The world lurched, and Kaiser stumbled slightly as he materialized in front of a bright, glittering storefront. The words Erya’s: Hair, Flair, and Style Beyond Compare! were painted in dramatic golden strokes across a sign adorned with ribbons and charms that glinted in the sunlight. A faint hum of magic lingered in the air around him, and Kaiser blinked, trying to make sense of what had just happened.

  Before he could collect himself, a loud POP echoed behind him. Then another. And another.

  People began appearing around him in quick succession, their expressions ranging from confusion to outright fury.

  “Wha—? Where am I?” a man stammered, clutching a broom like it was a lifeline.

  A woman holding a pan of half-cooked eggs appeared with a shriek. “WHO DID THIS?!”

  Kaiser’s mind raced as more people appeared, one man was dressed in striped pajamas, another clutching a basket of laundry. It was like watching chaos unfold in real time.

  The door to the salon slammed open, and out strutted a striking woman with fiery red hair cascading down her back like a waterfall. Her bright red eyes gleamed with enthusiasm, and she had the kind of energy that filled a room—or in this case, an entire street.

  “Well, well, well!” she exclaimed, clapping her hands together as her gaze locked onto Kaiser. “Would you look at this? You, my friend, are the very first lucky winner of Erya’s Legendary Hairleport Giveaway!”

  “Winner?” Kaiser echoed, feeling her words hit him like a cart full of bricks.

  “Winner!” she repeated with gusto, grabbing his hand and giving it an enthusiastic shake. “Congratulations, my dear! As the first to take up the offer, you get an absolutely free haircut! Isn’t that exciting?”

  Kaiser hesitated, pulling his hand back slightly. “I’m… not sure what just happened. One minute, I was—”

  “Doesn’t matter!” Erya interrupted, waving off his confusion. “The important thing is, you’re HERE! And you’re getting the BEST haircut of your life!”

  The surrounding crowd erupted into chaos.

  “THIS IS RIDICULOUS!” shouted the pajama-clad man, shaking a fist at the sky. “I was taking a nap, and this stupid flyer flew through my window! What kind of scam is this?”

  “Oh, shut it, Gregor!” Erya called over her shoulder, rolling her eyes. “You haven’t taken a bath in two weeks, you should be thanking me for dragging you out of that musty little shack!”

  “Yeah!” shouted a woman holding a toddler who was crying in her arms “I was in the middle of feeding my kid, Erya! You’re gonna pay for this!”

  Erya stopped in her tracks, turned to the crowd, and threw her hands up. “Oh, RELAX, Francine! It’s not my fault the paper flew into your window! And besides, didn’t you say last week your split ends were bad enough to cut glass?”

  “You can’t just teleport people out of their homes, Erya!” yelled another man clutching a sack of potatoes.

  Erya turned to him and planted her hands on her hips. “Oh, please, Louis! It’s called creative marketing! You wouldn’t understand, you sell the same five kinds of potatoes every year. Don’t act like you’re running some groundbreaking operation.”

  “That’s because people like potatoes!” Louis shot back.

  Kaiser tried to edge away while the argument unfolded, but Erya whirled around and caught him by the wrist. “Oh, no, you don’t!” she said, wagging a finger at him. “You’re the star of the show today, my friend!”

  “I didn’t ask to be the star of anything,” Kaiser muttered, glancing at the crowd that was growing louder by the second.

  Erya ignored him, turning back to the irate group. “Look, folks, you all got teleported here because my magic flyers have reach. If you didn’t want to show up, maybe you shouldn’t have touched them, huh? Ever think of that?”

  “YOU SENT IT THROUGH MY WINDOW!” Gregor roared, his face red with fury.

  Erya’s eyes locked onto him like a hawk. “Oh, please, Gregor! You don’t even HAVE windows, you’ve been too cheap to replace them since your cousin broke them last spring! Don’t come at me with your fake outrage!”

  “THAT’S NOT THE POINT!”

  “Fine, fine!” Erya threw her hands up dramatically. “You’re all so ungrateful! I’m giving away FREE haircuts, people! Do you know how much I usually charge? A LOT. You’re welcome!”

  Kaiser tugged at his wrist, his voice low and tense. “I really don’t think this is necessary. I don’t even need a haircut.”

  Erya froze, slowly turning to face him, her expression one of exaggerated disbelief. “Excuse me? Did you just say you don’t need a haircut?”

  “That’s what I said,” Kaiser replied cautiously.

  “Oh, honey.” She stepped closer, squinting critically at his head. “Have you seen your hair?”

  “It’s… functional,” Kaiser offered weakly, running a hand through his dark, slightly unruly locks.

