Chapter 67: $16 Million

By the time Reinhard came home, the sun had already started to set. He had barely stepped through the door when Lily came running toward him.

"Reinhard!"

She stopped just before crashing into him and looked him over from head to toe, lifting one of his arms and checking both of his hands like she was inspecting a piece of fruit. "You’re back!"

"I promised snacks, didn’t I?" Reinhard held out a paper bag he had picked up on the drive home.

Lily snatched the bag and hugged it to her chest. "You remembered."

"You went to retrieve an artifact from a ruin full of monsters and you remembered snacks?" Maki asked as she and Yuna walked up behind her.

"Priorities," Reinhard said, and Lily looked at him like he had just done something heroic.

Emily watched all of this from the living room with a small smile, and Reinhard smiled back at her. "Good news."

Emily focused on him immediately. "What happened?"

Reinhard walked over and sat beside her. "We found the Lightning Emperor Key."

For a moment, Emily didn’t respond, and then her eyes widened. "The Key?"

Reinhard nodded and pulled the golden artifact out of his Inventory, and it caught the last of the evening light. "We secured it in Helios."

Lily leaned over the back of the couch to look. "It’s a shiny key."

"It’s the Key," Yuna whispered.

"It’s a very shiny key."

Emily stared at it quietly and said nothing for a while. It was one of the final pieces, and after everything they had gone through, one of the impossible requirements standing between her and her restored Gnosis was finally sitting in their hands.

"How many are left?" she asked.

"One."

Emily looked at him. "Lightkeeper Dew."

"Exactly."

Her expression softened, but there was still uncertainty behind her eyes. "Do we know where it is?"

"Not yet." Reinhard was not discouraged, because they had already found things that once seemed impossible to obtain. One more item was not going to make him quit. "We’ll find it."

Before Emily could answer, Reinhard’s communicator rang. He glanced at the screen and saw Lucien’s name, so he accepted the call.

"Please tell me you have good news."

Lucien’s amused voice came through the speaker. "I’m afraid you’ll have to settle for moderately good news."

"That sounds suspicious."

"The company we were negotiating with over the Lightkeeper Dew has gone very quiet, so Eclipse has widened the search."

Reinhard’s expression brightened. "You’re serious?"

"Very. I’ve contacted several people in our network, and we’re checking old records, private collections, restricted markets, and a few locations that aren’t exactly open to the public."

"That works."

"You seem unusually relaxed."

"I only have one impossible item left to find."

Lucien laughed.

"Also, the accounting department would like to know why your consultant account has such a large pastry expense."

Reinhard frowned. "It’s a research expense."

"Research into what?"

"The effects of pastries on morale."

"And what did you discover?"

"Morale improves significantly after the third one."

"How many did you eat?"

"Enough to establish a reliable sample size."

"How many, Reinhard?"

"Lucien, I appreciate your interest in scientific research, but I won’t disclose confidential findings over an unsecured line."

There was a brief silence.

"I’m forwarding this conversation to accounting."

"Good. They’ll finally have something worthwhile to read."

The call ended shortly after that, and Reinhard turned back toward Emily with a satisfied expression. "See? They’re already searching."

Emily nodded. "That helps."

"It does." It did, and Reinhard felt it. For the first time in a long while, the path ahead did not look like an endless wall. There was still one final obstacle, but they had already crossed the others.

He stood up. "There’s something else I need to do."

Emily raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Prepare."

"For what?"

"A very important shopping trip."

...

Marvello had one of the largest relic districts in the city, and Reinhard had visited it before, but today he had a very different purpose. He had also dressed for the occasion. A dark, expensive-looking coat rested over his shoulders, paired with fitted clothes, polished boots, and several accessories that were far more extravagant than necessary.

Reinhard stopped in front of a shop window and examined his reflection. He adjusted his collar, tilted his chin, and decided that the coat looked even better than it had in the mirror at home.

"Excellent. Expensive, mysterious, and approachable."

He considered that for a moment.

"Mostly expensive."

A passing woman glanced at him, blushed, and quickly looked away. Reinhard gave her a small two-finger salute before continuing down the street.

"Customer relations are already going well."

When he entered the first relic shop, the shopkeeper looked him over and immediately straightened his back.

"Welcome, sir. Looking for anything special?"

