“Uh, yeah,” Kyle said, attempting to put on a mask of confidence. “I’ve got a couple things I can sell, if you’d be interested. They’re real unique, I promise you. Mister, uh…”

“Markus Sears,” the owner said, standing up. He was a few inches shorter, and almost all the hair from his head seemed to have made its way to his chin, as his gray beard was large and well kept. He set down his tools and took off his magnifying monocle, holding a hand out. Kyle shook it, doing his best not to shake or seem too nervous.

“...Kyle Concord.” I think I’ll take a hint from Connor and stick to my real name for now.

“Alright then, Kyle,” Markus said, laying out a rubber mat on the countertop and gesturing to it. “What have you got for me?”

“Right.” Kyle stood there awkwardly, looking down at the bag he still carried. After a moment, he set it in on the ground and pulled out his wallet instead. “Well, let’s start here first. I’m curious if you've ever seen any money like this before?” He dramatically pulled out the dollar bills and coins, placing them on the mat. He attempted a smile, but dropped it when he felt his face twitch. Man, this is so not like me. Get it together, KC!

“May I?” Markus asked, pausing before touching any of the money.

“Of course. Do whatever you need to satisfy your curiosity.”

Markus put on a pair of white silk gloves he pulled out from behind the counter and gently spread the money out, separating them based on value. A hundred, two twenties, a five, and four one-dollar bills, plus five pennies, three nickels, and a quarter. Using his wrist to scratch at his beard as he looked them over, he turned the coins over and back. He put on the magnifying monocle once again and twisted it, causing a light to shine wherever he looked. The coins were a mix of old and dull to new and shiny; some reflected the light with much more glare than the others, and Markus made sure to examine each one individually. When he was done with one coin, he placed it from the right side of the mat to the left and moved on to the next one. 

Then he moved on to the paper money. He thumbed over and bent them, rolling them to see how they held up. Closing his left eye, he picked up and examined the hundred dollar bill closer. 

“Federal Reserve Note… Legal Tender… The United States of America… In God We Trust?” Markus raised an eyebrow as he looked at the back of the bill. “Is this currency from a theocratic nation? That phrase is on the coins as well.”

“Theocratic?”

“Yeah. A country where they got a church running the show instead of a king, like Lancera. Or a republic like Avalonia, where we have a bunch of morons pretending to represent us making terrible decisions nobody wants.”

“Ah,” Kyle said, giving a snap and nodding. “No, it’s a constitutional republic, I think? The people vote for who represents u–uh, well, the people. So, yeah. Pretty sure the founders were all religious, though. They didn’t force their beliefs on any and everyone, but there’s still lingering stuff about God or faith on the money and in the government buildings and stuff, from what I hear.”

“Huh,” Markus muttered, tilting his head as he moved on to another bill. “Sounds pretty theocratic to me. I’ve never heard of any “United States of America,” though. Could you point it to me on a map?”

“Not likely,” Kyle said, shaking his head slowly. “I just know it’s… way out west.” He paused to make a cross as he thought about which direction America would be on a map. “Not sure if you would ever be able to actually spend the money either, but it is authentic. That’s what the hidden face and line are meant to show if you hold them up to the light.”

“I see…” Markus said, turning off his monocle light. He held the ten dollar bill up so that the light from the ceiling shone behind it, then grabbed another bill and examined that one in the same manner. “Do you know what it’s made of? Clearly not paper.”

“Cotton and… I actually don’t know what else, sorry. Fibers or something?”

Markus grunted as he checked the last bill and set it down on the left of the mat. He nodded a few times and crossed his arms. “So where exactly did you get a hold of all this?”

“This was a gift from family. From my uncle in particular, a couple months ago.”

“And do you know where he got his hands on it?”

“Uhh…” Kyle paused, trying to remember what his uncle did for a living. He thought it was “I don’t… recall? Exactly?”

“Right,” Markus said, narrowing his eyes at Kyle. “Well, as long as your hands were clean in getting a hold of it.”

“Oh, of course!” Kyle said, realizing where Markus was going. As a pawnshop, the last thing the owner would want is to purchase something that had been stolen, only for the rightful owner to come along and ask to have their possession back. At least Markus seemed convinced by his response.

“Well alright then. Now to answer your first question: no, I’ve never seen this kind of currency before. From what you say, it certainly sounds like a nation from the Far Western Continent at least, somewhere on the other side of Lancera.” Kyle nodded along as Markus explained, as if he understood what he was saying. “It looks like this adds up to one hundred forty-nine dollars and forty-five cents. But, to answer your second question, without–”

“Wait,” Kyle said, raising a finger. “But I only asked one question?”

