NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 58: Shop
"Ugh…" I slammed the pillow in frustration, a surge of anger coursing through me.
"I HIT HIM SQUARE IN THE FACE! IT'S A HEADSHOT!" I groaned, clutching my chest and tossing around in bed. Alicia remained peacefully asleep beside me, unfazed by my turmoil. No matter what I did, she wouldn't stir. I'd drugged her with sleeping pills before. I continued to toss and turn until dawn broke, then dragged myself out of bed, my face worn with exhaustion.
"Oh, Lady Eli, what's the matter? You look pale today. Something troubling you?" asked my maid, noticing my disheveled appearance.
"I couldn't sleep well last night," I replied wearily.
"Ah, yes. I noticed you tossing and turning. Was it uncomfortable sharing the bed with me? I could sleep on the floor..." she offered.
"No, it wasn't that... Ugh! I was just upset about Narwhal's financial report yesterday," I lied, trying to mask my frustration at failing to eliminate the counterintelligence agent.
"Really? Did something happen to his business?" Alicia inquired.
"Yes, it was the farms. The ones with citrus, spices, and bananas were raided by the Elderans," I explained.
"What?" Prince Ludwin interjected, joining the conversation after emerging from his room. "What was raided? The villagers?"
"Why are we still here? We must liberate those villagers from Elderan's oppression! I'll gather the troops immediately!" the impulsive prince exclaimed, storming out, but no one followed him.
"Was Prince Ludwin always so hot-headed? I remember him being more composed back in the academy," I remarked to his royal guard, Gladius.
"Lady Eli, Prince Ludwin was always dutiful. He received his first royal task from His Majesty, King Andre," Gladius replied, though Thor interjected.
"Gladius! That's confidential!"
"Well, the task has been completed, and Prince Ludwin and Lady Eli are close enough that he dropped the formalities willingly," Gladius shrugged.
"Well, that's true. I'm going to catch up with His Highness. You can talk to them. He needs to be stopped. A prince shouldn't lead wars on the front lines. What will I do if he gets hurt!" Thor exclaimed, running out while muttering curses directed at his prince. I wanted to laugh, but the situation wasn't exactly humorous. Gladeus was present, and he seemed eager to discuss Prince Ludwin.
"So, Prince Ludwin received a task from His Majesty?" I inquired.
"Yes, indeed. The task was simply to deliver supplies. He was thrilled, you know, feeling like he was finally making a contribution. But when the supplies were stolen, he felt he had failed his father and you. He felt responsible and chose to stay here," Gladeus explained. I rolled my eyes at the explanation.
"Isn't his unannounced presence in the castle likely to cause trouble?" I asked.
"We've already dispatched messengers to the royal capital..." Gladeus hesitated, avoiding eye contact. I knew what he was about to say.
"The messenger was from the Royal Guards, wasn't he? And if questioned about why the prince chose to stay, he'll have to admit the Royal Guard lost a cache of supplies. Do you think they'll deliver the message?" I pressed.
"Well, I informed the messenger that the prince sought greater achievements here than mere supply delivery. Hopefully, that will suffice as an excuse," Gladeus shrugged. I sighed, realizing we had no choice but to rely on these individuals to defend our county.
"Thank you, Lady Eli. You're more composed and clear-headed than I anticipated. Other nobles might scream and shout at me, feeling their rights have been infringed upon. It's refreshing to be honest with you," Gladeus remarked.
"Screaming and pointing fingers will achieve nothing. Our county has only 300 knights, while the Royal Guards, a coalition of knights from other duchies and counties, numbered two thousand. I have to swallow the bitter pill if I want my county to survive," I concluded with a resigned tone.
"Thank you. I suppose I should go find my liege now. See you." He waved goodbye, and I replied, feeling a hint of melancholy.
"Tell Ludwin I said thanks." I waved back, though my energy was waning. I hadn't slept a wink since yesterday.