"Quality service, reasonable prices, and people who understand that a good coat deserves respect."

The shopkeeper glanced at his coat. "Of course, sir."

"Excellent. We understand each other."

The shopkeeper chuckled before pausing and then his eyes widened. "Wait! Are you the Mirror guy?"

Reinhard’s smile disappeared. "I’m a customer."

"Right. Sorry." The shopkeeper straightened himself and quickly put on a professional smile. "Would you like some tea?"

"Sure."

Reinhard nodded as if the matter had been settled perfectly and walked toward one of the displays. He picked up a small black orb and turned it slowly between his fingers.

"What’s this?"

"A compression bomb," the shopkeeper explained. "It releases its energy inward before detonating outward, so it’s very effective against reinforced targets."

Reinhard examined the black orb through the Merchant King’s Lens.

[Optimal Use: Place beneath the target’s center of gravity.]

[Best Activation Distance: Twelve meters.]

"I’ll take twenty."

The shopkeeper blinked. "Twenty?"

"Yes."

"May I ask what you plan to use them for?"

"Landscaping."

The shopkeeper glanced at the orbs. "These are compression bombs."

"Correct."

"They’re designed to destroy reinforced targets."

"Then they’ll be very effective against reinforced targets."

The shopkeeper stared at him. "What exactly are you landscaping?"

Reinhard accepted the cup of tea and took a sip. "That’s a very personal question."

"I sell explosives."

"And I respect your profession. But surely you understand the importance of client confidentiality."

The shopkeeper looked at the twenty bombs he’d already started packing. "Do you need a receipt?"

"Of course. I want the garden expenses properly documented."

"That’s right."

Reinhard nodded back. It was clearly a perfectly reasonable purchase.

At the next store, Reinhard found an entire collection of specialized talismans. Some disrupted mana circulation. Others created temporary barriers. A few could be linked together to restrict movement. The Lens showed him exactly where each one would be most effective, and Reinhard quickly started building a collection.

A young assistant hurried over carrying a long sword in both hands, wearing the confident smile of someone about to make a very impressive sale.

"Sir, this is a legendary blade."

Reinhard inspected it through the Lens.

[True Value: 3,000 Credits.]

[Optimal Use: Doorstop.]

He looked at the sword again. "It’s a very good doorstop."

The assistant’s smile twitched. "It’s not a doorstop, sir. It’s legendary."

"That makes it even better. You don’t see legendary doorstops every day."

"It’s meant for combat!"

"Then why does the Lens recommend using it to hold a door open?"

The assistant froze.

Reinhard handed the sword back. "Look, I’m not insulting your merchandise. I’m identifying its ideal customer."

"Who would buy a legendary sword as a doorstop?"

"Someone with a very expensive door."

The assistant opened his mouth, then closed it again. He looked at the sword, looked at Reinhard, and finally carried it back to the display with the slow walk of a man who had just been personally insulted by his own merchandise.

Reinhard watched him leave. "Some people take criticism very personally."

He returned to the talismans and continued shopping. Several dozen talismans later, his bill had reached nearly three hundred thousand dollars. He paid without hesitation. His balance had started the day at thirty-two million, one hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars.

Now it read a little under thirty-two.

His phone buzzed with a polite message from his bank, and Reinhard glanced at it before silencing the notification. "Don’t worry. I’m fine."

Then he walked into the next store, and the balance fell again.

[$30.9 million.]

Another store. Another purchase. Another notification.

[$29.7 million.]

By the fourth alert, the bank’s messages had started sounding increasingly concerned. Reinhard finally turned his phone face down. "You’re being very dramatic."

He had no intention of buying one powerful relic and calling it a day. If he was going to prepare for the mansion, he wanted options, and lots of them. At one shop, he bought throwing spears capable of piercing reinforced defenses.

At another, he found specialized ammunition designed to interfere with mana-based barriers. Then came relic gauntlets, disposable weapons, remote-triggered devices, traps, defensive equipment, and several smaller relics that were individually unimpressive but became extremely useful when combined.

Reinhard returned to the talismans and continued shopping. Several dozen purchases later, his bill had reached nearly three hundred thousand dollars, and he paid without hesitation.

At the next store, a shopkeeper tried to sell him a defensive relic for almost twice its actual value.

