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Sam stared up at the skyscraper. It looked like a rectangular prism made of pure obsidian; however, upon closer inspection, one would see the seams between the glass panes, black and reflective, lining the building from top to bottom. It reminded Sam of buildings from Et Serpentium, very geometric. He turned towards April, and the green-haired nurse smile before tugging him towards the building’s double-doors, which were see-through, revealing a white interior with items on display in a room.
Birdbrained readjusted itself, wobbling on Sam’s head, to get a better look. Raindu’s upper body crawled out of Sam’s shirt, the ferret’s paws dangling over the collar. Its mahogany eyes went wide upon seeing the items up for sale, and its hind legs kicked at Sam’s shirt as if urging him to walk faster. Sam took in a deep breath; for some reason, he had a bad feeling, and if anything were to happen, he wanted to be calm enough to react appropriately for the situation.
The glass doors slid open, and two people wearing black suits with black sunglasses and black earpieces stepped in front of Sam and April. “Welcome,” they said and turned their bodies to the side while bowing, making way for the couple as they gestured for them to enter. At the same time, green text flashed on the interior of their glasses as the cameras built into the glasses’ frame scanned Sam and Wendy from head to toe.
A black-haired woman wearing a red dress stepped into view. “Would you like any assistance today?”
Sam turned his head towards April, deferring the decision to her. The green-haired woman shook her head. “We’ll be fine on our own, thank you,” April said, smiling at the woman.
The woman in the red dress narrowed her eyes. “I insist,” she said. “Let me help you. My name is Rosette, and I’ve memorized the details of all the items on display.”
Sam turned his head towards the shelves where the items were being held. Underneath each piece of merchandise, there was a card with a description of the item’s background and effects.
“Come,” Rosette said, stepping in front of Sam to block his view. “What kind of crystal are you looking for today? An accessory? Weapon? Or perhaps you’re here for meditation stones?”
Sam turned to look at April. He wasn’t sure if it was normal for a rejected shop attendant to continue pestering them after having been turned down; after all, he had never been to such a fancy-looking store before.
“Well, since you insist,” April said, raising an eyebrow at Rosette. The green-haired woman pointed at Sam. “He’s looking for a weapon.”
“A weapon, very well,” Rosette said, her blue eyes lingering on Sam’s bare wrists, fingers, neck, and ears. “While you’re here, can I interest you in accessories as well? I couldn’t help but notice you’re not wearing any. No matter what kind of talent you have, Treasured Crystals sells accessories with abilities that can complement it.”
Sam resisted the urge to scratch his head—mostly because he didn’t want to disturb the eagle atop his hat. “I’m unfamiliar with crystal weapons and accessories,” he said. “Do you mind if we take a look around first?”
“Sure, no problem!” Rosette said and stepped to the side, letting Sam and April pass. As soon as they did, Rosette lined up behind them and stuck close to their backs.
“Alright,” April said, turning her head to look at the shop assistant. “What’s the deal? We’re not thieves, so why are you sticking so closely to us? It’s Sam’s outfit, isn’t it?”
Sam blinked. What was wrong with his outfit? He only wore it in the first place because April said it looked nice!
“Yes, it’s his outfit,” Rosette said without a hint of shame. She puffed her chest out and winked at Sam. “Shop attendants get a cut of the profit for every successful sale. You dress like you’re rich, and I like money.”
“Fair enough,” April said, nodding her head. How could she blame Rosette for wanting to mooch off of Sam when the green-haired nurse was doing the same thing herself? Something black moved in the corner of April’s vision, and she turned her head to look at Raindu, who was now standing on a display, staring at a turquoise bracelet. The ferret touched the bracelet, and it vanished before April’s eyes, causing them to widen.
Rosette turned her head to see what April was looking at, but the ferret had already moved on.
Sam’s expression darkened. As expected, Raindu couldn’t keep its sticky toes to itself. Birdbrained squawked, causing every shopper in the store to turn to look at Sam due to the unpleasantness of the sound; some of them assumed monsters were invading and pulled out their weapons. The eagle’s meaning was clear: Raindu was taking what it wanted, so Birdbrained wanted to take things as well.
