Kays Translations

Chapter 25: City Stroll

"Hmm, I can't read this either..."

Isamu, who had started researching magical tools in the afternoon, as planned, was examining the functional circles of magical tools in Eto's workshop one by one.

Previously, when he had examined the magical circle of a magic lantern, he could read the activation circle, but he couldn't read the functional circle. More precisely, he could see that there were characters written, but he couldn't understand their meaning. Even now, he couldn't read the functional circle of the second magic tool he examined that day.

"I wonder what this is... As functional as these magic tools are, they should definitely have some meaning. If the activation circle can be read, even if there's unnecessary information, the magic circle shouldn't work unless there's a purpose."

"Well, that's true. I can understand if it's not moving, but the fact that it's moving and we don't know why makes it even more mysterious."

As Isamu folds his arms and groans, Eto calls out to him.

“That's right, Eto-san. That's what I don't understand the most. As far as I can see on the activation circle, it's okay to write unnecessary things, but if it's meaningless, the magic circle shouldn't move.''

Isamu mumbled to himself as he took another magic tool and began examining its functional circle.

"What do you think??" 

Eto asked with concern, but Isamu just weakly shook his head without replying.

For two days, Isamu had examined about five different magic tools that were found in Eto's workshop, and the results were always the same. Even though he had checked all the magic tools in Eto's workshop over these two days, all his efforts had been in vain.

For two days, they scrutinized the functional arrays with no results, leaving a disheartened Isamu. Unable to bear seeing him like this, Annemarie invited Isamu for a change of mood.

He had been staring at the functional circles with an empty look for the past two days. However, in reality, Isamu wasn't feeling down; he was just lost in thought about why he couldn't read the circle. Since he hadn't explored the city much yet, he gladly accepted Annemarie's invitation to go for a walk.

However, when they actually tried to take a walk in the city, they encountered a challenge. As evident from Annemarie's popularity among the townspeople, who loved her as if she were an idol, going out alone with a man they knew nothing about would surely spark rumors. If anyone with a short temper saw them together, there might even be confrontations. Isamu didn't think that half-hearted disguises would work, and if they were discovered, the consequences would be worse.

So, they decided to present the situation as guiding a visitor from another country. Fortunately, Isamu had black hair, which was uncommon in this country, so posing as a foreign visitor raised no suspicions. They could even casually mention phrases like, "In my country..." without any issues. While Isamu was considered a guest, he didn't qualify as a dignitary, so only a few knights accompanied them as guards. Moreover, they were now free to travel in a horse-drawn carriage with the family crest.

Annemarie, who had been looking forward to their "outing," expressed her dissatisfaction, but they had no other choice. Therefore, with Felix, Liddell, and Marcela, their usual companions, Isamu and Annemarie set out for the city.

Having practiced some magic in the morning before leaving, they went out during the time between breakfast and lunch, which is when they would start feeling a bit hungry. So, they decided to start by exploring the food stalls.

Many of the stalls offered food, so they could sample various items while exploring the town. The street where the second-level stalls were gathered felt like a bustling market. Small shops lined the outer perimeter, and on the opposite side of the street were stalls.

Given the bowl-shaped design of the city, there was nothing behind the stalls. There was a low fence for safety, but it seemed unlikely to be very effective. The advantage was that setting up a stall here was quite cheap.

Isamu asked a valid question: "Aren't there any accidents where people fall?" In response, Annemarie smiled and said.

"The people of this city are taught from a young age not to enter within a melte (a unit of distance) of the cliff. So, there are no cases of people falling."

Although accidents leading to fatal falls occurred every few years due to drunkenness, they were considered a matter of personal responsibility, and even their families didn't complain.

"Welcome! How about some grilled skewers?"

"Would you like some Pom fruit juice? It’s sweet, sour and delicious."

"These are sweet potatoes. How about them as tonight's side dish?"

"Come see these freshly picked boret mushrooms! Come check them out!"

Calls from the stall vendors could be heard all around, creating a lively atmosphere. Since it was a busy time just before lunch and about to enter the third round of business for the day, the vendors were putting in extra effort to attract customers.

When Annemarie appeared with her entourage in this lively setting, the energy levels of the vendors went even higher. Being quite used to guiding visitors, and with the residents being well-behaved in that regard, the situation was manageable. However, the enthusiasm from the vendors showed how popular Annemarie was.

"Lady, please try our skewers!"

"Feel free to try Pom fruit juice for the customers!"

