The vault remained silent around him.
Even the ambient hum of the defensive formations seemed to fade, as though the room itself was holding its breath.
The dwarf studied Draven carefully.
"…Those are not items people normally purchase casually."
Draven's voice stayed calm.
"I want both."
A brief pause.
"And two others."
The dwarf's thick brows lowered slightly.
"For adults?"
"Don't ask."
Silence lingered for a moment before the dwarf turned fully toward the sealed display.
"…Then this will not be cheap."
Aldric immediately leaned one arm against a nearby case.
"Every time someone in this city says that, I get more interested."
The cultist folded her arms quietly.
"…That usually means you're not the one paying."
Aldric pointed at her instantly.
"What the hell do you know?"
The cultist didn't even glance at him.
"I know you've somehow managed to spend large amounts of someone else's money all day while acting personally offended every time the price is mentioned."
Aldric looked genuinely insulted.
"That's called trust."
"That's called financial parasitism."
"Big words from someone living off our food."
The cultist's eye twitched faintly.
"…I work for my lord."
"And I don't?"
"You cause property damage."
"I solve problems aggressively."
The dwarf looked visibly exhausted already.
Draven spoke before the argument could escalate further.
"Bring what I asked for."
His crimson gaze remained fixed on the black-silver bracelets behind the layered barrier.
"And name your price."
A pause.
"Stop explaining."
Silence settled across the vault.
Then the dwarf nodded once.
"…Fine."
He stepped toward the sealed display.
Several overlapping formation layers rotated across the barrier surface in sequence.
Heavy locking mechanisms disengaged with deliberate metallic clicks.
The pressure in the room shifted the moment the case opened.
Not violent.
Controlled.
Like something dangerous quietly acknowledging it was no longer contained.
Even the cultist's expression sharpened slightly.
The dwarf carefully lifted the first bracelet.
Black silver.
Smooth surface.
No visible runes.
Yet faint ripples of compressed mana distorted the air around it.
"These are paired items," he said, placing them onto a black velvet table between them.
"Linked."
"They recognize designated allies and automatically reject foreign mana signatures."
Aldric leaned in slightly.
"…That sounds expensive."
"It is."
The second bracelet was placed beside the first.
Then the dwarf moved deeper into the vault and retrieved two heavier bands reinforced with crimson-lined engravings.
Larger.
Built for adults.
"Fourth-grade autonomous defense artifacts," he said.
"Fast activation."
"Low maintenance."
"Enough to keep most assassins disappointed."
Aldric nodded appreciatively.
"Now that's a proper sales pitch."
The dwarf ignored him and returned to the wall terminal embedded in the vault.
Runes lit up.
Numbers assembled slowly across the projection.
Then the total appeared.
428 Gold
90 Silver
Silence.
Even the air felt heavier for a moment, as though the number itself carried weight.
Aldric stared at it for a full three seconds.
"…I take back what I said earlier."
The cultist folded her arms.
"Which part?"
"This city is a criminal's playground."
The dwarf answered flatly.
"You requested high-grade items."
Aldric pointed at the projection.
"That price could start a war. A small one. Maybe a few towns at best."
The cultist added quietly,
"…And probably end one."
Draven did not react.
Not even slightly.
He simply reached into his coat and produced the black card again.
The moment it appeared—
the dwarf's eyes narrowed for the first time.
Not surprise.
Recognition.
Of what kind of person uses something like that without hesitation.
Draven traced crimson mana across the card's surface.
The amount formed instantly:
428 Gold
90 Silver
Then—
Tap.
The vault terminal flashed.
The mana formations hummed once.
Payment Confirmed.
Silence followed immediately.
Aldric slowly turned his head toward Draven.
"…You know what?"
A pause.
"I officially support whatever crime you committed."
The cultist exhaled through her nose.
"You really think my lord robbed someone."
"I think it's suspicious that he spends half a ship's worth of money on bracelets like it's pocket change."
