was hoping to a Master Yuuto for permission to-”
Before he could finish, Lila interrupted with sudden enthusiasm, “What about lunch after this?”
Alister blinked, caught off guard by the unexpected question.
He hesitated for a moment, considering Lila’s offer. After a brief pause, he sighed and reluctantly agreed, “Alright, sure. Lunch sounds good.”
Lila’s eyes widened in surprise. “R-really?” she stuttered, almost as if she hadn’t expected
him to say yes.
Alister gave a small smile and nodded. “Yeah. But what about the shopping you mentioned earlier? Weren’t you planning to get a few things?”
Lila stammered, her face slightly flushed, “I-I’ll be fine! You don’t have to worry about that. It’s not a big deal, really.”
Alister chuckled softly, noticing how nervous she seemed. “Alright then,” he said, not
pressing further.
Just then, a system notification flashed in front of Alister’s eyes, causing him to suddenly pause in his tracks.
[Double Quest!]
[Last Stand/Where Are They Now (2): You have taken your first step toward preparing for the descent of darkness. As an Overlord, you cannot stop until you are sure of total victory.
Quest completion condition: Find a dragon kin tribe who inhabit the wastelands and are in
need of an Overlord.
Make them acknowledge you as their lord.
Reward: A class-exclusive skill]
Alister blinked as the system notification flashed in front of him.
‘Double Quest?’ he thought, his brow furrowing slightly. He had never seen a quest like this
before. This was something new.
‘Also the system’s choice of words is peculiar… It saying ‘A’ dragon kin tribe… That wood
mean there are more then one…’
His eyes skimmed over the quest details again, lingering on the mention of the “dragon kin.” The words brought back a memory-of that small dragon kin he’d seen at the auction. He hadn’t thought much about it since then, but now he found himself wondering,
‘How is he doing?’
Before he could dwell on it further, Lila’s voice broke through his thoughts. “Alister? Are you
alright?” she asked, her tone filled with concern.
“You seem like something’s on your mind.”
Alister snapped back to the present, offering a quick smile. “It’s nothing,” he said, brushing off the thought. “Let’s hurry up so I can get that cut, and then we can grab lunch.”
He started walking again, deciding to push the strange quest from his mind, at least for now.
There was plenty to deal with as it was.
…
Meanwhile…
Members of the Berserkers Guild Assault Raid Team gathered in front of the shimmering blue portal of the A-ranked dungeon gate. The air was filled with tension.
The team was made up of new members, and this would be the first high-ranked dungeon
raid since they became official members.
Although they were anxious, they were definitely ready.
At the front stood a orange haired, green eyed man in white and hold armor, Xaiver, the team leader; his confident smile seemed to cut through the anxiety that loomed over them. He looked at the faces of the newbies, making sure everyone was in position and ready for the
challenge ahead.
“Alright, listen up!” Xaiver called out, his voice steady and commanding. “This is an A-
ranked dungeon, and we can’t afford any mistakes. Everyone needs to be at the top of their
game.” Chase, one of the newer members, stood off to the side, adjusting his gear and trying to calm the nervous flutter in his stomach by keeping a blank face. He glanced around, taking in the anxious yet determined expressions of his teammates. Some were checking their equipment, while others whispered strategies amongst themselves.
Xaiver stepped closer to Chase, noticing the young man’s unease. “You good, Chase? You’re
our star player here, so you don’t need to be so tense,” he said, his tone soft, slightly teasing but still authoritative.
Chase nodded, forcing a smile. “Yeah, sir, just… you know, a bit anxious. It’s my first A-rank
raid.”