Chương 185: Chapter 183 – The Quiet Life.

Craftsmen hoisted a sign onto what resembled a storefront. With strong hammer strikes, they fixed it in place. Rusty stood at the edge of the street with arms crossed, motionless. The sound of nails driving into wood echoed through the quiet street until at last the workers stepped back and nodded at their work.

"There you go." One of them said, brushing sawdust from his hands. Rusty tilted his helmet up and stared at the name: Living Metal Forge. He lingered longer than the workers expected, studying the words etched into the steel plate and the helmet carved above them. The letters gleamed in the afternoon light. Half of the helmet caught the sun and shone brightly while the other half remained in shadow. The image reflected him perfectly, as if the sign itself embodied both his nature and his shop.

Yet one thing was still missing.

"..."

"Well, that's expected, Rusty. We still have to get the interior ready." Said Alexander from within the armor. The roof had been patched and the sign now hung in place, but the shop still required much work. Rusty stepped inside, boots ringing on the uneven floorboards. The carpenters had cleared most of the rot, but the air remained thick with dust. To him, a monster, this meant little. Alexander reminded him, however, that poor ventilation could become a problem.

"We will need shelves and weapons on display." Alexander reminded him, and Aburdon added his opinion.

"We should put the best wares in front and dazzle those unwashed mortals with Rusty's enchanted weaponry."

"I'm not sure if that would be wise, Aburdon…"

"Bah, what do you know?"

"Probably more than a demon king who never was an adventurer." The two disagreed on how the shop should appear. Aburdon wanted everything to be bright and impressive, with costly items placed in plain view, much like some merchants display their treasures behind glass for passersby to admire. Rusty admitted it was an interesting idea, but he quickly saw the problems.

"If we do that, someone will just break the glass and rob us. Perhaps we need to keep the valuable items in the back like other stores?" He asked his guides, as the other humanoids had probably chosen that solution for a reason. The place he had gotten was surprisingly spacious and included several side rooms that could be turned into storage for the more expensive wares. He also had a second floor that was no longer a hazard since the roof had been repaired, making it the best area for that purpose.

"Preposterous, we can just hire guards!" Aburdon still didn't agree, and soon his guides were fighting again.

"And where will we find the money for that? First, we need to earn something."

"We can get more by selling monster parts or killing adventurers!" The argument went back and forth. Alexander urged restraint while Aburdon pushed to be more daring. Rusty weighed their words carefully as his funds were already thin after buying materials and paying fees. When the shop was finished, there would be little left to hire protection. Yet if he returned to the dungeon, someone would have to guard the store.

Rolo and the other children could handle sales, but they could not fight off thieves or intruders. He would eventually need to hire a watchman; even a weak adventurer of rank E or F was better than nothing.

'I will have to go to the guild for that, but first I need to start selling.' If Rusty had been human, he would have sighed at that moment. The store was a good way to make extra money, but starting it was proving troublesome. He was losing valuable time that could have been spent in the dungeon, gaining levels, and gathering materials. At times like this, he wished he could split himself, but his armor puppeteering skill did not reach that far.

His puppets also lacked the ability to speak or interact with humanoids.

'What if…' He paused. There was still one thing he had never tried with his puppeteering skill, which was placing one of his guides inside a shell. Aburdon had tried a few times to enter a body and control it, so it seemed possible. If Rusty created a body infused only with darkness or light while leaving out the twilight element, it was a possibility.

'Alexander would probably be better suited for this task…' When he thought about who could act as a shop protector and deal with adventurers more effectively, Alexander was the obvious choice. He had once been human and understood how adventurers thought and behaved. There was precedent as well, since Aburdon had once managed to attach himself to Gleam and operate outside of Rusty's influence. With a specially prepared body, Rusty could create two minions who could act independently while he was inside the dungeon.

Their bodies would be sturdy enough to serve as silent bodyguards, something he would need in the future if the store became more successful.

"Rusty?"

