Lon merely nodded at Grendel's words, but thought to himself:
«The ability to choose any item in the shop, yet not learn of its properties until I make my final decision? That's quite interesting... This store is certainly unusual, and the items here are incredibly diverse. I mustn't forget that each one carries some unique ability...»
«This is the first time in this world that I've encountered "magical" objects I can actually take with me. But... in this deal, I get the item, and he gets my future help... But what kind of help exactly am I supposed to give?»
The uncertainty unsettled Lon, so he decided to ask:
— I'd like to know… What kind of help will I provide in the future? What exactly will I do for you?
Grendel shook his head gently, denying the question.
— Mr. Renvel, that belongs to the future… There is no need to concern yourself with it now. When the time comes, I'll let you know.
Lon looked at Grendel with a hint of skepticism, and Grendel met his gaze — smiling faintly beneath his mask.
Lon sighed and agreed:
— I'll accept your offer... — he didn't really have a choice.
If he refused, who knew what would happen to him? And to be honest, he didn't even want to say no. He was genuinely curious to see all these strange and mysterious items.
Grendel clapped his hands in approval and nodded:
— A wise choice, Mr. Renvel! Now, choose any item you like, and I'll tell you its properties.
«Why is he so strange... and that mask of his too...»
Lon shook his head and began browsing the shop.
There were many items he wanted to examine, so he decided to start with the closest shelf.
He approached it and began to look over its contents.
A red cap… A wooden spoon… A miniature house model… and… Underwear? — there was a pair of someone's underpants resting on the shelf.
They were red with white accents, surprisingly elegant and oddly captivating. If they had appeared in a modern store, they'd be sold out in seconds.
Lon looked toward Grendel and asked:
— Just out of curiosity. First of all, where did you even get this underwear? And second, does it really have some kind of magical property?
Grendel looked calmly at Lon and replied:
— Are you really interested in where I got this underwear? I'd love to answer… but unfortunately, the rules forbid me from disclosing anything about an item until it has been officially chosen.
— That also applies to your second question.
«What a peculiar man... I probably wouldn't have wanted to hear the answer anyway, even if he had told me about the underwear.»
Lon had asked out of pure curiosity; he certainly had no intention of doing anything with someone's discarded briefs.
He shook his head lightly and moved on.
The shelf was filled with objects of every kind — plush toys that seemed out of place, a collection of knives with slightly bloodied tips, and more.
«What an incredible variety… And each one supposedly holds unique properties capable of wonders… Grendel is clearly no ordinary man. To possess and so casually sell all these things… You'd need either immense courage — or power that commands fear.» — Lon thought, occasionally glancing at Grendel, who was quietly reading a book behind the counter.
«I don't know how strong he is, but owning such a space and being able to separate a person from their sense of reality… These are powerful abilities no beginner Woven could possess.»
Though Lon wasn't entirely sure how the Woven's powers worked, he was confident that Grendel was one — and of a notably high rank.
While continuing his exploration, Lon spotted a small toy horse with a rider holding a raised sword.
It stood out among the others — it was clean, bright, and oddly charming.
He smiled and leaned in closer.
— I wonder what ability this toy holds? — he asked aloud.
Grendel glanced over at the toy Lon was examining. A faint smile formed beneath his mask, as if recalling a fond memory. Then he returned to his book.
Lon continued browsing until he reached the far corner of the store — where he spotted a strange doll staring straight at him.
Despite the shop's modest size, the atmosphere in this corner felt vastly different.
It was as though all sound had been sucked out of the room — he could hear nothing but his own breathing.
«What the hell is this… Why is something so disturbing tucked away in the corner like this?..» — Lon's breathing grew heavy, and his legs began to tremble.
The doll sat on a wooden crate with her legs stretched out. She wasn't large — about the size of a human head — but her appearance was deeply unsettling.
She wore a tattered wedding dress, riddled with holes. Her head was covered by a white veil with three slits: two for her eyes, and one wide, gaping mouth twisted into a manic smile.
Through those two eye holes, Lon could feel her stare — it pierced into him, as if devouring him from the inside out.
He tried to calm himself and quickly stepped back, distancing himself from the doll. But something felt off.
He glanced behind him — nothing there.
«I thought.» — he snapped his head back toward the crate… and froze.
The doll was gone!
Terror surged through his body. He spun around, ready to run — only to find the doll now sitting directly beneath him!
— Shit! — Lon shouted, instinctively lifting his foot to kick the doll away.
But before he could, he felt a hand on his shoulder.
He turned — and saw Grendel, shaking his head disapprovingly.
— I wouldn't do that. After all, this is store property… and you might accidentally damage her.
Lon's foot stopped just short of the doll's head. He pulled back and looked at Grendel with irritation.
— Why do your items scare the customers?! This is disrespectful — to me, the consumer! — he said, crossing his arms.
It really was disrespectful. Especially in a store like Grendel's, where the owner was obsessed with etiquette.
Grendel sighed.
— I truly apologize for that… But you must understand, each item has its own peculiarities — and some can indeed harm clients. My store only keeps them — it doesn't protect you from them. But since they are my property, I also can't allow them to be damaged.
«Another excuse… He's really difficult to talk to.»
Lon scoffed and walked to another part of the shop, not wanting to be anywhere near the doll.
The doll stared after him with glowing red eyes. But Grendel scooped her up and placed her gently back on the crate.
— Sryzel, stop looking at customers like that… — he warned her.
— For a mutt of the Outer Beings, you have quite the attitude. — his voice turned cold.
— This is your final warning. If it happens again… don't expect mercy.
He turned and walked away.
The doll remained seated, watching him with glowing red eyes.
Slowly, she reached up to her veil and awkwardly pulled it aside — to reveal her true face.
When the veil came down, she gazed at her reflection in a nearby mirror. But it wasn't a doll's face staring back.
It was the face of a woman — bloodied and rotting, with decaying nodules sprouting from every inch of skin.
She smiled at the sight.
Then looked to the ceiling, silently wishing she could leave this place.