『'Enduring' Bastard Sword – A longsword enchanted with magic related to durability. It won't break from impacts below a certain level and can completely absorb even impacts above a certain level once per hour. It can't withstand excessive impacts.』
What I chose was one of the two blue – rare performance longswords among the purple longswords that could be purchased now.
"Phew…"
When I chose this one among the numerous swords, Scarlet seemed rather relieved. She probably thought I was going to spend all my wealth on Eve's weapon.
There's no way she could know.
That this has a similar appearance to what Eve is using now, and also has all the performance I'm aiming for.
For Eve to use 'Explosive Power' well, an ordinary longsword would be difficult to use. The sword she originally had got many chips after tearing through the shield in the experiment.
That's why I chose this sword.
"Here you are, Lady."
"Thank you."
Perhaps because the enchanted magic isn't considered an ability necessary for ordinary swords, the price was relatively cheap at 500V. This should be enough to use well for the time being.
I could guarantee that it would demonstrate several times the efficiency of its price.
-Clack clack!
"This child…"
There was a moment when the succubus, who recognized the skeleton's 'intelligence' because it couldn't contain its happy reaction after receiving the sword, looked at her closely. Still, it's fine because she can't do anything unless I send her away or die.
If a situation where I die occurs anyway, it might be better for this one to protect her.
"It's an excellent child."
"I can see that. I understand why you're attached to it."
"Indeed."
"But such excessive spending like this time…"
"I'll handle it myself, so leave it be. We just met for the first time today, didn't we? You're going too far."
"Ugh… Come to think of it, that's true…"
The succubus frowned and then let out a deep sigh.
But now I was starting to feel unpleasant too, so this time I frowned and crossed my arms to clearly signal her not to interfere any further.
Perhaps because of this, there were no other incidents afterwards.
I just used it all because I thought I would have to spend all the resources I had anyway.
"I'll consider this as an investment in you, Lady."
"There's no need for that."
"Please accept it. I've been rude several times, and you've been generous…"
"…If that's the case."
"Yes. Please."
What I purchased were a few basic trap magic blueprints to install in the dungeon rooms, two spells, and a map of this area.
However, the map wasn't originally something I could afford to buy, so I was planning to purchase it next time, but here Scarlet was just being considerate of my situation.
"I'll see you next time, Lady! I'm Scarlet Spira Spina, manager of the Mammon Guild!"
"Take care."
That was the end of the meeting with the first goblin… no, succubus dungeon merchant.
* * *
Maria Olas, who stopped by the city of Solemio near her hometown to see her much younger sister and her friends amidst her busy schedule.
However, what awaited her when she visited the adventurers' guild in the city carrying magic neutralizing herbs was unexpected news.
"Those children haven't returned?"
The ominous news that the squad of novice adventurers, including her sister, had not yet returned.
"Yes. It's written that it's already been two weeks since they left…"
The guild receptionist answered nervously to Maria's words as she stiffened her face seriously.
Maria Olas was a high-ranking adventurer, and Solemio was a place so peaceful that it was difficult to see such high-ranking talent easily.
So they could only be nervous in front of her, even though she was only a high-ranking adventurer.
The area around Solemio had no dangerous dungeons nearby. It was surrounded by mountains and large rivers at the border, so it had been an area without any particular dangers until now.
Because of this, it was a good area for novice adventurers to build a foundation to move on to other places while accumulating quests one by one.
But to think that adventurers, and children including her own sister, had gone missing in such a place.
"Why didn't you send additional reconnaissance? It's the principle to send additional reconnaissance if the return is delayed by more than three days after strictly calculating the round-trip period."
"Well…"
The receptionist rolled her eyes awkwardly, unable to answer.
Maria felt anger welling up at such an attitude, but she quickly swallowed that emotion.
If she couldn't get the guild's cooperation now that the children were missing, there was a high chance she wouldn't be able to find the children, or at least their bodies or belongings.
"I'll put in a request to the guild. The deadline is one month. The reward will match the level of a designated quest. Four people. Personnel limit is adventurers of average rank or higher. Preference for quick and sharp-eyed individuals, even if they're apprentices. Do you understand?"
"Yes, yes!"
Bang!
"Please give me news as quickly as possible. Even an interim report!"
"I undershtand!"
