Chapter 18

"Tsk, tsk, tsk," the protagonist succubus clicked her tongue and prepared to turn and leave. In this world, good luck never comes, but bad luck always does. When you think, "I've already been this unlucky, so things should start to turn around, right?" the goddess of fate will play another cruel joke on you.

So, to avoid becoming the protagonist of a back-alley series, the succubus turned and was about to leave.

But at that moment, she noticed a shiny sign deep in the alley:

"Delmonte's General Store — Everything from daily necessities to luxuries, fulfilling all your needs!!!"

The last line was written in slightly smaller font below the store name.

"General store? Everything you need? So, there should be something for clothing and attire, right?" the succubus thought. She stopped, her right hand gripping the hilt of her sword, and her left hand forming a claw. She cautiously approached the "Delmonte's General Store."

Unlike the other Yugoloth merchants' shops on the street, this store hidden in the alley was very clean. The brass handle on the door shone brightly, and the exterior walls were spotlessly clean, contrasting sharply with the dirty walls of the surrounding buildings.

When the succubus pushed the door open and walked in, the inside of the store was just as clean. All the items were neatly categorized and displayed on the shelves.

Both the items and the shelves were meticulously cleaned, free of any dust. Best of all, there was a mat at the entrance for wiping shoes—though the succubus doubted many demons would actually use it.

"It seems this Delmonte is better at business than the other Yugoloth merchants," the succubus quickly concluded. She retracted her gaze from the various items and focused on the smiling Yugoloth merchant standing opposite her.

"Delmonte?" the succubus asked tentatively, looking at the humanoid creature with a hyena's head, dressed in a silk merchant's robe.

"It's me," Delmonte smiled, bowed slightly, and replied, "So, customer, what kind of assistance can I provide for you?"

"Nothing special, just browsing," the succubus said, looking around. Most of the items were like the trinkets sold by Yugoloths on the street, not worth much. But there were still some low-level but useful items scattered among them.

Some low-level magic items, like +1 Strength and +1 Dexterity rings and pendants; some weak and moderate healing potions, antidotes, and temporary power-boosting potions for Agility and Strength... Of course, these items were not cheap.

Delmonte, the Yugoloth merchant, watched the succubus with a smile, allowing her to browse his goods. When he noticed her paying attention to a particular item, he would briefly and succinctly explain it to her.

However, unlike typical Yugoloth merchants who would pester customers, Delmonte would quietly close his mouth and maintain his friendly demeanor when he saw the succubus's attention shift away from the item.

"This guy is better at dealing with people than his kin," the succubus had to admit. Honestly, his attitude was indeed likable.

Thus, the succubus roughly browsed the items in the outer hall. There were many types, and some good things, but unfortunately, nothing she really wanted.

"Perhaps you might be more interested in the items in the back," Delmonte said when the succubus was hesitating whether to leave or buy some trinkets to avoid trouble.

"The items in the back?" The succubus carefully examined Delmonte but saw nothing more than a polite, business-like smile.

Still, she followed Delmonte, who lifted the curtain and gestured for her to enter the back room.

The back room indeed had a more upscale, VIP feel. It was much more beautiful than the dimly lit, old-fashioned front store. The room was filled with soft, pale blue magical light, making it bright and even more illuminated than the street outside.

The walls, in shades of blue and purple, were not only clean but also very elegant. The room was twice the size of the front store. The succubus also noticed a door and a staircase leading up in different corners, indicating that the actual size of the building was much larger than it appeared from the outside.

"Space magic? Could it be a demiplane? Is this guy a hidden expert?" the succubus frowned, looking at the smiling Yugoloth merchant.

He didn't seem like it.

"Whatever," the succubus, as she had many times before, gave up on pondering these irrelevant, boring questions and began to observe the items here.

Just as the taste of the room was more upscale than the front store, the items here were of a higher quality. If the best items in the front were +1, the most common items here were +2.

Even though the succubus had obtained many good items from looting corpses and could be considered a wealthy demon, she still saw many things she desperately wanted, even to the point of wanting to kill Delmonte to get them.

"Calm down," the succubus told herself, "This guy seems unpredictable, and he might be tough. I can't just lose my cool."

She controlled her desires and continued to look around.

Unlike the casual display of items in the front, most of the items here were carefully placed under glass domes. Various gemstone jewelry and magical equipment were all displayed this way.

According to the succubus's observation, the most valuable item was a full plate armor placed on a stand in the center of the room.

With her keen eye, she could tell it was at least a high-level magical item, and possibly even a rare legendary piece.

"Unfortunately, I'm a succubus, and I will eventually ascend to a succubus of higher rank, focusing on Agility. This heavy plate armor is not suitable for me," the succubus thought.

"Are you looking for some armor? Please come this way. I have several exquisite, highly defensive, and 'lightweight' armors."

Immediately, Delmonte said this, confirming the succubus's guess—this guy was indeed an expert at reading people and gauging their reactions.

"Hmm," the succubus, while secretly raising her guard, followed Delmonte to another counter. There were about a dozen sets of armor of various sizes, mostly light leather armor, with a few hard leather and chainmail armors. According to the succubus's classification, these were all "light armors," suitable for her to wear.

The sizes of these armors were relatively small, and the succubus noticed that they all had openings on the back to accommodate wings, indicating that they were specifically designed for succubi or other humanoid creatures.

"Please take a look at this chainmail shirt, my customer. This mithril chainmail shirt is crafted with the purest elven craftsmanship. It is very light, almost indistinguishable from a regular shirt. However, its defensive power far exceeds that of a regular, heavy chainmail that is fifteen times its weight. It is truly a miraculous item!"

The succubus took the elven chainmail shirt from Delmonte and felt its weight—it was indeed as light as Delmonte claimed. Then, Delmonte put the chainmail on a mannequin and handed a longsword to the succubus for her to test.

It was a normal, unenchanted, unenhanced, and problem-free longsword. Following Delmonte's gesture, the succubus used all her strength to slash at the mannequin wearing the chainmail. As expected, the chainmail remained unscathed, proving its defensive power was indeed reliable.

"The item is indeed good, but I can't use it," the succubus said, slightly annoyed by Delmonte's eager gaze.

"Then, what exactly are you looking for?" Delmonte asked.

"A hooded cloak that can cover the body. I also need a set of clothes and pants. Ordinary ones will do. And...," the succubus hesitated. It felt a bit unreasonable to go through all this trouble with the Yugoloth and end up buying just a few ordinary clothes:

"And... let's look at something else."

Throughout the process of the succubus stating her needs, hesitating, and then saying to look at something else, Delmonte maintained his smile, completely unfazed.