“We should explore the stalls first,” Mei announced, already striding ahead with quick steps. I kept close behind, weaving through the disorganized press of bodies. It wasn’t exactly a dense crowd, but there were enough shoulders and elbows to collide with if I didn’t pay attention.
Some passersby bore glinting implants embedded in their skin. Metal at the jawline, glassy nodes along the temple, bands across forearms while others appeared unaltered, more like Mei and her father: entirely natural.
We had originally agreed to shop for clothes, but the gleam in Mei’s eyes told another story. Her hand slipped into her sleeve, fingers curled around the card she planned to use—her eager grip betraying that this excursion would go far beyond a simple wardrobe errand.
I trailed her to the first stall, and my suspicions were immediately confirmed. Spread before a merchant with a painted-on smile was a collection of grasses, each stalk faintly aglow in hues of blue, green, amber, and violet, as though tiny lanterns had been hidden inside their stems.
“Anything you’re looking for, miss?” the female clerk asked, her cheerful tone as fixed as her expression. “I gathered these myself, deep in the mountains. Each carries a distinct property.”
Mei ignored her words, leaning in with unusual intensity, her pupils catching a brief flicker of blue light.
Judging by how extraction usually worked, I assumed this was a strict no touch stall, so I limited myself to watching, trying to glean meaning from what at face value, looked like nothing more than prettily glowing weeds.
Luna, I’m going to share our sight, I told the flower resting against my wrist, just in case she wasn’t already absorbed in her own cultivation. She had been steadily shedding layers these past days, yet unlike me, showed no outward sign of transformation.
While I waited for her response, a thought stirred. Perhaps her recent delay in progress was similar to her Inner World—her talent so deep that her breakthroughs demanded more time.
Still, no reply came. I withheld my Beast Force, unwilling to prod her, and instead turned my Spiritual Sense inward, stepping closer to the stall to test what subtle impressions I could draw.
The effort reminded me I needed to study Elric’s Unveiled Perception technique. Something that would become invaluable once Luna and I were apart. Though, I wasn’t sure when that separation would happen… and I certainly had no intention of making it faster than necessary. But I wouldn’t resist when it came either.
Before I could probe further, Mei raised a finger toward a single stalk: a thick, orange reed-like blade.
“I’ll take that,” she declared firmly.
The merchant’s eyes brightened as if struck by sudden sunlight. “You have a discerning eye, little girl. This one is exceedingly rare. I’ve only discovered it twice before, so—”
Mei lifted three fingers, silencing the sales pitch.
“Three?” the stall attendant asked cautiously, her smile faltering.
Mei’s hand remained steady. Her voice, calm and sharp. “Three Marks. That’s all I’ll pay.”
The clerk stiffened, dissatisfaction shadowing her face. Her eyes flicked toward me as though I held some hidden authority in the bargain.
I quickly averted my gaze, choosing instead to watch Mei with curiosity. Did she haggle often? Or had she researched the value of this plant beforehand?
“Three is a little low… perhaps we could agree on five?” the merchant offered, her politeness strained now, the warmth drained from her tone.
Mei shook her head with unwavering stubbornness. “Three. It shouldn’t be worth five. It’s just a plant, after all.”
Silence stretched between them. Mei’s gaze darted back to the orange stalk, her hunger for it betraying her calm facade.
At last, the woman sighed. “I’m sorry, little lady. Five is the asking price.”
Mei’s eyes rose to mine, shimmering violet irises catching the light, her face turning pitiful, almost tearful, an expression that pleaded for my intervention.
Did she really want me to step in?
“Can I have it? Pleeease?” Mei pressed, her voice dipping into that dangerously sweet register that threatened to undo any resistance.
I narrowed my eyes, trying to read the game she was playing, though I slipped into my role all the same. “Well… we still have other things we need to buy. Five marks for this is…”
I scratched at the back of my neck, letting a troubled frown crease my face, feigning hesitation.
“If Dad asks, I’ll say it was my idea,” she bargained quickly, her violet eyes widening, glistening with exaggerated innocence.
Technically, she wasn’t lying. It had been her idea. Both the little act she was staging now and the genuine purchase behind it. Still, I kept my expression steady and didn’t break character. I patted her small shoulder with mock reluctance. “All right, five is fine. But we’ll have to be careful. Dad didn’t send us out here to mess around, you understand?”
Her face lit up instantly, triumph shining through her childish smile. She spun back to the merchant. “Okay, five it is.”
The shopkeeper’s relief was almost tangible. She nodded at me gratefully, as though I had done her some noble service. But with Mei’s theatrics still hanging in the air, I couldn’t shake the sinking feeling that we had just conned her.
A faint guilt pressed at me, but really, for a single blade of grass, the loss couldn’t have been much.
The merchant bent beneath the stall, drawing out a thin, silken cloth. With practiced delicacy, she lifted the glowing stalk, careful not to let her bare skin brush against it. She wrapped it tightly, her movements slow, before passing the bundle across the counter.