  “Functional?!” Erya looked genuinely offended, like he’d just insulted her life’s work. “Sweetheart, your hair looks like it’s been through a windstorm, a lightning strike, and a bad breakup all at once! Functional, my foot. This is a public service. Now, get inside.”

  “I really think—”

  “No time for thinking!” she declared, dragging him toward the salon door.

  “Erya!” one of the townsfolk shouted. “You’re gonna pay for this!”

  “Put it on my tab!” she yelled back, kicking the door open and pulling Kaiser inside.

  Before she closed the door, she turned to the crowd and clapped her hands for attention, her voice booming like a market crier. “Ladies and gentlemen—yes, all of you who just got the blessing of teleportation here. I wish to tell you that you’re in luck! Since you weren’t the first lucky winner like this fine gentleman here,” She gestured at Kaiser, who was sinking further into himself with each passing second. “I’m offering discounted haircuts for everyone else! That’s right, half off for one day only!”

  For a moment, silence hung in the air. Then the grumbling started.

  “DISCOUNTED?” someone yelled. “WE DIDN’T EVEN WANT TO BE HERE!”

  “DISCOUNT?” Gregor, still in his pajamas, screamed. “You teleported me out of my HOUSE!”

  “You think we’re gonna pay for this?” Louis the potato seller shouted, stepping forward with a burlap sack slung over his shoulder.

  “First of all,” Erya snapped, pointing a finger at Louis, “you could definitely use a trim, I mean just look at those sideburns. Are they a fashion statement or a warning? Second, I don’t care where you were. You’re here now, and you’re all welcome! I’m practically giving away my services!”

  Louis’s face turned red as he reached into his sack. “Oh yeah? Here’s what I think of your services!” He hurled a potato at her.

  The potato barely missing her and hitting the salon’s golden-framed door with a thud.

  “Oh, you did not just throw a potato at me!” Erya yelled, her hands on her hips.

  “I DID!” Louis shouted back.

  As if on cue, the rest of the crowd started following his lead, grabbing potatoes from Louis and throwing them at the hair saloon.

  “STOP IT! These are perfectly good potatoes!” Louis bellowed, even as he threw another one himself.

  One particularly large potato whizzed by Kaiser’s head, and he instinctively ducked. “Uh, Erya? I think we should—”

  “Oh, for crying out loud!” Erya growled. She grabbed Kaiser by the wrist and yanked him into the shop. “You people wouldn’t know good customer service if it hit you in the face!”

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  “It’s about to hit you in the face!” someone yelled, launching another potato directly at her.

  Erya barely dodged the potato before getting into the saloon and slamming the doors behind her. The thuds of potatoes hitting the wooden door echoed in the air as she locked it with a sharp click.

  “Whew!” She turned to Kaiser, brushing imaginary dust off her hands. “What is wrong with people? You try to give them a good deal, and suddenly it’s a food fight out of nowhere!”

  Kaiser blinked at her, his mind as confused as ever. “I think you might’ve underestimated how angry people get when they’re magically teleported out of their homes.”

  “Pfft. Drama queens, all of them,” she said, waving it off like it was nothing. “Now, let’s get you in that chair, mister. You’re not leaving here until you look like a brand-new man.”

  Before Kaiser could even protest, Erya snapped her fingers, and the chair behind him slid forward with surprising speed, bumping against the back of his knees. He stumbled slightly, and before he could regain his footing, her hands were on his shoulders, guiding him down with practiced ease.

  “Sit, darling,” she commanded, her tone leaving no room for argument.

  Kaiser hesitated for a second, but the chair was impossibly plush, practically molding itself to his body. “What the…”

  “Comfy, isn’t it?” she chimed, snapping her fingers again. A warm, lavender-scented towel floated into place around his shoulders. “Now, don’t fight it. You’ll thank me later.”

  Before he could say another word, tools and brushes started circling his head, each glowing faintly with golden light. Kaiser sank deeper into the chair with a resigned sigh. "I already regret this."

  “You won’t,” Erya said smugly, scissors flashing in her hand as she leaned in. "Trust the process."

  The moment she moved, the salon came alive. Brushes, combs, sprays, and scissors floated off their shelves, encircling Kaiser like tiny soldiers awaiting orders. Bottles of shimmering oils hovered midair, their contents glinting like liquid gold, while hairdryers hummed faintly as they spun lazily around him.

  Kaiser blinked in alarm, his muscles tensing. “What the hell is all that?”

  “Relax, sweetheart,” Erya said with a dismissive wave, her golden scissors appearing in her hand with a flick of her wrist. “It’s called professionalism.”

