Shop

Walking into the shop, the scent of various herbs and the gentle chime of a distant bell fill the air. I take a deep breath, 'Just how long has it been already? I missed this place.' Turning my attention to the dragon girl beside me, I warn, "Remember, no fighting and no announcing that you're a dragon, you got it?"

Lysandra clicks her tongue, annoyance clear in her eyes. "I won't make any promises," she retorts, her gaze darting around the shop, taking in the various everyday items on display.

Sighing heavily, I reply, "I don't have time for this." In a rash decision, I reach out to grab her arm, intending to pull her along with me. But even with all the strength I muster, it feels like trying to move a mountain. 'Dammit she's so damn strong! I'm using all my strength to pull her and she looks like she's barely making an effort to stop me.' Letting go in frustration, I think, 'Whatever, I'll deal with her in a second.'

As I move further into the shop, I'm stopped by a familiar voice. "Excuse me, sir, I don't know how you got in here, but please get your friend and leave, we'll be ope–"

The voice cuts off abruptly when I turn around, revealing my face. The familiar face of a young girl with flaming red hair widens in shock. "Kael! You're finally back!" Des exclaims.

A smirk plays on my lips. Seeing her face light up like that warms my heart. 'Des looks happier than she did before. I'm glad.' I reach out to pat her head, ruffling her hair playfully. "How have you been, Des? You're not overworking yourself, are you?"

Without hesitation, she lunges at me, wrapping her arms around my waist in a tight hug. I'm momentarily taken aback. 'This is unexpected, has this kid missed me that much? This feels...slightly uncomfortable' Deciding to tease her a little, I purposefully mess up her already untamed red locks. Her cheeks puff up in mock indignation, and she pulls back.

"Ash has been slacking off and he never helps me with anything," she begins, sounding exactly like the kid she is, "Eira has been a great help and really helps me out a lot. I..."

Des continues to chatter away, her tone shifting between the mature girl who manages the shop and the kid who gets into petty quarrels with Ash. While she talks, I notice Lysandra watching intently from a distance, probably trying to gauge what kind of place this is and who these people are. Hmmm, maybe dealing with her will be easier than I anticipated.

Des's voice grows softer, her eyebrows drawing together in a frown. "...And then, Ash took my favorite pendant and said he'd only give it back if I—"

"Alright, alright," I chuckle, holding up a hand to halt her tirade. "I'll have a talk with Ash later. But for now, I have to deal with some issues."

Crouching down to meet Des's eye level, I say, "Hey Des, you see that friend I brought here? She might act a bit weird since she's not from around here. Could you please look after her, just let me know if she leaves or if she's about to do anything stupid. When she's had her fun, bring her up to the second floor."

Des nods enthusiastically, smiling with confidence. "Leave it to me!" She gives a thumbs up, her vibrant energy on full display.

I let out a sigh of relief and get up. 'Alright, one problem dealt with. Hey system, what's her corruption rate at?' I ask, trying to gauge Des's condition.

[Corruption: 21%⇮]

'21%, huh. That's good, that means the devil isn't rushing things. As long as that sneaky bastard doesn't try anything and she doesn't experience any emotional pain, it should increase relatively slow.'

I head to the staircase leading to the second floor. The creaking steps are familiar, almost comforting. But when I reach the top, the atmosphere changes. Zeke is waiting for me, lounging carelessly on a sofa. His eyes glint with malice as he notices me.

"Hmhmhm, it's been a while, Kael," Zeke says, his voice dripping with sadistic glee. "Who's that friend of yours? She seems interesting."

I groan inwardly. 'This bastard. Shouldn't he know who she is? Did Darius not fill him in?' Keeping my voice level, I respond, "She's Darius's niece. That old man won't let it slide if you try anything stupid."

Zeke's lips twist into a grin, revealing his sinister intentions. "So, the old man gave you babysitting duty, huh? At first glance, she looks strong, but she won't satisfy me. I don't want that old man after me."

Satisfied he got the message, I change the topic. I move towards the fridge, relieved to see it stocked. 'Nice. Seems like Des has been keeping up with things here.' Reaching into my bag, I pull out a piece of paper and toss it at Zeke. "Desolara seems to have some control over her mana now. As promised, I sketched out the location of the Taurea. It's your choice whether you continue helping her from here on out."

'Thanks to this crazy fucker, Des is doing better than I anticipated. The technique I've picked out for her should keep her stable, even without his intervention.'