Sam exhaled. Although the home he had purchased was expensive, he still had plenty of credits to spare. Credits from Et Serpentium could be exchanged for human credits at a one-to-one-hundred ratio, and he had lots of Et Serpentium credits, not to mention the human credits he received for completing his task of stealing the GMC. Even though he didn’t bring the GMC back in its crystalline form for Monarch to exploit graylings with, they still kept their end of the bargain because the queen wanted to establish good relations with Sam. A month from now, after the free-trial period for the graylings he rented out to the big companies was over, another flood of credits would come his way when the companies renewed their contracts with him.
Birdbrained obediently allowed itself to be lifted off of Sam’s head. Sam placed the eagle onto the ground and pointed at Rosette while speaking to Birdbrained. “You can follow her around. Buy whatever you like, but stay within a budget of a hundred million credits, alright? Also, keep an eye on Raindu for me.”
Rosette’s eyes bulged as she looked down at the eagle. From the way Sam was dressed, she expected him to be a big spender, but he was willing to spend a hundred million credits on a bird! He wasn’t a big spender; he was a massive spender, someone with more money than brains, the perfect customer!
Birdbrained squawked.
“No,” Sam said. “You don’t have to share a budget with Raindu.” Sam looked at the ferret, who was busy taking and storing things in front of the customers and cameras without a care in the world. “Raindu has its own money, and its going to pay for everything it takes.”
Raindu turned to look at Sam, and Rosette turned her to follow Sam’s gaze, meeting the ferret’s mahogany eyes. “Oh, it’s so cute,” Rosette said, her blue eyes lighting up. “I’ll be sure to keep a close eye on your pets, Mister….”
“Sam,” Sam said. “Don’t call me mister either.” It felt strange to be called mister, a title reserved for older people worthy of respect.
“Yes, sir!” Rosette said and crouched next to Birdbrained despite the dress limiting her movements. “Hey there, want to go shopping with me?” She held out her arms. “I’ll show you the good stuff.”
Birdbrained waddled forward and squawked at Rosette, demanding to be carried. Even though the shop attendant wasn’t a mind reader or bird speaker, she still understood the eagle’s meaning. She chuckled as she lifted Birdbrained up, nestling it against her bosom.
Sam and April exchanged glances as the shop attendant walked away, heading towards Raindu with an eagle in her arms. Sam took off his hat and scratched his head. With Rosette supervising the animals, he wouldn’t be accused of stealing if Raindu went on a plundering spree, right?
“Great,” April said. “Now that we’re finally alone, let’s pick out a weapon for you. They’re located on the second floor.”
Sam scratched his nose as he turned to look at Birdbrained and Raindu. As expected, even though he found them a chaperone, it didn’t feel right to leave them to their own devices. What if someone tried to kidnap them because of how adorable they were? The kidnapper would be torn to shreds by Birdbrained or robbed of their organs by Raindu, and suddenly, he’d be the S-ranked awakener who killed someone while shopping. “Let’s stay on the first floor for now,” Sam said. There was a little bit of everything on display on the first floor: accessories, weapons, meditation stones, furniture pieces, statues. “Until Raindu and Birdbrained are ready to move to another floor.”
Sam approached a display with upright hands made of stone. On their fingers, there were different rings. Some were bands, crystalline rings made of one whole piece of crystal, while others were made of metal with gems adorning them. Underneath the rings, there were cards with detailed information about the accessories. It was a lot to read, and Sam regretted sending Rosette off. She could’ve explained things in detail for him.
“Look, Sam!” April said and pointed at a dark-green jade thumb ring with a frog carved on it.
Sam looked at the ring before reading the card with the description beneath it. According to the card, the ring was capable of keeping illnesses at bay, and when worn for long periods of time, it’d improve one’s looks and overall health, making them more handsome or beautiful. It came with those effects for the cheap price of…. “Twenty million credits?” Sam asked. Suddenly, he didn’t feel so rich anymore. A regular person would never be able to purchase the frog ring. “Why is it so expensive?”
