Bronya, standing at the entrance of [Hmoe Random Play], didn't immediately voice her thoughts.
After a sweeping glance, she stepped into the shop, her stride as steady as a king surveying his domain.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Bronya stood in the center of the shop, her gaze once again slowly sweeping over the dazzling array of Homu merchandise.
Then, under the puzzled stares of everyone, including Mei, she tilted her head back slightly, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath.
"..."
The shop was silent, with only the background music awkwardly playing a familiar Homu battle theme.
A few seconds later, Bronya opened her eyes, a bright light flashing within them.
"Mmm... Bronya smells it."
She paused, as if savoring the scent molecules she had just captured.
"It is the familiar smell of Homu that Bronya knows."
Everyone: ???
Smell... the smell?
Do Homu discs and figures have a special smell?
Could it be the smell of printing ink and PVC?
But to the two Shus, these words were like a clap of thunder.
Had Bronya's "Homu-dar" evolved to such a metaphysical level?!
Or... could she really sense the "source" of these products in some way?!
How could Bronya not be familiar with it?!
The Homu film and television discs displayed in this shop were not obtained from any pre-war collection or mysterious channel.
After all, there couldn't possibly be a Homu factory and channel in the world right now, and Shu couldn't have collected so many Homu discs in one night.
Shu could indeed create static Homu figures, but he couldn't create so many Homu works in one night.
And the discs here were actually perfectly replicated one-to-one by Shu using his abilities when he was setting up the shop, in order to quickly fill the shelves, directly from an absolutely reliable source they knew of.
That's right! It was Bronya's private Homu collection!
The various Homu-related series of discs that Bronya had unknowingly collected were the samples Shu had copied.
So, in essence, this shop was an unauthorized, physical mirror version of Bronya's private Homu collection!
It turned out that Bronya was truly a hall-of-fame-level Homu enthusiast, and her collection was more than enough to open a shop, and this was after Shu had specially screened out the unique pieces.
And it also proved...
Bronya's authority was not limited to the field of collection.
A single "familiar smell" sent a chill down the two Shus' backs. While everyone was intently staring at Bronya, only the two of them kept their heads bowed deeply, trying to avoid any possible eye contact like ostriches.
But Bronya didn't seem to want to immediately investigate the "source of the smell."
Her attention was soon drawn to the exquisite Homu figures displayed as not-for-sale items.
Bronya's already "sharp" eyes narrowed suddenly. She walked to a glass cabinet displaying a figure in a combat stance and began a new round of contemplation.
Then, under the watchful eyes of everyone, Bronya "The Authority" Homu Zaychik finally spoke.
And her words made the badge girl break out in a cold sweat.
"The model of this 'Zekkend,' is from the hidden animation of the final battle in the seventh layer of the game, [Mother's Rosario]. The officials have never released any three-dimensional project for it.
"The painting precision, the texture of the material, the motion capture... it surpasses the level of all currently known GK prototype masters... Mmm, Bronya is certain that this is a custom-made piece."
Bronya's voice was still steady, and only those who knew her very well could hear a very subtle fluctuation in it.
Her breathing was imperceptibly rapid. She turned to another display cabinet, which contained another magnificent Homu figure.
"The gradient colors and texture of this haori, the inner carving of the transparent parts that simulate the 'Flame Breathing' effect... the technical skill is exceptionally high."
Her gaze was like the most sophisticated tunnel scanner, sweeping over the figures that were just "super exquisite" in the eyes of the fans.
And the string of professional terms and source references that came out of her mouth left the members of the [Kiana Energy Station] next to her dumbfounded.
"Truly... truly worthy of being Lord Bronya!" The badge girl's expression was about to break.
Compared to Bronya's understanding of Homu, was her own purity still not enough?!
To be able to see such a master in person in her lifetime, it was worth the price of admission even if she died!
The badge girl's broken expression suddenly changed, becoming full of sacredness. When the people around her turned to look, they actually saw a sublimating holy light enveloping her.
"Wow! The badge girl has been enlightened!"
In the midst of these gazes that were about to prostrate themselves, Bronya turned to the cash register, her eyes falling on the two ostriches who had become sentient.
"Are these figures for sale?"
According to the shop's rules, these display figures were not for sale; they were the "treasures of the shop."
Hearing this, the twin-tailed girl in charge of this area, with her devotion to Kiana, barely managed to pull back her soul that was about to be enlightened.
But just as she was about to speak, Yae Sakura saw the "younger sister" of the two "ostriches" suddenly raise her hand and directly elbow the "older sister," forcing her to straighten up.
Bronya's gray eyes met "Stelle's" molten gold eyes.
You fcking imposter—*
Shu looked down in disbelief at [Shu], who was pretending to be busy but was actually just staring into space. He then had to take a deep breath and put on a determined expression.
As determined as the strongest person in a manga, about to march to the final battlefield to start the team fight.
"Yes, they can be sold."
"Eh—?!" N
The rising and falling gasps instantly drowned out the background music.
The fans' eyes widened one by one, their faces full of disbelief.
We, your humble servants, were about to fight to the death, why did Your Majesty...
"Stelle, Stelle sister!" The twin-tailed girl in charge of this exhibition area was the first to jump up, anxiously pointing at the conspicuous [Not For Sale - For Appreciation Only] acrylic stand next to the glass cabinet.
"These... aren't these not supposed to be sold? They're the treasures of the shop!"
"That's right!" The short-haired girl also came over, her face full of reluctance. She looked at the lifelike "Zekkend" Homu in the cabinet as if she were looking at a family member who was about to go on a long journey.
"If we sell such an amazing figure, the shop won't have such a stunning 'facade' anymore... and, this is the sisters' hard work, right?"
Another fan bit her lip, her gaze flitting between the calm "Stelle" and the expressionless Bronya, a complex look of understanding and unwillingness on her face.
She lowered her voice and whispered to her companion: "Could it be because... the other party is Lord Bronya? A core member of the Fire Moth, a hero of the base... so, even the Stelle sisters have to give her face?"
This speculation quickly spread among the few fans.
They admired the "Stelle" sisters' mystery and artistic attainments, and had subconsciously placed them in the position of some transcendent "hermit masters."
And now, the masters seemed to have to bow to "reality" or "power"?
Was... was the sky turning dark?