Lefiya Viridis.
According to Riveria, Lefiya is her chosen successor, an exceptionally gifted Mage with the potential to navigate the upper Dungeon floors with ease, unless confronted by a Floor Boss.
Her talent in Magic is considerable, enough for Riveria to place high expectations on her, once even saying, "If she continues to grow, she might surpass me one day."
That said, she's still lacking in experience.
To help her grasp the technique known as "concurrent chanting," Riveria arranged for Ryoji to accompany her during training runs on the upper levels.
"Sounds good." Ryoji nodded without hesitation.
Mages act as long-range artillery. Their magic is especially effective against the dog-type monsters on the 13th Floor, which are known for casting spells themselves. Having a skilled Mage along makes for a highly valuable team.
"Lefiya."
"Yes! Umm… please take care of me!"
At Riveria's signal, the golden-haired Elf stepped forward, bowing a little awkwardly to Ryoji with a flushed face.
"I'm heading into the Dungeon early tomorrow morning. Let's meet at the entrance."
"Okay, sure!"
Lefiya's cheeks turned pink, her gaze flickering uncertainly as she avoided looking directly at Ryoji.
'Lefiya Viridis! You can do this! You admire Ais San! Don't get distracted by some guy's charm!' A small voice deep in her heart kept cheering her on.
"Well then, I'll take my leave."
Riveria mentioned she still had things to teach Lefiya, and then left, taking the girl who still couldn't meet Ryoji's eyes with her. Before departing, Riveria glanced casually toward a distant corner, where a hint of golden hair was just visible.
A certain golden-haired girl stood hidden, watching them with her amber eyes, as if she wanted to approach but held herself back.
"Lefiya's really cute, huh?" Tiona leaned in with a slightly pouty tone.
"?"
Ryoji raised an eyebrow, puzzled.
Seeing the look on Tiona's face, he paused, then slowly pieced it together.
"Heh. You're pretty cute too, you know." Ryoji's expression softened, and his tone turned gentle. It was as though shoujo sparkles danced around him, his eyes twinkling and his presence practically glowing.
"Puchi!"
In that instant, it felt like an arrow pierced straight through Tiona's heart. Her face burned red, her knees wobbled, and all the strength drained from her limbs.
Who am I?
Where am I?
What just happened?
For a moment, her senses were so scrambled, she couldn't even remember what day it was.
"I need to go pick up a few things to prep for tomorrow's run. Want to come with me?"
Ryoji, unaware of Tiona's internal meltdown, thought she was just frozen in place. He mentally noted that dealing with this Amazoness was unexpectedly easy, then smiled and asked again.
"Ah… um, y-yeah! I'll go! I'll go, I'll definitely go!"
It took Tiona a moment to snap out of her daze. When she did, her eyes sparkled with energy, and she eagerly agreed, as if afraid he might change his mind.
"Then let's head out." Ryoji sheathed his weapon and left the courtyard with Tiona.
After they disappeared from view,
Ais stepped quietly from the corner, her golden eyes fixed on the direction they'd gone.
A gentle breeze blew through the courtyard, causing her hair to sway slightly. But she didn't move, simply stood there, silently lost in thought.
......
With Tiona leading the way, Ryoji felt like he had an expert guide through the city of Orario.
"Airmid! Gimme a dozen of your best recovery potions!"
Northwest Street.
Thanks to the Guild Headquarters nearby, this street had evolved into a haven for Adventurers. Both sides of the road were lined with shops selling gear, potions, and weapons. They were all large, well-established stores, with no street vendors in sight.
Tiona brought Ryoji into a potion shop emblazoned with the crest of the Dian Cecht Familia.
Inside, rows of test tubes covered the counter. Red potions for stamina recovery, azure potions for high-grade healing, and a wide range of other colors lined the shelves.
Behind the counter stood a single crystal vial filled with a mesmerizing, rainbow-colored potion that exuded an aura of rarity and power.
"Crusher. You're here."
The shopkeeper had the refined appearance of a doll, silvery long hair, dreamy light-violet eyes, and a calm demeanor. She wore a pristine white uniform typical of the Dian Cecht Familia, though the thigh-high white boots gave her a slightly different vibe, half healer, half warrior.
"The Loki Familia expedition hasn't started yet, has it?"
She came to the counter and handed Tiona a dozen azure vials, speaking in a composed, low voice.
"Nope! The next expedition's in twenty days. But I'm not here for expedition stuff!"
Tiona, usually full of energy, was practically overflowing with it today.
Ryoji nodded inwardly.
As expected of me, I accomplished what others find difficult with ease.
"A dozen high-grade recovery potions. That'll be three hundred thousand."
Before Ryoji could reach for his coin pouch, Tiona had already slapped down the money and cheerfully handed the potions over to him.
"Do you also have potions that restore Magic Power?"
Ryoji didn't hold back. Given Tiona was Level 5 and likely loaded, he accepted the potions without fuss, then turned to the silver-haired woman, Airmid.
"You mean mind Mana Recovery potions?"
Airmid raised an eyebrow slightly, quickly catching on to their expressions, then reached beneath the counter and retrieved a dozen orange-colored potions from the display window.
"Magic Power is directly tied to your Mind," She explained evenly. "So restoring your Mind will naturally restore your ability to cast Magic. These twelve will come to a total of one hundred thousand valis."
Whoa.
It felt like daylight robbery; no wonder the medical field in Orario was so profitable!
Potions came in a wide variety of types. For instance, basic recovery potions could only restore stamina. They were the cheapest, usually priced around 500 valis. Then there were Mana Recovery potions, designed to replenish the user's mental energy, essentially, their capacity to use Magic.
These cost a minimum of seven to eight thousand apiece. And finally, there were the high-grade recovery potions, which restored stamina while also accelerating the healing of injuries, anything from staunching blood loss to repairing fractured bones.
Unsurprisingly, they fetched prices in the tens of thousands.
"What about that one?" Ryoji's gaze was drawn to the back of the counter, to a crystal bottle housing a mesmerizing seven-colored potion. He couldn't help but ask Airmid about it.
"That," Airmid followed his gaze, her tone calm, "is a Miracle Potion."
"It's capable of healing severe internal injuries, shattered bones, essentially any form of physical trauma. Even someone on the brink of death can be brought back with just a single dose. It also cures status effects, poison, paralysis, and most other ailments."
Incredible.
Ryoji's eyes gleamed in awe.
"Five hundred thousand valis per bottle," Airmid added without missing a beat.
"Buy it!"
Tiona didn't hesitate for a second, her attitude was that of someone used to spending big.
"Do you even have that much money?" Ryoji asked, half-doubtful.
"Relax! I've got tens of millions in reserve!"
"…Wow. You've somehow gotten cuter."
"Ehehe~!"
(End of Chapter)
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