CHAPTER 304: SHOPPING

The sun blared down on the city, its rays beating down on the city.

The buildings gleamed in the blazing sunlight, the hot metal and glass surfaces reflecting the bright rays of the sun with the city streets seemed to glitter under the intense light, each building and person drenched in gold.

Shadows cast by the tall buildings around them stretched long over the cobblestones, making the colors of the stores shine brighter than usual.

Sinclair and Alithe dragged Coco towards a store, a heavy-looking cloth bag slung over each of their shoulders.

Their free hands gripped her arms tightly, guiding her through the crowd and into the store, and Coco moved with slight reluctance, her feet being maneuvered by the two hybrid men with a single-minded purpose.

As they pushed through the entrance, the sound of a bell ringing echoed through the store.

Coco’s eyes widened as she looked around, taking in the surroundings of the store as the bells from the entrance faded away.

The interior of the shop was filled with various items, each one meticulously organized and displayed.

Her gaze darted from one rack to the next, her attention caught by the colorful shirts neatly arranged on the hangers, the hues of the fabrics ranged from soft pastels to bold, vibrant shades, each one attracting her attention.

Alithe let go of her arm, his hand leaving her with a squeeze as he stepped away.

However, Sinclair continued to drag her deeper into the store, his grip gentle, but firm, making Coco stumble slightly as she was pulled forward, her feet barely keeping up with his brisk pace.

She looked back over her shoulder, watching as the main entrance receded in the distance, the sound of the bell growing fainter with each step.

Sinclair continued forward, pulling Coco along until they reached the very back of the store— a wooden desk with a woman standing behind it, her attention focused on them, had greeted them.

The store’s noise faded into the background, the sound of their footsteps echoing in the suddenly quiet area.

The woman looked up as they approached, her gaze flickering to each one of them before settling on Coco, her eyes taking her in almost analytically.

The woman looked at Sinclair, her eyebrow raised and her expression stoic.

"Is this her?" She asked, her gaze shifting to Coco for a moment before returning to Sinclair’s face, her tone business-like, her words precise and to the point.

Sinclair offered the woman a subtle smile, nodding in affirmation as he spoke. "Yeah, we came straight from the guild."

The hybrid affirmed casually, making the woman’s expression soften slightly, her gaze flickering between them, a look of understanding settling over her features as she hummed, nodding slightly, then she pointed to the door behind her.

"She’s back there. You’re lucky that she arrived before you, which was not too long ago," She explained, her gaze darting to the doorway before returning to them.

The tone in her voice was almost amused, as if they had arrived just in time, or perhaps even slightly late.

Sinclair sighed playfully, a hint of amusement in his expression, his tone light and slightly exasperated as he spoke. "Right, I got to make it right with her."

With that, he turned and began walking towards the door the woman had gestured to, pulling Coco along with him.

Coco stumbled as Sinclair dragged her forward, her feet barely able to keep up with his pace as they moved deeper into the room.

Her eyes darted around, taking in the sight of the woman sitting behind a sewing machine, her hands moving dexterously as she worked on the fabric before her.

The woman looked up at the sound of their entry, her eyes locking with Coco’s for a brief moment before returning to her work, the sound of the sewing machine punctuating the air, the rhythmic clatter acting as a background noise.

With a gasp, Coco pulled herself close to Sinclair, almost hiding behind him.

The woman sitting behind the sewing machine embodies the appearance of Sadako, her long black hair covering her face and creating an ominous air around her.

However, despite her long hair that obscured her face, the precision and skill with which she worked the fabric was noticeable, her movements fluid and almost graceful— making Coco awestruck even though she was still afraid.

Sinclair cleared his throat, drawing the woman’s attention away from her work.

"Sako, I’m here for the clothes I ordered from you last night.. I also came here to offer a piece of an offering." He stated, his tone playful, but respectful as he nudged her head towards Coco’s way.

The woman, Sako, lifted her head, her hair falling back as she turned her gaze towards him.

She studied him for a moment, her expression unreadable before gesturing for him to sit down in the chair across from her, a single finger with sharp black nail.

Sinclair quickly raised his hand, politely declining Sako’s invitation to sit.

"I’ll be quick. We just stopped by because we were already in the area." The hybrid explained, his tone clear and concise.

Sako nodded, understanding his preference for a quick transaction, so she stood up, stepping away from the sewing machine and walked over to a rack of clothes nearby.

Her hands moved swiftly as she searched through the clothes, her focus now on finding what he had requested.

Within five minutes, Sako reached out and pulled a hanger from the rack— the hanger held a white linen shirt, just like any other, the linen fabric was wrinkle-free, the folds of the fabric accentuating the neat tailoring of the shirt.

The shirt itself was plain and simple, devoid of any fancy embroidery or embellishments, its purpose functional.

Sinclair hummed in approval, pleased with the shirt that Sako had picked out, then turned to Coco, a smile on his face as he spoke.

"That shirt is imbued with magic stones." He explained, his tone matter-of-fact, but tinged with excitement.