Claud's preparations for his long trip to Julan Barony had taken him more than a week, but some things were a lot harder to track down than others. It was Yellowgott — the third day of the week — by the time he found a shop that sold Aura-boosting talismans, but the products had…some issues, to put it mildly.
Letting out a small sigh, he made to turn away, but the attendant that had been asking him repeatedly for the past three minutes grabbed his arm and pulled it to her chest. Claud forced down a gulp, pulled away from her, and held up his hands.
"Those talismans are too strong," Claud said for the fifth time in three minutes. "I'll be disturbing the forests and the mountains if I were to use them — do you really want me to die?"
Aura-boosting Talismans were designed to enhance one's presence by an entire mana-fold, enabling even vanillas to walk through the wilderness without being accosted by low-level monsters and hungry wildlife. However, there was a limit to its use — bi-folders and beyond using them would, apparently, trigger apex predators to assault them, since they were essentially projecting a threat. Claud had heard horror stories about how people new to crossing the lands thought using multiple Aura-boosting talismans were the best way to guarantee their safety, only to get swatted down by monsters with three or even more mana circuits.
Of course, for professionals like him, this was nothing of concern. Keeping count of how many Aura-boosting talismans one was currently using was a simple job for old hands. However, the Aura-boosting talismans the attendant was trying to offload on him were…too good at their purpose.
Instead of raising one's presence by one mana-fold, it amplified users' presence by three. Even normal people would be faced with the threat of being hunted down by monsters that felt threatened upon using it, let alone bona-fide mana-users like Claud.
"There's definitely a way you can use them, sir! Please buy them off me! If I don't sell them by tomorrow, my salary will be cut!"
Claud caught a glimpse of some intimate apparel as she grabbed his arm once more, and then took a step back involuntarily. "Look, they'll be useless, and—"
He could deal with women working their appeals to boost sales, but against someone who was doing something like this innocently, Claud found himself helpless. This attendant — Luna — was really just desperate, and for some stupid inane reason, Claud couldn't quite exactly extricate himself from her desperate pleas.
"Wow, this is a really awkward time to buy items." A familiar voice from behind him. "Am I interrupting anything?"
Claud froze at those words, and then turned to see Dia, who was observing him with interest. "She's just trying to sell me those defective Aura-boosting talismans really desperately, that's all. I'm not doing anything, D-Dia."
It had taken him a while to internalise Isolde's so-called real name, but he had no choice. Farah had privately told him about her true mission, and Claud had nothing else but respect for her drive. Learning to think of her as the real Princess Dia was the least he could do.
"You…aren't going to say 'This is a misunderstanding'?" Dia asked.
"At which point you'll run off, and I'll have to chase you, and then after a sweaty fifteen minutes, I finally catch up and clarify myself?" Claud shook his head. "I don't think I want to re-enact the misunderstandings I see in novels. They're amusing to read, but…"
"Oh, you read them too?" Dia asked. "What do you like?"
"Hmm. Sellsword's the first on the list, and Legend of—gah! Please, stop grabbing my arm like this!" He looked at the attendant and shook his head. "Please, spare me!"
"Were you always this weak to women?" Dia asked.
"No, I'm not, but this is simply too…too…never mind!" Claud extricated himself from Luna, before patting down his shirt and trousers to make sure that Dia didn't spot anything. "What do you want to sell? I'll buy!"
Inwardly mortified, Claud took a few steps away from the attendant, who now looked like she had been granted a stay of execution, or even an imperial pardon from Emperor Grandis himself.
"…You seriously don't strike me as someone who's easily pressured," Dia noted.
"No, I'm not! It's just that…" Claud let out a sigh. "Never mind. Men things."
Luna sauntered over happily, a box in her hand. "Here, sir Claud! Our whole stock of extra-strong Aura-boosting talismans! Please check the receipt!"
"Y-yeah. S-sure." Claud passed over ten gold, his heart in shambles. "I'm never coming here anymore."