The dwarf carefully slid the artifacts forward across the table.
"Instructions are sealed within each item."
"Once bound, they will synchronize with the user's mana automatically."
Draven turned without another word.
The newly purchased items vanished one by one into his storage ring beneath faint crimson pulses.
The paired black-silver bracelets disappeared first.
Then the adult defensive bands.
As the last item was stored, the oppressive pressure inside the vault eased slightly—
as though the room could finally breathe again.
The dwarf quietly sealed the display cases and reactivated the formation locks.
Aldric stretched lazily as they walked toward the exit.
"…Still think those prices were robbery."
The cultist folded her arms.
"You said that after every store."
"Because every store keeps proving me right."
"You bought expensive coats willingly."
"I bought comfort."
"You bought six belts."
"They matched the coat."
The cultist looked genuinely exhausted.
"…You are impossible."
"Yet unforgettable."
Nia walked quietly beside Draven, still holding the last piece of bread in both hands.
The black cat remained half-hidden beneath the hood, watching silently.
Draven reached the vault doorway first.
Then stopped.
Completely.
The others noticed immediately.
Aldric glanced over.
"…What?"
Draven's gaze had shifted toward the far left corner of the vault.
A smaller, almost forgotten display case stood apart from the others.
Easy to miss.
Almost deliberately ignored.
Inside rested a single short blade.
At first glance—
plain.
Black sheath.
Worn leather grip.
No ornamentation.
No visible runes.
No decorative markings.
Nothing that suggested value.
And yet—
the moment one actually focused on it, the surrounding light seemed subtly heavier.
As if the blade did not reflect attention, but absorbed it.
Even the nearby mana lamps appeared dimmer in its presence.
The dwarf noticed Draven's focus immediately.
His expression changed.
Not wary.
Uneasy.
"…That item is not part of the active inventory."
Aldric immediately grinned.
"Which means it's interesting."
The dwarf ignored him.
"That weapon arrived through a sealed transport auction months ago."
"No known creator."
"No known material composition."
"No identifiable enchantment structure."
The cultist's eyes narrowed slightly as she studied it.
"…But it still carries mana."
"Barely," the dwarf said quietly.
"And that's part of the problem."
He stepped closer to the isolated case.
"We've tried analysis formations. They fail."
"No synchronization with mana users."
"No stable resonance."
He tapped the glass lightly.
"Who the hell wants a weapon that refuses to properly channel mana?"
Aldric tilted his head.
"…Someone who kills without needing mana?"
The dwarf snorted once.
"In this world? That gets you buried."
The cultist stepped closer.
"…And no one knows its origin?"
The dwarf shook his head.
"Transport manifest was corrupted."
"No maker's mark."
"No faction seal."
"It's as if it refuses to leave a trace of itself."
Aldric folded his arms.
"…That sounds dangerous."
"Probably."
The dwarf's voice was flat.
"And that's why no one important wants it."
Aldric pointed at the blade.
"Exactly. That's how you know it's valuable."
The cultist rubbed her forehead.
"…Your definition of value is alarming."
Aldric ignored her.
The vault fell quiet again.
Even Aldric stopped speaking for once.
The dwarf studied Draven for several seconds—
as though deciding whether he had just been given an opportunity or a problem.
"…One gold."
Draven's gaze did not move from the blade.
"It doesn't synchronize with mana."
"No known enchantments."
"No origin."
"No buyer."
A pause.
"And everyone who touches it returns it."
Silence.
Then calmly—
"So either it's worthless…"
His crimson eyes shifted slightly toward the dwarf.
"…or you're trying to pass your problem to someone else."
Aldric barked out a laugh.
"…Alright, that was fair."
The cultist folded her arms.
"He does have a point."
The dwarf exhaled through his nose.
"You are all extremely unpleasant customers."
Aldric pointed at himself proudly.
"Thank you."