Chapter 20

“There was some head equipment for me, and I found a weapon for Cion that has a star in the name. It doesn’t even have any dangerous effects, so she’ll be able to do even more now,” said Igarashi. “Woof!” Cion barked happily. She wasn’t wearing her new equipment yet, but Igarashi was holding a set of gauntlet-type things with claws attached. That must be what she was talking about. We quickly ran through and appraised everything, ending up with this list of new equipment: ♦New Equipment – KYOUKA♦ > Glow Gold Circlet +2 > Protection Necklace ♦New Equipment – MISAKI♦ > Bat Leather Jacket +1 > Steel Magic Cards +2 ♦New Equipment – SUZUNA♦ > Silk Shaman’s Clothes +2 > Leather Archer’s Gloves +1 ♦New Equipment – CION♦ > Beast Claw > Hound’s Leather Vest +1 ♦New Equipment – MADOKA♦ > Merchant’s Glass +2 ♦New Equipment – MELISSA♦ > Light Steel Apron +1 One thing worth noting was that we found a piece of equipment made of glow gold, which had come up in conversation before. Another interesting thing was that we found a necklace that made it harder for equipment to break, so we decided Igarashi should wear that considering how often her armor had broken. One thing I did notice, though, was that it only made it slightly more difficult for equipment to break. I thought it’d be nice if there was some new equipment for me, too, but Silvanus the Enchanter’s Messenger must have completely avoided attacking male Seekers. Unfortunately, we didn’t find a single piece of equipment for me. If I could get the magic gun from Luca, though, I’d at least be able to change out my weapon. “……” And we couldn’t forget about Theresia’s equipment. From the collection of weapons we found, there was one that Theresia could use, and we also found her some armor. ♦New Equipment – THERESIA♦ > Elluminate Short Sword +3 > Light-Shielding Bodysuit +2 “…Atobe, I was under the impression that Theresia could change out any equipment other than the stuff she can’t take off, but changing for this skin-tight full bodysuit…is a bit of a problem, isn’t it?” asked Igarashi. “W-well, it’s not like I want to make her wear that by itself. The suit has a property that prevents light from passing through it. I thought it might work as a lining for the bodysuit that uses the camouflage stone…” “I bet the original owner wore something over it. They were probably a Stuntman or a Diver or something.” Elitia was right. The material was so thin that if someone wore this without something over it, it would reveal all of their curves. It wasn’t like I hadn’t considered that, though. If I wasn’t thinking of using it as a lining for something, I probably would have decided to just put it in storage for now. “……” “Yeah, we’ll take the magic stone off the sword you’re using now and put it on your new one. Does that sound good, Theresia?” I asked Theresia since she was standing there staring at her current sword and the gaze stone in it. She responded with a quick nod. Her new sword was also a short sword, but it was made from elluminate and had a +3. Perhaps that’s why it was a different shape and looked more powerful. In addition to the equipment, we found 7,583 gold coins, 5,874 silver coins, and 6,960 copper coins. It was enough that it didn’t seem like we’d run out of money any time soon, but together it was fairly heavy, so we sent it off to the bank. We called some Carriers to come and take care of the equipment we had no use for, and Madoka haggled a price for it with them. Shiori was still shocked, perhaps since it had been the first time she’d seen a Black Box opened. Falma appreciated that we let her relax and recover while we worked. “You’ve all been working so hard. I hope what you found from this chest will help you in your seeking,” she said. “Thank you, Falma. I was hoping I could offer you an additional payment on top of your normal fee,” I said. “It’s enough knowing I’ll get the opportunity to travel to the upper districts for work when you need me…” “You opening Black Boxes for us is the reason we’ve been able to make it this far. And Cion’s been such a huge help to us. I’d just like to thank you for that.” “But Cion is so energetic these days because of you; I’m the one who should be offering thanks… She’s getting to see the world.” “Well, then… Since Cion can’t spend her share of our money, please accept that at least. I feel like Cion would be happier knowing it went toward buying Eyck and Plum some nice treats rather than sitting around.” Falma finally accepted a gift of two hundred gold, though it was only thanks to Cion. She was incredibly hesitant to accept, but I felt like it wasn’t nearly enough. “Mr. Atobe, I am so grateful for this already, but…could I possibly ask you a favor as well?” “Of course, you can ask anything you like.” Falma and Shiori looked at each other and smiled. The two had apparently been talking while Falma rested. “Well…I took two days for this business