Chapter 90

Glancing subtly at the personal shopper standing behind, I bent down and put my arm around the child’s shoulders.

“Just between us, do you think we could figure out which of the boxes with good stuff inside? Could you maybe pick one for me? I’m pretty sure if I open it, I’ll get the lowest grade.”

We were still in the shop area. It would be best to call out Elder, who’s at the top of the luck spectrum, to choose directly, but I had to leave this area to summon him. As a second option, I could try Daisy, but my kid, while lucky, was more on the modest side.

“Um, I don’t really know much about it….”

The child lowered their voice and whispered to me.

“I think you like snacks. I’ll let you eat whatever you want from the snack corner over there.”

The child’s shoulders jumped. Curious about what I was doing, Daisy and Barog came closer.

“The boxes all look the same….”

The child seemed really tempted by my offer but frustrated by their own limitations.

“I’ll let you eat today and tomorrow, and as long as you’re in this terrarium, you can eat whatever you want.”

“Wait a minute!”

The child ran to the table where the jewelry boxes were and gestured to me. Under the tablecloth, small black boxes were stacked.

I crouched down to follow the child. Daisy and Barog blocked the direction of the personal shopper, making it a perfect spot for a crime.

“Actually, even though they look the same, their weights are slightly different.”

The child shook each box one by one and handed me two. Oh, they really are different? I thought all random boxes had the same weight.

“The contents are all rings, and while the gems are different, their weights are mostly the same. But occasionally, there are boxes with a noticeable difference. When I gave a box that felt slightly heavier, the druids who opened it looked happy!”

“Oh….”

“Maybe the more expensive jewelry needs better protection….”

“You’re smart!”

With the child’s help, I picked out the two heaviest boxes. According to the rules, I could only open one, so I had to choose between the two.

The first one is definitely the best, and the second one is a combat bonus gem for my druid! My goal was the April gem for Mesquite and Daisy, the June and July gems for Elder, and the September gem for Barog.

“Daisy, do you want to pick one?”

I’m going for the safe option. I’ll add a bit of Daisy’s luck!

Daisy thought for a moment and chose the box in my left hand. Great, I’ll go with this one!

“Just in case it’s not a good one….”

“Hey, even if it’s not, I’ll buy it for you. I’ll let you clean out the snack corner because you’re so cute!”

The child clasped their hands and closed their eyes tightly. Please let it be a good one so you can enjoy your snacks! I could hear their small whisper.

I carefully unlocked and opened the box. The lid felt heavy, indicating something good inside. The white cloth wrapping the jewelry was visible. I carefully lifted it.

“Huh?”

The first thing I noticed was the light from the gem, but it was a color I didn’t expect.

“Green…?”

The only green gem I knew was emerald. Wait, what month is emerald for? It definitely wasn’t for my kids. Maybe since Elder encompasses June and July, it could be June…?

“Wow, it’s a happiness emerald!”

“The emerald holds the sun of May, Mr. Jay.”

The child, who had been praying, was now on tiptoe, looking at my box. The personal shopper immediately answered my unspoken question. Unlike the child, who was struggling to see the ring, she could identify the gem just by glancing from her height.

Upon closer inspection, we were clearly in her line of sight. Daisy and Barog, being short, couldn’t block her view effectively. She seemed to have turned a blind eye to our scheme.

Thank you. Respect. I bowed, and she said, “It’s for Mr. Jay, that’s my job.” She was cool!

I took the ring out of the box. It was a silver bird’s claw gripping the corners of a square emerald. The polished octahedron sparkled like a piece of the tropical sea, cool and refreshing. The gem seemed to be of high quality, and the silver craftsmanship was incredibly intricate.

The beautiful ring, with its color combination and other aspects, reminded me of Elder. Especially since Elder’s eyes were exactly like emeralds. But so what? Elder was not applicable, and none of my druids received a combat bonus in May. It was a real shame.

“Wow! It’s a high-grade piece of jewelry! Not the best, but still good….”

