"Tell me the truth: where did you buy this and where did the money come from?"
Alex is in danger right now.
Not particularly dangerous, but he has no idea how to escape in this situation.
Fortunately, he created an answer on the spot, allowing him to avoid the question but not the consequences.
"Any results with your dates? Has anyone accepted you? Did you finally find a husband? I hope he will not regret marrying you."
A deafening silence fills the room, and Alex is sweating excessively.
This is a sensitive subject for her, but he understands that it will allow him to completely escape from the original problem.
She placed her hand on his shoulder and smiled at him.
Seeing this, he thought he could escape another problem, but as time passed, her grip grew stronger, and the smile on her face no longer gave off a vibrant vibe.
"GAH!!! MY SHOULDER! MY SHOULDER! PLEASE STOP! STOP! I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY!…"
He continued to plead, but she did not relent and maintained her grip.
"THIS IS WHY YOU ARE STILL SINGLE! GAKH! ARRGGHH!!!!! STOP! PLEASE! I'M SERIOUS! I CAN FEEL MY SHOULDER BREAKING!"
She tightens her grip one last time, allowing his soul to escape his body.
"I can now finally rest in peace!"
Unfortunately, she understands how to use healing magic, so he was brought back to life.
"My heavens!"
*Thump
She chop his head.
"Do not be a drama king. Anyway, what is the deal with your soul leaving your body? You are being overly dramatic! Anyway, if you do not want to—."
"I know. I already learned my lesson. I wouldn't— "
He was about to say something rude when he felt her murderous gaze, so he covered both his shoulders and ears.
The charade came to an end, and he was finally able to avoid her question.
Erica decided to buy three smartphones and withdraw 150 mana stones from her space bag to pay for them.
"Thank you for your patronage!"
"Don't smug at me. I know you are simply avoiding my question. I will soon find out what you are hiding from me."
Before leaving the shop, she leaves a message indicating her determination.
As one of the most well-known investigators, she is confident in her abilities to find things.
However, her last words were not intended as a threat, but rather as a way for her to demonstrate her genuine concern for him.
What if he fell for a scam?
No, not quite true, because the information she received from the smartphone was mostly verified by herself.
What if he became a pawn for someone working behind the scenes and is unaware that he is the sacrificial piece?
That is what she is afraid of.
His nephew is in possession of a revolutionary tool.
This could be a blessing or a curse.
She needs to find out as soon as possible.
He lets out a sigh of relief after seeing her off.
Now that he could breathe freely, he allowed the system to consume the mana stones he had received.
*Pop
[150 mana stones were consumed.]
[10/10 smartphones -> 7/10 smartphones]
Seeing the number on his system decrease, he felt a sense of progress.
"7 to go. I can do this."
He feels the urge to dance, but he suppresses it because the doorbell rings again.
A green-haired man and a spiky red-haired man walk into the shop.
Anyone can tell they are adventurers based on their attire.
The green-haired man has a gun-like weapon and leather armor, whereas the spiky red-haired man has a large sword and light scale armor.
It looks like it came from a lizard monster or something similar.
"Are you the owner of the shop?"
"Welcome to my shop. How can I help you?"
He made a welcoming gesture, similar to an NPC greeting the player.
After all, service is the top priority in most shops he worked in his previous life, and given that this is an RPG-like world, he decided to spice up his voice, which is how his NPC mode activated.
Unfortunately, the green-haired man did not appreciate his efforts and looked at him with disdain.
"Really? This shop has a Tech name on it. Do you know you are sullying the name of my predecessor?"
He raises his brow, unsure of what is going on.
However, he could tell from his words that there was more to it, so he asked the green-haired man.
"May I know who you are?"
"My name is Vince Leviathan."
"And I'm Jack Pascal."
The spiky red-haired man added.
"Did you even consider the name you used for your shop?"
Vince questions him as if he is guilty of a crime.
"What is wrong with my shop's name?Tech means technology, right?"
He does not know what is wrong with the man's behavior, but he responds truthfully.
When Jack and Vince see Alex's confused expression, they are taken aback.
Tech Leviathan is well-known in society as one of the few magical engineers who invented revolutionary inventions such as trains, guns, and even the birth of magical objects, so why did not he recognize this name?
The two men saw no lie in his expression or in his words, so they decided to put this issue aside and focus on their priorities.
A communication orb.
They urgently require a communication orb for their adventure.
They have had no luck in previous shops, so they are hoping that this one will have at least one.
"Anyways, do you have a communication orb here?"
Alex was taken aback for a second when he changed the subject, but he did not mind and responded to his question.
"Unfortunately, we do not have any communication orbs—"
"Let's go!"
When Vince discovered that he did not have a communication orb in his shop, he immediately decided to leave.
"Wait a minute! Can you please finish me first—wait!"
However, no matter what he said, Vince stopped listening, so Alex decided to pull him back.
"Let me go! Jack, help me!"
However, Jack simply watches this comedic view, appearing to enjoy the moment.
Vince eventually gives up and listens to what he wanted to say.
"I might not have a communication orb, but I do have another communication device. This is known as a smartphone."
Alex handed them a smartphone and demonstrated how it works.
After experiencing it, Vince is taken aback that there is another—
"Also, do not think about how another communication device exists or anything like that. The author may extend his reasoning without knowing what words to use."
"What are you talking about?"
Vince is baffled by his words.
"Nothing. Anyway, the price is 50 mana stones. No discount or gold required. Will you buy it or not?"
Alex immediately changed the subject.
"50 MANA STONES!!!"
The two men could not help but yell because of how expensive this was.
They could simply leave, but what if they could not find a communication orb?
Having a communication orb is uncommon, but they feel compelled to have at least two right now.
Before making a decision, the two of them discuss it.
"It is very expensive. Although I admit it is far superior to a communication orb, it costs the same as my monthly allowance."
"I know Vince, but think about it. Vince! Think about it! If the location I discovered is a hidden dungeon, we can get back ten times the price. Also, we do not know if there are any communication orbs in this city. If there is one, our time may be wasted when that happens, right?"
"I understand, but... okay. I surrender. Let us hope what you discover is a hidden dungeon."
They return to Alex and inform him that they intend to buy two smartphones.
While handing over the 100 mana stones, Vince could not let go of the pouch, forcing Alex to pull it from his grasp.
It took a few minutes before he let go of the pouch.
"Thank you for your patronage!"
When he sees them leave, he switches to NPC mode before revealing his current state of exhaustion.
*Pop
[100 mana stones were consumed.]
[7/10 smartphones -> 5/10 smartphones]
However, seeing the number of his tasks decrease made him feel as if his tiredness had paid off.