We waved goodbye to the cheerful woodworker and continued our stroll down the bustling industrial avenue, keeping our eyes peeled for a textile shop that sold nice, thick curtains. My massive crimson wings swished happily, and I was already mentally arranging the 13 tables in our future restaurant.
But then, I noticed a slight fluctuation in the air. The invisible, humming barrier of protective magic surrounding me gave a faint, rhythmic flicker. I looked over at Elicia and noticed her steps were losing their usual effortless, elegant bounce. Her shoulders were slumping just a tiny bit, and her silver hair seemed to have lost a fraction of its magical luster.
It clicked in my mind instantly. Elicia had been pulling back-to-back all-nighters at the Mastery Academy, dealing with chaotic paperwork, student evaluations, and my own sudden, dramatic return from the dead. She hadn't slept properly in days, and maintaining a high-tier, continuous sun-protection spell on me for hours was rapidly draining her remaining mana pool.
"Elicia, Your magical output is dropping. Your mana is draining. We need to stop and let you recharge."
Elicia quickly forced a bright, reassuring smile, waving her hand dismissively even though her eyelids looked incredibly heavy.
"Oh, don't worry, little Ren! I'm completely fine! A master-class healer doesn't get taken down by a little sunshine. I can keep this up until we buy the entire fabric store!"
Feeling incredibly guilty that my big sister was running herself ragged just so I wouldn't turn into a crispy vampire marshmallow, I glanced down at my right hand. Resting neatly on my fingers were my prized, stackable magical gear… including my high-level Magic Enhancement and Mana Pool rings.
Without a second thought, I slid the glowing, enchanted bands right off my fingers. I grabbed Elicia's hand, gently but firmly slipping the oversized rings onto her fingers one by one.
"Wear them, big sister, I absolutely refuse to let you pass out from mana exhaustion, and more importantly, I really don't want to accidentally scorch into a pile of ash in the middle of the street. It would ruin our fabulous adobo reputation." I insisted, my single jade-green eye looking up at her with utmost seriousness while my crimson wings folded tightly around us like a protective shield.
The moment the rings settled on her fingers, a massive, vibrant surge of pure mana erupted from the amplification enchantments. Elicia's eyes flew wide open, her silver hair instantly poofing up from the sheer kinetic magical feedback as her depleted mana reserves were violently and completely refilled in a split second.
Elicia stared down at her fingers, watching the faint blue light of the amplification enchantments hum against her skin. The sheer volume of mana rushing through her veins had her practically vibrating with energy.
"Little Ren, These are the exact same high-tier rings you let me borrow last week when I was dealing with that fallen angel back at the northern borders. Tell me the truth... where in the world did you get items this powerful? A level-six enhancement artifact doesn't just grow on trees." she said, her crimson eyes blinking in realization as she looked from the glowing bands back to my flat, unreadable face.
A bead of sweat trickled down my neck. My mind instantly zipped back to the chaotic layout of the underground arms trafficking guild. I remembered standing over the defeated body of their corrupt leader, Don Anthony, after a particularly intense confrontation. The moment his ledger was permanently closed, my survival instincts had kicked in, and I had decisively and systematically emptied his entire reinforced vault. I looted every single one of his prized, high-tier artifacts… including these raw magical bands… which I then spent hours forging, stacking, and upgrading to maximize my own combat efficiency.
I looked at my big sister, my single jade-green eye blinking once in a perfect, innocent deadpan.
"Well, I took them."
Elicia let out a long, highly amused sigh, a beautiful, playful smile breaking across her face as she shook her head. She casually adjusted the massive, oversized rings on her fingers, her silver hair finally settling back down after the sudden magical power surge.
"Well, I suppose 'taking them' is one way to put it. You really are more of a professional treasure hunter than a standard vanguard, aren't you? Let's just hope the original owner isn't looking for a refund!" big sister giggled, looping her arm back through mine with an energetic bounce in her step.
"The previous owner must have pissed off." assured her smoothly as we finally spotted a vibrant textile shop just down the street.
Just as the vibrant fabric rolls of the textile shop came into view, a booming, dramatic echo suddenly reverberated through the inside of my skull.
"Ahahaha! You released me, Eirene! Free at last from that shitty digital prison!"
I internally groaned. It was Plasma… the ancient, energetic ai assistant or possibly say, a trapped soul currently trapped inside my head. Ever since I had slipped those stackable rings off my fingers to save Elicia from her mana crisis, the mental noise pollution had returned with a vengeance. My rings possessed unique negate-and-suppress abilities that usually kept his chatty soul completely muted, but without them, he was back to full-time banter mode.
