James had almost wrapped up his side hustle. The jewelry store was his last stop before he would drop accounting work entirely—not because he wasn't interested in the money, but because he needed to dedicate himself fully to the academy. He had a goal: to drill his skills relentlessly until he reached the level of a master.
As he stepped into the store, his eyes instinctively scanned the surroundings, and then—his breath hitched. Sitting in the customer chair at the counter, surrounded by bulky bodyguards and robed mages, was a familiar face.
Lucas Hoffman.
The sole heir of the prestigious Hoffman family. The same Lucas who had once offered to purchase James's white dragon bone wand, only to be rejected.
James swallowed hard, memories of the staggering amount of money Lucas had offered flashing in his mind. He quickly composed himself and approached the store assistant.
The assistant, noticing him, bowed apologetically. "Sorry, sir, but we are currently fully booked by a VIP customer. We kindly ask you to leave."
James clenched his fist but nodded, understanding his position. He turned to leave, but Lucas, still unaware of his presence, remained absorbed in the selection of jewelry before him. He was deep in thought, contemplating the perfect gift for his cousin sister.
Letting out a sigh, Lucas finally made his decision. Raising a hand, he said casually, "Pack them all."
"Yes, Young Master," the clerk responded without hesitation.
Lucas reached into his coat and pulled out a small dimensional storage bag, tossing two mana stones onto the counter. These stones, each valued at 100,000 pesos, were the standard currency used in high-end transactions—regulated by the government and churches, a smart economic move suggested by the fire master's merchant in-laws.
(Ignore the boring history—anyway…)
As Lucas rose from his seat, leaving the final payment process to his butler, his gaze swept over the store—only to land on James, who was just stepping out.
His eyes narrowed in surprise. "James?"
James stopped in his tracks, shoulders stiffening before he turned around.
Lucas smirked slightly, waving him back inside. "Come here, don't be in such a hurry."
James hesitated before walking back. He greeted Lucas with a polite nod. "Hello, Lucas. We meet again. You must be shopping out here?"
"Yeah, just buying some jewelry for my older cousin sister," Lucas said casually, leaning back in his chair. "She's about to turn sixteen. A special occasion, you know?"
"Yeah, definitely," James replied, though there was a hint of discomfort in his voice.
Lucas noticed but didn't comment. Instead, he gestured toward him. "Come here, why are you standing like that?"
James hesitated. He wasn't much of a social person—mostly kept to himself. Conversations, especially ones like this, weren't really his thing. But ignoring Lucas wasn't an option, not with his status.
Awkwardly, he stepped forward and joined Lucas at a small, round table. It reminded him of the ones in inns, except this one had intricate dragon carvings on its sides, making it clear this wasn't just any ordinary furniture.
Lucas leaned in slightly. "How's your mother doing, James? I bet she must be proud of your achievements."
James forced a small smile. "Yeah… she's proud of me. Thanks for asking."
Lucas nodded. His tone was casual, but his presence carried the weight of someone used to dealing with people. Unlike James, he was a natural sociocrat—his family made sure of that. From city officials to seasoned businessmen, Lucas was trained to handle all kinds of people, and his future as a business mage—or perhaps something even greater—was almost guaranteed.
James, attempting to return the courtesy, asked, "Your parents must be proud of you as well."
It was a simple tactic—mirroring the question to keep the conversation going or, if needed, subtly wrapping it up.
Lucas let out a dry chuckle. "Not really. They expected me to be the best. It was my dream too… until you arrived." His smirk faded slightly. "They spent tens of millions on my training."
James gulped.
A few tens of millions? He had once been offered a million pesos for his wand, and it had felt like a life-changing sum. Yet here was Lucas, casually mentioning figures that dwarfed it entirely.
Before James could dwell on it further, the store clerk returned, carrying the jewelry wrapped in fine silk cloths inside polished wooden boxes. He carefully set them on another table to avoid disturbing their conversation. Then, he approached Lucas with both hands extended, offering the spare change—mana stones and cash currency worth a few thousand pesos.
James glanced at the money.
That was probably the same amount he would need months to earn from his side hustle.
Lucas didn't even count it. "Keep the change. Bring us some cold lemon juice."
"Yes, Master," the clerk replied, smoothly retreating. One moment a store clerk, the next moment a bartender—or maybe even a chef.
Meanwhile, Lucas's bodyguards stood at their posts, some stationed outside, others positioned at the corners of the store. They were well-trained, highly ranked, and—most importantly—expensive to maintain.
James could feel their eyes on him from time to time, their blatant stares making the atmosphere even more tense.
He and Lucas exchanged a few pleasantries, casually discussing their training schedules. Though James had come here purely for business, he couldn't exactly just leave now—not when he was surrounded like this.
His mind wandered. What if I piss him off?
Would he beat me up?
I could probably break his nose if it came to that…
Countless unnecessary thoughts ran through his head—scenarios that would probably never happen. His imagination was running wild.
Lucas leaned forward slightly, resting his chin on his hand as he smirked. "So, what are you here for? Shopping or something?"
James shook his head. "No, no, I'm just here for some side hustle."
Lucas raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Side hustle? Interesting. What kind of side hustle are you doing?" His smirk widened. "A person with immeasurable talent like yours should be training all day."
James let out a dry chuckle. "Nice joke, Lucas. But I'm just trying to earn some money. I want to help my mother however I can."
Lucas nodded, his expression turning slightly more thoughtful. "That's nice." He paused, then leaned back. "But again, what kind of side hustle are you doing?"
James shrugged. "Just some accounting work, helping out stores here and there. This was the last one on my schedule."
Lucas blinked, then let out an amused laugh. "You're an accountant too? That's actually impressive." His smirk returned. "And here I thought you only knew how to bury your head in magic books."