Chapter 169: The Last Thing He Wanted To Hear
It is often easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission.
Zane had chosen his weapons.
The shopkeeper packed them inside the boxes made by Phoenix’s feathers.
The boxes weren’t normal though.
They were medium sized, suitable for keeping shoes inside them but this time, they carried weapons.
The Vellum Razor wasn’t big so it easily fitted inside the box but the Bedrock Piston was big, heavy and long.
And yet, it was also inside the box.
Moreover, the shopkeeper carried the box with no problem as if it wasn’t heavy at all.
He kept the boxes on the counter in front of Zane and in his curiosity, he reached out his hand to take out the Bedrock Piston.
However...
"Don’t touch it!"
The shopkeeper yanked Zane’s hand away.
Zane instantly glared.
"This is not funny. I am not a thief."
Xavier and the others also saw it and Xavier was ready with his fist clenched.
The shopkeeper raised his hands in the air.
"I am sorry. Very sorry. I didn’t mean to be harsh. But you can’t touch it yet."
"Why?"
The shopkeeper explained, "These boxes are called Phoenix Cage. Whatever is kept inside them adjusts its size to fit inside it. The things inside it also lose their weight. That is why the piston is safe and sound inside it and light as well."
"Why can’t I touch my weapons?" Zane asked, his tone rough.
The shopkeeper maintained his apologetic smile.
"If you have taken out the weapons, then the box would lose its magic. It only works once. So I suggest that you should take your goods out only after you are in your comfort space. Like your home or training grounds."
Zane’s gaze softened.
"I see. But if I don’t check them, how would I know if they are the same weapons that I picked?"
"I am not a cheater, sir. I have had a respectable shop for fifty years now. I can’t even think of duping right next to the Citadel. I will be dead."
Zane slightly nodded.
"I believe you. But if I find them fake, I swear I will come with full force at you. You don’t know who I am."
"That won’t be a problem, sir. You will face no inconvenience with them."
"Hmm. Keep them aside for now. I will buy some more weapons. I will pay altogether."
"As you wish. Paulo!"
The man with the apron came out, this time with more blood on the apron and black gloves on his hands.
The shopkeeper told him to carry the boxes and the man did.
He took them inside the same room he came out of just now and closed the door.
Is that thief even alive?
Zane wanted to know more but he had enough issues of his own to deal with.
He ignored that and went to Hena.
Hena and Draxus picked weapons for Zane’s people that were in the basement and Zane watched them silently.
After a while, Xavier and Jammy also joined them and helped Hena.
Zane felt bad seeing them working alone so he also joined the helping hands.
Hena was storing the weapons inside her ring and the others were only picking the weapons that she told them to.
No one used their own brain as they let her decide the entire shopping.
Like that, after one full hour, Hena was done.
All five of them went to the counter again.
They stood in line of the customers paying the shopkeeper and in a few minutes, their turn came.
Hena was in the front.
She had no weapons on her hand.
"Yes?" The shopkeeper asked.
"The counter won’t be enough." Hena replied.
The bald man laughed. "Why is that? It’s not like you brought one hundred weap-"
"One thousand."
The shopkeeper’s eyes bulged.
"Sorry?"
Hena sighed.
"I can’t do this."
She looked at Zane.
Did she exhausted her social battery again? How does it even work?
Zane didn’t understand but he obliged anyway.
Zane stepped forward.
"She stored one thousand weapons in her ring. The counter won’t be enough for all of them. A big space we need."
The shopkeeper nodded like a chicken.
"Yes. Yes. Please. This way."
He left his counter and gestured to Zane and the others towards a door. The same door where Paulo comes and goes.
"Hey! What about us?"
"Yeah. Where are you going?"
The other customers shouted and the shopkeeper...
"The shop is closed. Come tomorrow. Go home. Don’t steal anything. I will get to know and will complain to the Enforcers."
The shopkeeper opened the door and motioned with his hand to Zane to enter.
The customers were left with their mouths agape.
Some dropped the items they were carrying and in front of their eyes, the bald man went inside the room with five masked people.
"Greedy pig."
"Let’s go."
"As if I will steal like filths."
The customers left with sour faces and the shop became empty.
But the shopkeeper had no ounce of regret on his face.
He beamed all over.
All of them walked in a dark corridor lit with fire torches hanging on the walls and the place wasn’t what Zane expected.
He expected a room behind the door where Paulo would be torturing the thief but it wasn’t like that.
Behind the door was a passageway and on both sides of Zane were yellow doors with digits written on them.
"Where is Paulo?"
"Oh. He is room number two. We are going to five. That’s where your two weapons are also present."
Zane nodded.
And knowing full well that he shouldn’t ask, that it wasn’t his problem, he ended up asking anyway.
"What will become of the thief?"
The shopkeeper stopped walking.
Zane gulped.
The bald man turned around.
"Why are you asking that?"
Zane didn’t panic.
He controlled his breathing and said:
"Because I want that filth to die."
He gritted his teeth to make it more convincing.
The shopkeeper gave a nod.
"The thief wasn’t filth. They don’t come here. He is a Commoner. I am sure of it. You see, because of my experience..."
The shopkeeper leaned forward, peering into Zane’s eyes.
"I know a gutterborn when I see one."
