Akatsuki Translations

“The interrogation will likely take time, and since I have stuff I need to investigate let’s disband for now. Once we finish our tasks, let’s regroup at the inn. We have bandit extermination next. Don’t forget to replenish your supplies, alright?” -Diz

After securing lodging without any hitches, in accordance with Diz’s declaration, Ur and Shizuku went shopping.

The satellite city of Aruto is the first notable city-state since departing from Greed.

That said, it doesn’t feel particularly novel.

When heading to the major city of Greed, it’s common to pass through one of Greed’s satellite cities. Geographically, Aruto is the easiest to travel between, and many use it. Ur was no exception. Before visiting Greed, Ur had already stepped foot in Aruto.

To begin with, the city of Aruto itself isn’t particularly unique in its streetscape. Hence, he didn’t act like a tourist, gazing around in wonder — unlike Shizuku and Akane, whose eyes wandered aimlessly.

“My, what is that, Ur-sama?” -Shizuku

“It’s fruit wine made from the Gul fruit we ate along the way. It’s pretty famous and is consumed in various places.” -Ur

《I want to try! 》-Akane

“No alcohol for you.” -Ur

《Then, what about that~? 》-Akane

“That’s not food. Those are wooden handicrafts, a specialty of this city.” -Ur

“And over there?” -Shizuku

“That’s a bookstore. Aruto is known for its advanced paper-making technology, making it a city of books. Being close to Greed, it also has advanced magical machines for processing and publishing. It’s sort of a holy site for book lovers.” -Ur

“Books…” -Shizuku

At that, Shizuku stopped glancing around and fixed her gaze on the bookstore. Ur tilted his head.

“Interested in bookstores?” -Ur

“While it is a bit embarrassing… I want to learn to read and write…” -Shizuku

She said, somewhat bashful. Ur shrugged, not understanding what there was to be embarrassed about.

“If you’re that curious, you should go. The remaining shopping involves replenishing our magic potions and enhancements. I can handle that alone.” -Ur

They had already purchased their food supplies. The heavy luggage had been taken to the inn’s carriage. All that remained was to buy consumables for their battles.

“But…” -Shizuku

“You worked at the main gate, didn’t you, Shizuku? Go with Akane. I can’t tell where she might wander off to if left alone.” -Ur

《You don’t? 》-Akane

It wasn’t about using Akane as an excuse, but without such a reason, Shizuku seemed unlikely to move. At the mention of going with Shizuku, Akane happily clung to her.

Seeing Akane’s behavior, Shizuku smiled and bowed to Ur.

“Shall we go, Akane-sama?” -Shizuku

《Let’s go!~ 》-Akane

“Make sure to hide properly. If found out, just say you’re a familiar.” -Shizuku

《Got it!~ 》-Akane

And with that, the two headed towards the bookstore.

“Well… time to finish shopping.” -Ur

Ur set out to replenish the healing potions they had used along their journey. And to prepare for the bandits they would face next, he knew exactly which store to visit next.

The Luckbird shop, where the top member had been kidnapped.

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The primary products of the Luckbird firm are magical potions created using alchemy, such as healing potions. They specialize in items that adventurers who delve into dungeons require, including strength potions, antidotes, and even high-quality healing potions used by top-tier adventurers of silver rank or higher and priests.

One of these shops also exists in Aruto. From the main market, if one continues further down the main street and takes a slight detour from the grand hall of Aruto, one will find this small shop situated at a corner.

Wondering about what it was like, Ur entered the shop.

“Manager! We’re running low on Health Maintenance Potions!”

“We should have plenty of reserves in the warehouse. Don’t panic.” -Manager

“Manager, the herbs for scent removal, which were supposed to arrive from the workshop yesterday, have run out.”

