Chapter 5: The Mysterious Weapon Shop
Silence settled over the Silver Manor courtyard as the last porcelain fragments fell to the ground. Under the morning sunlight, the broken pieces glittered across the polished stones like scattered jewels, while a thin trail of smoke drifted from the barrel of the silver pistol in Arceus's hand.
For a moment, everyone simply stared at the shattered vases.
Then the maids broke into enthusiastic applause.
"Young Master Arceus, that was incredible!"
"You hit it perfectly!"
"I knew you could do it!"
Arceus lowered the pistol, a faint smile appearing on his face. He was pleased with his progress, though he knew his accuracy still needed work. His first two shots had been embarrassing, and he had nearly frightened the gardener out of his wits, but at least the remaining attempts had gone much better.
Footsteps sounded behind him.
Wester Silver descended the marble staircase at an unhurried pace, accompanied by his wife. Neither spoke immediately. Their attention remained fixed on the unfamiliar weapon in their son's hand.
Wester stopped in front of him.
"So, you've already mastered this new artifact you bought yesterday?"
"I wouldn't say mastered, Father," Arceus replied honestly. "I'm still getting used to it. Besides, it isn't an artifact. The shopkeeper calls it a firearm."
"A firearm?"
Wester extended his hand.
"Let me see it."
Arceus nodded and passed him the pistol.
Wester examined the weapon from every angle. Its silver surface was smooth, and the wooden grip fitted neatly against the metal body. There were no Ether crystals, magical inscriptions, or glowing formations of the kind commonly found on enchanted weapons.
It was simply a carefully crafted object made from metal and wood.
"The craftsmanship is good," he admitted. "Whoever made this understands metalworking."
He turned the pistol over, searching for some hidden mechanism that might explain its unusual power. Finding nothing obvious, he recalled the movements he had watched Arceus perform earlier.
After opening the chamber and inserting the final bullet, Wester closed it and raised the weapon.
The servants immediately stepped away.
A porcelain vase stood on a pedestal seven meters ahead.
Wester narrowed his eyes, aligned the barrel with the target, and squeezed the trigger.
BANG!
The gunshot echoed through the courtyard.
The vase remained untouched.
Instead, the bullet struck a nearby tree, tearing a small piece of bark from its trunk.
Wester lowered the pistol and stared at the tree for several seconds. His expression remained composed, but the result had clearly surprised him.
Arceus coughed lightly.
"It takes some practice, Father."
Wester ignored the remark as he examined the weapon again.
"It seems to be something between a bow and a hand catapult," he said thoughtfully. "Except it launches a small piece of metal without requiring a bowstring or much physical effort. The mechanism must be doing the work."
"That's a reasonable way to describe it," Arceus replied with a smile.
Wester handed the pistol back to him.
"What did the shopkeeper call it?"
"A pistol. And she was quite clear that it isn't an Ether Weapon."
Wester's brows drew together.
"A weapon that can pierce a Copper Grade artifact without using Ether, yet isn't an Ether Weapon?"
"Exactly."
"And the person who sold it to you?"
"She's a young woman who runs a shop called Nexus in the Carlo District. That's all I know."
Wester fell silent.
The answer only deepened the mystery. A weapon of such unusual design should have come from a workshop with skilled craftsmen, specialized equipment, and a reliable supply of materials. Yet his son had purchased it from a small shop in the outer district, far from the prestigious establishments of the Inner District.
Why would someone capable of producing such a weapon choose to operate in a place like that?
Wester looked toward his wife, but she could offer no explanation. She, too, had never seen a weapon resembling the pistol.
Arceus opened the chamber and checked inside. Finding it empty, he reached instinctively for the wooden case before remembering that he had used his last bullet.
"Already out of ammunition?" He gave a small laugh. "I'll need to buy more."
As he spoke, the shopkeeper's face surfaced in his mind.
Long dark hair. Clear scarlet eyes. A calm expression that barely changed, even when faced with his fiancée's complaints. She had presented a weapon capable of punching through a Copper Grade artifact as casually as a merchant selling an ordinary dagger.
Beautiful, confident, and full of secrets.
"Looks like I'll be seeing that interesting shopkeeper again."
The words slipped out before he could stop them.
One of the maids blinked.
"Young Master?"
Arceus cleared his throat.
"I meant the interesting shop."
The maids exchanged glances, and one of them immediately seized the opportunity.
"Are you returning because you've run out of bullets, or because of the shopkeeper?"
Arceus looked at her calmly.
"Because of the bullets, of course."
The maids smiled knowingly.
He sighed.
"Mostly."
Soft laughter spread through the courtyard. Even Lady Silver raised her sleeve to hide the smile tugging at her lips.