Maybe the best one was in the other box I didn’t choose?

Or maybe there were only high-grade items, and she was just bluffing. It’s possible no one could get the best one because the probability was so low. Even a 0.0001% chance is still a chance.

I had to think this way to avoid feeling bitter.

“Well, a high-grade piece is still good! If I had opened the first one, I would have gotten the lowest quality ring! I’ll let you eat as many snacks as you want, as promised.”

The child jumped around happily. They were as cute as Daisy, but a bit more cheerful. I secretly paid for the snacks in the corner where the child often went, using diamonds from my pocket.

It turned out the child was the daughter of the snack corner owner. She often helped with quests and visited her parents for snacks when she was bored.

She usually got snacks as a reward, but I gave her much more than she deserved, so she could visit and eat whenever she wanted.

The snack corner owner tried to refuse, but I praised the child and handed over the diamonds. No parent can resist praise for their child. The owner sighed and reluctantly took my diamonds.

We said our goodbyes and left the shopping store. I put the high-grade emerald ring in my pocket, even though I had no immediate use for it. I might recruit a druid who could use it in the future.

I was too tired to walk around more.

The personal shopper escorted me to the VIP inn arranged by the administrative manager and said goodbye. She had spent the whole day with me at the shopping store, recommending many artifact furniture pieces for Elder, but she firmly refused any additional reward.

She said she was satisfied that I had a good shopping experience and that her salary was enough. She disappeared as suddenly as she had appeared.

I wished I could rate the service. I would have given her five stars.

The inn had a vintage atmosphere from the lobby. The room I was assigned was indeed a VIP room, with a high ceiling and a spacious layout. They offered to bring meals to the room like a hotel, and I gladly accepted.

I originally planned to summon the druids as soon as I left the shop area, but the streets were getting crowded as it got dark, so I decided against it.

I called Mesquite and Elder into my room. Elder immediately showed great interest in the artifact furniture that had been delivered to the inn.

When I asked why I didn’t send the artifacts earlier, she turned her head. I had too many thoughts, and unless I cleared them, the dwarves wouldn’t know.

I said I would bring the food, so we decided to stay in. I took off my robe and equipment, and I was back in the T-shirt I wore before entering the game.

Although I couldn’t wear the pants I left in the 26th terrarium, it felt good to be in such a casual outfit.

I brushed my hair with my hands, as it felt tight from being tied up all day. I lay down on the bed, and I could hear Mesquite’s soft laughter.

“My master, Jay. Did you have a good time?”

“The shopping store was amazing. If Elder had come, I might have left her there. It was wide, had many shops, and I saw and did a lot, so I’m a bit tired.”

Elder, who was distracted by the artifact furniture, glanced at me. She made a shy face and sat on the bed where I was lying.

“I won’t leave you.”

Maybe she heard me say I was tired, as her large, glowing hand touched my forehead. The sweet scent of the Elder Flower filled my nose.

“No… I really wish you could have seen it. If you had, you would have insisted on staying….”

The soft bed made me feel relaxed, and a good vibe spread through my head, making me sleepy. My eyelids started to feel heavy.

“Ah, and… I agreed to find something with the druid party….”

“Sure, Jay can hear the story when he wakes up. His eyes are already closed.”

Mesquite laughed and pulled the blanket over me. I could feel her sitting on the bed.

The bed sank with the weight of her armor, and my body tilted towards her side. Her gentle hand patted my arm.

“I ordered the food….”

“I’ll wake you up when it comes. Sleep until then.”

“What if I can’t wake up?”

“Haha, I can’t let Jay miss a meal, so I’ll try my best to wake you up.”

Ah, then I should sleep a little and wake up. I agreed to meet Iris’s party tomorrow, so I need to talk to them. I also haven’t seen Mesquite walk in the Temple of the Sun.

Now that I’ve taken Elder out of the artifact, I can see her. “Why do you only have Mesquite’s house? What about mine?” was the last thing I heard from Elder before I fell asleep.