Chapter 117

Seeing all these expensive-looking shoes in rows, some in crates, and on open shelves, they weren't even everything. Tides of clothes were clean and soft and smooth, waiting for some wear, and William didn't even know what to look at, let alone what to choose.

Walking around the corners of the shop, wondering what was he holding, minutes passed. He was no longer a lonely shopper; he wasn't even feeling like one.

Lost in thoughts, and still looking at shoes, a quick pair came around a corner and reached the dedicated shoe section. Reaz dragged Celeste by her hand, her steps firm and willful. Celeste was holding onto Hound as if it were a safeguard or her protective talisman. It was almost true.

“Oy,” Reaz said and glared at William who was in the way to get further. “Get out of here. Can't you see us?”

William didn't hear her; he was busy looking at the shoes in black color and wondering if it was charred or too large for him—and being lost in thoughts about whether it was more expensive than a set of clothes—or if stealing was a sin.

But he heard her assumption, bordering on the fact that she was hard to overlook and unheard, yet he assumed she wasn't talking to him. Reaz got offended and changed her tone.

“Hey, didn't hear me, kid? I say get out. We are shopping here and you aren't looking like you would buy a thing. This is a premium shop, brat.”

Reaz wasn't polite with her words at all, so William realized she was speaking to him by a simple matter of her words. Besides the girl hugging a dog, what did this point to?

Turning his head, he watched two people and a strange beast fairly close away from him. So much so that he jerked away slightly, watching those crazy eyes and hearing sniffing of a curious Hound that finally gotten closer to something interesting.

Celeste was right before him; Reaz was holding her shoulders, pushing Celeste who was visibly bothered and annoyed with this hag to get new shoes.

Unfortunately, she couldn't forget their words and how Dreadus talked about clothes and promises. He offered her something equal or better than that cloak, so it wasn't something she was willing to overlook. It was Reaz who was a problem and making this experience worse.

She could literary buy whatever she wanted. Wasn't it the same as looting corpses and looking through destroyed machines? Sure, Darks had no clothes and attention to some shops, but Celeste knew that being naked wasn't a good idea and having something decent sounded fun.

At least Australia was a warm place, so she never had a problem with a lack of clothes, but occasionally, her home wouldn't be so cozy. Throughout the years, locked and living out there, she realized many things and endured them even more.

Here? What was going on in the middle of freaky endless waters that had no bounds or visible bottom? Well, in terms of years and loot, wearing improper clothes for her smaller figure was understandable. That explained her current disposition for clothes; both in a good and bad way.

William didn't judge her for that. He was still better than her by a mile, which was still very problematic for Reaz who had her standards and passions.

She glared at William as if it was an annoying boulder in the way, and judging by his attire and look, it wasn't a very nice and good boulder.

“So?” Reaz said whilst towering over him.

William saw her uniform up close this time and saw the rest. She was quite tall and buoyant in many ways. Her chest was prominent like her face and voice, but her Emblem wasn't visible and her tense eyes compelled one to look away. Not him.

“Eh. As far as I know,” William said, “shopping is half-looking and half-spending. There is enough room and space even if you doubled in size, miss.”

Hearing his obnoxiously polite tone that had some thorns, Reaz was slightly taken aback, surprised to hear a brat talking like that to her. Celeste was one thing, but where was the last time some brat argued with her? Wasn't her uniform enough to let others know the reality of their situation?

Was this brat a total moron?

Smiling, she had all intentions to not back down and take care of this shopping for her and Celeste's sake. Some little guy better get lost. “Am Walker, brat. You will listen to me and get the fuck out of my way.”

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“Didn't ask. I am looking for some clothes to wear as well, miss. It's a small issue, unlike yours, you see. You won't stop me because there is no time to waste space and time on it. This shop is huge if you haven't noticed.” William argued and before Reaz even touched him, Wagner came back, realizing that something bad was brewing in his shop. William already turned and wanted to check some sets, but he noticed the old man's steps.

He appeared behind him like a ghost and seemed to realize what was going on. Unfortunately, he was familiar with Reaz and those like her, so he didn't misjudge it and came just in time.

“Miss Reaz, as far as business and management go, you wouldn't make things difficult for me, would you?”

“Huh? Wagner, this is...” Reaz eyed him like William who never escaped her sight. Something about this brat felt wrong. She could feel it. “Hmp. Fine. If you dare to speak to me like that again, brat, it won't end up good for you.”

