The weekend had arrived eventually.
“Overnight leave is generally unrestricted regardless of destination, but please remember that you are still a member of Tane wherever you go. In case of emergency, simply break the orb I’m giving you now.”
Tane was located just a little way outside the imperial capital.
It’s technically within the capital, but far enough from the city center that it doesn’t feel like it. Students usually commute to and from the academy by carriage.
“Can’t believe I’m stuck riding with you. This sucks.”
“That’s my line.”
Somehow, I ended up sharing a carriage with Irina from the Knight Department. We bumped into each other while waiting earlier, and naturally ended up like this.
She was prickly, sure but not a bad person.
Of course, she’d say stuff like “Didn’t you say you’d run 100 laps?” or crank up the weight on my magic training gear just to mess with me…
But from my perspective, she just felt like a typical girl her age.
If I had to compare her to something… maybe a temperamental puppy?
Wait, that doesn’t sound too flattering.
Still, it was nice to have someone you could banter with comfortably.
“So, why are you going out?”
“Just… shopping.”
“Getting some new protective gear or something?”
“…Do you think everyone’s obsessed with training like you? I know how to relax, too.”
Huh. Now that I looked closer, she really had put some effort into her appearance. I found myself staring at her without realizing.
“What? Why are you staring like that?”
“…Aha. You’re going on a date.”
“Wh-What?!”
“If you’re going alone, I doubt it’s someone from our academy… and since the date’s near the capital… could it be someone from another academy?”
“──!!!”
Judging by her reaction, I’d hit the nail on the head. I pressed just a little further.
“Hmm. You’re not the type to get flustered easily… so if you’re reacting like this… don’t tell me…it’s someone from Damagen Academy?”
“Y-You—!!”
Damagen Academy. One of the empire’s three great academies.
According to the setting, Damagen Academy is a rival school that constantly clashes with Tane, and it’s well known that the students of both institutions don’t get along.
“If you spread any rumors…!! You… you…!”
“Well, that assumes I have anyone to spread them to.”
“…It’s a relief that it’s you, Adel… but still!”
“I won’t say anything. And hey, that was kind of rude. Oh, we’re here.”
Just then, the carriage came to a halt.
“Huh? Why are we stopping here…?”
“I’m getting off here. Catch you later.”
Even if two people are heading to the city, different destinations mean one can get off earlier like this.
“O-Okay…”
Leaving behind her quiet response, I stepped down from the carriage and then tilted my head at a sudden thought.
Wait… did I just stumble on some leverage?
At the same time—
Irina, contrary to what Adel was imagining, was quietly overwhelmed for a different reason.
Clip-clop, clip-clop…
The sound of hooves as the carriage resumed moving.
…Black Alley.
Outside the window, the street she saw gave off an eerie vibe despite the clear weather.
The Empire’s shadow.
That’s what this alley was called.
What business could he possibly have in a place like this…?
She pressed against the window to try and catch a glimpse of Adel, but he had already vanished from sight.
***
“…Hoo.”
I let out a quiet sigh.
The moment I got off here, I was hit with a completely different kind of gaze than what I was used to at the academy.
No one was directly staring, and yet I felt countless eyes on me. Probably because I got off wearing an academy uniform with the Tane emblem on it.
I quietly pulled up my hood.
From here on out, I had to be careful. After all, even in the game, Black Alley was a place where the full extent of its darkness had never been revealed.
◆ [Total Magical Structure Analysis] activated…
◆ [Shame Transformation] Trait manifesting…
I circulated mana throughout my body. The stored-up mana drawn from all the training tools I’d been using stirred to life.
◆ Available Mana: [1,490]
Let’s do this.
I skillfully navigated the twisting backstreets.
My destination was a certain magical tool shop.
After unlocking several hidden doors tucked away on an isolated path and stepping inside—
Click.
Suddenly….what little background noise there had been vanished into silence.
And the world changed.
What lay before me no longer looked anything like an alley.
Despite it being broad daylight outside, the sky was dark. Street vendors lined with all sorts of mysterious goods. A street filled with shimmering lights.
Bustling—
A strange scent wafted from somewhere.
Meow—.
A cat’s cry followed it.
But I couldn’t let myself be distracted by this scene. This place, more than anywhere else, was the most dangerous at this moment.
“Oh my. First time here?”
“…….”
A woman wearing a wide-brimmed hat suddenly approached.
She gently grabbed at my clothes, then said,
“Sniff sniff—. No vulgar smell. So, what are you here for?”
“Let’s pass through……”
I muttered softly, as if I hadn’t heard anything. Like I was talking to myself.
I relaxed my gaze and acted like I was looking past her, at something beyond.
“……Hmm.”
With that, she vanished.
“…….”
That was close. I quickly blended into the crowd.
Even within the true Black Alley I had worked so hard to reach, I moved toward a more secluded area.
I didn’t think I’d actually see that.
That was a test.
Extremely sensitive mana perception.
Only with that could you barely make out the faint glow of mana. Just enough to see her true nature.
Her question, which seemed like simple solicitation at first glance, would’ve meant instant death the moment I answered. With my current specs, I couldn’t hope to take her on.
Still… to see her so clearly must mean… Adel’s talent is exceptional. I didn’t think it would be this much.
There isn’t even a character in the original work who can clearly perceive the “woman with the wide brimmed hat”.
Which means Adel’s magical sensitivity surpasses even the playable characters.
That’s what made it so dangerous. She appeared so clearly that I almost mistook her for a regular vendor at first.
