3rd district, also known as the commercial district, was the place where most of the renowned and popular shops were located. Amidst their chat, the carriage slowed down and Alex noticed that they had stopped in front of a tall building with a golden signboard above it's doors which read 'Golden Hall'.
It was considered the best merchandise shop in the city and Alex could recall that his sister had a good relationship with the owner here. As the four of them walked out of the carriage, an old man wearing tuxedo like clothing approached them and bowed.
"Welcome, Lord Alex, Lady Linda. It's good to see you both in good health. I am sure My Lady will be happy to see you both."
Alex remembered that this old man was the personal assistant of the owner of 'Golden Hall' and was the overseer of the shop. People usually called him Mr. Barn, yet nobody knew his real name or background. Alex, thanks to his sister, knew that this old man was a powerful assassin who was pretty famous in his younger days. As to why he was serving the owner of this establishment now, even she had no idea.
Alex and Linda greeted him back and followed him inside. The 'Golden Hall', apparent from it's name, sold expensive stuff and only the upper class could afford to buy anything here. Sure enough, with a glance Alex could see dozens of people dressed in extravagant robes following an employee of the shop and inspecting various items.
Mr. Barn suddenly asked.
"Lord Alex, is there perhaps something you need?"
Alex nodded.
"I need to buy some gifts for my friends. Let's go to the 5th floor."
Mr. Barn didn't say anything else and gestured towards the stairs. In no time, they were standing in a far more opulent hall with a handful of people. 5th floor was where the most expensive 'Non-Mystical' stuff was sold and only the most powerful and wealthy were even allowed to come up.
'Golden Hall' had a total of eleven floors. 6th to 9th floor were strictly restricted to stuff related to Mystical Arts. Alex had never been there mainly because he had yet to awaken and had no need for things like that, but Vanessa always sangs praises about the good stuff sold there.
Soon, they reached the counter where a dignified middle aged man, with a big mustache, was jotting something down in a small book. When he noticed Mr. Barn approaching, he straightened his back and displayed a very professional smile.
"Mr. Barn. Esteemed guests. How may I be of service?"
Mr. Barn nodded towards us.
"Take good care their needs. If you serve them well, there might be a chance for you."
Hearing his words, the middle aged man's expression changed. He knew what chance Mr. Barn was talking about. 'Golden Hall' had eleven floors and being the manager of 5th floor, he was pretty amazing. But only he knew that he was nothing compared to managers of the upper floors. They had contact with the truly powerful mystic practitioners and earned much more than he ever could imagine.
He had heard that the manager of 6th floor was retiring soon and there was slight chance that a manager from lower floors might get promoted to fill the position. The middle aged man was delighted and respectfully bowed towards Alex.
"Lord, Ladies, how may I be of service?"
Alex did not pay any attention to their conversation and recalled what things he could buy for his friends. The middle aged man eagerly jumped on the chance and enthusiastically showed them all the best items the 5th floor had to offer. He even proposed a discount of 20%. Soon, Alex bought a bunch of stuff recalling what his friends liked from the original Alex's memories and made the payment.
Since he was done, he encouraged the ladies to buy something for themselves. At first, they were reluctant, but soon gave in and happily chose a few pieces of jewelry. Even Ingrid had a gleam in her eyes as she stared at a purple necklace.
Alex laughed and accompanied them with a smile. 30 kelks later, the ladies were done. 'Kelk' was equivalent to 'minutes' in this world. Alex insisted on paying for everything, since he knew he was quite wealthy from his memories. The currency used in this world differed from race to race and for humans, it was Zyl. 1000 bronze zyl equaled 1 silver zyl, 100 silver zyl equaled 1 gold zyl and 100 gold zyl equaled 1 crystal zyl.
Paying 500 gold zyl, Alex noticed that he still has 10 crystal zyl left in his purse.
Suddenly, Mr. Barn walked down from the upper floor and bowed.
"Lord Alex, Lady Irina wishes to meet you."
Alex was not surprised. From what he could recall, Lady Irina was a bewitching woman who had a mysterious background. She was a good friend of Vanessa, mainly because both of them were talented mages and had much to discuss together. Alex was also acquainted with her and whenever he visited 'Golden Hall', she would invite him to her floor which was at the top.
"Sylvia, have them wrap all the stuff and wait for me in the carriage. I'll be down in a few kelks."
Sylvia nodded and Alex followed Mr. Barn upstairs. Irina lived on 11th floor, which was her own personal floor. Walking into the main hall, Alex sat down in a sofa and happily munched on a few snacks laid out in the table. Soon, a tall woman wearing a sexy dress approached him. Her every action oozed sex appeal and her looks were clearly otherworldly. Her purple hair cascaded down her shoulders and luscious lips stretched into a smile.
"My, my, look who's here? It's been almost 4 months since you last visited me dear Alex. Could it be that you no longer like me?"
Alex gave a bitter smile. His memories told him that this woman loved teasing the previous Alex when they were alone. Since that guy was so dense and shy, he would always stutter and awkwardly smile, which clearly delighted her.
"Damn, she is some next level thicc chick. No wonder the previous Alex always lost control."
Alex knew she was just teasing, but he couldn't let go of such a chance. He confidently stood up and closed the distance. Irina had an amused smile and let him be. Soon, he was inches away from her. Alex stretched his hands and suddenly grabbed her slim waist. Her eyes widened.
Alex brought his face really close to her neck and whispered.
"Yeah, I missed you too."
Inhaling her enticing aroma, Alex let go of her and quickly sat back down.
Irina was still shocked from his actions and looking at her standing eyes wide, Alex couldn't help but laugh.