Meeting And Parting
"I heard this shop sells Water spellbook."
The person who entered the shop saying that was probably a female Hunter. She was a tall, sharp-featured beauty with a sword at her waist.
"Yes, I do sell it."
"Is it the same spellbook that other shops sell?"
"I can't answer that question. I don't know what kind of spellbook other shops sell, after all."
"I see.... The thing is I bought Water spellbook from a shop in the downtown area, but the spell didn't activate."
"How much did you buy it for?"
"100,000 G."
"Hmm, that's about the going rate. If the spell didn't activate, it was probably because the transcription failed or you lacked the aptitude."
"Aptitude?"
"That's right. Even if the transcription is successful, those who don't have the required aptitude won't be able to use the spell. Did the shopkeeper not explain it to you?"
"He didn't give such explanations to me. How can I know if the transcription was successful?"
"I don't know about other shops, but we have never failed here. Do you bring the spellbook?"
"Yes. Here it is."
Looking at the spellbook, it contained a chant for producing water, but it might need to be boiled to make it drinkable.
"This spell, even if activated, you can't be sure if the water is drinkable or not."
"What?"
"This is a type of spell that produces water like rainwater. Some people will be fine if they drink it straight, but others might get an upset stomach. So, the magic circle was drawn on this page, right?"
"That's right. I had it transcribed to me."
"Did you chant the spell correctly?"
"I think so."
"Let's hear it."
At Margine's request, the female Hunter chanted the spell, but nothing happened.
"See? Nothing happened."
"You pronounced the chant wrong just now. This part should be pronounced like this."
Margine corrected the pronunciation of the chant.
"Miju no Seirei...."
"Not Miju no Seirei, but Mizu no Seirei."
"Miju no...."
"Mi-Zu."
Then, after practicing the pronunciation several times, she finally got it right, and the spell to produce water activated.
"Oh, the water came out!"
"Congratulation. You weren't scammed."
"Shopkeeper, thank you so much!"
"I would normally charge you the consultation fee, but since you are pretty, it's free of charge."
"Pretty? Me?"
"You may be on the big category for a woman, but I think you are pretty regardless."
When I said that, she blushed and looked embarrassed. It was such a cute reaction.
"S-Sorry. My friends have only ever said that I'm big and unattractive."
"They just don't have good taste."
"I-I see. I feel a bit embarrassed, but thanks for the compliment. I'm also glad the spell book I bought wasn't wasted."
"Yes, good for you."
"You said that I don't have to pay, but I still want to thank you somehow. Maybe I will buy a spellbook from your shop...."
"You don't need to. My spellbooks are too expensive to buy as a thank you."
"How expensive are they?"
"For example, my Water spellbook costs 1,000,000 G."
"1,000,000 G!?"
"Yes, but it's worth the price."
"Is it different from what I bought?"
"That's a surprise for after you buy it."
"Why keep it a secret? If it's worth that much, shouldn't you advertise it more?"
"You are right, but since I'm not from this country, I don't want to stand out too much."
The female Hunter stared intently at Margine.
"I see. You are a foreigner. No wonder your hair and eye color seemed unusual.... Oh, sorry, I meant no offense."
"It doesn't bother me."
Despite what Margine said, the female Hunter still looked a bit awkward.
"S-So, what other spellbooks do you sell here?"
The woman cleared her throat to hide her awkwardness and immediately changed the topic.
"There are a variety of spellbooks. The most common ones are Ignition spellbook and Light spellbook. Those two cost 500,000 G each. The more expensive ones are Dismantling spellbook and Sharpening spellbook. There are also spells for washing dishes, clothes, and even your body."
"Dismantling? Sharpening? What kind of spells are those?"
"Dismantling is a spell for butchering monsters and animals, and Sharpening, as its name suggests, is a spell for sharpening blades."
"Those will be pretty useful."
"Right? Well, you can do those things even without magic. Just think of it as a specialized tool to make work easier and faster."
"By the way, how much are those?"
