The shopkeeper's voices rang out, they shouted on top of their lungs to attract possible customers. Huge beads of sweat trickled down Kai's back as he frowned. Eyeing the huge crowd in front of him, Kai shook his head inwardly. He originally wanted to come in here to check out some shops. But it seemed like he came at the wrong time.
Today, the market located in the south of Hua Academy was especially crowded. Students and parents littered the streets, talking to the shopkeepers, bargaining, and negotiating for the right price. In retrospect, he should have known that this would happen. After all, tomorrow was the welcoming ceremony for every academy in the City. Parents and students alike would surely come in here to do some last-minute shopping for the university.
"I heard someone in the south turned." Said a voice nearby.
Kai immediately focused his ears on the people walking next to him.
"We should be more careful. We don't know which one of these people already has demons inside them. I mean… if your summoned entity gets too strong—"
"Shut your trap!" Another one scolded. "Not with kids around you."
Kai innocently look towards his left and met the eyes of the tall and bulky man who had just spoken.
"Don't mind him, kid." The man said sternly before he playfully pushed the shorter man walking in front of him. "He is a drunkard."
"Who is a drunkard?" The man elbowed his friend.
"Shut up!" The taller man pushed him again. "Hasten your steps, we are almost late." He nodded at Kai before dragging the shorter man away with him.
"Who are those people?" Yumi, who was walking next to Kai, asked. "They seemed scary."
"Hunters." He had seen the two in Hunter's building. However, he could not seem to remember their names. "Not from the known ones." As someone who had been alone for months, Kai had been coming into the City's Hunter's Guild to take part in their missions. Earning a couple of bucks here and there as he secretly practiced his skills in summoning arts. He had seen groups of known mercenaries, lone hunters, and some pretty well-known groups of experts. However, those two were not one of them. Judging from their ring, the two of them were green C Class summoners.
That could mean that they can only take on low-level missions like guarding some livestock against demons as some merchants travel from City to City.
"Oh!" Yu Mi nodded. "Have you tried hunting demons before? I heard they are pretty scary when upset."
"No." He lied. Of course, Demons were scary. After all, they were once summoners, people who were possessed and turned into the demonic entity that they had summoned from different planes.
"Oh, right. I mean…" Realizing her stupid question, Yumi immediately lowered her head in embarrassment. "I always thought that it would be fun to join them. When I was a child, I always dreamed of becoming one of them." Her ears reddened.
"But you became a weed," Kai uttered. Weeds couldn't hunt. Or so, this stupid kingdom thought. He eyed her dejected face. "Demons eat people." He said awkwardly. What was he supposed to say to make her feel better? "They could eat you." He added, his face stern.
Yumi immediately raised her head before she burst out laughing. Her shoulders shook and tears gleamed in her eyes. "What? Do you think I'm still a child? I know they eat people, silly." She continued laughing. "Sorry… I just found it too funny," she added. "Oh! We are here!"
The two stopped in front of a two-story shop made primarily of woods and brick. Just like most shops, its windows were hinged with clear panes that one could swing outwards to open. "Central Shop Potion Supply?"
"Yes, this is where potion masters buy their cauldrons. The prices are a bit higher though. The most expensive one for beginners like us is something called Brass. It is harder than copper."
Kai nodded. His grandmother had already taught him the basics of Potion Making. However, this Brass was a new thing to him. Kai was using his grandmother's old cauldron—an old cauldron that someone of the Ergon bloodline could only use. She never told him what it was made of or even discussed other types of cauldrons with him. Kai sighed inwardly.
Now that he thought about it, his grandmother immediately taught him the 'basics' of potion-making which involved making poisons and appearance-changing potions. She had not even taught him about the other types of cauldrons! What type of basic teaching was that?
"Let's go?" Beaming, Yumi walked inside without waiting for him. Kai followed her. What he saw inside was something that he never expected.
Rows, rows of cauldrons that were neatly placed on the shelves taller than him enriched his eyes. Next to them were vials clearly made of different materials. The place smelled wood and some detergent, it smelled clean. Something that he never encountered in a shop before.
"Unlike other shops, we value cleanliness." He heard a voice next to him. It was from a man wearing a black and white set of shirt and pants. "What are you looking for?" The man eyed his clothes, hiding the dismay in his eyes. "Perhaps a cauldron?"
"Oh! I was with a woman. She was—"
"She is on the second floor." He gestured toward the stairs to their left. "Careful, watch your steps. I'm sure you cannot afford to pay for anything in here." The man added before he turned his back and left him behind.
Kai didn't know if he should laugh at his words or cry at the fact that the man had just spouted. It was true. He could not afford anything in this shop. Well… at least not right now. He beamed inwardly as he started walking towards the stairs. However, before Kai could even reach the first step, Yumi's loud voice reached his ears.
"Young Master Chen! You are not even a potion master, why would you buy everything in the shop?"
"Just because I can." The familiar voice answered. Kai did not need to see his face to know that a smug smile was already plastered on the man's lips. Young Master Chen, he thought. It seems that the man would not stop provoking them. "But… if you agree to accompany me for one night, I will give you everything that you want in this shop." Laughter followed his words.
Kai let out a sigh as he halted his steps. He immediately turned his back to the stairs. At his current stage, provoking someone from the noble families would be extremely stupid. He was not here for such things.
"You can keep on dreaming!" he heard Yumi hiss from above.
"Take her." Master Chen's voice rung within the walls of the shop.
Yumi's shrill scream followed. This time, Kai froze. He eyed the second floor, his gaze devoid of any expression. Since Young Master Chen's maliciousness wasn't directed to him, the voices didn't appear.
Kai sighed and shook his head. Then he took a step back and left the store.