Reinhard examined it through the Merchant King’s Lens before placing it back on the counter.

"No."

The shopkeeper’s smile faltered. "May I ask why?"

"Because it’s not worth that much."

"That price reflects its rarity, sir."

"Then rarity has been overvalued."

The shopkeeper opened his mouth, but Reinhard had already walked away.

A few minutes later, he found the same model in another store for almost half the price and bought three.

When he passed the first shop again, he gave the original shopkeeper a friendly wave through the window.

The man immediately disappeared behind the counter.

"Good business relationship," Reinhard said as he continued down the street.

By his third shop, the merchants had started recognizing him. Some greeted him enthusiastically, hoping to make a sale, while others watched him inspect their merchandise with the nervous expression of people waiting for their exam results.

One merchant even lowered his prices before Reinhard had said a word.

Reinhard looked at the discount, then at the merchant.

"Interesting. You seem to have anticipated my concerns."

"I value customer satisfaction."

"You should value it more often. We could have been friends."

By the time he left that section of Marvello, he had bought well over a hundred items, and he was nowhere near finished. He moved into another part of the district and started looking for heavier equipment.

His balance had fallen down to $21.4 million when his phone buzzed again.

Reinhard glanced at the notification and turned the screen face down.

A shopkeeper watching him pack another purchase into his Inventory raised an eyebrow. "Your bank keeps messaging you."

"They worry too much."

"You’ve spent several million dollars today."

"And yet I still have several million dollars."

The shopkeeper considered that. "That isn’t usually how financial advisors encourage spending."

Reinhard smiled. "That’s why I shop instead of listening to financial advisors."

His phone buzzed again.

The shopkeeper glanced at it. "Perhaps you should answer."

"Perhaps the bank should learn to respect my privacy."

Another notification arrived, and Reinhard silenced the phone entirely.

"Honestly, you’d think I’d spent all my money."

The shopkeeper looked at the growing pile of crates behind him. "Are you preparing for a war?"

"Not necessarily."

"Then why do you need enough equipment to supply an expedition?"

Reinhard picked up another relic and examined it through the Lens. "Preparation is about having options."

"How many options do you need?"

"More than the enemy."

At the final store, the shopkeeper slid a small card across the counter. "Loyalty card. Buy ten, get one free."

Reinhard looked down at it, then looked at the mountains of equipment surrounding him. "I bought three hundred."

The shopkeeper paused. "Then you get thirty free."

Reinhard slowly took the card with both hands, his expression suddenly, unusually serious, like he’d just been handed a medal. "That’s the best news I’ve heard all day." He held it up to the light, admired it for a second too long, and tucked it into his coat like a man safeguarding a family heirloom.

The shopkeeper stared at him. He had spent sixteen million dollars today, and somehow thirty free items were what finally made him feel like he had won.

The shopkeeper glanced at the crates stacked around them, then looked at Reinhard. "Are you preparing for a war?"

Reinhard considered the question, tapping his chin theatrically. "Hopefully not." The shopkeeper waited. Reinhard flashed him a grin. "But I like being prepared, and I like being prepared in style."

His phone showed the remaining balance beneath it.

[$16,175,000.]

He stared at the number for several seconds before smiling.

The shopkeeper watched him nervously.

Reinhard nodded. "I will pay, thank you for this amazing service."

The payment went through.

The shopkeeper stamped his loyalty card, handed him a free tote bag, and thanked him for his business. Reinhard accepted the tote bag with great dignity before fixing his coat and heading out with a hum.

Soon he reached the black car.

He had spent sixteen million dollars, acquired more than a hundred relics, and now had enough equipment to turn almost any location into a battlefield.

He was ready for the mansion.

And it’s then a familiar notification appeared in front of his eyes.

[Investment Opportunity Available.]

[Target: Emily Ashcroft.]

[Current Value: A+.]

[Objective: Reach the mansion and investigate its purpose.]

[Difficulty Grade: A.]

[Success Probability: 20%.]

Reinhard stared at the notification.

Twenty percent.

His lips slowly curved upward. He looked out through the car window at the city ahead, adjusted his sunglasses one last time, and smiled like the number had just made his entire day.

"That sounds unpleasant."

The black car pulled away from Marvello. Reinhard leaned back in his seat with the tote bag resting proudly in his lap.

Now it was time to get ready.