Chapter 40
The store Gargaine introduced was quite ordinary. Well, compared to Japan, it was still pretty fantastical, but there were no loincloth-wearing, bulging dwarves or female staff tied up in tortoise-shell bindings like I'd imagined. Seriously, what a relief......
The store was packed full of magic tools.
Since half of them were torture-like weapons, the shop's S&M-esque appearance wasn't entirely off the mark.
Without so much as a greeting, a bearded dwarf about 150 cm tall with deep-set eyes glared at us from behind the counter.
"Well, if it ain't Gaga's little brat."
The dwarf shopkeeper muttered those words before shifting his gaze back to his work. He was using a pen to draw a magic circle on some small parts.
"Hey old man, ya got a 'commemorative imaging device'?"
"......You the one buyin'?"
"Nah, Ellie Golden's buying."
I stepped forward and placed the Bone Lizard's mana crystal on the counter. The red crystal, about the size of a fist, sparkled violently inside. Yesterday, when I experimentally poured mana into it, it sucked me dry almost to the point of exhaustion. It must've stored a considerable amount.
"First, I'd like you to buy this."
The dwarf shopkeeper raised his eyes disinterestedly, snorted at the mana crystal, and went back to his work.
But on a second glance, he flung aside the magic tool he was holding and lunged at the counter like a baserunner sliding headfirst for a game-winning run.
"Thi-this! Where the hell'd ya get this?!"
"Eek! Don't scare me like that!"
"Who gives a damn! Where'd ya get this?!"
"I defeated a Bone Lizard."
"......Hahhh!?"
To the stunned dwarf, I showed the small medal I'd just received from the king.
A gold coin with a wolf-like emblem. Surume, unprompted, loudly explained that this was the 'Great Wolf Medal,' awarded to magic users who achieved military feats while still in school, and that its rarity made it highly valuable since only minors could receive it. Grateful, but his booming voice was annoying.
"You, that's......"
The dwarf shopkeeper exaggerated his shock.
Between Gargaine and this shopkeeper, it seemed rough speech was a dwarf thing.
Well, it's better than them being overly stiff.
Come to think of it, Gargaine and Surume had reacted similarly when I showed them the mana crystal. Both had nearly collapsed in shock, shouting loudly. Yeah. Maybe it's time for a Reaction King contest.
"Hey old man, look."
Gargaine and Surume smugly showed off their Great Wolf Medals. The dwarf let out a cry, vaulted over the counter, and slapped Gargaine's shoulder hard enough to make a noise.
"Gaga's brat! Ya did good!! Ya make dwarves proud!!"
Laughing heartily, the shopkeeper kept praising them, while Gargaine looked a bit embarrassed but not entirely displeased, rubbing his nose with his index finger repeatedly.
"So, leavin' the Bone Lizard story for later, ya sellin' this to me, missy?"
"Yes."
"Ya sure? A mana crystal this big's rare as hell. I've only seen a few in my smithin' days, and they were smaller than this."
The shopkeeper carefully held the crystal up to a lantern, inspecting it like fragile goods.
"It's already got a ton of mana in it. Did you guys put it in? Musta taken days."
"No, I infused it yesterday."
"Huh? Just you?"
"Yes."
"Bahahaha! Don't bullshit me! Stuffin' this much mana in a day—what 'Shield' unit you from?!"
"Old man, Ellie Golden just got a recruitment offer from Linko Jarlalabad, the chief magician, for 'Shield.'"
"......Eh?"
"No joke, it's real."
Gargaine and Surume said grudgingly.
"No way...... This pudgy little girl's 'Shield' material?"
"Pudgy is unnecessary!"
"Unnecessary my ass! It's the damn truth!"
"Ellie's amazing... don't call her pudgy."
Ariana, who'd been quiet, pointed her staff at the dwarf.
"Whoa, okay, okay. Fox-girl, yer eyes are kinda scary—put the staff down."
"Good."
Ariana quietly lowered her staff and soothingly patted my arm.
Ugh, what a sweetheart. If I were a guy, I'd be dating her.
"So, how much will you buy it for?"
"A hundred million ron...... No, mana crystals are in short supply lately, so prices are skyrocketing...... Maybe up to a hundred twenty million?"
"I've shown it to an elf I know."
"Ohhh, an elf......?"
