Stepping out of the building with the transfer magic circle, we were greeted by the sight of a bustling cityscape filled with people walking around.
The architecture was distinctly European, and there were no buildings resembling Japanese houses or towering skyscrapers.
“Hmm… it’s beautiful, and it feels like a foreign country.”
“Someone from Japan might especially feel that way.”
“Because of the European town design. It’s a bit old-fashioned, but…”
I wonder if it’s okay to take pictures here?
“Is this the commercial district? Are there a lot of stores?”
“Yeah. They sell everything from daily necessities to magical tools, there are food shops, and even bars.”
“Well, we’re definitely too young to go to a bar.”
Of course, that’s impossible.
We’re in our school uniforms after all.
“Where should we go?”
“You’d probably like the shop that sells magical tools. There’s a place like a department store that sells them, so let’s check it out…”
“Speaking of which, do you have any money?”
Cedric asks me this question.
“Money… yeah, my dad gave me some.”
Saying this, I pull out a black card from my wallet.
“Yeah, that. Payment in this town is cashless, so everything is handled with this card.”
“Mana, right? I think I’ve heard about it.”
“How much do you have?”
“Hmm… I think I got around 100,000 Mana.”
My parents gave me 20,000, Grandma La Folle gave me 30,000, and Grandpa gave me 50,000.
When I called to thank them, they said they were proud of me for graduating from being a slacker.
“…100,000?”
“Is your family rich?”
The two of them look astonished.
I’ve started to get used to their expressions of surprise.
“I can’t really gauge its value, but how much is it?”
“1,000 Mana equals 5 pounds… In Japanese yen, it’s about 1,000 yen. Ah, you can think of Mana as being equivalent to yen.”
So, 100,000 yen…
That’s a lot.
“Maybe my parents and grandparents were really happy that I’ve graduated from being a slacker…”
“Yeah, maybe…”
“It’s probably a celebration…”
That’s probably it.
“We should spend it wisely.”
“Are you sure you’ll be fine?”
“Hmm…? Anyway, let’s go. It’s just over there.”
We walked down the main street a little and entered a five-story building. Inside, it looked like a general store, with goods neatly arranged everywhere. There were people in uniforms, as well as those dressed like typical wizards, browsing through the items.
“What is this place?”
“A shop selling magical tools. The first floor has convenient gadgets. For example, this.”
Frank picks up a clock.
“That’s a clock, right? Is it an alarm clock?”
“You set the alarm, and you’ll wake up without fail at that time.”
“Wow! How does that work?”
“There’s a spell that makes sure it wakes you up.”
Serious, though.
I won’t oversleep with this.
“How much is it?”
“300,000 Mana.”
“Are you insane?”
No way.
Who in their right mind would spend that much on an alarm clock?
“Actually, it’s pretty useful. But yeah, adults tend to buy these more. It’s not really necessary for students, though.”
“Is there anything else you recommend?”
“How about this statue?”
This time, Cedric picks up a strange bronze figurine.
“What’s this?”
“It automatically collects the dust in the room just by sitting there.”
It sounds convenient, but…
“I don’t need it. My mom cleans the house for me.”
“So you live with your parents… How about simple potions? You look like the type who likes sports and they’ll help you recover from fatigue.”
Sharl gives me those, though…
But I am curious about the taste of ordinary potions.
“How much is it?”
“The cheaper ones are around 1,000 Mana? High-tier ones cost 100,000 Mana.”
I wonder how much Sharl’s potions cost?
Maybe I should ask her next time.
“Let’s try the 1,000 Mana one.”
I grab a shopping basket and toss the potion Cedric pointed out into it.
“Huh? Isn’t potion supposed to be blue?”
“This one is transparent, though.”
“The blue one is the expensive one. The 100,000 Mana one. Look, over there.”
Cedric points to where there are indeed some blue potions on display.
“Hmm…”
What?!
That potion actually costs that much!?
I drank one so casually!?
“Maybe you should consider becoming an alchemist… it could be lucrative?”
That might not be a bad idea.
You could live comfortably forever.
“Do you want to become an alchemist? It’s difficult and I don’t think it suits you.”
“No, it’s not me, but…”
Well, maybe that’s fine.
“No, sorry. Is there anything else? I do have the money after all.”
100,000 Mana.
“Shouldn’t you use it carefully?”
“You’re predictable… Tsukasa, if you eat this gum, water turns into cola.”
“Really? Let’s get it!”
After that, I continued to fill my basket with various items introduced by Frank and Cedric.
“Maybe we should stop? You’re buying too much.”
“Even we, who encouraged you, should say something… You’ll run out of money.”
Yeah… that’s true.
“I’m going to pay.”
I headed to the counter at the back of the store and got in line. When my turn came, I paid.
The total came to 15,000 Mana.
“I bought too much.”
“Well, it’s our first time.”
“I get your excitement, but you should exercise some restraint next time. Otherwise, it’ll be gone in no time.”
Yeah… that’s true.
“What’s upstairs?”
“Upstairs? The second floor is a weapon shop, the third floor sells wands. The fourth and fifth floors sell armor, like armor and robes…”
Huh?
“Robes and wands make sense, but what are weapons and armor doing here?”
This is an RPG, right?
“They’re selling them normally. Magic isn’t just an academic subject, you know.”
“They’re selling weapons? In Japan, you’d get arrested for that.”
“Here, it’s a different world. I use a wand, but there are people who carry weapons. Frank, don’t you have one?”
“Huh? Seriously?”
I look at Frank.
“Yeah, I do. I can’t show it here, but I have swords and halberds.”
Halberds…?
“Will there be a war?”
“I’m from a warrior family. Although we won’t go to war, I’ve been training since I was a child. Also, knowing how to use weapons can make you more money from part-time jobs.”
Part-time job?
What kind of part-time job is that?
“Eh? What do you mean by part-time?”
“You don’t know about the outside world, do you?”
“The outside world?”
“There are monsters outside the city.”
Wow, this really is a different world…
Did I just enter a game world or something?
Thank you for reading.
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