kscans

Chapter 101 - The Master of the Curiosity Shop 1. The Ultimate Magic Tool I Thought Up

"Is this the place?"

"Yes. The magic tool shop you requested, Yuri-sama."

This time, Yuri had Eto take him to a magic tool shop. He had been interested in them for a while, but he had heard that magic tools were generally expensive and had given up, thinking they were out of his reach. However, the Rosewood heartwood had sold for a much higher price than he had imagined, and his pockets were suddenly warm. When he consulted Adon about it, Adon not only wrote him a letter of introduction to a conscientious and well-stocked magic tool shop, but also had Eto act as his guide. Incidentally, Dona and Old Man Audel, their curiosity piqued by the mention of magic tools, were also accompanying him.

"An old lady I know runs this place. She’s a bit eccentric, but she’s a decent old lady, so I don’t think she’ll do anything shady."

As Eto said this and opened the door...

"I can hear you, little brat. Stop being cheeky and get in here."

Eto shrugged and entered the shop, where the old shopkeeper said to him.

"Who are you calling eccentric? Huh?"

"I told you she was a decent old lady, didn't I? I brought some customers today. They’re important customers, so don’t be rude to them, okay?"

"It’d be hard to be ruder than you even if I tried."

Sitting inside the shop was a small old woman. Her hair was white, and she looked a bit withered, but her eyes and voice were full of vigor. After finishing a round of banter with Eto, the old woman turned her unabashed gaze on them. Though her gaze was unabashed, it did not feel vulgar or rude, perhaps a virtue of her age. Yuri introduced himself and at the same time handed her the letter of introduction from Adon, though it was a simple thing, just a scribble on the back of a business card.

"Hmm... an introduction from Master Adon, eh. ...You must be the boy who’s been the talk of the town recently, right?"

"The talk... of the town?"

"Beating up thugs half to death, making lavish purchases all over the place... I hear you bought out all the high-end potions at the pharmacy the other day, didn't you?"

"How outrageous. I didn’t buy them all out. I bought one of each, but I made sure to leave some for the townspeople."

Before coming to the magic tool shop here, Yuri had also stopped by a pharmacy and bought a set of high-end potions. It was unthinkable that Yuri, who prioritized his own safety above all else, would not stock up on this kind of potion. He had actually managed to snag one from the guild under the pretext of ensuring his safety during the Tyrantbot subjugation the other day. However, when he appraised that one, he found that he could identify some of the ingredients, but also that he couldn’t make it himself at present. So he decided it would be faster to just buy the finished product, and bought a set at the pharmacy.

"Well, be that as it may, what do you want?"

When she asked him that again...

(...What is it? I was so excited just by the idea of magic tools...)

It seemed that customers like Yuri, who were half-browsing, were not uncommon. Even when he started groaning with his arms crossed, the shopkeeper, who was apparently named Inba, was calm. Take your time and think, she said, and returned to her post. Incidentally, his three companions, Eto, Dona, and Old Man Audel, had left Yuri and were happily looking around the shop. They were a heartless bunch.

(Hmm... What I expect from magic tools... First and foremost, my own safety, right?)

First, he didn’t have to think about security in the modern Japanese sense... so-called crime prevention. After all, where Yuri lived, there were no other people. Even if someone were to wander nearby, there was no way they could break through the wall surrounding the village. What was needed instead was a defense against magical beasts. In that case...

"Do you have any monster repellents? Or something that can create a barrier?"

"I have some. What range are you looking for? And what kind of magical beasts are you thinking of as the target?"

"Ideally, enough for a whole village, at least for one house. As for the target... for now, dragon-level. About thirty meters long."

He could manage a grizzly bear without magic tools. When it came to a magical beast that required a magic tool, it would have to be something of that level. That’s what Yuri thought, but...