"Look at you, a legendary vampire warrior out here shopping for window dressings! What's next? Matching throw pillows? Oh, the sheer horror of your domestic lifestyle! Put the rings back on so I can at least sleep through this budget meeting!" Plasma teased, his voice bouncing around my brain like a hyperactive toddler.
"Shut up," I snapped back intensely through my thoughts, keeping my face a perfect, unmoving deadpan so Elicia wouldn't notice my internal supernatural battle.
We finally pushed open the glass doors of the textile shop, stepping into a cozy room smelling of fresh cotton and linen. Towering shelves of colorful cloth lined the walls. As Elicia eagerly began browsing through a rack of thick, sun-blocking velvet curtains to protect my vampire skin, a brilliant new business strategy suddenly struck me.
"Big sister, Let's buy table sheets as well." I said, my quiet voice cutting through Plasma's muffled laughter as I pointed my finger toward a shelf of beautifully patterned gingham cloth.
Elicia turned around, her crimson eyes blinking in surprise.
"Table sheets, little Ren?"
"Yes, Thirteen tables of raw, uncovered industrial oak looks too aggressive. If we add matching tablecloths, it will create a warm, inviting atmosphere that will distract the factory workers from the fact that our building was covered in local street youth graffiti forty minutes ago." I nodded firmly, my crimson wings giving a definitive, thoroughly human flutter.
I pointed a decisive finger toward a high-shelf roll of deep crimson fabric for the tablecloths, matching it with a set of thick, elegant dark blue curtains for the windows. The deep blue would block out the harsh UV rays perfectly, while the crimson would add a touch of homey, vibrant flair to the otherwise dreary gray walls of the old tavern.
"Crimson and blue? Really, Eirene? Are we opening a dining establishment or a dramatic vampire theater troupe? If a drop of that soy sauce hits those crimson sheets, the stain will look like a poorly concealed crime scene! You should go with black… it matches your dark, brooding soul and hides the grease from your little culinary experiments!" Plasma's voice echoed in my skull with a theatrical groan, dripping with crude, unhelpful commentary.
I rolled my single jade-green eye under my eyelids, keeping my face a perfect, unmoving mask to avoid alarming my sister.
"Shut up," I fired back mentally, using the absolute maximum capacity of my thoughts to project a mental glare.
Unaware of the supernatural comedy routine happening inside my head, Elicia stepped up to the elderly weaver behind the counter. With her signature academic grace, she politely listed out our exact dimensions, detailing the specific cuts needed for the 13 table sheets and the heavy blue window drapes.
The weaver, a kind-eyed man with a measuring tape draped over his shoulders, paused as he looked past Elicia to see my uncovered face and the massive crimson blood wings resting quietly behind my kirtle. His eyes widened, a look of profound respect washing over his weathered features.
"Well, well... if it isn't the legendary vampire hero, Eirene! The whole city is talking about how you handled the threats to the outer territories. It is an absolute honor to have you in my shop. Let's halven the price for a local protector, shall we? For the whole lot, let's call it just 10 silver coins." the weaver said, a warm, appreciative smile wrinkling the corners of his eyes.
Ten silver coins! It was even cheaper than the chairs and tables from the carpenter. At this rate, our entire restaurant setup was practically funding itself through pure local goodwill.
"Thank you very much, sir, Your contribution to the industrial district's future culinary infrastructure will not be forgotten." I said with a respectful, thoroughly human bow of my head.
Within a minute or so, the weaver expertly measured, cut, and folded the heavy fabrics, neatly packing them together. I carefully took the large bundle and placed it directly into our woven market basket. The basket was now completely full to the brim… bulging with heavy glass bottles of soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, and a mountain of vibrant textiles.
I lifted the heavy basket onto my forearm, my vampire strength making the massive weight feel like a feather, though my crimson wings gave a slight, heavy flutter to balance my posture. As we stepped back out onto the sunlit streets of Minting Lane, Elicia kept her hand lightly brushing against my shoulder, the stolen rings on her fingers glowing softly as she channeled a constant, soothing stream of white-light healing magic to keep the sunlight from scorching my skin.
"Oh, look at you! The terrifying Crimson Phantom, reduced to a pack mule for tablecloths while big sister plays the literal flashlight!" Plasma continued to banter inside my head, laughing hysterically at my domestic plight.
I simply sighed in my comfortable, internal deadpan, walking side by side with Elicia toward Lot 42, ready to assemble the ultimate adobo paradise despite the ghostly noise pollution in my brain.