Level Eater

From the rainy day until the next day of the Light Affiliation, it was a polar night, meaning a day that continued throughout the night.

As the shop was still closed, the two, who hadn't taken a break for two days, spent the day in idleness to heal their tired minds and bodies from the recent disturbance. They welcomed the morning that didn't come the next day, still wrapped in laziness.

Several hours later, Tatsuro woke up and used his enhanced life magic to wake up the girl who was still sleeping naked beside him.

"Oh… Good morning, Tatsuro." (Ai)

"Good morning, Ai." (Tatsuro)

As if it had become a habit, they exchanged their usual morning kiss, both took a bath, changed clothes, and had a late breakfast.

"Today plan is to visit Mr. Reginald and Gillian's house, right?" (Tatsuro)

"Yeah, they mentioned it. Since the department store is expected to reopen tomorrow, it's best to go today when there's nothing else to do." (Ai)

"That's right. Oh, if we're not going outside the town anyway, I want to wear those clothes." (Tatsuro)

"The expensive ones? Around there, it's mostly affluent, so it might be better not to stand out in that direction." (Ai)

So, the Tatsuro changed into more expensive clothes, and with Ai, who had also dressed up a bit, they locked the room and left the inn, holding hands.

The Mac Dermott mansion was a gathering place for the wealthy, a bit away from the castle grounds, so they leisurely walked on the moving road leading deeper into the town.

Walking on the moving road allowed them to advance at a slightly faster pace, and they quickly found the mansion they were looking for without taking much time.

This time, in order to enter properly through the gate, they were directed by the security guard standing at the entrance and passed through without any problems.

After being escorted onto the premises, they were led straight to Reginald's office, where Reginald and Gillian were waiting.

The Mac Dermott family, who seemed momentarily surprised by the difference in atmosphere from before, as if they were dressed like nobles, quickly returned to their usual selves, perhaps befitting merchants, and greeted them.

"Hey, it seems you've come properly. I'm glad." (Reginald Mac Dermott)

"Yeah, we heard good things about getting something nice for cheap." (Ai)

"Even so, did you receive a considerable amount from the lord?" (Reginald Mac Dermott)

"Well, it's not bad." (Tatsuro)

After some small talk, they headed towards the warehouse where the items prepared for Tatsuro and the others were placed.

Upon arriving, they found that the warehouse, despite being called a warehouse, was as large as the gymnasium of the school Tatsuro and Ai used to attend.

"What's here are items that can't be displayed in an ordinary store. It's a warehouse that is only opened when there's a request from a regular customer." (Reginald Mac Dermott)

"Well, that's amazing! Even I rarely get to enter here!" (Gillian Mac Dermott)

""Yeah.""

While slightly taken aback by Gillian, who was unusually excited, the two looked around the spacious warehouse once again.

There were no items packed tightly; instead, each metal box with a tag was neatly arranged.

"What I want to show you this time is this…" (Reginald Mac Dermott)

As soon as they entered the warehouse, Reginald, who had approached some boxes placed nearby, used his muscular strength to open the heavy lid and showed them what was inside.

"Is this armor for women?" (Ai)

"Yeah, at least I can't wear it." (Tatsuro)

The Armor shown to them was primarily black, covering the upper body with armor that took into consideration the swelling of a woman's chest. It was divided into shoulder armor, arm armor, and hand armor. The lower body part prioritized ease of movement, with a tough-looking cloth attached to the upper body armor like a fishtail skirt, long at the back and short at the front. The leg part had shin armor and foot armor with pointed shoes.

However, while the armor itself was interesting, what the two were honestly concerned about was Gillian, who was trembling with excitement behind them.

"Um, Mr. Gillian, if you want to see it, please go ahead…" (Tatsuro)

"Yes! ── No, please, don't mind me. Please talk with my father." (Gillian Mac Dermott)

"Sure." (Ai)

Though he tried to push through to see the armor, Gillian refrained and took a step back, feigning calmness.

Thinking that this bad habit might make it difficult for him to be allowed in here, the two returned to the original conversation.

"Is this the special item you mentioned before?" (Ai)

"Yeah, that's right. It's a masterpiece by the famous dwarf craftsman Traugott, even after his death. It's not something that can be easily sold in the market. The performance is also fitting for the name of Traugott." (Reginald Mac Dermott)

"Mm, armor, huh. But this looks pretty cool." (Ai)

Ai, who seemed to expect some amazing weapon, felt a bit disappointed, but upon closer inspection, the design was chic and cute, and her interest was piqued.

Reading Ai's growing interest, Reginald, with a refreshing smile, opened the lid of the adjacent box.

The thorough preparation suggested that Reginald had intended to sell these items from the beginning. Tatsuro thought this, but considering what Reginald was saying, it seemed reasonable, so they continued to look at things positively.

