Chapter 69 – Finding a gift

The girls chose a few clothes from the shop, of course after asking for Aile's opinion on them. Leia stuck to multi-coloured clothing and Laila mostly picked purple articles of clothing. She would touch the clothes inspecting them, while Leia described them to her, after that, she would decide to buy them or not.

Aile enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere. All the while, he had his hearing scanning the surroundings. After buying the clothing, they quickly dropped it off back at the tavern as it was close by. Then they went for some snacks, they ate from many different snack stalls.

After having some savoury soft-cake, Aile finally heard the voice that he had been looking for. He then nodded to Jake to start becoming more vigilant to watch over Leia and Laila.

Then, Aile told them that he has to leave. He treated them the same as Sara and gave them a quick goodbye hug. After that, he tapped the shoulder of Jake as he nodded at him. Then Aile left.

He followed the sound to an antique shop. Inside the shop was a young man dressed in red attire. He had a red sword with a red hilt and sheath. He had round red coloured patches around his eyes. Making him look somewhat like a red panda. He was bargaining with two shop keepers, one old and one young possibly his grandson.

Aile quickly found a quiet area while keeping his hearing on the bargaining between the Roth clan's heir and the shop keeper. Noticing that they will not be leaving soon. Aile decided to turn to Shadow to prevent anything from linking back to him. Once he found a concealed area, he wore the black robe and mask.

He came back and entered the antique shop. Inside it was a lot of things that seemed like junk to the untrained eye. To Aile who had inherited about 10 years of memories, most of the stuff still looked like junk. He walked around, trying to find something to his liking.

After all, he still had to attend the princess's birthday celebration and with a worthy gift. Initially, he wanted to rob the young master who he now knows to be the second son of Duke White. However, with Duke White, Hunter and Marcus around, this plan became too risky to perform. Thus, he wanted to see if he can find something for the princess in here. After analyzing everything, he was disappointed, he could not differentiate the good from the bad, the real from the fake.

After a few loops, he sighed and wanted to leave. When he turned around, he saw that the older shop keeper had arrived in front of him. Leaving his son to continue the intense bargaining with the heir of the Roth Clan.

"Young man, what are you looking for?"

This surprised Aile he had worn a mask and robe yet the old man still called him a young man. His vigilance immediately heightened. But he was not worried, after all, the shop keeper could just flatter people and from the many wrinkles on his face, almost anyone can be called young by him.

Aile made his voice deeper and said, "I am looking for some alchemy items. Unfortunately, nothing caught my eye here."

The old man chuckled, "It seems you have good eyes."

Aile was quieted down and was not sure what he meant by that. Did he imply that most of his stuff is crap?

Who would say that about their stock to a new customer, so Aile thought that he misheard it? At the very least, he thought, that it was not the intention of the shopkeeper to say that in that context.

Then the old man gestured Aile to follow him. In the back of the shop there, he opened a box and inside it was a grinder. The base was the shape of a bowl made of a chunk of metal. It was a golden colour as it was quite old, many areas were chipped, and the colour had gotten quite dark. There were some dusk and dirt deeply imbedded on its outside. However, the inside of the bowl was clean. Then there was a solid metal rod that was kept quite pristine. The shape of it resembled a club. The rod was used to break down the herbs into power by pounding them inside the bowl.

The grinder gave off a unique ancient aura. Aile noticed many energy signatures coming from it. Well, this seemed to be a genuine article. Even if it was fake, a considerable effort was put into it.

"How much?"

"5 Gold."

"That is too much?"

"4 Gold 80 Silver."

Aile bargained for a while, and in the end, paid 3 gold for it. This was because by this time the heir of the Roth clan left. He could have gotten the price lower than 3 gold, but he could not risk his other plan for a little bit of money. Money was no issue to him at least for now.

The Roth Clan's heir was called Reed Roth.

Aile followed Reed and soon found him enter a tavern. He followed his footsteps by concentrating his hearing on them, and from the trail, he located his room.

Fortunately, Reed's room window faced the side of the building, if it was on the front, Aile would not be able to get there without being spotted by the people at the street. His room's window was facing the roof of the shop next to the tavern. This was perfect for Aile. This way, he can enter the room without having to go inside through the main entrance.

Now that he found his room, he had to do some preparations.

Aile then went into the street behind a tavern. There was a pile of garbage that had gathered there.

The taverns usually hire a carriage to take them away on a weekly bases. Aile made a little hole in the heap of the garbage while covering his nose. He then placed the grinder that he just bought and then covered it up. He did not want to do his mission while he was carrying a heavy object.

Now Aile has to conceal his trail even more. He could not afford to make enemy with the Roth Clan as Shadow. He first went to a shop dressed as Shadow and bought a red robe and common-mask and changed into them shortly after.

With his new appearance, he went to another shop and bought a green mask and robe. He then burned the red robe and common-mask erasing its trace. He did this a few more times in different shops.

This was because if he was investigated, he did not want this event to be linked to "Shadow." As he has many more things to do as Shadow essential to his future.

Now if he gets investigated, they will have to find information about a green-robed man. Even if they manage to find information about where he bought his clothing. It would have been sold to a red-robed man and then to a green-robed and on and on. Halting the investigation as his trail would be lost. As many people would have red robes and green robes.

Especially now, as many nobles are present in town, and they tend to do their dirty deeds behind robes and masks.

He returned back and sneakily climbed the shop next to Reed's room. He approached his window and saw him sitting on his bed, looking at a red ring that he just bought from the antique shop.

Aile then placed his hand on his pocket and felt the rectangular object.

This was the first part of the Rune book that he stole from the Duke's second son after he was knocked out by the hallucinogenic mushroom. He opened the window and jumped in. Seeing the masked individual jump into the room, Reed was scared.

"Who are you? What do you want?"

Aile walked very close to him and said, "Give the book back?"

All the while, Reed kept his eye on Aile's mask and failed to notice that Aile had dropped the book and kicked it under his bed inside the bedsheet.

His door burst open.

Boom

One of the guards entered.

He pointed his weapon to Aile and shouted "Who are you? What do you want to do with the young master?"

Aile looked back with an annoyed expression and said, "Do you really think that I would not have enough time to kill him if I wanted to?"

"Why are you here, then?"

"I am only here to deliver a warning that your young master should return what he stole. The Roth clan, one of the noblest clans, having a thief as an heir. That news would surely be something."

"What are you talking about?"

By now the other guards, some of the people that rented rooms and the tavern owner had arrived. Aile knew that these people only had a 3rd level practitioner as the highest cultivator. Thus, he could get away, he was not worried. Most people do not keep high-level practitioners close to them in the town.

As the town is secured by the guards, and no one would want to cause a commotion at the princess's birthday.

"Your young master should know, just return the book, and we will take it as if nothing happened."

"What book are you talking about, get away from the young master, and we will buy whatever book you want."

"I have no interest in your master only at the book, return it, or the next time it will not be such a friendly visit."