Zeke grabs the paper, his expression changing slightly. "Hmhmahaha, the slums, huh? How unexpected. I better get going then."

With that, Zeke leaves the room, his footsteps echoing in the hallway. I let out a deep sigh, hoping he wouldn't cause too much trouble. Now, I need to visit Eira. Ascending another flight of stairs, I head to the top floor.

I sigh as I knock on the door to Eira's office. Ugh, nobody in their right mind would dare walk into her office without letting her know. Shit, I'd probably die if I did. Does she truly have zero trust or what? I think, exasperated.

From inside, I hear Eira's voice. "Yo Kael, come on in."

Opening the door and stepping in, the room feels almost claustrophobic, despite its size. Damn, we gave her so much space up here, but why does it feel so cramped?

I can't help but grin as I spot Eira hunched over her desk, her silhouette framed by the soft glow of a holographic display. My amusement doubles when I notice what she's wearing - an oversized lab coat, making her look like a kid playing dress-up.

Eira then swivels around in her ridiculously oversized chair to face me. I burst out laughing. "Hahahaha, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! You just look so funny in that getup. And that chair? Why did you even choose such a large one? It makes you look like a toddler!"

She clicks her tongue in annoyance. "Seriously, Kael? Ugh, I don't have time for this. I've been waiting for you."

Eira swiftly gets up and walks over to lock the door. She then tosses a pair of glasses my way. "Look at my progress." Moving towards a large table, she activates the holographic interface, and a floating image appears.

I put on the glasses, and suddenly the hologram becomes clearer. Damn, she changed the design quite a bit. She's really set on creating a one-of-a-kind masterpiece, huh?

She points to the floating design. "Look, the general blueprint for the Dragon's Eye sniper is halfway complete. I'm still working out minor details." Shifting the hologram, she showcases the bullets. "I won't be able to design the bullets until the weapon design is complete, but I predict the bullets will enhance the damage by 60%."

I lean back in one of the chairs, sinking into its comfortable embrace. "Eira, why show me all this? You know I can't understand half of it."

She sighs, clearly annoyed. "Do you think I don't know that? It's merely a necessity. We work together, after all." Eira takes the glasses from me and stows them away in a safe.

Her gaze sharpens. "So, Kael, what do you have for me?"

I raise an eyebrow, feigning innocence. "Expecting something? Sorry to disappoint, but I've got nothing."

Eira smirks, her playful side shining through. "I won't upgrade your gun if you keep playing games."

Damn, she's no fun today. What's got her so worked up?

I sigh and hurl a bag across the room towards Eira, the contents clinking against each other. "These are a portion of the materials you asked for."

Eira's eyes light up greedily as she catches the bag, the telltale glint of anticipation in her gaze. 'Ugh, what a greedy bastard she is. I can see it in her eyes; she's been waiting for this.'

She quickly rummages through the contents, her brows knitting in frustration. "It's not here, huh?"

I raise an eyebrow, genuinely intrigued. "Are you looking for a particular item?"

Eira clicks her tongue in annoyance. "I was hoping some of the high-end resources were here so I could study them."

Grinning like the devil, I retrieve a vial from my pocket, filled with a luminous liquid. Shaking it tantalizingly in front of her, I tease, "Here's the dragon blood."

Just as her fingers nearly graze the vial, I jerk it out of her reach. "Hey, we won't be able to get any more, so don't do anything stupid."

Without warning, Eira lunges at me, her hand shooting out to latch onto my arm, yanking it down with a strength that makes me wince. Swiftly, she snatches the vial from my grasp. 'Fuck, fuck, fuck. This bitch is gonna break my arm.'

She shoots me a cocky smirk, her pride evident. "Tsk, who do you think I am?" With a dramatic flourish, she heads over to her safe and stores the vial securely. 'Damn it, I swear I'll beat her ass once I'm stronger.'

Pushing off from the desk, I lean casually on her chair, trying to regain some semblance of dignity. I shoot her a cold glare. "Where's my share? You didn't pocket any of my money, did you?"

I'm almost certain she skims off the top sometimes. 'Tsk. I know damn well she took some of my money. Still, I'm sure we've made a hefty profit off the TSI, even with the competition.'

Caught in the act, Eira's composed facade crumbles as she fumbles with an awkward smile. Swiftly, she fishes out a stack of money from a drawer, handing it over with a hint of guilt. Before I can even count the notes, she swiftly changes the topic, her voice taking on an eager pitch. "Hey! Let me see your gun. Don't you want me to upgrade it?"

