C296 - Shopping
The waiter remained speechless for a few seconds. Istrone's rebellion had been a sudden and tragic event that had affected the entirety of Earth. The Global Army as a whole had suffered a huge blow, and the effects of the matter had spread past the various families that had lost descendants.
Almost every business in the big cities had seen a decrease in their yearly incomes. Only the shops that sold defensive gear or similar items had experienced a boom, but that had also quieted down quickly since the Global Army had taken everything into its own hands.
The event had created such heavy consequences that basically everyone had done their best to know more about Istrone's rebellion. Khan's name had appeared in many reports, so many had learnt about him. Some interested parties had even started to follow his profile to keep track of his growth.
The waiter wasn't an interested party, but he knew about Khan and learning about his early promotion only deepened his astonishment. Yet, he quickly proved himself worthy of being part of one of Reebfell's shops.
"Congratulations!" The waiter exclaimed while replacing his surprise with a broad smile that faked pure happiness. "No promotion has ever been more deserved! I'm sure you'll reach even higher ranks."
The sudden change in the waiter's approach almost startled Khan, but he didn't let anything appear on his face. His expression remained cold, and the same went for his steady gaze on the man's figure.
"My apologies," The waiter cleared his throat while adding an ashamed tone to his voice. "I have failed to recognize Istrone's hero. It has never been my intention to offend you."
"What about the price?" Khan asked without showing any reaction to those polite excuses.
"I'll obviously lower it," The waiter proudly announced. "I'll even add a special discount to apologize for my behavior. Will four thousand Credits work for you?"
Khan used the entirety of his knowledge in lies and pretenses to perform a slightly displeased pout while he turned his gaze on the Tainted ape. He faked hesitation, but he didn't make it too evident. The waiter had to think that he could look through Khan.
"I can go as down as three thousand and eight hundred Credits," The waiter continued after the heavy silence got the best of him. "I'm afraid I can't lower the price any further. The shop would lose money otherwise."
Khan was ready to accept, but he decided to let the silence fall among them again. The chattering and screaming of the Tainted ape only added tension to that situation, but Khan's intentions went beyond the simple attempts to lower the price even further.
The waiter had clearly underestimated Khan, which was a weakness that the latter wanted to remain. Khan pretended to glance at Captain Goldmon to look for his opinion, and the soldier played along by performing a slight nod.
"We'll buy it," Khan stated while taking out his phone. "The shop will handle the transport to the training camp, right?"
"Of course, of course," The waiter happily responded. "Customers usually have to pay extra for that service, but that obviously doesn't apply to you."
"Excellent," Khan voiced without showing any happiness. "We can handle the payment then."
Khan had no idea how the payment worked, but he pretended to be completely confident in the matter. The waiter didn't notice anything, and he quickly led the two back to his interactive desk on the first floor.
"Do you want to subscribe to the shop?" The waiter asked after he prepared the desk for the payment. "We'll keep you updated on every offer and new product, and you'll even receive a special permanent discount."
"Maybe next time," Khan immediately refused as his eyes scanned the menus on the desk. Luckily for him, the various figures and labels were extremely clear. He only needed to place his phone on a specific spot and confirm the payment.
Khan's funds went under thirty thousand Credits, but he didn't feel anything about that loss. That currency was too ethereal in his mind. He couldn't sense any attachment toward that money.
The waiter voiced a few polite and excited goodbyes that Khan and Captain Goldmon dismissed as they left the building. Their pretense continued even after they began to walk back to the central areas of the commercial district, but Khan eventually decided to speak honestly.
"Thank you for your help, Captain," Khan said while adding a nod to his line.
"Why did you look at me after he lowered the price?" Captain Goldmon asked. "You had the chance to improve your image in his mind."
Khan remained slightly startled in front of the question, but he decided to explain his reasons. "I didn't need to show off. The waiter might let something slip if I ever happen to go there alone the next time."
"You planted a weakness," Captain Goldmon chuckled. "Not bad."
"I'll only be able to use it once," Khan added. "I might not manage to pull something similar off in the future either. I didn't expect to be so famous even outside the training camps."
"Istrone's rebellion has been on everyone's mouth for many months," Captain Goldmon revealed. "The Global Army lost a lot, so Earth as a whole suffered."
Khan could only nod and let his eyes wander among the crowd as Istrone's memories appeared in his vision. He still remembered the Kred, his first kill, the blood, and the cries. Still, those scenes couldn't affect his mood deeply anymore.
