Velkaris's evening sky glowed faintly with the soft shimmer of mana-lamps lighting the streets. Trafalgar and Garrika walked side by side, the large backpack strapped across Trafalgar's shoulders heavy with its contents. Their steps soon brought them to the street where his shop stood.
The difference was immediate. The scaffolding and noise of laborers were gone, replaced by the clean lines of a finished storefront. Fresh paint still carried a faint smell, and polished windows reflected the lantern light. The renovations had ended—more than two dozen workers over the past days had seen to that.
Trafalgar's gaze lingered on the sign above the entrance. 'Finally. A place ready to run on its own. It's not like I was going to do much, I was going to leave everything to Marella and Arden, they know more about this than I do.'
