Return of the Fallen Volume 4 Chapter 43
[previous_page]
[next_page]
Author: Blue_Rat
ch43
Kazuki asked around and after following the directions of a kind old woman, Kazuki led everyone to a shop. Nunully didn’t know what to think right now as she saw Kazuki flirt with the old woman repeatedly. He told them this was necessary and that strangers don’t trust other strangers and that he had done that to get the old woman to lower her guard. Nunully though heard such salacious words, that Kazuki came off as an old playboy.
The old woman was like melted butter after Kazuki was done with her. Nunully wondered if she would fall for such words. Then she wondered if Kazuki might actually say something like that to her, what would she do.
Tsura on the other hand simply wondered how Kazuki got so good with words, while Mei just giggled as though she were watching a really fun show.
Walking into the shop, the wares were a mix of seemingly what anyone would need for a long journey. They even sold storage rings and bracelets but the cost was in the thousands of gold Zeni. Kazuki grabbed a cart and Nunully and the others followed suit. He walked down the aisles and grabbed an item here or there and Nunully and the others joined along. At some point they separated from him, seeing that he was only getting the necessities and nothing else.
Once something caught their attention, the ladies almost raced their carts with one another. Nunully was attracted by a showcase filled with perfumes and makeups. Kazuki didn’t know why though, Nunully was literally one of the most beautiful girls he’d ever seen.
Tsura found several items and other utensils used for cooking. She had come from the middle of the forest and had never seen such a variety of different tools for the kitchen. She was a talented cook to say the least and these items made the gears in her mind start turning in overdrive as she thought of the many new dishes she’d be able to produce with them. Only a few seconds later she noticed the hundreds of different spices not too far away from the kitchen items and her eyes lit up.
Mei, on the other hand, ended up in an aisle filled with an assortment of snacks. There were foods similar to Earth such as chips as well as all kinds of different chocolates and candies. Mei’s little body shook in delight and she quickly began to fill up her cart with all of these tasty looking treats.
Kazuki gathered what was needed. Tools, food, soft tissue, etc. Especially toiletries though. Traveling in the wilderness without a clean ass was not something anyone enjoyed and Kazuki knew people were tired of cleansing themselves with cold snow.
“Has anything changed so far?”
A short young man stood in a nearby alley and whispered to seemingly no one in particular. Then someone stepped out of the shadow and spoke in a hushed voice.
“The targets are still in that shop. They seem to be gathering a great number of supplies. I don’t think they are planning to stay in our humble city for long.”
The short man thought for a moment before he waved the shadowed figure away.
“Continue to watch, I’ll return again later.”
The short young man then walked away from the alley casually as to not attract any attention from wandering eyes. The shadowy figure in the alley whistled and several other people hiding nearby dispersed and spread out. Who knew when and how long they had been there. These people all surrounded a single large shop and watched it from every angle. A few people even entered and exited like normal.
Kazuki hadn’t heard or witness the conversation outside but he could tell that he and the others were being watched. It wasn’t hard for him to detect malice. Even when one wasn’t looking at him, he knew he was being observed by a few normal-looking people.
(So Degra still wants problems. As long as these people are just watching it should be fine but if they push their luck, who knows what would happen.)
Kazuki walked over toward the aisle Mei was practically dancing in and grabbed a small piece of candy from a large jar. These candies were not bought by a certain amount but instead were weighed and you would pay for them at that price. Kazuki had a small round one. It was similar to a rock. It was covered in a sugary blue coating and gave off a sweet and sour smell akin to a berry of some type. Kazuki wasn’t much for sour candies but when they had a mix of sweet like this one, he deemed them not too bad.
Kazuki spotted one of the people following him. A young man wearing a plain grey shirt and light brown pants. The man had no weapon and his face was kind but the way he walked and held himself, Kazuki could tell the man was a fighter.
Kazuki walked by the man and stared at the man in the eyes. The man turned his gaze away so as to not look suspicious. When he did that, Kazuki gently flicked the piece of candy into the man’s pocket and continued to walk on by. Kazuki’s movements were so smooth that no one noticed at all. After he walked past, the man thought to himself.
(What was that about? Why did he stare at me like that? Have I been compromised?)
The young man’s gaze followed Kazuki’s back and he saw him stop a shop assistant and then Kazuki actually pointed at the young man and said something. The shop assistant’s face changed listen to Kazuki’s words before he thanked Kazuki. The young man seeing all of this didn’t like where this was going and decided to leave and let one of his comrades take over and observe Kazuki just in case.
Heading for the door, the shop assistant saw this and rushed over.
“Stop you.”
The young man didn’t know what was happening but he was just a step away from the door and sped up a little. The shop assistant grew angry and ran ahead and grabbed the young man by the arm.
