The group continued deeper through Blackwater's crowded commercial district while smoke drifted endlessly overhead beneath the tangled maze of iron walkways and hanging lanterns.
Aldric adjusted the collar of his newly purchased coat again, clearly satisfied.
"…Much better."
The silver-threaded lining shifted faintly under the city lights while the reinforced black fabric flowed smoothly around him.
Honestly—
he looked significantly more dangerous now that he was properly dressed.
The cultist glanced sideways at him.
"You look exactly the same."
Aldric immediately looked offended.
"That's because you lack vision."
Nia quietly walked beside Draven in her new dark hooded coat, slowly finishing the last piece of bread she had been carrying.
The black cat rested beneath Draven's hood again, its purple eyes lazily scanning the passing crowds.
Then—
Draven stopped walking.
The others slowed in response.
Ahead of them—
set between two towering industrial structures—
stood a far larger establishment than anything around it.
Dark reinforced walls.
Heavy rune-inscribed windows.
Weapon racks visible behind thick enchanted glass.
A massive iron sign hung overhead beneath flickering mana lamps.
**Weapons. Armor. Artifacts. Travel Equipment. Combat Tools.**
Everything.
Even from outside—
the faint mana pressure leaking from certain displayed items was noticeable.
Aldric's eyes narrowed slightly.
Then a grin slowly spread across his face.
"…Now THIS."
For the first time in a while, he looked genuinely pleased.
The cultist stared at the storefront carefully.
"…That place is expensive."
Aldric immediately pointed at Draven.
"Not our problem anymore."
Silence followed.
Honestly, difficult to argue with that logic.
Several armored customers moved in and out of the establishment while heavily armed guards stood near the entrance, pretending not to evaluate everyone passing by.
One glance at Aldric alone seemed to cause mild emotional distress.
Draven's gaze remained fixed on the displays behind the enchanted windows.
Black combat blades.
Mana revolvers.
Protective rings.
Storage artifacts.
Armor plates reinforced against elemental impact.
One display held several weapons suspended midair beneath rotating blue formation circles, humming faintly with contained power.
Even the street around the shop felt quieter.
Like the city itself instinctively respected the possibility of dying nearby.
Aldric cracked his neck slowly.
"…So are we going in?"
The cultist folded her arms slightly.
"…Do we actually need anything else?"
Aldric looked at her as though she had just insulted common sense.
"We're standing in Blackwater."
He gestured broadly at the building.
"A city literally built on violence."
Then toward himself.
"And I support local businesses."
The cultist visibly regretted hearing that sentence.
Draven stepped toward the entrance without answering.
Which was answer enough.
Aldric followed immediately.
"Excellent decision-making."
Nia quietly trailed behind them while overhead—
far beyond the smoke-covered industrial sky—
something or someone was already beginning to take notice of the group moving through Blackwater's lower districts.
The moment they entered—
a faint pressure washed over them.
Not hostile.
Measured.
A subtle pulse of layered detection formations embedded throughout the store.
Weapon recognition.
Mana analysis.
Threat evaluation.
Honestly reassuring in a place like this.
The interior was far quieter than the streets outside.
Dark polished floors reflected the glow of suspended mana lamps while reinforced weapon displays lined the walls beneath floating rune-locks.
Blades.
Artifacts.
Defensive equipment.
Storage tools.
Combat gear powerful enough to financially destroy ordinary people.
Several customers glanced toward the entering group briefly—
then quickly looked away after their instincts finished evaluating Aldric.
Very intelligent decision-making.
A sharply dressed attendant approached almost immediately.
Unlike the previous store staff—
this one did not appear nervous.
That alone was mildly concerning.
He bowed politely.
"Welcome."
His eyes swept across the group in a single controlled motion.
Draven.
Aldric.
The cultist.
Nia.
The hooded black cat received exactly one glance before being professionally ignored.
Elite customer service.
"How may I assist you today?"
Draven answered calmly.
"Protective items."
The attendant's expression sharpened slightly.
"Defensive artifacts?"
"Yes."
"Personal protection or environmental resistance?"
"Personal."
The attendant nodded once.
"Understood."
He turned smoothly and gestured deeper into the store.
"This way."
They followed him through reinforced aisles while floating formation screens drifted overhead, displaying rotating artifact specifications.
Aldric glanced around casually.
"…Alright."
His eyes lingered briefly on a row of enchanted revolvers locked beneath reinforced glass.
