Chapter 76 Forgotten case.

"Excuse me…".

Soma lightly pushed the wooden door inside, and it shook the bell, making a clicking that warned the person inside.

"In a moment, please".

Came a hoarse voice that echoed through the empty room, making Soma stay in his place and begin to wander his sight to look inside the interior.

The room was filled with a variety of weapons that lined up neatly from the left side of the room. There is a longsword, spear, dagger, and many more. There was also a shield and some set of plate armor that stood in the corner of the place, polished and reflecting the light from the sun that seeped through the glass from the window that was plastered on each side of the door.

On the right side, Soma could see many various items lined up and accessories. There are many consumable items like potions with small stock as he could only find three baskets on top of the drawer. Sticking on the brown board, there are various items such as a necklace, bracelets, earrings, hair ornaments and many more. Soma also notices the nuance of beauty that is pictured in those accessories. It seems the person who made it has a great skill to create something so intricate like that.

While he was wandering around the shops, the man with a rugged appearance in his early fifties, a stern face, and short blonde hair had goggles strapped on his neck. He appeared from the back of the shops wearing a dirty grey t-shirt, long brown pants and a brown leather apron on top of it to cover his clothes from dirt. He also wears a pair of safety shoes made from a good-quality monster hide.

"What can I help you with?".

The man stood behind the counter desk that stood alone in the innermost room. He slid the chair behind the counter before putting his butt on it and gazing straight at the incoming kid that was loitering around, looking at his craftsmanship.

Soma didn't open his mouth immediately, as he still greatly stirred inside because one of the crucial characters in the novel showed himself in front of him.

"What's wrong?".

Knowing that he was being probed, the man opened his mouth first. Thanks to that, Soma was brought from his daydreaming.

"..Nothing".

Despite its stern expression and rough tone, he has. Deep down, he is a caring elder who always supports the protagonist in his journey, creating a miracle upon miracle that shook the entire world of craftsmanship.

Soma braces himself as he steps forward, approaching the counter. He inhaled a breath and exhaled it straight away.

"My name is Soma. I came here in search of a certain Item that will be of use to me..".

"What kind of items?".

"..Um, Are there any Items that could create a camouflage to deceive people's eyes?".

Upon mentioning the words, the man's eyes knitted sharply. He is rather not fond of the word deceive that came out from the mouth of a little Kid.

"What do you need it for, kid?".

Soma already knows that the man is going to act like this, as Soma understands the man's nature before him. So Soma stood in front of him while meeting his sharp gaze head-on. The man's heart was stirred slightly as he saw the evident, serene, almost expressionless emotion that was shown by the kid in front of him.

"Actually, from the rumors I heard. There will be an auction that will be held a week from now on. So I plan to join in, but as you know, I don't want to invite trouble there because I am still under age…".

"Then you don't need to come".

"...Yes, I know you would say that, but there is something important there that will help me. No, to help the world from the brink of destruction…".

The man raised his brows, not understanding what the young man in front of him had blabbered about. The danger upon the world seems impossible, knowing that the world is at peace for all he knows and there is not a huge force that could threaten it, for he also participated in one of the operations at that time to help humankind.

As the man intended to open his mouth, his eyes met with the boy's eyes. His mouth was halted as he gazed at those serene eyes as if it had swallowed him. He retracts his protest, feeling that the boy in front of him seems not lying. His mind tries to deny it, but his instinct as a former veteran warns him not to let those statements slip away from his mind.

"..I am being serious here. So, Can you help me?".

Soma gazes at the man in front of him with his calm eyes that show his sincerity. The man in front of him was a former veteran who stood in the front lines before deciding to retire and opened his own shop as his own dream.

The man in front of him valued honesty more than anything, and Soma also being honest with the words he was saying. If the man asked how he could obtain that information, he already formed a reason to convince him. There is no reason for Soma to deceive him as he is also aware of the things he would hear from Soma's mouth.

"..Kid, is what you're saying true?".

The man stood up from his seat and leaned his body forward with a frown on his face. Sosma met his gaze head-on without flinching. The atmosphere turned eerily quiet as they locked eyes in those close distances. The air turned heavy as if it exerted a great pressure that swallowed Soma's entire being.

"..Yes, I am certain".

Soma replied to it composedly and made the man open his eyes wide. The pressure vanished from the room, and it seems the thing about the destruction of the world is not some baseless words that come from a delusional kid. However, he must clarify something first.

"Where did you get this information?".

The man distanced himself from Soma, retracting his imposing aura. Then he opened his mouth while also knitting his brows as if to say he didn't want to accept any lies. Soma, anticipating this question would appear, opened his mouth while exhaling a breath, creating a solemn mood in the room.

"..I am one of the survivors of the Project Red".

After the words came from Soma's mouth, they echoed inside the room. The man's body stiffened while his eyes opened wide. His calm heart took a sudden turn, and it began to throb intensely, making a rush of adrenaline and making him recall those times when he was still on the front lines.

His body began to tremble, and cold sweat appeared from his forehead, traveling along his cheek into his jawline before dropping to the ground.

Time is still as the two of them turn the calm mood to a heavy silence.

"...Is it true?".

"...Yes".

Soma gives his affirmation, nodding his head while maintaining his composed face. The man's legs turned soft as he flopped

himself toward the seat.

"..How is this possible?".

"..How about it? Can you help me?".