The shopkeeper narrowed his eyes.
He seemed to grasp the implication.
Thanks to the great adventurer Yukimura Sekino's achievements four centuries ago, the Kingdom of Greifner thrived on multiracial exchange, with almost no racial discrimination nowadays. Just how awesome was Yukimura Sekino? I wanna shout that.
Influenced by this, neighboring nations like Panta (home to many beastfolk), the water country Method, and the desert country Sandy (with vast lands beyond the Free Border) also embraced multiracial exchange. The theocratic nation Seller, beyond the great mountains, was strictly human-supremacist—but such single-race nations were rare nowadays.
Multiracial relations were complex.
There were "fated rivalries" between races. Foxkin and bear-men didn't get along, elves and rabbitfolk had been allies for millennia, dwarves married anyone strong—reasons varied, from past wars to culture.
Dwarves and elves got along fine, except when it came to craftsmanship, where they competed fiercely like enemies. Call it friendly rivalry if you want. Their annual magic tool exhibition devolved into mutual heckling.
Naturally, the dwarf wouldn't be happy if this mana crystal went to an elf engineer.
I mentioned the elf to drive up the price.
Of course, I didn't actually know any.
What a sly, cheeky little fatty I am!
Hehe!
......Ugh, saying that made me feel gross.
Shaking it off, I spoke to the dwarf.
"The elf offered a hundred thirty million."
"So, who ya sellin' to?"
The dwarf glowered at me, voice tense. Despite his height, his presence loomed large. Best not to piss him off.
Still, a deal over a hundred million? My heart's racing.
And the initiative's entirely mine as the owner. Feels amazing.
"Of course I'll sell it here. Gargaine introduced us, and I don't mind if the price is a bit lower than the elf's."
"C'mon, Ellie, please."
"I know, Gargaine. But it's valuable—I don't wanna sell too easily. I could keep it for myself."
You can draw stored mana from a crystal anytime. Useful in battle.
"......I'll talk to some trading companies. Can't pay a hundred million upfront."
"Old man, buy it no matter what. A mana crystal this big ain't easy to find."
"I know that, dumbass! Leave it to me!"
"Alright. Then I'll sell once the price is settled."
"Hell yeah! Thanks!"
The shopkeeper happily extended his hand. I shook it—his palm was thick.
If his magic tools were good, I'd be a regular.
"Now, back to business..."
"Right, the 'commemorative imaging device.'"
The shopkeeper went to the back, rummaged noisily, and returned with a wooden box.
"Here ya go."
I opened the lid to check inside.
It looked like a giant telephoto-lens camera.
The body was twice the size of an Earth camera, so handheld shooting was impossible. A metal tripod lay in the box—it was a fixed setup.
"Take it. Three million ron, but I'll knock it down to two-fifty. I'll deduct it from the mana crystal sale."
Handing over goods before securing the sale—pretty slick business move.
Trusting him, I handed over the crystal.
"Huh? But I ain't bought it yet...?"
"Hard to sell without the product, right?"
"You're bold...... I might just run off with it."
"You wouldn't."
"Damn right I wouldn't! Who said I would?!"
"No, you said that yourself....... Anyway! Take this extra-large mana crystal to the trade guild or whatever and get them to buy it at a high price!"
"As expected, Ellie is amazing..."
Ariana looked at her with admiring eyes.
That's right, praise me more. I'm the type who grows when praised!
If the dwarf shopkeeper swindles the mana crystal, I'll obliterate the store with *《Thunderbolt》* and reduce it to dust. Yes.
Well, I don't think it'll come to that, though.
○
"Got the camera. Next is the printing team."
"Camera? Printing?"
"Surume, quickly introduce me to some young folks who can do *《Copy》*."
"Yeah, yeah, got it."
"I'll keep my promise, you know."
"Don't you dare forget! Teaching me how to be popular!"
Put up a giant advertisement on Greifner Street, First Avenue.
If the advertising campaign is the first plan, then the second plan—launching a fashion magazine—should be tackled in tandem.
For Mirrors' promotion, I had two ideas.
First, a giant advertisement.
Second, launching a fashion magazine.
This world has no concept of magazines.
There are serialized novels and such, but most books skew toward magic-related topics. Probably because 'strength is everything' is the prevailing mindset. I plan to disrupt that notion.