Stepping back into the shop, I saw Zeke leaning against the wall, arms crossed. The moonlight pouring through the window behind him gave him a sort of sinister silhouette. The city's silence was stifling, broken only by the soft rustle of the wind outside. He looked at Des, still fast asleep in my arms, and then up at me. His gaze lingered on the prototype gun still dangling from my fingers.
"Hmhmhm, you know Eira will get pissed if you don't return it," he drawled, that ever-present, madcap grin of his tugging at the corners of his lips.
My reply was a cold glare. "Why didn't you kill the damn thing? I know damn well it wouldn't slip past you."
His laughter, laced with undeniable insanity, bounced off the walls of the shop. "Why would I? It's not my job to take care of that kid. I thought it was quite fun; it arrived two days ago and it was tormenting her, only her. Don't you find it fun and interesting that a low-ranked demonic beast was after a single kid?"
We locked eyes, both sets filled with stubborn resolve. The room seemed to grow colder from our mutual standoff, but eventually, I sighed, understanding that arguing with Zeke was like talking to a brick wall. I moved to lay Des on a nearby couch, her sleeping form peaceful amidst the storm that had just transpired.
I then sat on the arm of the couch and turned to Zeke. "I won't be able to take care of her while I'm at the academy, so I'll make you an offer. I don't want to do this, but I'll give you my share of the Blue Taurea. I'm sure that's enough to satisfy you. In return, you will keep her safe and get rid of any demonic beasts while also training her in mana control."
Zeke broke into another of his madcap laughters, leaning off the wall to scrutinize me. "Why would you give up such a valuable possession? You took her off the street and are even willing to waste quite a rare flower for a useless kid. Tell me, Brey, why do you care so much about this girl that you would invest quite heavily to keep her alive?" His grin widened as he watched me carefully. Haha, look at him using the name Brey to intimidate me, what a crazy bastard.
"That's none of your concern, Zeke. I know you want it, so you better keep her safe. After all, I'm paying you quite a hefty price," I retorted, not giving him the satisfaction of seeing any doubt or hesitation. This fucking insane bastard is getting crazier by the day. Maybe Darius might beat some sense into him.
His eyes lit up with mischief, and I had a feeling I wasn't going to like what he was about to suggest. "If you don't want to give up the flower, why don't you give me that artifact you used earlier?" This bastard has been watching me all night. I need to get stronger, or he might torment me.
I shook my head, cradling Des back in my arms and starting to walk towards the stairs. I shot one last look over my shoulder at Zeke.
"In your dreams. Don't forget Zeke, we're business partners. Although I understand your suspicions, don't go following me around everywhere."
And with that, I ascended the stairs, the weight of the night and its events heavy on my shoulders. Ugh, seriously, I need to figure out a way to keep Zeke in check. That bastard plays too many mind games. I better return the gun to Eira. I'm sure she's still in her workspace.
✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦
Stepping into the room, I felt a tense energy curl around me, the quiet space crackling like a power line about to snap. There, at the end of the room, framed by moonlight and surrounded by a graveyard of metal scraps, stood Eira. Her form was rigid, the coiled tension in her frame speaking volumes.
Her scowl intensified when she spotted the gun dangling from my hand. Before I could even manage a word, she was striding towards me, her fiery eyes promising a storm. "Kael," she growled, her voice the calm before a hurricane, "You fucking bastard, how dare you. Do you think you can take my shit without asking?"
I opened my mouth to explain, but she wasn't having it. Swiftly, her foot shot out, landing a sharp kick to my midsection that had me doubling over in sudden pain. The gun slipped from my fingers, clattering onto the ground.
"What the hell, Eira!" I choked out, attempting to straighten up and wincing as a sharp pain twinged in my gut.
She stepped over to the prototype gun, snatching it up and holding it close as if it was a wounded pet. She turned back to me, her eyes ablaze. "You don't have the right to just take whatever you want. Why didn't you ask me, huh? Do you think I'm some goddamn pushover? You bastard, you're going to have to pay me!"
