Chapter 39

After the explosion, I somehow managed to survive amidst the thick smoke that billowed up.

The area around the blast site was scorched black, and part of the shop was damaged.

"Cough, cough... I didn't expect it to misfire like that."

"Ugh, my head is spinning."

I, who was at the blast site, had taken a direct hit from the multiple magic explosions, and my HP was barely hanging on. If I hadn't changed my equipment, I would have definitely died.

Even Ririi, who was closest to me, had taken a considerable amount of damage.

"Mr. Magi, are you okay?"

"Fine. Claude held my head down."

"You could say you were protected. Still, that was quite a show. Well, I'll scold you later. Click."

"Huh?" I let out a surprised sound.

I looked at myself and saw that the left half of my outer coat was completely gone, and my inner clothing and hot pants were torn in a precarious way, exposing my left side and left thigh.

Because my body type was female, the exposure of my white skin was extremely embarrassing.

Even though I was male in real life, I didn't think it was right to be seen like this.

I instinctively tried to cover myself, but the extent of the damage was too great, and my hands were of no use.

Claude stared at me even more intensely. What did you just take a picture of?

"Ririi's clothes are also torn."

"Ugh, you're right. It's a case of minor damage all over."

I checked the status of my equipment and found that all the armor I was wearing was damaged. And they were brand new...

"Ten beginner spells breaking the armor... that's impossible, right?"

"Not really. There's a bonus for consecutive attacks of the same type. A full simultaneous explosion caused a chain combo, and with the damage increasing with each hit, it's not an impossible phenomenon. Besides, it was a zero-distance explosion. The shock alone did damage to me."

I took a potion from my inventory while trying to cover my body and used it on myself and Ririi.

"We need to change clothes. Both of us should change into these."

Claude took out... a sailor uniform and a navy uniform.

"Wait, you're not seriously giving me the sailor uniform, are you?"

"No. The sailor uniform is for Ririi. You're wearing the navy uniform."

"Sure, I'll take it. I'll go change."

"Are you sure? You're a guy, right!"

"Sure, it's fine. In the game, you have to be able to laugh at yourself."

Saying that, Ririi went to change into the sailor uniform in a private room. When she came back, I went in to change. The navy uniform gave an overall crisp impression. The pants were naturally accepted, and the atmosphere of the uniform made me feel like my back was straight.

"I've changed. Sorry for causing the explosion."

"Don't worry, Yunchi. It's just that the armor was a bit damaged."

"Yeah, fireworks on the ground are dangerous. You can't see phenomena like this in real life."

The two of them were optimistic, but Claude was silent with his arms crossed. You, with your handsome face and regrettable actions, have an overwhelming presence when you're quiet. Please say something.

"Ha, what a sad thing. To have it broken right after I gave it to you."

"Sorry about that."

"In this situation, I'll fix your equipment. Yunchi, the outer coat can be automatically repaired, but the rest is badly damaged, so it will cost 150,000. Ririi, you got caught in the blast. You pay for Ririi's repairs, and that's your responsibility."

"But, I can't afford that much..."

"No, it's fine. That's what responsibility means. I'll even pay for it."

Even if it was an act of God, the fact that I involved others doesn't change. So I'll pay.

"Good, that's a good attitude. Ririi's shop repairs will cost about 300,000, your clothes 150,000, and Ririi's full equipment 350,000. A total of 800,000."

"..."

No way. I can't pay! I can't pay at all. I'm a little short of the amount I have now! Cold sweat started to flow down my face.

"...I don't have enough money. I used it for shop preparations and it's a little short."

"...To use 2 million in a few days, that's quite something, Yunchi."

"Can't be helped. If you agree to let me post a screenshot of the clothes you're wearing now on my blog, I'll do it with all the money I have."

Would that make it cheaper? Well, a few shots or so.

"...Well, if it's just that much."

"Great! Ririi, pose! You too, stand up straight! I'll take as many pictures as I need until I'm satisfied!"

"Hey, wait a minute..."

I was swept up in the situation and had many pictures taken. Later, he said he would send me the photos as a keepsake. I don't need them!

"...Phew, it's been a while since I did a good job."

"Good work, Yunchi. Claude, you should hold back a bit."

Magi watched our photo session with a happy look. I eventually gave up and even read the lines Claude told me to. Wait, this has nothing to do with the screenshot, right?

Now, my damaged coat is absorbing my MP and regenerating automatically. The rest is being repaired by Claude. My funds are once again reduced to a bare minimum.

"By the way, we seem to be getting off track. What do you plan to do with the Enchant Stones and Magic Gems?"

"I thought I'd give them to some acquaintances to get their feedback and then make them into shop items. But, Magic Gems are more troublesome to make, so they might end up being for personal use."

"Then, let's do our regular thing. Let's set the prices. We'll average the prices everyone says and try selling them at that price. If it's not appropriate, we'll adjust from there. How much for the Enchant Stones?"

At Magi's words, the prices were said in a clockwise direction around the table.

"I'll say 5,000."

"10,000."

"Then, I'll say 10,000. And Yunchi?"

"Huh? I'll... 5,000, I guess."

"Then, the Enchant Stones will be 7,500. How does that sound? As a consumable for boss battles, it seems reasonable. If there's a higher duration and effect, it can be priced higher."

I'm not sure about the pricing, but I guess that's how it is.

"Then, how much for the Magic Gems?"

"50,000."

"50,000."

"50,000."

"...It's for personal use, right? I'm not sure, but is it really worth that much?"

I made them myself, but I don't think they're worth that much.

"Well, the price will vary depending on the type of magic. Using all ten Bombs to deal near-fatal damage is significant. If you use it for a suicide attack in a place with support roles, you can definitely take them down, which I think is a big advantage."

Ah, 500,000G worth of fireworks on the ground.

"Also, the ability to activate a defensive spell with one action is immediate and useful. The Magic Gem activates about five seconds after the keyword is spoken, and it can be thrown during that time. The disadvantage is that it doesn't have a tracking effect like a spell and activates from the gem as the starting point."

"Hmm, I don't see it as a disadvantage. If you can set it up and activate it, you can use it as a trap. Like a mine."

I don't want to think about a group of 50,000G mines on the ground. Actually, hearing this, I feel it would be more useful in player battles than against monsters.

In fact, after testing, it was confirmed that it could be thrown and set up before activation.

The Magic Gem retains ownership even after it leaves your hand. It's convenient, but handling multiple at once feels difficult.

Learning from the misfire, you can't activate a single Magic Gem that has been set up. In other words, multiple Magic Gems will all activate at once. Well... you could change the keyword for each one, but it's honestly a hassle.

"Ha, somehow, my sense of the value of money is changing. Well, I don't have the money to buy it anyway."

Unfortunately, I don't even have 1G.

"Well, it's fine. If you run out of money, bring it to me. I'll consign the potions and Enchant Stones for you."

"Then, I'll give a few to some people and get their feedback. Thanks for your time today and for your advice."

I said that and left Ririi's shop.

That night—A photo of me, dressed as a male soldier, looking confused, and Ririi, dressed as a sailor, hugging me with a big smile, was sent to me.

It was taken very well, and I couldn't bear to delete it. I even thought that cosplay might not be so bad.