  She gestured sharply, and the tools sprang into action. One comb began gently parting his long, tangled black hair while another worked its way through the knots with surprising precision. A mist of warm water spritzed his hair, softening it, followed by the scent of something floral and luxurious.

  “Long and messy? That’s a no-go,” she muttered, tilting her head to examine him. “We’re keeping the length because, honey, you pull it off—but we’re going to make it shine like obsidian.”

  The golden scissors flashed as she snipped with lightning speed. Despite her sarcastic tone earlier, her movements were precise, almost reverent, as if she was sculpting a masterpiece. She worked on his hair in sections, commanding some tools to smooth out one part while others polished the strands.

  Kaiser could feel the tension leaving his scalp as the combs worked, and he hated to admit it, but the entire process was oddly relaxing.

  Erya suddenly leaned closer, holding up a lock of his hair between two fingers. “You’ve got great hair, you know. A little unloved, sure, but the potential? Ugh, it’s criminal.”

  “It’s just hair,” Kaiser muttered, feeling self-conscious.

  Erya gasped dramatically, clutching her chest. “Just hair?! Darling, this hair is a weapon! A statement! It’s the first thing people see when they meet you. It needs to scream, ‘I’m in control, and I look damn good doing it.’”

  As she spoke, the floating tools whirled around him faster. A few brushes worked to straighten his hair into a sleek curtain of black, gleaming like polished stone under the salon’s warm lights. She stepped back, crossing her arms as she admired her progress.

  “Hair’s done. Now, let’s fix… this,” she said, gesturing vaguely at his face.

  Kaiser raised an eyebrow. “What’s wrong with my face?”

  “Nothing,” Erya said, flashing him a sly smile. “But that scruffy little beard? Oh, honey, no. We can do better.”

  With a flick of her fingers, a straight razor floated toward her, accompanied by a bottle of shaving cream that smelled faintly of eucalyptus. She shook the bottle, sending a puff of foam onto her hands before applying it to his face with a soft brush.

  Kaiser tensed as the razor hovered near his cheek, but Erya rolled her eyes. “Relax. I’ve never cut anyone. Well… not on purpose.”

  “That’s not reassuring,” Kaiser grumbled, but he stayed still as she worked.

  She used the razor with skillful, deliberate strokes, the blade gliding effortlessly over his skin. Each pass left his face smooth and spotless, the roughness of his travels erased like it had never existed.

  “You’ve got good bone structure,” she murmured, tilting his head slightly to one side. “Strong jawline. We’ll let that shine. No need to hide it under a patchy beard.”

  “It wasn’t patchy,” Kaiser muttered under his breath.

  Erya smirked but didn’t argue, her focus on perfecting every detail. She used her own hands for this part, as if trusting no magic to match her precision. When she was finished, she wiped his face clean with a warm towel, leaving his skin feeling fresh and cool.

  She stepped back, hands on her hips, and gave him a once-over. “Hair? Perfect. Face? Impeccable. Now…” Her red eyes gleamed mischievously. “A hair that good deserves a better body to carry it.”

  Kaiser blinked, caught off guard. “What does that mean?”

  “Oh, you’ll see,” Erya said with a wicked grin.

  Suddenly, a flurry of smaller tools surrounded him. Tweezers tidied his eyebrows, straightening them into clean, sharp lines. A touch of moisturizer was applied to his skin, leaving it smooth and healthy-looking. She even adjusted his nails, filing them down to perfection.

  “This is ridiculous,” Kaiser muttered, though he couldn’t deny he felt lighter, sharper and cleaner.

  “Ridiculous?” Erya echoed, mock offense dripping from her tone. “Darling, this is art. You walked in here looking like a lost vagabond. You’re leaving as a prince.”

  Finally, she stepped back, snapping her fingers. All the floating tools returned to their places, leaving only silence in their wake.

  “There,” Erya said, gesturing grandly toward the mirror. “Take a look. Admire.”

  Kaiser turned to the mirror, and his breath hitched. His long black hair was perfectly straight and glossy, cascading down his back like a waterfall of night. His face was clean-shaven, his jawline sharp and prominent, with his skin glowing faintly as if it had been polished. Even his eyebrows were clean and well-defined, giving him an air of quiet intensity.

  For a moment, he didn’t recognize himself.

  Kaiser ran his fingers through his newly transformed hair, still processing the dramatic change. He glanced at Erya, who was casually leaning against the counter, polishing her golden scissors like they were a badge of honor.

  "So," he started, hesitantly, "you run a hair shop—"

  "Salon," she interrupted, holding up a finger. "Please, darling, let's not downgrade it. This is a parlor of transformation."