"Dismantling spellbook costs 5,000,000 G and Sharpening spellbook costs 1,000,000 G."
"Ugh, so expensive...."
"Like I said, you can do those things even without magic."
"How about the body-cleansing spellbook?"
"This one also costs 5,000,000 G."
"It's so expensive, after all...."
"This spell will come in handy during an expedition and such. Keeping your body clean is directly related to your health. Well, only certain people can use this spell, so if you're thinking of buying it, I'd recommend getting yourself appraised first."
"Appraised?"
"Yes, to check your magic power and whether you have an aptitude for it or not. If these two requirements aren't met, you can't activate the spell."
"How do you do the appraisal?"
"You can use this magic tool."
"There’s such a tool?"
"It’s a rare magic tool, so it’s understandable if you had never heard about it. How about it? Do you want to try it? It's only 100,000 G per service."
"You're charging 100,000 G for appraisal?"
"I’m not forcing you. But being able to learn about your stats for only 100,000 G, I think it’s a bargain."
"My stats...."
"Then again, you are the one who determines your own worth."
"Got it. I'll think about it and come back."
"Next time, if you dress sexier, I might give you a special discount."
"S-Stop it...."
After Margine teased her like that, the female Hunter left the shop blushing. He then closed up early again, went to Rikka’s Diner for some food and cheap wine, washed the dishes, and then headed to the red-light district.
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~ Brothel: Night Shangri-La ~
"You came, Margine. Please take care of Tabatha again today."
"How is her condition?"
"She probably doesn’t have much time left...."
The shrewd madam of the brothel answered with a troubled expression. Margine then headed to Tabatha's room.
"Margin.... You came again today...."
"Hey, Tabatha. You're as beautiful as ever."
"Hehehe. You are still saying that to someone who’s become like a skeleton."
Tabatha was bedridden, ravaged by illness. Her strength had declined so much she couldn’t even turn over. Bedsores quickly formed, filling the room with a foul smell. Margine aired out the room and cast cleansing spell throughout. Next, he cast healing spell and pain relief magic to the bedsores.
"Thank you. I feel so much better now."
"I'll give you a body wash, too."
After casting a body cleansing spell, Margine helps Tabatha up and fed her some bread porridge.
"Can you swallow it?"
"Yes. More importantly, can I have some fizzy water?"
Margine poured carbonated water into a cup with his magic. Hoping it would help her regain some strength, he added honey as well.
"Delicious...."
"Glad to hear it. I'll make you some sweet treats when you feel better."
"Really? Are you going to make it with magic as well?"
"You can't make sweets with magic. It will be handmade."
"Hehehe, it's strange. Even though you're so kind and can make sweets, you're not popular with the ladies."
"Leave me alone."
Margine pretended to be angry when teased about being unpopular.
"Say, Margine...."
"Yes?"
"When I get better, will you request me?"
"Of course. If I have to, I’ll even go into debt to request you every night."
"Hehehe, save up a lot of money then. I'm pretty expensive."
"I see. Then I'll have to work harder at my shop."
"Do that. Coming to a brothel this early means you’re not working seriously."
"I couldn't help it. I want to see you as soon as possible."
"Thank you. You're the only one who says that to me, even when I'm like this now."
"Don’t say that. I'm sure everyone thinks the same. So please get well soon."
"Yeah, I'll do my best."
Having said that, Margine laid Tabatha on the bed, patted her head, and left the room as he lamented his helplessness.
Damn it....
Margine, the owner of a small spellbook shop on the outskirts of the royal capital, was originally named Sanada Ginjiro. He was summoned from another world during the Great War between humans and demons thousands of years ago. Being hailed as the great sage, he was one of the Hero Party's members who defeated the Demon King.
Margine possessed immense magic power and had developed various groundbreaking spells. He was also a key player in defeating the Demon King. However, even this great sage could not use his magic to cure illnesses. Without the knowledge of how to treat the illnesses, there was nothing he could do.
"I've done my best...."
One week later, Tabatha departed this world with a peaceful expression.