| Stormveil Commodities |
The name still sucked, but Gray was basically IN. The kid slept soundly, trusting him completely.
He used that trust to commit arson. He grabbed a pocket alchemical flame, a nice green one, and then burned the uniform that 'proved' a Transmigrator had ever appeared.
The fabric burned so fast. Too fast. Like it had been waiting to disappear. But it wasn't the only thing that had been waiting. The system soon chimed in.
[Burned Personal Artifact!]
[Way of Forgotten Unlocked!]
[New Title! He Who Erases the Past!]
….
Erased the past? It never mattered.
'Once you turn sentimental you stop growing.'
Instead of dwelling on it, he strolled the shop with hands behind his back. The ambiance was regal and peaceful, reminding one of an ancient bookstore, if said bookstore was an actual deathtrap.
Stormveil Commodities? It should have been Stormveil's 101 ways to die.
For there were treasures everywhere...
[★★☆ Blazing Clay Deposit!]
[ ★★★ Acidic Barbed Slime Nucleus!]
[ ★★ ★☆ Cursed Halberd of the Fallen]
….
Touch any of those and he'd be a goner. The Clay would cleanly burn his hands off. The Acidic Slime Nucleus would burrow inside him, devouring him, and the Halberd would steal his lifespan.
And yet, it was the kind of place he absolutely HAD to be.
So he patiently waited till morning…
One that came quickly as 'Boss Lang' returned, only to be met with the idiocy of youth.
"Boss Lang…. I'll be leaving today to become an adventurer. Please give me your blessings!"
"What?! Dumb kid, what are you even talking about?! You're a clerk at my shop. Think you can just leave as you wish?!"
"Boss Lang, Brother Gray will take my place! You won't be disappointed!"
"Who the hell is Brother Gray?!"
"T-That, he's…"
'A monster'
One who could wear the brightest smile when he wanted. Gray forced himself to wear a young face as he revealed himself. Smart. Naive. Humble.
"Hey there, Boss Lang. As he said. I'll do my best to replace him so everything can run smoothly. If you just–"
... give me a chance.
Boss Lang didn't even look at him.
"Get lost new kid. And you, do you think anyone can learn to be an efficient clerk overnight? We handle magical tools, alchemical ingredients, forging supplies, and so much more. Any mistake and our reputation will be in the sewers!"
"Does he know the difference between a magical compass and a never lost parchment?"
"Or realize what's actually a Purple Lily instead of an Amethyst Leaf?"
"Or recognize forging grade Mana Crystals versus basic ones?!"
…
Those were questions meant to stump him.
"Sure."
Gray barely spoke. And as the man looked at him for the first time, he frowned, his bald head seemingly about to explode. But then came Gray's explanations, explanations worth 500 years.
For instance, how both a magical compass and a never lost parchment were shit options. A single Mana storm and both would be rendered useless.
Or fifty differences between the two plants when a single one sufficed to identify either.
Or even how a better Mana crystal wasn't always preferable.
"...."
"...."
Silence.
Boss and employee at a loss for words, looking at each other almost confused. Until silence was finally broken.
"Stinky kid, hurry up and leave. Go be an adventurer. The sooner the better."
Just like that it was done…
Boss Lang was usually a man of little words. That's all he ever said really.
From that morning onward, Gray stayed behind working the counter. Slowly but surely he became a trusted member of the community, one disarming smile at a time.
And because he showed 'weakness', the other employee at some point tried to establish 'seniority'. The kind of 'seniority' that would have had actual bullies wincing at the cruelty.
Gray broke both legs, warning that next time would be all three.
Life was very much peaceful.
One month passed.
Two months passed.
Three months passed.
….
Transmigrator? What Transmigrator? Gray looked nothing like he once had, especially now that his dark hair was on the longer side.
The only one who still knew his Transmigrator identity was the kid, but he was already consumed by soul-crushing sword training.
Gray had told him to stop visiting too, the reason being more than obvious.
"So you focus on your training."
'Cause you'll die for sure.'
'So don't bother me…'
…
So Gray kept busy.
Busy playing the NPC.
Busy waiting for the Event he knew would come eventually.
Busy playing dumb whenever a Stormveil powerhouse showed up. Busy not pissing off people that could level a street as easily as they breathed and would never remember his face.
He was setting one plan at a time, even if it simply involved smiling.
Or rather, he was crafting the perfect background. Mysterious enough for curiosity. But clean enough to avoid any suspicion of being a spy.
A mysterious nobody.
A friendly clerk…
One that seemingly didn't care about the passage of time as even more months passed. In fact, he really lost track.
Boss Lang wanted to adopt him as a son. He didn't care. Clerk Xavier wanted to be his friend, but he ignored him. He simply waited.
All until it finally happened…
"Hello! I'll need a bunch of stuff this time. There's tons of magic rituals I want to try. I'll be sure to buy LOTS!"
One day she arrived.
A fiery head about as explosive as she was attractive, and eyes full of curiosity. The kind of curiosity that would doom her.
As she entered the shop, the air changed, probably because of how pretty she was. But that's not what Gray noticed. And it wasn't the mage outfit either.
A subtle Lightning Storm Bracelet.
A symbol he saw every morning.
The crest of Stormveil.
Like the city.
Like the family.
Like his only target.
…
This girl, she'd be his ticket in. And that was the part that would absolutely suck. After all, he wasn't good with women.
Now, how did that go again? He gave her the most charming smile he could muster. And then his best pickup line.
"Girl, are you an idiot?"