The moment Genichi pushed open the shop door, his first reaction was simple:
Messy.
The shelves were crammed with every kind of weapon and piece of gear. Blades, swords, spears, axes, shields, armor, all of it. But not a single item had been properly arranged.
They were piled on the racks in a haphazard jumble, some leaning at awkward angles like they might slide off at any moment.
It was obvious the person who'd stocked the place hadn't put any care into it.
Or rather, didn't value it at all.
Genichi's gaze swept over the careless heaps, and a few guesses formed in his mind.
Tsubaki Collbrande sending him here to buy armor probably wasn't just about supporting a friend's business.
Was she trying to get him to team up with the guy?
A young craftsman obsessed with forging, someone who'd left the Hephaistos Familia. An adventurer who needed good equipment but had to keep a low profile. If the two of them hit it off, it could become a mutually beneficial arrangement.
The craftsman needed someone to field-test his work and provide real combat feedback. The adventurer needed a stable source of gear and a logistics contact he could trust.
That was probably the angle Tsubaki was playing.
Genichi thought all this through, but his face didn't show a trace of it.
More importantly, he rejected the idea outright.
A team?
Cooperation?
A long-term relationship?
That meant more contact, more exposure, more variables.
Variables were the last thing he needed right now.
So his plan was straightforward: buy what he needed as quickly as possible, leave as quickly as possible, and avoid any unnecessary conversation.
To prevent any "overdramatic nonsense" from happening, he'd even stuffed the blade he'd just bought into his storage pouch instead of carrying it openly.
If the shop owner recognized it as the third work of the Cyclops would that draw his attention?
Would it trigger a long, pointless conversation?
Genichi didn't know, and he didn't want to know.
The best way to handle it was to make sure it never happened in the first place.
He walked up to the shelves and began picking out what he needed.
After rummaging for a bit, he pulled out a shoulder guard that looked sturdy and reasonably weighted.
The material was a dark alloy of some kind, with faint forging patterns across the surface. The workmanship was far more refined than the mass-produced stuff.
Then he chose a matching pair of kneepads in the same style. Together with his chest piece, they looked coordinated enough.
Simple. Practical. Not eye-catching.
Genichi carried the two pieces to the counter.
Behind it sat a young man with red hair and a somewhat gloomy face, head down as he fiddled with a chunk of ore, as if he hadn't even noticed a customer come in.
Genichi set the armor on the counter.
"Checkout."
The young man, Welf Crozzo, lifted his head, glanced at Genichi, then at the armor, and casually quoted a price.
"Four hundred eighty thousand valis."
Genichi didn't haggle. He pulled out his coin pouch and placed 480,000 on the counter.
Welf took the money, tossed it into the cash box beside him, and went right back to messing with the ore in his hands.
From start to finish, neither of them said anything extra.
Genichi picked up the armor and turned to leave.
Everything went smoothly.
No overdramatic twists. No accidents. No attention he didn't want.
He pushed open the door, stepped out of Crozzo Workshop, and let out a quiet breath of relief.
Now all he had to do was head back to the Demeter Familia, sort out the new gear, and then—
His steps halted.
Up ahead on the street, a figure stood quietly, waiting.
Short, pale-gold hair glowed softly in the sunlight. Her face was breathtakingly beautiful and utterly expressionless, and those emerald-green eyes stared at him without blinking.
Ryu Lion.
Genichi's heart clenched.
Why was she here?
A dozen questions flashed through his mind, but his face stayed calm.
He slowly stopped, then took two steps back, keeping a clear distance of more than ten paces between them.
Pedestrians passed by in both directions, and a few glanced curiously at the strange scene. A black-haired boy and an elf girl facing off across the street, neither speaking.
But no one stopped.
This was the edge of Orario, where all kinds of people mixed together. Strange sights were normal here.
Two adventurers locking eyes was nothing.
Genichi stood still, his thoughts racing.
Run?
With Ryu's speed, he wouldn't get away…
And this was a public street. If he bolted, it would cause a commotion and draw even more attention.
Fight?
This was Orario, not the Dungeon.
If he started a fight out here, how was he supposed to explain it to the Guild? And besides—
His eyes flicked over Ryu's face.
There was no killing intent.
Only a complicated emotion Genichi couldn't read.
Ryu moved first.
She walked toward him, not fast, but with a quiet firmness that didn't allow refusal.
Genichi didn't move.
He stayed where he was and watched her approach until she stopped three steps away.
Only three steps.
The noise of the street seemed to fade out, sealed away, leaving only the sound of their breathing.
Ryu looked at him, her lips shifting slightly as if she wanted to say something.
But the words turned over in her throat again and again, until they finally became a single apology.
"I'm sorry. I misunderstood you before."
Her voice was cool and clear, but there was a faint shame woven into it.
Genichi looked at her and didn't answer.
Ryu took a slow breath, as if forcing herself to stay composed.
Those blue-green eyes churned with emotion, guilt and release, and something else Genichi still couldn't name.
"That day, in the Dungeon…"
She hesitated, and her voice softened.
"I'm sorry."
Genichi still didn't speak.
He simply watched her, waiting.
He knew she hadn't come all this way just to say "sorry."
She wanted more.
About what he'd said that day.
About the one responsible for the destruction of the Astraea Familia.
About the truth.
Ryu held his gaze, and her eyes reflected his calm expression.
After a moment, she spoke again.
"What you said that day…"
She paused, as if choosing her words carefully.
"Was it true?"
Genichi was silent for a beat.
Then he nodded.
"It was."
Ryu's pupils tightened.
(End of Chapter)
[Get +30 Extra Chapters On — P@tr3on "Zaelum"]
[Every 300 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter Drop]
[Thanks for Reading!]