Ch.8382. Not-So-Ordinary Daily Life (7)

# 82. Not-So-Ordinary Daily Life (7)

When Dren asked what items we needed, she answered on my behalf.

“We’re looking to buy two identical accessory-type items.”

The middle-aged dwarf frowned and glared at both of us alternately.

“What’s wrong? Are there no items available?”

“That’s not it… Are you here to get matching couple accessories?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

For some reason, Dren sighed deeply and spoke in a tone of disbelief.

“You want to make couple accessories with weapons I crafted?…”

“Yes, is there a problem with that?”

“A problem… I wouldn’t go that far…”

Clearly due to her overwhelming status, Dren seemed to have something to say but held back.

“First of all, accessory-type items are very expensive, you know that, right?”

“How expensive could they be?”

“Still, I’d rather not get something too expensive…”

No matter how much she simply wanted an item, something too expensive would be a burden.

“Then would 500 million be acceptable?”

“500 million… is that considered cheap…?”

“That’s cheap, isn’t it?”

I couldn’t help but give a hollow laugh as I agreed with her.

“It’s cheap… yes…”

“Then let’s go with 500 million. Mister, could you show us some accessories around that price range from your current inventory?”

Hearing this, Dren grumbled a bit but showed us artifacts he had personally made.

Those artifacts, being made by Dren himself, all looked exceptionally high-quality.

“I like all the designs.”

“We need to look at performance too, not just design.”

For a 500 million item, if it were just pretty, it would be better to buy an ordinary accessory instead.

As she examined the items just like I was doing, she asked me.

“Should we go with rings?”

“I don’t particularly mind, but rings would be good.”

Accessories might be a bit inconvenient to carry around all the time, but once acquired, they become items with deep symbolic meaning.

“What would be good… Something that helps me and Albert… Should we go with agility?”

Agility-related items would be good, but my agility was already high enough.

In fact, it was overflowing.

‘Rather, something that helps with growth…’

With that thought, I remembered one item.

“Excuse me, Mr. Dren.”

“What?”

“Do you have any rings that help with growth? For example, something that gives more experience points when killing monsters or helps level up skills faster.”

“There’s no way something like that exists…”

She seemed to remember that I came from the future in the middle of saying that, and with a flustered expression, she whispered to me.

“Does something like that exist…?”

“I’ve only heard rumors.”

I had never seen one myself, but I had heard the rumors quite often. Rumors that Dren could create items that directly affected leveling up.

I had also heard rumors that this overpowered item could be made with Dren’s unique skill.

Of course, I didn’t know if those rumors were true or false. I was just asking.

“How could something like that exist?”

“No, of course not…”

As expected… rumors are just rumors.

As I resigned myself and looked at the displayed items, Dren unexpectedly spoke up.

“But what would you do if something like that really existed?”

“What…? I’d buy it immediately, of course.”

“Then if such a thing existed, how much do you think it should be sold for?”

“500 million…”

Of course, for such an item, the price could be whatever the seller wanted, but currently, I was practically penniless.

If it were before my reincarnation, I could have paid tens of billions, but not now.

“You have no conscience.”

“It’s not about conscience, it’s about not having money.”

“You don’t look like someone who has no money.”

“I don’t have enough to buy that. But does something like that really exist?”

I had made some money from selling magic stones obtained from clearing dungeons, but it was woefully inadequate compared to her or my past life self.

“Didn’t you ask because you already knew?”

“No? I just asked because I heard such rumors.”

Dren sighed and said.

“Yes, something like that does exist. An item that increases experience gained by 1%.”

1% might seem small, but as that 1% accumulates, it will create a significant difference.

“It really… exists.”

“But I can only make exactly two of them.”

“Wow, an ultra-rare item with only two in the world.”

“Do you want it?”

“Yes.”

I desperately wanted it, even if I had to spend all my money.

“How much did you say it should be sold for earlier?”

“F-five hundred million…”

While I was stammering, she spoke with a confident voice.

“How much do you want for it?”

