Chapter 109: Mr. Voice is...

"Antoinette, are you sure this looks good on me?"

"...M-Mr. Voice?"

The owner of the fancy store, Mr. Weber, almost choked on his words as he saw the golden haired boy that just stepped out of one of the fitting rooms.

"Mr. Voice!?", suddenly, all the guests who were listening in could not help but walk nearer to the commotion as their curiosity reached its peak.

"That's Mr. Voice?"

"Oh my, I didn't know Mr. Voice was such a handsome young man"

The other guests could not help but comment as they drew closer and closer to the men's section, wanting a front row seat to the action.

The senior attendant, however, was drowning in her own sweat. Out of all the people she could have disrespected, why would it be them!? It's not her fault that the two were wearing such shabby clothes!

"...What's going on?", Viel, who just got out of the fitting room, could not help but tilt his head in confusion.

"It's nothing, Vi...Mr. Voice", Antoinette said in a cold tone, "Let's go to the next shop". She said as she urged Viel to return the clothes he was wearing.

"But I just changed…"

"P-please wait, madam Antoinette!"

Mr. Weber quickly stepped in front of Antoinette and bowed towards her. "We have more selections upstairs! Please, check them out!"

"No", Antoinette coldly said, "It has been made clear that we loiterers are not welcome here"

"That's not the case at all!", Mr. Weber said, "Is this the one who told you to leave?"

Mr. Weber looked at the senior attendant, "I am afraid we do not know who she is"

"M-mr. Weber!?", the senior attendant pleaded.

"Who let this woman wear our uniform!? Kick her out! Kick her out!", Mr. Weber signaled the other attendants to take away the senior attendant.

The senior attendant struggled for a bit, but when she saw Mr. Weber's furious gaze, she quietly stepped out to the back of the store. A few seconds after the senior attendant was gone, Mr. Weber once again smiled towards Antoinette and Viel.

"Please, it was just a misunderstanding just now", Mr. Weber said coquettishly, "I have new ones upstairs that I am sure both of you will like!"

The second floor of the store contains the clothes made with only the finest materials, reserved only for the nobles themselves. But considering who Mr. Voice is, Mr. Weber was more than happy to let them try and buy the clothes from the second floor.

But alas, Antoinette was adamant in leaving as she grabbed Viel's arms.

"P-please wait!", Mr. Weber shouted, "I will give you a very good bargain on everything you buy!"

"!!!", Hearing this, Antoinette's previously frowning face immediately lightened up. She then let go of Viel's arm and cleared her throat.

"Very well, all is forgiven", Antoinette said in a posh voice, "I request this attendant here to assist us to the second floor then", she said as she pointed at the young attendant behind Viel.

"O-ofcourse! Please!", Weber joyfully said as he approached the young attendant.

"You are new, right?", Weber whispered, "Good work. You will be the new head attendant from now on!", Weber then loudly said, making sure that Antoinette hears it.

"Now, please. Assist our esteemed guests to the second floor"

"Y-yes!", the young attendant was flustered. It hasn't even been that long since she started working here, and now she was the head attendant!? What was she even supposed to do as the head attendant?

Noticing that the two guests were waiting for her, she quickly calmed herself down as she guided them to the upper floor.

And, suffice to say, the garments and fibers here really were of a much higher quality than the ones below. Antoinette's eyes once again glistened as she touched the exquisite materials that were used on the garments.

And once again, she picked out clothes for Viel to wear.

By the end of it, Viel now had clothes, that quite literally, were enough to change his whole wardrobe, and another.

Of course, Antoinette too, took advantage of this generous discount that the shop owner has given them. A carriage was even needed for their clothes to be transported back to their lodgings at the adventurer's guild.

Antoinette had a very satisfied look on her face as she watched as the carriage rolled away from the store. Viel, on the other hand, was almost sitting tired in front of the store from all the clothes he tried on.

"T-thank you very much!", the young head attendant bowed towards the two with a smile on her face. Even with the discount that was given to the two, the store still gained a considerable profit, in which she will receive a commission.

Mr. Weber was also with them, telling them to come back to the shop, and sneakily persuading Mr. Voice to recommend his store to the royal family.

"We will come back when we feel like it", commented Antoinette, feeling fancy for finally being able to spend her money. "Let's go, Viel"

"P-please wait!"

Antoinette and Viel were about to leave when the young attendant suddenly grabbed Viel's cuffs,

"My name is Violet!", she said blushingly, "Please, do call for me when you return to the store!". She then bowed as she frantically made her way back to the store, questioning herself on why she did that.

"Oho?", Antoinette could not help but hum a snide remark, "Really are quite the lady's man, aren't you?", she said teasingly.

"Violet...", Viel had a startled expression as he whispered.

"Oh? What is this?", elbowed Antoinette, "Is our young Mr. Voice finally starting to develop feelings of love?"

