Chapter 95

The next morning, early, Al stopped by a store on North 1st Street. It was a store that dealt with the spellbook he was looking for. This store had a good selection of official spellbooks, but the prices were quite high. He knew this, but after delivering the Alnight to Cody yesterday, he went straight to Lala's store, only to find that the spellbook he wanted was still not in stock. He couldn't bear the desire for a new spell any longer.

"Hello."

"Welcome."

The usual clerk greeted Al. Today, for some reason, the service was more polite than when he used to visit frequently to look for the flying spell. When Al honestly said he had come to buy a spellbook, the clerk smiled.

"Thank you for your continued patronage. Unfortunately, we still don't have the flying spell in stock. Oh, you're the one who bought the transportation spell after spring, right?"

"Yes, that's right, but—"

He thought it had been quite a while, but the clerk remembered well. The clerk smiled again.

"Actually, we've received many orders from people who saw you carrying items far exceeding the thirty kilograms mentioned in the spell's description on the southern and western gates. It's all thanks to you. Thank you very much."

Al had demonstrated the convenience of the spell, which helped it sell. However, he remembered that the clerk had said it was popular in the area when recommending it. Was that just a sales pitch?

"Is there any spell you'd recommend today?"

"Well, for the classics, there's the Magic Shockwave Spell or the Magic Tornado Spell. Both are 25 gold coins. Then there's the Magic Dispel Spell for 25 gold coins, the Telepathy Spell and the Telekinesis Spell for 20 gold coins, and the Detect Heat, Detect Illusion, and Detect Magic spells for 15 gold coins each."

The list of spells was impressive, befitting a store officially affiliated with the Mage Guild. The absence of Sleep and Paralysis spells suggested they were out of stock. Al was hesitant. He had received 10 gold coins as a reward from Cody after delivering the Alnight, but after buying souvenirs, he had about 45 gold coins left. With that, he could only afford one or two spells. They were about three times the price of used spellbooks at Lala's store. He needed to save money for the flying spell, but getting a spell could increase his chances of survival. If he couldn't survive, it wouldn't matter how much money he saved.

"Um, are there any defensive spells?"

"Well, let's see..."

The clerk thought for a moment.

"There's the Shield Spell, which is effective against physical attacks for 30 gold coins, and the Magic Resistance Spell, which increases resistance to magic for 25 gold coins. We don't have any other defensive spells in stock."

Al was even more hesitant. The Shield Spell would protect against not only swords and arrows but also magical arrows and magic tornadoes, reducing damage to some extent. It would be very reassuring to have. The Magic Resistance Spell would be effective against fatal spells like Sleep and Paralysis. He wanted both.

"Also, for convenient first-tier spells, there's the Temperature Regulation Spell, which reduces heat and cold and can even cook food, the Packaging Spell, which prevents damage to items, and the Preservation Spell, which maintains the temperature and humidity of items. These are usually 10 gold coins each, but as a thank you for spreading the Transportation Spell, I'll make them 8 gold coins each."

Al folded his arms and scratched his head several times. Of course, he couldn't afford all of them. Among the ones explained, he wanted the Shield Spell the most. It would be very effective not only for himself but also for the front-line fighters like Orson. He thought the detection spells were necessary, but he could probably make do with the Magic Detection Spell. The Temperature Regulation Spell, which could cook food, caught his attention. He didn't need cooking, but if it could keep meat from spoiling, it would be useful. He didn't always have a river nearby when he killed a deer. This could increase the buyback price.

"Then, I'll take the Shield Spell and the Temperature Regulation Spell."

Unable to hold back, Al said this. The clerk nodded happily several times.

"Thank you!!"

-----

Holding the package containing the two spellbooks carefully, Al left the store. Just then, Barbara was standing in front of the neighboring Revi Trading Company, looking around. When she saw Al, she looked surprised and waved urgently.

"Al! You're here?"

"Yes, I just got back yesterday."

Barbara was an adventurer employed by the Revi Trading Company. She usually stayed in the back office and didn't come to the front of the store, so something must have happened.

"Good timing. Can you help me? Check if there's anything hidden around here."

The Revi Trading Company was supposed to have a magical detection device for security. Her urgency suggested that something had triggered it.

"Magic Detection"

Al hurriedly put the spellbook into his backpack and used the spell, looking around. A few meters from the store, a transparent, spherical object was floating in the air.

"That's a Floating Eye. Should I move it? Or dispel the magic?"

Al tried not to look directly at the transparent sphere and subtly covered his mouth while asking Barbara. The Floating Eye spell wouldn't hear their conversation, so this should be fine. The spell was quite tiring, so the caster was likely nearby.

"Can you tell where the caster is?"

Al shook his head. The caster wouldn't bring the Floating Eye back to them; they would just dispel it when done. The question was whether to reveal that they had noticed the Floating Eye or to pretend they hadn't.

"I'll dispel the magic. But first, let's check if there's anyone suspicious nearby. Can you help me look?"

"Sure."

"Floating Eye"

Al summoned a Floating Eye and started checking the surroundings. North 1st Street was a wide street with many large stores and few narrow alleys. If the suspects were inside other stores, there was nothing they could do, but otherwise, there were few places to hide. It would be difficult to walk around while monitoring with a Floating Eye.

He quickly scanned the street with his Floating Eye. There were many well-dressed customers, but only two people were dressed like mages and standing still. Of course, it was possible to walk while using a Floating Eye, but it required a certain level of skill. The first person was a man leaning against a wall on the next street, and the second was a man hiding behind the Revi Trading Company. Both had two or three companions. Al quickly relayed their positions and clothing to Barbara.

"Got it. I'll have my subordinates keep an eye on them. I'll let you know when we're ready, and then you can dispel the Floating Eye."

"Understood."

Barbara ran busily to the back. Al pretended to be casual while monitoring the unknown Floating Eye and continuing to keep watch with his own Floating Eye.

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