Numbers x Casket-Chapter 10: Seventeenth Shard

Efraim was startled by his sudden appearance, and the figure he saw at the top of his head made him nervous at the same time, but he didn't let the old man notice it.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm looking for single-edge swords. Maybe you have something to recommend," he answered, smiling, ignoring the floating numbers.

"Single-edged swords? Hmnn. Wait here for a second," the old man replied.

Then he went to the farthest part of the room, and several seconds later, he returned with a rectangular wooden chest in his hand, and then he gestured for the appraiser to come. He placed the thing on a table and pushed it towards Efraim.

"Please take a look at this," he conveyed with politeness.

Intrigued by what was inside, Efraim opened up the chest. However, his expectation betrayed him upon seeing a hilt without a blade.

The next second, his brows furrowed.

"No, there is actually one," Efraim uttered, and then he picked up the sword and scrutinized it.

"It's made of glass," he added.

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The owner couldn't help but smile upon seeing the appraiser's confused expression.

"Indeed, it is. It's a nice sword, but no one wants to wield it," the old man stated.

Efraim swirled it around his hand and even swung it a few times.

"Why? It looks great, and it's lighter than steel," he replied.

Then, the old man laughed for a little while before answering.

"It's a perfect sword for display, but I'm afraid it only needs a few impacts, and it will shatter into dust," he said.

"Though, I'll give you a huge discount if you take it," he added, his lips curling upward, forming a smile.

Efraim looked at the sword; its blade was clear and transparent, while its white hilt had three diamonds embedded on its grip. Its crossguard was not that wide, and a crown symbol was engraved on its rainguard.

"It's beautiful," he commented.

'And it radiates the same color as him,' he added inside his thoughts while staring at the number seventeen on top of it.

"So do you want to take it?" The old man asked upon seeing how interested the man was.

"I would love to, but I'm afraid that I might not have enough to purchase it," Efraim answered.

Upon hearing his concern, the old man laughed and replied. "It only costs one gold."

Efraim sighed after knowing the price; he placed the sword back in the chest.

"I'm sorry, I don't have enough resources to buy it," he said; disheartenment could be seen in his eyes.

The old man took a step closer to the table, and then he looked at the young man.

"You can pay me with what you have now and settle the balance some other time," he disclosed.

Afterward, he picked up the wooden chest and turned around.

"Let me pick a nice scabbard for this; look at the other items while waiting. Who knows, maybe you'll find something worth significant," he stated while walking to the area where he got the sword.

Efraim was left there standing, trying to process if the words he heard were really what the old man wanted to convey.

'I would be dying in shame if I took another one,' he thought.

Though, he still looked around the store like the old man suggested. Then, in one corner, he noticed a cabinet with a black dice; underneath it was a tag labeled sold.

"Sixfold Arsenal," Efraim read the words above the shelf.

"A dice as a weapon? It's my first time seeing one," he added, and then he tried to assess its rating through his eye, but the old man's voice prevented him from doing so.

"That's merely a display, not the actual one," the owner said.

Then he approached the young equator and continued speaking.

"From its name itself, this thing here is so unique that it can contain six different kinds of weapons and manifest one at a time through the user's will," he explained.

The appraiser felt amazed upon hearing how the black dice worked.

"I wonder what kind of person could wield this thing in perfection," Efraim couldn't resist sharing his own thoughts.

"It would be nice to talk about how great that person is, but my shop values confidentiality," the owner replied.

The next second, he extended both of his hands and presented the sword to the young appraiser.

"Here, I hope it suits your liking," the old man added.

Efraim looked at the owner's eyes; he still had his own set of questions, but upon seeing him nod at him, he took the weapon from his hands.

The scabbard had a pure white color, while its chape and locket were made of silver. It had no intricate markings or any kind of symbols on its body, but there was a small chain with a dangling crown attached to its belt.

"This is actually nice," Efraim uttered in satisfaction.

The next second, he unsheathed the sword and swung it several times.

"I almost forgot, does it have a name?" he asked.

The old man shook his head as a response; this made Efraim's eyes light up in excitement.

"Then, I'll call it Seventeenth Shard," he uttered before putting it back in its scabbard.

"That's quite unique, perfect for its rare composition." The old man gave out his approval.

Afterward, Efraim strapped it on his left leg and bid his farewell to the owner. But upon reaching the doorstep, he came to a sudden halt; he turned around and looked at the old man.

"I hope you wouldn't mind me asking, your weapons here are truly incredible; how come there's no one checking them out?" he asked.

The owner chuckled upon hearing the young man's question, but he still came out with a reply.

"Only those who walk towards the path of legends can enter my shop and see the true value of my collections," he said.

Somewhat satisfied by the old man's answer, Efraim smiled; he turned around and left the place.

However, after taking several steps outside, he realized that he forgot to give his initial payment. So he went back, but upon opening the door, he felt numb and dumbfounded.

There was not a single weapon present inside; the ceilings were filled with holes while the floor had several cracks. The cabinets were missing, and the old man was nowhere to be seen.

Efraim blinked a few times; he made several steps, but the place was really gone.

"Is that only an illusion?" he asked, confused about the situation.

Then he answered his own question as he looked at the white scabbard strapped around his leg.

"No, it's real," he said.

. . . . .

Efraim emptied his thoughts regarding the store's disappearance. He knew for a fact that even if he stayed up all night, he wouldn't be able to find a decent answer.

Thus, he walked towards the center of the town with one purpose in mind: to search for another weapon that suited his style.

However, like earlier, he found nothing noteworthy to his attention; all of the items at the roadside were plain and mediocre. They did excel in appearance, but they all failed as soon as he inspected them through his left eye.

Given this fact, Efraim picked the sword with the highest number. A black sword with a white lining on its edges. Though the weapon was dull-looking and plain, it was the only sword that reached the value of ninety-eight.

"Better than nothing," Efraim uttered after he paid for the item.

Then he put it around his other leg. With nothing left to do, he decided to return. However, he was just about to take another step when he saw Lindsay coming from the opposite direction.

As if the world came to a sudden halt, the chitchat disappeared; even the merchants yelling to gather attention stopped for a moment. All their eyes were focused on the black-haired woman walking down the streets.

Afterward, Lindsay noticed Efraim from a certain distance. Without wasting another breath, she waved at him, making the young man the center of attention.

Already knowing what was about to happen, Efraim turned around and began to walk away from her. He already made a resolve to ignore Lindsay to avoid further trouble as soon as he noticed the hatred coming from the crowd. However, as if Lindsay failed to read the atmosphere, she rushed towards the young appraiser.

"Efraim!" she called him out before hugging him from behind.

"I've been looking for you since earlier," she added while her head was buried on the appraiser's back.

Efraim's eyes widened in surprise while intoxicating fragrance filled the air he breathed.

"W-What's the matter?" he asked, trying his best to keep calm despite the silent stares from the people around, piercing like knives on his skin.

"Are you mad at me? You went out without saying a thing," Lindsay answered; a hint of sadness was present in her voice.

"No, you're mistaken. It just happened that I was in need of new weapons, so I took a stroll," Efraim replied.

Afterward, he held the woman's hands and escaped from her grasp, then he turned around and bent his legs. He wrapped his arm under her knees while the other was positioned on her back.

"E-E-Efraim?" Lindsay stuttered, her face flushing a vibrant red color.

"Forgive me, but I can't handle the stares," the appraiser whispered upon lifting her up.

Then, he leaped onto one of the roofs, escaping from the busy streets while carrying the flustered woman in his arms.

. . . . .