"MAAASHEEER WHASH THISS???" asked Mason, his confusion evident as he stared at the red fruit in his hand.
"That's a gift for you," replied Bowen, reclining lazily in his chair.
"Gifft?"
"Yes, once you eat this, you'll be able to drink any amount of alcohol without getting drunk," Bowen explained.
"Huh?" Mason seemed perplexed. [Why would I want to drink alcohol without getting drunk? And can a simple fruit really prevent that? What kind of fruit is this? Is it sweet or sour?] Mason's mind was buzzing with questions.
"Masherrr iss gift mossquitoo masoon kill? Huhh?" Mason questioned, his confusion evident.
"Yes, yes, it's for killing mosquitoes. Think whatever you want. Just eat the fruit quickly," Bowen urged, more interested in observing the fruit's effects.
"Ye…Yeessh youngg massher." Mason replied hesitantly.
Although Mason was wary of trying the unknown, his trust in Bowen's guidance had consistently brought him positive outcomes. He hesitated but eventually took a bite of the fruit. As the fruit touched his tongue, a strong, sweet alcohol flavor flooded his mouth. It was so rich that Mason believed no other alcohol could match its taste. If he had known the fruit would be this delicious, he would have eaten it the moment he laid eyes on it. Slowly, he savored the taste, almost forgetting himself.
Suddenly, a refreshing sensation washed over him, followed by a wave of drowsiness. Yawning widely, Mason's speech grew sluggish.
"Masserr massooonn.sleepyyyy." Bowen rushed to support him, guiding Mason to lie down on the bed until he fell unconscious.
"System, is everything alright?" Bowen asked, concerned.
"There is no cause for concern, host. This is a sign that the body has begun the alcohol-neutralizing process. He will likely be unconscious for a maximum of ten hours," the system reassured.
"Thank goodness. It's just a side effect," Bowen sighed in relief.
With Mason taken care of, Bowen turned his attention to another important task: purchasing a spear technique for Xander.
Martial and magical technique books differed from skill books. Techniques could be authored by individuals with expertise in the field, much like writing a finance book after years of corporate experience. Learning from these technique books required significant time and effort, and without proper guidance, one might not learn correctly. In an era rife with faulty and fake techniques, caution was necessary when purchasing and practicing them.
Skill books, in contrast, were 99% authentic, tried and certified through rigorous testing. Compiled by experts of master and grand master ranks, these books imparted skills directly to the reader upon touch. This made magic and martial skills highly sought after. However, training was still essential for mastering these skills.
While the Scarlet Palm Blaze and Viper's Fang Art that Bowen possessed were martial skills granted by Solaris, the ice magic skill Lucifer acquired was a magic skill. The technique Bowen intended to buy for Xander, however, was a martial technique. These books were accessible in decent bookstores and libraries.
After ensuring Mason's rest, Bowen set off for Aswalt's largest bookstore. Amidst the bustling market, he arrived at the two-story building, a renowned establishment in Aswalt for book enthusiasts.
Bowen took a quick look at the orange building with a big wooden plaque that read "READER'S CHRONICLE." Two big wooden doors were kept open, welcoming the customers. It seemed like it was busy inside the store, with many people entering and exiting at that time. Bowen too entered quickly without hesitation.
The bookstore was enveloped with a library-like atmosphere. At the back end, many wooden tables were laid out, extending all over to the middle of the hall, leaving space on the left for access to the bookshelves. The store had a high ceiling, so from the lower floor, one could see the second floor, which was fully dedicated to books. Several wooden shelves were placed one after another, leaving just a two-foot space in between for people to walk and choose their desired books.
Bowen went to the reception area just to find the table hiding him completely when he stood beside it.
[Shit - maybe I should have worn the transformation coat and come in my adult form.] he thought.
"Excuse me," he said, nonetheless attracting the attention of the fat woman who seemed to be the store's front desk personnel.
"Hmm... little boy. Did you miss your mama? Tell me how she looks, and I will look out for her," she said.
[Yeah, right. He really should have worn it.] "No, I don't have parents accompanying me. I came here on my own," said Bowen, trying to act mature.
"Haa! Leaving a kid alone at such a young age. Tsk tsk. Women today only care about themselves. Sigh," sighed the woman, disappointed. "Fine, kid, what can I do for you? Picture books? Or alphabets? What do you want?"
Another embarrassing situation!!!!
"Can you tell me where spearman ship techniques are?" asked Bowen, making the lady go surprised.
