Gazan Island was beautiful.
It was also expensive.
Rayan discovered the second fact less than an hour after leaving the hotel.
"One hundred gold coins?!"
He stared at the price displayed on the sign.
Then he looked at Ran.
Then he looked at the sign again.
"Ran, I think my eyes are broken."
Ran glanced at the sign.
"No, they're working perfectly."
"Then why are they showing me something so terrifying?"
"Because you're poor."
Rayan clutched his chest.
That hurt more than he wanted to admit.
The two of them stood in front of a shop called Spirity Equipment, one of the better-known stores selling magical equipment to necromancers.
The shop was enormous. Its glass windows displayed enchanted gloves, protective pendants, magical lamps, and mysterious metal boxes.
But Rayan wasn't interested in any of those things.
His attention was fixed on a particular display.
SPACE RINGS.
These magical rings allowed their owners to store objects inside a pocket of space. Clothes, books, weapons, potions, and other equipment could be carried without filling one's hands with bags.
For a necromancer, such an item was practically essential.
Unfortunately, convenience came at a price.
And that price was currently trying to murder Rayan's wallet.
The cheapest space ring cost one hundred gold coins.
The better ones cost several hundred.
The highest-grade rings had prices that made Rayan wonder whether the shopkeeper had accidentally confused a ring with a small kingdom.
He leaned closer to Ran.
"Let's leave."
Ran shook her head.
"We need one."
"We need books, academy clothes, food, and other supplies. Unless this ring can produce gold coins, buying it now would be financial suicide."
Ran considered this carefully.
Then she looked at the display again.
"Let's buy only one."
Rayan blinked.
"One?"
She nodded.
"I'll carry the space ring. We can store both our belongings inside it. I'll keep my things there, along with your heavier items. You can use your shadow space for some of the lighter things."
Rayan thought about it.
It was a reasonable plan.
His shadow space was useful, but managing it required mental energy. He also didn't want to depend entirely on his shadow abilities for carrying everything.
A space ring would make their lives much easier.
"Fine," he agreed. "We'll buy one. But we should compare the prices first."
Ran smiled.
"Agreed!"
They entered the shop.
A bell rang above the door, and a clerk greeted them.
The two children walked toward the counter.
Unfortunately, two customers were already standing there.
One was a young woman with beautiful black hair. She wore elegant clothes, and her confident expression suggested that she was accustomed to getting what she wanted.
Beside her stood a young woman with dark-blue hair.
The blue-haired girl appeared somewhat embarrassed.
The black-haired girl pointed toward a ring displayed inside a glass case.
"This one will do."
The shopkeeper smiled.
"An excellent choice, miss. This is a superior-grade space ring. It offers considerably more storage capacity than ordinary models."
The blue-haired girl immediately shook her head.
"No! I don't have that much money! We should buy a low-grade one instead."
The black-haired girl sighed.
"Mother specifically instructed me to help you. Your parents did her a great favor in the past, and she wants to repay that kindness. Don't worry about the price."
"But—"
"No buts."
The black-haired girl crossed her arms. Read this novel at g.com for the best experience.
"If you need something for your studies, buy it. If you need equipment, buy it. If you need books, buy them."
She paused.
"If you need new clothes, buy those too."
The blue-haired girl looked troubled.
"Why would I need new clothes?"
The black-haired girl glanced at her sleeve.
"Because your current wardrobe looks older than some of the students entering the academy."
"That's not true!"
"Then how do you explain that patch?"
The blue-haired girl immediately covered her sleeve.
Rayan watched the exchange with interest.
Their relationship is interesting.
He glanced at Ran.
If I ever offer to buy her new clothes, she'll probably demand an entire clothing shop.
Ran noticed him looking.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"You're thinking something bad."
"That's an unreasonable accusation."
"Then why are you smiling?"
Rayan immediately stopped smiling.
The black-haired girl eventually completed the purchase. The shopkeeper placed the superior-grade space ring inside an elegant box and handed it over.
"Thank you for shopping with us."
The black-haired girl accepted the box.
The blue-haired girl sighed as though she had just witnessed a national tragedy.
The two of them stepped away from the counter.
