Step, step, step...

Gray walked forward without slowing down, not even trying to hide his face. The heavy air, the dirty deals, the cruel sights around him… none of it bothered him.

He glanced from stall to stall, studying the goods with a cold, practiced eye.

He didn't care if an item was forbidden, cursed, or illegal.

If it helped him grow stronger, it was worth taking. His morals were already dark enough that nothing here could shake him.

'…Aphrodisiacs, huh,' he thought as he spotted a colorful set of bottles at his left.

'Could be useful in some strange situations. But poison is what I really want, as there is one technique that I can cultivate with the use of poison.'

He kept looking, checking bottles, powders, strange bags of dust… but none of them were deadly enough.

Everything he found was weak, cheap, or diluted.

Not worth using or even taking a look at.

Then, after another few steps, he noticed a small building with a sign above the door:

[Goblin's Haberdashery]

Gray raised an eyebrow.

'…A tailor? Here?'

He didn't hesitate, pushing the door open, and the bell above it let out a soft ring.

Inside, the atmosphere was completely different.

Unlike the dirty streets, it was clean, warm, and looked strangely elegant.

Rows of shelves were stacked with beautiful suits — black, white, red, navy — all made from rich fabrics that caught the light gently.

A woman stepped forward with graceful steps.

She wore a cat mask that covered her whole face and a neat maid outfit. She bowed deeply, holding the sides of her dress.

"Welcome to my humble shop, young master."

Gray nodded once.

"Hello. Can you find a black suit that fits me?"

"Of course," she said sweetly. "May I ask your budget, young master?"

Gray met her masked eyes.

"…Three hundred gold coins."

The cat-masked woman froze for a second.

Then her voice trembled in excitement, and even through the mask, he could feel her smile widen.

Her bright reaction almost lit up the whole room.

"Of course! Please follow me, young master!"

The cat-masked woman quickly led Gray deeper into the shop. Then, she moved from rack to rack, pulling out suit after suit with practiced ease.

"This one is a shadow-woven blend, young master," she said, lifting a dark navy jacket. "It has light mana resistance. Very good for basic protection."

She placed it back and pulled another.

"And this one here has a fire-resistant layer. If you ever face a fire mage, it can keep your body from burning for a few seconds. Very useful."

Gray nodded slightly but stayed silent. He studied each one, touching the fabric lightly.

They were good, clean, elegant… but none of them felt right.

The cat-masked woman kept explaining little details, stitching, hidden pockets, small magical runes sewn on the inside to help with mobility, but Gray's focus shifted the moment he saw it.

A suit that was conveniently placed inside a tall glass case.

Completely black.

Deep black, like a shadow.

The fabric looked smooth and cold, almost like it drank in the light around it.

And on the right sleeve, just near the wrist, there was a tiny silver embroidery, so small it barely showed, but it gave the whole suit a sharp and noble look.

Gray pointed at it instantly.

"That one."

The cat-masked woman blinked behind her mask.

"O-oh? You have good eyes, young master. But…" she hesitated, clasping her hands together, "that suit is… a little above your stated budget."

Gray didn't move his gaze away from the suit.

Noticing his, she continued softly:

"It's made from shadow-silk and midnight thread. It adapts to your movements, makes your steps lighter, and gives a faint resistance against mental attacks. Many nobles ask for it, but very few can afford it."

Gray simply answered:

"I want that one."

His tone left no space for negotiation.

The cat-masked woman straightened up, a smile blooming on her lips so wide it almost seemed she was about to purr.

"As you wish, young master."

She tapped twice on the glass case.

Clink.

Swish!

The entire case shimmered, and the suit folded itself neatly, shrinking into a small black box wrapped with a thin silver ribbon.

She handed it to him with both hands, head bowed.

Gray took the box and placed it inside his dimensional storage without a word.

Then he reached inside again, pulled out a thick bundle of gold coins, and set it gently in her hands.

"Consider the rest a tip," he said with a calm wave.

The woman's shoulders trembled in delight.

"Thank you very much, young master!"

Gray nodded once and walked out of the store, leaving the sound of her excited breathing behind him as the door closed softly.

Ring~

The door closed behind Gray, leaving the faint jingle of the shop's bell and a soft breeze from the hallway.

The cat-masked maid stood still for a moment, holding the gold with trembling hands.

Step… step…

A presence slid out from behind a shelf, quiet and cold like moonlight.

A silver-haired woman stepped from the shadows, her long hair flowing behind her like silk. Her pale eyes glowed faintly in the dim shop light.

