Grey followed Rex down a narrow, filthy alleyway, the stench of decay clinging to the air. It was a place most would find revolting, but to Grey, who had lived in far worse conditions, it was barely a nuisance. Rex glanced back, noticing Grey's calm demeanor, and couldn't help but ask,
"You don't seem like a bratty young master."
"What do you mean?" Grey asked, his voice cold.
"Aren't you a noble? Shouldn't this filth disgust you?" Rex questioned, a hint of surprise in his tone.
"It does," Grey said, his pace steady.
"But your face says otherwise," Rex remarked, his curiosity piqued.
Grey ignored him, his mind focused elsewhere. "How far is this place?"
As if in response, Rex turned left, then right, finally stopping in front of a rickety door. "We're here."
Grey nodded, though a sliver of skepticism crept into his thoughts. Could such a rundown shack really be worth anything? Even a single gem embedded in his clothes could buy this entire slum ten times over.
Noticing Grey's hesitation, Rex grinned and kicked the door open with a flourish. Grey had to admit, it was a dramatic entrance.
Inside, Grey's skepticism evaporated. The interior was a veritable treasure trove—an unexpected contrast to the dilapidated exterior. Weapons of every kind lined the walls: swords, bows, spears—all masterpieces in their own right. Skill books, artifacts, and other rare items were scattered about, each more valuable than the last. Grey's eyes widened, though his expression remained as unreadable as ever.
"Welcome to my humble abode," Rex announced with exaggerated pride, clearly enjoying the reaction.
Before Grey could take a step inside, a spear shot across the room, narrowly missing Rex's head. It embedded itself in the wall with a solid thunk, leaving Rex frozen mid-step.
"Oi! What have I told you about not bringing strangers into my shop without warning?" a sharp voice demanded.
Grey's attention shifted to an elderly woman emerging from behind the counter. She looked frail, but the way she carried herself suggested otherwise. Her eyes narrowed at Rex, who quickly ducked as another spear flew his way, this time hitting the floor right where his foot had been moments before.
"Come on, Granny, I've got a customer for you!" Rex pleaded, trying to dodge yet another projectile.
As if on cue, a floating spear appeared out of nowhere and whacked Rex on the head with its blunt end. He yelped in pain.
"You bastard! Who are you calling Granny?" the woman shouted, her voice laced with fury.
"Wait—stop—augh! Ouch! Stop!" Rex yelped, trying to shield himself from the blows. "I brought you a customer, and this is how you treat me? Augh!"
Rex pleaded, tears streaming down his face, as the spear continued to beat him mercilessly for a full minute before it finally relented.
The woman huffed, crossing her arms. "Last time you brought a 'customer,' I had to chase off half the guards in the district!"
Rex grinned sheepishly, rubbing the spots where the spears had hit him. "That was a misunderstanding. I had no idea he was on the run."
Grey observed Rex's pitiful display with a hint of disdain before addressing the old woman. "I want to sell these clothes," he said, indicating the fine garments he wore.
The woman assessed him with a critical eye, her voice unexpectedly sweet, like a melody. "That will be four hundred gold."
"Six hundred," Grey countered.
"Listen, kid, that's a fair price. I don't even know where you got that outfit. It's well-designed but old and dirty. Since Rex brought you here, I'll offer five hundred," she responded, her tone firm.
"Six hundred," Grey insisted.
The woman's forehead creased with irritation. "Ugh, fine. Five hundred fifty is my final offer. Take it or leave it."
Grey pondered her offer briefly before nodding. "Okay. I also want to buy some weapons."
The woman, who had been counting the coin, stopped and looked at him. "Hmm. What type of weapon do you need? Here you can find any type of weapon or artifact."
"...Is that so?"
"Then I'll take a short bow, a long bow, four daggers, three swords—one short, one long, and one standard—a great sword, a spear, a rope, a dimensional ring, and something to wear. It would be good if you have a great shield."
"..."
The old woman was momentarily stunned by the list. Rex, who had just recovered, groaned, "Are you preparing for war or something?"