"I was going to tell you..." I started, trying to pacify her anger. A fatal mistake. But seriously, she's really pissed, huh? Fuck, now I got to pay her.
"You were going to tell me?" she snapped. "When? After you'd already used it, what's your goddamn excuse?"
"I took it for a walk to test it out. All products need proper testing," I argued, attempting to stand upright, her kick still a painful memory.
"You took it for a damn walk? What a cheap excuse," she retorted, cradling the gun like a child. "Kael, Kael, Kael, you better pay me back. Here's a list of some things I need. You better pay with your money!"
"I get it, Eira. I get it," I replied, unfazed. "I'll pay up with my own money. But also, I found the gun to be too powerful."
She blinked at me in confusion, her anger momentarily stalling. "Too powerful?"
"Yes," I confirmed, "I want you to lower the firepower. We can have people pay extra for the additional firepower. That will increase our profit margin. We will create a rank-based system for the weapons; we'll use the same system the adventurers use, F~S tier,"
Her expression hardened again, the wrath returning full force. "You bastard, why do you keep making this shit hard for me, Kael? You know what, tomorrow we're going to have a meeting just to get all this shit straight, you got it?"
"Crystal clear, Eira," I managed to say, my words punctuated by a grimace as another wave of pain shot through my gut. I had a feeling tomorrow's meeting was going to be hell. And from the looks of it, so was the rest of the night.
Without another word, I turned on my heels, swiftly leaving Eira and her fiery temper behind me. The moment I closed the door, I let out a sigh of relief. The room had felt like a pressure cooker ready to explode, her wrath fuelling the fiery atmosphere. As I made my way toward my room, I couldn't help but replay the scathing words and the look of pure fury that she'd directed at me.
However, my respite was short-lived. As I rounded the corner, a familiar figure was leaning casually against the wall, a twisted grin dancing on his lips. Zeke. His chest was shaking with silent laughter, his gaze clearly enjoying my discomfort.
"Hah! Never seen you handled like that before, Kael," he cackled, his laughter echoing off the dimly lit corridor. "It's quite a sight."
Ignoring his mocking tone, I kept moving, wincing slightly from the residual pain from Eira's swift kick. "Shut up, Zeke," I grumbled. "Dammit, I should've just sneaked in there and placed it on the table."
Zeke only laughed harder, his laughter bouncing off the walls, further amplifying my already throbbing headache. "Oh, you're truly an idiot. You got kicked real hard."
Taking one last glance at Zeke, I simply shook my head, choosing not to engage any further. I could practically feel his mischievous gaze on my back as I left the area.
As I finally sank into the comforting embrace of my bed, I pulled out my TSI from my pocket, my weary mind starting to compile a list of priorities.
1. Eira: Our conversation from tonight still lingered heavily in my thoughts. Eira is predictable to some extent, and when she's pissed, things don't bode well. It would be best to approach her tomorrow when she's calmed down, so we can plan accordingly. I need to make sure she understands how much money we'll make by altering the current features on the gun.
2. Ash: The kid is moving into our building. Since Sera is moving to the academy and he needs somewhere to stay, I would help him move, but honestly, it's time the boy stopped being lazy. He has potential, but he's just sitting around. He needs to train. Maybe I'll just pop in to see how he's doing.
3. Darius: This is a more delicate situation. Darius, being a key figure in the underworld, is the best choice to work with. We'll use his auction house to advertise the gun, but it can't be just any gun. It has to be a high-ranking one. Arranging a meeting with him shouldn't be a problem. I need to present the guns and explain the concept behind them. I also need to discuss our advertisement strategy, ensuring we hit the right audience. Darius isn't a man to be trifled with, so I have to tread carefully.
4. Materials: For the high-ranking weapon we'll present, we'll need expensive materials to maximize the firepower. Hopefully, we have enough to bid on it, but if we don't, I might have to strike a deal with Darius. There's a lot to do, but I think I can manage. I just hope Darius agrees.