2-2. Let’s Learn Life Magic!
Satou’s here, even though there are many encounter, too bad that it immediately end, Satou.
Is it the face! It’s the face isn’t it!
◇
Because there were various things happening yesterday, I was fast asleep right after dinner.
Today is a reading day!
...Is what I thought, but the room is dark. There is a window for light to get through but it’s still not enough to make books readable, it’s too dim.
If I’m not mistaken there’s an open terrace cafe neighboring this inn.
Let’s eat a breakfast special on the coffee shop. I dunno if it exist but...
The tavern in first floor of the inn is crowded with people who are taking breakfast. It seems that the customers has increased a bit compared to yesterday.
I give the key to the landlady since I’m going out. Martha-chan happily greets me when I come out of the inn. This old man is dazzled by your morning radiance.
The gate also looks remarkably busier than the day before yesterday. Lots of big carriage are going in and out pulled by peasant-looking people. Do they not use cows or horses to pull it?
I immediately find the coffee shop when I look around outside. It’s slightly farther away than what I remember.
It seems that the coffee shop use the indoor for meal while the open terrace is for tea time. When I naturally ask the waitress, it doesn’t seem that it’s the owner’s decision to do that. Because the inside of the shop is a bit dark, I secure a seat on the open terrace for easy reading.
For breakfast, I order a fruit and sandwiches. The sandwich has ham, vegetables and cheese sandwiched between the malt bread. The fruit juice is similar with Citrus. It tastes a bit richer than orange. The cup isn’t made of glass but copper but since it’s cold, it’s still quite delicious. I wonder if it’s cooled using life magic? My motivation to learn the magic increases~ ♪
Oh, yeah, there are 3 waitresses. A 20 year old plump red head, a 16 year old slender chestnut-colored hair with an impressive teardrop mole, and the last one is a girl who looks younger than 12 with a long black hair.
Everyone is working cheerfully.
While enjoying these sights, I read the introductory book for life magic.
Life magic is a magic not classified in any of the four main element of magic, it’s a collection of magic useful for daily life. It’s a magic incomparably weak compared to the elemental one. In exchange the required magic power is not much, at the level where people who can’t use attack magic can use it. Nevertheless, even with so many convenient spells, most magicians look down upon life magic. They call magicians who can only use life magic, spell-users, and rather than as magicians, these people are treated as town handymen. Because of this prejudice there are only a few magicians who learn life magic. There are even lamentations regarding this written in the book.
"Good morning, Satou-san!"
I was greeted from outside the terrace. It’s Nadi-san.
I thought that she’s still in shock from yesterday’s event but she looks surprisingly energetic. She’s strong even for an energetic archetype!
"Good morning. How is your condition, Nadi-san?"
"Thank you very much for your help yesterday. Not only did you help me get away from a dangerous location, you even sent me with a horse carriage."
"It’s fine, it wasn’t much."
Since she’s here, I offered her a chair.
"Is that a book on life magic?"
"Yes, I bought it yesterday hoping to at least be able to use the basics."
Since my life magic skill is level 10, the only thing remaining is the chants though.
"For life magic, I recommend to practice Water Spring or Dry, depending on your main element. Most books usually recommend Ignition but if you cause fire in the town, it could be dangerous."
Certainly, it’s just as she said.
"If it’s Water Spring then you can store the water in a bucket, but please don’t use the metal cup beside you since it’s easy to scratch."
Do I draw the water from vapor?
"If it’s Dry then you can practice using wet clothes placed on a hanger."
It’s quite a scientific talk. Even though it’s fantasy.
"That’s right, Does Satou-san not use a cane? You can’t use magic if you don’t equip a cane."
What! There’s such restriction.
Come to think of it, the magicians from before did have it, the life magic user was also using a cane.
Wait, how about that soldier? And the priestess didn’t have one too.
"Do you mean Parion priestess? If so then they have holy mark in place of a cane. The soldier probably had other kind invocation tools or maybe a backup short cane?"
"Nadi-san, what is invocation tool? Is it different from a cane?"
"Invocation tool is something like ring or the likes of accessory, functioning like a cane, it’s an item used to assist the activation of magic. The effect is lower than a cane, but it’s expensive so there are few magicians who have one. Although for a job like magic swordsman where it’s not possible to use a cane then it’s a necessity."
As expected of the live Wiki. The one woman encyclopedia, Nadi-san.
Cane huh... There are various type of magic wand in the Storage. But the effect is too strong, it’s scary. If possible, I’d like to practice with cheap things first.
But the magic shops in the town center won’t be in operation for a while, I wonder where I could get one?
"Nadi-san, Do you know anywhere I can buy a short cane?"
"Then the magic shop in the central... But as expected, it’s closed because of yesterday, right? I think you can buy one from the alchemy shop in the west town."
I make a note of the way to the alchemist shop from Nadi-san.
Then after telling me the important points to note in the west area, Nadi-san went back to her work.
Now that it’s lunch time in the open terrace, the customers have increased.
◇
I finished reading the introductory book just as I finished eating pasta for lunch.
...Why is this fantasy town very peculiar about taste!
10 minutes after I’ve entered the western area, the content of the dummy purse I’ve hanged on my waist is gone. The bottom of the purse is cut and the content is no more, though there were only pennies inside.
