Even the system called him an old pervert—I can't take this anymore!

  Kenley was laughing so hard inside that he felt like his stomach was turning upside down, but he forced himself to hold it in.

  Smith gritted his teeth before finally saying,"Fine! I agree! But I have one condition."

  Since Smith had already agreed to double the reward, adding an extra condition wasn't too much to ask. Kenley nodded and said,"Go ahead, what's the condition?"

  Smith said sternly,"You cannot tell anyone about this. Both of you must swear an oath to the Mother Goddess!"

  "That's not a problem," Kenley responded before turning to Tia."Tia?"

  "I will follow my master's will," Tia replied with her head lowered.

  With that settled, Kenley made his oath in front of Smith. Only then did Smith breathe a sigh of relief.

  "Alright, the oath is made. Now, Mr. Smith, what exactly do you need us to do?" Kenley asked.

  Smith immediately stood up."Wait here for a moment."

  With that, he walked over to a wardrobe at the back of the room and began rummaging through it. He dug through piles of items, shifting things around for quite a while before finally pulling out a small box.

  "Here, take this. But remember—you have to return it after you're done." Smith walked back to the table and handed it over.

  "What is this?" Kenley took the box, unable to resist the urge to open it.

  As soon as he lifted the lid, his expression froze—as if he had been hit by a time-stopping spell.

  "Master?" Tia was startled and immediately called out to him.

  Smith, noticing Kenley's reaction, grinned knowingly."Kid, don't tell me you actually recognize it?"

  The Cloak of Light?!

  Kenley was genuinely surprised. He hadn't expected it to be this legendary artifact. But upon closer inspection, he could tell—it was a replica.

  Still, in this early stage of the era, possessing an orange-tier magic item was enough to make anyone green with envy.

  "This is the Cloak of Light," Kenley finally spoke.

  At that moment, not only Smith, but even Tia was stunned.

  Tia murmured in disbelief,"The Cloak of Light… Is it the same legendary invisibility cloak that the Steel City Hero wore to sneak through the Dragon's Lair in the Gebi Mountains?"

  Smith was taken aback once again."Well, well… I didn't expect you two brats to actually recognize it."

  The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  He nodded and continued,"To be honest, this isn't the original. This is—"

  Before he could finish, Kenley cut in."This is a replica personally crafted by you, isn't it, Master?"

  Smith's eyes widened in utter disbelief as he stared at Kenley."How the hell did you figure that out, kid?!"

  He had spent countless hours gathering every legend and piece of information available before carefully crafting this replica. When he finally completed it, even he thought it was indistinguishable from the real thing.

  And yet, this young stranger had seen through it at a single glance—how could he not be shocked?!

  Hearing Smith's words, Tia was also taken aback. Her curiosity and admiration for her mysterious master only deepened. Who exactly is he? Why does he always feel like a mist—impossible to see through, yet making her eager to witness his next move?

  Kenley didn't offer an explanation. Instead, he said,"With this cloak, completing this mission will be no problem. But I also have a condition of my own—if you're willing to agree, Master."

  His eyes narrowed slightly as a new objective took shape in his mind.

  "Go ahead, I'm listening." Smith's interest in this young man had only grown. Not only had he brought two barrels of his favorite liquor, but he had also instantly recognized the Cloak of Light, distinguishing it as a replica. It had been a long time since Smith had come across something this entertaining—even if it was still a little less exciting than forging iron.

  Kenley rested his chin on both hands."Forget the double reward. I just want this cloak."

  As soon as he spoke, he waited quietly—but even after a long pause, the system gave no notification.

  Did Genius Negotiator fail to trigger?

  Could it be that his request was too difficult, lowering the base success rate of negotiation? Kenley couldn't help but wonder.

  Smith, meanwhile, had fallen into silence. He didn't answer immediately. Instead, he crossed his arms, lowered his head, and stared at the table, deep in thought.

  Tick. Tock. Time passed second by second. The candle on the table flickered, casting a haze over the already heavy atmosphere. Even Tia could feel the tension in the air.

  Although the Cloak of Light was only a replica, Kenley fully understood its value. With this cloak, he wouldn't suddenly become invincible, but at least within the first 50 levels, it would provide a crucial lifeline.

  The moment he laid eyes on it, countless ideas flooded his mind.

  He could use the cloak to cheese a particular grinding spot and power-level himself like crazy. Or, he could sneak into a boss's treasure hoard mentioned in certain strategy guides. Or maybe even—

  In short, this item unlocked endless possibilities, and Kenley really, really wanted it.

  But this was also a gamble. He was betting on how much the old pervert valued his reputation. If things went sideways, Smith's dirty secrets could get exposed. Three women showing up at his doorstep at the same time? That wasn't out of the question. And if that happened, the entire Imperial City would be buzzing about Smith's scandalous past.

  Still, Kenley knew he was asking for a lot. This was, after all, a legendary-tier item. Even if it was a replica, an orange-tier item this early in the game was an immense advantage.

  The minutes ticked by, but Kenley slowly calmed himself. There was no rush anymore.

  If the system hadn't triggered Genius Negotiator, then it was purely up to luck.

  It was like rolling the dice—sometimes you win, sometimes you don't. After countless luck-based encounters in games, Kenley had long since learned to take things as they came. If it worked, great. If not, move on.

  But just then, Smith finally spoke—saying something completely unexpected.

  "Fine, you can have it. But in exchange, you need to tell me exactly how you recognized it was a replica at a glance. And—I'm taking both barrels of liquor."

  Wait… he actually agreed?!

  Kenley felt a surge of excitement, but he kept his expression neutral. The last thing he wanted was to seem too eager—that would only make Smith suspicious.

  "Alright, I agree. Come here for a second…" Kenley motioned for Smith to lean in.

  Smith immediately did so, pressing his ear closer.

  Kenley whispered,"Now you see… that's how… just like this…"

  Once he finished, he casually leaned back in his chair.

  Tia, meanwhile, was burning with curiosity. What exactly did Master say? How had he seen through it so effortlessly?

  He was just too mysterious—and that only made her all the more intrigued.