“It’s a high-class item made from an elite monster’s core,” April said. “Its effects are also good. Who wouldn’t want longevity and beauty?”
Rather than looking pretty and living long, Sam thought the ring’s ability to keep illnesses at bay was more practical. However, he didn’t want the thumb ring; it was a bit too large and gaudy for his taste. Sam’s expression darkened. “Did you suggest this ring just because it was green?”
“Was it that obvious?” April asked, grinning at Sam’s completely green outfit.
Sam stared at the frog ring. Wasn’t his health important? Twenty-million, when he already had so much, wasn’t it worth it? He reached forward, but before he could grab it, someone else snatched it off the display, taking the whole hand. Sam’s brow furrowed as he turned his head to the side.
A man wearing a fitted suit made of black silk plucked the jade ring off the hand before putting the hand back on display. He flashed a smile at Sam and April before turning to leave.
“I wonder who put a stick up his butt,” April said, turning towards Sam with a grin on her face. “Did you see how he looked at us? It’s like we’re on a drama.”
Sam glanced at the man, who had coincidentally staggered while walking away, before nodding at April. “I recognize him,” Sam said. “I saw him yesterday at one of the companies, but I don’t remember which one.”
The silk-suited man stopped and turned around with a stomp. “Carbon Peak,” he said to Sam. “Don’t you forget it.”
“What’s his name?” April asked after the man turned around again.
Sam shrugged before taking a step to the side, reading the card for another item that caught his eye: a miniature statue of a meditating reptilian carved from a solid piece of amethyst. According to the card, it could assist someone in opening their Ajna, the third eye chakra, when placed atop their head during meditation. Also, if someone resonated their third eye chakra with the statue, they’d reveal all hidden presences within thirty meters. It was a shame Sam’s chakras weren’t capable of opening through conventional methods, or he would’ve purchased the statue for the cheap price of … fifty-million credits.
Sam’s eye twitched as he turned his head to look at his troublesome pet. Raindu, being a ferret, obviously wasn’t checking the prices of items before storing them in its fur. If every item averaged in the tens of millions, then the ferret’s budget would run out before it even visited the other floors. Couldn’t it come back and steal the items later on its own? Why did it have to cause a ruckus while he was around?
Raindu’s paw stopped a millimeter away from the yellow sphere it was about to grab. It turned to look at Sam and nodded at him. Then, it took out all the items it had already stored, handing them over to Rosette. The ferret’s thoughts appeared in Sam’s head; Sam was right. Why did it have to spend its hard-earned money when it could steal these things later? The first visit should be about remembering the layout and spotting security measures.
Sam’s expression darkened as the ferret ran back over to Sam, Rosette following behind the ferret. The ferret never learned by listening to Sam’s thoughts before, so why did it have to learn such weird things now?
Raindu ran up Sam’s shoulder and tilted its furry head, asking Sam what he meant. Hadn’t Sam wanted it to steal the GMC? Stealing was good, no? It was profitable, and people liked it when they stole. If they wanted to live a better life, then Raindu needed to perfect its techniques involving the reallocation of resources.
“Hey,” April said, tugging on Sam’s sleeve. “I think that guy’s upset you don’t know his name.”
Sam turned his head towards the man working for Carbon Peak. How was Sam supposed to know his name? He had met a lot of people that day, and he didn’t remember most of their faces much less their names. “Not sure why,” Sam said and shrugged before looking at Rosette. “Sorry about my ferret. It changed its mind after seeing the price tags.”
“No worries,” the shop attendant said and looked down at Birdbrained, who she was still holding in her chest. “Did your eagle change its mind too?”
Sam looked at Birdbrained, and the eagle squawked. “No,” Sam said. “It’s perfectly comfy where it is. It also wants you to show it all the bangles you have, the ones it can wear like a necklace.”
“Of course,” Rosette said and beamed. “I’ll make sure it stays within your hundred-million-credit budget.” And she’d do her damnedest to make the eagle spend as much of the budget as she could; she was relying on this commission to clear her gambling debt!