"But this is the only shop that sells extra-strong consumables! To write me off like this…boss is going to kill me!" Luna closed in on Claud, her eyes teary once more. For a moment, Claud wondered if she was actually faking it, but one look was enough for him to realise that it was just her personality. "Look, I'll throw in this Area Compulsion skillstrip! It's been specially treated to last one month! Twenty of them!"
"What am I supposed to do with it, hypnotise myself?" Claud asked, helpless. While he tried to push Luna away, Claud was also trying to use his eyes to ask Dia for help, but she was actually just observing him with a great deal of amusement.
"No one wants to buy from us," Luna replied miserably. "I don't know why they don't like consumables that have double efficacy! Boss keeps saying that it's my fault, but…"
"Alright, alright! I'll do anything! Stop crying!" Claud wriggled out of her hands and hid behind Dia, who only stifled some laughter in return. After making a note to get some petty revenge on her afterwards, Claud peeked out from Dia's shoulder, where Luna's eyes were now shining.
"Really?"
"Yes, so just…stand there. Okay? Just stand there."
After surrendering his personal information to Luna, Claud left the shop with as much speed as he could muster without making it look like he was running away, box in hand.
"What should I do with this?" Claud mumbled.
"That's a very good question," Dia, who had been following him closely during his flight, replied.
"Bit rich for you to say, seeing how you didn't help me earlier."
"And how did you expect me to help?" Dia asked, a small smile on her face.
Claud opened his mouth, tried to think of an idea, and then shut it begrudgingly. "Good point."
"See? Unless, of course, you want me to get physical, but why would I do that?"
Dia's words were sounding more and more reasonable by the second, and Claud dipped his head to mutter an apology, before ambling over to a tree.
"So many useless talismans." Claud let out a sigh.
"What do these talismans do?" Dia asked. "I know about skillstrips and skillsticks, but talismans…"
"You don't know what they are?" Claud asked. "Seriously? Go look it up when you have time."
Dia nodded. "I only use skillstrips and skillsticks…but I just can't be bothered to make them. It's too tiring."
This right here, to Claud, was probably the epitome of laziness. It wasn't like she had anything else more important to do — she was rich, she was a mana-user, and she was one of the Moon Lords' leaders.
"You should at least make as much skillsticks as possible," Claud replied. "I've heard about your skills, and they're all trump cards for battle. It's a waste if you don't turn them into skillsticks. They are permanent, after all. Won't hurt for you to at least use up any Elysia wood you have in hand."
"Mm…I'll think about it."
"Please pay more consideration to your trump cards. You know as well as I do that skills are really important," Claud replied. "Seriously, what have you been doing in your free time?"
"Reading, talking to the others…look." Dia took a deep breath. "I'm new to this…commoner thing, so I'm putting in effort on that bit. You know, bodyguarding and normal life don't go well together."
"Even with the Shadows of Grandis after you?" Claud shook his head. "If they can find you once, they can find you again. The creation of the Moon Lords can help you, but you aren't protected at all times, right? Being able to at least use your skills a few more times would definitely help you."
Frowning at Dia's response, Claud decisively launched into a thorough explanation of why she should always prepare herself, until his throat dried up. It was somewhat sad to see someone who didn't believe in preparing themselves, and with that thought, Claud coughed twice to clear his throat.
"Got it?" Claud shook his head.
"O-okay." Dia had a tearful look on her face.
"It's for your own good," Claud replied. "If you were captured or killed because you made inadequate preparations, everyone would feel sad, but that'll be it. However, if you got someone else killed or captured because you made inadequate preparations…"
Claud leaned forward slightly, narrowing his eyes. "It'll be all on you."
His words seemed to strike a chord in Dia's heart, for she looked away a few seconds later.
"Think about it for a moment, m'kay?" Claud cleared his throat once more, and then picked up his box. "I'll be heading off first. Going to leave soon."
Bobbing his head at the thoughtful Dia, he walked off.