Chapter 207
Chapter 207
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 207
Chapter Title: Eloise Arin (4)
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“Could I get some Eldric twigs and slime pieces?”
Arin, who had walked past the man, stopped by a corner general store on the 18th floor.
It was a shop that sold materials needed for magic, one she frequented whenever she had money to spare.
Magic didn’t improve just by reading books.
You had to experiment with the contents yourself and go through trial and error.
This was especially true without a proper teacher.
And so.
Arin had no choice but to select her materials carefully.
It would be great if she could use everything here, but reality didn’t allow it.
“Hmm, these too. Griffin talons and amethyst powder.”
The materials she chose totaled four kinds.
“Please ring these up.”
When she placed them on the counter with her pale white hands, the clerk smiled brightly.
“That’ll be six silver coins.”
“Six silver coins…”
Arin bit her lip.
Her mind went blank.
Materials.
Just the basic ones had used up 60% of the money she had.
Truthfully, she wanted to buy more, but doing so would mean starving for real.
She couldn’t starve if she wanted to climb the tower.
To achieve her goal.
She had to stay alive first.
Desperation, determination.
The words that best described her current self.
“Yes, I’ll pay.”
She handed over one gold coin and took back four silver ones, then continued trudging along.
‘Honestly, I’m tired.’
The light materials she had just bought felt heavy.
Was it because her heart was heavy?
Or because she lacked muscle?
In that moment, someone came to mind.
The man she had met just before.
The one who had introduced himself as a new professor.
Maybe she should have listened to what he had to say?
Who knows.
Even if all the ropes she had climbed down so far were rotten.
That one might be sturdy.
Slap!
Arin slapped her own cheek hard, as if to snap out of it.
‘Get it together.’
How could she still fall for it after all this time?
Ever since entering the Magic Tower.
No, ever since being born into this damn world.
She was sick of people.
She didn’t trust humans.
‘Let’s go buy some food.’
Probably.
With four silver coins…
Assuming she only ate hard, dried bread.
She could still buy enough to last a month.
* * *
Sss.
The general store Arin had left.
A figure emerged from the shadows.
“Kekeke, so tailing her now that conversation didn’t work?”
The old man looked at me with an intrigued expression.
I met his gaze and smiled.
“Stray cats, by nature.”
Step, step.
As we entered the store together, I continued.
“They’re wary and scared of strangers. To get close, you need to give them time and build trust.”
I could see why this dungeon was unmeasurable difficulty.
[Reach out to her and achieve the true awakening of ‘Bone5.’]
[TIP / How about helping Arin graduate from the Magic Tower safely?]
Graduate from the Magic Tower.
That meant raising Arin’s ability to at least S-Class.
How long would that take?
‘Better this way.’
I was planning to mix sorcery with magic this time anyway and reach another extreme.
More time was always good.
“So, stopping by this general store is part of building that trust?”
“Yes.”
I nodded.
At the same time, I set down the subspatial bag Demir had made on the counter.
“Hey~ Anyone here?”
As I called out, the clerk who had been organizing goods came rushing over.
“Yes! Oh, Professor? What materials do you need?”
“Everything here.”
“…Pardon?”
“How much for everything here?”
“…Everything here? Uh, I’d have to count, but…”
It seemed.
My body was so steeped in Flex that I couldn’t do otherwise.
Buy it all, or buy nothing.
That’s the only way I operated now.
Still.
It was a hole-in-the-wall general store, so the stock didn’t look that extensive.
“Hmm, it’ll take quite a pile of gold coins…”
Gold coins, well.
I had a whole pile stacked in a small room.
Illegal gambling funds, but…
“So, you selling or not?”
“Ah! I’ll count right away!”
The clerk’s eyes changed as he snapped to attention.
Then he started frantically inventorying.
Yeah, yeah.
Work hard.
To catch a valuable customer.
“How long?”
“Hmm… One hour! Just wait one hour! I’ll close shop early today and finish it up.”
“Got it. See you then.”
Clunk!
After leaving through the door, the next place I headed was the [Potion Shop].
“Ho ho, you actually did it?”
The old man chuckled.
“You bought those from that airport place last time… Planning to sell them all here? To make money?”
“Of course. Didn’t you see earlier?”
I ground my teeth as I spoke.
“Earlier… you mean that event?”
“Yes.”
The Eloise family event I had watched from afar.
Arin’s cowed appearance there.
“You saw that geezer who dared to shove just one gold coin at our little Bone-o and act all generous?”
“…I saw.”
“No way I’m letting that slide. Our kid’s broke.”
The girl who could only grab a handful at the magic materials shop.
The one solving meals with the remaining silver while reading in the library.
‘It’s a past life now, but.’
In this memory at least.
I’ll make it different.
I’ll avenge your ‘han,’ Bone-o.
I opened the shop door and entered.
Then.
I dumped out all the potions I’d bought from the merchants at the airport onto the floor.