Sam watched Rosette turn to walk towards the steps leading to the second floor. Then, he turned to look at the upset man from Carbon Peak. Sam’s brow furrowed as he recalled his experience visiting Carbon Peak the other day. He had followed the schedule created by the graylings, who had arranged and scheduled meetings with the company heads. He had been escorted inside, and after going through some security measures, he had met with the CEO of Carbon Peak, Mister Park. Mister Park was the only person Sam had an impression of, and that employee over there wasn’t Mister Park. “Who are you?” Sam asked when the unknown man made eye contact with him.
“Jimmy Park,” the man said, walking up to Sam as if he hadn’t made a motion to leave earlier after grabbing the jade ring.
“Alright, Jimmy, spill the tea,” April said. “Why’re you side-eyeing Sam like he stole your girlfriend’s underwear?”
Sam stared at April. “What kind of expression is that?”
Instead of answering Sam’s question, April glanced at the ferret on Sam’s shoulder before meeting his eyes.
“Never mind,” Sam said. He didn’t want to be known as an underwear thief, but the evidence was stacked against him. Sam nodded at Jimmy. “Right. What’s your problem with me?”
Jimmy glared at Sam and April. Then, the suited man’s neck and face flushed red. “What’s your relationship with Miss Wendy?” he asked, crossing his arms over his chest as he stared down Sam.
Sam blinked. “What?”
“I saw you walking with her yesterday,” Jimmy said, his face even redder now. The vibe Jimmy gave off reminded Sam of a dog that was caught by a cat in the middle of taking a dump—in a compromising situation but still pretending to be fierce. “You two seemed close.”
“They have a great relationship,” April said. “Just this afternoon, Wendy personally came to Sam’s house.”
“What?” Jimmy asked, his eyes widening. “What for?”
“She wanted to see him squirm,” April said, grinning at Jimmy’s pure expressions. “She made him wear two gloves with fire ants knitted inside of them, so they bit and stung his hands repeatedly.”
Jimmy’s jaw fell open. “Why?”
“That’s just how she is,” April said, not afraid of speaking ill of Wendy now that the green-haired nurse had jumped ship from Monarch to Sam’s still-unnamed company. “You’re interested in her, aren’t you?”
“W-what?” Jimmy asked, his face turning an even brighter shade of red. “No! Says who? I bet you’re interested in her!”
“This guy is adorable,” April said to Sam, flashing him a grin.
“Is he?” Sam asked, raising an eyebrow as he turned his head towards Jimmy. The suited man glared at Sam.
“I am not adorable!” Jimmy said and puffed his chest out. “I am a man, and I command respect wherever I go.”
“Okay, buddy,” April said. “Whatever you say. If you’re not interested in Wendy, then you wouldn’t want us speaking good words about you around her, right?”
“I didn’t say that,” Jimmy said, pursing his lips.
“You didn’t say it, but you’re acting it,” April said. “What was the deal with you snatching the thumb ring I pointed out?”
Jimmy lowered his head and reached into his pocket. “Here,” he mumbled and took out the ring, offering it towards Sam. “I just wanted you to notice me, sorry.”
“How did you recognize me?” Sam asked, taking the ring. With his sunglasses and hat, his identifying features should’ve been hidden.
Jimmy blinked at Sam before pointing at the ferret on Sam’s shoulder. “Your pets are kind of obvious.”
Sam opened and closed his mouth, feeling a little silly. Raindu and Birdbrained were obvious, weren’t they? “You’re right,” Sam said. “Thanks for letting me know.”
“Anytime,” Jimmy said before clearing his throat. “So, you and Wendy, you really aren’t…?” Jimmy pointed both his index fingers at one another and touched their tips together.
“We aren’t,” Sam said. There was no way he could ever be in a relationship with Wendy, not when she had sold him off; it’d be too hard for him to trust her. “I could introduce you to her if you’d like.”
“You’d do that for me?” Jimmy asked. He flashed Sam a wide smile. “That’s great! You’re looking for a weapon, right? I’ll buy you whichever one you like as a favor for a friend.”