  Kaiser rolled his eyes but continued. "Alright, fine. You run this... ‘parlor of transformation.’ But how do you manage all this? The magic, the tools flying around, the teleporting posters? You’re acting like you’re more than just a hairstylist."

  Erya smirked, flipping her long red hair over her shoulder. “Oh, sweetie, I’m not just a hairstylist.” She gestured around the room with a dramatic flair. “This? Hair? A mere fraction of what I can do. I can do everything—and then more.”

  “Everything?” Kaiser raised an eyebrow, skeptical.

  “Everything,” she repeated with a grin, leaning toward him conspiratorially. “I can bake cakes that would bring a king to tears. I can enchant your shoes to make you run faster than a horse. I could redecorate your house to look like a palace and still have time to write you a sonnet before lunch.” She leaned back, snapping her scissors shut with a sharp click. “Darling, I’m a jack-of-all-trades, master of all.”

  Kaiser blinked, unsure whether she was joking or serious. “So… why a hair salon, then?”

  “Parlor,” she corrected again, wagging her finger. “And because, my dear, this is where I can interact with people. Where I can turn lives around one strand at a time. Do you know how many lives I’ve changed just by fixing someone’s bad haircut? Hundreds! Maybe thousands!”

  Kaiser snorted, shaking his head. “And here I thought I was just getting a trim.”

  “Oh, no, no, no,” Erya said, stepping closer and wagging a comb at him. “You didn’t come in here by accident. The universe guided you to me because it knew you needed my magic. And look at you now, practically unrecognizable! You’re welcome, by the way.”

  “Thanks, I guess?” Kaiser said, still feeling unsure about her over-the-top confidence.

  Erya beamed. “You’re learning. Now, anything else you need? Wardrobe makeover? Maybe I enchant your boots to let you walk on water? Or perhaps you’d like me to whip up a legendary sword while you’re here?”

  Kaiser blinked. “You… can make swords too?”

  Erya shrugged. “I told you! I can do everything. And then more.” She twirled her scissors in her hand, flashing him a playful grin. “But for now, I’m sticking to hair and beauty. Keeps things manageable, you know?”

  “Right,” Kaiser muttered, still trying to wrap his head around the whirlwind of a woman in front of him. “So, what’s the catch? There’s always a catch with people like you.”

  Erya gasped, placing a hand dramatically over her chest. “People like me?! Darling, I’m hurt! Offended, even! I run an honest business here. No catches, no strings attached. Just pure, unfiltered excellence.”

  Kaiser gave her a flat look. “You literally teleported dozens of people against their will for a haircut.”

  “Okay, technically true,” she admitted, smirking. “But those were promotional tactics. And don’t act like you didn’t benefit, Mr. First-Customer-Free-Cut.”

  He sighed, shaking his head. “You’re… you might be insane.”

  “And you’re lucky I’m letting you walk out of here looking like a god,” Erya shot back with a wink. Kaiser smirked despite himself. “You really do think you’re the center of the universe, don’t you?”

  “Darling,” Erya said, spinning her scissors one last time before slipping them into a leather holster at her hip. “When you’re this talented, the universe has to revolve around you.”

  Just as Kaiser started to retort, Erya snapped her fingers again. His chair swiveled and tilted forward slightly, forcing him to rise from the plush seat. She strode toward the door, flinging it open with a dramatic sweep. “Alright, you’re done. Time to make room for the next soul in need of salvation!”

  Before Kaiser could respond, her hand landed squarely on his back, and she shoved him out the door. “Out you go!”

  Stumbling slightly, Kaiser turned just in time to see Erya dodging a potato that sailed through the air and smacked against the side of her shop.

  “Erya!” a teary-eyed Louis cried from the street. The potatoes were coming fast now, flung by a group of irate locals still fuming about their unexpected teleportation. “STOP THROWING POTATOES, YOU MANIACS!” he yelled at the crowd, his voice cracking as he desperately tried to catch them mid-air.

  “You’re all being ridiculous!” he wailed, standing in front of the shop like a human shield. “Good food shouldn’t be wasted like this!”

  Another potato hit the glass, leaving a smudge, and Louis’s tears flowed freely. “Potatoes are the most divine thing in creation!”

  Inside, Erya ignored the chaos as she reached out and yanked a new victim, a lanky man with a beard that reached halfway down his chest—right off the street.

  “You!” she barked, grabbing his beard as if it were a rope. “This thing looks like it belongs in a museum! It’s horrifying, and I’m not letting it walk around like that in my city!”

  “W-wait, please, no!” the man cried, but it was too late. Erya dragged him into the shop with one swift motion, slamming the door shut behind her.

  Outside, Louis threw himself in front of another incoming potato, catching it and clutching it to his chest like it was his first born child “STOP IT!”