Artifacts and Sweet Temptations
Artifacts are expensive. But when you think about it, they have no choice but to be. From materials to labor costs, these are items that simply cannot come cheap. So for a mercenary like me, they were things I could never even dream of affording. Until now.
But that's no longer true. Now I can reach for them. I have money. If Arcela's Tear started at 300,000 marcas, it'll probably sell for under 500,000. Five hundred thousand marcas. I have that much, don't I? And it's money I can earn in two days. Three at most, if I'm being generous. So for the first time, I find myself considering artifacts—something I'd never bothered thinking about before. After all, there's nothing urgent to do until I master meditation. Money exists to be spent.
Of course, not all artifacts are expensive. Some are relatively affordable, priced in the thousands to tens of thousands of marcas. But honestly, those are barely worth having. They're closer to toys than true artifacts. For example, a ring enchanted with Grade 3 Strength. No one even bothers making or selling those. The results are too pathetic compared to the materials and effort required. To recoup the cost, you'd need to charge at least ten thousand marcas, but no one would buy it at that price. And even if you received one for free, it wouldn't matter much. Most monster hunters and adventuring mages have at least Grade 4 or 5 magic talent, which means they can cast Grade 4 or 5 Strength with ease and minimal mana cost. That would simply overwrite the ring's weak enchantment, leaving it as nothing more than a useless decoration.
Still, it's better than nothing, so some people use them when they have to. In any case, when people talk about proper artifacts, they usually mean ones containing Grade 5 magic or higher. That's why they're so expensive. The prices make you shudder. From what I could gather, an artifact with a single Grade 5 spell runs around 70,000 to 80,000 marcas. Grade 6 goes for about 100,000, Grade 7 around 150,000, and Grade 8 roughly 350,000. Anything higher than that is priced however the seller wants. And those are basically the minimum prices. Used artifacts don't sell for less—they often cost more, since their performance has already been proven.
So buying a pile of artifacts with 700,000 marcas isn't realistic right now. I'll have to pick only what I absolutely need until I can save more.
"Ar."
As I called her name while walking, Ar—who had been staring somewhere off to the side—jumped and turned toward me. What on earth had she been looking at to react like that? Curious, I followed her gaze and spotted a dessert shop. The kind filled with sweet cakes, puddings, and other treats women tend to like. No wonder she'd been captivated. Even I had to admit it looked delicious.
"Want some?"
Her eyes wavered. Ah. She does want it. I can tell even without an answer.
"Let's go. I'll buy you some."
The moment I changed direction, Ar hurried after me. Once inside the shop, her eyes widened and her face lit up with pure happiness. I'd never seen her look this delighted before—not even when she received a proper meal at the inn. She seemed completely overwhelmed, her mouth hanging open as she swallowed hard with an audible gulp. It was the first time I'd seen her do that. So that's what chu-reup actually sounds like.
As expected of the City of Magicians, the dessert prices were absurd. A single slice of cake no bigger than half a palm cost dozens of marcas. Back in my mercenary days, I would've watched people eating these with nothing but envy and resentment, telling myself it was a waste while chewing on a one-marca piece of stale bread with cold water. But not anymore. I can afford this now.
So I puffed out my chest and declared, "Pick whatever you want. I'll buy you as much as you like."
Ar's eyes grew round as she stared at me. Her gaze seemed to ask, Really!? Wow. I can read minds now, apparently.
"Instead of staring at me like that, wouldn't it be better to choose quickly?"
She whipped her head around and began seriously examining the display case. Good grief.
"Excuse me."
"Yes, sir?"
"I'll take everything from here to here. One of each."
Ar's eyes widened again as she looked at me. This time her expression clearly said, Are you serious!? Hmm. Not as sure about that one.
"I'll bring them to your table shortly."
I nodded and turned to Ar. "Let's sit."
She followed me in a daze and took a seat at the table. A short while later, the server arrived with a mountain of desserts and set them down before us. Ar stared blankly at the spread. Only after the eighth dessert was placed did she finally look at me.
"There. No need to agonize over choices now, right? Ah, I'll be tasting everything too, of course."