"Oh yeah, I still haven't dealt with the jammer. I'll have to go there again tonight. Ugh... the guards will definitely be swarming the place tonight," I muttered to myself as I gazed out the window. I still had to refill the feystone. I figured I'd have to rest after that.
"Greetings, Lady Elidranthia," Narwhal greeted me as I responded to his summons. I hadn't actually gone to his house; it was the other way around. He had signaled that he wanted to speak with me, so I invited him to the mansion, and then we went together to his restaurant.
"Sorry, but the attack failed yesterday," I reported. "The musketeers blocked me."
"I see. The musketeers? I have no idea who they are. I'll report your findings to R25B later," Narwhal responded.
"The musketeers are the three mage counterintelligence agents. They consist of a wind mage, fire mage, and ice mage," I explained. Narwhal's eyes widened at the revelation that I had been up against three mages from the Western Front.
"I see. I didn't come here solely to hear about your mission, however. R25B sent some support. It will cost you points though," he said with a wry smile. I glared at him and the figure of R25B behind him. Was he offering goods at this time? The jammer had really interfered with my ability to contact him. He seemed to be able to anticipate my troubles. How did he know I was in trouble?
"So, what did he offer? Can I refuse?" I asked.
"Yes, of course. So, first, there's the replenishment smoke grenade and flashbang at 50 points. I only brought two flashbangs, two smoke grenades, and three explosives."
"Sold. Next." I accepted without pause. It came at a very opportune moment. With flashbang and smoke grenades, I could distract them more easily. It was a no-brainer.
"Next are throwing knives. There are two variants, though: one with a hole in the handle and one without."
"Pass. I still have ten throwing knives on me. I don't need another one. Plus, these seem of lower quality anyway. They don't shine as much," I replied.
"Next is—" I interrupted Narwhal as he showed me a stick. But I knew what it was. A slider beside it revealed a hidden knife. Moreover, through my mana sight, I detected a fire enchantment inside. Could this be... a ballistic knife? The kind that shoots out! So cool!
"It's not just an ordinary pocket knife, R666. R25B says it's a cutting-edge knife that can shoot out its blade when you're in a pinch. It costs 40 points. They call it the Strider Enchanted Knife. You... really want it?"
"Do you sell just the blades too?"
"Yes, they're 2 points for a dozen of them."
"Sold," I said, examining the captivating blade before me. Smooth with a claw on its back, I could already envision using it in close combat against those agents. But then, a realization struck me. I couldn't carry all of these. With ten throwing knives, a trident dagger, a standard dagger, and a karambit, adding this would weigh more than 3 kilos. "Wait. I don't need a dozen. I only need six. So, 1 point for six blades."
"Alright," Narwhal agreed, setting aside the blades before picking up something else.
"Next is the katar. It's a push knife commonly used as an assassination weapon against armored bodyguards. R25B says most users of this weapon also learn boxing. It comes equipped with an H-shaped handguard, so you can even use it for parrying. It's sold as a pair. Do you want to switch out your hand weapon?"
"Hmm..." I pondered. This weapon certainly resembled something an assassin or ninja would wield. However, considering I already had a trident dagger and a standard one, I hesitated. "Ugh... I don't know. Let's purchase it for now."
"Then, the next item is a gun. Um... do you need it? I believe the firearm the royal prince gave you is superior. I'm not sure why R25B even mentioned this one," Narwhal commented, unveiling a one-meter rifle with a scope. It resembled a sniper rifle, but with a musket-like appearance, I doubted its effectiveness beyond 200 meters.
"No, I need the bullets. How many bullets, and do they fit my pistol?" I inquired.
"There are 10 bullets here, and each cost 2 points, so it's 20 points in total," Narwhal replied. I paused, incredulous. One bullet costing a person's monthly income?
"That's exorbitant for a single 1 cm diameter metal ball," I muttered.
"Yeah, ammunition prices have skyrocketed. The empire is buying it up, and R25B informed me about discussions of seizing ammunition from other counties, except those near Shadowsteps and the Western Front," Narwhal explained.
