SSS Talent: From Trash to Tyrant

Trafalgar lifted a hand slightly.

”It’s that one.”

From the outside alone, the difference was obvious.

Augusto’s shop had grown. The old storefront had been decent before, but this one had real weight to it now. The front was wider, the wood newer, the windows cleaner, and the metalwork around the sign had been replaced with something more expensive than strictly necessary.

It wasn’t the largest place in Mariven Port, but it looked expensive. Two guards were posted near the entrance, exactly as Augusto had said. He had expanded the place and brought in extra protection because, somewhere along the way, the curiosity circling Trafalgar had stopped being harmless.

Zafira slowed slightly as she took it in.

”I expected something smaller.”

”So did I, the first time.”

They crossed the street and stepped inside.

The bell above the door gave a soft chime. The smell hit first, metal and mana with that same faint sweetness underneath, though the place itself had changed. The old stacks of raw mythril were no longer what dominated the

room.

There were still pieces of ore set along one side, deep violet veins catching the lamplight, but now the shop looked more refined. Glass cases. Locked shelves. Accessories arranged with care. Weapons mounted farther back. Several polished counters instead of one. Augusto had not merely made the place bigger. He had made it look expensive.

There were still customers inside.

A vampire stood near one of the display tables with an expression that suggested he had spent most of his life being irritated. In front of the main counter, a dwarf was currently in battle with the concept of pricing itself.

Before Trafalgar and Zafira could take more than a few steps, one of the interior guards moved in their direction.

He was large enough to make the doorway feel small behind him, broad through the shoulders and hard in the way only a man paid to solve trouble with his hands tended to be. His voice, however, remained polite.

”Please, for the store’s security, I’ll need both of you to remove your hoods. It avoids misunderstandings.”

Trafalgar leaned closer and lowered his voice.

”Tell Augusto Trafalgar is here.”

The guard blinked.

The name alone changed his posture. Surprise crossed his face before training shoved it back down. He gave a quick nod and headed for the counter at once.

Augusto was busy tormenting the dwarf.

That was the only honest way to describe it. The man was trying to haggle, and Augusto was treating the effort like a private source of entertainment. Competing with him over price was the sort of mistake that only looked reasonable from far away. Up close, it became obvious very quickly that one side did this for survival and the other had walked in with optimism and a wallet.

Augusto stood behind the counter with his usual air of sharpened amusement, amber eyes bright, wolf ears twitching now and then, tail moving lazily behind him while he listened to the dwarf with the patience of a predator letting something smaller think it had room to run.

When the guard reached him, Augusto frowned.

”Can’t you see I’m busy?” he said. ”What do you need?”

The guard leaned in and murmured something.

The words themselves didn’t reach Trafalgar clearly over the shop noise, but Augusto’s reaction did. The change happened instantly. His ears flicked up, the amusement thinned into alertness, and he turned his head toward the two cloaked figures near the entrance.

Then he straightened.

”The store is closed for the moment.”

The dwarf’s mouth fell open. ”What?”

Augusto did not spare him much sympathy.

”Take the item. Your price.” He shoved the piece across the counter with visible pain in the motion. ”Lucky bastard.”

The dwarf snatched it at once, the item dissolving into light as it slipped into

his inventory.

”Hah! Knew I’d break you eventually.”

A vein twitched at Augusto’s temple.

The vampire near the side table looked even less pleased. He clearly had no intention of leaving on his own, which was when Augusto glanced toward the guard and gave the smallest tilt of his head.

That was enough.

The guard took two slow steps forward.

Seen up close, he looked even bigger than before, easily over two meters and built like someone had stacked a wall on top of another wall. The vampire reconsidered life immediately, clicked his tongue, and walked out without saying a word.

”Make sure no one enters,” Augusto said.

The guard nodded and took position by the door.

Only once the shop was empty did Trafalgar pull his hood back. Zafira did the same a second later.

Augusto’s grin returned at once.

”What a beautiful surprise. Trafalgar, it’s good to see you.” His sharp teeth showed faintly as he smiled. ”And Lady Zafira du Zar’khael as well. Welcome to

both of you.”

”Thanks,” Trafalgar said. His attention moved across the shop once more. ”Looks like what you said was true. You did improve the place. And your guard

seems reliable.”

Augusto snorted. ”He should be. He charges like he was blessed by the gods themselves. Flow Rank, too, so most idiots lose confidence before they even try anything.” His tail flicked once. ”Even so, people still come asking about you. Every day. Nobles, merchants, guards, fools with too much free time.” His grin widened. ”You’ve become troublesome to be associated with.”

”I’m touched.”

”You shouldn’t be.” Augusto folded his arms over his chest. ”Now. What do you

need?”

Trafalgar did not waste time.

”Show me everything worthwhile. I have money and I need useful items. Something that can store food and water properly. Navigation tools. Utility accessories. Anything good enough to be worth carrying.”

Augusto’s amber eyes gleamed.

”Finally. You came prepared to spend like a proper customer.” He lifted a finger.

”Give me a second.”

He disappeared into the back.

A moment later, the shop answered with a series of noises.

Something metallic crashed.

Something else hit wood.

”Ow.”

Trafalgar turned his head slightly toward the back room.

When Augusto returned, he was carrying a broad box loaded with several items

nestled in dark cloth. He set it on the counter with care that would have been

more convincing if the earlier sounds had not happened.

Trafalgar raised an eyebrow. ”Are you alright? It sounded like the back room

tried to kill you.”

Augusto grimaced. ”Something fell on my foot. Hurts like a demon.”

His gaze shifted to Zafira.

”Ah. Right. Sorry. Expression.”

Zafira laughed softly, the sound easier than before. ”It’s fine.”

She stepped closer to the counter and glanced at the contents of the box, but

her next words were for Augusto.

”Do you also have anything for precision work? Something small. A ring, a bracelet, maybe gloves. I need something that helps with fine mana control and keeps it stable after release.”

That made Augusto pause. Although not for long.

His ears twitched once, curiosity flashing across his face before he hid it

behind his usual merchant grin.

”I might,” he said slowly. ”That depends on how good your taste is, Lady Zafira.”