"I know. Let's see what this shop offers to us." replied Angus.
Seeing Angus and Jayna decide to visit the shop, the others choose to follow them with more vigilance, especially Aunt Extalia. Her experience immediately notices that this shop is a trap to attract Anna.
Anna may be mighty, but she also has her own weakness. Her main weakness is none other than her childishness. If people ignore her dreadful presence and observe her a little bit, they will notice Anna is like a child and often attracted to things that little kids like.
As soon as they enter the shop, they are welcomed by a red-skinned Altras woman with a neat and tidy uniform.
"Welcome to Rosemade. How can I help you?" welcomed the shopkeeper.
*Bang* *Bang* *Bang* At this moment, they find the other Altras that followed them couldn't enter the shop.
Before Angus and Jayna raise their weapon in vigilance, "Ohh.. my apologies. The shop has a strict policy to not do business with Altras. The rune in the shop will prevent Altras from coming into the shop." said the shopkeeper with a charming smile.
"Seriously?!! That is your excuse?? Even the little monster lies better than you." remarked Aunt Extalia while holding a sword.
Everyone knows there are a lot of problems in this statement. First, it is a shop in a commercial district inside the capital city of Nirvas, which is highly populated by Altras. It does not make sense to create a shop at the Heart of Nirvas filled with Altras.
Moreover, the woman is clearly an Altras which makes the whole statement unbelievable. A shop that didn't do business with Altras but employs an Altras woman. Even the stupid young noble at the Heart Kingdom will know something wrong with it.
"Well, believe it or not. It is really our policy. The Rosemade only does business with outsiders. As long as they could pay the price, we could provide anything." said the Altras woman with a smile.
Before Aunt Extlia could reply, "Really?? It is certainly an interesting shop. Anyway, did you sell those cotton candies outside?" asked Angus.
"Of course. Did you want to get the newly made one? It only takes a couple of minutes to create it." said the Altras woman with the same warm smile.
"Sure. Did you also sell these candies?" asked Angus as he noticed Anna was kept attracted to the colorful lollipop on the counter.
Angus didn't worry about the shop or trap since Master Darren and Mira didn't say anything or react since entering the shop. The old vampire even acts like a proper customer who sees all the merchandise in the store.
"Yes. We provide and sell anything as long as you can pay the price. We have a lot of flavor varieties," said the shopkeeper while showing a booklet containing the menu of cotton candy. Which flavor did you want?
"Anna, which one did you want?" asked Jayna while carrying Anna.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt"Umm… Anna wants these three. This one two. This…" replied Anna while pointing at the picture and ordering the menu.
In the end, Anna ordered everything with the colorful ones and got two or three.
"Is that all?" asked the shopkeeper.
Before Angus could reply, "Mira, did you want the fluffy candy?" asked Anna.
Mira didn't reply and shook her hand.
"Well, I think that's all. Anyway, you said the shop could provide anything as long as we could pay the price. Is that correct?" asked Angus with a playful smile.
"Of course. Is there anything we can help you with, dear customer?" asked the shopkeeper back.
"Yes. In fact, I am in need of a few rare materials." replied Angus while taking out a piece of note and writing something on it before giving it to the shopkeeper.
The shopkeeper wasn't surprised and read the note.
"Hmm… We have all of them here. But, I don't think any dear customer could buy it." replied the shopkeeper after frowning for a moment.
"Really? Can you name the price?" said Angus.
"The Manatium is worth around two thousand Nir per pound. The winter spider venom worth…" as the shopkeeper explained the price of each material on the list.
This price is quite surprising for Angus since it is close to the actual market price, considering he could get the material at the right moment while he needs to wait when procuring these materials.
"So, which one did you want to buy?" asked the shopkeeper.
"Hmm… You still have not told me the price of Frozen Heart, Eskor essence, and Eye of Basker." said Angus.
"My apologies, dear customer. We have the item, but I don't think you could pay the price." replied the shopkeeper.
"What is the price?" asked Angus
Angus noticed the shopkeeper's meaning that it is not something that could be bought with money which is also true.