“We can’t make any with the current materials we have. Since the incident with the Island-Eating Turtle is already known, make an announcement regarding this. Some customers might get angry, so please handle them politely. Prepare some alternatives for those who still want them.” -Manager

“It’s quite chaotic.” -Ur

The fact that goods that were supposed to be delivered from the Island-Eating Turtle hadn’t arrived was causing confusion not just in the Luckbird Shop, but in many other shops as well. The benefits brought by the Island-Eating Turtle were immense. It’s clear why the citizens are so upset.

Noticing Ur’s entrance, a woman, presumably the manager, approached him. She was a beastperson, like Lady Rose, and had been giving precise instructions just moments ago.

“Welcome, how can I assist you?” -Manager

“I’d like to purchase healing potions—and on behalf of Rubus-san…” -Ur

The moment Ur mentioned Rubus’s name, the smile on her face faded.

Upon explaining the details about the Island-Eating Turtle along with Rubus’s signature, the entire staff of Luckbird, including the manager, turned pale. While they were aware of the attack on the Island-Eating Turtle, they seemed to be unaware of the details about Rose due to the ongoing chaos.

Their energy from earlier was now replaced with a sense of shock. However, the manager managed to regain her composure and led Ur to the back room.

“I see… Thank you for accepting the rescue request. I would also like to express my gratitude.” -Manager

“I’m not the one you should be thanking, it’s my employer.” -Ur

Ur was bowed to deeply by the Aruto shop’s owner—Tulin, but he shook his head. The decision to help the Island-Eating Turtle was Diz’s, and she was the one who played an active role. It was awkward for Ur to be thanked.

“Of course, I’ll also greet Fenex-dono later. Thank you for agreeing to rescue Rose.” -Tulin

“…Are you related to Rose?” -Ur

Upon closer inspection, their fur colors, especially the tails and ears, looked similar.

“She’s a distant relative… I’ve always told her how dangerous it is to travel between cities… and then this happened.” -Tulin

She sighed. Despite her composed demeanor, her face showed signs of stress. She then bowed to Ur again.

“I apologize. Please, help her. Let us know if you need any equipment. We will accommodate any requests.” -Tulin

“I can’t guarantee her safety, but I’ll do what I can. However, we will pay for the services.” -Ur

“But…” -Tulin

“I’ve said it before; we can’t guarantee her safety.” -Ur

Ur understood that it wasn’t right to take money or goods for a task whose success wasn’t assured, even if it was offered. After all, Diz would be paying for this. There was no need to decline.

Realizing Ur’s intentions, she nodded.

“Very well, we’ll serve you as a customer. Due to the situation with the Island-Eating Turtle, many items are in short supply. However, we will make sure to provide anything you request, even if we have to overturn our warehouse.” -Tulin

“Then, I’d like five healing potions, three high potions, six strength pills, and eight magic-enhancement potions.” -Ur

“We have the healing potions. We’re running low on strength pills, but we’ll contact the workshop and secure some for you. If you need anything else, please let us know.” -Tulin

Looking around, the shop, renowned for catering to adventurers, had a variety of items beyond magic potions. While they didn’t have weapons or armor, they had more utility items and magical tools than even some specialized stores. These were items that dungeon explorers would find useful.

“A magic stone collector… a wind-repelling cloak… an endless flask? Are these from a dungeon?” -Ur

“We also have products that come from Greed.” -Tulin

“It’s a bit surprising to see an adventurer-targeted store thriving here, so far from the City of Greed.”  -Ur

“Many customers who have traveled for a long time aiming for Greed come to shop here, preparing for their venture into Greed.” -Tulin

“In other words, adventurers get excited about Greed and spend money here.” Ur understood. Of course, Luckbird shops probably exist in Greed as well.

“On the contrary, many who start their journey from Greed to other cities also shop here.” -Tulin

“Most of them would prepare everything they need in Greed before departing, right?” -Ur

“What one imagines or hears about and the actual experience once outside the city are different.” -Tulin

Ur nodded in understanding. It seems this shop was useful for adjusting one’s gear after experiencing the outside world. Of course, not only adventurers and travelers but also city dwellers relied on this shop for magic potions.

