Episode 45.1

After exiting the dungeon, Lecan took Eda and Julius to the dungeon receptionist. Along with <Kwantor>.

"You're on floor 42 already?"

"We're annulling our contract with <Kwantor>. So now we're looking for new people. They're to get us through at least five floors starting from floor 43. The reward is two gold coins per floor conquered. Us three can deal with two shafts, so they only need to handle three shafts."

"Very well. Where can we contact you?"

"We'll be staying in this inn presently. Might be out in town during free days in daytime, but we should be back at night."

"Then we will leave the message at the inn."

"Yes please."

Afterward, <Kwantor>'s leader, Tolda informed the male receptionist that Eda is a <Healing Hand of Herb Saint> as well as a powerful magic archer and a dungeon conqueror.

"So she is. That's incredible. As Guide Jiza's letter did not mention Eda-san, we were actually a bit worried about it, but this should make looking for a potential party easier now."

"Oh?"

Lecan noticed a poster on the wall. It's for recruiting parties. Their target is conquering floor 60 to 63. On the fifth of month eight. Looking for 25 people.

"Hou. Something like this got put up too huh."

"Yes. You see them often. They usually get filled up right away however."

"One month recruitment period huh, quite lax."

"It's because everybody has their day job. This kind of quest spreads by words of mouth. Though often time they have all the member accounted already before the poster is up."

"I don't see any reward."

"There is no reward. It's not a Quest after all. Getting to deeper floors is the reward in itself."

"Ah, I see. Make sense."

Lecan could have traversed the dungeon without wasting money if he just put up these posters. But that'd take too long. He'd rather pay money to get down faster.

They walked around in town with <Kwantor> that day and had a slightly late lunch together. Lecan was going to pay but <Kwantor> insisted it to be their treat.

Afterward, Lecan's group went to visit Tolda's shop.

It's quite a big shop with three clerks tending, the walls are full of <Magic Arrow Pipes> of various sizes on display.

There are also trial <Magic Arrow Pipes> one can test out by paying for the magic stones used. Lecan and Eda played around with them. Julius was unable to shoot <Magic Arrow Pipes>. Simply having mana isn't enough to shoot them.

"You only really needs to know how to cast <Ignition> to use them though. Julius's mana pool is more than enough, you could just learn <Ignition>."

So Tolda spoke, Lecan asked Julius.

"Julius. Want me to teach you <Ignition>?"

"No, master. I have been told not to attempt learning magic for now."

"Hou? Hold on, if I recall right, Arios's grandmother was a mage."

He forgot the name, but Arios's grandmother was supposedly a pupil of Mazara Wedepasha, aka Shira. Which naturally means a pupil in magic study.

"Yes."

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"So neither you nor Arios studied under her."

"Yes. I expressed my intention to learn once but I was told no."

"Wait, didn't you say for now?"

"I will eventually be imparted with ways to wield magic swords once father has granted his permission. Whether I am to learn magic or not will be decided then."

"Got it."

Dunno why that's the rule. But there must be a reason that makes Arios forbid Julius to learn magic. Lecan can't just ignore that and teach him magic.

Magic swords are usable by non-mages, but one must know how to control mana. Though it's only a matter of pouring your mana into the sword, so learning it shouldn't be difficult at all, but it appears magic swords are out of question to Julius for the time being.

<Magic Arrow Pipes> were interesting. But Lecan quickly grew tired of them.

There's only a slight lag before it shoots out the arrow after reciting the required spell, but from Lecan's point of view, the thing is just irritatingly sluggish. The arrow speed is also slower than his expectations. Low firepower too. He's told that the more expensive models would have bigger firepower and faster projectile speed than the cheap trial ones, but he didn't feel like trying them out.

Afterward, Tolda guided them to a wand store.

It was a surprisingly small store.

"The products in this store are all pretty great. It's got lots of hidden treasures too. The trick to find the right wand for you is to be particular with your requests."

"Hou. Sounds fun."

"Agreed, I can't wait!"

"I've never been to a store like this before."

"Let's go then."

Opening the hinged front door revealed a counter across the door inside the store. As they got in and closed the door, the four of them occupied most of the store's space already.

"Old man. You have guests."

Nondescript groans could be heard from the back of the store, then a small elderly man with a moody expression on his face came out.

He's not your ordinary old man. Lecan looked at him as he squinted his right eye.