Moonshadow Sniper

antique dealer

" the Rusty Silver Coin"

The copper-plated sign swayed on the iron pole outside the shop, catching attention with its occasional creaks in the evening breeze.

Yet, despite this, few were willing to linger in front of the store throughout the day.

Such was the routine of Brandon Alderfer's antique shop.

Situated at 47 Lemon Street in the city of Sasha, its location was neither excellent nor poor, much like its business prospects.

An antique shop wasn't just an ordinary store, it was the regular clientele that formed the primary economic backbone for Brandon.

The Alderfer family had once resided in a city farther south than Doane, but after the passing of parents who valued family reunions, settling there was left to Brandon's discretion alone.

Over the four years since his discharge, he had taken over the shop, paying with the £600 discharge fee from the military and the portion of inheritance left by his father.

The antique trade was quite close to the realm of high society, and Brandon had some talent, making him more reputable compared to his counterparts who peddled on Black Street.

Currently, Brandon Alderfer was in the studio on the second floor of the shop, wearing a mask and apron, bending over to retrieve five slightly faded and peeling medals from the murky liquid in the bucket with long tweezers.

These were the laurels of the Loren War, awarded only to soldiers who had participated in five or more battles during the war, with just over six hundred issued in total, possessing significant commemorative value.

Brandon had handled twenty-four of them, among which twenty-three were counterfeit, with the only authentic one belonging to himself.

In the absence of receiving genuine antiques, antique dealers also had to learn to fabricate "antiques."

"Mr. Alderfer, your guest has arrived," came the notification from the female assistant after a knock on the door.

"I know, Miss Charlotte, you may also leave for the day," he replied through the door, carefully sponging off the corrosive liquid from the fake medals, then wrapping them in silk and arranging them on the workbench.

He then took off his apron, donned a black jacket, and went downstairs to meet the client.

In the display cabinets on the ground floor, enamel and crystal ornaments sparkled under the glow of electric lights.

Hanging on the wall were swords that looked quite precious, unsheathed as if ready to be thrust back into the battlefield at any moment.

However, the brown-haired young man waiting on the ground floor seemed uninterested in them.

He merely stood with his hands behind his back, surveying the rust-stained exhibits in the display cabinet until Brandon stood behind him, causing him to turn around.

"Lieutenant, it's been a while," Brandon approached and embraced the brown-haired young man clad in white attire. "Joe, I didn't expect you to be back. It feels like just yesterday we last met."

Lieutenant was his rank in the army, only old comrades would address him as such after retirement.

They participated in the Roron War in 163 and were comrades in the same company.

Joe Manny had inherited the Rusty Silver Coin Antique Shop from his parents upon retirement but, as he harbored dreams of traveling the world, he was unwilling to manage such a fixed industry, hence selling the shop to Brandon.