Riot Grasper - Volume 2 - Chapter 10.2

2nd Volume, 10th Chapter 【The Blue Eyed Girl and the Gentleman at His Prime】 2nd Part

「――Such a profusely generous person, no?」

These were not sarcastic words… It seemed to be her honest opinion…

「That mount was probably very important to them.」
「Fuun, do you carry some expensive therapeutic medication?」
「I can somewhat use magic, so I can reasonably heal wounds.」

Whether my words piqued her interest or not, she removed her hair ornament and passed it my way. Although I was perplexed, I received it. What kind of thing is it?

「Albeit only slightly, I’m curious about you. That hair ornament may look small, but there’s a White Magic Crystal processed into it. If you’re that good, why don’t you load it with your magic?」

I get it. However, although humans who could use magic were few, they should not be rare.
I had no idea as to what piqued the interest of a girl merely in her early teens, but whatever. Fine.

Also, the White Magic Crystal processed into this hair ornament was quite small.
Even smaller than my pinky’s nail.

「Err, yeah. What would happen if a White Magic Crystal were loaded with magic beyond its capacity?」

Going by Sheena-san’s explanation, the strength of magic stored inside a White Magic Crystal depended on its size.
It was Logins-san, standing by Marita’s side, who answered my enquiry.

「In that case, the White Magic Crystal would shatter.」

Such a scary thing was said with such a straight face.
Hey, hey! If I broke it, wouldn’t I have to compensate for it?
However, even if I returned the hair ornament, It didn’t seem like she would take it back.

「Of course, I won’t complain even if it breaks. Okay?」

Houhou, in other words…
She thinks that magic of a mere youngster cannot possibly exceed the limit, huh?
I mean, isn’t Marita the young one here?

Then, so be it. I will show you the abyss of my magic!

I grasped the hair ornament tightly. With all my power, I invoked the greatest and the strongest magic of absolute destruction——nope, 《Light of Healing (Light Healing)》.
It would be scary, if it accidentally discharged.
If it were this magic, it would be safe, so I decided on it.

So……it must be called, after all, huh? It was probably be impossible with merely a thought. However, the White Magic Crystal processed into the hair ornament cracked and shattered.
Shouldn’t it not break if I regulate the intensity of magic? Yet it ended up broken when I thought about destruction.
I was concerned about accidental discharge, but the stored magic dispersed as if it fused with the mana in the atmosphere.

It was not my fault.
Still, with a guilty conscience, I silently returned the hair ornament to Marita.

She probably had no intention of accusing me like she earlier claimed. Next, she picked up the White Magic Crystal which I brought with me.

「I will take full responsibility if it breaks. I want you to do it once more.」
「…What kind of magic should I load…?」

Even I believed it wouldn’t break.
Therefore, I had better hear as to what kind of magic she wanted.

「The magic you have the most confidence in.」

Magic that I have the most confidence in… huh?
Then, it would have to be the one I only just learnt.
I wouldn’t have to be worried about accidental discharge either. Alright, let’s do this.

No, wait.
For argument’s sake, even if I successfully loaded it, wouldn’t a human who could use Origin Magic… who could use a composite element encompassing all elements at that be extremely rare?
Maybe she will laugh out of excessive self consciousness and throw it away…?

――A short while of indecision.
Oh well. I don’t think it would be bad if I piqued the interest of the lord’s daughter.
Actually, it was quite important to get acquainted with influential people and build connections.
Of course, if it were someone of rotten character, I had better avoid eye contact, so my eyes wouldn’t rot. If it were Marita, it would be fine… I think…

Besides, I had already decided to enjoy my life in this world, Iris.
I didn’t want to die early, but I didn’t want to live an ordinary life either.
Take a game for example. If there were no events in the game, it would be boring.

…Let’s do this…

I grasped the White Magic Crystal, invoked six elemental magic in order, and refined each to one step short state.
It was taking a good deal of time…
After having carefully completed the groundwork, I directed my consciousness to my palm and let mana sublimate into magic all at once.

「…Fuu…」

――It seemed to have gone well.
When I held the White Magic Crystal up and peeked inside, I could discern a six colored gleam.
When she received it, she was initially startled. As if fascinated by the jewel, which was sparkling like a rainbow, she could only-

「…So beautiful…」

-Murmur that.
Logins-san must be wondering 「What kind of magic is this…」, too.

…Ah, I just remembered that I had to visit Jig-san’s shop, too, so I decided to leave.

「Well then, we will be off.」

The price of the White Magic Crystal was supposed to be 380,000 Dalas. However, because Marita was in a good mood, she bumped it up to a final price of 400,000 Dalas.
Four white gold coins, huh… Shouldn’t I just switch jobs from Adventurer to Miner?