“It is appropriate to know where it isn't worth it, miss. Also, don't bully children who just came to the Federation. It's not good for your reputation.” Wagner said simply and stood his ground against her. Back straight, tone firm, and eyes unwavering, he wasn't that polite any longer.

Reaz let Celeste go and chucked coldly. “Whatever is polite is weak. This is... Nah. It is beneath me. Consider it a courtesy of my successful mission that I am not like some idiot. But in return, I will get something nice or more suitable, Wagner.”

“Not as if you would need to ask for that,” Wagner said hesitantly, glad she listened.

Reaz walked aside and sized William one more time. He no longer walked away and listened to Wagner and what he said. It seemed Walkers were quite lofty people as he knew from the Outside. In the Federation, it felt even more prominent, strict, and implying this huge land wasn't taking these lots as something little.

Should he reveal his Emblem as well, shocking this cocky woman who was far too tall in her head?

Well, not like he wasn't hiding. He noticed Celeste's Emblem and that growing and growling dog. It looked at him constantly, sizing him, and its mouth was twitching like crazy.

Celeste wasn't moving at all. She stood as if frozen and didn't know why everyone was so strange in this new world. And this boy before her, who was he? She liked how he talked back at this hag. Celeste took a mental note akin to a small lesson from him, right before realizing that Hound was in some distress. She hugged him tightly, squeezing until it stopped.

“I am glad to accompany little miss like this young man,” Wagner said and gestured for Reaz to get lost. “Dreadus says that I am still a boss, you see.”

“Oh, he doesn't want me to...well, I don't care anymore. Have fun. I will shop unhindered by this silly girl. Good luck.” With that said, Reaz left them to look at some dresses and accessories.

Wagner apologetically glanced at William, sighting and feeling this situation devolved into an unfortunate incident. There was no need for excuses or any words between them, though this girl was a very different matter altogether because of what Dreadus said. She didn't look like that at all. Five feet and a couple of inches tall, she wasn't looking decent, or very wrong either. The combination of her hair and clothes made everything worse.

William was a little bit impressed by this old man and Wagner would almost say the same thing back.

Not every day would he see youth not back down against a powerful Walker, let alone Reaz of all Walkers in the Federation.

Without words, both of them found something common and fit for a helpless sigh.

Celeste felt as if she wasn't even there and played a third wheel.

William saw Reaz disappear, which calmed this shop, while the rest of her party waited by the entrance. It seemed Dreadus was less than comfortable with joining Celeste in her shopping. Siblings looked around, bored, exhausted, and unwilling to change their clothes without each other's consent.

Wagner planned to give Celeste a nice gift.

“Well, it is good to be young and all, so has the young man decided on what to do? I will have this miss to take care of, and if you haven't decided, take your time. Consider it my courtesy,”

William nodded and after giving Celeste a small look, glanced back at some shoes.

It didn't escape his eyes how this girl was barefoot and how almost all of her legs were exposed, lean, and not looking weak at all. Tanned and composed, she was like a huntress.

“Those shoes. How many credits for them?” William asked for a random price of some shoes to get a better idea.

“Around ten or eleven for the cheapest pair,” Wagner stated a smaller price than he would normally give. He could provide unique prices on a whim. There was no small amount of support he had managed over the ears, and his business was old and never shabby. His shop was considered at the peak of what these streets could offer because of Walker's alone. It ran in the family.

Pointing at the shoes that William settled on, the price seemed shocking considering the clothing set was the same and shoes were, according to him, much more important.

“Ten... So ten or eleven credits for... eh?” Hadn't this old man said something completely different before?

“I can't go any lower. Sets are good or better. Usually, fourteen or sixteen is the optimal price, young man. You are new here. It ought to be better in the future, so perhaps you can pay it back by returning after getting some work done. It is that sort of business here. One tends to look at the mirror and be generous when it sounds good. You are that.”

William was stunned by his sudden generosity and light roast. Lost in words, he wondered if fourteen credits was a good price or not. Once again, he was overthinking, not realizing that Wagner was stating different prices.

“It is fine. I know how a lot of youngsters struggle to get by. Even a dozen credits isn't much if one wants a decent week. Hundreds aren't enough for some rooms and...” As Wagner got lost in his lesson and way of the Federation, Celeste had enough.

Shifting and sniffing Hound agreed as well, as it still mustered her hug and glared at William as if he ate its bones and killed its entire clan.