Chapter 39………………………………………..
“Looks like you know each other.”
No wonder he came to this gloomy shop without a sign so comfortably.
The shop owner snorted.
“Yeah. Seems like you didn’t even care whether this nasty old man lived or died for the past ten years.”
“I had my reasons. I’m glad you’re well.”
“Hmph. Words won’t even come out properly.”
Judging from their conversation, it was clear that the shop owner was not an ordinary person. Even the usually arrogant Northdian Duke was speaking politely with honorifics.
“Duke, this person is….”
“Oh, that person….”
“I said she’s the shop owner! What’s with all the questions!”
The elderly shop owner shouted abruptly, as if she didn’t want her identity revealed. The Duke only smiled, as if he had expected this.
“Anyway, why have you come? You didn’t come to check on me. Judging by your look…”
The shop owner’s eyes narrowed. Her black gaze seemed like it could pierce right through him.
“I came to buy a starter stone.”
“……”
Even after his answer, the old lady only glared silently at him.
After a brief standoff, she snorted again.
“I don’t think you’d use it. Is it for this little lady then?”
“Not a little lady—she’s my wife.”
“Hmph! Already grown so much, when she was just a tiny thing.”
“She’s twenty-four this year.”
The Duke seemed to be quietly popular among the older generation. Both Ruth and O’Brian seemed to like him.
“So, it’s for your wife?”
“Yes. I’d like a good one.”
After rummaging under the counter, the shop owner produced a transparent orb roughly the size of a person’s head.
“Put your hand on it.”
I hesitated for a moment. What exactly was I supposed to do with it?
The shop owner snapped in irritation.
“You need to feel the magical temperament to find the right one! Don’t tell me you need a starter stone because you can’t control your power!”
“Y-yes! That’s right!”
Embarrassed, I obediently placed my hand on the orb.
I could hear the Duke chuckle quietly from behind.
“Heh… we’ll see later.”
Taking me to such a scary place without warning…
It seemed this was a tool to measure magical power. The transparent orb shifted like ink dispersing in water, then soon began to glow with a golden light.
She studied the orb carefully.
Feeling tense, I watched the orb too. The shop owner smiled wryly.
“Interesting.”
The Duke, observing with us, asked her,
“Is there a problem?”
“There’s a problem, yes. This young lady—teach her well. She’s going to become a fine magician.”
“What do you mean…?”
But again, she didn’t listen to the Duke and turned away.
“Now, where did I put that…”
“Grandma, a fine magician… that’s…”
“Shush! That one is so picky that if it’s noisy, it hides!”
“Y-yes!”
The shop owner’s voice was much louder, but I didn’t mind.
“This lady is scary!”
Scolded again, I slumped my shoulders. The Duke chuckled softly and patted my shoulder in comfort.
The shop owner rummaged through a large box behind the counter and soon seemed to find something.
“Ah! Here it is.”
She held something and beckoned me over.
“Me…?”
“Yes, come here.”
I hesitated, expecting something frightening. She glared at me sharply, and I quickly rushed over in fright.
“Hmm. Let’s see.”
The old lady examined me and suddenly smiled gently. Her previously intimidating dark-skinned, wrinkled face became warm and kind.
“You must have had a hard time, little lady.”
I flinched.
“How could she… tell from my face?”
I instinctively touched my face. But it didn’t seem like that. The strange atmosphere felt oddly familiar.
“Ah, just like when I went to the fortune teller.”
I had gone only once in my previous life with a friend to a reputed fortune teller, and it felt exactly like this. Perhaps she could see my past.
Whether it was my past life or this one.
Then I had only one reply.
“It’s fine now. Thanks to the Duke, I’m living comfortably and warmly.”
She laughed heartily at my words.
“Of course. That one lives because of you, after all.”
“Pardon?”
What could she mean by that?
“Now, first, try this on your wrist.”
She didn’t seem to want to answer. The item she offered looked like an old, tarnished bronze bracelet.
It was about the width of one finger joint, delicately crafted along its body. The emerald-colored magic stone in the center was about the size of my thumbnail.
