"These skewers are delicious."
"Yeah. Since they're Orc skewers, I figured they'd cost more in a place like this."
Rei responded to Elena's murmured words as she ate a skewer.
In truth, in a place like Gilm where Orcs appeared with reasonable frequency, Orc meat was considerably cheaper. But that was only possible because Orcs were nearby. Without them in the vicinity, the price of Orc meat naturally rose.
There were also meats preserved to last longer, like salt-cured meat and dried meat, but those inevitably cost more than raw cuts. In some cases, the extra salt used for preservation made them far too salty, requiring troublesome steps like desalting before cooking.
"If I had to guess, it's probably the influence of the Dungeon we conquered."
"Hmm. I understand that's the most likely explanation, but even so, I doubt they could supply all of Golts's meat with Orcs that fell from the Dungeon alone."
"Hmm... there was a decent-sized Orc settlement inside the Dungeon, right? Maybe a whole group moved together and fell off that cliff?"
Even as he said it, Rei found the theory unlikely and popped the Orc meat off the skewer into his mouth.
The seasoning was simple—just salt and herbs—but it suited the skewered Orc meat perfectly.
"Well, whatever the reason... being able to eat delicious skewers in weather like this is a blessing."
"Hehe, indeed."
At Rei's words, Elena looked up at the sky while savoring the skewer.
Above them stretched a blue sky worthy of being called a clear autumn day, and the sun poured down light that was far gentler than in summer. It was truly perfect weather for a date.
"Hm? Elena, what is it?"
Rei called out to Elena, who had stopped moving while still gazing upward.
Startled back to herself by his voice, Elena shook her head as if it was nothing.
"I was just thinking how nice it is that it's clear."
"Yeah. If it had rained, they wouldn't have been able to do the dissection today either. Even tomorrow, if the ground is still wet, it'd definitely be harder to manage."
"That is not what I meant."
She muttered with a hint of dissatisfaction, likely because she had wanted Rei to call it perfect weather for a date.
Rei wore a puzzled expression at Elena's attitude but said nothing further, heading toward the next shop instead.
The shop that caught Rei's eye was a general store that primarily sold various types of tableware along with assorted other goods.
Forks, knives, spoons, dishes—metal items were plentiful, as were wooden tableware. Among them, what drew Rei's attention was a wooden cup.
It had no handle or anything of the sort—just a simple cup meant for drinking water or ale—but to Rei, it somehow looked like a quality piece.
Is this what people mean by "having character"? Well, having an everyday cup around won't cause any trouble.
Deciding so, he picked up the cup. Watching nearby, Elena curiously picked up another cup sitting close by—a metal one.
"If you're going to buy one, wouldn't a cup like this be better?"
"Hmm. That's nice too, but this one seems easier to use. With metal, it's great for cold drinks, but when you're drinking something warm... something hot, it seems like it'd be uncomfortable."
"Hmm, now that you mention it, I suppose so."
As Rei and Elena chatted, a shop clerk appeared.
The female clerk, who appeared to be in her forties, froze for a moment upon seeing the two, but quickly broke into a smile and spoke.
"Oh, newlyweds? Or perhaps a couple living together? In that case, even if they aren't fancy, we've got practical tableware ready for you."
"N-Na!?"
At the clerk's words, Rei and Elena both raised their voices in unison—a sound caught somewhere between surprise, embarrassment, and joy.
Elena was the first to recover her composure.
"W-We are not... that is, Rei and I are not yet in such a relationship!"
"Oh my... is that so? I apologize."
The clerk lightly bowed her head in apology at Elena's words. Elena calmed down slightly at the clerk's demeanor, but...
"But you're 'not yet' in that kind of relationship. Hehe, I wonder what will happen in the future, then."
"!?"
At those softly spoken words, Elena's face turned visibly red.
"N-N-Na!? ...Enough, here is the payment. I'll take these!"
