The next few days after killing Sam were filled with the same kind of charades. Answering questions as to his whereabouts, taking orders in his stead, and all-around fabricating a new story line for the old man that once was. The first day had taken a lot of energy to put up the walls necessary to trick people, but as the customers kept rolling in it became more normal and easier for Devroux to keep his story straight from person to person. With the exception of answering questions about Sam, running the shop was pretty much the same as it had always been.

The customers that were coming in, as usual, were part of the customer base that Sam had spent many years building up; the loyal customers that he'd known before the bigger shops on the outer edge of the district had been built. The usual customers were all relatively dated, but the complacency they'd grown to have made it that much easier for Dev's story to set in stone and become reality. Visiting the same shop every time they needed something made it easy to accept what the shop had to put out, but this became even easier as the quality of the product increased with Devroux being accepted as an apprentice.

Yet, even as the customer base was solid and accepting, the products they wanted were all too average for the bat mink. He, figuratively, wanted to stretch his wings and experiment with his skills as a blacksmith. Nails, swords, and other crafting gear didn't give him the opportunity. He really only had the chance to craft something unusual when he was crafting for himself or the few other outliers - namely Noctis and Jackal - that came into his shop.

Devroux had an unseemly adoration for the craft that he'd taken up. He never thought that he'd appreciate having to get down and dirty with grease and heat as much as he did. But if he had to craft the same thing every day for years on end, he'd end up crafting the bullet that'd pierce his own head. If he were to survive the life of a blacksmith, he'd have to build a customer base that would grow and prosper on its own, bringing him crafts and ideas that he wouldn't have alone. Now that Sam was gone, he could go about this in his own way.

WC: 411
Haki Stamina: 10/10

Equipment:

There were big plans at work within Devroux's head, but there was another that continued to nag at him as he worked. Out of all the customers that had come through since Sam's death, there was one that had stood out among them. The elderly lady that had appeared late on the first night was drastically different from not only the customers that typically came through, but of all the humans that Dev had met since leaving Zou.

The woman had entered the shop with power on her tongue, assaulting the mink mentally and probing for a true answer as to the whereabouts of Sam without asking a direct question. Her line of questioning and tone made it seem that by the end of their confrontation, she'd achieved her goal. Her force and skill with interrogation were - as much as Dev hated to admit it - intimidating. The woman was old and frail; she wasn't a threat physically, but if she could come by proof of what he'd done to Sam, she may end up being trouble either way.

As he'd done with Sam and many others prior to him, Devroux had no qualms about permanently dispatching problems; however, he'd let his chance slip away by letting the woman leave without pursuance. Now, if she chose to reopen the closed wound of Sam's disappearance, the problem now lie in her anonymity. Without knowing who she worked for, where she lived, or even a name, she'd be difficult to track down. But that in itself pulled at the mink's interests.

A woman as forceful and cunning with words as her had come and gone, but as Dev continued to ponder on their conversation he began to become more and more curious as to who she actually was. He had to find out. He would find out.

WC: 322
Haki Stamina: 10/10

Over the course of the following days, Devroux would carry on the business as usual, without the presence of his former teacher. Having been the one solely crafting the orders, the quality that the customers had come to know wouldn't be reduced, leading them to no longer question the whereabouts of Sam. All they had to do was acclimate to the fact that they'd be ordering with the mink rather than an elderly man.

While business was still steady and money was now going directly into his pocket instead of split between him and Sam, there was still a lack of entertainment for the one working. The orders were still the usual sword and firearm with the occasional addition of made-to-order crafting supplies. Now that things were left up to him, dreams of success began to run through Dev's mind. Expanding the business by advertising to the locals, partnerships with businesses in other districts, and even at the base level - forging something that even masters in combat could be proud of. He had ideas, but he'd have to be weary of any enemies his unique tactics might create.

For now, he began to question customers as they came in. Sam had formed alliances with the other crafting shops in the district and their input would be useful in the war against lackluster clientele. Since Dev had never had the experience of running a business himself, he spoke to them about every idea that came to mind. Who to talk to for mass-production business, where the best spots to advertise were, and the mink even had the sense to venture into some of the bigger smithing shops to see how different it was compared to his own business model. Every now and then, however, he would worm in a question or two about the old woman that had visited him.

The older generation of craftsmen that visited Sam's Smithery were the best to ask. If Sam had had a wife in the past or something of that nature, they'd be the ones that would be able to tell him. Yet, Sam was a reserved man in life, so Devroux was well aware of how difficult that task may end up being.

WC: 379
Haki Stamina: 10/10