Having lost the plastic model battle with Lirisha, I was wandering through the bazaar, hoping to find some hidden treasures. Not that I was expecting to find another rare model, no...
There were some reasonably priced and rare items, but nothing worth buying. So far, I hadn’t bought anything. Well, there’s no need to force myself to buy anything.
Suddenly, I noticed Lara crouching in front of a stall, examining something. Could it be a Magic Engine?
“These are the Tonda brand Magic Engine, and this one here is the Karasaki brand Magic Engine. Both are great deals.”
“Hmmm…”
It seemed like Lara was torn between the two Magic Engines that the vendor was recommending. They were about the same price, but still, they were expensive... They were probably much cheaper than a new one though.
“The Tonda’s versatile and fuel-efficient, or the Karasaki’s specialized and high-powered... I’m having a hard time deciding…”
They both looked the same to me. Wait? Hold on a second.
“This one’s better, I think.”
“Huh?”
I pointed to the Tonda brand Magic Engine that she was considering from behind her.
“Why do you think so?”
“Because this one’s probably not been used much, since it doesn’t seem to be infused with much magic power. It’s probably almost like new. If the price isn’t that different and there’s no clear deciding factor, this one should last longer, and it might be easier for you to use, even if your magic power is weak.”
I had heard that magic engineers infuse their magic power into parts to alter or imbue them. So if there’s someone else’s magic power left in it, it can be hard to handle. If it’s a properly refurbished second-hand item, it should’ve been cleaned, but with these personal stalls, that’s unlikely.
The vendor lady, who had overheard our conversation, looked at us with a blank expression.
“Eh…? You can tell that much? This Tonda brand Magic Engine really hasn’t been used much, so it’s pretty much like new, but…”
“Really!? Ne-Nero, how did you know!?”
“Huh? I just looked at it.”
Clearly, the Karasaki model? It felt like it had more magic power stuck to it. Isn’t this thing pretty old? But it’s still usable, so I guess that means it’s very durable.
“Can you see the ‘magic residue’?”
“‘Magic residue’? What’s that?”
“Well, it’s like the remnants of magic power... or the traces left behind…”
“Hmm, it’s not so much that I can see it, more like I can feel it?”
I was told by my master before that I have a sharp sensitivity to that kind of thing. I can tell when magic has been used or when something has been imbued with magic power—like items or weapons. I can also sense hidden magical activations.
It’s like a “gut feeling.” I just know intuitively when something is different or “off.” So I can tell immediately whether an item is magical or not.
“Your magic sense is almost like that of the Fairy Tribe... Could it be that you have some fairy ancestors? Ah, that’s why you look like that!”
“That’s not it!”
That’s definitely not it. I’ve never heard anything about that, and I don’t even have wings. If that were true, I’d stop growing, right? Don’t make such scary assumptions!
“So, which one will you choose?”
“Well, I-I’ll go with the Tonda one…”
“Thank you very much!”
Lara happily received the Magic Engine, which was placed in a box, and stored it in her smartphone's [Storage].
“Thank you. You really helped me out.”
“Don’t mention it. I’ll make sure you return the favor when I eventually buy an Armed Gear and need maintenance.”
“Of course! Leave it to me!”
Ah, I was only half-joking, but if she actually does it, it would be a huge help.
Then, I suddenly noticed something ahead at one of the stalls.
“Huh? Is that person...?”
I saw someone sitting cross-legged on a stall mat, looking bored and turned away. I recognized them right away. Short brown hair, a wild appearance, not in uniform but dressed in a similar disheveled style. It was the person I fought with yesterday—[Sword Princess] Zeldigard Minas Lestia-senpai, and [Hundred Thunder] Rimiera Limitecus-senpai.
Even top-ranking students come to the bazaar to run stalls, huh?
“Eh?”
Ah, our eyes met.
“What? If you're just here to mock me, then go away... Wait, are you one of our students? Huh? Why’s a kid like you—”
“...! Don’t treat me like a kid. I’m a proper first-year student. Nero Silhueska. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Se-N-Pai.”
“Uh...”
With a smile on my face, I introduced myself, but my eyes narrowed as I glared at him. Rimiera-senpai flinched slightly in response. Damn, everyone’s like that, huh...?
“Is this a Magic Artifact?”
“Huh? You can tell?”
I focused on one of the gauntlets laid out in front of Rimiera-senpai.
Wow. The circuit that channels magic power runs through most of the parts. I don’t know exactly what effect it has, though...
“It’s something I got from Senpai a while ago. It’s from a dungeon, and it’s tough enough to withstand my lightning strikes. Well, that’s pretty much its only feature, though.”
