Eyes of destiny

Chapter 6: Shop

Edo and Leni walked calmly down the street, where the morning light gently reflected off the polished stones of the road. The city was slowly waking up, and the distant sounds hinted at the approaching bustle.

"Magical crystals?" Edo asked, glancing at his companion, who walked beside him. Her robe flowed with each step, and her eyes sparkled as she looked ahead.

"Yes, they're very useful for a mage," Leni replied with a smile. "They can enhance our magic, and they're also helpful in many other situations. Unfortunately, they're incredibly expensive..."

Leni nodded, smiling slightly, though there was a hint of disappointment in her expression.

"I commissioned someone to acquire them, knowing it was the best way to get the resource. But when I came to collect the crystals, a young man showed up... and accidentally destroyed my entire supply. In the end, I left with nothing," she sighed and looked meaningfully at Edo, who blushed slightly.

"I'm sorry..." Edo said, clearly embarrassed. "You know it was an accident..."

Leni looked at him with a gentle smile, her gaze full of understanding.

"I know, I know. Don't worry about it," she said calmly.

Yet Edo couldn't shake a certain thought that troubled him.

"Leni, actually... why do you need me?" he asked after a moment of thought, intrigued by her presence.

Leni glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and smiled mysteriously.

"It's simple. You're going to help me negotiate a better price."

Edo looked at her in disbelief, raising his eyebrows.

"You want me to go with you to a shop and... haggle for a discount?"

Leni shrugged, her eyes gleaming with amusement.

"It just so happens that I usually pay more than other customers," she said, her voice almost ironic. She narrowed her eyes, smiling slightly.

Edo raised an eyebrow at her.

"Isn't that because you're a demon?" he asked with detectable skepticism.

But Leni immediately dismissed the idea.

"No, it's not that. True, demons using magic have caused fear since the war ended, but there's a certain tolerance among mages. The seller we're going to, Emil, is a well-known mage respected for his skills. Long ago, a wizard from the country of Rugora challenged him – he wanted to fight the best but faced the wrong opponent. Emil, without even moving, crushed him with immense magic. He used such an amount of energy without any wand, meaning he relied only on his core – a normal mage's magic would've been depleted ten times over. It was a spectacle; his opponent fled in tears, cursing the world, only solidifying Emil's legend. There were even rumors that he was born with two elements, though he's never confirmed it."

Edo listened in disbelief.

"Who is he? Why would someone so powerful run a shop?" He frowned, trying to understand the unusual situation.

After a moment of silence, Edo asked another question.

"So, why do you pay more?" he asked impatiently.

Leni shrugged.

"Honestly, I don't know. For a long time, I thought it was because I'm a court mage – we're not highly regarded by other mages. They think we sold our knowledge to strengthen the kingdom. But even other court mages pay less at his shop. Maybe you'll be able to negotiate something. If you manage to lower the price a bit, I'll consider it as repayment for your debt."