Chapter 201

Roan looked up at Espard with bewildered eyes and replied.

Even if others found it strange, it was not something Espard should be saying.

“……Is that something a person who claims we’re close based on seeing me when I was two years old should say?”

“Ah, is that so?”

Espard was convinced immediately.

It was a relief that the Saints and Saintesses were truly easygoing.

“Now, then, let’s also head to the market!”

Thus, the Saint of the Bell and two Acherandir freshmen began their sightseeing of the Gilsburg market.

***

“……You eat well.”

Roan spoke, looking at the person following closely by his side.

“……It’s nothing.”

Sion, who was holding street-sold sausages and crepes in each hand and taking a mouth-full bite, mumbled.

This was after she had already finished the potato skewers, ice cream, and hot dog.

She had been quietly buying and eating various things since they first entered the market, and before he knew it, she was in that state.

“It’s good to eat well! Is there anything you want to eat?”

Espard, who had bought a bag of popcorn at the beginning, also asked Roan while chewing crunchily.

Just as he said, Roan did not particularly buy street food.

At any rate, food at the level of street food was of no help to stats whatsoever.

It was an extremely pragmatic thought, but in the eyes of the other two, it made them wonder if he was living an ascetic life.

[I want that one!]

Meanwhile, Bell inside the bag suddenly tapped Roan’s back with its wing and pointed in one direction.

In that place, there was a street stall selling snacks like chews for holy beasts.

‘I didn’t ask you, though.’

[Regardless!]

Even though it was just a normal chew, he felt reluctant not to buy it when it was so excited.

─ Thank you!

Roan bought two chews and gave one to Bell and one to Charlotte.

[Nom nom!]

Bell must have liked it considerably, as it slipped right into the bag and began to chew with a crunching sound.

Charlotte held Roan’s hand with one hand and slowly nibbled on the chew held in the other hand.

Roan, who had no particular greed for food, looked around and discovered a shop.

“How about over there?”

“Where?”

When Espard and Sion turned their heads following Roan’s gaze,

─ Andel’s Holy and Magic Supplies ─

they saw a shop selling goods related to holy magic and spellcasting.

‘It is worth visiting since some rather rare items might come out if I’m careful of the owner.’

Of course, Roan knew the shop well, and he had his own targets in mind.

“Studying even after coming all the way here? I raised you wrong…”

If a freshman went outside, they should naturally buy clothes or toys first; why such old-fashioned holy magic supplies!

Espard shook his head at Roan’s unstoppable passion for study (?).

“……I am a student, though?”

Roan asked back in bewilderment, as if to say ‘What do you mean by that?’

Rather, shouldn’t adults be pleased when a student behaved like this?

“And how fun is it to browse such a place. Rather than wasting money on things I won’t even use—”

“Alright, alright. Let’s go. Since you’re spending your own money anyway, I can’t stop you.”

Espard cut off Roan’s words right there and began walking toward the supply shop.

“I think Darc is really amazing.”

Sion praised Roan with admiring eyes.

She then began to feel genuinely embarrassed about her own appearance, holding nothing but snacks in both hands.

‘To think a Saintess candidate succumbed to such temptation!’

…Although no one would criticize a sixteen-year-old girl like that just for buying and eating some snacks in the market.

“You should also always try to make purchases that are helpful to you. Browsing shops like that increases your eye for things. And you might discover an unexpectedly good item.”

“You’re right! I will look around diligently!”

“……There’s no need to go as far as diligently.”

Roan was slightly taken aback by Sion, who was burning with even more enthusiasm than he had expected.

He had only meant that even browsing the market helps improve one’s skills.

Tinkle—

In any case, the three entered the shop side by side.

“Welcome! Ah, aren’t you students of Acherandir? Nice to meet you, I am Andel!”

The owner, who had an amiable impression, greeted them warmly.

It seemed he had named the shop after himself.

“Is there any item you need? We have everything except what we don’t!”

Andel then resourcefully began rummaging through and pulling out simple products that students would mainly buy.

Since it was a Holy Academy, most were of the holy magic category.

Stones or wood infused with holy power, holy marks, and staves mainly used by priests.

“How about this? It’s a staff made of crabapple wood grown on Mount Joion, a holy site in the southern part of the Empire. It conducts holy power extremely well.”

Although it was a rare-tier item in the game, it was not attractive to Roan’s group at all.

‘A staff made of materials from a holy site, just thinking about it is terrible.’

Roan naturally passed for this reason.

If he searched, there might be a staff Roan could use, but he couldn’t ask, ‘Do you have any staves for black mages?’

Moreover, as mentioned earlier, one would surely lose out if they believed the merchant Andel’s words at face value.

And as for Sion.

“Uh… I already have the staff that the Principal gave me.”

She had the staff she received after the last divine tree maintenance volunteer work.

Regardless of holy sites, a staff Harden made from the divine tree was on a different level.

Sion carried it preciously on her waist, barely using it for fear it might get damaged.

When Sion spoke while holding the staff with sparse leaves preciously, Andel was flustered instead.

“The… the Principal? You mean the Holy Spirit! Ah, my apologies. Then how about this holy mark? It’s beginner-grade, but it’s a holy mark containing the power of Lord Lu, the God of Light! It will definitely be of help.”

Lu’s holy mark was indeed rumored to have high versatility.

A holy mark was an item that allowed one to easily use the attributes of the corresponding god depending on its grade.

