Chapter 24: Passing The Buck
Lucien’s hands paused and he slowly retracted the box.
Luren’s smile didn’t crack even the slightest. He even looked apologetic, a bit shy.
"I’m sorry, my lord. There is a bit of trouble— don’t worry, I’ll handle it asap. Please don’t leave yet~"
Luren was still all smiles but the moment he turned around— his face darkened, a murderous intent flashed in his crimson eyes.
Fck. Who dared to disturb this daddy’s business?
This daddy is about to fool— catch a big fish!
"Hey, hey, ladies and gentlemen, what’s going on here?"
Luren quickly approached the group of Intruders and smiled, but his smile didn’t reach his eyes.
The other customers already scooted away, watching the farce from outside the light dome.
Only Lucien guarded his things at the back, contemplating whether to just grab the goods and run.
"Ha! Don’t pretend to be innocent!"
A tall, bear-like man wearing an adventurer outfit slammed a staff to the ground and a loud clang echoed.
"This thing!! You said it’s a mana-explosion staff, but— ptui!" The man spat at the staff and roared,
"It’s broken in just one use! Bastard— did you sell us a fake?!"
The other men and women in the group immediately cooed,
"Fake! It must be a fake!"
"Return our money!"
"Everyone, listen, this guy sold fake stuff!"
The word "fake" triggered something in Luren and he immediately looked around alertly, sweats dripping down his face.
"No, no, brother Yong, it can’t be fake, I swear, don’t slander me!" Luren held three fingers in the air and tried to explain,
"Maybe it’s just a bit broken!"
"Ha. Don’t fool me. This thing isn’t broken. It’s just a fake!"
"Right! Right!"
The customers subconsciously looked at Luren with distrust, their attitude flipping as fast as a book.
"A fake? Then, the materials..."
"Speaking of it, some materials are not up to par. I don’t know if it’s fake or..."
As more and more people blurted out the word "fake", Luren’s face rapidly lost colour, his chest heaving up and down.
"Hey, hey, hey, don’t jump into conclusions! There’s no proof! I’m staking my life here and you guys— "
A scream suddenly cut through the air from opposite stall.
"Ah! Ah! No, no, it’s not fake! It’s not! Please, please, I can prove it— "
"Ahhhh— "
Lucien subconsciously looked at the stall across and saw a vague silhouette of the merchant thrashing around and punching the air, as if there’s something there.
Then...the merchant suddenly stiffened, his body went limp for a few seconds before he resumed his activity.
It was just that...he was as stiff as zombies.
"Wel....come...my goods...are not fake..."
The goods in his stall disappeared without a trace, leaving only the merchant repeating the same sentence over and over again.
Shudder.
A chill crept up Lucien’s spine and Brother Yong immediately snorted.
"See? That’s the fate of a dishonest merchant. Just wait for the dungeon to punish you!"
"Kekeke. He will become a dungeon-bound merchant~ forever!"
The group laughed maliciously and Luren almost kneeled, his knees weak.
"I’m not! You guys maliciously slander me!" Luren shouted with a wronged voice, sounding so pitiful.
Fck. Fck. Fck. How did they survive the dungeon and come out to spill the secret??
Luren’s fingers trembled, subconsciously searching for a cigar but there was none, so he bit his thumb instead.
Do something. Do something. Right, as long as there’s proof and those idiots are convinced, it’s all gonna be okay!
"I— I have proof!"
Luren impulsively blurted out but then, his mind went blank.
What proof, though? Proof needs a witness. Who could be a witness—
Luren’s eyes caught sight of Lucien, who was stroking the almost-damaged box, seemingly calming the fragile creature inside.
That composure, that deep aura—
Luren’s eyes instantly lit up as he pointed at Lucien, his voice loud.
"That! That VIP customer! He bought a lot of my goods, including the weapons!"
Lucien, who had just coaxed Mumu and was now dragging the heavy box of materials slowly out of the light dome—
...? Me?
"He’s a big shot! He can prove to you all that my item isn’t fake, right, my lord??"
Luren, who never sold Lucien any weapons, acted as if Lucien really did buy his goods.
Dude...are you insane??
"Huh? No, I— " Lucien was about to refuse when he caught sight of the items at the back.
A glowing sword, a floating knife, a magic rifle, a— a mini cannon that can expand!
Waterproof jelly paint, anti-shock cockroach shell, fireproof leather...
All good, rare stuff he might need to reinforce his house one day.
Lucien’s mind spun around, his wallet screamed at him, his house sobbed weakly...
So Lucien decided on the spot.
"What? Yeah, I bought all those things. He’s just about to send it to my address."
Lucien pointed at...all the goods in Luren’s stall, including the stocks at the back.
Luren, who only pointed at some items and materials, not all the goods in his stall:
....fck.
Crazy opportunist!
But Luren didn’t dare to refute and could only swallow the loss, nodding his head like a chicken pecking rice.
"Yes, yes, yes, he also bought the mana-explosion staff, so he can prove it!"
"Hmph. Last time I tested your goods, it worked several times but the moment I entered the dungeon, it didn’t work at all!"
Brother Yong wavered, but he still refused to believe Luren.
In desperation, Luren...threw someone under the bus.
"Okay, then, my lord will go to the dungeon and test it for you! With a live broadcast too! Right, my lord?!"
Lucien-under-the-bus:
Motherfcker, you’re pushing your luck, huh?!
Seeing Lucien’s dark face and the aura surging wildly, Luren immediately relented.
"T-that, you can choose the dungeon and I’ll pay for any entrance fee and taxes! All the spoils you get will be yours!"
Ahhh! His hard-earned money! But it’s okay, he could just pay with fake money~
Brother Yong noticed Lucien’s strong aura and he became slightly restrained but still, he probed cautiously.
"This...lord. Will you become his witness?"
"I don’t— "
"Don’t mind? No, no don’t agree so fast. If the witness fails to prove the merchant’s innocence, you too, will be dragged and..."
Turned into a dungeon-bound entity.
Lucien’s soul immediately screamed, "No, bastard!! It’s a suicide!!"
But Lucien’s rational mind flashed with an image of Grindhall City’s semi-registered spider dungeon guarded by a group of fierce local hunters, the one he saw on New Era website.
The toxic giant spider’s webs, capable of restraining F-rank elite monsters...
If he got those things, even capturing those shelled worms alive would be a breeze, right?
...right?
Lucien’s soul was screaming like mad but Lucien slapped it unconscious and flicked his wrists coldly.
"I’m in. And you, Luren— "
Lucien smiled like an angel but in Luren’s eyes, he grew a pair of devil horns and a tail.
"You come with me."