The inside of the shop was dust and shadows.
Rusty chains creaked overhead.
The air reeked of old metal and older blood.
Everything—walls, counters, even the floor—looked like it had survived a war and lost.
She stepped in quietly, brushing aside the tattered curtain at the door.
An old demon sat behind the counter. Red hair, long and tied messily behind his back. One horn cracked halfway down, like a mountain split by lightning. He didn't bother looking at her.
"Shop's closed."
The voice was rough, tired. But not weak.
Rie walked closer, ignoring the layered dust and scattered scraps of rusted weapons.
"I'd like to buy something, kind sir."
The man turned his head slightly. Just slightly.
"You deaf, brat? Shop's closed. Nothing here is for sale."
Her eyes wandered lazily toward the left wall, where half-broken swords hung like forgotten ghosts.
"You mean... this junk?" she asked, raising a brow.
"Yeah. Junk. Leave."
"But I still want to buy something," she said, smiling, flicking her hair back.
"You see... I have a lot of money."
He didn't even blink.
"Brat."
His voice dropped.
"Last warning. Get out before I throw you out."
Then it hit her.
A wave of mana—raw, violent, crushing.
Killing intent wash over her.
The kind of presence that made weaker demons drop dead just from proximity.
Her smile vanished.
The bag in her hand slipped and her food hit the floor.
She collapsed onto one knee, clutching her throat, unable to breathe. Like the air itself had been stolen. Her vision blurred.
The old demon didn't even face her fully—he simply watched from the corner of his eye. Cold. Detached.
Still, she gasped, struggling to stay upright.
"I... still want to buy..."
Her voice cracked.
But she said it.
The mana lifted.
Her lungs filled with air, finally. Her chest heaved.
He looked at her, now fully, for the first time.
"What do you want to buy, brat?"
The tone wasn't amused. Just... irritated.
He gestured toward the wall.
"Pick any junk you like. Take it and get lost."
Rie stood up slowly, wiping the dirt off her skirt. Her eyes dropped to the food on the ground—ruined, soaked in the grime of the old floor.
Her expression faltered, just for a second.
Then she looked back up with a sweet smile.
"Why would I buy that crap?"
She saw it.
A flicker. A twitch of his mouth.
Before he could say anything, she cut in.
"I want to buy what's inside."
"…"
Silence.
The room fell still. Even the wind seemed to hold its breath.
The old man finally turned his full gaze on her. His hazel eyes glowed dimly—ancient, brutal, like staring into the abyss of time itself.
It was the same look the Demon King had given her once. That gaze that pierced through skin, bone, and soul.
But she didn't flinch. She stared back.
His voice came out, low and lethal.
"Brat… Just because you're a princess... don't think I won't kill you."
She gulped.
It's not like she was hiding her identity with her long flowing sliver hair that was sign of the royal family.
but to think he would threaten her even after knowing she was princess
but I guess that just like him.
She knew this man.
He wasn't just anyone.
He was one of the Seven Ancient Demons.
A God of war and wrath.
the wrath clan pervious head
'Sir Vael'Zhar of the Rusted Flame'
The name echoed like a forgotten curse.
Still, she smiled.
"Hm? but... what would Grandpa gain by killing a worthless brat like me?"
That caught him.
To him this brat was quite irritating….
He narrowed his eyes, unsure whether to laugh or rip her apart. But instead—
"What is it you want to buy?"
Before she could answer, he waved a hand dismissively.
"Can a brat like you even afford it? My items aren't cheap."
And he wasn't bluffing.
His artifacts were insanely expensive—priceless to collectors, deadly in the right hands. Some were rumoured to be forged in the Forgotten Wars.
'Even the seven family find it hard to buy from him'
But she grinned wider.
"Grandpa? Aren't you underestimating me too much"
She pouted
And with that, she reached into her coat pocket and pulled out a black card, its surface glossy, marked with the Demon King's insignia.
No name. No limit. A card that could buy a continent if needed.
She placed it gently in front of him.
'There's nothing the Demon King can't buy in his own realm.'
This card was given to her by him at her first birthday to save face.
but she never used it in her pervious life.
But now
Hehe
she smiles
she will use everything she can to become strong
On the other hand
The old man stared at the card
For the first time, Vael'Zhar blinked.
His pupils constricted like he'd just seen a god of money walk into his ruin of a store.
She could practically see the math equations running in his head.
Profit.
Profit
Profit.
Yeah. Now he is going to sell her whatever she wants.
If she shows him the card from the start, he would kick her out.
You can't buy everything just because you have money, you know…
from the start he was testing her
Without another word, he got up and walked toward the back of the shop.
"Follow me."
And she did.