Having reached the limit of her embarrassment, Elena snatched the wooden cup from Rei's hand and the metal cup from her own, thrust a gold coin at the clerk, and dragged Rei out of the shop.
The female clerk watched Elena's innocent display in dumbfounded silence... but when she glanced at what was in her hand, her face twitched.
The tableware sold in this shop mostly cost a few copper coins... even the most expensive items were only a few silver coins at most. It was by no means the kind of shop that stocked anything worth purchasing with a gold coin.
"W-Wait, miss! You overpaid, you overpaid!"
The clerk hurriedly chased after Elena... and somehow managed to return the gold coin and receive the proper payment.
"Really... really... what is with that clerk."
Even as she said that, Elena absolutely refused to look toward Rei. Partly because if she did, he would undoubtedly see her red face—but more than that, it was probably because she had spectacularly self-destructed with her own words, declaring they were "not yet in that kind of relationship."
...Incidentally, Rei, who had heard Elena's words, was also blushing, but thanks to wearing his Dragon Robe with the hood up, it wasn't particularly noticeable.
With someone as beautiful as Elena—someone who could only be described as radiantly stunning—walking through town with red cheeks, she naturally drew stares from all around. But Elena, consumed by the shame of what she herself had said, showed no awareness of how many eyes were fixed on her.
"Um, hey. Elena? Hey, Elena. Are you listening?"
Since he hadn't been the one to embarrass himself, Rei managed to recover his composure relatively quickly and called out to Elena.
But Elena showed no sign of listening to his words at all.
"Really... in the first place... for that matter... anyway."
The sight of her muttering meaningless words over and over was a scene that, precisely because Elena's appearance drew so much attention—for better or worse—somehow evoked a peculiar feeling.
It wasn't that Rei didn't want to keep watching Elena like this, but with the surrounding passersby focusing their attention on her, he couldn't just leave her in that state forever.
"Hey, Elena. Pull yourself together."
"!? ...Ah, sorry. It seems I was a little confused."
Though startled by Rei suddenly being right there, Elena answered while trying not to let it show.
Even so, no matter how hard she tried to compose herself, she couldn't hide her red-dyed cheeks.
...If someone who only knew Elena as she normally was—as the Princess General—were to see her now, they wouldn't be blamed for thinking, She looks the same, but who on earth is this?
That was how different the current Elena was from her usual self.
Rei understood that too, but judging that pointing it out now wouldn't lead to a good result for either Elena or himself, he decided to change the subject. If he could redirect her thoughts elsewhere, she would naturally calm down—or so he hoped.
"Hey, there's a weapon shop over there. Want to take a look?"
"...Hmm, indeed. Let's have a peek."
Elena, who had regained a measure of composure at the words "weapon shop," headed toward the shop alongside Rei.
Since Elena also made her living through combat, she was naturally intrigued at the mention of a weapon shop.
Granted, if someone like Marina had seen this scene, she might have held her head wondering why on earth they would visit a weapon shop on a date. Or she might have simply accepted it as very much like Rei and Elena.
Be that as it may, the two entered the weapon shop that had been in their line of sight.
"Welcome!"
The owner who greeted them with those words showed a briefly bewildered expression, as the ones who had arrived were Rei and Elena—people who stood out in any number of ways.
However, Rei and Elena paid no mind to the owner's reaction and immediately began browsing the shop.
Granted, while Golts was the most prosperous town in the area, it was ultimately a rural town. The monsters that appeared nearby were not particularly numerous, and there weren't that many bandits either.
Naturally, then, so-called first-class weapons would rarely sell even if stocked, and the shop was lined with a large quantity of merely decent-quality weapons.
Both Rei and Elena had entered knowing full well that would be the case.
...In truth, the primary goal had been to calm the flustered Elena, but it wasn't as if they had no business at this weapon shop either.
While Elena examined weapons like longswords, spears, and halberds, Rei headed toward the corner of the shop.