In any case, it was a relief for Ur that he wouldn’t have any trouble preparing for Rose’s rescue. Although, beyond magic potions, there wasn’t anything he specifically needed…

“…Huh?” -Ur

While browsing, one item caught Ur’s eye.

It was a glove for the right hand. Made from the dark-colored skin of an animal, likely a monster, it was not a decorative item, judging by its rough appearance.

Upon inspection, it had a weight to it, even though it wasn’t metallic. The palm area was made of a different textured material, which felt rough to the touch.

“What’s this?” -Ur

“I’m not sure.” -Tulin

“Hey.” -Ur

Ur retorted at the rather unhelpful explanation. However, Tulin, without showing any concern, swayed her tail and said,

“It’s an excavation tool unearthed quite a while ago in Greed. There’s no magic or the like cast on it, and it’s unclear what specific purpose it was made for.” -Tulin

“Could it be some kind of armor?” -Ur

“It’s undoubtedly sturdy, but…” -Tulin

“Can I give it a try?” -Ur

Being given permission, Ur decided to try it on. What surprised him upon wearing it was the incredible ease of movement in his fingertips. While he could feel the overall weight, the movement of the fingertips was almost unobstructed. Typically, when equipping gauntlets or similar armor, no matter how strong one is, movement tends to be somewhat restricted.

“It’s likely armor designed for detailed work.” -Tulin

“Likely….” -Ur

“We don’t know who made it or where it came from.” -Tulin

There are various types of artifacts one can acquire from the dungeon.

There are lost items from other adventurers that were swallowed by the dungeon and reappeared over time, natural products produced by the dungeon, sacred relics whimsically left behind by spirits, or ancient artifacts from bygone eras.

Each type has a different intended purpose and use. If you know the type of artifact, you can somewhat specify its origin, but this one is not clear.

Ur continued to try it on. He gently grabbed one of the tools lined up next to him. Without applying much force, he could grasp it as if it were sticking to his fingertips.

“It also enhances grip, doesn’t it?” -Ur

“Yes, it does. But we haven’t identified any other capabilities. It may only have this function, or there might be something hidden. It’s too simple to determine its origin.” -Tulin

Likely, or rather, almost certainly, there are no additional benefits, but the fact that it’s an “artifact” seemed to complicate its existence. After all, it’s a product from the dungeon. There have been instances where an ordinary sword, discovered in the dungeon, was later found to be a cursed blade that caused unimaginable havoc. Such occurrences aren’t exactly rare.

So, unless it’s proven that this armor or glove doesn’t explode or cause any harm, its effects can’t be said to be verified.

“By the way, how much is it?” -Ur

“One silver coin.” -Tulin

“It’s quite cheap. Is it because its effects aren’t clear?” -Ur

“To be honest, we’ve had trouble handling it ourselves.” -Tulin

Figures. Ur understood without saying it. Even from her brief explanations, it was evident. From a customer’s perspective, it was hard to see the merit in buying something that might or might not explode at any time just for the slight ease in finger movement.

However,

“I’ll take it.” -Ur

“I wouldn’t recommend it.” -Tulin

“Thanks for the unmerchant-like warning. But I’m buying it.” -Ur

Ur made his purchase decision. It wasn’t on a whim or impulse; it was a perfect item for an “experiment” he had been thinking of doing for a while. Since it’s his equipment, he’ll have to pay for it out of his pocket, but it can’t be helped.

“Thank you for your purchase. If there’s any problem…” -Tulin

“Would you accept a return?” -Ur

“My sympathies.” -Tulin

“Hey.” -Ur

“Just kidding,” she replied with a straight face. She seems to have a good sense of humor. For now, Ur asked to have the ordered items delivered to the inn later and left the store.

Instead of heading to the inn, Ur went to the training ground of the Adventurer’s Guild, which also exists in the satellite city of Aruto.