The person Infori approached moved, rising from his prone position and delivering a swift back kick.
"...?!" Infori reacted.
He blocked the kick with both hands, but it also sent him flying backward. Infori was still able to block it, otherwise he might have fallen.
The white-robed man stood, facing Infori, his face still obscured by his white robe. However, his movements alone were obvious.
He looked alert, his body as if preparing to launch himself forward—but he didn't.
Infori was slightly surprised to see him.
"Hey..." Infori called out softly. "...Give me back the knife you stole."
The white-robed man seemed startled, slowly moving his head backward. As if confused by what Infori was saying.
"What do you mean? I already paid for it!" he replied, flinching slightly. Hearing his voice, Infori could tell it sounded like a woman.
"Does paying with counterfeit money count as paying, huh?" Infori asked again.
"Huh?!" the white-robed man exclaimed upon hearing Infori's words.
She recalled what he had done earlier—what he had brought with him when visiting a shop selling artifacts.
⟨⟩ ⟨⟩ ⟨⟩
A sign bearing the shop's name was clearly displayed above the entrance.
AtzilutH ArtifactS
The AtzilutH ArtifactS (AHAS) shop building stood firmly and quietly before him.
It was tall, neat, and symmetrical, with tightly packed stone walls throughout. A man, clad in a white robe, stood in front of the door before finally opening the wooden door.
The sound of a bell rang.
She entered the shop, a fairly spacious room with a very neat interior. There were shelves with artifacts displayed, and the aura of their power was immediately felt as soon as the door opened.
Each artifact had a different aura, depending on the artifact on the shelf. Some auras resembled a spreading fire, others resembled a flash of electricity, and so on. The auras of artifacts could only be felt, not seen—although some could be seen directly, but only partially.
She walked deeper, walking as she examined all the artifacts displayed on the shelves.
His eyes scanned each artifact, as if searching for the one she was looking for. However, none of the artifacts he saw yet piqued his interest.
As she moved to another shelf, she found a shopkeeper dusting artifacts with a duster.
He was a brown-haired man wearing a blue shirt with a gray belt around his waist, long gray pants, and leather shoes with laces.
He was holding a feather duster made of fine bristles that could remove dust from artifacts.
Finally, he noticed the white-robed woman and turned to him.
"Oh, customer. Welcome to the Atziluth Artifacts shop. My name is Infori Atziluth. Nice to meet you," he said with a friendly smile. "Do you need anything?"
"...Yes, I need an artifact that they say should be here," the white-robed man said in his soft yet mysterious voice.
Hearing this, Infori asked specifically about the artifact he was referring to.
"Could you explain in more detail about the artifact that should be here?"
"...It's a rare artifact, shaped like a knife or dagger," he answered without hesitation and briefly. However, that explanation alone gave him a glimpse of the artifact he was referring to.
Infori thought for a moment, recalling every artifact he knew about in this shop. He had so many rare artifacts for sale here.
"A rare artifact in the shape of a knife..."
Although he was at a loss for words, he wasn't going to be stuck in a situation. Therefore, Infori walked towards the table. The white-robed man simply waited for Infori's answer.
Infori then searched behind the table, where there were drawers specifically for storing rare artifacts.
"Where is it?" he muttered softly.
He opened several artifacts stored in a chest one by one. After confirming the contents, after opening several, he uncovered one containing a knife or dagger.
"Could this be?"
Convinced, Infori took the chest out of the drawer and placed it on the table. He then called the white-robed woman over to inspect it.
He, who had been examining the artifacts, also approached the table.
"Um, is this what you mean?" Infori asked, before finally opening the chest.
Revealing a soft, red material with a knife or dagger resting on top.
The dagger was black with asymmetrical green patterns on every part of the blade. A kind of energy snaked from the tip of the blade to the top of the hilt, symmetrically following the blade.
The dagger radiated an invisible aura that radiated throughout the room.
WOOSSHH
Although not directly visible, the energy clearly shocked Infori and the man.
"...?!"
Even Infori's hairs stood on end, sensing such powerful energy.
"What incredible energy...!" the white-robed woman whispered softly.
However, Infori quickly closed the chest, making a "clack" sound. This stopped the aura filling the room, and the energy from the dagger disappeared instantly.
"Okay... Is this what you're looking for?" Infori asked, still surprised, but still trying to confirm.
"...Yes. This is the artifact I'm looking for," he confirmed Infori's statement, meaning he had not mistakenly chosen the artifact in the drawer. "How much is it? I'll pay anything, as long as the chest is safe in my hands."
The cloaked woman was clearly more serious this time, Infori not knowing how important this artifact was. However, he clearly didn't care. He would only serve, not question.
"Very well, if you're sure. Then, the price for this artifact is around one platinum."
"...?!" She looked surprised. But she quickly shook off his surprise and replied, "Very well, I'll buy the artifact."