9 Shopping

After coming out of the marriage bureau, Zion headed straight to the nearby halloween store. This shop does not sell fake props, but real props like spider legs, frog eyeballs, rat tails, slimy slugs and all sorts of curiosities, mixed with cheap dollar store like " do it yourself " items, which are mostly used by children to set up pranks, and by low level hunters to set up traps in the wilderness. 

" Zion, actually, we need to goto equipment return station. " Cerise called him as he entered the store. 

All the same, she followed him. 

" Are you talking about the evidence camera borrowed from the city office for filming our session in the chapel ? " Zion asked. 

" Yes. The deadline is like twelve noon, but I still have to go to the orientation. We need to go by ten. " Cerise answered. 

" How many of those cams do you have ? " Zion asked. 

If it's just one, they will go borrow more. 

" ten ?! " she answered . 

" In that case, extend the lease. We will keep them for one more day. " Zion told her. 

Cerise  had no idea what he had planned, but she agreed for now. 

Since her husband is taking this risk , there must be some plan. After all, Zion has never been an idiot. Just weak. 

Zion selected his props extremely fast. 

' Spider legs, frog eyeballs, white paint patch, camouflage paint patch, a sound-less drone fan, bat's ears, mini sound recorder and a nano wifi transmitter. ' 

He got almost all the things he wanted, except for the mini lithium batteries, which he bought in the next shop. 

Cerise and him sat in the bus stop, waiting for the bus that takes them to the commercial district. 

Zion assembled the stuff in his hands at such speed, Cerise almost thought it's an video ASMR. In front of her unbelieving eyes, Zion had made not one, nor two, but ten complete spy cameras that can totally go unnoticed in a building, wild or even extremely secure areas. The spider legs with the paint patch were assembled to form an outer structure, while the evidence camera is glued in the middle with the most delicate workmanship. On top of that, he has embedded a small magic circle on the camera. The magic circle gives life to this little bug with supreme workmanship. 

Cerise's jaw hit the floor. Not a single person in the school knows he has this sort of talent. Her lips moved before she could censor herself. 

" If you have this sort of skill, why in the world was Leste able to cheat on you for so long ? Do you have a fetish for getting cheated on ? " 

Cerise put her foot in her mouth. There is a reason she could not make friends in the school. The moment she lets down her utter total guard, every word she utters calls for a punch in the face. 

Zion was too well versed in getting abused with utter malice. It is only for this reason that he realized Cerise really did not mean nothing by these words. 

In a way, their couple is really two sad loners who just looked good on the outside. 

" No. I just never had to use it much after coming to the school. When I use these gadgets, it's always to help others …. " Zion's wound was still raw. 

" I am sorry. I really did not mean to hurt you. " Cerise apologized. 

" I know. Fair-Fair-Fair Poison Princess… " Zion teased. 

" What's that ? " Cerise asked in surprise. 

" You really do not know ? … It's your nickname. " Zion answered, looking at her baffled expression. 

" ??? " Cerise really did not understand. 

" You are fair in looks, fair in rejecting all, fair in spewing poison at all…  You really did not know ? There were even bets and rankings on the most insulting rejections." Zion said, his fingers still dexterously assembling the pieces. 

" hmmm… " Cerise answered. Ideally, you need to feel bad, but Cerise had no great attachment to her classmates save annoyance. Moreover, she knew her shortcomings well. Poison princess is putting it lightly when it comes to her behavior of rubbing salt on wounds. 

' I didn't do it on purpose. ' she thought sorrowfully, but she just .. could not change her habit. In the end, she decided to stay silent rather than talk. That worked partially. 

' Wait ! That's not the important bit now. '

" If you can do this, then, can you make me a trigger that lights up a flame at a set time ? similar to timed fireworks. " Cerise asked. 

" You, are you trying to blow up something ? " Zion asked. 

"... yes. " Cerise answered, after opening and closing her mouth in hesitation. 

" Trying to blow up a cylinder ? " he asked after a pause. 

His hands are diligently separating the cameras that he will take with himself, and the ones Cerise will take. 

" … Yes " Cerise answered, looking at him her face full of question marks. Every part of her being is saying ' Why in the world are you not surprised that your wife is an arsonist ? ' 

" What are you going to kill ? " Zion asked. The dungeon monster must be a real beast for Cerise to be this fearful. 

" Bicorn, I think. " Cerise answered. 

" hmm… In that case, let's shop quickly when we reach the commercial district. I know the perfect bomb suited for a bicorn. " Zion answered. 

Cerise looked at him in shock, then chuckled all of a sudden. 

" We are almost like Bonnie and Clyde. " She said. 

" Hey.. I am a law-abiding and morally upright citizen… You are also light of the Sicuate city's future. We are more like … Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth ?" Zion trailed off. 

" Let's just say we are the perfect mix of both, and unique in our own way. " Cerise added. 

Zion smiled at her. 

Inside, he was reeling. 

' … we … She said  … we … ' 

In fact, once he realized why Cerise married him, he thought at most their marriage will be like two friends with matching goals in life traveling together. He knew Cerise's preferences all too well, and he was not that person, no matter how one looks at him. 

However, Zion was lonely. Cerise might have many shortcomings, but disloyalty or cowardice was not one of them. She is straight as an arrow. She is one of those people who can't even understand the concept of 'flexibility' in social relationships. Zion was ready to be content with that. Right now, he just needed a tree to lean against, if nothing else, Cerise's unwavering loyalty has given him that needed moral support. It was a pleasant surprise to see that she could already think of them as a unit. 

It just made him feel like a cat scratching his heart. He was touched. 

After all, it is the first time in his life he is truly part of a ' we '. 

" here. These are for you. " he said, handing over the three cameras to her. 

" You just put a drop of blood on the magic circle to activate these cameras. Sometimes, the knowledge will be relayed back if one is especially sensitive to mana, so do not do this in combat. Similarly, if you have enough mana sensitivity, you could move them, but this technique's mana consumption is high. So do not attempt recklessly. Drag off your dungeon orientation as much to the last as possible. This way, change in our guardians would have gone through the guild and hospitals. If you want the camera to focus on a certain person, you can say target … " Zion explained the camera features to Cerise. 

More he spoke, the more impressed Cerise was. This was a real professional's work. 

" You .. Did you ever peek at girls' baths with this ? " She asked a bit hesitantly. She was not sure what she wants to say if he says yes. 

"... No. " Zion answered. 

' damn .. that was close. ' he thought. 

" You did ? " Cerise was just asking in case. 

" Hey .. I said no. ' NO.' like means negative ! " Zion protested. 

" What's with the hesitation then ? " Cerise asked as waspishly. 

" That …. I may have peaked on the pajama party in the girls dorms at the end of the year ? " Zion added. 

' That is even wilder than the girl's bath. That looks almost like a porn bazaar, with almost all girls donning outfits they wouldn't be caught dead wearing anywhere else !  ' Cerise wanted to say .. but .. she will forgive him just this once, seeing as how honestly he confessed. 

As they were talking, the commercial town stop arrived. 

" So, where are we going first ? " Cerise asked. 

" To the pharmacy. " Zion answered. 

" What ?! " she asked in surprise. 

' this guy keeps choosing weird directions all the time. ' is written on her face. 

Zion gestured to their hands with rings. 

" Don't you think we should conceal our benefits for as long as possible ? " he said, gesturing to the rings on their hands. He did this by showing his hand up, making a ' come hither' gesture with his hand. 

Cerise automatically lifted her hand and placed it in Zions, their rings touching each other. 

Zion was shocked at Cerise's forwardness.. 

But not as shocked as he was at the status board that popped up in front of them.