"Eh?", a disgusted expression formed on Viel's face as he stuck out his tongue, "Of course not. She just has the same name of someone I know"

"Ever quite the mysterious one, aren't you?", Antoinette sighed, "No matter, we still have lots of shops to visit"

"What!?"

"Yes. That was only the first one!", she hollered as she once again grabbed Viel's arm, "Let's go!"

"Noo!", Viel' shout echoed throughout the street… all the way to one of the alleys, where a trio of seemingly suspicious individuals were hiding.

"Kuku", one of the men from the group laughed, "Did you see those two who just left Weber's? They bought a lot of things. I am sure they are loaded with coins!"

"Keke. You're right", a man holding a knife joined in, "Shall we rob them then!?"

The two nodded their heads rapidly as their excitement reached the roof.

"You guys are imbeciles", the last one of the group spoke mockingly, "The golden haired boy is Mr. Voice, a gold rank adventurer. Do you guys want to die?"

"Oh", commented the two, "Let's just go home then"

And with that, the trio that were up to no good went home, leaving the poor Viel to be dragged by Antoinette through numerous shops until the sun set with no rest.

Finally, after hours of buying stuff from the city, the two of them were back to the familiar confines of the adventurer's guild. All the things that Viel "bought" were now in his lodging. And he was now, once again, spending time inside Antoinette's office, counting the coins he had left.

Antoinette was going to ask why Viel was inside her office again, but when Viel said that she was the one who told him to spend time with his friends, Antoinette could no longer bear herself to ask Viel to return to his lodgings.

"Can I ask you a question, Viel?"

"Sure", Viel shrugged.

"Where did you come from?"

"Eh? Weren't you with me?"

"No!", Antoinette almost scratched the paper she was signing, "I mean, where did you live before coming to Burgerstatter?"

"I was in prison"

Antoinette was about to lose her wits, but when she saw that Viel had a serious expression on his face, she couldn't help but furrow her eyebrows.

"...For how long?"

Viel stopped counting his coins as he placed his hand on his chin, "I… don't really remember"

"Then before that?", Antoinette stopped working on her papers as she invested her attention towards Viel, "Where did you live before that?"

Antoinette wasn't there when it was revealed that Viel was from another world. And the people who know of it, chose to keep it a secret. As such, even as their star adventurer, Antoinette did not really know much about Viel except for the fact that he was acquainted with the princess of both races.

Viel closed his eyes as he placed his finger between his eyebrows, "I think it was called Taizhou city?"

"Taizhou?", Antoinette tilted her head, "Sounds like a place from the east".

Is that why Viel looked somewhat unique? Viel had a much slimmer face than most, perhaps that would explain why the color of his eyes were pitched black?

"So, you're a mixed-race then?", Antoinette's face was full of curiosity.

"What? No, i'm not an elf"

"...I meant your parents. One was from here, and the other from lands in the east"

"No idea, I was an orphan", Viel said as he smiled, "My grandparents were the ones who took care of me"

"Don't you miss it? Taizhou, I mean", Antoinette could not help but ask. Viel's grandparents were the only people that Viel keeps on mentioning, so she could not help but wonder about the other people from Viel's past.

Viel shook his head, "I don't really remember much of it"

"Violet? What about her?", Antoinette asked, she remembered Viel's flustered expression when he heard the attendant's name from earlier.

"Oh", Viel hummed, "I guess you can consider her a friend?"

"What about you?", Viel continued, "Tell me stories about you"

Antoinette was surprised with Viel's sudden change of topic, but she didn't really want to pry any further. It seems that Viel really doesn't remember much. Well, considering his age, it was expected. Antoinette herself can't remember much about when she was just a child.

"Well…", Antoinette started to tell her story, "Like most people here in Burgerstatter, I was born here. Raised just outsi-"

*yawn*

She could not even properly start her story when she heard a sudden yawn echo through the room.

Viel was already lying on her sofa, seemingly fast asleep.

Seeing Viel peacefully sleeping there, not even allowing her to start her story, she could not help but twitch her eyes. But after a while, she released a harmonious sigh.

"Good night, Viel", she said as she continued to do her paperworks.

Weeks easily flew by, and during this time, Viel gained another title.

Due to the stylish new clothes that he has been wearing, he has been dubbed as the most handsome adventurer in the country.

They call him, "Mr. Voice, The Golden Flower of Burgerstatter".

Antoinette, of course, was very pleased that their branch has once again resounded throughout the country.

But of course, Antoinette still had another plan. He told Viel not to wear the most luxurious clothing they bought from Weber's.

No, that was reserved for Lord Karl's birthday party.

And everyone will stare in awe as they watch the star of the adventurer's guild shine. Antoinette could not help but laugh as her thoughts leaked from her mouth.

Tomorrow… is the day!