"Those are not for kids, okay? Get going now. Bring an adult with you next time," she said, stubbornly treating Bowen like a child. For Bowen, he had already come up against these kinds of challenges almost everywhere. Well, except for the store where he went to buy Mason a slave collar. Only the young store owner treated him like an adult. Bowen had become experienced in deceiving people now.
"It's not for me, but for my master," said Bowen, shaking his head. "He is a spearman user; he wanted me to bring a book for his research."
"Oh! That's why," said the woman, realizing. "It is normal for many masters to send out their disciples for these kinds of tasks. But I still cannot let you choose those books," she said.
"Why?" asked Bowen, confused.
"One must have a proper license to buy that kind of book. Something like your adventurer or mercenary license or any job license that requires the use of weapons. You can also use a school ID where your master works," she added.
There are conditions even to buy techniques? Just as he guessed, martial and magical skills cannot be bought by anyone; the martial and magical techniques would be in high demand. Normal civilians are prohibited from accessing them to prevent them from following the wrong techniques and harming themselves.
Bowen got depressed and decided to find another way to get the book. Just as he turned towards the door, he saw a familiar figure entering the bookstore.
"LUTHER!!!!"
Bowen's face beamed with joy. "Wow, what a great coincidence," said Bowen, running to Luther.
This is the first time Luther had seen Bowen smiling in his presence. When he saw Bowen in the bookstore, he thought he must run without getting in Bowen's sight and come back later, but this! He never expected it. Did Bowen accept him as his brother-in-law? Will he approve of Lydia and him being together? At this thought, Luther became too happy.
"Boweeennn!! My little brother. How are you?" he said, smiling, and with that, Bowen's face turned stiff again.
"Who is your little brother??? I dare you to dream that again," Bowen said menacingly.
Right! Luther should have run before. He really should have.
"Anyway, come with me," said Bowen and dragged Luther to the front desk without any warning.
"Miss, this is my master. He is a ranker," said Bowen, smiling.
"Master?" Luther saw Bowen with wide eyes. "When did I become your master?" he thought. It was Bowen who taught him instead. How can he be Bowen's master? Luther opened his mouth for clarification, and Bowen's grip on Luther's arm became tight, stopping him from uttering a word. He looked down at Bowen, giving him a look that said, "Play along."
With each passing second, the grip became tighter and tighter. As a D ranker, he had never felt pain with just someone grabbing him. That's when Luther understood that Bowen is not only knowledgeable but strong. Even a fellow D ranker's grip may not be this painful.
"YESS! Yes, I am his master," said Luther, confirming. He immediately took out his ranker's badge with D- on it, making the receptionist's jaw drop. D - rankers are more respectable and influential in Yuria. Seeing one is a rare blessing. It is to be noted that the strongest person in Aswalt is an E rank.
"Oh! Sorry, sir. I didn't recognize your student," said the receptionist, getting up and giving a 90-degree bow.
"It's fine, it's fine. Just … just do what my bro (cough cough) ... my student says," said Luther, forcing a smile.
"Yes, sir. Sure, the spearman ship technique that you wanted is on the second floor. 72nd cupboard. Would you like me to guide you there?" asked the fat lady.
"No, thank you. Now, can I buy any book I want? Can I not?" asked Bowen.
"Yes, yes! Please buy anything; it will be an honor for Reader's Chronicle," said the receptionist, bowing.
Bowen immediately neglected Luther and went to the stairs that led to the second floor. Luther's part was done, and pervert uncles like him should be discarded immediately, especially since he has his eyes on his sweet big sister.
"Bowen, wait. Hey, wait. I want to talk to you. Please wait a minute," the receptionist saw something surprising. Why does a master act so respectfully toward his own student? Especially when he is a dignified ranker. Is this the trend now? Anyway, she couldn't pry into the business of people in high social classes, so she turned a blind eye and continued her work.
"Hey, Bowen, I want to talk about something. Can you stop for a second?" Luther ran behind Bowen.
"If you are here to beg for my permission to meet my sister, as you always do, then just fu** off. I have no intention of seeing your face again."
"Ha! Actually, that too, but I want to know something important."
"What?" Bowen turned to face Luther with an irritated expression.
"Your strength. Do you practice any strength martial arts?" Luther asked something Bowen didn't expect.
"No, why do you ask?"
"Then why are you stronger than me? Luther asked, confused.
"Stronger than you? How do you know?"
"Your grip earlier, even I, myself, a D- ranker, cannot exert such force. No, you seem to surpass the strength of even D rankers. Almost equal to D+ ranker's strength. How did you do it?"
"What???? [I'm just an E- ranker though]," thought Bowen.