CHAPTER 259: SHOPPING

"Why?"

"Because," Damian said bluntly, "they’ll try something. And because walking in with you would make every cousin who hates me chew glass."

Gabriel’s eyes narrowed.

They both let it hang. The room hummed with the low, constant noise of the market behind the walls.

"What’s their motive?" Gabriel asked.

"Power consolidation," Damian said dryly. "I think the Graves have been taking some losses for a while. It seems finding treasures is becoming difficult even for them. Some uncles smelled weakness. The banquet is a mask. The old man is picking a faction to back."

"And you?"

"I’m the story they all pretend never happened." Damian shrugged. "If I show up with nothing, they’ll humiliate me and close the book. But if I show up with you—if I show up with proof I can move weapons, transport, and allies—then I become inconvenient to ignore."

Gabriel considered it for three seconds. There was nothing really to lose here. Furthermore, Damian was now his business partner.

As long as you were loyal and useful to Gabriel, he would walk through fire for you.

"Fine. I’ll go."

Damian blinked, surprised he didn’t need to argue. "Thanks."

"But before that," Gabriel said, standing, "you said ’banquet.’ I’ll need a suit."

Damian blinked again, then grinned. "I know a place."

They left the shop moments later and boarded the truck waiting for them. This time, Damian took the lead.

He hopped in first, saying, "There’s a mall two districts over. Safe crowd. Good brands. And the staff there treat their guests like royalty. However, you’ll need to take off your mask since Alder and Tack like to keep a tab on their guests."

Alder and Tack? Gabriel recalled that brand—it was one of the most famous and expensive in the game. A small piece of clothing there cost about a thousand Valerian dollars.

It was the go-to brand for the elites of the Valerian Kingdom. Since this was a prestigious banquet, it made perfect sense for Damian to choose it.

Gabriel didn’t think much about it and took off his mask.

They drove on. While they moved, he glanced once at the forum window floating at the corner of his vision—#WhitePhantom still sat at the top. New clips, slowed edits, and a few shaky theories tying his bladework to ’Broken Heaven,’ followed by counter-threads arguing why that was impossible.

He closed the panel just as they arrived at the mall that looked like a massive glass stadium. It was busy at the entrance, but fortunately, there were mostly natives here.

This place looked nothing like the overcrowded black market, and the staff here made sure everything stayed orderly.

Damian led Gabriel inside to a huge glass shop with a minimalist sign: ALDER & TACK.

The door chimed softly. A plush, air-conditioned hush fell over them. Mirrors, warm lights, mannequins in three-piece tuxedos that fit like second skins. A faint smell of cedar and steam filled the room.

"Welcome to Alder & Tack," said a bright voice. "Do you have an appointment or—"

The salesgirl stopped mid-sentence when she looked up and saw Gabriel’s face—or rather, his sharp jawline and faint electric eyes now that he’d tucked the mask away.

Her composure fractured for half a heartbeat before she quickly recovered with a professional smile. "—or perhaps you prefer walk-in service. My name is Lila."

Two more attendants entered from opposite racks, smiles dialed to maximum. One petite, with a tape draped around her neck like a scarf; the other tall, with a tablet and stylus. Their gazes did the silent, involuntary head-to-toe scan every tailor does, even when they pretend not to.

Lila smiled like she’d just won a prize. "Walk-in is fine. We can get you ready for a banquet tonight." She glanced at Damian. "Two fittings?"

"Yeah," Damian said. "Him first."

"Understood." Lila pivoted smoothly. "Nora, pull two classic black tuxes, one midnight blue, one white dinner jacket—keep it simple. Ryn, shirts and shoes. Slim, regular, and athletic cuts."

"On it," said the petite one—Nora—already moving. The tall one—Ryn—tapped her tablet and drifted off with quick steps.

Lila turned back to Gabriel. "Water? Coffee? Tea?"

"None," Gabriel replied.

"Same," Damian nodded.

"Alright then. You try, we look, you pick." She hesitated, then added in a lighter tone, "You have the kind of build people dream of when they order custom. Lucky day."

Gabriel said nothing. Damian chuckled under his breath. He had already noticed how the professional staff here were acting in Gabriel’s presence.

It was quite a shock to Damian—this was the first time he had ever seen them so unprofessional.

Nora came back with garment bags. Ryn followed with a stack of shirts still wrapped in tidy plastic, plus three shoe boxes. The two attendants set everything down with quick hands.

"Privacy room is here," Lila said, opening a door. "We’ll hand things in. No crowding."

Gabriel stepped in first. The room was bright and neat, mirror on one side, a simple bench, a hook. He shrugged off his jacket.

Through the door gap, Lila’s voice came softly, "First one: classic black. It should sit right on you."

When he put it on and stepped out, all three attendants actually paused and swallowed a quick gulp of air.

"Perfect," Nora chirped, breaking the silence—then made a small face like she wasn’t supposed to say it that fast. "I mean... very good."

Ryn held up two ties—one matte black, one a calm midnight shade.

"Matte," she decided, and looped it for him with quick fingers.

Lila followed, sliding a plain white square into his pocket. Not folded like a bird or flower—just clean and neat.

When he was properly buttoned, Gabriel looked at the mirror. The suit was fine and elegant. It didn’t fight for attention but accentuated his godly smile and lithe physique.

"I’ll take this one," he said, eyes flashing slightly.

Lila blinked. "We still have two more—"

"I prefer this one," he repeated.

Now it was Damian’s turn. He tried on a dark charcoal. Ryn tightened the waist slightly with a pin to note it. Nora swapped the shoe size once. Lila straightened his lapel and nodded. "Good. You look like a man who says no a lot."

"That’s about right," Damian said shamelessly, admiring himself in the mirror. One thing was certain—he wouldn’t attend the banquet looking homeless. He’d show the Graves that he was doing just fine without their help.

"Payment together or separate?" Lila asked once their clothes were packed and ready.

"Together," Damian said, taking out a slim card wallet.

"The two will cost about 50,000 Valerian dollars," Lila said casually, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

Even for someone as stoic and composed as Gabriel, it was difficult to keep a straight face after hearing such an absurd amount.

However, Damian wasn’t new to wealth, so his expression didn’t falter in the slightest.

"Thank you for patronizing us," all the staff echoed, bowing deeply.

With a simple nod, the two exited the mall.

Damian took a deep breath. It was time to face the Graves family once again.