Arceus shook his head helplessly and placed the pistol inside its wooden case.
"Prepare the carriage."
"Yes, Young Master!"
The servants hurried away to make arrangements, but one particularly bold maid remained behind. She suddenly produced a small instant camera and raised it toward him.
"Young Master, just one picture!"
Arceus stared at her.
"You never give up, do you?"
"Never!"
He could have refused, but the sight of her hopeful expression made him reconsider. With a helpless smile, he rested the pistol casually against his shoulder and slipped his other hand into his pocket.
The camera flashed.
A short while later, the maid handed him the photograph. Arceus examined it quietly. The morning light fell across his face, while a faint ribbon of smoke still curled from the pistol's barrel.
He tilted the photograph.
"That wasn't intentional. But if I wore a long coat and a brimmed hat, this might look even better."
The maids immediately nodded.
"Definitely!"
"You would look incredibly handsome, Young Master!"
Arceus laughed and slipped the photograph into his storage ring.
"All right, enough. Let's go."
Before long, a luxurious carriage rolled out of Silver Manor and headed toward the Carlo District.
Its destination was Nexus.
Meanwhile, inside Nexus Weapon Store, three hours had passed without a single customer entering the shop.
The shelves were spotless, the pistols were arranged neatly, and the ammunition had been organized beneath the counter. Everything was ready for business.
The only problem was that there was no business.
Kiara rested her chin on one hand and stared at the empty entrance.
"No customers..."
She wasn't discouraged. A new shop needed time to attract attention, especially one located in a neglected alley. The previous owner had struggled to keep the business alive, so expecting customers to arrive in droves on the first morning would have been unrealistic.
Besides, she had more important things to do than sit around waiting.
Kiara opened the manufacturing interface and began producing bullets.
Create.
Create.
Create.
Each command added another bullet to her inventory, and soft notifications chimed steadily in her mind.
Pistols might bring in a customer once, but ammunition could bring that customer back again and again. A firearm without bullets was little more than an expensive decoration, and anyone who wanted to use one regularly would eventually need to replenish their supply.
That was where the real business opportunity lay.
Kiara had no intention of remaining a small shopkeeper forever. The store was only her starting point. If she could build a steady source of income, unlock more weapons, and gradually expand her influence, there was no reason she couldn't turn Nexus into something far greater.
She intended to build an empire.
"Big Sister," Zion interrupted her thoughts. "Customers."
Kiara dismissed the manufacturing interface immediately and raised her head.
A familiar figure stepped through the entrance, accompanied by two cheerful maids.
Arceus Silver had returned.
A faint smile touched her lips.
Right on schedule.
"Welcome to Nexus," she greeted him warmly. "What can I help you with today?"
Arceus glanced around the shop. Unlike the previous evening, the shelves now held several rows of identical silver pistols. Their polished surfaces caught the morning light, making the unusual weapons difficult to overlook.
His curiosity deepened.
Behind him, the two maids had already begun whispering.
"That assistant is incredibly handsome."
"But not as handsome as our Young Master."
"I wonder if he's married."
"Maybe he's the shopkeeper's husband."
"But it looked like our Young Master caught her attention yesterday."
"Young Master will be so disappointed if he's already married."
"Won't Young Miss be the one who's disappointed?"
"Hush!"
Arceus turned his head slightly.
"You two gossip too much."
The maids immediately straightened, though their smiles betrayed them.
He shook his head and approached the counter.
"I've come to purchase ammunition."
"Of course." Kiara's smile remained professional. "How many rounds would you like?"
Arceus considered the question.
"Ten."
He paused and looked at the pistol case in his hand.
"No, make that twenty."
Another brief silence followed.
"Actually, I'll take fifty."
Even Kiara nearly lost her composure.
Fifty bullets?
For someone who had only purchased his first pistol the previous evening, Arceus was certainly an enthusiastic customer. Fifty rounds were more than enough for an ordinary person to spend a considerable amount of time practicing, and the purchase would bring Nexus a welcome sum of money.
Internally, Kiara was delighted.
Outwardly, she remained calm.
"Each bullet costs twenty silver coins. Fifty rounds will cost ten gold coins."
The two maids exchanged startled looks.
Ten gold coins was a considerable amount of money, far more than the pair earned in several weeks of work. Yet Arceus barely reacted to the price.
"And..." he continued, "I'll take two more pistols as well."
Kiara's heartbeat quickened.
"Each pistol costs five gold coins. Your total comes to twenty gold coins."
Arceus reached into his storage ring and placed twenty glittering gold coins on the counter.
"I'll take them."
Kiara's smile became a little warmer.
