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This is Orario.
Known as the "City of Labyrinths," it is the only city in this world where a Dungeon exists.
Introducing it that way might make it sound like a perilous place, but the reality is quite the opposite.
On the contrary, Orario is so advanced and prosperous in both technology and culture that it could easily be called the greatest city in the world.
Compared to the Earth of my previous life, it's roughly on the level of New York.
For one thing, this world utilizes magic stone products—items that serve a similar purpose to home appliances on Earth. These goods are manufactured exclusively here in Orario and exported to every corner of the globe.
Furthermore, the magic stones themselves—the essential raw material for these products—can only be harvested from the Dungeon within this city.
In short, the world's premier industrial hub is located right next to the only source of a precious resource, much like oil.
It's no wonder the city is so wealthy.
As for me, it's a very satisfying place to start the third life of my existence.
Ding-dong~
"Welcome, customer."
And here we are on the northeastern main street of Orario.
Specifically, in the industrial district of the City of Labyrinths, where my shop and Magecraft workshop are located.
Naturally, the merchandise I sell consists of magic stone products.
In truth, the shop is mostly a display for the useless scraps and failed junk I produce as byproducts of my Magecraft research.
Now that I mention it, it sounds a bit like Wiz's shop.
No, my management isn't that disastrous.
...Probably.
"Yo, An! Long time no see~"
"We're here."
"What? It was you two?"
The customers who stepped through the door were already familiar faces.
Tiona and Tione.
These two brown-skinned young women, radiating health and vitality, were among the few regulars at my shop. They are twin sisters.
For the record, Tione is the older sister and Tiona is the younger. Even though they're twins, it's very easy to tell them apart if you just check their centers of gravity...
"Stop talking about our boobs!"
"Eh? Mind reading? From an idiot like you? You've grown, Tiona."
"It's written all over your face, Rina."
Oh, that?
At Tione's remark, I instinctively touched my face to check.
This was something Caster had pointed out to me frequently in the past.
Well, if it's these two, I suppose it doesn't really matter.
Being overly indulgent toward the few acquaintances one has is a common trait among us magi, after all.
"Anyway, what brings you here? I heard your Familia went on a deep-floor expedition not that long ago."
"What do you think? We got wrecked by the usual unexpected trouble."
"Trouble? An anomaly?"
"Yeah, yeah. Listen, An. During this expedition, we..."
Their story went roughly like this.
While on their deep-floor expedition, they attempted to harvest materials for a quest, but in the process, they encountered a swarm of a new monster species they had never seen before.
Naturally, they fought them as any proper adventurer would, but the fluid inside these monsters was highly acidic. Consequently, the weapons they used to attack were melted away. (At this point, Tiona began to wail sorrowfully, calling out for her main weapon, Uga.)
Since the monsters sprayed this acid from their mouths incessantly, they had no effective way to counter it. They decided to retreat to the surface temporarily to regroup and prepare before heading back down.
End of explanation.
"Melting Uga... that's terrifying."
"Right?! Thanks to that, I'm back in debt!"
"Tiona, you've always been a splendid debtor. Why don't you pay me back before you give a single cent to those Gubnew men?"
"That's mean, An! We're friends!"
"Customer, friendship is a paid service at this shop."
"Demon! Ghost! Chihiro!"
"Do you even know what that means when you say it?"
"Uh... a money ghost?"
"...Well, that's close enough."
At my response, Tiona shouted that she had guessed correctly and began bouncing around with excitement.
Seeing her cute, innocent reaction, I resolved to be more careful with my language around her.
I couldn't possibly corrupt a girl like that with the filth of the modern world.
"So? Is that why you're here today? You want me to do something about that acid for your next expedition?"
"Exactly. It's not that we have no way to handle it, but the more countermeasures we have, the better. Also, while you're at it, could you fix this so we can use it again? It was actually quite useful this time."
"Ah, that's impossible. That was a fluke—a lucky success. Even for me, doing it a second time would be difficult."
"Really? That's a shame."
I took the bracelet from her and fell into thought for a moment.
Acid strong enough to melt Uga, a weapon of such absurd durability.
If it was a vicious strong acid capable of instantly melting a weapon that was essentially a solid block of adamantium, then ordinary defenses would be useless.
Of course, I could create a solution if I really tried, but that wouldn't be the kind of answer they were looking for.
After all, these two were exceptionally spirited Amazons, even among physical-type frontline fighters.
Even this bracelet—this "one-time fake God Hand"—was insurance I had practically forced upon them to prepare for an emergency.
I should probably look for a solution related to offense rather than defense.
"I don't have anything usable right now. Come back to me when you're planning your next trip to the deep floors. I'll prepare something that will actually be useful for you."
"Really? Yay! Thanks, An!"
"Don't thank me. I'm getting paid for this, after all."
"...Couldn't you maybe give us a discount?"
Tione proposed the negotiation with a subtly seductive tone and gesture.
I responded with a bright, beaming smile.
"Customer, this shop does not offer discounts of any kind."
"Tch."
At my merciless refusal, she immediately frowned and leaned back.
Tsk tsk, her bargaining skills are really lacking.
If she wanted to conduct a proper negotiation, she should have brought some tangerines, rum, and perhaps a handgun.
"By the way."
I then asked about something that had caught my eye.
"Are those girls outside with you?"
"Huh? Oh, that's Ais and Lefiya."
"They're already here? That was fast."
From their reaction, I could deduce the identities of the two young women standing awkwardly in front of the shop, despite this being our first meeting.
Ais Wallenstein, the Level 5 Sword Princess.
Lefiya Viridis, the Level 3 Thousand Elf.
Both were members of the Loki Familia and companions of the Hiryute sisters.
Though to me, they were still just strangers.
"Since your party is here, you should head out. It's time to close the shop."
"Eh, already? The sun is still up!"
"Normally I'd stay open longer, but you brought me work. I don't know when you'll head back down, so I'd rather not put it off. It's less trouble and easier on my mind if I handle it now."
"I always wonder how this shop manages to stay in business with service like this."
"Because I have customers like you. More importantly, as I've told you before, my main profession isn't 'this' side—it's actually 'that' side."
"Fine, fine. Guess we can't help it. See you next time, An!"
"See you."
"Yeah, bye. Don't expect me to walk you out."
After a brief farewell, the two of them left, and I locked the shop door.
That concludes today's side job.
It was just a guess, but those two were likely the last customers of the day.
As they said, this shop does tend to be a bit deserted most of the time.
"I'm going to deliver Binks's liquor~"
Humming a tune, I walked toward the back of the shop and activated a hidden lock.
With a soft click, a door appeared in the wall.
Despite the fact that, until a moment ago, it had been nothing more than a plain, empty wall.
"Let's see, where did I leave off yesterday..."
Unfazed, I opened the door and stepped into the hidden passage.
The moment I closed the door, the mysterious entrance vanished, returning to a simple wall as if it had never existed.