Originally, Allen had planned to spend some time reading. But facing Gilderoy Lockhart's overly saccharine smile, that exact word fits, he found it impossible to focus.
This must be what they mean by "everyone else is drunk, and I alone am sober." Allen had no intention of jumping into a river in homage to the great man, but staying in the bookstore was clearly out of the question.
Reading was largely a matter of mood, why bother if it was ruined by annoyance?
So, after Annie decided to pick out a few books to accompany Hermione, Allen announced he'd go look for something fun to do and temporarily excused himself, a behavior sociologists might call "socially isolated wandering."
Thanks to habits formed in Diagon Alley, Allen's favorite type of place was always a secondhand bookstore. So as soon as he left, that was his first destination.
Of course, such stores are never located in bustling commercial districts.
Who in their right mind opens a secondhand shop on a pedestrian street? The rent alone would bankrupt any thrift shop. Even if this shop didn't rely on profit but enjoyed shady dealings, no sane person would advertise their shady business in plain view.
"What, secondhand stuff? Cough, cough, this is the wizarding world, we don't talk about that, okay?"
After a few twists and turns, Allen finally found the bookstore tucked away in an unassuming corner.
Though the storefront was tiny, the interior was astonishingly vast.
To be precise, this wasn't a mere secondhand bookstore, it was a colossal secondhand goods emporium.
Broken wands, tattered books, oddly glowing magical items, hairless brooms, and all sorts of specimens, both animal and plant. Allen even spotted some highly prized herbs, though on closer inspection, he swore they were all fake. Miscellaneous items were piled together, with only a loose categorization, giving the place the feel of chaotic clutter.
The shop owner was an elderly man with graying hair, wearing not even the simplest wizard robes, but a bizarre, eccentric outfit.
Upon seeing a customer, he didn't even stand. He merely rolled his eyes lightly, signaling his presence, and barked simply: "One piece, one Galleon. Once chosen, no returns." Then he closed his eyes again and resumed his nap.
Strange fellow.
Allen silently judged the shopkeeper, but didn't complain about the absurdly high prices.
It was clear this was not a secondhand bookstore, it was a black-market kind of old-goods store.
No wonder the wizard who had directed him here earlier had such a dark heart, he'd probably lost a fortune in Galleons here!
Otherwise, he wouldn't have insisted so strongly that Allen come to this shop. He clearly wanted others to suffer if he suffered first.
What a scoundrel!
Allen sensed the shop was protected by a large concealment spell. In other words, judging the authenticity of an item was purely visual, only by bringing it outside the shop could one determine its true value. This explained the no-returns policy.
Quite the clever scheme.
But useless against Allen.
If this magic could deceive even the System, he would have admitted defeat.
Fortunately, though the enchantment was strong, Allen still sensed the System's need for a certain item.
Mercy! The System is on discount today?
One Galleon was all it would cost! The price was unimaginably cheap!
Of course, Allen didn't reveal his System. He didn't rush to the item but casually browsed the store, flipping through other goods to appear nonchAllent.
Hufflepuff may not specialize in herbs, but can one not be an expert in herbalism? With the legacies of Zyra and Maokai coursing through him, Allen would have to be truly foolish to be tricked by fake herbs.
Unfortunately, after meticulous inspection, only a dozen herbs were of actual value. The rest were either cheaply priced or substandard.
What a scammer! Allen fumed internally.
But today was the merchant's unlucky day.
Allen casually moved toward the items marked by the System, pretending to browse other goods to mask his intent.
At last, he reached the item the System had highlighted.
Allen pushed aside the clutter and frowned in disappointment.
It wasn't what he needed most.
Before him lay a simple, somewhat dirty sword.
A standard Japanese katana, rusted and nearly impossible to draw. The scabbard was wrapped in white cloth, now stained gray and black, utterly revolting.
Had the System not clearly marked it, Allen would never have touched it.
But since the System needed it, he didn't hesitate to pay the trivial price, still only one Galleon! At this rate, this was an absolute bargain!
If the shop had dared mark it at a thousand Galleons, Allen might have been tempted to blow the shopkeeper's head off, even shady merchants must retain some conscience.
Satisfied with his choice, Allen grabbed the herbs in one hand and the sword in the other, preparing to pay. Twenty Galleons total, he could sell the herbs for over a hundred Galleons. A guaranteed profit!
Unfortunately, as he glanced toward the counter, the old man had vanished.
Just as Allen's grin faded, a chill wind brushed past him from behind.
"Obstacles everywhere!"
Allen spun and fired a spell, but it barely affected the man. The supposedly frail old man sidestepped with ease and closed in.
Opening a shady shop doesn't give you the right to rob me! Just a few Galleons, how stingy can you be?
Now wasn't the time to complain. The man was nearly upon him, any ordinary wizard would have been done for.
"Incendio!"
A massive ring of fire erupted from Allen, blasting out in all directions. You can dodge, but what about AoE attacks?
The man's expression grew serious. Suddenly, he vanished and reappeared inside the fire circle.
Just as he flashed a confident smile, a fist rapidly enlarged in front of him.