He didn’t use the money her father gave him, and he never would. That card was still tucked away somewhere, untouched. Accepting it felt like forgiving what that family had done, and he was not gonna do that. But those items were different. They had been given for Ethea’s recovery and protection, not as hush money. If he sold them now and used the credits to buy a weapon that would protect her, wasn’t that still serving their original purpose?
’...Urgh. It feels like a convenient excuse that way.’
If he used them, he would be going back on his words, but if he didn’t, he would be letting his pride get in the way of protecting Ethea. So, neither option sat right with him.
He looked at the Nightfrost, then turned back at Ethea, who was watching him quietly, waiting to see what he would decide.
’...Forget it. I’ll sell my own things first.’
He had plenty of resources from the Sunless Emperor. Enough to cover the cost without touching a single item from her father. However, he was definitely going to keep and use those A-rank items as they were suitable for Ethea’s protection. Darius must have taken that into mind too. As for the offensive one, it was more like a counterattack item, so it would be left for Ethea too.
"Let’s go and talk with the president."
Soren finally decided.
Ethea and Ryan nodded, and they headed to the president’s office.
Thankfully, the president was in his room and welcomed them without delay. He gestured for them to take a seat, and although he was already monitoring their movements and knew almost everything, he still played along with a friendly smile. "What brings you here today?"
Soren quickly stated his purpose.
"Oh, that’s easy. I’ll arrange it right away." Craig reached for his phone and made a quick call. A few minutes later, a young staff member with short black hair knocked on the door and stepped inside.
"Luke, take them to the exchange hall and make sure they get a fair price for their items," Craig instructed. "After that, you will assist them with the rest of their shopping today. Guide them to wherever they need to go and apply the Bureau’s special discount."
"Understood, President." Luke turned to the group with a cheerful grin. "Please follow me."
Soren thanked Craig, and they followed Luke out of the office and straight to the exchange hall on the second floor. The process was smooth, and the credits were transferred into his account without any issues.
They returned to the shop and finished purchasing the two spears for 50 million. It was as if they got the Skyfrost Spear for free.
"Sir," Luke said, turning to face them. "What else are you planning to purchase?"
"We both need armor," Soren replied, gesturing toward Ryan. Soren explained the kind of armor he was looking for, and Ryan added his own requirements after him. Luke listened with a nod before disappearing down the aisle. They all exchanged a glance and started browsing on their own.
Luke came back a few moments later with a sleek tablet in hand, the Bureau’s logo faintly glowing on the back.
"Everything available is listed here," he explained, swiping through the screen. "I’ll filter by your requirements. It’ll save us time."
From there, things picked up fast. Luke scrolled through the tablet, they picked what looked decent, and he took them straight to the display. Soren checked the details with Appraisal, then they tried things on and decided whether to buy, and Luke handled the payments.
They moved through the armory section in stages, working from light vests to reinforced jackets, then cloaks, boots, gloves, and everything in between. Luke knew exactly which ones offered the best durability and where the Bureau discount could stretch furthest, saving them both time and credits.
By the time they finished loading the last of their purchases into storage, Soren felt like they had bought enough to outfit a small party.
"Thank you, Mr. Luke. You saved us a lot of time," Soren said, turning to Luke.
"It’s nothing," Luke waved his hand. "I was just doing my job."
Soren nodded, then paused as an idea came to him. "Mr. Luke, if you’re interested, I can offer you a spot in one of the premium cultivation rooms."
Luke blinked, his cheerful expression faltering for just a moment. "I... that’s very generous, but—"
"Free of charge," Soren added before he could finish. "You helped us a lot today. Consider it a thank you."
Luke hesitated, glancing between Soren and the others, then bowed his head slightly. "...Thank you. I’ll make good use of it."
"I’ll let the facility know. You can use it after your shift ends."
With that, they parted ways. Luke headed back toward his work while Soren, Ethea, and Ryan turned toward the exit.
They got into the rented car, with Soren carefully putting Ethea in the back seat while Ryan sat beside him.
"So, what are you going to treat us, Ryan?" Soren smiled as he started the engine. "Or should I cook something myself?"
"Don’t worry, Brother Soren," Ryan threw a thumbs up, "I’ve got everything planned. First, we are going to this place."
He leaned forward and showed Soren the address on his phone. It was a dessert café near the city center, not too far from where they were. Soren glanced at the name but didn’t recognize it.
"A dessert café?"
"Not just any café," Ryan said with a grin. "They’re famous for their honey-glazed pastries and iced cream. People line up for an hour just to get a table."
Ethea’s eyes flickered with interest from the passenger seat.
’Sweets...’
"Alright then." Soren pulled the car out of the parking lot and slowly merged into the evening traffic. "Let’s see if it’s worth the hype."
The drive was short, and Ryan directed him through the side streets until they reached a cozy-looking building with lights spilling from its windows. A sign hung above the entrance, painted with curling letters that read Honey & Glaze.
"Is this the one?"
"Yes, it is."
"Not bad," Soren praised as he helped Ethea out of the car and into her wheelchair before the three of them headed inside.
The café was small but lively, filled with the smell of fresh pastries and something sweet baking in the back. Soft music played overhead, and the tables were packed with couples and small groups chatting over colorful plates.
Ryan had made a reservation, so they were seated quickly near the window. The waitress adjusted the table to make room for Ethea’s wheelchair, and Soren positioned her comfortably before taking his seat beside her. A moment later, menus were handed out, but Soren barely glanced at his before setting it down.
"We’ll all have the honey-glazed pastry with iced cream," he said. "That’s what we came for."
Ryan nodded and gave the order to the waitress. Once she left, they started talking. Ryan regretted not being able to accompany them in the morning shopping. Soren chuckled and told him to just go with his family and buy them a lot as well.
Ethea listened quietly, noticing how different Soren was with Ryan. He acted and talked more freely with him around.
’They are like real brothers...’
Her lips curled up faintly. She felt happy for Soren, especially after knowing how tragic his past was. He really deserved a ’little brother’ like Ryan. Speaking of which...
’I should investigate his little sister too...’