After a while of walking, the team found themselves standing outside a modern-looking shop. The building had a sleek design with large glass windows that displayed an array of goods inside. A bright, stylish sign above the entrance read "Glade's Emporium," illuminated with soft neon lights that gave it a welcoming glow.
They all entered, and Maxwell's eyes widened in surprise as he took in the sight of the merchandise. The interior was spacious and well-lit, with polished wooden floors and neatly arranged shelves. The shop had everything one could imagine, much like a high-end convenience store. Rows of exotic snacks, colorful beverages, and unique trinkets lined the walls. There were aisles filled with household items, personal care products, and even a section dedicated to rare and mystical artifacts that shimmered under the display lights.
In the back, a refrigerated section housed fresh produce and specialty foods, while another corner featured an assortment of books and magazines. The shop seemed to have everything anyone could need, blending the ordinary with the extraordinary in a way that left Maxwell both amazed and intrigued.
However, their were a catch in some of those stuff.
As Maxwell looked at the merchandise, he realized that a lot of the items were already sold in his own town. "Wait... all of this stuff..."
Glade nodded proudly. "Yep... I sell exclusive human items that we can't find here."
Maxwell's eyes widened in amazement. "Woah... how?"
Glade grinned. "It's all about connections and a bit of magic. I have a network that allows me to bring these items from the human world to Aisiki Town. It's a bit tricky, but it keeps the shop stocked with things that are in high demand here."
Maxwell looked at the book section, and his eyes widened. "Wait... the last tome of Academia Hero is out?!"
Glade chuckled. "I see a fan, huh?"
Maxwell was incredulous. "This manga was supposed to come out in 2 months... How?!"
Glade's grin widened. "Let's just say I have a way of getting things ahead of schedule. Perks of having connections in both worlds."
Hito sighed as he watched Glade and Maxwell excitedly talk to each other.
'Two seconds ago, you had bad vibes about this place,'' he muttered to himself, glancing at Maxwell with a mix of amusement and exasperation.
Hito interrupted. "Anyways, Glade… where was the last attack?"
Glade's expression turned serious. "It happened near the back of the shop, in the storage area. Things started moving on their own, and I heard strange noises. It was really unsettling."
Suddenly, Maxwell gasped. "Wow... 500 pages for a drawing book?!"
Glade's seriousness vanished in an instant. "Yep, yep! The impossible is always possible!"
Hito grunted and rolled his eyes.
Akuro chuckled. "You do art, Maxwell?"
Maxwell nodded. "Yeah... I always wanted to be a manga artist."
Maxwell since a child, always wanted to draw manga, and to be a successful artist. The moment he draws in a paper, the only thing that he does is follow his imagination.
He looked at the empty pages and smiled. "How much?"
Glade smiled back. "Well... since you're new here and seem to have a huge dream, you can have it for free."
Maxwell's eyes lit up with gratitude. "Really? Thanks, Glade!"
Hito cleared his throat sternly. "Glade. Storage room. Now."
Glade jumped a little in surprise. "R-right!" he stammered, quickly following Hito towards the storage area of the shop.
—
Later, the gang stood in the huge storage room. It was spacious, with shelves lining the walls filled with various items and supplies.
Glade suddenly pointed to the left where there was a noticeable mess. "It happened in the magic section," he explained.
Strangely, it was the only area that had been attacked, with books and magical artifacts scattered and some shelves overturned.
Akuro stood beside Hito and they all gathered to inspect the mess. The group looked over the scattered books and artifacts in the magic section of the storage room, exchanging concerned glances.
Maxwell leaned closer, examining the chaos. "What could have caused this?"
Glade sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I have no idea... nothing like this has ever happened before."
Hito scanned the area with a thoughtful expression. "There's no sign of forced entry. It's as if whatever did this came and went without leaving a trace."
Maxwell asked, looking up at the ceiling, "Don't you have cameras?"
Glade sighed. "I do, actually, but... it's quite confusing to look at."
---
Later, they gathered around to review the footage from the previous night.
They watched the playback, and on the screen, they saw an extremely fast silhouette darting around the storage room, destroying things in a blur.
Maxwell exclaimed in awe, "Wow... they are so fast!" The sight of the swift and destructive figure left them all stunned, realizing they were dealing with something formidable and mysterious.
Hito sighed heavily. "This doesn't help us at all..."
Akuro nodded thoughtfully. "It's weird that they only attacked the magic section and not the others..."
Maxwell pondered for a moment. "Do you have something rare that those things might want?"
Glade shook his head. "No, not really... Sometimes those magic items are just knock-offs."
The group exchanged uncertain glances, still puzzled by the selective nature of the attack on the magic section. It was clear that they were dealing with a complex and elusive threat that targeted specific items for reasons yet unknown.
Maxwell asked, "You said that red ghost attacked the town? Do you think that's connected to this robbery?"
Glade rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Well... I did say they attacked my store, but strangely... the cameras were shut down the moment they entered."
Maxwell and the others exchanged meaningful glances, silently acknowledging the unsettling connection between the mysterious robbery in the magic section and the incidents involving the red ghost.
Maxwell stared intently at the camera screen, his eyes widening and strangely glows a little as a sudden realization struck him. His eyes faintly glowed with excitement. "Wait!! Glade, rewind to 0:05."
The others turned their attention to Maxwell, intrigued by his urgency. Glade paused the footage at the exact moment Maxwell requested.
Maxwell approached the screen and smiled. "I might have a clue."
---
Later, Maxwell crouched down and touched the floor of the storage room. The others exchanged curious glances as they watched him intently.
"Got it!" Maxwell exclaimed suddenly, standing up with something in his hand.
The others remained silent, waiting for Maxwell to reveal his discovery.
...
...
"A feather...?"