As the autumn sunshine poured down, Rei could be seen in the streets of the Imperial Capital.

The last time he had come out, he hadn’t been able to buy any magic items at the store Mosst had told him about, so he decided to take a walk around the city this time instead.

He was someone interested in the matches being carried out in the arena, but he decided to follow Elk’s advice that over focusing on one thing might lead him him to miss the correct answer to his problems.

If it wasn’t for that, he would have been watching the other matches in the arena or training himself to becoming stronger.

That said, the place he had used to train several times before wasn’t an option any more.

The reason was that he had been attacked by assassins twice, the biggest reason being the most recent attack.

(It’s unfortunate that the guards found out in the end. I didn’t end up getting much information about those Moonlight Archer guys and it’s hard to use that place to train because the investigation as well.)

Realising that his thoughts were once again focused on fighting, Rei shook his head slightly.

He understood himself well. Focusing too much on one thing……no, focusing too much at all would narrow his vision and eventually cause him to make a mistake.

It was because he understood this that he followed Elk’s advice and decided to take the day off walking around the city.

……That said, although he was taking a day off, he was still going around looking for practical magic items, including those that could be used in battle……but Rei didn’t seem to realise that at all.

「Even though there’s less people than before, it’s still quite crowded.」

Rei muttered as he walked around the city.

It was true that the number of people had decreased considerably compared to when Rei first came to the Imperial Capital. That was obvious as he no longer had trouble navigating through the crowds.

However, it was still busier than GIlm.

That was only natural considering people from all over the Bestir Empire had gathered here.

(I guess I made the right decision to not bring Set with me after all. ……I feel sorry for him though.)

If he had walked around the city with Set, it would have definitely caused unnecessary commotion.

He didn’t know if it would be because they were afraid of Set as a Griffon, if they wanted to go after Rei……or if it would be something else entirely.

「But, for now……might as well.」

Muttering to himself, he looked at a nearby food stall.

The smell of freshly baked bread stimulated his hunger as his stomach asserted itself.

「Oh, welcome. Young man……or, young miss? Well, doesn’t matter. Which one would you like?」

Rei, who was wearing his Dragon Robe, made the stall owner wonder if he was a man or a woman, but he didn’t correct them as he ordered a sandwich filled with cheese, grilled Fang Boar meat, and leafy vegetables.

He bit into the sandwich, which was large enough to be considered a full meal rather than just a snack.

He felt the slight sourness of the black bread, followed by the flavour of the fragrantly grilled Fang Boar meat juices and rich cheese that filled his mouth. Next, the crunchy texture of the leafy vegetables washed away the strong flavour of the Fang Boar and cheese.

「……Delicious.」

「That’s right. We’ve been running this stall in the Imperial Capital for many years. Speaking of which, don’t you have to go watch the fighting tournament?」

From the stall owner’s words, Rei thought for a moment his identity had been found out, but the shopkeeper didn’t show any change in expression.

They probably thought Rei was just a kid who had come to watch the tournament, so Rei gave a sigh of relief.

「There’s no match that I’m looking forward to today……rather, I would like to ask you something, do you know of any stores that sell magic items around here?」

「Magic items? Oh, what. Are you an adventurer? ……If it’s magic items you’re looking for. At this time of the year, many people gather at the Imperial Capital. Merchants also gather for this reason and a lot of them stock up on magic items and the like. You see, the distribution of magic items has increased quite rapidly over the past few years.」

「……I see.」

To be exact, the number of magic items had increased due to improvements in alchemy research. However, the stall owner continued to speak with a somewhat ambiguous tone, possibly because they weren’t fully aware of the reason.

「But yeah, I don’t know if they have any in stock right now, but if you go down the back of that alley and turn at the third corner, there’s a store that sells magic items a little further down. It’s a store run by a grumpy old man though, so they won’t sell anything if they don’t feel like it……I guess that’s probably why they might not have sold out yet, even at this time of the year.」

「Hmm. ……Thank you for the information. Also, I’ll have five more sandwiches.」

Rei bought more sandwiches not just as payment for the information, but because they also tasted delicious. After storing them into the Misty Ring, he decided to head for the store he was told about.

 

 

「This is the place. ……It looks like an ordinary store though.」

Following the directions given to him by the stall owner, Rei eventually found a store.

The store’s design was quite standard and didn’t seem like it was run by someone difficult to deal with.

(Although it is possible that the store’s design has nothing to do with the store owner’s personality.)

In fact, it was more unusual for a situation like last time, where the store Mosst introduced him to had someone thrown out the door as he was about to open it.

With those thoughts in mind, Rei opened the door as he entered the store.

「Heh.」

Rei couldn’t help but murmur as he entered.

It was because it was cool inside the store.

As a shop that sold magic items, it had magic powered air conditioner, similar to the ones Rei had enjoyed many times at inns, running inside the store.*

It might have been natural, as this was a store that sold magic items, but he was still surprised to see one in use here, considering how rare they usually were.

At the same time, as he looked around, he saw countless tools that seemed like pieces of junk.

For a moment, Rei had thought they were all magic items, but he soon realised they were just tools with no value or well made imitations.

「……Who is it?」

Rei heard a voice coming out from the back of the store, which seemed to be filled with imitation products, as he turned to face the direction of the voice.

There, an old man with a bald head but straight back appeared with brisk movements.

