Lassla

"I…" Initially, Aina didn't know what to say. It was just yesterday that she openly sided with the man who greatly insulted this elder, and now he was standing right before the stall where she was explicitly ordered not to sell anything to the people from his sect.

'If he put me in a spot yesterday, now I have to dig my own grave…' While Aina managed to finally give up on the Gloryhouse sect, the lingering attachment still remained.

'While that bastard might belong to the sect, it's not like I can judge the entire group by the actions of a single person!' That was the girl's rationale whenever she thought about things.

But right now, she didn't really have any choice. That is, outside of hoping that the elder from the sect wouldn't be interested in a purchase!

"I know he was specific, but to think that he would ask for so much…" Unbeknown to the girl's mental plight, Zen lowered himself over the calligraphy of Aina's making. Studying the prices and names on the tags, his face twisted with confusion mixed with ridicule. "Either way, I still want to see what he has in store. If I may, I would like to take one Kubian pill."

'Dang, I forgot how rich those people are!' With her momentary hope now shattered, Aina brought her despair all the way to the heavens. Hiding her trembling hands underneath the counter, she then averted her eyes. "I'm sorry sir, I'm worried we do not set singular pills." Using the first way to gently refuse the purchase that came to her mind, Aina shivered. 'Someone, I beg you…' Casting a quick glance to the rest of the shopping hall, her newfound hope vanished instantly.

Because the visitors of the shopping hall were more interested in watching the show unfold rather than taking direct part in it.

"If it isn't Zen!" Just as the girl was about to give up and politely yet openly refuse the sale, a female voice came in. "Didn't you hear the news? Apparently, no member of Gloryhouse sect is allowed to benefit from this stall." Coming right from the very middle of the hall, the female donning strikingly different colours on her robe smiled at the Gloryhouse elder.

"Ah…" Casting a quick glance at Aina's stall, Zed put a thoughtfully look on his face. "I didn't…" Before he could explain himself though, his longstanding rival pushed her attack.

"Oh, poor girl! As soon as you gave up on your dreams and decided to find an honest job, this insensitive man comes and torments you… As a sign of support, let me help you with your first sale." Taking upon the act of a doting, big sister, the female smiled as she approached the stall. Nonchalantly unhooking her poach from her belt, she moved her long, yellow streaks of hairs away before placing the bag on the counter.

'Thank the heavens…' Even though Aina never managed to get to the sect, she wasn't ignorant about the major rumours about its members. The failed romance of the Gloryhouse elder and the rising star of the Sacred blade Sect nominated teacher was one of the spiciest ones in the circulation. And right now, this simple rumour that she formerly used to entertain herself, now turned to salvation.

"Thank you, Miss. Right away, Miss!" Blessing her luck, Aina instantly moved to the side, from where she pulled out a strange piece of hardened paper. A quirky yet useful item. With just a few agile moves of her hands, the hardened paper took the form of a crude and cheap box. With the container in her hand, Aina knelled down, opening up the box her master brought.

'What the…' Aina already knew how little Sebian's way of thinking or doing things had in common with common sense. In his face, even the laws of the universe that enslaved everyone equally seemed to just give up. Nevertheless, the girl obediently packed two tens of pills into the box, before standing up and passing it to the female hands with a grateful face.

Noticing the crude box, the smile on the female faded a bit before she reluctantly reached out to raise its lid.

"Oh…" Noticing what was inside, the female froze. For a moment, her hands shook before she suddenly slammed the lid of the cartoon box down while raising her eyes at the girl.

"If I may ask, what's your name?" Her previous attitude towards the girl was of a fake kindness, aimed at pushing the nail down Zen's side even further. But now, the girl's voice was slightly shaking while her eyes were fully serious.

"I… I'm Aina." Even though the girl expected this kind of reaction, responding to it in a proper way was an entirely different matter altogether.

"Good…" Lost in her thoughts for a moment, the female suddenly shook her head. With her sight clarified, she nodded her head before politely speaking out. "I'm Lassla, nominated teacher from the Sacred Blade sect. Are you aware of this fact?"

While the female's voice didn't turn hostile, seeing how serious she was, Aina shivered once again. For some reason, ever since she started to follow her new master, her daily life turned upside down. People that she used to consider as stars on the skydome, were now treating her with respect and care. The wealth that she considered to be too enormous to actually exist actually laid down at her feet. With all of this slamming the poor girl's mental state at once, it was no wonder she had trouble speaking casually.

"Yes, miss, I'm aware." Bowing her head as she responded, Aina only earned an annoyed click of the tongue from the female after her display. "And you are sure you didn't make mistake while packing up this bo… this pill?" Changing her narration a little, Lassla's face tensed up a bit.

"Miss, I did everything in the way I was ordered to by my master. If I insulted miss in any way or form…" Before Aina could even finish her profuse apology, Lassla panicked. Raising her hands up, she almost threw her recently bought box aside. Taking proper hold of it right as it was slipping out of her grasp, she quickly looked at the girl with a poorly hidden excitement and terror on her face.

"There is absolutely no need to that. I just asked because I thought it would be more fitting for us to call each other by our names!" Raising her voice a bit too much, Lassla quickly covered her mouth, before calming herself down and sending a victorious smile to the shocked man beside her. "We, the victims of this brute should help each other, am I right?"