"For Frozen Heart, the price is three dragon hunters and the remains of a dragon. For Eskor essence, it is a star core and True Dwarf's forge. For the Eye of Basker, it is a hundred thousand living people's sacrifice." replied the shopkeeper with the same smile.
"It is also a non-negotiable price. Unless you purchase all of these in large quantities." added the shopkeeper.
"That's… certainly something I couldn't afford." said Angus at the ridiculous price.
'Forget about the dragon thing and living sacrifice. Just how in the hell could I get star core? The only one I ever see is only in Draught's dimension, which will burn all of us just near it if Draught didn't give us special protection.' thought Angus inwardly.
'This shopkeeper is not ordinary.' thought Angus while he warned Jayna through their bond.
From their short conversation, Angus notices the shopkeeper can state all the prices without checking them first as if she is memorizing them. This shows the shopkeeper has a perfect memory as she could even remember the ever-changing price of each material without a miss.
Perfect memory is not too powerful and rare in this magical world. However, most people with this ability are always extraordinary, with seventh-grade people becoming most of them.
It is an open secret that seventh graders have perfect memories that they could even remember the moment of their birth. Angus also heard this fact directly from Aunt Extalia and King Leon himself.
Therefore, Angus has become more vigilant towards people with perfect memory. There is a huge chance that such a person is a seventh-grade combatant.
"Please provide me with all these items. Did you also receive cores as payment?" asked Angus while giving another list of materials with their quantity.
"Sure. Let me proceed with it first." said the shopkeeper while receiving Angus' note.
Before Angus could return to Jayna and Anna, "Oh yeah. The cotton candy is done. Here, it is." called the shopkeeper as she held a few big cotton candies.
Seeing the colorful and fluffy candies, Anna immediately jumps out and takes the cotton candy carelessly.
"Woaahh… It's so fluffy. Thank you, Milk Lady." said Anna while taking the cotton candy.
"Milk Lady?" asked Angus in surprise.
At the same time, the shopkeeper frowned and looked at Anna for a moment. Then, she looked at her appearance in a reflective mirror. This behavior made Angus and the others more vigilant, but they also didn't notice any malicious intent from her.
"Anna, why did you call her Milk Lady?" asked Jayna.
"Hmm.. Milk Lady is the Milk Lady that gives Anna delicious milk before. Ahh… Milk Lady, Can Anna have another milk?" asked Anna.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm"*Sigh* And here I thought my disguise was perfect. You are a fascinating and adorable little monster." said the shopkeeper before taking a glass of milk out of nowhere.
She also changes her clothes with a snap and looks more feminine with a long white coat.
"My apologies, dear customers. My true identity is quite sensitive in this kingdom. Let me introduce myself. My name is Nabe Redskin, the Red Queen, Brain of Altras, and the owner of the Rosemade store." said Nabe with a smile.
Angus and the others immediately remember the familiar person in front of them.
"You are the Red Queen?!! One of the main researchers of that horrible Plargos Plague?!" said Aunt Extalia.
Knowing the dangerous person in front of them, the Duchess even covers her body with mana. She is also ready to bring the kids away in a split second.
"Please… I mean no harm. I just find this little monster too adorable and want to meet you guys." said Nabe with a confident smile.
She rubbed Anna's head while the girl drank her milk.
Before anyone could reply, "Darren." called Mira shortly and attracted everyone's attention.
"Yes, My Lady." replied Darren from her side.
"Milk." said Mira.
"Err.. My Lady, aren't we still mountainous…" replied Darren.
"Darren." called Mira again with a pout while pointing at Anna's empty milk glass.
Seeing this, Darren only releases a sigh.
"Excuse me, did you still have the milk you gave Lady Anna? Milk is one of My Lady's favorite drinks.
"Sure. I still have a lot of it. Did you also want another milk-based product?" replied Nabe with her previous business smile.
"Oh.. What do you have on the menu?" asked Darren.
"We have smoothie, milk ice, fermented milk drink called agrout, sweet cheese called nyescot." replied Nabe.
While Nabe and Darren interact, the others feel awkward at the sudden situation change.