Chapter 54: Change(1)

“I still can’t believe it.”

On their way back to East Polis, Sophia, still looking displeased, spoke.

“…That Lucy, of all people, rescued a knight and cleared a dungeon.”
“Professor Pel wouldn’t lie, Sophia.”

Sophia nodded at Gish’s words, but…

‘It just doesn’t make sense.’

Lucy Ignis wasn’t a particularly talented mage. She was good with theory, but her practical skills were mediocre at best. Sophia couldn’t change her opinion based on hearsay alone. She had to see it to believe it.

But if it was true, if Lucy had somehow made such a dramatic improvement in such a short time… if she was no longer the mage destined to remain stuck on the fourth floor…

Sophia might have to face the consequences of her bullying when Lucy returned.

‘That’s not possible, is it?’

She shook her head, trying to dispel the unease churning within her. Professor Pel, walking at the head of the group, glanced back at Sophia and sighed inwardly.

‘Ignorance is bliss.’

The real problem wasn’t Lucy, but the girl beside her: Avalli. If Avalli held a grudge against her, like she had against Lucy…

‘That’s a terrifying thought.’

Professor Pel silently prayed that the girl’s wrath wasn’t directed at the entire Eastern Magic Tower as he continued his trek back to East Polis.

“…You went on a trip?”
“Yes, a trip. It was wonderful! The magic stones found in the sea have slightly different properties. Have you ever been deep-sea fishing, Lucy? It’s a truly worthwhile experience—”

Gail, the Halfling, chattered excitedly. Lucy, listening patiently, glanced at Avalli.

“Avalli.”
“Yes, Teacher?”
“Get that tobacco back. Now.”
“Should I collect interest too?”
“…That’s up to you.”
“Okay! Hans and I will be back.”

Hans flinched at Avalli’s words.

“Why me—?”

“Are you seriously going to send a girl alone?”

Avalli grabbed Hans’s hand and dragged him away before he could protest. Gail, watching them disappear, turned to Lucy with a serious expression.

“Tobacco?”
“It’s a long story. I’m no expert, but it seems to be quite valuable.”
“…Ahem. I seem to have been monopolizing the conversation.”

Gail composed himself.

“So, what can I do for you?”

It was obvious she was here for the tobacco she had mentioned, but Lucy decided to let it slide. Halflings and dwarves were known for their obsession with tobacco and beer.

“I need you to process some magic stones into… useful items.”
“That’s my specialty. What did you have in mind? I’ve acquired some decent stones recently.”

Gail said, rummaging through his house and producing a few magic stones.

“I brought my own.”
“At a time like this? Resourceful. Let’s see them.”

Lucy complied, taking one of the seven magic stones Avalli had given her from her dimensional pocket.

“…”

Gail stared at it, his jaw dropping. Lucy, pleased with his reaction, shrugged slightly.

“Not bad, right?”
“Not bad?! That’s an insult to this magnificent stone!”

Gail exclaimed, then approached Lucy, his gaze fixated on the stone. His intense stare was a bit unsettling, but Lucy knew it was directed at the stone, not her, so she didn’t comment.

“This luster…! This size…! Where… where did you get this?”
“That’s a secret.”
“Of…Of course. You wouldn’t reveal the source of such a treasure. So, what do you want me to make? Anything! I’ll craft you a masterpiece.”
“I was thinking… a wand or a staff.”

Gail’s eyebrows twitched at the word “a.”

“You… you’re going to divide this? I refuse! I won’t do it! You want me to use a material fit for a historical artifact to make… a common tool?!”

Lucy chuckled inwardly at his outburst. Gail was truly passionate about magic stones, considered an eccentric even among Halflings, who were known for their craftsmanship.

“I never said I want you to divide it.”
“What do you—? No… don’t tell me…?”

Gail’s breath hitched. Lucy smirked and produced five more magic stones from her dimensional pocket.

“These aren’t for me. They’re for my student, Avalli. We’ll discuss what to do with the rest later—”

Lucy didn’t finish her sentence.
Gail fainted.

“Gail? Gail, are you alright?!”

The Halfling’s face, though unconscious, wore an expression of… ecstatic bliss.

“…I thought I was a goner. Thank you, Lucy.”
“You should be thanking Avalli.”

It was Avalli’s ‘magic’ that had revived Gail. Lucy, though she still found it unsettling, was getting used to it.

“Thank you, young lady. Avalli, was it?”
“Yes, that’s me.”

Avalli smiled and produced the container of tobacco leaves she had… acquired from the dark-haired Halfling.

He had refused to return them, making all sorts of excuses, but Avalli’s newly acquired Gift from the Rowena Dungeon had made it easy to… persuade him. It was practically mind control, but after her recent experiences, Avalli’s moral compass was… less than reliable.

“What’s this?”

“A gift. I heard Halflings love tobacco.”

“…Couldn’t live without it.”

The container was still almost full. It must have been truly high-quality for even the tobacco-loving Halfling to conserve it.

“So, what do you want me to make with these stones? A wand or a staff is one, but you still have five left.”
“Hmm…”

Avalli pondered, glancing at the doorway. Lucy, sensing her hesitation, spoke.

“We’ll be outside, Hans.”

She was curious, but she had learned that some things were better left unknown. The headaches weren’t worth it.

Once Hans and Lucy were outside, Avalli began explaining, her words rambling and disjointed.

It was like a non-technical project manager trying to explain a complex software program to a developer. But Gail was a skilled artisan, and after asking a few clarifying questions, he began to understand.

“…You’re a genius.”
“Huh?”
“You. How did you even come up with this?”

Avalli had merely cobbled together ideas from her previous world, the legacy of countless brilliant minds. But to Gail, it sounded revolutionary.

“Do you think it’s possible?”
“Possible or impossible… I honestly don’t know. I’ll have to try.”

It was a noncommittal answer.

“If you’re not sure, you don’t have to do it. These are incredibly valuable stones. Not the kind you want to waste on trial and error.”

He was tempted, of course. But he couldn’t use someone else’s valuable materials for his own experiments. He would do his best if commissioned, but who would entrust him with such precious stones, knowing the risk—

“…Did you even hear what I just said?”
“My teacher recommended you. And I trust her.”

For Avalli, it wasn’t a difficult decision. She could easily obtain more magic stones of this quality herself. While she hoped he would succeed, it wasn’t a significant loss if he failed.

“…I’ll do my best.”

Gail, unaware of this, replied with a serious expression.

“Um, I have one more question.”
“What is it?”
“About… the price…”

Avalli asked hesitantly, and Gail, momentarily stunned, then laughed heartily and shook his head.

“This tobacco is more than enough!”

For Gail, the opportunity to work with such incredible materials was payment enough. He would even be willing to pay her for the privilege.

‘He really likes tobacco, huh?’

Avalli thought, unaware of his true intentions.

‘I should bring him more from the World Tree next time.’

It seemed tobacco was more valuable than gold to Halflings.

With the magic stones entrusted to Gail, their unexpectedly long trip came to an end. It was finally time to return to Asha Village.