After walking two blocks from the cafe, Iris finally arrived at a street with many fashion shops lined up. However, she couldn't find a particular shop that caught her interest.
"Why do they only sell feminine clothes in this area?" she muttered impatiently. Although she had seen a few shops selling men's clothing—close to her taste in clothes—she hesitated to go in. If she did, the shop assistants might think she was buying clothes for her boyfriend or father, right?
Sighing, she considered shopping online from another state or country if she didn't find what she was looking for in this area.
But after walking for a few more minutes, she finally saw what she was looking for. A fashion shop with a style that suited her, even though it wasn't her favorite brand. They sold monochrome outfits, which she loved.
The shop wasn't massive, but it displayed many of the clothes she needed right now — casual shirts, long coats, jeans, and tights. Luckily, they also sold shoes and some accessories that she could pair with her hiking equipment, saving her the trouble of visiting another store.
"Hello, welcome..." a friendly female shopkeeper greeted her from behind the counter with a warm smile. "How can I help you?" she asked kindly.
"Hi, I'd like to buy some clothes, but could you send them to my house?" asked Iris, returning the friendly smile of the short-haired woman in front of her.
"Of course, miss. We can deliver to your house for free if you buy at a certain amount..." replied the shopkeeper as she walked closer to Iris. Her smile grew wider, wondering if this young girl would buy many clothes from her shop. These few days, she rarely had any customers because her shop was just down the street, and not many people passed through in this low session.
"That's perfect!" Iris said. She still wanted to go find a weapon shop; she didn't want to carry her shopping stuff there.
"Your name is Daisy, right?" Iris asked while glancing at the name tag on the woman's chest.
"Yes, miss, you can call me Daisy..."
"Sister Daisy, I need..." Iris immediately told her all the clothes she needed. "I need you to pack them in my size and send them to this address," she gave her a piece of paper with the address of Gray Cafe.
Daisy couldn't stop smiling. Today is her lucky day — a young, rich miss just nearly emptied her shop.
"Miss Iris, I will prepare all you need. And, as for the shoes you mentioned, you can try them first and let me know which ones you want," she said, starting to busy herself collecting all the clothes Iris wanted. Several times she had to go back and forth to the warehouse to take stock of goods for Iris.
While Daisy was busy, Iris started looking for the shoes she wanted to buy. She tried on a few pairs and decided to purchase some boots and hiking shoes. Iris also bought a pocket knife and some other hiking items. A pocket knife will be helpful until she finds a good knife and gun for assault and defense.
Iris also bought some camping equipment, using it as an excuse for potential travel to nearby towns.
After an hour had passed, Daisy finally finished preparing Iris' shopping list. She was surprised to see the pile of goods in front of her.
'Can this young miss Iris pay for all of this?' Daisy wondered fearfully, concerned that Iris might not have enough money. She glanced at Iris, who was still staring at the Swiss Army tactical kit. "Miss Iris, regarding payment, we only accept cash and card payments..."
"I'll transfer the money to your account. How much is the bill?" asked Iris.
"Miss Iris, I already gave you a discount because you spent so much in my shop," Daisy said, worried that Iris might cancel some items if she found out the bill was closer to $20K. This was the first time someone had spent this much money on a single bill since she opened the shop.
Daisy hesitantly handed the shopping bill to Iris, "The total amount is $18,500..."
Iris received the bill. Without hesitation, she handed her card to Daisy. She didn't show any surprise when she saw the total cost because it was much lower than what she had anticipated. She had expected to spend over $30,000.
"Sis Daisy, can I have your phone number?" Iris asked, planning to order over the phone if she needed something. Coming to a shop like this was just a waste of time, and she didn't like doing it either. She preferred shopping online. "If one day I need something, can I order it over the phone?"
"Sure, Miss Iris," Daisy happily handed Iris her business card. This girl would be her number-one VIP customer from now on. "It seems that you haven't lived in this town for long?"
Iris smiled secretly. Indeed, she had only been in this town for two days. But, of course, she couldn't say it to her.
"I've lived here for a few years, but rarely go out..." Iris told the truth—she wasn't born in this town. Young Iris moved here many years ago when her parents left her with her grandmother and she rarely goes out either.
"Oh, no wonder I never saw you show up in my shop," Daisy said, continuing to tell Iris about this small town. "The town is pretty empty during winter. However, during spring and autumn, it gets busier with tourists wanting to go hiking or visit the beach."
"I know that," Iris smiled.
"Haha, sorry, I thought you didn't know," Daisy laughed awkwardly.
"Sis Daisy, you already have my address, right? Do you know Gray Cafe?"
"I know that place. I passed by the Gray Cafe quite a few times. It's the only way to go to the Lonely Mountain," Daisy said. Even though she rarely visited the area and had never been to a cafe before, she remembered the place because it was the only cafe in the area.
"That's great then. And, when you deliver my stuff, please don't show any signs of your shop. My grandma will be mad if she finds out I spent a lot of money on clothes."
"Don't worry, Miss Iris, I'll take care of everything for you. I'll send the items out right away."
Iris quickly left the shop, aware that the sun was setting and she had one more stop to make. She was headed to a secret part of the city where illegal items, including firearms, were sold.