Grey shot him a glance before turning back to the woman. "…I don't need any high-rank artifacts. Just give me something that I can kill monsters with, and a ring to store my weapons."
Thirty-five minutes later, everything Grey requested was laid out on the table. He meticulously examined each item, satisfied with their quality. With these, he was confident in his ability to reach the academy and handle any challenges along the way.
Grey picked up the dimensional ring, intrigued by its utility. With it, he could store food, supplies, and other essentials without worrying about weight. Of course, he couldn't store living beings, but corpses were another matter. However, a frown crossed his face as a thought struck him. "How do I use it?"
"Pour some mana into it," the woman instructed.
Grey's frown deepened as he set the ring back down on the table. "Do you have something that works without mana?"
The woman's eyes narrowed as she studied him, realization dawning on her. "Ah. So that's why I didn't sense any mana from you. You're a mongr—"
She trailed off, but quickly corrected herself.
"Ahem, anyways, artifacts that don't require mana are mid or high-ranked. You won't find something like that in a shabby shop like this," she added, her tone edged with disdain.
Grey nodded, unfazed. "Then I'll just take this." He picked up a normal sword from the pile.
The woman's frustration was palpable as she clenched her fists. "Are you kidding me? You're not going to buy all these items after making this old woman go through so much trouble?"
"What's the point of buying them if I can't carry them?" Grey replied calmly, his logic unassailable.
The woman gritted her teeth, and two flying spears began to beat Rex again, who had been sitting quietly at the table.
"Hey! Why are you hitting me? Augh, what did I do wrong?"
Rex cried out, trying to shield himself from the relentless assault.
"You brought this bastard here!" she snapped.
After a moment, the woman sighed and looked at Grey, her frustration slowly fading. She hesitated, opening and closing her mouth several times before finally speaking.
"…I have a storage rune. You can use it to store things. It draws mana from nature, so you should be able to use it."
Grey was genuinely surprised, and even Rex's eyes widened in disbelief. Runes were rare and expensive, usually found in high-ranked dungeons and used only once. Without hesitation, Grey asked, "How much?"
"580 gold and I'll only sell it if you buy all the other items as well," the old woman said, pointing to the pile of weapons and artifacts Grey had chosen. "That brings your total to 640 gold."
Grey hesitated, his brow furrowing as he carefully counted his remaining money—only 630 gold left. It wasn't much, considering everything he needed. He explained his situation to the woman behind the counter, who clicked her tongue in mild annoyance before removing a few items from his selection.
The two engaged in some back-and-forth haggling, eventually settling on a deal. To sweeten the bargain, the woman threw in a black cloak for free.
As if it was only natural to give him something extra, like she owed him some big favor. Grey didn't bother with a word of thanks, his expression remaining cold and indifferent.
The woman, clearly expecting some form of gratitude, grew visibly annoyed. Unable to bear Grey's overbearing attitude, she shoved both men outside and slammed the door behind them with a bang.
In the end, Grey spent 600 gold coins. Left with 30 gold coins, he handed half of them to Rex, who was walking beside him.
As they prepared to part ways, Rex hesitated and asked, "Are you sure it's okay to give me half of the money? It'll be difficult for you to get to the nearby city." This was something Grey had mentioned earlier in their conversation.
Grey glanced at Rex, whose face was swollen from all the beatings, yet he still worried about others. For a brief moment, a flash of pity crossed Grey's eyes as he responded,
"It's fine. Keep it. I can always stea— I mean, earn more."
Rex, catching the slip, popped his head up and asked, "You just said steal, right?"
Grey averted his gaze, walking ahead without a word.
Rex, still suspicious, called after him, "You... you were walking through alley after alley before I tried to attack you... Did you plan that just so you could steal my money?"
Grey increased his pace, his steps quickening as if he were trying to run away from the conversation—and from Rex's piercing questions. "You're imagining things," he said, his tone even more evasive.
Rex watched him hurry off, the doubt lingering in his mind as he continued his own path.