"Zion, please bring two pistols."
"Yes, Big Sister."
Zion retrieved the weapons while Kiara packed fifty bullets into a sturdy wooden box. She checked the contents before closing the lid, ensuring that nothing was missing.
System notifications rang in her mind.
[Single-Shot Pistol sold.]
[Single-Shot Pistol sold.]
[Fifty Bullets sold.]
Watching the system deduct the production costs from her balance still hurt a little. Even so, the sale had brought in twenty gold coins, and the remaining amount was enough to keep her business moving forward.
Profit was profit.
Kiara slid the packages across the counter.
"Thank you for your patronage."
Zion handed over the two pistols, and Arceus carefully stored the wooden boxes away. However, he did not leave immediately.
Instead, he looked at Kiara with a thoughtful expression.
"Miss, we never properly introduced ourselves yesterday. I'm Arceus of House Silver."
"Kiara," she replied simply.
"Kiara." He repeated the name, then smiled. "It means shining and beautiful, doesn't it? A fitting name for someone with your appearance."
Kiara raised an eyebrow slightly at the unexpected compliment, but her professional smile remained in place.
"Thank you."
Arceus gave a small nod.
"Anyway, I'll be taking my leave."
"Thank you for visiting. I hope to see you again."
"I believe you will."
He smiled before glancing at the plain wooden boxes containing his purchases.
"If I may offer one suggestion, the weapon is extraordinary, and so is its price. Perhaps the packaging should reflect that someday."
Kiara followed his gaze toward the boxes.
"This is merely my most basic product. When something truly worthy appears, I'll consider giving it better packaging."
Arceus chuckled.
"Then I'll look forward to seeing it."
With that, he left Nexus with the two maids following close behind.
Kiara watched him disappear into the alley before turning toward the system interface.
After the carriage had disappeared from sight, Kiara opened her balance panel.
"Only seventy-four gold coins remaining until the System Store unlocks."
She studied the number for a moment.
It wasn't a large sum, but she was getting closer to her next objective. Once the System Store became available, she might gain access to resources that could help her expand her business and unlock more possibilities.
For now, she would have to keep selling.
Meanwhile, half an hour later, a different kind of activity was taking place at Silver Manor.
Inside a private study, Wester Silver sat behind a large wooden desk. A hidden guard knelt before him, his head lowered respectfully.
"My Lord."
Wester looked up from the documents in his hand.
"Report."
"The Young Master returned to Nexus this morning. He purchased two additional pistols and fifty rounds of ammunition, which the shopkeeper calls bullets."
Wester's fingers stopped moving.
"Fifty rounds?"
"Yes, My Lord. We also observed more than twenty identical pistols displayed inside the shop."
Wester leaned back in his chair, his expression growing thoughtful.
"More than twenty..."
He repeated the number quietly, turning the information over in his mind.
If the shopkeeper had more than twenty identical weapons available for sale, she clearly wasn't relying on a single handcrafted item. Either she had access to a workshop capable of producing them in quantity, or she possessed a method of obtaining the weapons from somewhere else.
Both possibilities raised questions.
"Did you find the workshop?" he asked.
The guard lowered his head further.
"No, My Lord. We found no blacksmith, no delivery wagons, no suppliers, and no signs of production. There was no smoke from any furnaces nearby, either."
Wester's expression darkened slightly.
"Nothing?"
"Nothing that could explain the weapons."
Silence filled the study.
Wester rose from his chair and walked toward the window. From there, he could see the distant rooftops of the Imperial Capital, where thousands of workshops and businesses operated every day. A weapon of this kind should have left some trace of its creation. Materials had to be purchased, craftsmen had to be employed, and finished goods had to be transported.
Yet Nexus appeared to have none of these things.
It was as though the weapons had appeared out of thin air.
His gaze returned to the desk, where a single brass bullet rested beside several documents. He picked it up and rolled it slowly between his fingers, examining its smooth surface.
"This metal..." he murmured. "It doesn't look like ordinary iron or steel."
His eyes narrowed as another possibility crossed his mind.
Perhaps the young woman was working with a supplier whose identity she wanted to conceal. Perhaps she possessed a rare technique unknown to the Empire. Or perhaps there was something about Nexus that he had not yet considered.
Whatever the answer, he could not afford to ignore a weapon capable of piercing a Copper Grade artifact.
Wester turned toward the kneeling guard.
"Continue investigating. Find out where those weapons come from, who supplies the materials, and how she produces them."
"Understood, My Lord."
Wester looked down at the bullet one last time.
"There has to be a workshop. If it doesn't exist anywhere in the Imperial City or the Empire, then she must be getting them from someone..."