trip, meaning I’ll be spending tomorrow in District Seven as well. I plan to spend tomorrow picking up some souvenirs for the kids, but I haven’t actually decided where I’ll be staying tonight…” In other words, she was hoping she could stay in our house. Everyone else agreed without a moment’s hesitation, and I decided I should be ready to sleep on the couch if we didn’t have enough beds. Part V: A Magic Gun Falma wanted to stay at Shichimuan and chat with Shiori more, so we decided to come and pick her up when we were heading home. Our next stop was Boutique Corleone. Luca, the store owner, flashed me a wink while he wrapped up what he was doing with some other customers. “I thought it would take you longer, but you really are a new star to keep an eye on. Either that or you wanted to come see me again so much you worked really hard,” he said. “Well, that might have been part of it, but a lot of things just fell into place. It’s all thanks to the hard work of my party and the party we fought alongside.” “There you go again being so humble. You’re as honest as they come.” I did get carried away sometimes, but I needed to always remember that what we managed to do in battle was all a result of cooperation. “Right… Can I have you come with me, Arihito? Perhaps the girls can have a gander at some of what we have to offer. It’s not really large enough back there for everyone to fit.” “Well, if that’s what you’re going to do, we can buy some of the things we couldn’t last time… Ooooh, it doesn’t look like they get bathing suits in that often,” said Misaki. “It’s just a timing problem. Let’s buy what we need and try not to waste anything.” Igarashi turned to me and nodded as she chided Misaki. Luca attended to them before leading me into the back of the store. The boutique’s interior was bright and homey, but Luca’s room for business discussion was dimly lit and furnished with leather seats and a table made of glossy black stone; it looked exactly like a room from a Mafia movie. It also smelled of musk, but maybe that was how Luca liked it. “You’re probably thinking this room is really used for secret conversations. Everyone’s surprised at first. The shopworkers have gotten so used to it, they’ll even come in here for a cup of tea while they gossip on their breaks.” “N-no… It definitely has a certain flair to it, but the decoration’s spot on. It looks like something you’d see in a movie.” Luca smiled vaguely at my comparison but didn’t respond. But it really wasn’t like he was trying to pull me into a criminal underworld. That was obvious; there was karma, which meant you couldn’t do anything really bad. “This is where I went to get it before, the magic gun. It’s in a hidden safe,” said Luca. Hanging on the wall was a taxidermy monster that looked like a buck, but it was actually a hidden switch. Luca slipped his hand into the creature’s mouth, and a painting on the wall slowly slid to the side. Behind it was a safe. Uh… The recess where the safe is looks like it has burn marks around it… “Magic items are so useful, aren’t they? You can do quite a few things with them that you wouldn’t be able to without electricity.” “It’d be exciting to have a device like that in my house.” “Ah, you get it. It’s important to never lose your childlike fascination, no matter how old you get.” Luca twirled the dial on the safe to open it, and inside was the attaché case he had shown me before. I took out my license and pulled up the proof that we defeated the sheep monsters that seemed like they’d be a source of high-quality cloth. Luca activated the mechanism again, and the painting slid back into its original position. He set the case on the table, sat in a chair across from me, and folded his hands. There was a tension between us that said I’d get shot quickly if I let him down. “Right… Arihito, do you have what I asked for?” “It’s currently being dissected. I believe we should have the materials in the next few days. Would materials from these monsters make a good suit?” Luca examined the type and number of monsters my license showed we defeated, and his eyes went wide. He let out a shaky breath, took a cigar that was sitting on the table, and started to light it—but stopped as he looked at me with a wry smile. “I’m amazed… I can’t believe you’d go this far past what I hoped for. Fiber from a sheep’s coat, wool, is considered the best material for cloth that you can find in District Seven. On top of that, these monsters… If I can use material from a Named Monster’s body, I’ll be able to make the best suit I’ve ever made.” “I’m glad… Wool is definitely a material used for suits, though I imagine it’ll shrink if you don’t have it dry-cleaned.” “Any clothing will get damaged someday. You can increase its life with proper care, though… I have a feeling your party will move up to the next district surprisingly fast. I’ll do everything to repair and care for your clothing while you