"I kinda like this city."
The cultist muttered under her breath—
"That explains a lot."
They eventually reached a darker section near the rear of the establishment.
Unlike the weapon displays earlier—
this area felt heavier.
Quieter.
More controlled.
Protective artifacts rested individually beneath isolated formation barriers.
Rings.
Necklaces.
Bracelets.
Cloaks.
Embedded armor plates.
Some emitted faint mana pulses.
Others emitted nothing at all.
Which, in a place like this, somehow felt worse.
The attendant stopped beside a circular display table.
"For standard protection, we recommend layered mana stabilization accessories."
He gestured toward several silver rings rotating slowly within the barrier.
"Resistance against elemental mana, curse contamination, spiritual interference, and low-grade soul disruption."
Aldric immediately pointed at a dark metallic bracelet.
"What does that one do?"
The attendant glanced toward it.
"Emergency spatial displacement."
A pause.
"It teleports the wearer several meters away from a fatal strike upon activation."
Aldric blinked.
"…That's useful."
The attendant nodded.
"It activates once before requiring a recharge cycle."
Aldric immediately looked toward Draven.
"You're buying that."
The cultist folded her arms.
"…You say that about everything."
Meanwhile—
Draven's attention had already shifted elsewhere.
Toward a smaller, heavily isolated display near the back wall.
Unlike the others—
this section was sealed beneath multiple overlapping formation locks.
Inside rested smaller artifacts.
Protective charms.
Mana-sealed pendants.
Child-sized defensive items.
The attendant noticed his gaze immediately.
"…Those are specialized protection artifacts."
His tone lowered slightly.
"Designed specifically for children."
Draven's gaze remained fixed on the sealed display.
Tiny silver bracelets lay within layered barriers alongside dark pendants and embroidered cloth charms stitched with glowing mana-thread.
Small.
Delicate.
Dangerously expensive-looking.
The attendant continued carefully.
"Most are commissioned by noble families."
A pause.
"Kidnapping protection. Emergency shielding. Tracking suppression."
Aldric slowly looked at the display.
Then at Draven.
Then back again.
"…Okay."
The cultist stepped closer.
"These are rare."
The attendant nodded.
"Very."
He gestured toward a pair of dark silver bracelets near the center.
"Those contain automatic barrier formations."
Aldric narrowed his eyes.
"High-grade?"
The attendant remained composed.
"Capable of blocking several direct strikes from third-star mana users."
Aldric stared for a moment.
Then scoffed.
"…Only that?"
The attendant blinked once.
Aldric pointed at the display.
"And you people call that high-grade?"
Silence settled briefly.
The attendant answered carefully.
"For children, surviving even a single strike from a third-star mana user is considered exceptional protection."
Aldric looked unimpressed.
"Your standards are terrible."
The cultist immediately interjected.
"…Most children are not raised around monsters."
Aldric glanced at her.
"Fair point."
The attendant maintained his professional smile through visible effort.
"Artifacts of that caliber are typically acquired by noble families and high-ranking merchants."
A pause.
"They are not designed for battlefield deployment."
Aldric folded his arms.
"They should be."
The cultist rubbed her forehead again.
"You are evaluating anti-kidnapping jewelry like military equipment."
"Yes."
"…Why?"
"Because the things that try to kill you usually don't care about age."
Silence followed.
Unfortunately—
that was difficult to argue against.
Draven's gaze remained on the sealed display while faint light from layered barriers reflected across his dark hood.
"I want protective items."
His voice remained calm.
"Children or adults. It does not matter."
A pause.
"Something stronger than these."
Silence settled again over the table.
Then—
"Do you have them or not?"
The attendant's professional expression shifted almost imperceptibly.
Not fear.
Calculation.
Like someone deciding how much truth a customer could safely be allowed to hear.
Nearby, even the cultist's attention sharpened slightly.
Aldric folded his arms with immediate interest.
"…Now we're asking the right questions."
The attendant remained silent for another beat before answering carefully.
"…Items above this classification are not normally displayed on the public floor."
Aldric grinned.
"There it is."
He pointed at the attendant.
"That sentence alone means we're about to see something expensive."
The cultist muttered quietly.
"That also usually means illegal."
"Even better."
The attendant ignored them professionally.
"Higher-tier defensive artifacts require authorization due to regulatory restrictions and concerns regarding black-market theft and misuse."