I carefully extract my baby from my bag and present it to Eira. The sleek, metallic design gleams under the room's lights. "The charged rune attack is amazing," I admit, trying not to sound too impressed.

Eira lets out a theatrical sigh, running a hand through her unruly hair. "Of course it is. I made it. Do you know anyone smarter than me?" she retorts, almost dripping with arrogance.

Grinning, I can't help but bite back. "Actually, yes, I do."

She whips around, her eyes wide with disbelief. "Huh!? Smarter than me?" In two quick strides, she's in front of me, jabbing her finger into my forehead. Damn, that hurt! "Then why don't you work with them instead?" Her tone is sharp, and it's clear I've ruffled her feathers.

Rubbing the sore spot, I imagine what working with her would be like. Biana, lounging around and taking midday naps, ignoring every instruction and generally being a massive pain in the ass. Shaking my head, I chuckle, "No way. She's a total bitch."

Eira smirks, letting out a satisfied "heh," clearly pleased with my response. She then heads over to a work table, cradling my baby with a care and precision only she could muster.

Curious, my eyes wander over to a blueprint that's laid out on a nearby table. My jaw drops as I take in the details. 'What the hell is this? An explosive gun? Is she seriously trying to make something similar to an RPG? This is insane!' My shock only grows as I spot the specifications she's jotted down. A particular note catches my eye. 'Why the hell does she specifically want it to blow up a castle?'

Unable to contain my disbelief, I snatch up the blueprint, waving it frantically. "What the hell are you trying to do, Eira!?"

Eira turns, her eyebrows raising in mild surprise. Following my gaze to the blueprint in my hand, she shrugs nonchalantly. "Oh that? Tsk, I keep fucking that up."

My mind races as I try to comprehend her intentions. 'Fucking it up? I think the problem is how big you want the explosion to be! Seriously, she's emphasizing a damn castle here! What the fuck is this output? I'm no genius, but...'

I confront her, my voice a mix of exasperation and genuine concern. "Oi, you're not planning on becoming a terrorist, are you?"

Eira bursts out laughing, clearly amused by my outburst. "Relax, drama queen. Maybe I just want to make a statement."

'What kind of statement requires blowing up a castle?' I ponder, but part of me doesn't even want to know. I mean, we've dealt with our share of crazy shit, but this is a whole new level of insanity. But as my initial shock wanes, another thought strikes me.

Sauntering over to Eira, I grin, showing off my pearly whites. "Oi, let me see the other guns."

She casts a sidelong glance my way, her eyes half-lidded in mild annoyance. "Huh? Na, I don't have time for that."

My grin falters, replaced by a heavy sigh. The room seems to darken, a shadow overtaking my face as I lift a hand, rubbing it over my features. 'Ugh, I didn't want to pull this shit, but damn it all, she's left me no choice.'

Mustering my most pitiful voice, I pout at her. "Come on~ Please! Why would you show them to me if you weren't going to let me play with them~?" In my desperation, I grab onto her arm and give it a good shake, trying to get my point across.

Eira lets out a long, exaggerated sigh, rolling her eyes to the heavens as if praying for patience. "Fine, I guess I can give you a temporary replacement," she mutters, sounding more like she's trying to convince herself.

Without further ado, she activates a rune and, like magic, a desk drawer pops open, revealing a plethora of guns that would make any gun nut salivate with envy. My eyes widen in sheer joy, unable to believe my luck. 'Hehehe, they all look freaking awesome. Which one should I choose~?'

But, Eira, being the tease that she is, reaches in and grabs a pistol that looks vaguely familiar. Slightly thicker and weightier than my original, but close enough. Before I can even voice my desires, she abruptly closes the desk, shutting away my treasure trove of dreams.

"B-but I wanted one like that one," I stutter, desperately pointing towards where I last saw a gun that had an uncanny resemblance to an assault rifle.

Ignoring me completely, she hands me the pistol with an air of finality. "No, I feel like I can still improve them."

A solitary tear trails down my cheek, my dreams crushed once more. Gripping Eira's arm, I mumble, "Let's go."

She raises an eyebrow, clearly confused. "Huh? Go where?"

Doing my best to shield my face, trying and failing to hide my heartbreak, I let out a huffed reply, "I'm taking the crew out to eat. And don't worry, Zeke has something important to do, so he won't be joining us."