After glaring at the receptionist, who bit her tongue in her hurry to answer, making it clear that she wasn't without complaints, Maria left her seat.
The children were excellent resources for apprentice adventurers. If three such individuals had gone missing at the same time, it was necessary to start the search by matching the minimum number of people, even including herself, a high-ranking adventurer, and her colleagues.
The guild also had some wrongdoing, so they would actively cooperate with her.
Now, she had to gather people as quickly as possible and set out to search for the children.
To Maria, who couldn't contain her anger, her colleague who had accompanied her for the purpose of recuperation asked.
"Aren't you spending too much money? They could be playing somewhere with nice water in the mountain."
"The city is unusually noisy. If it hadn't been like this, I do think they would have handled it properly. And…"
A man with bright green hair and a swallow-like atmosphere.
The identity of her colleague was Daniel Smith, a high-ranking archer and tracker of the 'Shadow Blade' guild to which Maria belonged.
Usually, he was an unreliable person who often flirted with Maria herself, but now there was no one more reassuring than him.
Although she was gathering more people just in case, she honestly thought he alone would be enough when it came to finding someone.
After all, he was one of the talents gathering the guild's expectations, like Maria.
Even so, she couldn't help but be irritated by his current words.
"Those kids aren't like that. They're diligent and good children."
"Hmm, well. If they're the siblings of the diligent Miss Maria, they must be friends with good personalities."
"…Please. Help me."
"No, well. Of course I should help."
"Haah…"
The man said this with a rather refreshing smile.
In fact, that smile was quite pleasant to look at, thanks to the man's good looks, but to Maria, it seemed as if there was some kind of scheme.
It was as if it was full of intention, like 'After helping, Miss Maria will surely change her attitude on her own.'
Maria let out a big sigh openly at this, but the man didn't seem to care at all.
"Alright. If the children are really safe, I'll go on a date or whatever with you afterwards."
"This is motivating. Once the search starts, I'll find them within three days."
"It will take at least three days just to move. It will take longer as we search along the way."
"Uh… then six days?"
"Okay. I'm counting on you."
Still, Maria felt her heart lighten a little. It was thanks to the positive attitude of the man who sincerely believed that nothing would happen.
'This man has some use outside of work after all.'
Two days later.
A search party of six people, centered around Maria Olas and Daniel Smith, began to move to find the missing adventurers.
* * *
The apprentice mage Sonia, who had become alone.
It was a full week after the incident in the dungeon when she woke up from her sleep.
In fact, there was Rita's behind-the-scenes work of purchasing and learning the 'Nightmare' curse from the succubus merchant Scarlet, but there was no way for her to know that now.
"Ah, you're awake."
"Where… is this…?"
"You've been sleeping for a week. Please eat this for now."
She was simply surprised by the fact that a week had passed when she woke up from her sleep, and by the appearance of a beauty who seemed too good for this world.
"…Thank you for the meal."
"Is there any other discomfort in your body?"
"No. Nothing… Ouch."
Sonia, who was about to shake her head, flinched at the sudden pain that overtook her body, and only then discovered that her head and legs were bandaged.
Until then, Sonia had thought that her friends had escaped from the dungeon, left her unconscious self in someone's care for a while after paying some money, and gone to report to the guild.
If she hadn't seen her friends' belongings on the bedside table after seeing the bandages on her legs and raising her head.
"Um…?"
"…Huh. Your legs should be mostly healed. Can you move?"
From then on, Sonia, who couldn't gather her dazed mind, moved along as the house owner guided her.
Where they arrived was behind the secluded cabin.
More precisely, it was two graves made in a small clearing there, with only small wooden crosses stuck in without any buried bodies.
And the familiar names written on them.
"It can't be…?"
"You were the only one alive from there. I could know the names thanks to the adventurer identification cards, but…"
"Ah… Ahhh…!"
Sonia threw away her crutches and collapsed towards the graves as if falling.
Tears flow from her two eyes, and soon, blood tears flow as her eyelids are torn by her nails that she frantically clawed against her face.
"Jack… Remi…!! Aaagh… Aaaagh…!! Aaaaagh-!!!"
Waking up from an unsatisfying sleep, she had to accept the cruel truth that she was left alone in this world without her friends.
"…"
There was only one person watching her. Only the woman with otherworldly beauty who owned the cabin.
What sparkled in the depths of those eyes was an ominously deep purple flame.