The vendors tried to provide their products as if they could make customers full without a purchase. However, Annemarie politely declined their offers and paid for the items she wanted.

The street had trees planted at regular intervals, providing shade, and benches and tables were placed underneath them. Occasionally, they would sit there to enjoy food from the stalls. They passed through the food stall area for about two hours, taking a break.

"Annemarie-san, you're really popular."

"I'm so embarrassed. Everyone is so nice, and I'm truly grateful."

Isamu straightforward words prompted a slightly bashful but proud response from Annemarie.

"Yes, they were all really nice. They treated me kindly even though I'm a nobody from who knows where."

"Hehe, it's because Isamu-san has a good personality."

"Ahaha, thank you."

"We've had quite a bit to eat, so we're probably fine for lunch, but do you want to eat something else?"

"Well, I'm pretty full now. What do the stalls ahead sell?"

"From here, it's called 'Junk Street.' They mainly sell bone tools and ancient magic artifacts. Some of the items are even excavated from dungeons, and you might find some special artifacts there."

Loot from dungeons. How exciting those words sounded to Isamu, who had enjoyed games and manga more than the average person.

"That sounds interesting! I'd like to visit there too, is that okay?"

"Yes, of course!"

With excitement in his eyes, Isamu received a smiling answer from Annemarie.

The place was indeed suitable for its nickname, "Junk Street." Items like short swords engraved with beautiful patterns, pots with snake-like illustrations, and spoons that faintly gleamed with silver were scattered around. Alongside them, many unidentifiable objects were being sold.

Additionally, among them were magic tools from ancient times, magic tools whose purpose was unknown, and magic tools that appeared to be broken, not typically seen.

As Isamu peered into each one, his eyes shone brightly, like an overseas otaku visiting Akihabara for the first time. He was shown the functional circles, but they were all still incomprehensible to him. Nevertheless, seeing Isamu enjoying himself without any disappointment, Annemarie smiled happily.

As they reached the latter part of Junk Street, they encountered a somewhat different stall compared to the others. A small sign hung above the stall with "Magic Circle Graveyard" written on it. The stall was filled with various magic circles of different sizes, and none of them were in the form of magic tools. It seemed like a specialty store dedicated to complete magic circles, and they were displayed without concern for any cracks or missing parts. Isamu, who stopped in his tracks, called out to the man who seemed to be the shop owner.

"Do you only deal with magic circles here?"

"Hey there, welcome. Yep, as you can see, we're selling just magic circles. Feel free to take a look."

The man, wearing round glasses and a baggy robe, looked relatively young when you took a closer look. He was probably in his early thirties.

"That's a lot of them... Why do you specialize in selling only magic circles?"

"Oh, are you interested in magic circles? You see, I like the aesthetics of magic circles. Even if they have functions and meanings, they're beautiful as designs. It's like famous swords—they're not just great as weapons but also have value as works of art. I think magic circles are the same. Originally, I used to collect magic tools. Once I had collected a fair amount, I couldn't be satisfied with what was being sold anymore. So I started going into ruins and dungeons to look for ancient magic tools. That's when I found out. There are a ton of magic circles in the ruins that are now disconnected from magic tools, and they don't have a clear purpose. I started with an interest in magic circles, collecting magic tools. So, if only magic circles are lying around, that's more convenient, right? Plus, it doesn't cost as much money. Since then, I've been collecting magic circles like crazy, and here I am."

The man said this with genuine enthusiasm.

Everyone has their own hobbies. In Isamu’s home world, there were people who were manhole cover enthusiasts or brick wall enthusiasts.

It wasn't strange at all to have a magic circle enthusiast.

"That's great. I also love the aesthetic beauty of magic circles, especially their functionality. But, can you really make a business out of selling non-functional magic circles?"

"Haha, thanks for worrying about it. But, you know, there are quite a few people who simply love magic circles as they are. Besides, researchers and merchant guilds that create magic tools have a demand for them, so I can earn enough to make a living. Occasionally, you even find complete magic tools."

"Oh, I see. Turning your hobby into a business is wonderful. Can I take a look?"

"Of course, please do!"

Although they were displayed haphazardly, it appeared that they were sorted visually into groups. Whether it was the color of the base, the density of the magic circle, or whether the whole was circular, square, or triangular—classifying them like this would be quite common for those collecting them as works of art. Among them, Isamu had his eyes on a group with relatively large bases and a lot of information. Because they were large, they were stacked on top of each other, so Yuu began to check them one by one, lifting them up from the top.

And there, after turning over just two pieces, he had a fateful encounter.

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