"Huh?"

"You went quiet for a moment. What are you thinking about?" Alexander asked, noticing that Rusty had stopped responding.

"It's nothing, just thinking about the future." Rusty shook his metal head. For now, his idea was out of reach. He would first need to return to the soul forge and create an alloy infused only with the light element before he could craft a body for Alexander. That would have to wait. For the moment, getting the store in order came first.

"Well then, how about we bring out a few items and place them around, just like the other shops do?"

"Good idea. If this is to become a real shop, then we should look the part." Alexander agreed with Rusty's decision. Although he could take weapons from his storage space, he could not do so here in front of the workers and children. Instead, he went back into the basement and prepared a barrel filled with various supplies. When he returned, he placed it in the middle of the main store area and looked at the children. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author.

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"Rolo, come help me place them."

"Sure, Mr. Edmund." Rolo replied as he moved over and pulled one of the swords from the barrel. The boy was young, but he already possessed a battle class, so holding a sword was not difficult for him.

"I want to help too!" Natia shouted as she approached the barrel. Before she could jump up to reach a dagger, a concerned ant moved in front of her.

"(•́ - •̀)""Gleam?" She asked in confusion. The youngest child did not understand, since it did not seem like playtime, but soon Ria pulled her gently back.

"No, you might hurt yourself. Let the others handle this."

"Nuoo! Natia wants to help!"

"We can help with something else. Come with me." Natia resisted, waving her small fists, but she could not overcome the older girl's strength. Gleam stayed with the other two girls while Rolo, Rusty, and Isan moved the steel weapons and armor. Isan was still quite young and struggled to hold them properly, but he remained determined to help. Rolo carried the first sword carefully, stepping across the dusty boards to hang it on one of the wooden pegs that had been newly hammered into the wall.

Rusty observed his movements and nodded once when the boy adjusted it until the weapon sat straight.

"That's good. Keep them even and polished just like in the other stores."

"Yes, sir." Rolo's tone carried a sense of admiration that Rusty did not dislike. The young man had seemed much happier lately, and once he heard that this shop would be opening here, he had been completely in favor of it.

"Hngh!" Isan grunted as he tried to lift an axe meant for two-handed use. His face turned red as he strained his undeveloped muscles. It was clear that he wanted to help, but the weight of the weapon was far too much for him. The wolf-eared child's tail flicked, and his ears flopped forward as he lost his balance and nearly fell. Fortunately, Rusty was close enough to catch the weapon with one hand.

"Just handle the daggers and shortswords. Leave the heavy ones to me."

"Y-yes, I'm sorry." The young boy lowered his head, and his tail curled in a show of fear. Rusty knew these children had been abused by mercenaries, and it was clear that some of them had not yet forgotten. Isan seemed ready to accept some kind of punishment for making a mistake, but Alexander had explained a better way of handling children.

"It's fine, you did your best." For a moment, Isan looked surprised, even frightened. Rusty had raised his metal hand as if preparing to strike. Rolo noticed this and reacted instantly, but then he paused as he realized the gesture was different. Instead of a blow, the large hand rested gently on the child's head in a pat. The metallic texture of Rusty's palm might have felt uncomfortable, yet there was no force behind it. Rusty kept his hand there for a moment, uncertain if the boy would flinch away.

Instead, Isan froze. His eyes widened, and his ears twitched at the unfamiliar gesture. Slowly, his shoulders eased, and his tail gave the faintest flick of relief.

"There, there. Everything is okay. We all make mistakes." Isan blinked, his mouth parting slightly. He glanced toward Rolo, as though seeking permission to accept the words. His older brother gave a short nod.

"Th-thank you, Mr. Edmund." Isan whispered, clutching the dagger Rusty handed him as if it were a treasure.

"Mm." Rusty withdrew his hand and turned back toward the barrel.

"Now, let's finish this wall and then try arranging some on the shelves. And, leave the heavy ones to me."

