Trace focused his attention on the shop in front. Peerze walking in the same direction as him, was dismissed as a coincidence by Trace. Looking at the shop in front, it was shining brighter than other stalls and shops in the market.
The white roof of the shop was holding the weight of five chandeliers that looked like huge flowers blooming in the sky. Just walking around the shop felt like stepping into a world with blinding light.
Despite being fairly big, the shop was packed with different types of decoration items. Trace could only stand at one end of the store, his path blocked by closely placed items. The only empty space present in the shop seemed like it was a pathway to stairs that led to a floor beneath.
A lady attendant was leaning on the railings beside the entryway of the staircase. She was neatly dressed and a purple half moon badge made of Amethyst was sticking on her waist. Just as Trace entered the shop, she pushed herself from the railing and moved forward to greet him.
"I want to buy room lamps", Trace said after he greeted back the lady.
The lady immediately pointed out different room lamps present in the store. Since, the boy was wearing masks and gloves, she couldn't determine what price range would be suitable. Just as the boy would finish inspecting the item she was pointing to, her hand pointed at a new item.
Trace kept looking at the direction the lady pointed. With each point the items he was supposed to look at were getting better. He looked at the lady expectantly when her finger stopped. This time the lady pointed out to an item at the other corner of the store.
However, the item was not clearly visible to Trace. He squinted his eyes to get a better look but the light coming from the object was hiding its shape. To its reply, Trace thought of extending his senses but stopped.
When the lady noticed that Trace was having seeing the object clearly, she curled her lips to the side in disgust and pulled her head in the same direction. So the boy is not even at the first sequence of Level 1, she thought. It was pretty rare for her to see such weak Sorcerers in the store.
Trace looked at the lady, who was now not looking at him, then took out the box Ergon had given him. He opened it, and took out the pearl rimmed glasses and wore them. But was unable, because of the mask.
After making sure, the lady was still not looking at him. Trace quickly took off the mask to put on the glasses. Wearing them blurred his vision and a light pain entered his eyes. But as a trade off, or so he thought, the lights around got dimmer. Maybe it only works for the stone, Trace took off the glasses.
He wiped his eyes and lifted the mask back on. But on the corner of his eyes was the familiar figure again! Trace quickly put the mask back on and nervously looked around the items in front of him.
Peerze was standing outside the store for some time now. It wasn't until long ago that he decided to step closer to the door. When he saw Trace taking out the pearl rimmed glasses, his interest piqued.
"I want that lamp", Trace pointed out towards the item at the end.
The lady turned to see, which item was being pointed to and her heart filled with disdain. But still, she politely said.
"That is an expensive item. I am afraid, we only take out items that the customers are ready to buy."
"What is the price"? Trace asked.
"The ones at the front cost up to 1 [5-Sherry] coin", the woman said.
Trace couldn't help but gasp, he received 1 [5-Sherry] coin a day for guarding the Swirls house. And the cheapest lamp costs that much?
Trace wanted to buy room lamps to lighten up the fortune teller room. That room was going to be the base of the new Detective Agency of Koyoko City. And thus needed to be properly lighted and decorated. Right now Trace only had a sum worth 14 [5-Sherry] coins.
Seeing the expression on the face of Trace, the lady turned her head away again and snorted. It was just as she expected, the boy was not rich.
"How much does the last lamp costs?" Trace asked with curled fists.
"Customer might not know, but all lamps in this store require fuel cells, that are sold separately. The farther the lamps are kept, the more expensive is the material that is used in making."
The lady laughed coldly in her heart. It was time to give this unexperienced boy a glimpse of how expensive things are in real world.
"The price also depends on the size and shape of fuel cells. The most expensive fuel cells are of course in the chandelier above. And they alone cost 3 [5-Sherry] coins, that is equal to 15,000 [1-Kin] coins or 15,000 grams of silver."
"The biggest chandelier above costs 1,400,000 [1-Kin] coins. That's only 1,400 [1-Sherry] coins or 280 [5-Sherry] coins."
The woman went on without stopping, she was enjoying seeing the shocked expression on Trace's face. Although, the topic was about chandeliers which had multiple light lamps on them, she couldn't help but reveal a few details.
"And that is not even the costliest item our shop has to offer. Oh, I am sorry for speaking out of line but customer cannot visit the lower floor to check out the expensive items.
