The person Infori approached moved, rising from his prone position and delivering a swift back kick.
"...?!" Infori reacted.
He blocked the kick with both hands, but it also sent him flying backward. Infori was still able to block it, otherwise he might have fallen.
The white-robed man stood, facing Infori, his face still obscured by his white robe. However, his movements alone were obvious.
He looked alert, his body as if preparing to launch himself forward—but he didn't.
Infori was slightly surprised to see him.
"Hey..." Infori called out softly. "...Give me back the knife you stole."
The white-robed man seemed startled, slowly moving his head backward. As if confused by what Infori was saying.
"What do you mean? I already paid for it!" he replied, flinching slightly. Hearing his voice, Infori could tell it sounded like a woman.
"Does paying with counterfeit money count as paying, huh?" Infori asked again.
"Huh?!" the white-robed man exclaimed upon hearing Infori's words.
She recalled what he had done earlier—what he had brought with him when visiting a shop selling artifacts.
⟨⟩ ⟨⟩ ⟨⟩
A sign bearing the shop's name was clearly displayed above the entrance.
AtzilutH ArtifactS
The AtzilutH ArtifactS (AHAS) shop building stood firmly and quietly before him.
It was tall, neat, and symmetrical, with tightly packed stone walls throughout. A man, clad in a white robe, stood in front of the door before finally opening the wooden door.
The sound of a bell rang.
She entered the shop, a fairly spacious room with a very neat interior. There were shelves with artifacts displayed, and the aura of their power was immediately felt as soon as the door opened.
Each artifact had a different aura, depending on the artifact on the shelf. Some auras resembled a spreading fire, others resembled a flash of electricity, and so on. The auras of artifacts could only be felt, not seen—although some could be seen directly, but only partially.
She walked deeper, walking as she examined all the artifacts displayed on the shelves.
His eyes scanned each artifact, as if searching for the one she was looking for. However, none of the artifacts he saw yet piqued his interest.
As she moved to another shelf, she found a shopkeeper dusting artifacts with a duster.
He was a brown-haired man wearing a blue shirt with a gray belt around his waist, long gray pants, and leather shoes with laces.