New Equipment (Super Power-Up!)

Before heading to Milmas Weapon Shop, we got another Alchemy Stone.

“So this one stone is worth 110,000 gold…”

I muttered while pinching the stone.

“It still doesn’t feel real.”

“Nishishishi! Even though we’re about to make a 30,000,000 gold purchase, don’t go making such a gloomy face!”

That was really true.

Would I get used to this…? No, was it okay to get used to this…?

After finishing our daily routine, we headed to Milmas Weapon Shop. The same clerk as last time welcomed us.

“Welcome.”

I said to the clerk.

“I would like to buy the Demon Wolf Broadsword and the Blue Firebird Chainmail.”

“Yes, certain—”

The clerk, who had begun to respond with a very courteous gesture, stopped moving.

“Huh?”

He directed an expression at me that an excellent clerk of a famous shop would probably almost never show.

Perhaps realizing his own slip of the tongue, the clerk corrected his attitude.

“My apologies. I am sorry, it seems I misheard you, so please say that once more.”

“I would like to buy the Demon Wolf Broadsword and the Blue Firebird Chainmail.”

I repeated it exactly, word for word.

The clerk’s expression did not change, but his eyes wavered in agitation.

Well… of course they would…

Just as during our previous visit, our equipment was low-rank, poor-looking equipment. For people like that to say they “wanted to buy” high-class equipment… it was on a completely different level from last time’s “please show us.”

“It’s fine. We have the money.”

Misha declared.

Once she said that much, the clerk probably had no choice but to respond.

“Yes, certainly.”

This time, he said it without stopping and guided us to the counter.

As we waited, he brought over two things.

“These are the items you requested. Is there no mistake?”

I picked up the one sword that had been placed in its sheath.

The Demon Wolf Broadsword.

A high-class item worth 11,000,000 gold.

I smoothly drew it.

The purple blade had been polished to perfection, without even a single fingerprint on it.

Just looking at the blade sent tension running down my spine.

It was a terrifyingly sharp-looking blade.

It was a broadsword made from ore obtained by defeating a giant wolf known as a Demon Wolf.

It approached its prey with swift movements and trampled them with sharp fangs and claws.

It was a sword that seemed to have had that very strength poured into it as it was. If I swung it, it would probably give me a chilling amount of power.

I returned the sword to its sheath.

Next, I looked at the Blue Firebird Chainmail beside it. It was blue chainmail, with red patterns like sparks drawn here and there.

This too was an extraordinary sum of 16,000,000 gold.

It consumed flame and breathed flame.

A giant bird the size of an elephant, clad in blue, glittering plumage.

I touched the armor.

It had the hardness of metal—but a toughness clearly different from what I was wearing traveled through my fingertips.

A B-rank magical beast—an opponent that only skilled adventurers could finally hunt by risking their lives.

The sword, and the armor.

It was as though they were speaking to me.

—Does someone like you, an F-rank, have the qualifications to wield us?

Such a voice.

No, perhaps they really did think so.

Because it was said that swords made from magical beast stones were alive. Because it was said that remnants of will existed within them.

Did I have the qualifications?

I did not.

Magical beast weapons and armor were truly suited to those who had hunted them. To try to obtain them with the power of money—

Was I not ashamed?

I took a deep breath. I calmed my heart.

I could not reach them yet. I was not enough yet.

But—

Someday I would be. I only had to become that.

An adventurer worthy of this sword and armor.

“I’ll take these.”

“Certainly. …That will be 27,000,000 gold. Will payment be all right?”

“Of course.”

Saying that, Misha stepped forward. Then she handed the clerk a single card. It was a card issued by the bank where Misha had an account.

When making large purchases, it was normal to settle payment with a card.

“Thank you very much.”

The clerk, who received it with a courteous gesture, inserted the card into a box at his side.

“Please sign your name.”

Prompted by the clerk, Misha traced her finger over the black panel on the counter and smoothly wrote her own name.

Then the box made a light sound.

“Thank you very much, it has been confirmed.”

The clerk pressed the number buttons on the box.

27,000,000.

That number was displayed on the box.

“This is your payment amount. If there is no problem, please complete the transaction.”

“…Hmm.”

There, Misha tilted her head.

“What’s wrong, Misha?”

Misha stared at me.

“Since we’re already here… hey, clerk-san? Could you throw in a large shield for free? As expected, a buckler doesn’t really look the part.”

I was fond of using a small shield dedicated to parrying, though.

The clerk laughed softly and answered like this.

“That is fine. Something like that is no trouble at all.”

Oh…

Even though it cost 100,000 gold.

I guess that was how big this purchase was.

“We did it! It really doesn’t hurt to ask!”

The transaction was completed.

Thinking that, at this very moment, we had paid 27,000,000 gold—a price that could buy a house—made me truly tremble…

“Indeed.”

The clerk offered me a knife.

“Then, please make the blood seal.”

Blood seal—that was the ritual for wearing monster weapons and armor.

Monster weapons and armor had no meaning if equipped as they were. They displayed their performance when the user performed a blood contract.

That act was called a blood seal.

Only one person could become the owner through a blood seal. In other words, these weapons and armor would become mine alone.

A contract through blood.

This was exactly why it was rumored that monster weapons and armor were alive.

The clerk traced the sword and armor with his fingertips and drew marks. The protective magic placed on each of them was undone.

I cut my fingertip with the knife and pressed it against the two pieces of equipment.

I hesitated to dirty the beautifully polished metal, but there was no problem. My blood vanished as if it had evaporated—no, that was not it. It disappeared as though it had been absorbed.

“Congratulations.”

The clerk clapped his hands, clap, clap, clap.

“The Demon Wolf Broadsword and the Blue Firebird Chainmail have both become yours, honored customer.”

“We did iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!”

Before I could react, Misha beside me rejoiced in an absurdly loud voice.

“Hey, hey, Ios! Put them on right now!”

“Huh, right now…?”

“Of course I want to see! Hey, hey!?”

The patron was Misha. I could not ignore her wishes…

And so, I ended up changing my equipment on the spot.

My equipment was stronger than my base parameters…

I mean, the large shield he threw in for free was a high-quality one… Just how generous was he…?

“Wow! You really do look cool, Ios-kun!”

“Do I?”

“Yeah! It suits you!”

Misha loosened her mouth, then laughed, nishishishi!

“Starting tomorrow, let’s go all out! Okay!?”

“Yeah. Let’s do our best.”

My chest was filled with excitement and I could not help it.

What kind of days would begin tomorrow? How far could we go?

The world opened up by Schrödinger’s Cat and my new equipment.

Just how brightly would it shine—