In Shiwa's Eyes

Observing the situation ahead, Nicolas stepped out of the carriage he was riding in. Following behind him were Shiwa, Jeanne, and his personal assistant.

Nicolas' presence caused the visitors to become restless once again; they wanted to witness the drama that the nobleman would unfold. However, the military quickly took action.

They moved swiftly, clearing the way for Viscount Amary and instructing the onlookers to retreat and leave.

The onlookers were naturally annoyed by the guards' behavior. They had dared to come under the magic circle in anticipation of something interesting to watch, but now they were being pushed aside.

Some of the visitors contemplated rebellion, but their intentions vanished instantly as the atmosphere around them drastically changed. The air felt heavy with a menacing aura.

Those present, including Cien and Amary's entourage, turned to see a man who suddenly appeared behind Viscount Amary's group.

He was a young man with fiery blonde hair and captivating green eyes. His skin was as white and smooth as snow, yet the surrounding atmosphere felt terrifying, like a life-threatening storm.

The man is a Champion, the strongest individual in the Kingdom of Huntara, Signa Wayde.

Signa had come here after seeing the large magic circle in the capital. Sensing the danger to the residents of his city, he had swiftly arrived to investigate.

However, upon arrival and hearing the source of the issue from the guards, he chose to remain silent and observe until Viscount Amary arrived.

For Signa, this problem will be quickly resolved if both parties complete their transaction, namely the seller and the Amary family as buyer. However, obstacles and greed from other families or organizations will hinder this transaction from being quickly settled.

Therefore, Signa lent his presence to threaten those who wanted to disrupt the transaction and endanger the lives of many Huntara residents.

Signa was not afraid of the magic circle in the sky, but that didn't mean he could completely stop such a massive attack from claiming the lives of the people here.

Viscount Amary, who was considered quite intelligent, immediately understood the reason for Signa's arrival. He bowed and expressed his gratitude.

Signa only smiled faintly and then asked Nicolas to quickly finish his business so that the magic circle would disappear from the city sky.

On the other hand, Cien, who could be considered weak, struggled to show that he remained calm as usual. He has to admit that he felt quite scared by the oppressive aura emitted by Signa.

A few beads of sweat flowed down his neck, and he even swallowed saliva a few times. His throat felt dry. Cien really hoped to get his money and leave this place as soon as possible.

He didn't expect that his handmade gloves would attract such a terrifying figure like the blond man.

"So, who is he? A general? A Champion?" Cien asked Veronica, who now appeared to have teary eyes.

"Uncle doesn't know? He's Signa! The Champion of Huntara!"

"How would I know? I'm not from Huntara..."

"How can Uncle not know?! Signa is a Champion, everyone in the Kastia Continent knows the names of the Champions! Whether they're from Huntara or not!"

"...Let's just consider me as not part of all those people. I don't even know who is the Champion in my own Kingdom, that is if I am still considered a citizen there."

Veronica gaped, not understanding what Cien was saying.

"Uncle... Do you live under a rock?"

"...No, but you could say it's similar. Maybe, sigh... I really don't know about the outside world anymore..."

Cien felt oppressed by the changes that he currently didn't know about in Kastia. Veronica, seeing Cien's gloomy expression, felt sympathetic, but she couldn't console him because the little girl didn't know the life Cien had experienced.

It didn't take long before the Viscount Amary family entourage arrived in front of Cien's table.

"Are you the–"

"No need for pleasantries. If you bring the money, then this matter is settled. Fire Glove and this little girl will go back to your side. And I'll get the money and leave this commotion."

"..."

Nicolas didn't expect to be interrupted so suddenly. He, a nobleman, a Viscount! His words were cut off by a merchant from who knows where. He was truly angry, but considering the magic circle above and Signa behind him, he had to restrain himself.

Unfortunately, his personal assistant didn't tolerate Cien's impoliteness.

"Do you want to die, lowly merchant?! Where is your etiquette?! Who allowed you to speak so freely in front of Viscount Amary?"

The assistant flew into a rage, drawing his sword from its sheath at his waist. He threatened Cien by placing the sword's tip in front of his nose. But he didn't see fear in the merchant, instead he saw a small smile from him, pointing straight up towards the sky.

"I don't need permission to speak. If you want to kill me, go ahead. But be aware of the consequences."

Cien replied with a serious gaze. He looked directly at Nicolas and Signa, who were at the back of the Viscount's assistant. Cien completely ignored the presence of the enraged assistant.

"You–"

"Stop."

Nicolas shrugged his assistant's shoulder, instructing him to step back. He then took a step forward, standing face to face with Cien.

It must be admitted that Nicolas was about ten centimeters taller than Cien, causing the shop owner to look up at him as if belittled.

Cien grinned widely, "Are you really going to do this?"

Nicolas's face slightly frowned, "You're quite an interesting merchant. This is the first time I've seen a careless trader like you. Even the merchants who already have a name have to watch their manners when dealing with a noble."

"Hahaha, too bad. I'm not one of them."

"Do you think with this attitude, you can leave this city safely? Aren't you afraid?" Nicolas then approached Cien's ear and whispered, "Don't think Signa will protect you once this transaction is over."

After saying that, Nicolas stepped back and signaled his assistant to give Cien the desired money, but at that moment, he saw the merchant burst into laughter.

"Is there something funny?"

Cien shook his head. "No, there isn't. It's just that if you can truly catch me and confine me in this town, I would be delighted. But I don't think that's possible. Not even a Champion can prevent me from leaving when my time is up."

Nicolas and those present were confused about what the merchant was talking about.

"What Uncle is talking about?"

"Don't worry about it," Cien replied, glancing at the nobleman's assistant who had brought five bags of money. Cien smiled upon seeing them.

"My nephew said the price is fifty thousand Tia. I hope you're not taking advantage of my daughter's situation."

"Hahaha, it seems you have many unscrupulous merchant friends. Don't worry, I'm not like them. I'm a generous and fair merchant. Fifty thousand, that's indeed the price."

Nicolas nodded, signaling his assistant to place the money on Cien's table.

"Do you want to count it first?" Nicolas asked.

"Well, that would take too long and troublesome. Just say if it's less, it would mean that you, a nobleman, are no different from your filthy merchant friends. And I would forbid my creations from being sold to you in the future. Simple, isn't it?"

"..."

Nicolas didn't know what to say. His assistant became even more furious. Veronica and Jeanne opened their eyes wide, not understanding how the merchant had the audacity to speak to a Viscount in such a manner.

Meanwhile, two other individuals, Shiwa and Signa. The Champion didn't pay much attention to the encounter between the two factions.

He only wanted the threat in the sky to disappear so that he could return to headquarters and prepare for war.

As for Shiwa, from the moment she arrived in front of Cien's stall, her eyes couldn't be torn away from the various items placed on it.

Shiwa was the daughter of a Baron who also owned a large trading company in Huntara. As a result, her eyes had been trained to assess the quality of every item circulating in the world.

However, for the first time, Shiwa's eyes, which had long seen various types of weapons and materials, were unable to determine their quality. She saw several ordinary wooden spears, but her eyes couldn't discern the material used.

Moreover, the pale dark blue spear that looked unappealing made her question its quality even more.

Based on its appearance alone, Shiwa wasn't confident that the spear was a good weapon. However, for some reason, her heart seemed to say otherwise. Even her heartbeat became irregular, warning her to purchase these items immediately.

'There's something unusual about these items!'