I still felt a twinge of guilt for being the root cause of her stress, but since Marie-san seemed so genuinely happy with the clothes, I felt a sense of relief.
The accessory had turned out to be even pricier than I’d anticipated, and I’d worried the cost might make her shrink back in intimidation. Apparently, those fears were unfounded; she looked purely delighted.
As the fourth daughter of a Baron, Marie-san clearly hadn't had many opportunities to visit boutiques like this or wear high-end fashion. Her face lit up with such joy as she described how much she’d always yearned for something like this that I impulsively offered to buy her a second outfit. I was glad to see that she seemed just as thrilled by that proposal.
"Oh, excuse me. I’d like to arrange for these to be delivered to my home..."
"Wait, Marie-san, aren't you going to put them in your Magic Box?"
Since these weren't formal gowns requiring precise tailoring, and the shop had items in her size ready to go, there was no need for alterations. She could have taken them with her then and there, but it seemed she intended to have them sent to the Baron’s estate instead.
"To my shame, my Magic Box only has about as much room as a single wardrobe. With all the luggage I've already packed, there’s hardly any space left. I was planning to keep the jewelry in the box and have the clothes shipped..."
"I see... Ah, in that case, I have something that might help. Would you like to use this?"
Sensing her dilemma, I reached into my own storage and pulled out a square, deep green Magic Crystal—a Magic Box.
"A Magic Box... and a high-quality one at that. Though, if you'll forgive me for saying so, I'm surprised you have one in that color, Kaito-sama. I assumed all of yours would be made from Black Magic Crystals..."
"Actually, I didn't buy this. Um, are you familiar with the prize lottery they held for the Water Dragon Procession during the Hydra Kingdom Founding Anniversary Festival?"
"Yes... I believe the ticket numbers doubled as lottery numbers, and the winners were announced later?"
"Exactly. This Magic Box was one of the prizes I won there."
Indeed, the Magic Box I’d won from the Sea Dragon Procession lottery had a substantial amount of space—roughly the size of a one-room apartment. If I were to buy it, it would probably cost around a single Platinum Coin. It was quite the lavish reward for a bonus raffle prize... then again, it had been the Grand Prize.
However, to be perfectly honest, the item was actually a bit of a burden for me.
"As you said, Marie-san, I already own Magic Boxes with much larger capacities, and if I were to add more, I'd probably stick with the black ones. Almost everyone I know also has boxes superior to this. Consequently, I never really knew what to do with it, so I just left it sitting in my storage."
A Magic Box’s capacity is determined by its Magic Formula, not the purity of the Magic Crystal. While a large Magic Power Capacity is required to sustain the complex formulas needed for massive storage—making high-purity Magic Crystals essential for high-end boxes—the actual internal size varies by formula even within crystals of identical purity.
It also largely depends on the skill of the creator. For instance, even among boxes made from Black Magic Crystals, there is a vast difference in capacity between one crafted by Zex-san and one made by Kuro.
The real issue was that even if I asked Tre-san to swap the deep green crystal for a black one, the inscribed Magic Formula wouldn't change, meaning the capacity would remain exactly the same. Furthermore, erasing a formula and re-inscribing it is a massive undertaking. It’s significantly easier to just buy a new crystal and start from scratch. Since everyone I knew already had better boxes, I couldn't even give it away. I truly had no use for it.
"...Anyway, I have absolutely no use for it. Please, Marie-san, take it. This Magic Box would much rather be put to work than sit forgotten in the bottom of a bag."
"That is incredibly kind of you, but... truly, I feel so guilty for accepting so much. I will take you up on your generosity, Kaito-sama, but please, at least let me do something in return..."
Marie-san took the box gratefully. I was actually glad she didn't get too tied up in formalities, since the thing really was just taking up space. She thought for a moment, her face lighting up as she hit on an idea.
"Oh, I know! My father gave me a little extra in my budget, saying I should treat myself to some sweets at a cafe once I finished shopping. If you're free, Kaito-sama, would you like to join me? Since I didn't have to use my own money for the clothes, please allow me to treat you as a token of my gratitude. I know it doesn't even begin to repay you, but..."
"Not at all. I'd be happy to join you."
It was only natural for her to want to give something back after receiving two outfits, an accessory, and a Magic Box. Since I had no reason to refuse, I accepted her invitation.
Serious-senpai: "...And here she is, voluntarily adding even more to her Stomach Pain Charge. Baron Rich, your daughter is 'katt-binging' straight toward her own destruction; you’d better notice soon, or your own stomach is going to be in for it too! Meanwhile, from Kaito's perspective, she looks like she's handling things perfectly well, so he has no reason to suspect anything's wrong. This is going to be a disaster... When reality finally catches up with her, her stomach is just going to vanish from the shock..."