Mei snatched it up and, without missing a beat, grabbed my hand. She tugged me away from the stall at a near run, her laughter leaking out in dark little giggles that bubbled through her throat.
“All right, enough,” I said, planting my feet until she halted. “What exactly is going on? What’s so special about that reed?”
She turned toward me, barely able to contain herself, her giggles finally spilling free. “It’s really important,” she answered, a sly sparkle in her eye.
I raised a skeptical brow, waiting. She sensed it and, with a flourish, lifted the bundle wrapped in cloth. “According to the database I checked, it’s actually a spice. An incredibly tasty one if you grind it down and mix it with the right ingredients.”
I blinked at her. “A spice?”
She nodded, her grin widening. “Yep. It’s delicious. We’ll enjoy it later.”
“How did you know what it was when the shopkeeper didn’t?” I asked, suspicion tugging at me.
Mei shrugged, careless but smug. “Not everyone can access the database. And even if they could, you can’t just look at something and know what to search. Since I’m the champion, I get certain privileges.”
That made a kind of sense... Maybe implants only granted partial access, or maybe there were different tiers of clearance. Either way, it didn’t matter enough for me to press.
“Right… so what’s it actually worth?”
Mei giggled again, lifting her hands. She stretched all ten fingers wide, closed them into fists, then opened them once more.
“Twenty Marks?” I guessed.
She nodded, satisfied. “Yep. So five is pretty good. I really wanted it for three, though.” She sighed, the disappointment genuine this time.
I reminded myself, once again, that despite this place’s sheen of modernization compared to the State of Stars, the people here were every bit as cunning, and some of them even when they were only twelve.
I shook my head, brushing the thought aside. “So what’s next? Where do you want to go?”
Mei spun on her heel, slowly surveying the row of shops, her eyes sharp as a hawk’s. Then she pointed. “That one’s really good for clothes, I think.”
I followed her finger and immediately spotted the shop she meant.
Up until now, it had been obvious enough that both Mei’s outfit and mine stuck out like bright banners among the locals’ attire. Most citizens wore simple, functional garments: plain trousers, worn shoes, shirts, the occasional button-up or modest dress.
But the shop Mei had chosen stood in stark contrast, its window display glowing with tradition.
From the glass hung dresses of deep red, the fabric thin and velvet-like, patterned with swirling leaves and delicate petals. The men’s garments were less showy yet no less striking: robes and sashes in earthy or jewel tones, each adorned with subtle details of coiling vines, beasts, or etched trees branching across the fabric.
And despite myself, I couldn’t deny it. I liked the look.
“All right, that’s fine with me,” I said.
We crossed the path, and as we approached, the blue-tinted glass door slid open with a soft hiss. A wave of rose mingled with polished wood fragrance rolled out to greet us, wrapping around me as we stepped inside.
The shop radiated order and intention. Every detail seemed curated with care: low tables neatly stacked with folded robes, one side tailored for men, the other for women. Rows of racks formed natural aisles, each holding garments of varying cuts and shades.
The walls shimmered with hair ornaments catching the light, hand-painted fans with delicate brushwork, jewelry, and sashes in every hue. Toward the rear, a quieter corner held underclothes. Light, breathable shirts and trousers, stacked with precision.
It took only a moment before a man emerged from behind a curtain. He looked about Sei’s age, his manner crisp as he gave a deep, formal bow.
“Welcome to Sun,” he intoned, lifting his head to continue then faltering mid-sentence. His lips parted, froze, then snapped shut again when his gaze fell on the girl at my side.
“M—Miss Mei… Welcome back.”
Was that a tremor of fear in his voice?
Mei lifted her hand in a cheerful wave. “Hello! I’d like to try on a lot today again!”
Her words were simple, bright with unfiltered happiness—adorably so, in my opinion. But the look in the clerk’s eyes was another story entirely. Beneath his strained politeness, I glimpsed something that looked like dread.
Mei gestured proudly toward me. “I brought my friend today too. So, we’ll be trying more than before.”
“Y—yes,” the man croaked, nearly stumbling over his words. “One… moment please.” Without another glance, he hurried away.
“Mei?” I whispered.
She tilted her head up at me. “Hm?”
“You’ve been here before?”
She nodded eagerly, almost bouncing on her feet. “Many times. I always love trying out all the outfits. Every month, the entire selection changes!”
Mei’s enthusiasm was undeniable, but still… “All of them?”
“Yep!” she chirped without hesitation.
I let my eyes roam across the store again. There had to be scores of outfits here at least. Each needing the right size, the right color, the right accessories. Shoes. Sashes. Ornaments. The sheer thought made my head throb.
“And today?” I ventured, dread already seeping in.
Her whole face gleamed like sunlight breaking through storm clouds, her excitement spilling from her like a spring overflowing its banks.
“Today we’ll have to try everything too! I don’t want to miss anything during the trip.”
What a terrifying girl.