I put it on the wrist that didn’t have my mother’s necklace.
“This is a starter stone…?”
“Yes. That one is so picky, I didn’t think it would have a match. Everything has its pair in the world, after all.”
It felt strange, being in bracelet form like my mother’s starter stone. Normally, starter stones differ greatly in appearance except for the core magic stone.
At that moment, the green gem glowed golden in resonance with the shop owner’s words.
“Ah, seems this one likes you too.”
“That’s a relief.”
The Duke took my wrist and examined the starter stone closely.
“This is from the former Eivola Kingdom.”
“Yes. Your eyes are still sharp.”
“It looks centuries old. Will it function properly?”
The shop owner scolded,
“You wretch! Do I ever sell anything carelessly?”
“Of course not. I once saved my life thanks to a knife I bought from you.”
“Hmph! Then give me a discount at least!”
“That’s difficult. Taxes are fair for everyone.”
“You wretch.”
Though she cursed, the shop owner didn’t look displeased. She clearly cared for the Duke.
Suddenly, she turned to me.
“Try using some magic.”
“Eh? Magic? Here?”
“You need to prove you’re not a fraud.”
“But… here, in this cramped shop full of stuff…”
I hesitated. If I lost control of my magic here, it would be a disaster. The Duke gently tapped my back as if reassuring me.
Looking up, he gave me a warm, encouraging gaze.
‘It’s okay to fail,’ it seemed to say. Courage welled up inside me.
‘Even if I mess up, the Duke’s wealth will somehow fix it.’
I swallowed hard and slowly began channeling magic into the bracelet. It felt like water being sucked into a hole in a fishbowl.
‘Much easier than moving it by myself.’
The flow stabilized, and I recited the activation incantation.
“[Villa H Kasha.]”
The top-tier magic I had failed at before.
The gemstone on the bracelet glowed, forming a large orb of light above my hand. It was so big it seemed like it would burst the shop with light.
“Impressive.”
It worked.
‘I cast magic.’
It felt surreal. Magic manifested from my hand. Until now, I could only watch the Count of Yuberis, Cozette, and my stepmother cast magic. Now I was the one casting it.
Tears threatened to fall.
Then came applause.
“Congratulations on becoming a magician, Eloah.”
The Duke was clapping for me. My eyes stung.
The old lady waved her hand.
“See, now you know it works. That thing isn’t junk.”
“Of course.”
“You wretch. Little lady, now deactivate it.”
“Ah… but…”
She was right. I didn’t need to maintain the glowing orb. I looked at the sphere still glowing in my hand.
And realized…
“Uh….”
“Questions later! Deactivate it now, or do you want to blind an old lady?”
I wanted to deactivate it, really.
“How do I deactivate this?”
The Duke and shop owner froze simultaneously.
I smiled harmlessly.
“I’ve learned how to cast, but not how to stop it yet.”
“What…!”
A string of curses followed. I furrowed my brow in thought.
‘If I just cut the magic flow…’
I abruptly stopped the magic flowing into the bracelet.
The Duke called out urgently.
“Elo! Your magic—”
“Eh?”
Something felt wrong.
Boom!
The light magic exploded.
“Cough, cough! You wretches! Get out now!”
Dust from all the old items surged into the air. Furniture toppled, displayed items crashed down—a total mess.
“Of course it explodes if you cut the starter stone’s magic! Are you sane? Kids these days!”
The old lady, genuinely furious, shouted as if the shop would collapse.
The Duke, the only one still standing, helped me up.
“Are you hurt?”
“Just a little dust. I’m fine.”
He brushed the dust off my clothes and smiled at the shop owner.
“You can bill the Duke family for compensation and the starter stone.”
“You wretch! Another credit!”
“But you hate jewels anyway.”
“Ugh!”
The old lady was speechless, trembling before opening the shop door.
“Get out, you wretch!”
“We’ll come again next time. Please stay well.”
“Don’t ever come back!”
The Duke bowed politely to the still-fuming old lady, and we left.
“Shall we head back now?”
