“Welcome to my humble shop, traveler. Is there anything you’re looking for?”
Midir followed the voice and saw a young Dwarf emerging from behind a shelf, looking up at him from a height difference of over half a meter.
“Hello... This is my first time here. I originally heard you sold Magic Intelligence Books, but I didn’t realize there were so many other novelties here. For example, what is this?”
Midir pointed to the glove he had been examining earlier.
The young Dwarf spoke up in a clear voice, launching into an enthusiastic introduction.
“That is one of our latest inventions. Its full name is the ＜Single-User Mana-Linked Negative Status Mithril Glove Mark VII＞. The several magic crystals on it correspond to different categories of negative status spells. It requires a bit of your own mana to link and activate them. During combat, you can individually apply the engraved spells to your opponent. Of course, you can also customize and swap out the magic crystals yourself...”
Listening to the glove’s long name and the subsequent description that spanned hundreds of words, Midir couldn’t help but feel a bit of a headache.
He reached out, intending to gently pick the glove up from the counter for a closer look, only to discover it weighed at least a dozen pounds.
“Isn’t this a bit too heavy?”
While Midir didn’t mind the weight personally, he thought about how this thing required one’s own mana to function. Wouldn’t an ordinary mage find it a burden on their hands?
“It’s normal for it to have some weight, as it uses a large amount of precious metallic materials. This is already the seventh generation. The first-generation prototype was twice this size and weighed over forty pounds.”
“Uh... never mind. This thing might not be for me. Let’s talk about the Intelligence Books instead.”
Midir shook his head and put the metal glove back.
The young Dwarf didn’t mind Midir’s opinion and continued speaking as he led him deeper into the shop.
“You’re looking for a Magic Intelligence Book, then? What type were you interested in?”
“Do you have any encyclopedia-type Intelligence Books? Or books that introduce magic and the mage ranking system?”
“Of course! For example, this one, 《My Covenant with Water》, written by Master Kadeline, a Grand Mage currently in the Royal Capital. It details the insights and tips of water mages at various stages. The price is one thousand two hundred gold coins.”
The young Dwarf climbed a small ladder and pulled a blue Intelligence Book from among hundreds on the shelf, placing it before Midir.
“How much?! One thousand two hundred?! That expensive?!”
Midir’s lip twitched slightly. He felt the pocket that held less than a hundred gold coins and finally remembered Yas’s warning. So this was what she meant by 'not cheap'?
“Expensive? Not at all! This is a private, custom-made book by Master Kadeline. It sells quite well among the young mage circles in Lionheart City.”
The Dwarf didn't get angry at Midir's shock; instead, he continued rummaging through the shelves.
“How about this one? 《Basic Magic Practice, from Novice to Grand Mage.》 This book records basic magic for every rank, as well as the effects of the spells. It costs eight hundred and twenty gold coins.”
“Are all books related to magic this expensive? I’ll have to wait until later for those,” Midir thought to himself, though he continued to ask aloud.
“What about books for adventure and general encyclopedias?”
“There aren’t many encyclopedia-type books, only a few. After all, the cost of custom-making a Magic Intelligence Book isn't cheap. Generally, no one wastes money making books for common knowledge. Let me see... over here.”
The young Dwarf walked to the other end of the shelves and pulled out a small box. Inside were only a few Intelligence Books, no thicker than a diary.
“These are the encyclopedia-type Intelligence Books. Prices range from two hundred to three hundred. See if any of these meet your needs.”
“They really are all expensive. Any one of these books would be enough for the people of Taro village to live on for half a year, wouldn’t it?”
Midir only gave them a quick glance, his mind still filled with complaints.
However, out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly noticed the thickest Intelligence Book in the box hadn't been taken out. He reached in and pulled out the dusty old book.
“What is this one?”
Midir examined the Intelligence Book in his hand. Unlike the others, this one was clearly quite old, its cover coated in dust.
After patting the dust off the cover, he found a rose-colored stone he had never seen before embedded in the center, with several words written in a crooked hand.
《Carlos's Great Journey》
The Dwarf showed a look of slight surprise upon seeing the book, but he quickly explained it to Midir.
“That book is a first-generation Magic Intelligence Book. It’s an imitation of an adventure book from about a hundred years ago. However, due to the technology and manufacturing methods of the time, it doesn’t work very well—it's quite temperamental. It’s essentially a half-finished product. I’m not too clear on the other details.”
Midir gently brushed his hand over the cover. To his surprise, as he looked at the handwriting—which wasn't elegant and was even a bit ugly—an inexplicable sense of familiarity welled up in his heart.
Unlike the sense of perfect harmony he felt when he held Starflame, this feeling was more like the book was an old friend he had known for many years.
“Is this book for sale? How much?”
The young Dwarf was stunned. He truly hadn't expected the customer before him to want to buy this book that had gone unnoticed for years.
It had been sitting in the shop for decades, and no one had ever asked about the value of this prototype. However, he quickly recovered and answered.
“As long as it’s displayed in the shop, it is naturally for sale. It only costs fifty gold coins. However, we cannot guarantee the quality of such an old product. Are you sure you want this one, guest?”
“It’s fine. I’ll take it.”
Midir didn’t hesitate. He counted out fifty gold coins from his pouch and placed them before the Dwarf.
The Dwarf only glanced at the coins on the table before pulling some parchment from the counter nearby to wrap the Intelligence Book and hand it over.
Before Midir left, the young Dwarf told him his name was Ronald Ironheart. If he had any issues with the book, he could return to the shop to provide feedback.
He then accompanied Midir to the door, watching as his figure disappeared at the end of Scenic Street.
“I never expected someone to actually buy Uncle’s first-generation product. Should I go tell him? Never mind, I’ll tell him when I see him. It’s not like I can find him normally anyway.”
Ronald looked at the sunset beginning to fall outside the window and muttered to himself.
...
After leaving Scenic Street, Midir began to wander aimlessly through the Royal Capital once more.
Although magic calamities of varying degrees had appeared in the surrounding cities, Lionheart City remained a picture of peace and prosperity.
As the sun gradually set, the lights of Lionheart City began to sparkle. Midir returned to the district near the Adventurers Guild and stepped into a random bar.
“Welcome! You’re a new face, young man! Just arrive in Lionheart City? What would you like to drink?”
The evening bar was packed with adventurers of all kinds. Midir had just pushed through the crowded throng to reach the bar when a shrewd-looking bartender leaned in.
“Anything is fine. Just whatever you recommend. Um... not too expensive!”
Having wandered the city all day, Midir had barely had a drop to drink. He ordered a random beverage from the bartender and began to observe his surroundings.
“Then try this! It’s a fruit wine brewed by the elven race. The alcohol content isn't high, and it’s sweet and delicious. Only fifty silver coins a glass! It’s a great value!”
Rate on N.U.