The maid's entire figure suddenly blurred as her legs started twisting, her bones shifting, and her skin rippling.

Her skirt tore away.

And from her waist down, a long, thick snake tail unfurled across the wooden floor with a heavy thud, dark scales catching the torchlight.

She bowed low, tail coiling neatly behind her.

"Your Grace."

"Lift your head, Nia," the silver-haired woman said softly.

Her voice was cold, the kind that could freeze someone's spine without effort.

Nia raised her head, her slit pupils narrowing as she looked at Alina, Gray's older step-sister.

She hesitated.

"…Your Grace… may I ask something?"

Alina tilted her head, looking at her with those same unreadable eyes.

"What is it you're curious about, Nia?"

The snake woman shifted her coils, confused.

"Your Grace… how did you know that his highness, Gray, would choose that suit? You prepared it before he entered. Even the size matched him perfectly."

For a moment, silence.

Then Alina's lips curled into a sweet, slow smile.

She turned slightly, snapping her fingers.

Snap.

A soft shimmer filled the air beside her, like ripples on a dark lake.

And from that ripple, a gown appeared.

A long, elegant black gown with silver markings that matched Gray's suit perfectly. When she lifted the skirt slightly, the fabric moved like a living shadow.

Rustle…

Her fingers glided down the dress, touching it as if it were something precious.

"Isn't it obvious?" she murmured, voice warm and chilling at the same time.

Her smile grew wider, soft but dangerous.

"A big sister should know her little brother's tastes~."

...

"The suit has been bought," Gray spoke quietly, his hands in his pockets as he walked deeper into the black market's twisted streets.

Every stall he passed had strange goods: bones, herbs, glowing jars… but none of the poison he wanted.

He clicked his tongue softly.

"Still nothing good… tsk."

Then his brows lowered.

"But well… I didn't expect Cassandra to give me that much money."

Just one day after his awakening, she had told him about her fallen family… how they hid in the mountains… how she wanted him to help raise them again.

And she paid him for that promise.

Twenty platinum coins.

Twenty thousand gold.

A ransom enough to buy a fine manor.

With that money, Gray no longer needed to worry about resources.

As these thoughts circled in his mind, his steps slowed.

A massive building stood in front of him, so large it dwarfed every other shop around it.

The windows were tall, the stone walls clean, and the golden letters above the door glowed faintly.

"…An auction house?" Gray's lips curled a little.

"So this is why the black market needs brokers."

Dozens of masked people stood around the entrance.

Some wore feathered masks, some metal, some cloth. A few didn't bother using masks at all. Everyone whispered, bargained, or showed off small bags of coins.

Above the grand entrance, a glowing countdown slowly ticked down.

'…Do I even have enough money for this?'

Even with Cassandra's coins, he wasn't sure. Black market auctions were notorious for being ridiculous.

"…Gray?"

A soft, feminine voice cut through the noise.

Gray immediately frowned as he noticed how familiar that voice was.

He turned.

"…Maelis."

His cute, "adorable" younger sister stood there wearing a soft lamb mask.

Her outfit looked like something a high noble lady would wear while pretending to be common, with rich fabric, delicate lace, and subtle embroidery.

She looked him up and down with a smirk.

"How come you're here? And without a mask?" she teased, stepping close to him. "Aren't you afraid someone will target you~?"

"Why would I need a mask? If they want to steal anything from me, their welcome to try." Gray replied, shrugging his shoulders.

With his switch mark, he could teleport back to his dorm in an instant anyway.

Maelis giggled softly, leaning in just a little too close.

"Mhm… are you heading to the auction, big brother~?" she whispered into his ear, her breath warm.

She slipped her hand through his arm and pressed his arm right between her breasts with a playful push.

Gray didn't react much.

"I'm not sure I have enough money for the entrance," he said simply.

Maelis's eyes narrowed playfully behind her mask.

"Then how about I loan you some, if it's not enough?" she said sweetly, brushing her fingers along his sleeve.

Gray stared at her for a short moment.

'Is she planning something? Trying to humiliate me if I can't pay? No… she changed too much after learning the truth about the other Gray being Emryn.'

His eyes chilled slightly.

'Or maybe there's something else behind it.'

But in the end… he wasn't worried.

He already had the perfect plan to escape if something went wrong anyway.

So he smiled lightly.

"Alright then, my little sister."

Maelis returned the smile, slow and bright, squeezing his arm just a bit tighter.

"Good. Let's go together then, big brother~."

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