(Chapter 10) How could she not know? In the simulator, they’ve even slept in the same bed.
Although not buying it would indeed save 100%, unfortunately, Anna has no choice but to make the purchase.
After all, the kitchen knife is still dripping blood, and some has already gotten on Anna's clothes. If she doesn't find a spatial item to store this thing soon, her entire house might end up looking like a crime scene.
Cleaning up is exhausting!
Although it pains her to spend the 100 achievement points, Anna still exchanges them for the spatial ring.
And upon closer thought, spatial rings are actually quite valuable. The cost of making one is astronomically high, and in some small to medium noble families, they can even become heirlooms. So, in a way, it's not a bad deal...
But the feeling of being forced into a purchase is really annoying! She could have used those points to buy something she actually wanted!
Looking at other items in the 100-point range, like "Strength Enhancer" or "Blessed Longsword," which are more appealing to Anna...
Oh well! It's already bought!
The moment she obtains the spatial ring, Anna immediately tosses the blood-dripping nuisance into it.
Then, she places her finger on the ring to check the space inside.
It seems a bit larger than the spatial ring she saw at Helga's house when she was a kid?
Feeling the roughly 100 cubic meters of space inside, Anna starts to think that the 100 points might not have been such a bad deal after all.
And just like the product description says, it really is the perfect choice for storing illegal or troublesome items... or not!
If she really used this ring to smuggle contraband, she'd probably only dare to operate in the countryside. If she tried to enter a major city, like the capital of the Kingdom of Rianweld where Anna currently resides, she'd likely be arrested and thrown into prison before even passing through the city gates.
The capital has detection spells set up by grand mages. These specially crafted spells can detect whether people entering or leaving the city are carrying contraband in their spatial items. When this spell was first implemented in the capital, the prisons nearly overflowed with offenders, prompting the construction of a temporary prison outside the city walls.
As for this blood-stained kitchen knife, it probably doesn't count as contraband... right?
While a kitchen knife isn't contraband, a blood-stained one is something Anna isn't so sure about.
Fortunately, the detection spell "has its own logic" and is fully automated, with a rather rigid detection mechanism. Maybe it really doesn't count as contraband?
Then, Anna instinctively tries to put the ring on her finger but pauses just in time.
Close call! She almost put it on her ring finger!
When Anna was a kid, she used to play with her mother's ring. Back then, she didn't know any better and liked to wear it on her ring finger. When her mother saw it, she scolded her, saying she shouldn't wear it on that finger casually.
If she really wore it on her ring finger and Louise saw it, wouldn't that be a repeat of the achievement?
Anna then looks at the second achievement from this simulation...
[Two-Timer (Bronze): Whether you're hiding it or being open about it, you've successfully managed to date two people at the same time.]
[Reward: 1 achievement point]
[Silver unlock condition: Successfully date three people simultaneously.]
This achievement is another bronze one, and while the reward is still just 1 point, it's also a growable achievement.
So, it seems she now has 4 achievement points, right?
Although the single-digit items are pretty basic, they can still be useful for her current situation...
A few seconds later, Anna is holding a steel longsword she exchanged for 3 points, so excited she almost drops it.
This sword, which sells for 30 gold coins on the market, was something Anna used to gaze at longingly in weapon shops countless times during her academy days. And now, it's in her hands!
Anna doesn't have grand ambitions. Swords like the Hero's Holy Sword or Blessed Longsword aren't her goals. All she wants is a sword that isn't completely rusted through, and she'd be satisfied.
Look at that rusted sword she used before! No matter how much she polished it, the rust wouldn't come off—it had eaten into the metal. If Anna hadn't used her magic to maintain the sword's shape and prevent it from breaking after too many monster slayings, she would have been left without a weapon long ago.
And now, that piece of junk can finally be tossed into the trash. Anna has finally upgraded to a steel longsword that can cut through monsters like butter!
...And if she ever gets so poor she can't afford food, this steel longsword could fetch a decent price, making it a good fallback option.
With the steel longsword in hand, Anna is like a child who just got a new toy. While it might seem strange for a girl to be so fond of a longsword, it's perfectly normal for a knight who graduated from the academy.
Then, Anna almost slices her old couch in half.
The next day...
"Senpai! Good morning!"
Perhaps because they've grown closer, Louise, who is riding a horse, immediately rides over to Anna as soon as she sees her.
"Ah, Louise, good morning." Looking at Louise's cheerful smile, Anna finds it hard to connect the girl in front of her with the yandere who stabbed her to death in the simulation.
Two-timing really isn't a good idea... right?
"Senpai, you got a new weapon?"
"...You can tell?"
Anna's scabbard is still the same one from before. She spent a lot of time last night cleaning it to ensure no dirt would cause her new sword to rust.
And this steel longsword isn't that different from the rusted one in terms of the hilt and guard.
"Because your old weapon was always so dirty, and you used to wrap it in a rag."
...That's true. Since the old sword was rusted through, Anna didn't bother maintaining it. She just rinsed off the bloodstains with water every day and wrapped the hilt in cloth to keep the grime off her hands.
"And I'm pretty confident in my eyesight!" Louise says, sounding a little proud. "Your new weapon is made of steel, right?"
"You can even tell that?"
Anna can't help but parrot her words.
"Hehe, it's just that I've seen a lot of them." Louise smiles shyly and then takes Anna's hand. "Senpai, you must have saved up for a long time to buy this new weapon, right? Are you having any financial difficulties? I can help!"
"Not really... and you don't need to help me. I'm fine."
This kid has no idea that Anna's salary only allows her to live paycheck to paycheck.
"Then don't push yourself too hard, Senpai! If you ever run out of money for food, you can always come to my place for a meal. Oh, right, you don't know where I live yet, do you?"
How could she not know? In the simulator, they've even slept in the same bed.