Feel free to think you hit the jackpot today.
These were, after all.
Made in Earth.
Potions made in a world with the 「World Ranking Board」.
“Huh? Wh-what’s all this?”
The owner gaped at my actions.
“You buy here, so selling should be fine too, right?”
“We do, but… this is a Magic Tower shop, we only handle high-class goods… Oh! This is?”
“What?”
“Isn’t this a high-grade recovery potion with excellent effects? Oho, and ones that excessively amplify certain abilities! Wow, these could go for about three gold each? They’re so meticulously and cleanly made, like the creator devoted their whole life to potion-making.”
“Three gold each…”
As I muttered, the owner quickly replied.
“No need to worry. It’s tough to even get stocked in the Magic Tower. Cheat professors and you’re done for. Oh, of course! There are some five-gold ones. Even the occasional top-grade ten-gold potion!”
He meant he’d price them honestly.
“Fine by me.”
I nodded.
I could get more potions like these with one trip to the airport anyway.
Guild money was still piling up.
“Sell as many as you want. Bring the money.”
“Yes! Clean deals are the best!”
* * *
My bag was stuffed full of magic materials.
Maybe because I’d turned potions into gold.
Even after sweeping one general store, I still had a pile of gold left.
“Kekeke, really shopping up the Magic Tower, huh.”
“One more to go.”
“What now?”
“Time to head to the library.”
Arin would hole up in the library soon.
She wouldn’t come out until the food she bought ran out.
The library ghost, after all.
“There?”
“Yes. The Eloise family pass. With that, I can get in.”
I’d seen it at the event.
The passes handed out to the family heirs.
“How do you plan to get that? Wait, no way… That’s why you were so desperate to earn gold? To buy from them?”
“…No, of course not.”
Buy what?
I’d steal it.
Especially from that guy.
- What do you think you know?
- You’re not still thinking she’s the same blood as us, are you?
- Hanging with her’ll just bring bad luck.
- What else? Talent vanishes around her. Kekekeke.
Daring to talk smack about our Bone-o.
I’d watched from the shadows, barely holding back from smashing his head.
‘That guy.’
I’d memorized his name.
Eloise Pale.
Pale (pallid, sickly).
Fitting his pale, gloomy look.
‘I’ll take his.’
* * *
Eloise Pale strolled the bustling streets with a pleased expression.
Friends who seemed like fellow students walked beside him.
“Hey, everyone here?”
The gaunt-faced man muttered.
Pale, who had already drunk heavily at the festival, had flushed cheeks.
“We got our money today, so let’s have some fun, yeah?”
Once a year.
He’d buy drinks for the fellow students and underlings who followed him well.
“Woo! Treating us again?”
“Lord Pale! You’re the best!”
“Where to, my lord? I know a tavern that’ll blow your mind!”
Not every Eloise was refined.
Half were elites, the other half just average.
And.
Pale belonged to the latter.
He knew it too.
His S-Class brothers and sisters were nobility incarnate.
‘But.’
His lips curved up.
‘This life ain’t bad.’
He had the family backing him.
A renowned house, Eloise, top-tier in the Magic Tower.
Just graduate with decent skill.
And his life would be set.
That’s why the students followed him.
“Anywhere! Let’s go somewhere expensive and classy! I’ll see what you’re made of!”
“Wooo! Lord Pale! As expected! So generous!”
“Truly a vessel beyond ours. If we’re rivers, Lord Pale is the sea! A vast sea.”
Basking in the pleasant flattery.
As they passed an alley.
“…?”
A burly man appeared before him.
A man wearing a silver fox mask.
“What? Move.”
Pale frowned.
Daring to block an Eloise’s path?
“Hey, you squinty-eyed fox bastard. What’s your deal?”
“Wearing a mask inside the Magic Tower?”
“You, which family’s noble are you?”
The previously rowdy underlings lowered their voices with fierce glares.
Pale looked satisfied.
That’s why he kept them around.
Swish, swish!
Fellow students drawing wands from their robes.
The silver fox mask spoke as he watched them.
“You’re picking a fight first, right?”
?
Question marks floated on the students’ faces.
“What bullshit? You blocked the road first!”
“Picking a fight is decided by how the other person feels.”
Whoosh!
Flames erupted from the silver fox man’s hand alongside a club.
A blood-red club.
“For some reason, it feels like you’re picking a fight with me today.”
“…What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Crazy bastard?”
The students looked baffled.
“Hey, eyes look off—do you know who you’re messing with?”
“Who?”
The man adjusted his slightly crooked mask.
Woooong!
A terrifying aura began emanating from his body.
“…!”
Gulp.
The students and Pale swallowed unconsciously.
For some reason.
An aura beyond student level.
“You’re not banking on Eloise to act tough, are you?”
Thud, thud!
The club slamming into the ground in rhythm.
It pierced Pale’s chest with a chill.