Tap, tap.
I walked down the stairs and entered the living room, then saw Luke sleeping soundly on the sofa.
Luke was lying there with his chest and head resting against the edge of the sofa; he would probably feel pain in that part when he woke up later.
He was sleeping so deeply that his drool was about to drip and stain the sofa; I think I arrived just in time before it dirtied it.
I then stood in front of Luke and slapped his cheeks a few times, holding back my strength so it wouldn't hurt too much.
I really didn't have the heart to do this to him, but this method was many times more effective than just calling his name or tapping his hand.
Oh, he finally woke up. I thought it would take minutes before he woke up—this really is effective, huh?
When his eyes opened, he immediately got up from his sleeping position and sat there while sucking his drool back into his mouth.
...Maybe that would look quite disgusting if Hime or Yuu-chan saw it, but to me it was completely normal—better than wiping it off with the clothes he was wearing.
"Yukito...? Weren't we drinking together earlier?"
"You really don't remember, huh? Whatever. We were both asked for help by Vol-san—take a look at this," I said as I handed him a small piece of paper containing the items requested by him.
Before he returned to his room earlier, he came back to me in a hurry and gave me the paper—I'm sure he must have forgotten to give it to me.
He received the paper with his right hand, then brought it closer to see more clearly what was written on it.
"...Before that! Why didn't you refuse? We don't have enough money to buy all of these, right—"
Hah... He really can't let go of the money issue... His attachment to money might look the same as a man who loves his partner.
If only he could stay calm and think of a solution with a clear head, this problem would be solved quickly.
Before Luke could continue his sentence, I immediately took out the pouch of money that Vol-san had given me and showed it to him clearly.
His eyes immediately fixed on the pouch, then he quickly stood up from the sofa and tidied his clothes.
After realizing that our party didn't need to spend our own money, he became a bit more enthusiastic and his mood changed instantly, huh?
Good. I don't need to persuade him like before.
"Let's go now. Give me that paper—I'll get a discounted price and leave some money in here. After that, I'll use it—"
I walked toward the door, followed by him. After hearing his intention, I felt like I had to make Luke spend all the money we received.
Even if it sounded like we could gain something from it, it still felt like a bribe.
——
We asked several people on the street about places that sold the items we needed.
And... after taking another look, most of the items requested by Vol-san were related to something magical.
Like magic stones that he needed to mix with raw potion materials to perfect it, just like what I did with my Mithril sword before.
Since he knew that this sword couldn't be used carelessly, that's why he asked me to buy magic stones, right?
But... aren't magic stones supposed to be expensive? In my opinion, stones containing magical energy should have a very high market value.
The money Vol-san gave didn't even include any gold coins—could it be that he gave the wrong pouch?
"I think it's this one. The old lady we met earlier said this shop sells magic stones."
Luke stopped in front of a house...? I think it's also a shop that looks quite neat.
It was located in the middle of the city, but on a rather narrow street—maybe a horse carriage wouldn't be able to pass through here.
Most of the buildings here had two floors on both sides if you stood in the middle of the street and looked around.
Because their heights were almost the same, sunlight didn't enter much, making the atmosphere here quite gloomy.
In front of Luke was a shop with many windows at the front, looking like an expensive jewelry store on a main street.
Luke immediately went inside without asking me to come along, and I followed him in to keep an eye on him.
This was the third place after we visited a pharmacy to buy equipment like syringes, and a glass shop to buy small glasses.
Thankfully, I managed to stop him from bargaining with the previous shopkeeper—he asked for too big of a discount.
But... what can we even do with the remaining money to buy magic stones?
—
I went inside and found Luke looking at magic stones displayed in a glass case in front of him.
The stones looked very luxurious and were shining—I didn't think the money we had now could buy even one of those valuable items.
"How many are we going to buy?" I asked as I approached and looked in the same direction as him.
"Ten. It says on the paper that we need to buy ten pieces with any element," he replied.
That means... we can buy magic stones without worrying about their magical attributes, right?
Back then, he only applied raw potion materials onto the surface of my Mithril sword, and the potion was instantly complete.
As long as there's magical energy, he can finish the potion, right?
"The problem is..." Luke muttered while holding something he was hiding, and I knew what he was trying to tell me.
"I'll ask for a moment," I replied as I walked toward the shop owner.
—
He stood behind the counter, cleaning several magic stones with a cloth.
He looked very focused while polishing them—I think he really is someone suited to own this place.
"Excuse me..."
I opened the pouch of money and showed the remaining amount.
"With half of these coins, can I get ten magic stones? I don't have any specific requirements—any type will do."
He stopped his hands, then turned his attention to the pile of silver and bronze coins on the table, counting them very carefully.
I thought... this should be impossible. There's no way magic stones could be that cheap.
Vol-san might have really given the wrong pouch—maybe this was just spare money he had.
Scrape.
The man dragged half of the coins aside and put them into the drawer below.
Eh...?
"Wait here for a moment. I'll bring what you want. Don't go anywhere, alright?"
He stood up from his chair and went into the room behind him to prepare the items.
...Huh? Seriously? Is this really happening?