Not long after entering the convenience store, Ren hurriedly grabbed all the items he wanted and tossed them into his basket. He didn't want to spend too much time here, worried that Senior Sora—who was likely done picking vegetables—might already be looking for him. So, the boy moved quickly, buying only the essentials before heading for the exit.
But when he arrived at the seasoning aisle, Ren spotted a particular sauce—one his older brother Jay had once recommended—perched on the highest shelf. He stretched his hand to reach for it, but no matter how many times he tried, he failed due to the gap between the shelf's height and his arm's reach.
Ren looked around for something he could stand on—a stool or even a crate—but saw nothing of the sort nearby. At the moment, the only other person in the store was a middle-aged employee asleep at the counter.
Sigh... Who the heck designed these shelves like this? They must be discriminating against short people like me, Ren thought bitterly. He even considered summoning a stone pillar just to boost his height.
Still, he felt he should try again. Just then, a pale, slender hand reached out and grabbed the bottle, handing it to him.
"Looking for this, little bro?"
"Ah... thank you," Ren said, accepting the sauce and turning to thank the person.
The woman who had helped him was a tall, horned lady with a striking, tomboyish charm. Her vivid green hair stood out, and she wore casual clothing that contrasted with the more conservatively dressed townspeople. But the most eye-catching thing was the massive, triangular shield strapped to her back—it had to weigh at least fifty kilograms, yet she carried it effortlessly, as if it weren't even there.
She gave off the impression of a brave delinquent girl from some action movie. But thanks to her pretty face and the awkward smile on her lips, Ren didn't feel intimidated at all.
Wait... am I being a hypocrite here?
Doubt crept into Ren's mind. Maybe it was because in both this life and the previous one, he had mostly encountered women who treated him kindly. That could explain why he naturally responded better to kind women than to anyone else.
"It's nothing. People should help each other when they can," the woman replied, a bit surprised that the boy wasn't scared of her like others tended to be. Her nervous smile slowly softened into a gentle one.
Seeing that he didn't need further help, the woman turned to head for the counter, carrying a large crate of beer she had come to buy after losing a bet with her subordinates.
"Thanks again, sis!" Ren called out after her. She paused for a second, then waved with a smile before continuing on.
It might've seemed like a sweet farewell—like they wouldn't meet again. But just seconds later, Ren found himself standing behind the green-haired woman at the counter anyway, waiting to check out.
That's when he noticed how flustered she seemed. She didn't look back at all, and the tips of her ears were slightly red. Ren grinned secretly and thought to himself that she was kind of cute.
"That'll be 600 LMD," said the middle-aged clerk, who had curved horns like a typical Lungmen citizen, in a cold voice. Perhaps he was irritated from being woken up mid-nap.
The green-haired woman's embarrassment faded instantly at the sound of the price.
"Wait... Boss, that's not the price from last time, is it?" she asked, puzzled.
The clerk scowled, which surprised even Ren. The guy didn't seem afraid of the woman at all, as if he knew she wouldn't dare do anything—even though she had a shield that could easily crush a human skull.
"Are you buying or not? If not, get lost! I'm already being generous selling to an illegal Onis like you! You should be grateful!"
The woman didn't respond. She didn't even look angry—almost like she was used to this kind of treatment.
This guy... he really is a racist piece of trash.
Hearing those words made Ren's blood boil.
He had already suspected that some of the staff here might be racists who looked down on people of other races. Even the way the products were arranged in the store hinted at it. (Some people clearly hold grudges.)
With his naturally cold and prideful personality, coupled with the clerk's resemblance to Officer Chen, Ren's anger surged again.
He didn't hesitate. He marched to the counter and slammed his right hand on it with a loud BANG, while secretly pulling something from his pocket with his left hand and hiding it under the counter.
BANG!
"Is this how you treat customers? Since when is it illegal for people of other races to shop here? If there's such a law, I'd like to see it! Otherwise, I'll report you for violating anti-discrimination regulations!"
The green-haired woman, who had been about to walk out and find another store, paused in shock. The skinny kid was standing up for her.
"Who the hell are you? Another outlaw like this Oni girl?" the clerk sneered, eyeing Ren like he was another disgusting pest.
"So what if I am? You think someone like me can't talk about the law in this place? I'm a Lungmen native! And the owner of this store is my niece! You really think the inspectors would take your side over mine, shorty?"
"Oh? So you admit your actions were illegal?" Ren grinned as he pulled out what he had hidden.
"What?! Don't tell me you recorded that?!" the clerk's expression twisted when he saw the phone in Ren's hand.
Ren ignored him and calmly took photos.
"I recorded everything you just said—and took pictures of the overcharged price for my friend here. If I bring this to the authorities, I'm sure they'll make a fair judgment, right?"
The clerk froze in panic, but still forced a smirk.
"Heh! What can someone like you do? I'm sure the officials wouldn't side with your kind! More likely, they'll throw you both in jail!"
"Is that so? That's perfect—because I happen to have a friend who works in law enforcement. She said I could call her anytime if I ran into trouble. I'm sure she'll give me a fair hearing."
Ren pulled out the business card that Beatrix had once given him.
The clerk, still brimming with arrogance, immediately paled when he saw the golden card with the familiar crest.
"W-Wait... That crest... Is that from the Swire Group?!"
Huh? Miss Swire is that well-known?
Ren raised his voice intentionally.
"You know Lady Beatrix Swire, too?" he asked, which caused the clerk's knees to give out.
"B-Beatrix?!"
"W-Wait, young master! No, sir! This is all just a big misunderstanding! Please, let's talk this over calmly!"
"I-I'll give you all the goods for free!! I'll even throw in some cash! Just please, don't contact Lady Swire!"
The man was clearly terrified. He even left the counter to kneel and cling to Ren's legs, begging. Ren started to wonder—was Miss Swire really that scary?
"Relax, old man. Sure, I was angry at how you treated her just now, but neither of us plans to exploit this for free goods. We've got more integrity than that... unlike you," Ren said while helping the man up, throwing in a bit of a jab.
Unbeknownst to him, the tall woman behind him smiled faintly at his words.
[Codename: Hoshiguma – Affection toward you has greatly increased. +1000 Emotion Points]
Hoshiguma?
Ren turned around curiously, and saw the tall woman smiling gently at him. There was no doubt now—she was the one the system had identified.
"Uh... You agree too, right, sis?" Ren asked awkwardly, not really sure what to say after turning around so suddenly. He just ended up asking if she still wanted the free items.
"Of course, little brother. I've got enough morals not to exploit people over something so small," the woman replied, looking at him with an unusual glint in her eye.
Not used to that kind of look, Ren quickly turned back to the old clerk.
"Like she said, just ring us up as usual—" Ren stopped mid-sentence, suddenly getting an idea.
"I-I will! I'll do it right away!" the clerk said hastily. But before he could return to the counter, Ren grabbed his shoulder firmly. The clerk turned around—and found himself staring into Ren's glowing, golden-tinted eyes.
"I almost forgot... Can you promise me one thing? That you'll never treat customers or anyone else like that again?"
For some reason, the middle-aged man felt like something unbearably heavy was pressing down on him. Instinctively, he nodded—he had no other way to survive this moment.
"I promise! I swear I won't do it again!"
"Don't forget... Those who break promises must swallow stones whole."
[Zhongli Mimicry Rate: 28% ⇢ 30%]
[Shop inventory expanded.]
When Ren saw the message he'd been hoping for, a wide smile formed on his lips. But in the clerk's eyes, that smile looked more like a terrifying warning.
"Remember those words well."