(EP-260.2) #2

260 – Fight Fire With Fire #2

Mirna seemed a little shocked by the sight. For her, who had lived a devout and orderly life, this chaos and disorder must have been foreign.

Mirna looked around.

“Do you think there are any shops here that sell wands or staves? Or places that sell magic tools would be fine. Even shops with mana paints and inks would be good.”

“There should be plenty of magic tool shops around. If you need something specific, it might be better to buy a catalog from visiting merchants rather than stopping by a shop…”

Nobles didn’t need to visit the market personally.

The items they needed would be custom-delivered. If not, they could simply send their servants. Especially for someone like Mirna, the young lady of the Draco family, there was no need to go through such trouble.

However, Mirna shook her head.

“That way, it won’t have karma. The bond with a tool is important. Like accidentally finding an old book in a secondhand bookstore. It’s best to have a dramatic encounter with tools you’ll use for a long time.”

━Kyuiing.

“Exactly. Like with this little one.”

I wasn’t entirely sure what she meant, but it seemed she wanted to visit a magic tool shop. So, I led her to a nearby magic goods store.

* * *

Jingle, jingle. As we opened the door and entered, a blonde woman wearing a pointed hat greeted us with languid eyes and a long pipe in her mouth.

“Welcome.”

A whiff of a smoky smell hit us, but Mirna didn’t seem to mind as she looked around the store.

Since this was our seventh store visit, I hoped she would like this one.

“The atmosphere is nice.”

Mirna finally nodded approvingly. Just as I felt relieved, the witch who appeared to be the shopkeeper seemed to be interested in us.

“You look like valuable customers. Are you looking for something specific? We have many items directly imported from the Witch Forest of the North. They’re pricey, but the quality is guaranteed.”

Mirna, eyeing the various goods, replied, “I’m looking for magic tools like wands or staffs.”

The witch shrugged at Mirna’s words.

“However, I doubt you’ll find a better tool than the fan you have. That’s made from the feathers of bluebirds and blue eagles, right?”

“This isn’t enough. I need something with more power.”

I had noticed since we started visiting these shops that Mirna seemed strangely fixated on power. Maybe she had realized something from her previous fight with Opal?

It wouldn’t be surprising if she felt the need to power up. Most of the action was handled by Narmi, while Mirna had been unconscious.

━Kyuiing.

At that moment, the cloud creature Yingying, which had been resting on Mirna’s head, suddenly darted off somewhere.

It headed to a corner of the wall where a piece of wood was hanging. It looked charred, resembling a discarded poker. The end was curved like a question mark, almost like a hook.

━Yingyingyaing.

Yingying seemed to like the item, rubbing against it.

The witch spoke up, “Your pet has a good eye. That’s a piece of black paulownia wood struck by lightning five times. It holds very precious magic. Not just anyone can handle it, though—.”

“How much is it?”

The witch wrote something on a piece of paper and showed it to Mirna. Her eyes widened at the sight, and she let out a thoughtful hum.

“The price is higher than I expected…”

I didn’t know the exact amount, but Mirna was deeply contemplating the purchase. Meanwhile, the witch’s gaze turned to me.

“You, too, seem to have quite the collection of fine items. From your robe to the scroll or wand at your waist. I’ve never seen someone dressed to this level.”

The witch’s eyes scrutinized me, with her vertically slit pupils. I felt oddly uneasy, like a frog under the gaze of a snake.

“You must be a powerful mage, easily surpassing the 3rd rank. And, it feels like I’ve seen you somewhere before…”

She didn’t seem to realize I was the Demon Monk Theo. After a moment of contemplation, the witch spoke again as if she had made up her mind.

“If you can help me with a request, I’d be willing to give you a discount on that lightning-struck staff. What do you think?”

Mirna reacted before I could.

“A request?”

“Well, actually—”

The witch began to tell her story as if she had been waiting for this moment. There was a dungeon nearby called the Hidden Barrier, and she needed someone to fetch some spring water from it.

“There are plenty of low-level monsters there, but I believe you two are more than capable. Normally, I would hire adventurers, but with the captures of Bellhawk’s experimental subjects, there’s a shortage of manpower.”

‘I see.’

Due to the chaos caused by the Bellhawk family, the witch’s business suffered quite a bit. There must be many people like her in the world.

Though it wasn’t my fault, I still felt a twinge of guilt.

“My specialty is potion-making. Water is the lifeblood of potion making, and at this rate, I might have to close shop.”

Monster extermination and fetching spring water.

It felt like receiving a quest in a game, which felt funny to me.

It gave me the sense of romance of being an adventurer. And considering I had a daily task of 「Defeat Monsters 0/100」, it wasn’t a bad deal for me.

However, today was supposed to be about showing Mirna around the city.

In other words, it was a date under the pretext of introducing the city. After setting the mood with the date, I was planning to discuss something important.

Wouldn’t this throw off my plan a bit? Just then, Mirna responded.

“Sure.”

What a straightforward answer.

In the end, Mirna and I accepted the impromptu request from the shopkeeper.

A young lady from a great family and a royal court mage doing a quest like regular adventurers with copper or iron plaques. It was amusing.

As we left the shop, I asked.

“Lady Mirna, are you sure about this? We were supposed to explore Monarch City together today.”

At my question, Mirna looked up at the still clear and bright sky.

“There are plenty of other days. Besides, experiencing the lives of ordinary people once in a while can be valuable for those in high positions. And—”

Mirna lowered her gaze from the sky and met my eyes. Her red eyes curved like a crescent moon.

“And exploring Monarch City was just an excuse, right, Sir Theo? You must have something important to discuss with me alone.”

“Yes?”

“I’m not sure when you planned to bring it up, but our schedule doesn’t have to strictly be about sightseeing, does it?”

As expected, Mirna was perceptive.

Edited by: faker