"Is this a long coat?" (Tatsuro)

"Yeah. But it's not just any coat. This, too, is a work by Mr. Traugott." (Reginald Mac Dermott)

Reginald spoke proudly, and although Tatsuro couldn't help but think that this Traugott person must be amazing, they had no idea about the individual. However, the deep green long coat shown to them not only had a unique design but also emitted a faint magical aura detectable by Tatsuro's [Mana Perception]

"What kind of item is this?" (Tatsuro)

"Hmm. It seems you're not so surprised by the name Traugott, but… well, never mind. Although it may look like just fabric, it's said to be made from scratch, down to each thread used. It can absolutely withstand attacks that lack the flow of energy, and even if the energy flows, regular weapons won't be a match for it." (Reginald Mac Dermott)

"Can I try it on?" (Tatsuro)

"Yeah, sure." (Reginald Mac Dermott)

Unlike Ai's armor, which required wearing, Tatsuro decided to try on the coat. It was surprisingly light when held, almost as if holding feathers. Despite its apparent lightness, it didn't budge when pulled lightly. When he put it on, the feeling of wearing it didn't transmit as if he wasn't wearing anything at all. However, his body felt warm, and there was a mysterious sensation as if being protected.

"What is this? It feels strange." (Tatsuro)

"Yeah? I'm not a magic user, so I don't understand, but it seems it also has a magic power recovery effect maybe that's related. By the way, can you channel some magic into it?" (Reginald Mac Dermott)

"Magic? Sure. ── Huh. This is…" (Tatsuro)

The moment Tatsuro channeled magic into it, the coat hardened like metal. When he lightly tapped it with his fist, it made a metallic sound, and, surprisingly, no impact was transmitted.

"Does it also absorb impacts?" (Tatsuro)

"Sharp! Exactly. Even with a magician's strength, it maintains the lightness to move around, yet it has defense capabilities that are unmatched." (Reginald Mac Dermott)

"It's an ideal piece of equipment." (Tatsuro)

"It is! It's really amazing! Actually, Mr. Traugott──"(Gillian Mac Dermott)

Unable to contain her excitement, Gillian, who had been waiting, started enthusiastically talking about how splendid it was. While Tatsuro reluctantly dealt with her, Ai, curious about the armor prepared for her, asked Reginald a question.

"Hey, what about mine?" (Ai)

"You can try it on too. It's easy to put on compared to its appearance." (Reginald Mac Dermott)

"Really? Well then, excuse me." (Ai)

Ai took the armor from the box. Comparatively lighter than Tatsuro's coat, when she held it, it made a clattering sound, and the back part opened with a click. Placing it against her chest and pushing herself into it, it closed tightly, securing itself without any noticeable seams. The shoulder, arm, and hand parts also locked in place easily, and the leg equipment was worn in an instant. With some practice, it seemed like it could be done in less than ten seconds.

"What is this? So easy!" (Ai)

"Haha, Mr. Traugott was particular about ease of wear. But ease of wear is like a bonus; it's not the main selling point of this equipment. How about you channel some magic into it?" (Reginald Mac Dermott)

"Understood!" (Ai)

Excited about what would happen next, Ai channeled her energy (Ki) into the black armor. Like a sponge, it absorbed Ai's energy rapidly, and after a significant amount, black mist-like particles emerged from the armor.

"Hmm? What's this?" (Ai)

"That's the main feature of this armor. Imagine it as a shield made of those black particles." (Reginald Mac Dermott)

"I see. It feels mysterious." (Ai)

Ai intuitively understood what would happen, and she condensed the particles into her palm creating a shape. Then a black hexagonal shield floating in the air appeared in front of her. Just by adding more energy the number of black particles increased and ten shields were created around her.

"Can it only create shields? …Reginald?" (Ai)

"──Oh, sorry. I spaced out for a moment." (Reginald Mac Dermott)

Reginald was spaced out from the large amount of energy Ai produced, but once he managed to regain his sense of self. He listened again to her question and explained it to her.

"Yeah, that's right. It's almost the same as magic, so just like how you can't shape energy into the blade of an axe with a staff, you can't shape it into something completely different. But compared to normal energy, it's a bit more flexible, so you can shape it into any form related to defense." (Reginald Mac Dermott)

"It's completely specialized in defense. But since you don't need to hold each one separately, that's a plus." (Ai)

"Yeah, exactly. It's the perfect piece of equipment." (Reginald Mac Dermott)

Ai was giving more interest to it.

Tatsuro also watched it while listening to Gillian's story, and he agreed that the two pieces of equipment were very useful in terms of strengthening their defense.

With almost 90% of the decision to purchase made, Reginald opened the lid of another product. Inside were several bracelets neatly organized.

"What are these?" (Tatsuro)

"These are items that simply assist with magic. In other words, wristlet (bracelet) versions of staffs. They are worn when taming magical beasts, for example, when you can't carry a staff. You probably have some with Tatsuro, right?" (Reginald Mac Dermott)

"Yeah. But the size…" (Tatsuro)

"Don't worry. They stretch to fit the wearer, so they're designed to fit even magical beasts that change size. They're quite convenient." (Reginald Mac Dermott)

"Oh, that's useful." (Tatsuro)

"Yeah. It's the perfect equipment." (Ai)

Tatsuro, observing all this while partially ignoring Gillian's story, genuinely admired the merchant who had thoroughly researched not only their needs but also other potential users.

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