Meanwhile, the two handmaidens giggled softly among themselves, whispering about how handsome Zion was. Their murmurs floated like background music, light and harmless.
"Oh, so that is how it works," Arceus murmured, once Kiara handed the revolver to him. He tested its weight, lifted it, adjusted his grip. "Let me see if it suits me."
He posed with theatrical flair, finger resting on the trigger. One handmaiden quickly lifted a Magical Image Capturer, preparing to preserve the moment.
Kiara's eyes flickered toward the strange device in the girl's hands.
[Magical Image Capturer]
Grade: Gold
Description: A unique invention by Master Blacksmith Cidral, crafted using Wyvern eyes as a catalyst and stainless steel as the core. Upon activation, a seal absorbs natural energy to capture and recreate the scene before it. Image clarity depends on the quality of the film medium used. Thick paper is the most economical option.
*
Kiara's brows lifted slightly.
"So it functions like a camera," she thought inwardly, though the mechanism relied on ether rather than circuitry. The concept fascinated her. In her previous life, such devices were common tools. Here, they were rare creations of inventive blacksmiths.
The potential of this world stirred her imagination once again.
If ether could replace electricity, could she recreate designs that modern engineers once dismissed as decades ahead of their time?
Her fingers curled unconsciously as excitement surged beneath her calm expression.
Arceus, meanwhile, turned the revolver in various angles, pointing it around the shop as if testing its balance in motion. The handmaiden snapped pictures enthusiastically.
At one point, he swung the revolver toward Kiara without thinking.
Kiara instinctively raised both hands.
The sudden motion startled Arceus.
"Huh? What is that gesture?" he asked, amused.
Kiara immediately lowered her arms, clearing her throat. "Lord Silver, please be cautious. It is loaded, and I am only a plainfolk."
Arceus tilted his head, then grinned mischievously. "Hands up," he said playfully, lifting the revolver again. "Hands up in the air. That actually sounds fitting."
The handmaiden nearly squealed at the dramatic pose.
Then—
His attention slipped for the briefest fraction of a second.
His finger tightened unconsciously.
*Bang*
The explosion shattered the air inside Nexus.
The two handmaidens fell backward onto the floor in fright. Outside, passing civilians flinched and stumbled, panic flashing across their faces. Only Stephen, the black-robed guard who had witnessed such sounds before, remained unmoved outside the carriage.
Inside the shop, Lucian's pupils contracted sharply.
He did not react to the sound.
He reacted to Zion.
Zion vanished from his spot like a ripple erased from water.
In less than a blink, he appeared near the shelf where a displayed pistol stood. Between his fingers rested the tiny bullet that would have struck the weapon.
There was no dramatic motion.
No exaggerated display.
He simply returned to his previous position as if nothing had occurred.
Had Lucian not seen the bullet briefly glint between Zion's fingers, even he might have doubted his own perception.
"Oops," Arceus muttered sheepishly, placing the revolver back on the counter as though the incident were minor. "I will take this revolver and one thousand bullets. I will pay the full advance now, but I need everything delivered by next week. Can you manage that?"
"One thousand?" Kiara's earlier alarm vanished beneath the glow of a business opportunity. A broad smile spread across her face. "Of course. We also offer delivery service within the city for customers who pay at least fifty percent in advance. If you provide the address, Zion will deliver the remaining items personally."
"That is convenient," Arceus replied without hesitation. "How much for the revolver?"
"Twenty gold coins for the revolver, including the six loaded bullets," Kiara explained smoothly. "For bulk bullet purchases exceeding one hundred, we provide a ten percent bonus. So instead of buying one thousand directly, you may purchase nine hundred and receive ninety extra, totaling nine hundred ninety. This way, the total amount needed would equal 200 gold coins."
Arceus blinked.
From a merchant's perspective, this seemed like a loss.
Yet Kiara's smile remained steady.
Without further deliberation, Arceus retrieved a storage pouch from his ring and poured gold coins onto the counter one after another. "I will be paying full in advance."
Within moments, two hundred gleaming coins formed a small mound beneath the lamplight.
The handmaidens stared as if witnessing a fortune evaporate before their eyes.
Lucian frowned faintly.
Two hundred gold coins for an ungraded weapon and its so-called bullets.
Even for House Storm, such spending bordered on indulgence. Yet Arceus once purchased that Magical Image Capturer for fifty mid-grade ether crystals without blinking. Compared to that, perhaps this was unsurprising.
Kiara collected the coins swiftly, placing them into the drawer with efficiency that betrayed no hesitation.
She handed over a box containing one hundred bullets and a wooden case for the revolver.
"Ark," Lucian said quietly, placing a hand on Arceus's shoulder. "Let's go."
Only then did Arceus remember why he had brought Lucian along.
"Oh, right," he exclaimed, turning back toward Kiara. "Miss Kiara, I forgot to introduce him. This is Lucian Storm, my best friend. The young master of House Storm. His father serves as Minister of Personnel."
"Pleasure to meet you, Lord Storm," Kiara greeted politely, offering a courteous smile.
She only glanced at Lucian briefly before returning her attention to arranging the counter. Since Lucian was not the buyer, her enthusiasm remained measured.
Lucian observed her carefully.
Unknown to Kiara, Lucian Storm possessed a sharp eye not only for sword forms but for people. Expressions, no matter how brief, rarely escaped him.
The smile Kiara gave him when Arceus introduced him was polite, measured, and hollow.
It was different from the radiant grin she wore while gathering gold coins moments earlier.
"Hmph," Lucian thought inwardly, his gaze cooling. "Just another greedy merchant intoxicated by money. If Ark isn't careful, this girl might even woo him to go up in status."
His impression shifted from neutral curiosity to mild displeasure.
At the same time, something else unsettled him. Kiara showed no particular deference upon hearing his identity as the son of the Minister of Personnel. There was courtesy, but no fear, no flustered urgency, not even subtle calculation.
She treated him as she would any other visitor.
Lucian's eyes drifted once more toward Zion.
The man had stood unmoving throughout the entire exchange, like a sculpture carved from discipline itself. His posture never slackened. His gaze remained calm and unreadable.
"I can't sense anything from him either," Lucian analyzed silently. "But his earlier movements are fast enough to put him in Rank-4, and he must have mastered control over his ether to the point he could suppress it completely. Then why would someone like him serve someone like her?"
The thought lingered.
Meanwhile, Arceus leaned eagerly over the counter again.
"By the way, Miss Kiara… when will you begin selling the revolvers?" he asked.
Kiara lifted three fingers. "The first batch of ten revolvers will arrive in three days."
Arceus's eyes brightened further.
"Then I will purchase all ten in advance," he declared decisively. "You may deliver them together with the remaining bullets. That makes another two hundred gold coins, correct?"
"All of them?" the handmaidens blurted simultaneously, unable to restrain themselves any longer.
Arceus waved casually. "One for me, one for him," he said, nodding toward Lucian. "The rest will be gifts at the upcoming tea party. It is hardly an excessive amount."
Lucian narrowed his eyes slightly.
Was Arceus deliberately flaunting wealth in front of Kiara?
Or worse…
Had he grown attached to this merchant?
The suspicion pricked him unpleasantly.