From looking at the log, it was not a pickpocket. It’s really a game-like function.
I’ve passed through the area where they’re selling daily necessities, and suspicious looking shops began to increase in number. Sexy women and evil looking old men can be seen wandering around.
There’s a square in the center of the west area. The alchemy shop is further ahead.
Street stalls are lined up in the square, selling birds, cattle and the like competing with each other.
On the entrance of the square, a merchant is announcing something about slave market. It seems that it’ll be open for 3 days from tomorrow night.
When I look at it carefully there are boys and girls with slave collars on their neck standing in line with cattle. Half of them seems to be hurt. Every one of those slaves have dead eyes. The cattle look healthier than them.
I had the urge to buy them all, but it’s only for self-satisfaction so I stopped. It’s not the end even after they’re released after all. ...Isn’t this just an excuse?
Coming out of the square, brothels lined the streetside. I subtly feel like this is a period drama.
Still, lewd professional older woman are the best, right? Rather than an unwilling slave, a pro well versed in sexual culture is better.
Tonight, let’s go to a shop with beautiful older women! I wonder if there are cabaret? I’d love to have a lewd conversation over a bubble bath but...
The main topic has been grandly derailed.
The alchemy shop seems to be located in the middle of this brothel street. There’s probably a high demand for drugs~
I wonder if it’s thanks to Nadi-san’s advice of only walking on the center of the road, I’ve arrived at the alchemy shop without being dragged to an alleyway. No wait, there was that pickpocket so it wasn’t entirely safe...
"Good afternoon. Are you open for business?"
There’s a dwarf on the counter inside the shop. Let me say this, it’s not cute at all. It’s a small old man about 1 meter tall. Is he a gnome? Or a hobbit?
The AR indicate that he’s of a fairy race. When I look better the "Earth Fairy (Gnome)" indication come up.
"If you’re window-shopping, Go away."
Aw, how cold.
...This isn’t a pun okay?
"I’d like to buy a short cane, do you have any in stock?"
"Spell-user eh? There are cheap, expensive, and really expensive one, which one do you want?"
So rough~
"Please show me the cheap and the expensive one."
The shopkeeper take a wooden and a copper short canes out. The short canes look like something a certain famous British boy had, it’s a simple wand. If you don’t understand, then please imagine an orchestra conductor’s baton but a bit thicker.
I stare at each of the canes and their performances are displayed on the AR. The wooden one has [Magic Activation Support + 3][Magic Effect Expansion -2], and 2 big copper coins market price, then the copper one beside it has [Magic Activation Support +3],[Magic Focus Support + 2],[Magic Effect Expansion +2], with 3 silver coins quoted as the market price.
To be frank, even if I can see the performance I don’t understand where the difference is.
The copper cane seems to have better performance, but the wooden one looks something that a magician would have, so I buy that one.
The shopkeeper looks displeased since I choose the cheaper one.
I might as well buy some medicines here.
That’s right, if you’re talking about alchemy then it’s potion.
"Are there manual and tools for compounding?"
The shopkeeper grins while laughing. He probably think that I’m an easy mark.
[Introductory Book for Medicine Compounding, Practical Writing],[Book of Poison and Antidote][Book of Illness and Treatment], 5 compound tools set with extravagance cases, medicinal plant harvesting set tools, and chemical mixtures for beginner set. "These are all!" So he said after piling them all up.
...Hmm? Am I being tested?
The magic imbuing tools have a [Magic Imbuing Type Fake] status. The others are genuine.
"Is there no other one for this magic imbuing tool? It’s not to my liking."
I openly point out the fake. It’s how an adult interact.
"Fumu, it’s a tool used to nitpick amateur who doesn’t understand a thing."
He somehow looks happy. It’s not only reflected on his face but the atmosphere has also softened a bit.
This time he takes out 3 imbuing tools.
One is decorated with high-class looking ornament, another is a tool that looks like it has been used a lot, and the last one is a cheap-looking and obviously fake tool. The high class one is especially equipped with magic, when I hold it up and move my hand, it emit a weak green light. It goes without saying that the expensive one is a fake.
"Then, I choose this one."
Of course I picked the well used one.
The market price is 15 gold coins eh. At any rate, does a beginner spell-user who comes to buy a cheap short cane look like someone who has money?
"I see, so you choose that one... If you have this one, then you won’t need another, beside raw materials, even after you’ve become a veteran alchemist.
"How much is it?"
"10 gold coins."
Eh, isn’t it much cheaper than the market price?
The shopkeeper grins when he see my face.
"Just as I thought, you have the appraisal skill."
The shopkeeper looks proud with his guess. I don’t have such a skill.
>[Appraisal Skill Acquired]
Let’s not argue back...
"Is it really okay with 10 gold coins?"
"Yeah, I’m saved if someone as capable as you studies alchemy."
When I think about it, isn’t this thanks to haggling skill?
I pay the price and receive the books among other things. As one expect, my bag doesn’t fit.
I decided to return to the hotel while holding the books in both hands.
I leave the shop after thanking the shopkeeper.
The things I need to do increase again.
I will learn alchemy after I’ve learned life magic!