"You shouldn't give others the chance to help you so easily," The Captain declared, forcing Khan to snap back to reality. "I'm too old to care about that stuff, but many won't hesitate to use those occasions to earn favors."
"I understand," Khan honestly stated. "Thank you again, Captain."
Captain Goldmon snorted and let the topic die before voicing another question. "Do you have something else to buy?"
"I don't want to impose, sir," Khan quickly replied. "I'm sure I'll be fine on my own."
"I don't want you to get lost before your first lesson," Captain Goldmon sneered. "Besides, you don't know Lieutenant Abaze. We have many hours to kill."
"Wouldn't you prefer to spend that time drinking somewhere?" Khan politely questioned.
"Shut up and accept my help," The Captain ordered while loudly tapping his cane on the ground.
"Yes, sir!" Khan exclaimed as a faint smile appeared on his face. "I'd like to purchase books and techniques connected to my path. I'd also want to use your presence to avoid getting ripped off."
Captain Goldmon laughed at that shameless announcement, but he nodded and began to accelerate. The soldier quickly led Khan toward another area of the commercial district, and the crowd's general level revealed the different purposes of the shops there.
Khan didn't fail to notice how most of the people in the area were stronger than him. Those who had yet to become first-level warriors had strong companions acting as guards or escorts. Almost all of them also wore serious and experienced expressions. It was clear that the shops there attracted citizens who had battle and war-related interests.
Everyone seemed to know each other. Khan often saw polite greetings or loud salutations. Reebfell was showing him its political array, but he couldn't affect it for now. Those faces belonged to strangers he couldn't approach without a valid reason.
No one bothered to look at Khan. Captain Goldmon's stars claimed the gazes from some guards and experienced soldiers, but everyone soon went on their own way.
Khan and Captain Goldmon could visit multiple shops without encountering any hindrance, and the crowds inside them prevented the various waiters from being expansive. Every interaction was short, direct, and often disappointing.
'How can a defensive technique weaker than the [Blood Shield] cost ten thousand Credits?!' Khan complained in his mind after leaving another shop. 'And what's this fixation with sex-related abilities? Why does every shop have them?'
Khan's complaints were a bit out of place. Every shop had a vast assortment of techniques, and many of them were interesting. However, their price was exorbitant, and that wasn't even the greatest problem. He already had better abilities in almost every field.
Khan wanted to obtain new abilities, but he felt forced to postpone the matter for when his level increased. He had already guessed that his state was pretty good, but he had hoped that Reebfell could prove him wrong. Still, the situation turned out to match his initial evaluation.
Everything changed when Captain Goldmon led Khan toward shops specialized in training programs. Everything was cheaper there since the human approach to mana was rather mechanical. Most soldiers didn't care about improving their general control over their energy since they could directly focus on mastering specific techniques. Yet, that didn't apply to Khan.
"You could have found weaker versions of those training programs on the network," Captain Goldmon stated after he and Khan left a shop. "You didn't need to spend almost two thousand Credits only to get the best ones for your level."
Khan almost failed to hear the Captain since his eyes remained fixed on his phone. Two new labels had appeared in the special menu that listed his arts and training programs, and he couldn't wait to try them.
'The "advanced perception" should bring my senses to the next level,' Khan excitedly thought, but the light in his eyes intensified when he read the second label. 'Instead, "advanced control" might finally solve my problem with the [Blood Vortex].'
The shop didn't have anything directly related to the manipulation of mana. The humans simply didn't use that approach, so Khan had to settle for something more general. Still, he felt pretty satisfied with his purchases. He believed that the two training programs would streamline his regular schedule.
"Are the Niqols' methods so good?" The Captain asked when he saw that Khan wasn't giving any answer.
Khan couldn't help but stop looking at his phone. The question had taken him by surprise, and his body almost reacted on his own when he heard something related to Nitis. Yet, the Captain's calm expression showed nothing but interest, so Khan decided to answer honestly.
"They are different," Khan explained. "They are definitely good, but I wouldn't place them above the human approach. I admit that the Niqols' methods might be too difficult for most soldiers."
"I see," Captain Goldmon voiced. "Did you manage to control the chaos element so quickly due to the Niqols' approach to mana?"
"I won't answer that, sir," Khan responded.
"Good boy!" Captain Goldmon laughed before leading Khan toward his final destination.
Khan had already obtained a good book about the most famous alien species, but he decided to purchase better ones. He also bought a few teaching programs to learn different languages, and he subscribed to a service that offered daily updates on the political environment in the universe.
After that, Khan and the Captain left the area to enjoy another drink and wait for their companions.
To be continued