NoveLight ™
“Ah, yes. We were in the same orphanage as kids. By the way, this is Meteor Pluto, the heir of the Pluto Ducal House—”
Before I could finish the introduction, Cyrillote offered Meteor a polite smile and extended his hand for a handshake.
“Of course, I’m well aware. Lord Meteor Pluto, it’s an honor to have such distinguished guests visit my humble weapons shop.”
“...”
Meteor stared at Cyrillote for a moment before glancing at the outstretched hand. After a brief pause, he finally took it.
“I didn’t expect the shop owner to know Crescent. Even less so that someone my age would be running a weapons shop.”
Releasing the handshake, Meteor stepped back. Cyrillote, unfazed, returned his hand gracefully and replied with a smile.
“Many say the same. But you’ll find even greater surprises when you see the weapons I’ve invented.”
“Really? I’m so curious! What’s this about weapons that synchronize with divine power?”
I interjected excitedly.
Holy Knights could infuse divine power into most weapons, usually swords being the default choice. The flyer’s emphasis on divine power synchronization intrigued me—it felt deliberate.
“Ah, I was going to offer some tea first, but I see knights can’t resist. By the way, Crescent, I was surprised to hear you became a Holy Knight. Or should I say, Lady Crescent now? Congratulations on officially joining the Pluto family.”
“Ah, yes, thank you. I’m still getting used to it myself—it’s only been a few days since the adoption.”
Indeed, my adoption into the Pluto family had sent shockwaves across the empire.
Every newspaper was plastered with headlines about it.
It was unprecedented for a family like the Plutos, who valued lineage above all else, to adopt an unrelated child.
Cyrillote shifted his gaze toward Meteor.
“Then, Lord Meteor, I suppose this makes you my dear friend’s older brother.”
“...Where are the weapons?”
Ignoring Cyrillote’s comment, Meteor scanned the shop’s interior. His sharp gaze lit up Cyrillote’s face with delight.
“Perfect timing. I have a weapon here that Holy Knights, especially Lady Crescent, might find very useful. Please, follow me.”
“Ahem. You could just call me Crescent when we’re alone…”
I mumbled under my breath, following Cyrillote. Then again, we weren’t exactly alone—Meteor was here too.
It felt overwhelmingly awkward for someone I’d known since childhood to address me as “Lady Crescent.” But I supposed I had to get used to it.
Cyrillote led us down a staircase to the basement. Even here, the steps were lined with colorful carpets.
I couldn’t help but wonder if Cyrillote always had such a flamboyant taste.
Then, I realized I hadn’t asked him about himself yet.
“So, you’re just the same as always. How have you been? The flyer said you studied abroad?”
“Oh, yes. About a year after you left the orphanage, I left too and wandered for a while. I traveled through neighboring countries, learning and observing. Eventually, I realized inventing weapons was my calling, so I opened this shop here.”
“Wow. That’s amazing. I didn’t know you had such a talent. Then again, you always seemed a bit... different.”
I murmured, recalling memories of the younger Cyrillote.
He had always stood out, though it was hard to pinpoint exactly why.
“Well, you weren’t exactly ordinary yourself, Lady Crescent,” Cyrillote teased with a grin.
I chuckled softly. He wasn’t wrong.
Back then, I was focused on studying herbology to unravel the mystery of my father’s disappearance. That alone made me unlike other children.
Still, that was in the tutorial phase of my life. In this timeline, I hadn’t done anything particularly eccentric. Or had I?
Was it just my face that stood out?
We arrived in the basement, and Cyrillote stretched his arms wide to present the space.
“Here, you’ll find my finest weapons on display. Every visitor has been amazed and placed orders before leaving.”
The view before me left me speechless.
Unlike the toy store-like exterior, the basement was as luxurious as a high-end jeweler’s shop in the capital.
The floors and walls were lined with polished marble, and a chandelier sparkled overhead.
Display cases made of glass and crystal gleamed without a single smudge.
“Wow. It’s dazzling. Cyrill, you must’ve made a lot of money.”
“I poured all my prize money from invention competitions into this place.”
“You really are a genius.”
As I admired the displays, Cyrillote smiled with the same relaxed charm he’d had as a child.
I slowly walked around, examining the weapons, each accompanied by a name and description.
These weren’t ordinary weapons—they felt more like inventions.
They seemed designed for ordinary people rather than knights, providing tools for survival in encounters with Magi.
Even I, with all my knowledge and experience, found them ingenious and unconventional.
“This is fascinating. How did you even create these? You must know a lot about the Demon Realm.”
“I did some studying. With the Demon King’s return and the increase in Magi, I figured this would be a profitable market.”
As he spoke, Cyrillote bent slightly, like a gentleman inviting someone to dance.
“Well then, honored guests of the Pluto family, allow me to present my most prized creation.”
“Sure!”
What could it be?
Excitement bubbled within me. Meteor, too, watched with keen interest.
Cyrillote returned with something small and silver, about the size of a handheld item.
When I saw it, I instantly recognized what it was. But Meteor did not.
“What’s this?”
“It’s called a gun, my lord.”
“A gun?”
A gun?
Why on earth was there a gun here?
I was so shocked I forgot to speak, my gaze darting between the gun and Cyrillote.
The sleek silver object had elegant engravings on its surface. It resembled the guns I knew but was slimmer. There was even a trigger.
But this was a world without guns. No one here had ever seen or heard of such a weapon.
How did Cyrillote create one?
He began to explain.
“This is a weapon I designed after pondering for an hour on how to use divine power quickly and efficiently. You can load divine power into it like a bead, pull the trigger, and fire it at a distance.”
“What...?”
Meteor looked utterly dumbfounded.
For people in this world, his reaction was understandable.
“You made this? How?”
“I just thought of it and made it. Genius, right?” Cyrillote grinned confidently.
Did he really make this?
I supposed every world has someone who invents gun-like weapons. On second thought, the concept wasn’t that hard to come up with.
“Forming divine power into beads isn’t too difficult, though.”
Saying this, I picked up the gun.
Its contours were smooth, and it fit perfectly in my hand. It was cold but surprisingly light, making it satisfying to hold.
“Want to give it a try?”
“Sure.”
Responding to Meteor, I focused on channeling divine power. Cyrillote, visibly excited, let out a small gasp of anticipation.