“Were you going to ask me a question other than how much I’d be willing to give you for it?”

“I suppose not,” Kyle said after a moment.

“Exactly. So to answer your second question: without knowing how much this would exchange for, I’m afraid I don’t feel comfortable buying it off you right now.” He sighed, gesturing to the bag on the ground. “Now, depending on what you have there, I might be willing to buy both items together for a bit more than the second item is worth on its own.”

Kyle bit his lip as he contemplated. He had really been hoping that his money would be enough to last him a little bit, but in the end it was too much of a long shot. His only hope lied with selling Shiroshi and Kuroshi, and getting a bonus for the contents of his wallet. Lifting the bag off the ground, he carefully pulled the box out and rested it on the rubber mat.

“Alright then. This is my prized possession. The Shiroshi and Kuroshi, first edition Made in Another World, two in one collectible figurine.” He spun the box so Markus could see the image on the front as he explained. “It comes from a place in the far east, so you might not be familiar with or be able to read any of the markings on the box. As for its rarity, these girls are of a very limited supply, and a likewise high demand. This was the last one at the shop I found it hiding in, and I had to scramble past some other prospective buyers to acquire them–”

“I get it,” Markus interrupted him. “It’s very valuable to collectors. That’s great and all, but what is it exactly? And when did you come into possession of it?”

“They’re, uh… fictional characters from a story.” Kyle felt his face growing hot. “The item itself is just a decorative figurine made out of PVC or something, depicting the twins in poses as they prepare for a fight. I’ll admit, the story is rather niche and, personally, misunderstood just as much as it’s underrated, but these two are easily the most popular characters.”

“Mhm. Anything else?”

“Of course, the one in white hair with a pistol is Shiroshi, and the one in black hair with a dagger is Kuroshi. They’re combat maids who specialize in close combat and espionage, but are really–”

“I meant about the figurine itself, son.” Markus shook his head with closed eyes and sighed. “No offense, but I really could not give a rat’s ass about these characters or their story. If there’s nothing else, I’m going to take the item out of the box now.” He pulled out a folding knife from the back of his waistband, and pulled the box close.

“Wait!” Kyle said, raising his hands in protest. Markus glared at him, holding his knife a few inches from the box. That’s when Kyle realized there was still tape sealing the top shut. He was certain he looked just like a tomato now. “Just, ah, be careful. Is all. Sorry.”

Without missing a beat, Markus dexterously slid the knife under the lid and split the tape apart, leaving the box unharmed. He flipped it open and pulled out the figurine, still stuck between the plastic spacers. He pulled the large plastic pieces apart, and moved to take out the girls next.

“Actually, um… may I? If you don’t mind?” Kyle asked sheepishly. “It’s just, I know it looks simple but I’ve seen figures get damaged from being mishandled while being put together before.”

Markus took his gloves off as held up his hands, taking a step back. Kyle nodded his thanks and pulled out his own gloves from his pocket; they’d gone with the butler cosplay, but he hadn’t felt any need for them while going about his day. Now, though, he was glad he held onto them.

Kyle first found the large, black and white checkered, circular plate in the box and placed it on the rubber mat. With the base ready, he pulled Shiroshi out of the plastic casing and fixed her to the appropriate spot before pulling out the miniature pistol and placing it in her hands. She held the weapon upwards and pulled close in both hands while her head was turned and glaring to the left, her face emotionless.

Next to be freed from her plastic binding was Kuroshi. She was placed with her back almost touching her sister’s, and Kyle fixed her dagger sideways and in front of her face. It hid her smirk as she glared to her right, in the same direction as Shiroshi. They both wore matching maid outfits, with mildly short skirts and a holster and sheath hidden on the backs of their waists, respectively. Peeking out from just under their skirt, both maids had an array of throwing knives strapped to their legs as well.

Satisfied, Kyle nodded and took a step back to admire the ten-inch tall figurine. He went to pull out his phone for a photo, but realized he would be drawing too much attention with a device like that. There was no way he was going to be able to capture the majesty of these maid twins and hold onto them for later adoration. This really is too cruel, fate. Do I have to say goodbye to them like this?

“Well, the craftsmanship is there, for sure,” Markus said, stroking his beard. “I find those ears on top to be a bit odd, as well as the premise of combat maids in general to be… odd. Speaking of…” His voice trailed off as he checked the pocket watch still sitting on the counter.

At the same moment, the bell from the door chimed, and they both turned to see who had walked in.