"Finally, after a whole day, he has left his shop. Now is the perfect time for me to follow him… why is he heading back?"
The vampire stationed just outside Cyrus's bookstore looked confused as he watched Cyrus head back inside.
When Cyrus came back, he had the bag, and the presence of the dire wolf kept the vampire away.
"Tsk, I almost forgot to take Fenrir. It's a good thing he's so loud."
The shopkeeper spoke more to himself, and just like that, the vampire lost the chance to act up and drain the shopkeeper dry.
His throat felt parched due to not having eaten anything for the past two days. But the thrill of the hunt kept him going.
'Soon! My chance will come soon. I just need to be a little more patient. After all, I just need one chance to strike.'
The vampire assured himself before he disappeared back into the shadows.
__________
"Fenrir, settle down. Ugh, what has gotten into you?"
I asked the puppy, who kept growling in the bag I had him in.
Initially, I had wanted to leave Fenrir behind and go to the train station on my own. But the puppy wouldn't allow me.
Fenrir kept growling and scratching the door until I had no choice but to pick him up and take him along.
After all, the door of the store looked vintage, and I was afraid that Fenrir was going to damage it with his claws.
Once the puppy was inside the bag, he calmed down, and I was able to take him to the station.
A small crowd seemed to have formed in front of the station, and it seemed hard to even enter the place. So I decided to take a more… creative approach and enter from one of the windows.
I had to climb a tree to get inside the window and even pull up the bag. But my years of carrying heavy books for my seniors made my body strong. (I refused to believe that it was because I was no longer human.)
Once inside, I tried to head toward the claw machine, only for the crowd to push me away. They all seemed curious to get to the machine somehow.
"Let me first—"
"No way—! I am first—"
They all pushed and clawed their way to the front, and I realized that the claw machine had become a hot attraction for the local people.
Before I could try to reach the machine to check up on it, a hand grabbed my wrist before it tugged me toward the office side of the station.
"You—! Just what the heck is that claw machine? The people look hooked, and some have been lined up for hours to try it out. It's even blocking the regular traffic. At this rate, I might never get to sleep…"
The station master was the one who dragged me away, and he looked awful. There were dark circles under his eyes, and he looked like he was drying out.
His current condition reminded me of the prophecy he got yesterday regarding having no time to rest in the future.
I had… not expected the fortune to come true for him.
'Maybe the claw machine truly does have magical powers? I better be more careful in the future…'
I told myself… not that I expected to ever use it again.
"Ah… looks like my little machine is a little too popular with the people. The crowd looks too massive. Do you need me to help—?"
I asked, and I immediately regretted my offer. What could someone like me even do to help the station master? I had neither the money nor the manpower.
But since my words were already out, the station master looked at me with a desperate look on his face.
"You will help—? Please, do help me out. I feel like I will die at this rate."
The man told me, and I felt tongue-tied. Those desperate pleas told me that I had no choice but to try and help.
So I took out the phone from my pocket to see if there was anything I could do to help out.
There was something there—a button that controlled the machine. I could manually turn it off using the phone.
So I did just that, and the very next second, panic filled the station.
"O-Oh no—! Did we break it—"
"Tsk, it's all your fault. Who told you to kick it—"
"What do we do? I really wanted to try it—"
People tried to run away, and some tried to push the blame. But I quickly went to the claw machine and clapped to get everyone's attention.
"Everyone, I am thankful for your interest in my little invention's tricks. But unfortunately, the machine cannot take that much load. So, I will close it for now. I will open it back for a few hours each day randomly, so please head home now."
I told the crowd, and as expected, they did not look happy.
"That's not fair. Do you know how long I waited for my turn?"
Someone asked, and at this point, I was getting tired.
"That was your own choice. No one made you wait here. Now, please head back before I permanently close the machine."
That threat caused people to head back, and the station was clear once more. But I had no doubt that these people would be back.
Perhaps, the next few days would be even more hectic compared to before. I suddenly felt bad for the station master.
But I was not going to take my claw machine back either.
A quick check told me I made 95 faith points today itself. It was a lot for one day, and my greedy self told me to disregard the station master's goodwill and continue as I was.
However, one look at the station master told me that I would not have any future if I did that.
Sigh
"Looks like we have more work cut out for us than I expected. I will hire more people to look after the station and keep these people in check."
The station master told me, and I nodded at his words.
"Alright. I will also limit the working of the machine for a few hours each day. Four to five hours randomly should be fine."
I told the station master, even though it hurt to think about the profit I would be losing because of this.
Losing some faith points was much better compared to straining relationships with powerful people.
"Alright, I will keep that in mind. Thank you for being so understanding."
The station master told me, and I went back home.
Little did I know that my claw machine had already gained fame only after one day of operating, and a cult was beginning to form around it.
Those who benefited from the machine went around spreading the word, and it even reached General Henry's ears.
Usually, rumors like these were none of his business. But this time, it was different. The word had spread too far, too fast, and it was his duty to check the claw machine out and ensure it was safe for people to use.