"I see. Well, I have to purchase them anyway."
"The gun costs 70 points, and the bullets cost 20 points," Narwhal clarified.
"Just the bullets. The gun can wait," I decided.
"Alright. The last item is the patta. It's useful if you're anticipating a fight against multiple opponents. The patta is a sword welded directly into the gauntlet," Narwhal described.
"Hey, this looks like something R4 would use. So it's called a patta, huh? I didn't know," I remarked.
"R4? That legendary reaper? Oh yeah, I heard you were recruited by him. Did he use a patta?" Narwhal asked, inspecting the weapon closely.
"I'm not purchasing that, though. It's too heavy," I replied.
"R661 and I could probably use this when we have enough money," Narwhal mused.
"How much is it?" I inquired.
"It's ten points," Narwhal answered.
"Alright, that's all I buy. how many points do I have left?" I inquired as I gathered my newly acquired items, particularly the ballistic knife.
"Alright, hold on. Let me calculate," Narwhal replied, reaching for his ledger. "The flashbangs and grenades are 50 points, plus the ballistic knife and six blades, which total 41 points. It's a magical tool, so it's a bit pricier. Then there are the 10 bullets, costing 20 points. Finally, the katar is 10 points, bringing the total to 131 points."
"If my calculation is correct, that means 615 minus 131 equals 484 points. But I need to set aside 300 points to rebuild the farm and store we lost. So, I only have 184 points left."
"Sorry about that," Narwhal apologized.
"It's not your fault. It was raided, after all," I reassured him as I packed my items into a bag. Narwhal promptly closed his suitcase, but his gaze drifted behind me.
"Lady Eli! What did you buy?" Alicia exclaimed from behind.
"HIEK!" I screamed and dropped the katar I had just bought.
"More knives?" Alicia questioned. She only saw the ballistic knives and katar I held as the flashbang and the smoke grenades were already tucked inside my pocket.
"Hmm? What's going on?" Prince Ludwin appeared behind Alicia, eyeing the knives. Gladeus also approached to inspect the dropped items.
"Oh, an assassin's knife," he muttered.
"Why did you buy an assassin's knife, Lady Eli?" Thor chimed in.
"It was just a hobby!" I protested.
"Do you also sell knives?" Thor asked Narwhal.
"Well, we didn't actually sell knives, but Lady Eli loves them. So when I traveled to stores and saw some antiquated knives, I wondered if Lady Eli would like them. After all, she has supported my stores," Narwhal explained with a smile. His smile seemed genuine, unlike mine.
"I see. Did you sell baselards?" Thor inquired.
"Of course. I have some decorated daggers such as the baselard, stiletto, dirk, rondel, and even Mughal daggers. The Mughal one is especially expensive, with its hilt decorated with jewels and coated in gold," Narwhal replied without missing a beat. Then, he retrieved a display case of decorated daggers from his room. However, I had no interest in them, as I already had my stilettos and standard daggers. They all served the same purpose.
"Oh, I like this one. You have good taste. Do you also collect swords?" The prince smiled as he inspected the case of gold-layered knives and their scabbard.
"Your praise is wasted on this humble servant, milord," Narwhal knelt. "I never collected swords as Milady never desired them. She deemed them too heavy and masculine."
"Here, Eli. You have a fondness for daggers, don't you?" the prince smiled, presenting me with the Mughal dagger. "I'll purchase it for you. This dagger seems to suit you. It's fitting for a militaristic noblewoman to possess a dagger or two."
"N-no. I don't want it," I declined. The curve of the Mughal's blade was shiny and alluring, but it was merely a decorative piece of gold. It was only sharp enough for one cut. I couldn't use it. From the corner of my eye, I saw Gladeus and Thor facepalming at the prince's behavior. Please scold him! Don't just stand there! You're his retainers, aren't you?
But my thoughts reached no one.