Magic Inscription Stones

Two weeks had passed since we set out for Ringland Village, Rin’s hometown in the southern continent.

By day we rode Dark Horse, and by night we rested in Vanargand’s pocket dimension.

With no sign of the Holy Church’s pursuers closing in, our peaceful journey finally brought us to the commercial city of Ardion.

“Wow… it’s so big.”

“In terms of the grandeur of its outer walls, it’s on par with the royal capital…”

Rin let out an admiring voice as she looked at Ardion’s towering outer wall visible down the road.

Ardion was a relay point on the way to our final destination, Ringland Village, but we’d only covered about one-fifth of the distance.

The journey’s end was still far off, and if we missed stopping here there would be no more large cities ahead.

“Our supplies stored inside Vanargand are running low, so we’ll stop by that city.”

“Huh? Is that really okay?”

Rin looked up at me anxiously.

I’m wanted nationwide.

Therefore we had passed through and skipped every small town and village along the way.

No doubt Ardion, looming before us, was plastered with wanted posters of me.

“Ardion is a commercial city. In terms of coming and going, it’s busier than the royal capital. In other words, most people are strangers. It’s perfect for outsiders to blend in, and if you’re going to stock up, there’s no place better than here.”

Just like when I once sent Rin alone to the royal capital to shop, if you want to hide someone, you hide them among people.

Before passing through Ardion’s outer gate, I put on a robe one size too big and pulled the hood deep over my head.

“Put this on too, Rin.”

I dressed Rin the same way; once she held a mage’s staff, our disguises were complete.

Both the robes and the staff were drop items obtained in a dungeon.

At times like this, Vanargand’s pocket-space storage ability is a blessing.

It lets you keep extra items on the off chance you’ll need them someday.

“It’s so baggy…”

“A bit oversized is good; it hides the face just right.”

Perhaps because of the oversized robe, Rin’s already delicate face looked even smaller.

I put the hood on her for her, since the long sleeves made it hard for her to move her hands.

An adult man who looked like a mage and a small girl.

We looked like a pair of disciples on a pilgrimage.

“Wow, we really got in without the gatekeepers suspecting a thing!”

The disguise worked; we slipped into the city without drawing special suspicion and immediately began shopping.

＊＊＊

――The commercial city of Ardion is a hub where goods from across the continent collect.

In terms of variety, it even surpasses the royal capital at the king’s doorstep.

And Ardion has a branch of the Adventurer’s Guild, with countless dungeons standing outside the city just like the royal capital.

In other words, it’s both a commercial city and an adventurer’s city.

“――That means there are tons of shops frequented by adventurers, and their lineup is even richer than in the royal capital.”

Disguised as a pair of mages, the first shop we visited was a magic tools store dealing in an item called “Magic Inscription Stones.”

“Welcome.”

A man who looked like a mage greeted us.

Apparently the shop had an attached mage guild (like a large adventurer party), and the storefront was quite impressive.

Magic Inscription Stones are items that, when ingested into the body, allow you to acquire new spells or skills.

If a tank-class Heavy Knight swallowed a Magic Inscription Stone etched with healing magic, they’d be able to heal themselves and hold the line against monsters for longer.

A Monk with abundant MP who swallowed a stone engraved with offensive magic could also fulfill the role of a spellcaster.

With further training, the former could class up to a Paladin, and the latter to a Sage.

――These are just examples; the effects vary widely depending on the user’s class.

They’re dream items that expand an adventurer’s range of activities.

That is, if you can close your eyes to how insanely expensive they are……

“Are you looking for something?”

“Eek!?”

While I was looking at the various Magic Inscription Stones lined up in the showcase, the robed shopkeeper spoke to me.

Rin, standing behind me, let out a small scream and shrank back.

Contrary to Rin’s worries, the man showed no sign of recognizing our true identities.

As expected, wanted posters with my likeness were plastered all over this city too, but surprisingly we weren’t being recognized.

“Do you have Magic Inscription Stones for enchantment magic?”

“Of course, we carry them.”

The shopkeeper took out the Magic Inscription Stones I was looking for from the showcase.

I decided to purchase three Magic Inscription Stones from among them: 【Fire Enchant】, 【Ice Enchant】, and 【Thunder Enchant】.

Each of them is a spell that temporarily grants a weapon the 【Fire】, 【Ice】, or 【Lightning】 attribute, respectively, and they’re only learnable by the 【Enchanter】 class.

“Three items come to 3.9 million G.”

That’s 1.3 million G apiece.

Considering the average adventurer’s annual income is 3 million G, that’s a steep price.

Because Magic Stones can’t be cashed in at the Adventurer’s Guild, we’ve been living off our savings, so it’s a painful expense, but I chalked it up to necessary future costs.

“Thank you――here, this is an 【MP Capacity Break (Limit Up)】 potion made by an apothecary in our guild. It’s a freebie; I’ll include it with your purchase.”

“Well, thank you.”

The magic tools shop owner wasn’t particularly friendly, but his service was polite and his calm manner left a good impression, so shopping there was pleasant.

Having lived life being looked down on just for being of the Shikai Tribe, the experience felt refreshing.

I left the shop, wondering whether the owner would have treated me the same way if he had known I was of the Shikai Tribe.

＊＊＊

After leaving the magic tools shop, we went around the shopping district to buy food and supplies, and booked lodgings in the city by sundown.

It would be safer to sleep inside Vanargand’s pocket-dimension, but I booked a higher-grade inn because I wanted Rin, who must be tired from the long journey, to sleep on a soft bed.

“You’re such a doting parent.”

“Shut up.”

It’s true that before I bought Rin—back when I was an inn-living adventurer—I used to stay in any cheap lodging as long as I could sleep, so Ekarraat’s jab hit the mark.

“Wow, the bed is so fluffy!”

Rin took off her robe, changed into a maid outfit, and flopped down on the bed.

“Sid—there’s one thing you should be informed of.”

Ekarraat’s voice came from the shadows.

That she remained in the room instead of coming out right away meant it was something she didn’t want Rin to hear—so it was probably serious.

“(What’s up?)”

“I’ve been gathering information through the royal capital’s rat network, and the one we fought the other day—the Fourth Stigmata, Kaine Kaiwell—he’s stubbornly still alive.”

Kaine—the Holy Knight wrapped head to toe in bandages who wields a saw-cleaver that rusts and rots whatever it touches.

We had stabbed a blade into that guy’s heart—he wasn’t supposed to still be alive.

“(No problem—I was left feeling pissed off because he got away after our fight. Next time I’ll definitely win.)”

I steeled myself for the rematch with Kaine that would come someday and resolved to level up further.

And so the first day of our stay in Ardion came to an end.