CHAPTER 47: [ BRAK’S ]

After making sure he was at the right place, Alexander opened the door.

The first thing that hit him was the slightly damp but pleasant smell.

He stepped inside. The path through the store was narrow, , there were wooden display stands everywhere one could walk.

Everywhere he looked, clutter.

The first two on each side forced him to walk sideways with Fae, so that they wouldn’t knock anything down.

Clothes hung all around, from magical robes to iron footwear. Nothing was placed according to a system, it looked as if the store owner simply tossed his items around.

Armor for those specialized in heavy melee combat was mixed with armor for those who would profit from swift movement. One typically used metal alloys while the other favored leather with minimal metal covering.

On the stands, next to the random pieces of clothing were trinkets. There was an insane amount of trinkets on tables that further narrowed the space one could travel to.

Alexander walked around, his eyes jumping from one item to the next.

There was everything.

Paper clips, cutlery, glasses, nails, statues...

He grabbed a spoon and took a closer look.

"If you buy that spoon, you won’t ever need another one."

He could see a head peeking beyond the stand in the middle of the store.

After another quick look at the spoon, he could tell it had no magical properties.

"It’s a normal spoon," he said, while walking through the clutter to reach the counter.

The counter itself was as bad as the store, items such as toys or useless trinkets covering it with only a small area in the middle where one could lay an item to pay for it.

"You’re Brak?" he asked.

"The one."

Brak had an eyepatch made of black cloth sewed all around in gold. It was attached around his head with golden thread that disappeared into his hair.

His short black hair was overshadowed by the top-hat he wore.

Alexander didn’t know much about hats, but he could tell it had to be expensive.

The hat suited him perfectly, and it had intricate designs all over it. One could see it with the reflection of the light, what looked like a plain black hat was actually a work of art when parts of it were glowing.

Even the red band circling it held secrets—its inner lining shimmered with the same glowing etchings.

The brim almost looked normal, if it wasn’t for burn marks that went all around it.

It perfectly fitted Brak, his suit had a similar way of conveying this ’old’ fashion with an insane amount of details that reminded Alexander of the clutter of the store.

The suit had every layer possible, from the shirt to the coat floating like a cloak on his shoulders.

He could even see a pocket watch in his breast pocket, an interesting choice for someone who looked under thirty.

Alexander was looking at him, but the man barely blinked while maintaining eye contact with a broad smile.

He must be strong if he’s not feeling [ The Weight ] at all, he thought.

Brak’s smile was slightly creepy, yet seemed genuine.

"That spoon," said Alexander. "It wasn’t magic at all, I could tell."

Brak nodded vigorously.

"Indeed, esteemed client! It has no magic whatsoever! Yet it remains the last spoon you would ever need!"

"How so?"

"Well! True, one might think magic is ’all that’, but non-magical things are not to be underestimated! That spoon, as an example, is made of a mix of ores unknown to our world. It’s not magical, but it’s near unbreakable."

Alexander raised his eyebrows, turning around to glimpse one more time at the cutlery set.

"Would you like to try breaking it?" he asked.

"No, it’s fine, I believe you," said Alexander, turning back to him.

The man’s face was bright, considering how late it was. Despite the smile and the positive energy that poured out of him, something ominous resided right behind.

He saw it all—the micro-expressions, the twitches, the tells. Beneath the cheerful persona was something darker.

Alexander got Fae to put the chest on the counter, while he put everything in his hands as well.

"We’re looking to sell," said Alexander.

Brak’s face lit up like a thousand fireflies as more items had made their way into his store.

With a wide smile, he opened the chest. He looked inside, they could hear him loudly rummaging through the stones.

Once done with the chest, he grabbed the Lich’s robe and the staff for a short moment before leaving them back on the counter, nearly knocking a vase over in the process.

"Oh my, I really need to clean this place up a little..." he said with a faint chuckle.

"So, how much money does this get us?" asked Alexander.

Brak’s smile widened, he then leaned on the counter.

"You’re just a newborn, huh?" he said.

Alexander frowned.

"Sorry?"

"You’re a new dungeon runner, it shows. But you’re quite strong already..." he said, his eyes trailing to Fae who remained beside him.

He studied the man’s gaze, and while he didn’t look like the most trustworthy person, he didn’t sense any malice.

Still, that’s probably what everyone felt right before getting back-stabbed.

"How could you tell?" asked Alexander, holding Fae tighter.

Maybe Archie called him.

"Well, for one, you’re talking like a civilian," said Brak.

Alexander replayed the conversation, trying to figure out where he said something wrong, his thoughts interrupted by Brak waving his hand.

"Money. We don’t deal with money often, civilians do. For dungeon runners, we tend to deal in cores, it’s kind of its own currency. When you spoke of money, it kind of gave it away." said Brak.

"Why not money?" asked Alexander.

"It’s easier. There’s dungeon runners all around the world, and cores are so common it’s the easiest way to do trade."

"I see," said Alexander in thought.

It made sense, the equivalent of using gold to buy things instead of slips of paper.

"Then..." started Alexander.

"First, take this," said Brak.

He leaned down, his hand reaching under the counter.

He pulled out a dark green bottle, its glass thick and unlabeled.

"Drink this, should help fix you right up," said Brak.

"What is it?"

"A regenerative potion, it’s slow to act but perfect for situations like this. Poor girl, she has to be held so she doesn’t fall down! Although, she seems to not mind her current situation..." said Brak, a finger on his lips with an expression full of insinuations.

Fae looked at the man who spoke her name, her lack of reaction causing him to act heart-broken.

"Drink, drink!" he said, pushing the bottle forward.