I wandered around with the new and improved Bell of Perception until it rang in front of a particular shop. Only it wasn’t the sort of place that sold enchanted items. Rather, it sold the sorts of products that housewives delighted in. I went in to check it out. The bell had definitely reacted to something, but it didn’t seem to be any of the products on display. I approached one of the clerks behind the counters, and the bell rang out loudly.
“Um, excuse me,” I said. “You wouldn’t happen to be carrying some kind of enchanted item, would you?”
The forty-something woman looked taken aback. “Huh? How did you know?”
“I have something that senses enchanted items. It reacted to something over here.”
“One moment.”
She went into the back and came back with a ring. She set it down on the counter.
“My husband found it while cleaning the house yesterday. His late grandfather had hidden it. I’m told he was fond of enchanted items…”
It was a little rusty, but otherwise it looked normal.
Ring of Power
Grade B
Skills: Superhuman Strength; Grip Strength (Grade A)
It was quite a find. I got her permission to touch it and found…it was worth 4,200 LP. I definitely wanted it, if the price was right. The woman put her hand on her chin, seemingly frustrated with the ring.
“We don’t sell jewelry here, so I’m really not sure what to do with it. I was thinking about just putting it out on the shelves anyway.”
“How much would you sell it for?”
“Ten, maybe twenty thousand? I’m not even sure that it’s enchanted.”
“Would you take fifty thousand? I’m a student at the Hero Academy and I’m collecting enchanted items.”
“Oh, my, you must be brilliant.”
She seemed genuinely impressed. I supposed the Hero Academy’s name carried weight. She was in a good mood and liked the idea of making fifty thousand rels.
“I’d feel bad taking so much from such a bright student,” she said.
“I also work as an adventurer, so I have some income. Please, don’t worry.”
“Really? I still feel kinda bad about it.”
If anything, fifty thousand was too cheap. Eventually, she accepted my offer. I left the store and immediately converted the Ring of Power. I’d used a bit of LP today, so it was good to refill my reserves.
“Yeah, worth it.”
Using the Bell of Perception to find enchanted items was working out nicely. I loitered around town until it started to get dark. I was about to head home when I made an incredible discovery: Mira, talking to someone on a side street.
“Why don’t you say that again and see what happens?!”
She was threatening a man and woman. They looked like a couple. The woman seemed especially angry, her tone cruel and pointed. I could also hear a little girl crying. What was going on? Whatever it was, Mira was cocky as ever.
“What part of ‘I’m not repeating myself’ do you not understand?” she asked. “Maybe you should get your head checked.”
“Screw you! Do you have any idea what my boyfriend was doing?!”
“Why the hell would I? Also, wow, your boyfriend was doing it? Talk about embarrassing. You basically just admitted that you’re completely incompetent.”
“Why you—”
“Waaah, Mommy!”
As they bickered, the boyfriend cracked his knuckles menacingly and the little girl cried. If I didn’t intervene, I sensed this could get serious.
“Hey, what’s the problem here?” I asked.
“Noir! Listen, these jerks were telling this girl she was a ‘nuisance.’”
“Who is she?” I asked.
“She got lost. I was helping her find her mother.”
Now it made sense. The couple must have complained, then Mira bit back at them, and well, now here we were. I was just thinking about how I’d have to delay dinner to handle this when the boyfriend grabbed me by the collar.
“You her boyfriend? You better apologize for your girl bein’ so rude. I’m an adventurer, you know. B-Rank.”
Strange, considering his low level and utter lack of skills. Of course, it wasn’t impossible for someone like him to be quite strong, but he wasn’t.
“What a coincidence,” I said. “I’m B-Rank too.”
“Huh? What?”
I grabbed his hands and twisted them.
The girlfriend wasn’t watching. “Oh, yeah, sure! You look like a total scrub.”
“W-wait,” said the man. “He’s not—aaaahh!”
I twisted harder. The man’s body convulsed, frantically trying to escape the pain. He fell to his knees.
“Wanna test your strength?” I asked. “You know, since we’re the same rank?”
“S-sorry, I’m sorry, please, let me go…”
“Excuuuuse me?” said Mira. “You’re the one who started this.”
“She’s right,” I said. “And you’re not B-Rank, you’re probably not even an adventurer.”
I got the feeling he was probably lying to his girlfriend too, so I figured I’d mention it. The girlfriend whipped around and left when I did, saying she was done with this. Mira chased after her at top speed.
“You’re not getting away that easy! You’re gonna apologize to her.”
“Excuse me…?” the girlfriend sneered.
“I should probably mention this,” I said. “She’s way stronger than me.”
The woman’s face froze, and she promptly apologized to the little girl. It was probably just for show, but Mira got what she wanted.
I stroked the little girl’s head as she cried. “Do you know your full name?” I asked tenderly.
Eventually, she managed to tell me between sobs. I asked the Great Sage where her mother was.
<One hundred and twenty yards to the east.>
I took the girl by the hand and led her to her mother. When we got close, she ran over, and her mother thanked us. Another happy ending.
Mira just stared at me, agape. “Dang, I think you might be one of the most competent men I’ve ever met.”
“I’m honored, m’lady,” I joked.
Mira linked arms with me. “All right! Let’s grab a drink! My treat!”
“Drink? You mean alcohol?”
“Natch. We’re sixteen, so it’s legal here too. Let’s go!”
Only…I wasn’t much of a drinker.
“Who goes there?” came a voice from behind us, dripping with hatred. “And who’s that young maiden?”
We turned around. It was Emma. The expression on her face almost made her look possessed.
“Wh-whoa!” I said. “Wh-wh-what’s wrong, Emma?”
“Don’t you ‘wh-wh-what’s wrong, Emma?’ me! Who is she?! Have you no shame?!”
“Oh, uhh, it’s a long story.”
I introduced Mira and explained how we met. Emma scowled the whole time. Mira tried to lighten the mood and offered her hand.
“I think bein’ a friend of a friend’s a great way to meet someone new, don’t you? Nice to meetcha.”
“I’m not so quick to make friends…unlike Noir here,” Emma declared, turning down the handshake. “I don’t trust you yet.”
I was afraid that Emma was about to explode, but uncharacteristically, Mira pulled back.
“Can’t blame you,” she said. “And I respect that. Why don’t you join us for a drink?”
Emma agreed, although she wasn’t much of a drinker either. I’d have to make sure neither of us overdid it.