Chapter 56: Shopkeeper

District 12 was a wasteland after the Eternal Breach was opened by the Dark One in the Vessel Forest. The only things in the district were the polluted air, dirt, waste, and stray beasts that were part of the wave when the breach was opened.

Silver Crest City was one settlement created after the war with twelve districts, but it was more like multiple cities joined together.

The center of where the settlement was created was District 2, and so on. Before, all the settlements were joined to form Silver Crest City. It was located in a place the old ones called Europe.

Orson was looking at the old world map with a strange expression. So we are in Europe, he thought.

The woman cleaning a sword was angry at the customer who couldn’t read the simple English sign that said, "We are closed." Worse, the idiot pretended not to hear.

"Excuse me, sir."

Orson, who was looking at the map and the swords around, focused back on the girl who was looking at him with a cold face.

"Sir, I am sorry, but we are closed."

Orson looked at the door, then back at the girl. She was young—that was why Orson called her a girl in his mind—but she looked more like a woman.

She was a bit short, with black hair. Two gloves that looked too big for her hands somehow fit. She was in a crop top that looked red and black, with baggy jeans and combat shoes. She looked more like a handyman than a woman.

Orson looked at her, having to move his head down just to look at her. Although, in Robin’s defense, Orson was exaggerating. She was not that small.

He looked at her, then at the door. "But the door was open, so I came in."

Robin looked at him. "You cannot just enter someone’s home just like that."

Orson looked back at her, his face expressionless, before looking at the door. "But it’s a shop, not a home. So that was why I walked in."

"Well, look who we have here. This is my shop, and I said you should not enter."

Orson looked at her, his expression deadpan. "See, you too agreed it’s a shop."

"Well, to me it’s a home."

"Yeah, but you still called it a shop, so it’s a shop, and I entered the shop."

"Okay, now I am calling it my home, so can you leave?"

"But you called it a shop."

"Well, since I own it, now I am saying it’s a home."

"Well, since you called it a shop and I heard you earlier, I will just leave it as a shop."

"No, it’s my home, sir, not a shop."

Orson looked around the so-called home. "Well, you have a weird home. But since I heard shop, I am staying. And do not take it back."

This man was infuriating, and it was getting on Robin’s nerves.

This is why I hate men, she thought as she let out a breath she was holding. She wanted to kill the idiot as he stood there, but she could not. So she just took a deep breath to calm herself, let it out, and then took another deep breath. And then another before looking at the man with a calmness Robin did not feel.

"Look, fine. This is a shop. My shop. And we are closed, so I will not be selling you anything. So please, can you leave?"

Orson sighed to himself. He was not sure where this childish part of himself had come from, but after being a three-hundred-year warlord, just fighting with a stranger who would not run for the hills was good. But still, he had been surprising himself with his immature side a lot, and he loved it.

He looked back at the woman, who had a name tag on her plate.

"You must be Robin, right?"

Robin shot back, "Wow, sir. You can read."

Orson did not say anything, just smiling. Then he said, "Look, my comms said you were open, so I came. And I really did not see any closed sign."

Robin looked at the man, not believing a word. Before going out of the shop, Orson followed.

They were standing outside, and they were both looking down. In front of the shop, there was a sign. But weird enough, the sign said "Open," not "Closed."

Robin’s brow twitched. She thought Orson had brought her out just to make fun of her. She looked up as she saw Orson looking back at her, then at the floor, before looking at her again.

"Wait, this was the sign you were talking about?"

Robin looked before nodding. "Of course it is. What else did you think it was?"

Orson looked at the small sign that looked more like decoration than a sign. And worst of all, the sign was like ten feet from the shop. It looked more like a sign to show the way than for a shop.

Orson looked at Robin. "Wait, this was the sign you were talking about?"

Robin looked and nodded.

"Then why is it ten feet away from your shop? I mean, it looks more like a sign showing the way than a closed sign."

Robin just nodded and said, "Yeah, it’s a sign showing the way to my closed shop."

Orson just looked at her. Even for his immature self, he had no comeback for that.

And just said, "Well, it looks like your shop is open, so I hope you will not mind."

Robin looked at the man before looking at the sign. Then she moved. Orson watched as Robin took out the sign, turned it over, and then placed it back. The sign now said, "Closed."

Orson was stunned as he watched Robin. After that, she said, "Well, now we are closed."

And with that, she walked into her shop and closed the door, leaving Orson standing there, just looking.

In disbelief. What the hell had just happened?