"Yes, Mr. Edmund." He nodded at the response, and all of them went back to work. The afternoon passed quickly as they arranged weapons and armor across the walls and shelves. By the time the carpenters packed up their tools for the day, the dusty shell of the old house had begun to look less like a ruined thief den and more like a shop. Even the air around it felt different, as if beckoning people inside to do business. Rolo, along with Isan, stepped back with their arms crossed as they copied Rusty's stance.

Both seemed proud of what they had accomplished and of how the store space was now arranged. Armor stands displayed sets that resembled Rusty's own adventuring gear, along with several variations and half-plate options. The larger polearms hung on the walls, while many others simply leaned against them. On the opposite side stood something that resembled a counter. It was shaped like an L and served as a display case, though the glass top had not yet been installed.

Even so, swords, daggers, and axes were already laid out neatly with price tags beside them for convenience. For the time being, Rolo would take the role of shopkeeper, although Rusty planned to replace him later since his class was better suited to adventuring.

"Good work, you have earned your break and your meal for today." Rusty said. Both boys flushed slightly and nodded.

"Thank you, Mr. Edmund."

"Everyone, dinner is ready. Come before it gets cold." Ria's voice carried from the next room as she called out to the boys and to Rusty. When they turned, Gleam bounced forward with Natia right behind her.

"(˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶)""Food ready. Come quick!" The smell of boiling broth drifted from the back room. When Rusty stepped inside, he saw the two young girls hunched over a large metal pot set atop a low iron stand. A weak flame sputtered beneath it, and within the pot floated chopped vegetables, pieces of meat, and even some random spices. Ria held the wooden spoon, stirring with practiced motions despite her age, while Natia bounced impatiently beside her.

"See, it's ready! We made it!" Natia spoke with a proud tone. The stew sloshed as Ria ladled portions into the bowls lined up on the table. They were made of metal and, just like everything in this kitchen, had been provided by Rusty. Alexander had to convince him to do it, since Rusty had no idea about the importance of cutlery. Now that he saw the smiles on their faces, it was clear the effort had been worthwhile. Rusty lingered at the doorway with his arms crossed, watching.

He was a living armor monster and lacked a proper mouth. He did not eat food, so he could not understand why humanoids needed to. Yet when he saw them chew with such enthusiasm, he began to feel curious.

"Here, Edmund!" Natia held up a small bowl with both hands, wobbling slightly under its weight. Her smile shone as she presented it like a prized treasure.

"No, it's fine. I am not hungry." But Natia did not give up. She looked up at him with wide, glistening eyes that shimmered in the firelight, her lower lip trembling.

"Please?" Her gaze pierced deeper than any adventurer's blade. Rusty felt the weight of silence pressing in, and even Alexander muttered faintly from within his helm.

"Might as well accept, Rusty. She might cry if you refuse."

"Bah, that is why humans are pathetic. Don't do it, it's going to leave a mess!" Aburdon complained, but Rusty still reached for the bowl. He had no internal organs and no way to digest food, yet he carried the head of the man called Edmund. As his possession skill had grown stronger, he could now display that face more often, and the coloring appeared more lifelike than before, almost as if he were a real person.

"Fine then…" He took the bowl in his metallic hand along with the spoon that was offered. At first, he intended to pretend that he was eating, but all the children in the room were watching him with keen curiosity.

"Yummy…" With no way to escape their expectant gazes, he revealed his human head from within the helmet. Thanks to the possession skill, he was able to taste the food, which felt strange but not unpleasant. The only problem was that Edmund existed only as a head, and once he chewed and swallowed, the stew simply spilled into the hollow armor that made up the rest of his body.

"Yay!" Natia lifted both hands in a triumphant gesture, then ran back to her three friends to ask for more food. Rusty leaned against the wall and allowed his insides to be dirtied by stew, at least for today. Perhaps in the future he could install a sack to catch it, but for now he simply enjoyed the slow life with the others, something he had never truly experienced before.