“I told you to stop!”
The young man became defensive.
“What do you think you’re doing? Let me go!”
This caused a scene in the shop and other workers, as well as a security guard, walked over.
The young man knew he fucked up when he raised his voice and knew that he could no longer carry out his mission to follow Kazuki.
The security guard asked what all the commotion was about and the shop assistant told him straight up.
“This man has stolen some candy.”
The security guard kinda pulled his head back with a look that said, say that again.
Even the young man was confused.
(So this is what my target told them. What kind of idiot would believe a grown man would steal a piece of candy?)
The security guard now understood the situation but felt it wasn’t a big deal.
“Sir, please pay for the goods and this matter can be resolved here and now. Otherwise, we’ll have problems.”
The young man felt his skin twitch near his sword hand but he remembered he didn’t have his blade on him.
“Why in the 7 realms of hell would I take a stupid piece of candy? I don’t even like candy.”
The security guard was annoyed and the shop assistant was insistent.
“If you didn’t steal it then I’m sure you won’t mind emptying your pockets will ya?”
Since he had already failed his mission, the young man was already pissed. Still, he was a professional and quickly remembered himself and regained his calm.
“I didn’t take anything. I swear by the gods above and if I lie may my soul be damned.”
The shop assistant and the security guard exchanged a look before they glared at the young man.
The security guard took a step forward and crossed his arms over his broad chest.
“I take it this means you won’t turn out your pockets then?”
The young man became increasingly more and more annoyed but decided to comply and get this whole charade over and done with. Reaching into his chest pockets, he emptied them and there was nothing. He then emptied his left pants pocket and again nothing. Then he grabbed his right and noticed something strange. Pulling it out his eyes widened when he saw what he was holding.
Not just him, the shop assistant, the guard, and a few customers who were watching the show. When they all saw the blue piece of candy, they all had the same thought.
(Candy thief.)
A little kid pointed at the young man and pulled on his mothers sleeve.
“Mama, why is that man stealing the candy? I thought you said candy is for kids.”
The mother pulled her sons pointing arm down.
“We don’t point at people, especially bad men. Listen here, some men don’t grow up even after years of aging. They become stuck in their ways and become degenerates. Don’t be like him, that man baby, despicable.”
The woman then pulled her child away and went somewhere further into the store, while several customers chuckled and laughed at the young man with candy. A few comments came into his ear from the group of watchers.
“Did you hear that that woman called him a man baby, so accurate.”
“Manbaby more like a street rat. Who steals candy? That one piece is nothing. You can even get 10 of them for only a copper, he doesn’t even have a copper.”
The young man didn’t know how or when. He absolutely did not put this piece of candy in his pocket. That’s when he saw a Kazuki not too far away, staring at him like a devil. Kazuki held up a piece of blue rock candy and flicked it into the air before catching it into his mouth and chewing it deliberately.
The young man then realized it was him. He wanted to scream murder and spit blood but he could do nothing. His boss told him that no matter what do not interfere, only observe. The young man clenched his jaw tightly and gnashed his teeth.
The security guard and the shop assistant became pissed and were about to confront the young man when the young man threw something at them before turning around and leaving. They were about to give chase when they noticed what he tossed at them. It was a single gold Zeni. The two’s eyes went wide and then the two became confused. If he had this much money then why the hell did he try and steal a piece of candy worth less then a single copper.
Kazuki laughed to himself before he met up with everyone and they went to pay.
After the shop assistant gave them their total, everyone looked at Kazuki and became curious as to how he would pay. After all, they saw him melt all of his gold in one go and gave it all back to Degra. Kazuki, in turn, looked at Tsura.
“I believe this one is on you, right?”
Tsura had an oh right moment and several gold Zeni fell out of her necklace and into her hand.
Degra had demanded Kazuki pay some made-up debt and so Kazuki literally melted the floor with his cheated gold but Tsura still had all of her winnings. She hit the jackpot and got a storage necklace filled with a fortune.
Whether Degra forgot or the moment was too much to comprehend but Tsura kept all of her money. When she first left the forest, she didn’t really have much of a concept of money but once she ended up in Edngaul with Kazuki and saw all the things that could be bought, she understood the outside world didn’t move unless there was either power behind it or gold and now she had a shit ton of it.
Tsura happily paid for the goods and then she made a suggestion. This surprised Kazuki because Tsura was pretty reserved but something about this money may have flipped a switch.
“Let’s go to a fancy inn, my treat.”
Nunully and Mei became excited at the thought of soft sheets and comfy beds. Kazuki as well felt the grim on his face from his disguise and smiled.
“Sounds good, I could really use a bath about now.”
[previous_page]
[next_page]
Comment (0)