Chapter 25

"Hello."

"Hey, welcome."

The vendor, a woman in her forties who appeared to be rather plump, greeted Al. The person who had been introduced to him by a suspicious woman named Carmilla as Aunt Lala was not as old as the term "aunt" would suggest. It was likely a different person.

"Um, what is this?"

Al pointed at the black sphere that glowed blue-white due to the effect of his magic perception, being careful not to touch it. Some magical items had cursed effects, and touching them could be dangerous.

"That? Oh, it's a magical item. Is it your first time seeing one?"

The woman didn't seem particularly nervous as she naturally picked up the black sphere and showed it to Al. It appeared to be a perfect sphere with no distortions, and there were two vertical lines on its surface.

"No, I know it's a magical item. I was just wondering what kind of magical item it is."

"Hmm, you know about magical items? Are you saying you're a magician? You don't look like one..."

The woman looked at Al with surprise, tilting her head, but then nodded and smiled.

"What kind of magical item is this? You're lucky. This was found in an underground ruin by a friend of mine last week. We're still investigating its effects, but since it was discovered in a huge treasure vault, it must have a powerful effect. I can sell it to you for 10 gold coins right now. What do you think? You won't get another chance like this."

Al shook his head with a wry smile. There was no way something worth 10 gold coins would be sold so casually. Seeing his reaction, the woman shrugged.

"Alright, alright, just kidding. Everything about it being found last week is a lie. But it is a magical item. If you want to investigate what kind of magical item it is, I can sell it to you for 10 silver coins. How about it?"

So, it was a magical item whose purpose was unknown. As he considered how to deal with her changing story, Al decided to continue the conversation. Perhaps this woman also dealt in spell scrolls.

"If you can talk about garbage scrolls, I might consider this magical item."

The mention of garbage scrolls made the woman tilt her head. She looked around and then back at Al. She then extended the black sphere, indicating that she wanted payment.

Is this to be bought as information? Al thought he should have tried to haggle a bit more, but he reluctantly took out a large silver coin from his wallet and showed it to her. The woman snatched the large silver coin and pushed the black sphere into Al's hands.

"So, what kind of garbage scroll are you looking for?"

"Anything I haven't learned yet. But it depends on the condition and price."

"Wow, that's a lively talk. Have you learned the magic arrow spell?"

Al nodded in response to the woman's question. She let out an impressed "Oh."

"If you've learned the magic arrow spell, how about the unlock spell?"

It seemed that when coming to such a place, the search for forbidden spells and standard ones was a given. The woman asked, but Al shook his head again.

"I've already learned that. Do you have any sleep spells, paralysis spells, or flight spells?"

This time, the woman shook her head slightly.

"I don't have any in good enough condition to recommend. How about the spray spell? I'll sell it to you for 1 gold coin. It's our first transaction. I think this is fair for both of us."

Al had heard about the spray spell from a spell scroll shop in the capital. It was a second-tier spell that involved spraying ink, not very popular, and not very expensive. He remembered thinking that if lemon juice were sprayed in someone's face, it might blind them, but he wasn't sure if it would actually work. It cost 1 gold coin. Although it wasn't very expensive, it was certainly not 1 gold coin. Since it was an unverified spell scroll and the market price was unknown, it seemed she wanted to start with a small transaction.

"Alright. Make sure you provide good service."

After thinking for a moment, Al nodded and took out a gold coin. The woman smiled and took out a spell scroll from somewhere. It was unclear where she got it from; it suddenly appeared in her palm.

"Of course. I want to do many good transactions. I'll look for the items you want, but they are all popular. Don't get your hopes up too high."

She took the gold coin from Al and handed him the spell scroll. Al checked the first part of the spell scroll on the spot. It was indeed the spray spell. At least it didn't seem to be a complete fraud.

"Ah, thank you. By the way, what's your name? Do you always work here?"

"Oh, my name is Lala. I don't always work here, but if you ask for Lala the magical item vendor, someone will probably know. Some people call me Aunt Lala, but don't imitate them."

So that's how it is. Al remembered Carmilla's seductive smile. She and this Lala must know each other. They were probably joking around, but it seemed she wasn't lying. If that's the case, this spell scroll might be worth something. The spray spell... Al carefully put the spell scroll in his backpack.

Thank you for reading.

I would like to take a break after the departure of the supporting character Orson. I plan to organize the characters and post an update in an hour.

I plan to post twice a week, on Mondays and Fridays, at 10 AM. Thank you for your support.

Thank you for correcting the typos. I always appreciate your help.

I would be happy to receive likes, evaluation points, and comments. Please consider giving them. Thank you.