Translator: SumTLMan
“What materials do you require? As long as they are available in the store, I can personally bestow them upon you,” said a man.
Vikings had long sought an opportunity to repay Angel. However, as the gap in their abilities widened, fulfilling this wish became increasingly challenging. Now that Angel had arrived at the Magic Materials Shop, Viking saw it as an opportune moment to express his gratitude.
“Bestow?” Angel asked, perplexed, as he glanced at Viking. “What is your association with this establishment?”
Viking explained, “The Breezy Magic Materials Shop was initially managed by Frandy. Given the commencement of the Novastar Competition and knowing I was headed to Sky Mechanical City, he entrusted me with its interim leadership. He returned to the Breezy Valley.”
Angel, absorbing this revelation, realized that Viking too hailed from the Breezy Valley.
After pausing, Viking addressed another individual. “Snow, were you the one who assisted Lord Pat earlier? You should be aware of the materials he requires. Why haven’t you retrieved them yet?”
Snow, the man standing beside a female puppet, was visibly shaken by Angel’s presence, tremors running through him. It was only when Viking invoked his name that he meekly nodded, uttering a soft “Yes.”
“Since you’re aware, hurry and fetch them,” Viking instructed. Turning his attention back to Angel, he added, “This is Snow. He has been serving under Frandy and working at the Breezy Magic Materials Shop for over a decade. If he has inadvertently offended you earlier, I kindly ask for your understanding.”
While it seemed as if Viking was chastising Snow, the undertones of his speech were laced with protection and concern. It was evident that upon entering the shop, he had discerned a tense atmosphere between Angel and Snow.
Snow, taking Viking’s cue, was about to turn towards the storage area to collect the materials. However, a sudden hesitation overtook him, and he paused, an expression of uncertainty painted on his face.
Viking’s brows furrowed in impatience. “Why are you still standing here?” he inquired.
After some hesitation, Snow lowered his head and said, “But, the materials Lord Pat requested are those that the previous shop owner decided to ban from sale…”
“Banned Materials?” Viking was taken aback. He glanced at Snow and then turned to look at Angel, unsure of what to say.
“I’ve never heard that the Demon Flower Fairy Magical Bloodstone would be listed as a banned item,” Angel softly remarked. “I remember a Behemoth Magical Bloodstone being auctioned at the Sky Auction. Such a prized magical stone had its price, yet the Demon Flower Fairy Magical Bloodstone is banned?”
Angel then looked directly at Snow, “I’d like to know, on what basis was this item banned? Is this a rule set by Sky Mechanical City, or is it specifically a rule of the Breezy Magical Materials Shop?”
Snow, feeling cornered, didn’t dare meet Angel’s gaze and kept his head down in silence.
On the other side, Viking finally understood that the material Angel wished to purchase was the Demon Flower Fairy Magical Bloodstone. He contemplated for a moment and directly said to Snow, “Go get it from the storeroom. Lord Pat surely has no connection with this ban.”
After that, Viking turned to Angel, “Lord Pat, the decision to ban it isn’t Snow’s fault. It was decided by shopkeeper Frandy.”
“Why?” Angel’s need for the Demon Flower Fairy Magical Bloodstones wasn’t small. Every use of the Passionate Song of Fate consumes one of these stones. This means the number of times Toby experiences the House of Hearts equates to the number of Demon Flower Fairy Magical Bloodstones used. Given Angel’s intention to buy a large quantity, he was naturally curious about why this material was banned.
Facing Angel’s inquiry, Viking felt some hesitation, wondering whether to reveal the reason or not. After mulling it over, he finally decided to share the information with Angel.
Viking approached the door, peeking outside cautiously. Assuring that there was no one around, he closed the shop’s door. He then walked back to Angel’s side and whispered, “My lord, let’s discuss this inside.”
Seeing Viking’s solemn demeanor, it seemed that there might be some mysterious reasons behind the Demon Flower Fairy Magical Bloodstone.
On the other side, Onassis, to whom Viking had extended an invitation, remarked, “Come along. This matter isn’t exactly a secret, just a bit troublesome.”
“You know I despise trouble,” Onassis immediately responded.
“Listening costs you nothing, and as long as you don’t get involved, there’s no trouble.”
In the end, Onassis was persuaded. Under Viking’s guidance, they moved toward the inner chamber.
On the way, Angel came to understand that Onassis and Viking were, in fact, good friends. Their presence at the Breezy Magic Materials Shop was due to Viking’s invitation. However, Angel remained puzzled: how had these two become such good friends?
From what Angel knew, Viking was a hot-headed individual. This was evident from his earlier willingness to take a blow for Daniel, even when he knew the severe consequences. On the other hand, Onassis was one who couldn’t utter three sentences without delving into philosophy. His manner of speaking could perplex anyone to the core. At a glance, they seemed an unlikely pair.
Before Angel could inquire further, Viking revealed the story behind their friendship.
During his mortal days, Viking was deeply fond of a legendary novel titled —Redbeard—, which chronicled the adventures of the legendary pirate, Redbeard. During the preliminary round of the Novastar Competition, Onassis, while being provoked, had quoted lines from —Redbeard—. Viking, who happened to be present, took note. Subsequently, Viking approached Onassis to converse, using —Redbeard— as a conversation starter.
At first, Onassis believed Viking to be a kindred spirit in philosophy. It was only later he discovered that Viking had merely read —Redbeard—.
Thanks to the common thread of —Redbeard—, the two reluctantly found common ground and forged a friendship.
This time, the reason Viking and Onassis had come to the Breezy Magic Materials Shop was tied to their experiences post the Novastar Competition. Both had ventured into the Endless Corridor. While Viking had managed only thirty levels before encountering a challenge, Onassis had breezed through seventy without a hitch. Thus, Viking had invited Onassis in hopes of gaining insights from his experiences.
“Although Onassis often speaks in terms I don’t understand, I’ve always had an uncanny knack for recognizing valuable friendships,” Viking declared with conviction.
A discerning eye? Angel was skeptical. If Viking truly had such judgment, he wouldn’t have joined that team back in the Purification Garden.
Thinking about Viking’s team at the time, Angel couldn’t help but shake his head. That team was truly an odd bunch. Viking had aided Daniel, yet Daniel coldly disregarded Viking’s well-being. Freud assisted Isio and even saved him, only to be betrayed and killed by Isio in return.
However, because of the sharp divisions within that team, Angel was fortunate enough to acquire Freud as a competent aide. For Angel, that was a silver lining.
While Angel didn’t think highly of Viking’s judgment, he did believe that Onassis was a decent choice.
At the very least, Onassis wouldn’t betray Viking like Daniel did.
It’s not that Angel thought highly of Onassis’s character; rather, he believed that the truly powerful have no fear of betrayal. Given Onassis’s prowess, it’s unlikely he’d betray Viking.
As for Viking himself, that remained to be seen.