Though all the jewels were beautiful and worth considering, the situation changed.
Without time to stay and consider what gift was the best idea, Celine chose what was close to what she thought was a good gift, and requested it without consideration.
"I'm sorry, we can't leave," Celine whispered to Miyanna.
"Why not?" Miyanna asked.
"If we leave, the men upstairs will just keep following us. So we let them come to us first," Celine replied, but Miyanna couldn't answer as the man began speaking.
"Eight gold coins and ten minutes to place the gems in two of the sockets as you requested," said the man after calculating.
"Done. Get to it," nodded Celine as she placed the gold coins on the counter.
"Very well," said the old man as he gave them the box that held the goblet and got to work on the wedding band in another room he accessed from behind the counter.
The perfect moment for the two women to discuss what was happening.
"What about me choosing a gift for Blanc?" Miyanna asked in a whisper.
"You will have it soon enough," Celine replied.
Miyanna looked confused at her words, "What do you mean?"
"I said before that I made sure they would not be foolish enough to try something, not that they aren't," Celine explained.
"Huh?" Miyanna muttered.
But as if waiting for that, heavy steps could be heard coming down the stairs.
Three men, donned in leather armor and cloth, came down the stairs, axes and knives in hand.
"Ah, what a pair of fair maidens," said the first, as well as the largest of the three.
He looked like an ogre.
As he spoke, two of his rotten teeth were showing, which made Miyanna grimace at the sight of them.
"And what an ugly fucker you are, damn," replied Miyanna.
"Ain't you a bitch, huh?" asked the man, "Do not worry, sweet thing, I will enjoy you last."
"I would rather kill myself," she spat.
"Get to it, then, the body will still be warm," said another.
"Ew," said the third man, "Have some decency."
"Rich coming from bandits," said Celine, still as calm as ever.
"Have some decency to at least break them while they're still breathing, brother," said that third man, ignoring Celine.
"Never mind," she sighed.
"Old Pevel, get your ass back here," said the giant man.
From the door behind the counter came the old man. He seemed calm, though uncomfortable with the situation.
It made Celine wonder, as he looked at him, how many times they had done this already.
"How much money did they have on them?" the man asked.
"A lot, but I wouldn't -" replied the old artisan, Pevel, to the bandits, but got interrupted.
"I didn't ask for your fucking opinion, now did I? I only asked how much money they had," said that first bandit.
"A lot. A purse full of it," replied Pevel.
"Just what I like to see, beautiful women with plenty of money," said the man. "So here is how things are, ladies, leave the coin and stand for the night, or die."
Fuck, I left my sword at the inn, Miyanna realized as she reached for it and remembered it was not on her.
"No," Celine replied, as she looked outside the window.
"What did you dare say?" asked the third bandit.
"I said no," replied Celine, showing the people present a smile. "Miyanna, love, could you please close the door of the store?"
"Celine?" Miyanna muttered.
"Could you?" Celine replied, still smiling.
"Sure,' Miyanna nodded as she went to close the door by putting a large plank over the door.
'Wonderful," Celine smiled as she pulled a hidden knife from her back.
"Oh? And what you plan on doing with that little thing? Scratch my balls?" asked the giant man.
But as the three began laughing, Celine was gone from their eyes, and a warm feeling came through from the neck of the first bandit.
"Huh?" he managed to mutter as he placed a hand on his neck to see what this warm feeling was.
When he took his arm off his neck, all he saw was dark crimson painting it.
The others did not fare better as Celine, with a spin as if she were dancing, moved between them graciously, then cut their necks as if they were made of cake.
Her moves were so gracious that all Miyanna and the artisan could do was stare, one in awe, and one in terror, as they watched her.
Not one drop of the filth's blood touched her clothes as she walked between the three.
After she was done with them, she casually walked towards the artisan Pevel, just as the three men fell to their knees and started choking on their blood and die out.
"P-p-please, do not kill me, they forced me to do this," the artisan stuttered as he fell on his butt and began dragging himself down away from the approaching Celine.
"Oh? And how am I supposed to know you are telling the truth?" she asked, as she wiped her knife on a piece of cloth from the counter.
"P-please, I will do anything. Let me live, and I-I will not say a single word. I swear to the Vita," the old man said.
"Pevel, was it? We came here to do business, and yet here we are, with three men who spoke very, very rudely to me earlier," Celine crouched down in front of him, behind the counter, "Swearing to the Vita when you do stuff like this is like giving a dog food after beating it."
"I-I swear to you, please, I-I will make you the wedding band, I will even give your money back, take whatever you like, free of any charge, and I will not say a word, please," begged the artisan.
"That's more like it, Pevel," said Celine, smiling as she got to her feet, "Get to work on that wedding band, and we will help ourselves. Do not try anything for I will know, and I assure you that you will regret it."
"Y-yes, I wouldn't dare," said Pevel, dragging himself up on his feet and going back into the other room.
"Well then, Miyanna," said Celine, turning around to watch a still stunned Miyanna near the door, "Choose a gift for Blanc, choose multiple if you do so wish, it's on me."
"Well then, Pevel, try to say a word and I will burn down this whole store of yours with you still inside it," said Celine as they stood near the door, ready to leave.
"I swear to you," muttered the old man.
"Yeah, yeah," Celine waved her hand, dismissing his words, "A pity though, you have such talent as an artisan, *sigh* well, what can you do… Thank you for the wonderful gifts! And good luck with the bodies."
And with that, Miyanna removed the plank from the door, and they were out, bags heavy with tents, provisions, clothes, capes, and ample gifts.
"What now?" asked Miyanna as they got far away from the store without any suspicions raised by other people.
The sun was still up but was soon to set, with only an hour and a half left before night came.
"To the inn," Celine replied.
"Didn't you have things left to handle?" Miyanna asked as a conflicted look painted her beautiful face.
Celine sighed, "I can handle that in another city. It would be best for us to leave now, in case the old man lied."
"Fine," Miyanna nodded as they walked.
They mostly stood in silence as they walked through less-walked allies that Celine remembered until they were out of the city through the same gate they entered before.
Once they did manage to leave and were on their short walk back towards the inn, Miyanna spoke.
"You know, I realized that this was the first time I actually saw you fight," she said.
"Oh? Did I scare you?" Celine sighed, looking towards the ground.
"No," Miyanna shook her head, "I mean yeah, you looked scary, but like, it was cool."
"Cool?" Celine asked, her eyes widening as she turned to look at Miyanna.
"Yes, it looked as if you were dancing. And I could only wish for me to be as strong and fast as you," Miyanna sighed.
Celine stared at her for a moment before she started laughing and going to hug her, "How glad I am to have met you, Miyanna."
"What's this about?" Miyanna asked as she was being hugged.
"I'm just happy I have you as a sister," said Celine, giving her a quick peck on the cheek, before moving away from her, "And not to worry, you will have to get stronger, we all do. But let's leave that worry for another day."
"You're right," Miyanna nodded, "We have other things to do tonight."
"Exactly! Now, let's get married," giggled Celine as she took her arm and placed it around hers as they were drawing closer to the inn.
"We're back!" said Celine out loud as they entered through the large wooden door.
"By the Vita," said Blanc, seeing the bags on their backs, "What did you two buy?"
"T-things," stuttered Miyanna, not sure how to reply to him.
The coldness and bluntness she had in the city were all replaced by the same Miyanna they had grown accustomed to over the last few days.
"I see…" muttered Blanc, "So I guess shopping went well?"
"Yep," smiled Celine, "Just a ladies' afternoon."