Chapter 31

"Really, this town's commercial district is bustling with activity."

"Yes, the Ockrille territory. Even my former territory didn't have this much vitality."

Soji and Kuna came to the commercial district to buy a tent, some dried meat, a water flask, and salt. Besides regular shops, there were countless stalls and market stands.

"People come from various countries and cities for the valuable materials and magic stones, and when they come, they bring all sorts of things to sell. Thanks to this, you can find items from all over the world, which attracts even more people looking for those items."

This is the reason for the abnormal development of the Sealed City. Nowadays, it's said that if you want to buy something, you can find it in the Sealed City.

"Soji-kun is so knowledgeable. You're like an old man."

"Kuna, you sometimes unintentionally cut deep."

"That's not true. In my hometown of Elsie, I maintained the top spot on the list of girls people wanted to marry for about three years. It must be because my attentiveness was highly valued. Hehe."

It wouldn't be surprising if there were many men who would want to marry Kuna. On the contrary, it's surprising that she hasn't had any romantic entanglements. Perhaps there's some reason for it.

While thinking about this, they strolled through the streets of Erin. Before it became the Sealed City, this town was known as the commercial city of Erin and was thriving.

"Oh, that tent is cute. It's red, red."

"Let me see. That one won't do. It doesn't seem to have good waterproofing, and the fabric quality is poor."

"Then, Master, how about that one over there?"

"…The material is good, but it's too expensive. We only have a budget of 100,000 bal."

They had decided to limit their budget for the tent to 100,000 bal, but the one Anne pointed to was made from the hide of a large magic beast, the Stray Sheep. It had excellent durability and waterproofing, but the original material made it quite expensive.

"It's tough. With 100,000 bal, we can't afford special materials, and regular materials leave us with durability concerns."

"Yeah. Maybe 100,000 bal was a bit unrealistic. …It might be better to make day trips until we save enough for a tent."

That would be more practical. They had almost no money to spend freely. They should earn money and then buy a good one. They could also consider going with just a sleeping bag, but the sense of security with walls and a ceiling is completely different.

No, there's a good method.

"Kuna."

"What is it?"

"What if we let that fourth-rank person join our party in exchange for buying a tent? He seems wealthy and might be willing to spend a lot to share a tent with Kuna."

"You're burning, right? I'm getting pretty irritated."

"Sorry. There are good jokes and bad jokes."

That was definitely a bad one. In fact, the idea of Kuna and that fourth-rank person sharing a tent was unacceptable to him as a man. When he apologized, Kuna smiled wryly and spoke.

"It's okay if it's a joke. But please don't say things like that again. I might start to doubt if I'm just a girl who doesn't matter to Soji-kun."

Kuna's words made his heart race. He often thought that Kuna's scary trait was her ability to unconsciously seduce men.

"Soji, look, there are more tents over there."

Before he could respond, Anne pulled him along.

◇

"Hey, kid! Kid!"

Kuna and Soji were stopped by a middle-aged man with a potbelly who seemed friendly.

"What is it?"

Thinking it might be a sales pitch, he smiled politely.

"Ah, I thought so. You're the kid who beat the rank 2 in this year's entrance exam."

"Did you come to watch?"

"Yeah. I watch the entrance exams every year. This year, thanks to you and the sexy fox lady, it was enjoyable… Hey, the fox lady is here too!"

The man stared at Kuna rudely. Indeed, Kuna had been beautiful, dignified, and… erotic at that time.

"Please don't stare like that."

Kuna clutched her chest and hid behind Soji. He had recently noticed that Kuna tends to hide behind him when she encounters someone she's uncomfortable with.

"Sorry, sorry. No, really, they're big and bouncy, and I couldn't help but notice."

Kuna's face turned red, and her eyes welled up with tears.

"Hey, don't mess with my companion. If you have no business, we'll be on our way."

It was a waste of time, and seeing Kuna's unease made him want to leave.

"Wait, wait. Let me get to the point. Actually, thanks to my bet on you, I made a huge profit. Thirty times the bet, thirty times, 100,000 bal turned into 3,000,000 bal. I also got to see the fox lady, so I thought I'd do you a favor. I've got some good stuff, you know."

It was indeed an attractive offer… He glanced at Kuna.

"Kuna."

"Y-Yeah, it's fine. If he's offering a service, let's take a look."

He asked Kuna, and if she wanted to leave, that would have been fine. Since she said it was okay, he decided to take the service. They needed to save money wherever possible.

"Then, I'll take you up on your offer."

Inside the shop, the selection was small but high-quality. The shop owner had a good eye. The items were expensive but worth the price.

"Wow, the Claranisa bell, it's intact and in good condition. The craftsmanship is excellent. The Rorinabata water flask is also well-crafted, with proper fire treatment and tanning. The stitching is meticulous, which is rare."

The Rorinabata tree produces a sap with rubber-like properties. With proper processing, it becomes more durable and elastic than rubber, making it an ideal material for a water flask. This would be perfect for dungeon exploration. A water flask is crucial; a poor-quality one could break, leaving you without water, which would be disastrous.

"I'll take three Rorinabata water flasks."

"Sure thing. I'll give you three for 10,000 bal. That's less than a third of the regular price."

"Thank you."

A flask of this quality would normally cost 20,000 bal each. The shop owner was selling them at cost, and the service offer wasn't a lie.

"So, what were you originally looking for?"

"A water flask and a tent. I only have a budget of 100,000 bal for the tent, so I was thinking of saving up more money."

"Ah, 100,000 bal is tough. …Well, I'll give you a special service."

The shop owner disappeared to the back and returned with a round bag.

"This isn't for sale. It's a special item I used during my explorer days. I haven't used it in about ten years, but it's still in great condition."

Outside, the shop owner set up the tent. Soji was encouraged to touch it to check the material.

"This is Amayuki Fish skin, isn't it?"

"Damn, kid, who are you? Yeah, it's Amayuki Fish skin. It's the best in terms of waterproofing, durability, insulation, and lightweight. The frame is made of magic steel."

"The fair price would be around 1,000,000 bal."

"Right, it has some minor damage and discoloration, but considering that, it's worth about that much."

If it were new, it would cost around 1,500,000 bal. However, even as a used item, it was in excellent condition and could last for decades with proper care.

"I'll sell it to you for 900,000 bal, and I'll let you pay on credit. I'll take 100,000 bal upfront, and the rest in monthly installments of 200,000 bal, with no interest. How about it?"

"Are you crazy? Offering credit to explorers?"

He couldn't help but exclaim in surprise. Explorers could die at any moment, and even high-interest lenders would be hesitant to lend without collateral. Offering credit was unthinkable.

"Well, I believe you'll definitely succeed. That's why I bet 100,000 bal on your fight against the rank 2. Even if you die, I've already made 3,000,000 bal, so it won't hurt my pocket. What do you say?"

"I'll take it. I'll pay the remaining amount as soon as possible."

"Sure thing. Since I've gone this far, I expect you to favor my shop in the future. The price and service are based on that expectation."

The shop owner was shrewd, but the shop was trustworthy. Soji wanted to continue doing business with him. However…

"If you don't look at my party with lecherous eyes."

"Sure… I'll try."

Soji and the shop owner laughed together. It was an unexpectedly high purchase, but getting such a high-quality item was satisfying. With this, their dungeon exploration preparations were complete. From here, their real adventure begins.

This concludes the introduction of the first chapter. From the next chapter, we will delve into the dungeon exploration, the sin of Anne's father, and the story of her magic sword. Please continue to follow the story of the Cheater Mage.