Rise of the Crusader

190 Store

Two days had passed since the attack on the farm, and Dale city was finally back to a peaceful state.

As Raphael then told the people in the city to hold on to the weapons as means of protection, they couldn’t be more happier about it.

They had been bullied by others and those so-called meta-humans for far too long, but with the weapons in their possession, it was all about to change.

Some of them were capable of going head-to-head with the metas

Meanwhile, during those two days that went by, Raphael kept himself busy in his room.

He didn’t step out of his room, and even his food was delivered to him upstairs.

“Finally.”

After two days of no success in his project, Raphael suddenly exclaimed.

He had a smile on his face as he stared at the paper in front of him.

.....

There was a well-labeled drawing of a microchip on the paper, and while it didn’t seem much, it was this drawing and labeling that Raphael was engaged with for the past two days.

He tore papers all over the room, as the drawing took everything he had in him before he was able to create something that would be suitable for the project he had in mind.

“Wheew…” Raphael wiped the beads of sweat that were on his forehead a few seconds later.

During the past few days, it hadn’t been just Raphael who was rambling on what form the systems was going to assume, Gus also pondered very deeply about it.

They tried out various forms that would be suitable, but after hours of accessing the pros and cons, they finally settled for the microchip.

The microchip was to be placed at the center of the head which would then incorporate with the brain of the user, and once the installation was completed from within, the system was finalized.

“What do you think?” Raphael asked, with his eyes staring at the drawing on the paper.

Gus’s eyes were already on the paper, and after Raphael spoke, it turned towards him, and then let out a hiss.

“Hehe” Raphael chuckled upon Gus’s words.

“It’s not so bad you know, I’m only against putting the key of my success and achievements in someone else hand.” Said Raphael. “Regardless of the benefit, it is not just worth doing.”

“I don’t blame them though, some of us have no idea what we are doing in life, it feels just fair to hand out those tough decisions to someone else.”

There was a slight nod from Gus after Raphael spoke.

Gus glanced at the drawing again and then snorted.

“Hmm, I guess you’re right. It’s more like a slave deal to me, too.” Raphael responded.

A vertical wrinkle appeared on Raphael’s forehead, the expression on his face soon returned to the usual, and after picking up the paper from the table, Raphael spoke.

“Playtime is over Gus, we have a lot of work on our hands,” said Raphael.

“Let’s go.”

With that said, Raphael headed out of his room for the first time in the past few days.

There was no doubt that Raphael’s definition of play time was different from what Gus had in mind, and while Gus was certain of that, it still flew to Raphael.

It sat comfortably on his shoulder, and the both of them stepped out of the room.

“Mom, I’m going to the store.”

Raphael exclaimed a few seconds after he left his room.

He had only then made a move towards the staircase when Yvonne’s voice rang out.

“Are you going to be spending the night there?” Yvonne asked.

“Yes,” Raphael replied.

There was a pause after Raphael spoke, he didn’t move from where he was because he knew his mother was going to speak, and not so long later she spoke.

“Alright then, I will bring your food over to you, when I’m done with it.”

If there was something that was bound to bring forth a change in Gus’s expression, then it would be the mention of food.

Yvonne’s food to be specific.

Gus grinned like a child who was about to receive its favorite candy, and even though it wasn’t aware of what Yvonne was going to bring over, there were already signs of anticipation on Gus.

After all, Yvonne’s skill was phenomenal.

“Thank you, mom.”

As Raphael gave his thanks to his mother, he was about to move from where he was when Yvonne’s voice rang out.

“Oh, I almost forget. The Holmes family is coming with a guest, they said they want to give their thanks to you.”

“When they get here, I will come over to the store with them, so be prepared. Is that okay?”

This time around, Raphael couldn’t help but knit his brows.

He stared at the direction which his mother’s voice was coming from and then shook his head.

“Is that okay?” Yvonne exclaimed, as there was no response from Raphael even after a few seconds.

“Yes.”

Raphael responded.

“I’m leaving now.” He didn’t waste any further time, after this, and immediately he walked down the stairs.

Raphael had nothing against the Holmes family thanking him, but when they kept doing it over and over again, he found it as a waste of time.

A day after the farm was taken over, they had come over to his house, and as he was in his room, the family of twelve all came to his room to give their thanks.

And as if that weren’t already enough, they repeated the same thing on the second day, and as Raphael was informed that they were coming again today with a guest, he couldn’t help but be suspicious about them.

“Find out who the guest is,” Said Raphael as soon as he stepped out of the house.

There was no one in the surrounding after Raphael spoke, in fact, it seemed to be as though he were talking to thin air, but after speaking Raphael moved in the direction of the store.

“Greeting sir Raphael.”

“Good day.”

As Raphael walked towards the stores he was met by some of the people in the city, and as they saw him they each gave their greetings to him.

The former horrified expression was no longer on their faces, and instead, as they stared at him, there was respect as well as adoration written all over them.

“When the mind is so fickle, there’s no way they won’t be ruled over,” Raphael muttered.

It was merely two days that went by since the farm was recovered, but the change that transpired during that period was simply massive.

This was to the extent that Raphael, who was used as someone to scare children into telling them what to do, was now a role model to the young ones.

Everything he had done to them in the past was forgotten quickly, and all they did was sing him praises left and right.

Raphael shook his head, seemingly disappointed by how easy it was to change the opinion of these people.

“I guess, I was wrong.” Said Raphael.

However, he had only just spoken, when Gus let out a hiss.

The hiss caused one of Raphael’s eyes to twitch, he stared at the youth that was glaring at him from afar, and his lips curved into a smile.

“Who knows, maybe they are hoping for some of them after all,” Raphael replied, and then moved his away from the youth.

He quickens his pace, and after a few minutes, he arrived at the store.

Raphael seized the two-story building, and gently he placed his palm on the security lock at the side of the door.

There had been a few people in the city watching Raphael from afar, and as they saw him stand in front of the door, they couldn’t help but be excited, as they might finally get what was in the store.

The store was purchased by him a few years after he arrived at Dale city, and throughout the years, no one apart from him, Gus, and his mother had seen the inside of the store.

To date, they still hadn’t seen what was in the store.

“It’s opening.”

Those words had only just been said when a blinding light suddenly shone at the person who spoke, and the others in the surrounding.

They moved their eyes away immediately, and as the light vanished, they turned back, only to realize Raphael was no longer in front of them.

“Not again!”

“I promised myself the last time that I won’t be affected by that light, why is this happening,”

“Me too. I even went to get my shades when I saw him going to the store.”

The people around began to lament, as they missed another opportunity to see what was inside the store.

They weren’t, in fact, asking to see all that was in the store, just the entrance was already enough, but even that was denied of them.

.....

Meanwhile, as Raphael entered the store, he turned on the light and then folded his hands across his chest.

“I missed you all.”