Alice began her explanation as Amel stood there, her eyes practically glued to the Magic Spear Ouroboros.
"First of all, this Ouroboros possesses a durability that far exceeds even Orichalcum. Even if you were to channel your full magic power into it, the spear would easily withstand the strain."
"Incredible... such strength. To think it was crafted from ores forged by the gods, or perhaps something even more legendary..."
"Not quite. It is a composite of Orichalcum and... crystals that have sealed the aurora of the night sky within them."
"Crystals that sealed the aurora...!"
Ah, she meant Sera’s Rainbow Diamonds. I knew Alice liked them and bought them from Sieg frequently, but I hadn't realized she was using them as a base material to mix with Orichalcum.
Regardless, Amel was clearly hooked.
"Furthermore, this Ouroboros has a special magic formula applied to it. Once you register your magic power, you can throw it and it will return to your hand with a single thought."
"It returns to me just by wishing for it? That’s so cool!"
"But wait, there's more."
"There's more!?"
Toward Amel, who was so ecstatic that her formal persona was starting to slip, Alice held out the spear and continued.
"Try channeling your magic power into it. Then you’ll see everything."
"Magic power—!? Th-this is... the Power of Darkness!?"
As soon as Amel took the Ouroboros and funneled her power into it, ominous black flames erupted around the spearhead. Just as she said, it certainly looked like some kind of dark energy.
"Exactly. This spear manifests jet-black flames when infused with mana. Mind you, it's purely for show—it doesn't have any special combat properties beyond the visual..."
"Whoaaa! Amazing, it’s amazing!"
Amel’s excitement had reached its absolute zenith. She hoisted the spear high with her bandaged hand, her face lit up with pure joy at the sight of the dark flames. Her innocent frolicking was so heartwarming that I couldn't help but smile myself.
"It really looks like that darkness sealed in your hand has finally manifested, Amel."
"!!"
Wait, had she actually claimed it was the Power of Darkness she had sealed? I didn't remember the details clearly, but judging by the way her face lit up as if to say "That’s the one!", it didn't seem to be a problem.
"...I can feel it. This spear has waited throughout eternity for its true owner—a being like me, who harbors that same great darkness. The moment I grasped it, I felt a connection. Our souls have truly spoken to one another."
"...Well, I only finished making it the other day," Alice muttered under her breath.
Watching the deeply moved Amel, Alice quickly regained her professional composure and spoke in a cheerful tone.
"Indeed. As expected, this spear is truly worthy of the one known as the Black Gale."
"So, Alice. What’s the bottom line? How much?"
"Let’s say... five gold coins."
That would be five million yen. It was certainly expensive, but considering it was made from a unique alloy of Orichalcum and Rainbow Diamonds, boasted incredible durability, featured a recall function, and even had a custom visual effect—though only a certain type of person would appreciate that—it actually felt like a bargain.
"I'll buy it. Obviously."
"Much appreciated!"
Just as I expected, Amel made the decision instantly. She pulled out five gold coins and set them on the counter.
"Here, I'll throw this in as a bonus. It's a bracelet-type storage tool with voice registration. If you set a keyword beforehand, you can summon or store the spear instantly."
"S-So cool! Thank you!"
I’d thought it before, but Alice and Amel really were quite compatible. Alice tended to make a lot of things that Amel would find irresistible. Given what I knew about her, Alice had definitely suffered from the same "disease" as me in the past, so she probably understood Amel’s tastes as well as I did.
"I'm glad you found something you like," I said.
"Yes! It’s all thanks to you, my Sworn Friend! Truly, thank you, I'm so hap—ahem! A-As expected of the guidance provided by the one I have acknowledged. I feel as though I have been searching for this spear for ages. Even if I did not realize it, surely my Sworn Friend knew all along. A demonic spear hidden deep in the shadows of the earth, awaiting the one with the true power of darkness... This encounter is a miracle, and the credit for invoking that miracle belongs solely to my Sworn Friend."
Boiled down, she was simply thanking me for bringing her here. She looked incredibly satisfied, and we hadn't even reached Alice’s General Store yet. There were plenty of other things there that Amel would love. At this rate, I was certain she would have a blast.
Magic Spear Ouroboros
- It is made from a special alloy Alice created while trying to find materials for a new dagger. She ultimately rejected it because it couldn't withstand her own power, but it is sturdy enough to handle magic power at the highest-ranking Count-class level.
- It returns to the user’s hand with a thought after being thrown. This is a highly complex and advanced magical mechanism; because Alice focused so heavily on this, the other features are relatively minor.
- It manifests dark flames when infused with magic power. This is purely aesthetic and serves no practical purpose. If anything, it slightly wastes a tiny amount of the user’s mana to maintain the effect.
- The price is 5 gold coins (5 million yen). However, this is a Kaito's House Shop Limited Price. If sold anywhere else, the price would be 10 platinum coins (100 million yen).