are here.” I’d bought clothing in District Eight as well, but it wasn’t often that you met a craftsperson like Luca—someone who was mysterious but easy to get along with, who I could talk with about so much, and who worked so hard to make clothes for me. It was one of those strange twists of fate. “Luca, I imagine you’re already in a contract with someone, but if not, I was wondering if I might be able to have an exclusive contract with you. It would include maintenance of my suits of course, but I’d also like to talk to you about everyone else’s clothes as well.” It wasn’t that unheard of to continue using the services of an establishment that made you a suit once, but Luca looked like he didn’t know what to say. He seemed confused, but he didn’t outright reject the offer. “…Right. I can’t be certain how strong the equipment will be without seeing the materials first, but since my apprentice is working on making other clothing, I can commit myself to your suit. I’ll finish it within a week. Why don’t you reevaluate my work once its complete?” “One week… That’s amazing. I wouldn’t be surprised for a custom-order suit to take over a month to make.” “With all my years of experience, I should be able to make it work. We normally have a lot in the shop, but there’s all sorts of equipment that can’t be mass-produced just like suits. There’s a lot of crude items out there, too, so I’m not about to tell you to treasure your average leather armor or buckler.” A craftsperson had made every single piece of equipment. Thinking about it made me want to find someone to look at all the equipment we’d found in a chest. “First, I’ll use the Thunder Head wool for the lining; that will give it lightning resistance. Then there’s these Darkness Blitzes… They’re incredibly rare, and their wool is perfect for a suit since it’s dyed from the start. Normally, I’d dye Stray Sheep wool, but the color is completely different.” “Really… The suit I’m wearing now feels pretty comfortable, but it doesn’t have any special effects. It’d be nice if I could have that as well.” “One problem with wool is its breathability, but I can fix that with materials I have on hand. Since you wear armor over your suit, it’s probably best to think of it as a sort of gambeson you’d normally wear under armor.” Luca’s eyes shone as he started talking about the suit’s details. It was that childlike fascination he was saying you should never lose. “Were you thinking that an adult like me shouldn’t get so carried away?” “No, I was happy that you’d be this excited to make my suit. I wore a suit every day before I reincarnated, but I didn’t have a single one that had that much put into it. It’s a nice change.” “I appreciate you saying that. I’m normally making ready-made clothes; it’s rare that I get a chance to make something one of a kind like this.” The clothing options in the boutique were all excellent, but I suppose as a fashion designer, that wasn’t enough. I was thinking that when Luca opened the case on the table. Apparently we’d reached that point in the conversation. Inside was a gun made of black metal that shone dully. Since it was a magic gun, though, loading and using it was likely very different from a normal gun. “This magic gun… How do you use it to fight?” I asked. “I can tell you that it comes at a high cost. If you can equip the gun, you can shoot it by ‘charging’ it with magic stones.” “Charge… I see. But if that’s the case, how is it different from applying a magic stone to a weapon and using a special attack?” Luca smiled as if I’d asked a good question, then picked up a clear magic stone that was inside the case and showed it to me. “Arihito, do you know what magic stones are made of?” “They appear to be produced by the labyrinths. They grow in the labyrinths, then monsters carry them around either in chests they have or somewhere on their bodies, I guess.” “That’s right, but also slightly wrong. Whenever a skill is used inside the labyrinth, the energy seems to disappear, but apparently, it’s actually gathered into the labyrinth. For example, regardless of whether its friend or foe, if something keeps using skills with a water attribute inside a labyrinth, a lot of water-related magic stones will be produced. There are magic stone deposits as well, but they’re completely different from gemstone deposits.” I was very interested in what Luca was telling me, and he seemed to like that because he smiled as I listened intently. “I make myself sound like an expert, but this is all information you can learn if you do some research in the Guild’s data repository.” “I have heard that there’s one in District Seven. I haven’t had a chance to go yet…” “You can even manage to get a little information about District Six and higher in District Seven. There is a limit on what you can access in the data repository based on what district you’ve made it to, which is pretty annoying. Some people spend a