“Huh? But this is a Magic Artifact, right? Doesn’t it have some special effect?”
“Oh, that... Try putting it on your arm.”
Following her instructions, I slid my hand into one of the gauntlets. Hmm, it’s a bit big. If I tighten the strap, it might fit... Wait,
“Wha?!”
The moment I thought that, the gauntlet shrank down and fit perfectly, changing size until it was just right.
Lara leaned over and peered at the gauntlet.
“It has an automatic size adjustment function, huh?”
“Yep. That’s a feature commonly found in dungeon-made armor.”
“Since the Age of Ancient Magic, it seems that it was a standard feature back then.”
The Age of Ancient Magic Lara was talking about refers to the time over five thousand years ago, when an advanced magical civilization thrived. The technology for Frame Gears is also said to have been established during that time.
If these kinds of things were in regular use back then, it must’ve been really convenient.
I clenched the gauntlets, now resized to my arms, and lightly shadowboxed. It wasn’t heavy and felt pretty easy to use.
“Oh? For a shorty, you’re actually pretty good, huh?”
Rimiera-senpai, who had been watching my movements, said that. “Shorty” was unnecessary, though...!
Lara, with a puzzled expression, turned to Rimiera-senpai and asked:
“Can you tell that from just watching?”
“Yeah, from the way you walk and how you move, I can tell what kind of opponent you’re trying to deal with. You were trying to punch someone stronger just now, right?”
That’s right. I had been imagining sparring with my master when I threw that punch. I would’ve definitely been dodged and probably knocked flying or thrown.
“Well, you were trying to punch someone ridiculously strong. I’ve never won against them, though.”
“Right. If you don’t fight someone stronger, it’s not going to be interesting. Your goal should always be big!”
I agree with that feeling. However, the problem is that I can’t even imagine beating that master.
“So, what are you going to do? This gauntlet’s one gold coin, but I’ll sell it to you for half price.”
“Hmmm…”
A Magic Artifact gauntlet for five silver coins is an unbelievable bargain. One gold coin is already too cheap for it.
But this Magic Artifact gauntlet... I think it might...
“Well, you see, I think besides the size adjustment function, this probably has another effect added to it.”
“Huh?”
“Well, um... like this?”
I focused my magic power into the gauntlets on both arms and clashed my fists together in front of my chest.
Clang! A metallic sound rang out, followed by a spark!
Crackling lightning wrapped around both of my arms, and sparks flew.
“Wha?!”
“This...!”
“It looks like it has an electric shock effect. Well... here goes.”
I punched the air upwards, and lightning shot up into the sky. It looks like it can discharge electricity too.
“Nero, did you know about this Magic Artifact?”
“Nope? I just thought that since it has too many magic circuits to only be for size adjustment, and the knuckle area had the most concentration, it might activate from there.”
“Just thinking? Most people wouldn’t even notice that kind of trace...”
This Magic Artifact seemed similar to one my master showed me a long time ago. It’s probably the same type. Many Magic Artifacts made during the Age of Ancient Magic were mass-produced in the same place, so they tend to have similar activation methods and features.
“No way... My senpai didn’t teach me anything about this...”
“Maybe they were testing if you could figure it out yourself? A lightning-infused Magic Artifact is perfect for you, Rimiera-senpai.”
“Ah... Now that you mention it, they were definitely grinning when they gave it to me... Damn, they’re such a jerk!”
It seems like Rimiera-senpai’s senpai has a bad personality. It was almost sold to me for a cheap price. I wonder if that person was planning to reveal the trick after Rimiera-senpai sold it... That person seems a little twisted.
“Well, anyway, you shouldn’t sell it for five silver coins. I think it’s easily worth about fifty gold coins...”
“Fifty!?”
Rimiera-senpai was shocked at Lara’s words. I mean, to use something that costs fifty gold coins just to prank a junior?! That person must be out of their mind...
“Well, that’s why. If you don’t need the money that badly, I think you should just keep it.”
“Ah, thanks... You’re really something, huh. You could’ve bought it and made a huge profit without saying anything.”
“No way. If people find out later, I could end up with some weird grudge. That’s just too much hassle.”
Rimiera-senpai looked at me with a blank expression at my words, but eventually, she started laughing while clutching her stomach.
“Pfft... Hahaha! You’re really something! I’ll buy you something as thanks next time!”
Saying that, Rimiera-senpai laughed and patted my back hard. Ouch! That’s a ridiculous amount of strength!
For a moment, I thought about shocking her with the gauntlet, but I somehow managed to resist. I just want someone to praise me for holding back.
No comments:
Post a Comment