"Here we are, milady!" Shin proudly proclaimed, pointing at the small bookstore on the first floor of Berry Town Mall.
"Big Bobby's Bookstore?" said Silver, a confused look on her face. "What kind of game are we playing in here?"
"I'm glad you asked," replied Shin. "Big Bobby's Bookstore is home to a wide range of high-quality novels from all over the world. It has literature from Aria, Francia, Hensenburg, and of course Emberstan itself. But the main feature of this independent bookstore that we will be using today is—drum roll, please..."
Silver and Shin began drumming their thighs, much to the bewilderment of the shoppers passing by.
"The fact that they don't have price tags!" continued Shin.
"Huh?" said an even more confused Silver. "How is that going to affect the game?"
"Good question, young one. In order to know the price of any book in Big Bobby's Bookstore, the customer must go to the head honcho, Bobby himself, to get their book appraised. Only then will they know the value of their book."
"Ohhh, I see where this is going," said Silver. "We're each going to be given a certain amount of time to find a book, and our aim is to get a higher-valued book than our opponent—interesting."
"B-b-bingo! That's right, young lady. We're both going to spend ten minutes selecting a book before we head over to bossman Bobby to see who the winner is. Of course, if you win, I'll give you my blessing to speak to my brother—though, from what I can see on your face, you'd like that to be postponed as much as possible."
"And if you win?" asked Silver, ignoring Shin's remark.
"I get to ask you a question, and you have to answer truthfully—any question," said Shin, dead serious.
Silver looked visibly uncomfortable but knew she had no other choice but to accept.
"Alright then, let's begin!" exclaimed Shin, a big smile on his face.
"Wait just one second buddy." interrupted Silver
"What?"
"I'm many things, but an idiot is not one of the Shin. I know you've been in this bookstore before, what evidence is there that you haven't gotten information beforehand from Bobby on what the most valuable book was."
"That is a fair point Silver... Yes I have been in this store before, a couple times in fact, but I can assure you that my visit will not help me in any way shape or form. I only came here to buy a couple comics nothing more nothing less. I do understand that even those small visits do give me a slight advantage, so I will only be getting seven minutes to decide on my book, while you get ten - does that seem fair?"
"Yes, yes it does. Thank you," replied the now jolly Silver.
As the two of them walked into the busy bookstore, only one thought remained on their minds...
'I must win.'
The store was filled with bookshelves packed to the brim with books from across the world. The shop was neatly divided into sections based on categories such as genre, location, paperback, and hardcover—a bookworm's dream. After taking in their impressive surroundings, the pair started the timer and began their search.