Jokes aside, after leaving the jewellery shop, Lim and I headed to the Industrial District on foot.
My entire fortune was about 500,000 Dalas.
Even if I purchased Rook, I would have a lot in spare.
With this, I could do as I please at Jig-san’s shop.
I didn’t mean that money wouldn’t last overnight, but it was a world fraught with dangers. If it could be used, it had better be used.

「――Even if you bought a better armor, it would be absurd to lose your life the next instant!」

Receiving Jig-san’s words 『E-Even if you put something better on, danger would still be danger☆』 with thanks, I bought a new set of armor.

What he recommended me was a cloth armor made by weaving the Black Steel Thread, which was tougher than low grade metals, spat by a spider-esque monster called 《Gran Spider》, that was native to Aesha Continent.
As the name of the material would suggest, it was black in color.
Lately… Jig-san would understand my taste even if I didn’t tell him…

Because the cloth armor contained cushioning inside, it could block not just slashes but blows as well.
Furthermore, it contained Mythril fragments to protect such parts as shoulders, elbows and knees. It cost a total of 180,000 Dalas.
An excellent item would obviously cost a lot. An armor contributed greatly toward survivability.
Even if it were expensive, I would not compromise.

Now then, here I was facing Feeder Pops’ in the state of heightened tension. The reason being, I recalled a certain something.

The thing is… Although I loaded magic into the White Magic Crystal at Marita’s behest, I forgot to teach her the words of invocation.
In which case, it would be unable to be used for self-defense.

――Oh well. What can I do?
If it were needed, they would say something.

…Come to think of it, I had quite a few encounters today…
The two of us rode Rook, encountered a demon, then a battle broke out. The two of us rode Rook again, encountered the lord’s daughter, then I piqued the princess’ interest.

It was already past 6 o’clock.
Indulged in ‘I wonder as to which of Dario-san’s cuisines I will be having for shime’ thought, I opened the door.
(Translator’s note: Shime – last meal when going restaurant hopping)

What entered my line of sight was a wolf beastkin, Arnold-san. Sitting across him with a well built body was… a dog beastkin? However, they were reveling drunk.
Dario-san, who was carrying liquor to the two of them, stopped and called 「Welcome back」 out upon seeing us.
What greeted us were three middle aged men.
…What’s going on?
I know this inn is called Feeder Pops’, but…

For the whole inn to be filled with pops getting fed.
Un… Totally…

Thereafter, we forced our way to the middle, took our seats and had dinner with everyone.
The cuisine was exceedingly delicious as ever. Doorey-san――the dog beastkin whom I met for the first time――relished at eating.
Doorey-san seemed to be from the same village as Arnold-san, but he was now active as a merchant.
I got to hear various stories. However, when the conversation proceeded toward the humans of Souven Empire, whom they didn’t have good impression of, they turned agitated.

Fumu… I would have to be careful of humans who called beastkin beasts (※Contemptuously suggesting that they and animals were one and the same kind)
I didn’t think there would be such people.

――Thus, the dinner came to an end without them learning of the events transpired at the Paudal Wetland Belt.

Lim returned to her room while Arnold-san and Doorey-san continued to drink.
As for me, because I was tired, I decided to retire to my room. Right then――

Someone’s hand emotionally caught my shoulder.

When I slowly turned my head back, I found Arnold-san smiling with a liquor jockey [stein] in one of his hands.
…I get it. I would have to accompany them even if I couldn’t get drunk…

After we took our seats back and drank for a while――the unusually restless Arnold-san asked me.

「N, jun…Thanks for taking Lim along with you today. And… there, nothing, happened… right?」

Upon hearing the question, I almost sprayed the liquor, which I was trying to gulp down, out.
This is bad… Has my fighting a demon somehow been exposed…?
But there was no sign of him suspecting the new armor.

No, wait.
He couldn’t have heard it anywhere. There must be something on his mind, but it wouldn’t come out.
I tried to feign composure as much as possible.

「Nothing worth mentioning. Are you talking about something specific…?」

After our eyes crossed for a while, Arnold-san burst into laughter.
Simultaneously, he *bang* patted Doorey’s, who was sitting next to him, back.

「Kuhaahaahaa! I knew Doorey was thinking too much into it.」
「Geho! No, I told you it was a joke.」

Although I didn’t know the details of their exchange, Did Doorey-san find something unnatural in Lim’s and my story…?
A merchant’s keen eye… scary…

――Thus advanced the night of an already long day.