Infinite Cube: Extra's Life in Another World-Chapter 44: Making Money [2]

"Uhmm... Young lord, where are we headed?" Ren inquired, his voice low, barely audible.

Kai turned and faced the trembling man before responding. "Your sister is unwell, correct? Let's procure some medicine for her first."

Ren's eyes shimmered faintly with hope, tears slowly forming on his eyelid. "Thank you... Thank you so much, young lord."

Kai smiled warmly at his words before moving his hands up and down in a repeated motion. "But just know, it won't be free."

Ren smiled before clenching his fist with conviction. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

[He is a good man.]

'Yeah.'

Legion continued, mimicking Ren's tone.

'Legion, who is teaching you all this?' Kai asked mentally.

[It's your own preferences surfacing.]

'I'm not,' Kai replied, sighing.

Ren observed the once composed figure now exhausted and sighing to himself. 'Is the young lord alright?' he thought, confused.

Both Kai and Ren walked down the street towards the pharmacy Kai knew on Fourth Street.

A&Z Pharmacy, it was merely a small store, barely the size of a garage, wedged between two massive and imposing buildings.

Ren watched as Kai entered through the alley into the rundown store.

"Young lord?" he asked, struggling to comprehend the store they now stood in front of. "Are you certain this is the right store?"

Kai looked at him, smiled, and swung open the wooden door.

'Is this a new method nobles use to mock commoners?' Ren swallowed hard as he stepped into the dusty, brown store.

Kai looked around the store for a moment, moving from section to section. Soon, he had searched the three sections and six shelves, which were mostly barren.

"Hey, brat," a man shouted. "What are you doing here?" Kai's gaze briefly met that of the old man, who looked as if he were scraping for one final year of life.

"Oh, me?" Kai replied, stepping closer to the counter. "I would like to purchase some medicine, Miss. Ash."

The man's eyes widened briefly behind his tinted glasses. "You know me, brat?" he asked.

Kai, smiling gently, answered. "During the beginning of the Fourth Genesis, you were one of the first Awakened to exist and one of the few individuals to have lived up to four hundred years, am I correct?"

The man dropped the book he had been engrossed in onto his lap before leaning back. "Continue."

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[See, this old man just wants to hear praises.]

'If that's what he wants, I'll gladly give it to him. I can't destroy my source of unlicensed goods.'

[Criminal.]

Kai wouldn't have believed it if someone had told him two weeks ago that he'd be selling unlicensed products, actually, he wouldn't have even believed he would be living comfortably.

Clearing his throat, he continued. "You are also the master of the greatest swordsman and the master alchemist."

The man smiled, reaching for the cup that lay next to a pile of cigarettes.

Kai couldn't help but think how dangerous it would be if those barely extinguished cigarettes touched something flammable, but it hardly mattered, at least not in the presence of someone who was equal to, if not above, the human's Seven Stars.

"You once stood at the pinnacle of all things," he added, his tone like that of a storyteller. "Your radiant will once enveloped the earth, and everywhere you went, people chanted your name."

Kai leaned forward, resting his hand on the counter. "Afḍal al-Bashar. I can say with certainty that you are the only man whose vision still burns brightly in these harrowing days."

The old man stuttered; he tried to speak but his words caught in his throat.

Looking Kai dead in the eye, he asked, stammering, "How do you know that name?"

Kai's breath hitched; For a brief moment, he wondered if he'd made a terrifying mistake coming here.

'Damn it.'

He knew he couldn't afford to offend this man. After all, he hadn't come here out of whim. It wasn't as if he couldn't procure Ren's sister's medicine elsewhere or even give her one of his potions.

What he needed now was a master, someone who could teach him how to maximize the output of his ever-growing strength and guide him in swordsmanship and the Stranger's Dance.

He glanced at Ren, who immediately understood and walked towards the farthest shelf.

Once they were alone, the old man released his mana, which had been suppressing Kai, nearly forcing him to his knees.

Using the counter as support, Kai slowly stood upright, sweat beads forming at his temples.

After catching his breath, he spoke. "I'm a Vanguard."

The old man appeared unfazed by his words, but Kai already anticipated that.

[You're going to do something foolish again, aren't you?]

Kai smiled crookedly and said, "I'm not from this world."

The man's eyes widened in disbelief. "Are you joking, kid?"

Kai shook his head slowly. "No... and I'm not just from any world." He paused. "In my world, this entire universe was merely a novel I read."

Matthew was known as the Spear Hero, but no one ever asked who his master was, nor did Matt ever reveal it.

It was during the breach at the southern border that Matt, heavily injured, stumbled into a random store where he met an old man who took pity on him and as the protagonist he was, Matthew was granted free lessons for a week that shaped him into the monster he became.

The man or rather, the woman was one of the former Seven Stars of humanity, the heroes who fought alongside the Drifters in the early years, fighting for scraps of food.

The beings who built the very domes humanity now thrived in.

The Best Of Mankind (Afḍal al-Bashar), Emperor Eve Ravenheart, the only surviving Overlord known to man.

But Kai didn't just want a week's worth of training; no, he wanted the entire package.

Eve's shoulders stiffened as she observed the striking young man before her.

She had lived long enough to distinguish truth from falsehood. After some time, she spoke. "We need to have a long conversation, kid."

"I would appreciate that as well," he answered.

"But what about your companion?"

"Oh, him?" Kai asked, gesturing for Ren to come. He had already sent a message to Fax, the merchant who would take the core.

Having explained everything he needed to Fax, Kai sent Ren off with the medications given by Eve, along with his account details and Cassie's, who had become his PA, number and information.

Now, only he and Eve remained in the store. She sighed. "I thought I would have a peaceful life after my retirement, but here you are..."

She paused briefly, glancing in Kai's direction. "I knew Parliament meetings always brought me misfortune."

Kai simply looked at her without speaking.

'Weird kid,' she thought with a smile. 'But I like his guts.'

"Let's go somewhere private; then you can tell me about your original world."

[The crazy witch actually believed you?]

'Of course she would. She can tell truth from lies.'

Rising from the chair she had been seated in, a bright light emanated from her, causing the store to glow white. Soon, a beautiful figure with lilac-colored hair and silver eyes appeared.

She stood no taller than 160 cm, with a slim waist and balanced proportions. Her pink lips parted as she spoke. "Follow me, kid."

She turned to face him before muttering, "Tell your wolf friend no..." Sighing, she continued, "And I'm not a crazy witch."

Kai's eyes widened as he clutched his chest. "You can hear them?" he asked.

Grinning broadly, she answered. "I am the Great Emperor of Depravity, after all. Perhaps one day, you might become an emperor too, maybe the Mad Emperor of Depravity."

"Does that mean you would mentor me?" he asked, his eyes sparkling.

"Of course not. I'm just saying, in the unlikely event that you follow my path. But I doubt you'd be noble."

She laughed to herself as she pulled down a book that felt out of place on the drug shelf, revealing a narrow stairway.

In a dark room located at the heart of the human capital city and the center of Meltonia...

Seven figures sat in the dimly lit room, their faces barely visible. Their presence carried a subtle but commanding aura, causing the room's temperature to fluctuate.

Numbered stars were placed before them, glowing just enough to be discerned.

The round table they sat at seemed to spin yet remain stationary at the same time.

Behind them, shadowy figures stood their presence barely perceptible.

Finally, the man bearing the number one spoke. "Let the First Parliament Meeting between the Stars commence."