What sat there were not fine weapons by any means... but rather bargain-bin items that a fresh-faced adventurer or someone short on money might purchase. A collection of weapons that would be difficult to use for any extended period, tossed haphazardly into wooden crates.
"Ah, sir..."
The clerk, noticing that Rei had walked straight to where such weapons were displayed, tried to call out, but Rei ignored him and began selecting spears.
Five spears, focusing on ones with chipped spearheads. There were also spears with rotting shafts, but those were of no use even to Rei.
The Twilight Spear, which Rei often wielded alongside Death Scythe, was a Magic Item spear with a special ability—it would return to his hand at his command. A so-called Magic Spear. But there were also enemies who would rather he not use such a weapon.
In those situations, disposable spears like these came in handy.
Since acquiring the Twilight Spear, the opportunities to use such throwaway spears had decreased for one reason or another, but they hadn't disappeared entirely. Particularly when throwing a spear at an opponent he'd rather not touch, disposable spears were far more convenient than the Twilight Spear.
After paying the clerk, who still looked like he wanted to say something, Rei purchased five spears.
"Is your business done? Then let us go somewhere else."
While browsing the weapons... and while Rei had been away, Elena had apparently finally calmed down. She had returned to her usual self and said as much.
"I'm fine. Aren't you going to buy anything, Elena?"
"Umu. I'm not particularly in need of weapons."
"...Well, I suppose not."
At Elena's words, Rei glanced at the sheath at her waist.
Mirage was an extremely special Magic Item—a Whip-sword—but for Elena, who wielded it masterfully, other weapons were rarely necessary. As a longsword it handled close combat, and in whip form it allowed free attacks from mid-range. It was a weapon notoriously difficult to master, but in the hands of someone who could, it became tremendously powerful.
For Elena, who possessed the Whip-sword Mirage, there was likely nothing in this weapon shop that she particularly wanted.
She hadn't said so directly, but the clerk, perhaps sensing as much from the flow of the conversation, wore a disappointed expression.
Granted, if a weapon shop in Golts were to stock weapons that Rei or Elena would genuinely want, the shop would more likely go out of business. Stocking such a weapon would require a considerable sum, and storing it would demand strict security to prevent theft. Moreover, Golts's adventurers simply had no need for weapons that powerful and expensive.
Considering those circumstances, the result was only natural.
Leaving the weapon shop, Rei and Elena browsed the surrounding shops in a far calmer state than before.
What particularly caught Rei's interest was, as expected, unusual food ingredients.
Preserved foods that could be called Golts's specialty. Especially with winter approaching, preserved vegetables meant to be eaten during the cold months were being produced frequently.
"Is this..."
Among them, what drew Rei's interest was a pickled vegetable that closely resembled a daikon radish.
Its pale red color made it hard to believe it was a radish, but the shape was unmistakably similar.
"Oh, are you interested? They're dried right now, but we smoke them and then pickle them. Do that, and... see, they turn out like this."
Pleased by Rei's interest, a woman who appeared to be around fifty offered him a taste. To Rei, it was a nostalgic flavor.
"Iburigakko, perhaps?"
"Hm? What's that?"
Rei tried to explain to the woman who asked, but...
【Set has acquired the skill "Earth Arrow Lv.2"】
Suddenly, that announcement message echoed in his mind.
【Set】
Water Ball Lv.5, Fire Breath Lv.3, Wind Arrow Lv.4, King's Intimidation Lv.3, Poison Claw Lv.5, Size Change Lv.2, Tornado Lv.3, Ice Arrow Lv.3, Optical Camouflage Lv.5, Magic Eye of Shock Lv.1, Power Crush Lv.5, Sense of Smell Enhancement Lv.4, Bubble Breath Lv.1, Crystal Breath Lv.1, Earth Arrow Lv.2 (new)
Earth Arrow: Fires arrows made of earth. At Level 1, five arrows; at Level 2, ten arrows.