This was because it could be used usefully when exploring dark ruins or when rapid casting speed was needed.

Sion spoke reluctantly again.

“Excuse me… but I am of the light attribute.”

As she casually demonstrated her attribute, Andel countered skillfully despite being slightly flustered.

“Ah, oh my! I failed to recognize you. Among the first-years, the ones of the light attribute are the Wychronon noble child Demona…”

Spark—!

To be precise, he had intended to counter.

When Demona’s name came out first, Sion glared at Andel fiercely.

How could he bring up Demona’s name of all people when there were only two of them!

Like a seasoned merchant, Andel was good at reading his customers’ moods.

“……I heard she is actually not very skilled, and there are widespread rumors that the Saintess candidate Sion possesses unprecedented talent. You must be the Saintess candidate Sion!”

“Thank you.”

Sion greeted him shyly, slightly averting her eyes as if to say ‘Why flatter me so much.’

‘Isn’t that practically a double personality?’

Roan clicked his tongue watching the scene.

“W-Was Sion originally that kind of kid?”

“I don’t think so… No, I’m not sure either.”

“?”

Espard also seemed slightly flustered by this side of Sion, which he was seeing for the first time.

Meanwhile, Andel contemplated what more to recommend among the items he had put out, then swallowed hard and picked up one item.

“I normally don’t even bring out items like this…”

“Hmm? Do you have some rare item?”

Perhaps because he set such a heavy atmosphere, Espard, who had only been watching, also showed interest.

“There is an astonishing item that came in just last week.”

Andel carefully held up a dagger wrapped in black leather.

When drawn from the scabbard, a black energy, even darker than the metal, surprisingly leaked out subtly from the dagger made of black metal.

Andel wore a triumphant smile.

“You must have heard the name Tiger of Mount Bideln before.”

“““?!”””

The Tiger of Mount Bideln.

It was a named NPC that Roan had briefly placed on his list of candidates as a potential dark attribute professor before he met Tady.

Mount Bideln, located at the western edge of the Empire.

He was a figure who practically governed the roughest of rough terrains, untouched by the influence of either the Empire or neighboring kingdoms.

“David Kufren!”

Sion said his real name in surprise.

He is a dark attribute monk who ascended to the position of Archbishop at the young age of thirty solely through military force, but chose to serve the God of the Hermit and has been living in seclusion on Mount Bideln for nearly ten years.

Even though he never ventures into the world, it is an open secret that the kingdoms to the west do not even dare to cross Mount Bideln because of his presence.

‘That’s why he’s also called the one-man army of the west.’

But why was the name of that legendary figure suddenly brought up?

Although there was no one in the shop, Andel spoke with his hand half-covering his mouth, as if fearing someone would overhear.

“This dagger… is the very dagger used by that Tiger of Mount Bideln. Specially for students of Acherandir, I will give it to you for just one gold.”

“What did you say?”

Espard tilted his head.

Well, it did seem like some dark attribute power was emanating from it, but…

He then casually passed the ball to Roan.

“What do you think, Roan?”

“May I take a look at it for a moment?”

“Handle it with care. They say that if someone without qualifications holds dark attribute holy power, terrible things happen.”

‘Isn’t this guy a total swindler rather than a merchant?’

Although he had a rough idea, this lie was a bit excessive.

Although the energy lingering on the dagger was definitely of the dark attribute.

Hum—

This is complete child’s play. Is the Tiger of Mount Bideln only at this level?

‘No way.’

The False Divinity was also low enough to recognize its level in a single stroke.

Someone who was not a dark attribute user had awkwardly mimicked it and infused it into the dagger.

Since the dark attribute was so rare, there might be people fooled by this level, but it was out of the question for Roan or Espard.

“If this is truly Lord Kufren’s dark attribute…”

Roan gripped the dagger and summoned his dark mana in black.

Fwoooosh—!

“Heeuup!”

At the same time, the dark attribute energy that had been forcefully trapped blew away cleanly, and Roan’s ominous dark mana surged several times the size of the dagger.

…Since it looked similar roughly, it was even more convincing than the original.

“It shouldn’t be pushed back by my measly holy power, right?”

Thud—!

Roan held the dagger in reverse and lightly drove it into the counter.

‘‘It’s definitely not measly, though…’’

Espard and Sion, who were watching the situation, simultaneously looked at Roan with bewildered faces.

Whirrrr──

In any case, even after leaving Roan’s hand, the dagger boasted a powerful energy.

It seemed at least ten times more powerful than its initial state.

Andel stammered with his mouth wide open.

“D-D-Dark attribute?!?!?!?!!!”

Of all things, how could the two Acherandir students who happened to visit be of the light and dark attributes!

Moreover, there was currently only one person with the dark attribute in Acherandir.

“C-Could you be Lord Roan Darc!! Then the lizard in the backpack is… gasp!!!”

Andel had also heard the rumors about Roan.

As it was the city with the most exchange with Acherandir, rumors from there spread quickly.

Unable to contain his panic, Andel leaned against the wall behind the counter and trembled.

[Calling me a lizard, that’s too harsh! Master, punish that person!]

‘I was planning to do so anyway.’

Roan glared at him with sharp eyes and spoke.

“What is wrong? You look as if you were caught trying to pull a scam.”

“Ah…”

A drop of sweat rolled down Andel’s temple.