Ar nodded several times before picking up her fork. She carefully cut into the strawberry-topped cake, speared a generous piece, and popped it into her mouth. Her body trembled. Is it really that good? Her reaction was intense. I tried a bite myself. Mm. Yeah, I can see why she'd like it. Sweet, soft, and refreshing. Everything a woman would want in a cake. If even I find it delicious, Ar—who's never had anything like this—must be in heaven.
She ate in a trance. Even so, I noticed she was still portioning it out carefully, trying to make it last.
"If you finish everything and want more, I'll buy you more. So eat as much as you want."
She glanced at me, then resumed eating. She took bigger bites than before, but she was still being cautious. I sighed. Well, habits don't change overnight. I understand how she feels.
Ar ate remarkably well—enough to make me feel proud just watching. It must've felt like discovering a whole new world. Beastperson food probably isn't this indulgent. I only had a few bites myself, but it was still too sweet. I might've eaten more sweets today than in my entire life before now. No, I'm certain of it.
She kept going, fork never pausing. As I watched, she suddenly flinched, met my eyes, and slowly set her fork down.
"Hm? Why? You can keep eating. I'm not pressuring you. I'm just happy watching you enjoy it."
She stole another glance at me before picking up her fork again. Had she thought she was eating too greedily? Typical girl.
"Ar, I have a question. Ah, you can keep eating while you answer."
Her fork, which had paused for a moment, began moving again. I asked, "If you could only receive either Strength magic or Haste magic, which one would you want?"
"Strength."
She answered without the slightest hesitation. As expected, open-ended questions get her talking. I'll have to keep asking like this from now on—no more relying on nods and headshakes. Anyway, I figured it'd be Strength. Since she's confident in her speed, there's no need to boost it further. So Strength it is, fixed. Ideally, I'd like to add defense and recovery as well. Defense could be Hard Skin or Stone Skin—those are versatile. Shield wouldn't work with Berserker, and Weapon Striking is useless since she doesn't use weapons.
"Ah, Ar. Do you use any weapons? Anything you're skilled with?"
She shook her head. Right. Can't ask that one open-ended. But if she doesn't know any, there's nothing to be done.
"Would Weapon Striking even work on a beastperson's claws?" I muttered to myself. Ar gave me a puzzled look.
"Never mind. Just talking to myself. Keep eating."
She returned to her desserts. I watched her for a moment, then picked up a napkin and gently wiped her mouth. I did it casually, but she seemed startled. Her body went rigid, and she stayed perfectly still while I cleaned her face. At least she didn't pull away. That's good.
"You had a lot on your lips. There, all done."
She glanced at me once more, then resumed eating with noticeably more restraint. Ah, she's cute. Why is everything she does so adorable? I can't stop smiling.
Anyway, defense is settled. Recovery, though… I'll probably have to rely on potions for now. Mages can't use healing magic. Apparently, ancient mages could cast spells like Heal or Wound Recovery, but nowadays, recovery magic is the exclusive domain of priests. Well, not magic—divine authority. Since priests wield authority, not spells. That's why, unless a priest is traveling with you, recovery usually comes from potions. But why can't magic handle it? Physical restoration should be possible with magic, shouldn't it? That's probably why no artifacts provide healing. There are holy relics instead—artifacts imbued with divine authority for recovery or other blessings. They're different from regular artifacts, since they don't contain monster remains. And they're far more expensive. Artifacts would seem like pocket change by comparison.
While I was lost in thought, Ar had nearly finished everything we'd ordered. She eats fast. Where does it all go in that small body?
"Was it good?"
Her face was the picture of satisfaction. When I asked, she shyly looked away and answered, "Yes."
Embarrassed, is she? It's funny how she acts after devouring everything with such gusto.
"I'm glad. Let's come back tomorrow. Ah, there are probably other shops too, so we can check them out whenever we have time. I can buy you as many of these as you want."
Her expression brightened visibly. She really does look much prettier when she's not wearing that usual blank face. I'll have to buy her more in the future. That way, I can keep seeing this side of her.