“Honestly, I don’t really need money…”

“Then what?”

“Hmm… let me think.”

After pondering for a while, Dren finally spoke.

“Do you happen to have something like a dragon’s horn in that palace storehouse?”

“We do.”

The palace storehouse.

A massive warehouse located in the Mikae Palace, rumored to contain all sorts of treasures.

‘So they have something like a dragon’s horn…’

As expected of the imperial storehouse, it was in a different class altogether.

“But do you know how much that’s worth?”

Dragon horns command an enormous price befitting their extreme difficulty to obtain.

The price varies depending on size, but even the smallest one would be worth at least 30 billion.

“How big is it?”

“I can give you up to 3 meters.”

“Then let’s trade for that!”

A 3-meter horn would easily be worth over 50 billion.

And while processing a dragon’s horn to create items would be difficult, Dren would certainly be capable of it.

“I’ll give you both of them, how about that!?”

Dren was excited at the opportunity to obtain a dragon’s horn.

“Sounds good. Can we see those items now?”

“Of course! Just wait here a moment!”

The excited Dren left the shop and ran at full speed toward the elevator to go to his laboratory.

-THUD!!-

He fell down but pretended nothing happened and carefully walked to where the elevator was.

“That was… dangerous..”

“But is it okay to just take things like that?”

“Yes, I asked His Majesty before. He said I could take whatever I needed whenever I wanted.”

The emperor, being the doting father he is, must have permitted it.

“I don’t know when, but I’ll pay you back someday.”

“You really don’t have to… I lost the bet in the first place…”

“No, I definitely will.”

It didn’t feel right to receive this for free.

I had no idea how to repay it yet, but it was clearly a debt that needed to be repaid someday.

-Ding!-

The shop door opened, and Dren returned.

He had gone to his laboratory and back in an instant, and in his hands was the debt I would someday have to repay.

“This is the artifact.”

“We’re lucky, they’re rings with identical designs.”

Dren handed each of us a ring with a gem that had a subtle red glow embedded in the center.

I received the ring and immediately put it on the ring finger of my left hand.

The ring, which was slightly large for my finger, adjusted to fit my finger size, and simultaneously, a status window appeared before my eyes.

[Ring of Growth: SSS+]

[Increases experience points gained by the wearer by 1%.]

It was a very simple description, but that was enough.

“I can’t believe this really exists…”

“Of course it does! Do you know who I am!”

She spoke to Dren, who was boasting with a confident expression.

“I’ll bring it to you next Sunday.”

“Understood.”

“Why the sudden formality? It feels a bit strange.”

“Complaining even when I’m being polite… Is she always like this?”

Dren asked me that question, and she was also waiting for my answer.

“She’s never been like that with me, so I wouldn’t know.”

“I guess so… Of course she wouldn’t be like that with her boyfriend…”

“Well, we’ll be going now.”

“Come back again, you too.”

Having finished our business, we said our goodbyes and left Dren’s shop.

Dren, who had been grumbling at first, warmly saw us off.

We took the elevator back down to the first floor.

“That old man was really nice to you, Albert.”

“Was he?”

“Yes, definitely.”

Since Dren is known to be an extremely prickly person, even this normal treatment seems kind to her.

And to some extent, she was right that he was being kind to me.

“That’s good…”

“By the way, do you know where we’re going next?”

“Next?”

With her sudden question, my mind went blank, and I hurriedly tried to recall my memories.

‘After getting couple rings, then…?’

Ironically, I couldn’t remember anything.

I racked my brain trying to recall, but nothing came to mind.

We had discussed this date extensively, and yet…

“You don’t remember, do you?”

“No…”

“Of course you don’t, because I told you.”

“What? Oh…”

When she said that, I finally remembered what she had told me.

-After getting couple rings, we’ll have some time before dinner, but I haven’t decided what to do in between yet. I’ll let you know when I decide.-

But she never brought up what we would do afterward.

Until now, when she finally mentioned it.

“Do you like aquariums?”