'One day, our House will have that same ripple.'
Xenos chuckled softly at Eris's near-mind-reading comment.
'Don't set your sights so low, Goddess. Our name will have this realm shaking.'
Before She could reply, the clerk returned carrying the rucksack with both hands.
"Here!"
She thrust it out but barely, almost dropping it.
Xenos snatched it open with one hand, easily able to carry it now, dug through, and pulled out a coin pouch, his eyes flicking inside, scanning the contents.
There were the same number of coppers as last time.
'Good.'
The clerk's lips trembled.
"Did… did you think I'd steal gold from you?!"
Xenos looked up at her for two full seconds.
'Gold.' She didn't check the contents.
She'd assumed he was rich.
...pity.
"Yes."
She gasped but quickly shook her head at the insult.
"Whatever, um, if you would please pa—"
"Send a letter to my House."
Xenos cut her off.
"Tell them to pay you, and demand a little extra while you're at it. You know, for the trouble."
Her eyes popped wide.
"W-What? You can't; our system doesn't—"
He was already turning away, bag swinging over his shoulder.
"Yes. Yes, you can, and they'll pay."
She ran after him, shrieking:
"I'll report you! I'll—"
But Xenos was already gone.
No Hierophant stopped him; they knew better.
...
Xenos's next stop was a dingy second-hand shop that reeked of incense and dust.
He walked in and dropped his alchemy book onto the counter.
"I need clothes. Trade me for this."
The owner didn't look surprised.
Clearly, this wasn't his first insane customer.
He scanned Xenos once and casually pointed to a stack of clothes on a nearby shelf.
Xenos walked over and checked them out:
Black pants, a long knee-length tunic, both embroidered with a charcoal black, a belt, a hooded cloak that sat at the shoulders, and an odd mask.
It caught Xenos's eye, an empty thing straight out of a horror play.
He lifted it up.
"…Is this a prop from some acting group?"
The shopkeeper chuckled.
"How'd you know?"
"Hm."
Xenos grabbed the lot and bolted to the changing room.
Stowing his rucksack and mask in his inventory, he got naked, throwing away his clothes in a pile to the side. Then, he closed his eyes for a second and recalled a tiny amount of the water in his palm, using it as a makeshift showerhead.
It had become a small art where he opened his hand at an angle and let a thin stream fall, washing off his sweat, his cheeks flushing as he finally felt human again.
Xenos was already clean by this realm's standards, having cleaned off all the blood and grime in that lake beside his camp, but his standards were much higher; wearing new clothes while all sweaty really irked him.
And yes, he had saved water directly into his inventory, the liquid returning no different.
His inventory was truly incredible... no wonder authors loved the Space Element so much.
After a minute, he came out in his new fit:
Black pants snug, long tunic swaying at the knees, hooded cloak strapped to his shoulders, his long white hair messy but clean.
Xenos waved at the store owner, and he waved back before quickly standing up.
"Wait—you forgot your rucksack—"
But then he blinked, realizing that Xenos was already gone.
Confused, he stepped towards the changing room—
"WHAT IN TARTAROS, WHY IS IT SOAKING WET?!"
Xenos, now halfway down the street, chuckled.
"Good thing I saved all that water. Really needed a bath."
Eris's voice hummed warmly.
'You clean up well.'
Xenos picked up his pace.
'Thanks.'
But Her next words slowed him down:
'Why do you only wear black? Other colors would look wonderful on you as well.'
Her question in itself wasn't what surprised him; Xenos wasn't some edgelord, so it was a pretty valid thing to ask, something he should've expected, but...
'...'
Xenos didn't answer, and Eris, expecting that, didn't follow up.
Though he didn't do so only at first.
'It's...'
He looked down, seemingly struggling to find the words.
'It's my own way of mourning...'
Words to answer a truly personal question for the first time.
'My only way.'
Eris revealed a soft smile, something he felt.
'Thank you for telling me.'
Again, She didn't follow up and ask what he was 'mourning.'
He struggled to reveal what was vague; it was too soon to ask for more.
But anyhow, his answer only confirmed what She knew full well by now: Xenos had a lot more going for him than one might think, especially after witnessing even an inkling of his absolutely unhinged self.
With that, Xenos returned to running, and the hours bled away.
Grass and dirt flying underfoot, until at last, Pluto Academy's great gates rose before him.
He took them in: white stone and heavy marble, their columns standing tall, some even built as statues.
Beyond them was much the same; all the buildings were massive and similar in shape, connected by wide courtyards, surrounding the Colosseum, a structure bigger than any he'd ever seen in this realm, rising high.
One might forget how thematically out of place it was by looking at it.
The structure was simply that beautiful.
It was likely where everyone was, at the moment, as, besides the white armored guards, no one was before him, making the Academy seem quite empty, which he was sure it was far from, especially not today.
He stepped in and paused in the center of the main marble walkway.
Indeed, he could hear the cheers from out here; everyone had already gone to be judged.
The acceptance of Disciples was well underway, making him think...
'Am I too late?'