Refining the Heavens 5 (炼天五)

Chapter 21: Shopping in the Otherworld

After the dragonling had flown away, the group started their splurging spree. The shopping alley was fashioned in dwarven tradition, lots of glowing crystals and pretty rocks. The buildings are molded from metals of all kinds of colours, and there are screws, nuts, and bolts everywhere.

Surprisingly, despite the all-metal buildings, there are no smell of rust in the air.

The group visited shop after shop, purchasing more clothes than they could wear, and picking up all the boots, belts, scarfs and any accessories that pleased the eye.

The dwarven community is ALL about the design, no matter what they craft.

Fashion is on the throne in this place.

Even though Leo was completely thrown off at the start by the amounts they are spending, he eventually became numb.

As a travelling merchant that always had to calculate funds down to the last coin, he was aghast with how wasteful it seemed.

However, Kairos convinced him that the money they have sitting there is to be spent, "Since I like the dwarves and their city, I want to support them!"

Moreover, most of the goods and products are all of higher quality than outside, it is rather safe to buy anything here and all the spare items can be brought back to Gaia. Kairos is certain that the guys back home will love it.

Splurging, yes, but wasteful? Not so much.

After all, the dwarves are well-known to be a down-to-earth and humble race because they will refuse to overcharge their products even for their popular brands. If a famous blacksmith makes a sword of the same quality as a lesser blacksmith, a dwarf will adamantly sell it as cheaply as his neighbor. That is what makes one a true-blooded dwarf.

Of course, the most important reason why Leo gave in is because he also had fun; spending money is fun, spending someone else's money is even more fun.

Soon full bags of clothes are hanging from everyone's arms. The ladies are wearing multiple accessories on their hair, neck, and arms. The guys bought beautiful tiny machines that could tell time.

These items are made small enough to be placed in pockets or even found on bands for wrists or fingers. For the couple that came from Gaia, it was an entirely new invention that they have never seen before. While Relestia bought a particularly dainty one for herself, she did not like the cumbersome feel it had on her wrist. However, seeing that the boys are crazy over these mechanical toys and they have lots of gold taken from the Jarl, she secretly bought a similar looking timepiece for Kairos to surprise him later as well as a beautifully adorned one – overly embellish but tasteful – just the way her father would like.

Although she is glad that her royal father is still alive, she bit down hard on her teeth when she thought of how he is still stuck in a torture chamber back on Gaia.

Even so, the little princess did not rush Kairos. She trusted him, not blindly but she understood him and his character. Besides, even if they tried to hurry, there is no clear direction that will led them home. To find the way home, one will need to know more people with high status and to find out more about the history of Axis, if there are others in the same situation.

Kairos, despite seeking apprenticeship, had actually been doing this best to bring her back to Gaia; as a princess she could at least tell that much.

Perhaps if they joined the heroes and killed the demon king as the human kingdoms asked, they might have a passage home, but the chances are slim because they did not come summoned like the others. Moreover, no one knew if what the Jarl said was true... and, she had also messed up any leftover possibility by rampaging.