“Phew…”
I asked myself:
Was there really a reason to come into Black Alley, even at the risk of something like this?
Yes. Absolutely.
◆ Hidden Area Discovered!
◆ NP +1,000
◆ Encountered “Woman with the Wide Brimmed Hat”!
◆ NP +100,000
A hundred thousand NP just for an encounter… Considering the risk, it’s a bit low, but it can’t be helped.
This was all for one thing: NP pumping.
Simply entering Black Alley caused NP to pour in from all kinds of places.
In the game, this method was known as the “Early Alley Rush” strategy.
Of course, doing it in real life and actually risking your life was unbelievably dangerous…
But I was someone who would die to my sister if I did nothing. If I didn’t take at least this much risk, the end result would be the same.
“……This should be it.”
With that resolve, after walking for quite a while, I finally arrived.
[Deeks Magical Tools]
A wooden sign with one of its strings broken, dangling loosely.
I may not be able to beat Camilla, but I should at least prepare enough specs to run away.
With that plan in mind, I pushed open the old wooden door.
“You want to appraise magical tools?”
“Yes.”
“A greenhorn like you?”
“Recently, you’ve had a lot of magical tools that don’t operate properly coming in, right? You can pay me with those.”
“No. I meant before that.”
A man so old it seemed like he could die any moment. The person before me was the owner of “Deeks Magical Tools,” a shop buried in a corner of Black Alley.
“Magical tools are far more delicate than you think. If something goes wrong after I let you handle them, who’s going to take responsibility?”
“Well. That won’t happen, but if you want me to take responsibility, I will. Should I chop off an arm or something and have you attach it back?”
Silence.
Tick-tock—tick-tock—
Only the clock echoed oddly through the room.
The countless objects scattered throughout the interior formed a kind of composed chaos. The place was almost artistic in its disorder.
“So you know what this place sells?”
“No one in Black Alley doesn’t know the healer. They say severed limbs grow back, right? Or wait…was it that you reattach them?”
“……Hmph. Where did you pick up such rumors?”
The old man tossed something my way. I caught it before it fell, and immediately felt its heavy weight.
Something shaped like an arm. Only faint mana could be felt from within.
A magical prosthetic arm.
A meticulously forged item, crafted so precisely that you wouldn’t notice it was a prosthetic.
But I had a way to uncover everything down to its very foundation…
◆ [Total Magical Structure Analysis] manifesting…
The structure of the item in my hand unfolded into a schematic.
“…….”
After about ten seconds.
I finally opened my mouth.
“The outer skin looks real… but inside, it’s just an ordinary iron arm. The neural transmission magic engraving is a bit unstable, though. They overdid it with the strength amplification enchantment. It puts too much strain on the finger parts, so delicate movements would be impossible.”
“……”
“The problem lies in the wrist. Of course, if pressure is applied to the wrist, it’ll affect the fingers too. Best to discard it. With an arm like this, you’d either crush things or drop them.”
“……”
“Well, there’s room for improvement, but making a new one would be less of a hassle. Still, it’s a well-made magical tool. Should be good enough for throwing punches.”
“Hrmph!!!”
Flash.
At that moment, the old man’s eyes flew open.
“……Whoa. You had your eyes closed, sir?”
“That contract you mentioned earlier. Is it still valid?”
“Contract?”
“No, wait. I can’t hire someone this skilled just with junk. I’ll add a token of sincerity to the payment.”
“……Oh, well, if you’re offering, I appreciate—”
“I’ve been waiting for an appraiser like you. Please, don’t go anywhere else. Sign with us!!!”
“What? No interview or anything?”
“Interview? Who needs that nonsense! With skill like yours, I don’t care if your personality is trash!! Even if you killed someone, I’d still take your side!!”
“Wait, what…”
I gave a small nod for now.
I always thought the Total Magical Structure Analysis was a pretty useful trait, but I didn’t expect a reaction like this.
“If you pay me upfront, I’ll consider it positively…”
Clink.
“Ten gold coins. In Black Alley, we use these instead of regular currency.”
“Ten… coins?”
That should be more than enough, right?
“Alri—”
Wait.
Didn’t he just say, “Don’t go anywhere else”? I don’t recall any other shops from the original story. It might be worth checking them out too.
“Is it not enough? Then how about fifteen coins!!!”
“I gladly accept your offer!!!”
But that’s just a thought.
Words of acceptance slipped out of my mouth before I realized it.
And just like that, I walked out of Black Alley with a cheerful smile.
I didn’t feel bad. If anything, I felt a strange sense of accomplishment.
I thought for a moment about how to describe the feeling, then it hit me.
Ah. It feels like landing a weekend part-time job!
In Tane, students were provided with almost everything for free, but money was still always needed. There was no way I wouldn’t be happy about getting a new source of income.
Especially since I’d be getting a magical tool paid in advance every time. This was truly killing two birds with one stone.
I pulled the magical tool I got today out of my pocket.
Third Rank magical tool. Not bad.
To others, it would look like nothing more than a lump of metal.
But in reality, it wasn’t that simple.
This was something halfway made for a “Shifter”.
Heinel Shifter.
A genius mage of the Tower, who would later uncover the secrets of the Shifter constitution.
While I was changing magical structures using the game system, she was out there somewhere doing it manually through trial and error.
And when that trial and error led to failure… the results became scrap, sold off to Black Alley by low-ranking Tower members.
That’s how I got my hands on it.
Ding—
[An 8% modified magical structure has been detected.]
-Modifiable Spell Structure: Flash Control
-Would you like to acquire it?
“I’ll acquire it.”
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