Although he carried a cane in his hand, his walking speed and posture didn’t suggest he wouldn’t be able to walk without one.

(It’s probably some kind of magic item.)

Rei judged that it wasn’t a sort of magic power conductor, but rather a magic item with some sort of special effect. Rei spoke up as he faced the old man.

「The owner of the sandwich stall told me that you sold magic items here……I’d like to see a few.」

Hearing those words, the old man turned to look at Rei……but the next moment, his eyes widened.

「Sir, that robe……」

Rei was slightly surprised by the words the old man said.

When he had gone to the previous store that sold magic items, his Dragon Robe had also been recognised. However, he didn’t expect the same thing to happen here as well.

(Maybe the effect of concealment is weakening?)

Although he didn’t think that was truly the case, Rei couldn’t help but have his doubts.

After carefully examining Rei’s Dragon Robe, the old man let out a sigh.

「Sir, what’s the use of my store when you have a magic item like that? Compared to the robe you’re wearing, the magic items here don’t even come close to the level of your feet.」

「I know. This Dragon Robe is certainly special in various ways. However, I have a hobby of collecting magic items that have practical uses. That’s why I cam here……」

The old man’s eyes widened slightly at Rei’s words……particularly the words ‘practical’.

The old man was from a family that had been running a magic item store in the Imperial Capital since the days of his grandfather and great grandfather.

However, in the past ten years, alchemy had developed rapidly in the Imperial Capital, leading to a large number of magic items entering circulation.

Of course, that was fine. It wasn’t like he was the only one who needed to sell magic items.

However, as a result of advancements in alchemy, an increasing number of people had started to treat magic items as works of art, which was very uninteresting to the old man. You could say that it went against his principles.

Because of this, he rarely sold magic items to nobles, giving him the grumpy personality he was known for.

But, someone had now appeared, Rei, who wanted magic items with practical uses.

It could be said that the old man and Rei’s hobbies matched perfectly.

「……I see. Give me a minute. Let me show you an interesting magic item I got a while ago.」

After saying that, the old man left for the back of the store.

Rei watched him leave with anticipation as he looked around the store again.

(Even though they are imitations, I think they’re fairly high quality items.)

For example, the halberd casually place near the entrance.

It might not have been a magic item, but it was still more than good enough to be used as an ordinary weapon. It might even be too high a level for a low ranked adventurer.

(Isn’t it a concern that things might get stolen, leaving them carelessly around like this?)

As he was thinking that, the old man returned from the back of the store.

In his hands was a quiver.

Judging from the old man’s behaviour, it was definitely a magic time, but for Rei, who didn’t use a bow, it didn’t mean much to him.

However, the old man didn’t seem to notice Rei’s behaviour……or even if he did, he deliberately ignored it as he place the quiver on a nearby stand.

「This quiver has the ability to create arrows using the user’s magic power.」

「……What?」

Rei was about to tell the old man he didn’t need something like this, but the explanation he was given piqued his interest.

Because of that, he couldn’t help but ask.

The look on Rei’s face must have been amusing. The old man continued his explanation with a grin on his face.

「In other words, if you have this quiver, you will never run out of arrows, which is the biggest drawback of using a bow.」

「That’s certainly true, it’s an amazing magic item. It would definitely be coveted by archers.」

「Mm. But, of course, that doesn’t mean it comes without any restrictions. There are some weaknesses as well.」

「……I guess so. Otherwise it would be too good.」

A quiver that could produce an infinite number of arrows. Depending on how you thought of it, it could be considered a magic item that rivaled the Dragon Robe Rei wore.

However, the old man’s words tempered his expectations.

「First of all, the arrows can be created with magic power, but they will also dissipate on their own after a few minutes. Also, since they are created with magic power, only the person who created them can use them. If you were to create an arrow and give it to someone else, it would dissipate after a few seconds.」

「……Well, that does put it into question whether it is easy to use or not.」

The ability to produce an unlimited number of arrows was extremely attractive, but only being able to use them himself was very inconvenient.

If someone else could use the arrows, Rei might still have found a use for it……

「You might not be able to tell by looking at me, but I don’t use a bow. This magic item is certainly ideal for an archer, but……」

After speaking that far, it occurred to Rei that there might be similar magic items.

「Is it possibly to create something other than arrows with magic power?」

「Hmmm, what exactly are you thinking of?」

「Spears.」

「……Sir, didn’t you hear what I said earlier? Things created with magic power will dissipate after a few minutes. Even if you made a spear, it would disappear on you as you use it in battle. You would just be putting yourself in danger, wouldn’t you?」

What the old man was saying was perfectly natural. However, that only applied to those who wanted to use the spear as a normal weapon.

「Don’t worry……it might be a bit strange to hear this, but I only use spears as throwing weapons.」

「……Throwing spears? With such a small body? No, I guess it isn’t strange considering your physical strength.」

At those words, Rei realised that the old man knew he was Crimson.

That said, the old man didn’t seem to care much as a result of it, maybe because of his extensive life experience.

「I see……hmmm, I understand. I don’t know if such a magic item exists, but I’ll try looking for one. I hope you’ll come back in a few days.」

It might exist, but he wasn’t sure. Regardless, Rei bowed his head in gratitude to the old man who was going to look out for one for him.

「I’m willing to pay up to a good amount of money for it, so please find one if you can.」

After saying that, he left the store as the old man hurried him out.

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