lot of time in the repositories, but I can only recommend you go when you need to… And I think that’s enough off-the-topic chitchat.” “It was very useful information, though. So then, this magic stone…” Luca handed me the magic stone. Inside the clear stone was what appeared to be a white mist. When I stared closely at it, it looked like it was swirling slightly. “This has no fire or wind or whatever attribute; it’s an attribute-less magic stone. There are a few floors in a labyrinth where all the monsters use attribute-less attacks. Based on the monsters’ level, you can find this kind of magic stone. This is the lowest grade ‘white crystal’ there is… You can check out the specifics on your license.” ♦White Crystal (3)♦ > Cannot be used unless the user has the skill Magic Stone Operation 2. > Can be charged with skill level 1 magic-type skills. > Power increases if charged with the same skill multiple times. > Breaks once charges are used completely. “It seems like it’d be incredibly hard to get a magic stone like this, or something like the magic gun, in District Seven…,” I said. “If you understand their value, then go ahead and use it as you like. I’d prefer for the Seekers I like to stay alive for a long time to come.” Luca tried to say it lightly, but there was a somberness to his tone he couldn’t hide. Supporters worked with a lot of Seekers. It wasn’t surprising that some of them would lose their lives. It was supporters, not Seekers, who encountered people’s deaths most often. “If you want this white crystal, you’ll have to agree to my conditions for how you seek in the labyrinth. If you don’t, you can make friends with a magic stone salesman. These stones are in high demand, so they tend to get sold in the higher districts,” said Luca. “Do you mean they’re like potions…? They sell out in the higher districts so they’re expensive and hard to find?” When I said the word potion, Luca got a distant look in his eyes that I could have missed had I blinked. “…Let me say one thing. Even if you find yourself in a difficult situation, don’t do something that’ll have negative consequences later down the line.” “Of course… Well, I hope I can keep that one. I tend to get reckless when I’m in the heat of things. I need to be more careful about that.” “It’s good to keep a level head. I don’t get the impression that you’re reckless just because you want the fame of having accomplished something, Arihito.” Luca seemed to want to express something during the time that we spoke. I finally understood what that was. Luca had used this magic gun when he’d been a Seeker in the past. By accepting it and using it, I was carrying on with his goals. ♦Light Mithril Revolver +3♦ > Can be charged and fired when a magic stone is attached. > Allows charging with magic stones that require Magic Stone Operation 2. > Slightly decreases gun’s required cooldown time. > Durability recovers slightly over time. > Created using a Gunsmith’s abilities. The gun itself actually gave you the Magic Stone Operation 2 skill. That meant that even I could use it without a problem. “If you charge and fire this magic gun with a normal magic stone, the attack is more powerful than it would be if you put that magic stone into equipment and activated a special attack. And if you can use that white crystal, well, you’ll find a lot more situations you can break through. There are some magic stones that are easily used as ammunition, so you could use those instead. When you find yourself in a real bind, you can use rare magic stones to get yourself out of there.” “So that’s what you meant when you said it came at a high cost. It has its risks, but it seems like it’ll work well as a trump card.” “Yeah, it’ll do you well if you keep it concealed. Sometimes I miss the smell of lead bullets and gunpowder, though… Yeah right!” Luca said it jokingly, but he definitely wasn’t a normal guy before he’d reincarnated. I decided to just leave that to my imagination. Now, Luca ran an outstanding tailoring business, and soon I’d be the one evaluating his work. I was certain that no matter what suit he made, it would be a fine piece that I could wear and know it was worth it. “The gun won’t stand out if you put it in the inside pocket of your suit. A man should always have a whiff of danger about him… Right, I should start taking your measurements now.” Luca pulled a tailor’s measuring tape from his pocket, stretched it out, and showed me. I didn’t think they’d have something like that in the Labyrinth Country originally; perhaps Luca made it himself or received it from somewhere. “…By the way, Arihito, I had my reasons, but did you notice that I’ve used that gun in this room?” he said. As the very last thing, he pointed out the secret. How exactly had the holes in the wall that hid the safe gotten there? They weren’t small holes. If the gun had made them, I had a feeling it would become very useful in future battles.