"Now, customer might have a little idea of how the prices are distributed. The lamp customer has his eye on is a special one. It is not made up of any expensive materials at all," the lady finally stopped to let Trace digest everything she had said.
"It is a special lamp that was imported from a foreign country. And is one of the new attractions of our shop. We guarantee that its shine will not diminish for the near future."
"About its cost, we have set it to 60,000 [1-Kin coins], or 60 [1-Sherry ]coins."
Trace clenched his fists, the cost was a lot but the lamp had fascinated him. He could easily make out the shape, color and size of the lamp after concentrating and spreading his senses. But this lamp had a misty air inside just like the stone from earlier today.
The mist made him difficult to examine how the lamp works. Just like the stone with many layers separated by the mist. But if he were to buy it then it meant spending most of the coins.
"I want to buy it," Trace said looking towards the lady.
Did this boy not hear what I told him? This shop is out of his league and now he wants to buy such an expensive lamp? Is he just joking?
Questions filled up the lady's mind. I am here to sell so I should not care as long as the boy has enough coins. The lady barely made up her mind. But if this boy is rich then there must be bodyguards.
Just as she looked towards the door a thunderclap went down her mind. She quickly averted her eyes from the door. Maybe, it was a mistake. She looked again but the figure was still standing there.
"Sure-sure. I will bring it out right away".
The lady made her way through the barely passable space. Her puffed upper body almost knocked out a few lamps along the way. But luckily, she caught every lamp in time. It looked like this was not the first time she was having such type of difficulty.
"Do you really want to buy it?" The lady asked.
"Yes please," Trace nodded.
However, the lady was not ready to hand over the lamp. Looking closely, it was a very simple lamp. A cylindrical glass with two thin steel support holding the glass frame. All of it was attached to a wooden plate that had holes so that the lamp could be nailed on a wall.
"It costs 60,000 [1-Kin coins," the lady repeated again.
Trace took out the coin case from his pocket and opened it to reveal coins. Most of the coins in it were 5-Sherry coins. Trace looked at the lady who was looking at his coin case, he followed her gaze.
The lady was cursing inside her mind. She knew the person who was seemingly overseeing the transaction from outside. Was this some sort of test laid out for her?
"We don't have fixed prices here, if customer would like-" the lady nervously hinted Trace.
"I want to buy it," Trace took out coins from the case.
Horror gripped the lady's heart. It was a moment of do or die for her. In her entire career she had never seen someone who did not bargain. In fact, every shop on the upper level heavily relied on bargaining.
There was no set value of the items present on the store, it was up to the salesperson's talent to sell the items. All the prices were made up by her since she was the in charge here.
Probably, only the lower level did not have the system of bargaining. Was this a test to see if I am qualified for the lower floors? Nervousness seeped from the lady's conscience and turned into little drops flowing down her forehead.
Every salesperson received a percent of the profit in which the item was sold, the rest would be divided between the owner and Perl Moon Market. If I can pass this test to become an elite salesperson of the lower floor, it would be a turning point in my life!
"Sir is generous, in my career of fifteen years, I haven't seen someone so magnificent," the lady put forward her fifteen years of experience in flattery.
"You put up this item in great value because of how unique it is," she continued.
Trace immediately nodded. Now the lady was talking. This item was indeed something special.
"This is a beta-version of Everglowing Lamp that is famous in foreign countries. Since sir has recognized its worth. I cannot lie to you anymore. 48,000 [1-Kin coins] is all you need to offer," the lady said said, satisfied with her wordings.
Trace eyes lit up, it was an unexpected surprise. He counted the coins in the case. 48,000 [1-Kins] = 48 [1-Sherry] coins. 9 [5-Sherry] coins plus 2 [2-Sherry] coins + 1 [1-Sherry] coin. Trace tried to procure the required number of coins.
The transaction was quickly complete and a lamp beautifully wrapper up in white and yellow was handed over to Trace. Just as Trace walked out of the store, he saw Peerze again!
…
The sun hung high dispatching its rays on grounds under the bare sky of Koyoko. A pink head lightened up by the sun was turned towards the Fortune Teller's shop in Coiling Cradle Street. Across the road, towards south-east the pink head was popped out from behind a wall.
When a similar pink head walked down the stairs of the fortune teller's shop, the other head hid itself behind the wall. Only after waiting for sometime did the hidden pink revealed herself and walked towards the shop.