Rayan and Ran moved forward.
"We'd like to buy a space ring," Rayan said.
"Certainly. What grade are you looking for?"
"The lowest-grade one."
"Very well. That will be one hundred gold coins."
Rayan silently mourned his finances.
He paid.
The shopkeeper placed a simple silver ring on the counter. A small green crystal was embedded in its center.
"This ring has a modest storage capacity of approximately three cubic meters. It should be sufficient for students carrying books, clothes, and ordinary equipment."
Ran accepted it carefully.
"Thank you."
She slipped the ring onto her finger.
A faint magical ripple spread across its surface.
"It feels strange," she said.
"Don't worry. You'll get used to it."
Rayan leaned toward the shopkeeper.
"Can it store food?"
"Yes, provided the food is properly preserved."
"Can it store living creatures?"
"Not this model."
"Can it store undead?"
The shopkeeper paused.
"Technically, that depends on the undead's nature and the ring's spatial properties. This model is not designed for that purpose."
Rayan nodded thoughtfully.
One day, I'll buy a ring that can store undead.
Then he remembered the price.
One day, after I become rich.
Ran adjusted the ring on her finger.
"Let's go. We still need bags."
Rayan stared at her.
"Didn't we just buy a storage ring?"
"Yes, but we still need bags for things we don't want to store inside it."
Rayan fell silent.
She had a point.
He disliked it when she had a point.
After buying several ordinary bags, they headed toward a bookstore.
The shop was called The Inkbound Archive.
It had three floors, and every floor was packed with books.
Rayan's eyes immediately shone.
There were books on necromancy, magical formations, monster classification, elemental affinities, spiritual theory, medicinal preparation, and dozens of other subjects. Follow the newest chapters on novelping dot com.
Some were thin beginner's manuals.
Others were thick enough to serve as weapons in an emergency.
Rayan picked up one particularly heavy volume.
If I ever run out of Jet Black, I can throw this at my enemies.
He quickly dismissed the thought.
Books were meant to be treasured.
Not weaponized.
Unless absolutely necessary.
Ran had already disappeared between the shelves.
"Ran?"
"I'm over here!"
He followed her voice and found her examining a row of books.
She picked up one.
Then another.
Then three more.
Within minutes, her arms were full.
Rayan stared at the growing pile.
"How many books are you planning to buy?"
Ran looked at him innocently.
"As many as I need."
"That isn't a number."
She added another book.
Rayan felt a headache approaching.
We just spent one hundred gold coins on a space ring. We haven't bought academy clothes yet. And now she's trying to purchase the entire bookstore.
He sighed.
"All right. I'll look around too. But don't forget our budget."
Ran nodded without looking at him.
"Of course."
Five seconds later, she picked up another book.
Rayan decided that his warning had been useless.
As he examined the shelves, he noticed the two young women from the equipment shop.
The black-haired girl was selecting books while the dark-blue-haired girl carefully examined a beginner's manual.
Rayan recognized them immediately.
Those two again.
He didn't think much of it.
After all, the bookstore was a perfectly ordinary place for students to visit.
However, Ran was becoming increasingly absorbed in her selections.
She had already placed so many books into her basket that Rayan began to wonder whether she planned to study or build a small library.
He approached her.
"Ran, I'm going outside for a little while."
She continued reading the title of a book.
"Hmm."
"I'll leave my shadow with you. If you need anything, just tell it. I won't go far, and we can meet again here."
"Hmm."
"Ran?"
She picked up another book.
"Hmm!"
Rayan stared at her.
Wonderful. I've been replaced by books.
He separated a thin portion of his shadow from his body.
The shadow stretched across the floor and quietly settled near Ran.
It wasn't particularly powerful, but it could remain near her, observe its surroundings, and help him locate her if necessary.
Rayan had practiced controlling his shadow for a long time. He was pleased that he could now leave it behind for short periods without losing control.
"Don't let her buy too many books," he whispered to his shadow.
The shadow remained silent.
"That's an order."
It remained silent.
Rayan narrowed his eyes.
Even my own shadow has stopped respecting me.
He gave up and headed outside.
He needed some fresh air.
And perhaps a snack.
Mostly a snack.