Volume 3, Chapter 29 – The Undead Princess’s Hatred & The Vampire’s Blessing

From just a few words, Fia could tell that the young witches were having trouble selling their magic potions.

Could it be that because I sold a large quantity of potions to the Mage Association, they are now refusing to buy the ones made by the witches? But the potions I sold were all of the ‘Lowest-Grade Mana Recovery Potion.’ As long as the potions the young witches made weren’t of that type, the association shouldn’t have refused them.

After all, the “Lowest-Grade Mana Recovery Potion” was only effective for those at the Second Rank and below. Once one’s mana reached the Third Rank, its effect would be greatly diminished. For someone like Anastasia, who had Fifth Rank mana, even a “Low-Grade Magic Potion” would have no effect on her.

In short, the Mage Association’s large purchase of the lowest-grade potions shouldn’t affect their continued purchase of low-grade potions or those of a higher rank.

However, the witches were outsiders. Compared to them, it was more important to check on her companions first. Twenty Gem Coins were enough to buy several high-quality magic items. She wondered what Milu had chosen as her combat weapon.

Fia’s current plan was to first equip Milu with a storage item, so she could put her personal belongings inside instead of carrying the blue bouquet with her everywhere.

The rest was to equip her companions with defensive magic items. Fia had seen a piece of armor called the “Jellyfish Barrier” in the magic catalog. As long as it was equipped, when the wearer was attacked by magic above the First Rank, the “Jellyfish Barrier” would automatically pop out, forming a translucent, umbrella-shaped shield to protect the wearer.

Although the price of fifteen gold coins a piece was a bit expensive, compared to safety, the money was well worth it.

Thinking about such things, Fia walked over to her companions. At this time, Liti, Anastasia, and Milu were sitting in a corner of the hall, surrounded by a variety of fancy weapons. The male clerk was introducing them one by one. Interestingly, a crowd of burly adventurers had also gathered around, offering their advice. Every time the clerk picked up a magic weapon, this group of adventurers would let out hisses and point out the weapon’s flaws.

Although, from Fia’s observation, the weapons these adventurers were currently using were clearly not as strong as the ones the clerk was displaying—and even looked old and shabby, like a great axe full of nicks, or a farm tool shaped like a rake (Fia highly suspected it was a farm rake, as it still had mud on it)—adventurers were, after all, experienced. It wasn’t a bad idea to listen to their opinions.

“Have you chosen yet?”

“Your Highness.” Seeing Fia’s arrival, Anastasia, who was standing by the sofa, bowed to her. “As you instructed, Her Highness Liti has chosen an Orichalcum-rank piece of armor, and I have also chosen a suitable storage item for Milu. It’s just her choice of weapon… I find it a bit subtle.”

“Subtle?”

Fia tilted her head and looked at Milu. Milu’s interest in Fia clearly surpassed that of the magic weapons. She had already stood up, looking as if she wanted to say something.

“What’s wrong?”

“I want that.”

Milu pointed to a gray longsword that had been placed separately not far away—to simply describe it as a longsword was not quite right. To be precise, it should be a two-handed longsword. The blade was about the same height as Fia, and it was wider than a normal longsword but not quite a broadsword or a greatsword, making it look particularly slender. In Fia’s opinion, this type of weapon was only suitable for wide, sweeping slashes, and was a heavy weapon that could cut through many things with a single blow.

And besides the sword’s design, what made Fia feel even more strange was the aura surrounding its blade. If one looked closely, one would find that this two-handed sword was actually a dull red, but because the blade was wrapped in a faint gray airflow, it looked grayish-white at first glance. For some reason, Fia felt that this longsword gave her an ominous and cold impression.

“Is there something unusual about this sword?” Fia turned her gaze to the male clerk.

The male clerk answered with a wry smile.

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“This is a cursed magic weapon. It was originally an Orichalcum-rank treasure, but its owner was hit by a high-rank necromantic spell, and the sword was tainted with the curse as a result. Can’t you feel it, miss? An ordinary person would feel cold all over just by looking at this sword, as if they had fallen into an ice cavern. It’s… it’s very terrifying.”

Not just the clerk, but the surrounding adventurers also kept their distance from this grayish-white two-handed sword, evidenced by the fact that there was not a single adventurer near it.

“Yeah, only the undead would have the guts to use that kind of weapon. Those guys who see healing magic like it’s holy light love things that are full of the aura of death.”

“I feel like my body heat is being sucked away by that sword… squeeze over, don’t let me get near it.”

The adventurers’ words gave the clerk the courage to speak up. He suggested earnestly.

“Miss Elf, it’s not that I don’t want to sell it to you, but a cursed weapon like this is really not suitable for a child. Our appraiser said that this weapon is imbued with a deathly aura comparable to a Fourth Rank spell, and it will constantly drain the user’s life force. Only those with very strong life force, or the undead who thrive on the aura of death, are suitable to use this sword.”

“Hmm…”

Following the clerk’s suggestion, Fia looked down at Milu. Before coming here, she had thought that Milu might choose a violent weapon, such as a great hammer, a long axe, or a spear, but she had never expected her to choose a cursed item at first glance.

“What do you think, Milu? This weapon is cursed.”

“Ngh.”

A conflicted sound came from Milu’s throat. She tried her best to look up, a hint of a plea in her bewitching vertical pupils.

“I think it suits me.”

“This sword weighs at least twenty or thirty kilograms. It would be difficult for a little girl to even lift it, let alone use it.”

The clerk’s wry smile made Milu raise her eyebrows.

“It’s calling to me. I can lift it.”

As if to prove herself, Milu walked straight to the grayish-white two-handed sword. Then, in front of everyone, she lifted it with a single hand. At the same time, as if a switch had been flipped, the dull red blade of the sword suddenly turned blood-red from the inside out. The grayish-white mist surrounding it also turned into a visible airflow. The strong wind could be heard even by people several meters away. As the wind grew stronger, the surrounding adventurers had to shield their faces with their hands to prevent sand from getting into their eyes.

“Your Highness.”

Anastasia took a step forward, but Fia made a hushing gesture, signaling her to be patient. While the clerk and Milu were talking, Fia had already completed the [Beginner’s Appraisal]. This sword might indeed have some fate with Milu.

Although the weapon’s description was merely ‘A weapon full of an ominous feeling’. It seems to hide some kind of power. Due to a lack of information in her subconscious, the weapon’s name and rank were displayed properly.

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First, the weapon’s name was [The Undead Princess’s Hatred & The Vampire’s Blessing]. Second, its rank was not the Orichalcum-rank that the clerk had mentioned, but a high-grade Crimson Gold-rank. And since the name had the words “Undead Princess’s Hatred,” considering that Milu was also immortal, she might not have been exaggerating. The two-handed sword was indeed calling to her.

Even if something happened, she was right there. She could let Milu try. A Crimson Gold-rank weapon might not sound very high-ranking, but it was in fact the highest-level weapon that humans could reliably forge. Only a master alchemist could forge one. The Crystal Gold-rank above it was something that even a master alchemist could only succeed in forging with a lot of luck; it was a treasure that money could not buy.

Under the watchful eyes of Fia and Anastasia, nearly five seconds passed quickly. Then, with Milu’s action of “separating” the two-handed sword, a “hum” that seemed to appear in people’s minds suddenly sounded. The next second, the two-handed sword, which had been as tall as a person, suddenly became two slightly shorter single-handed swords, one gray and one red.

Compared to the magnificent blood-red longsword, which looked as if it were carved from a ruby, the gray longsword’s outline was slightly blurred, and its blade seemed translucent, as if it had no physical form.

The information displayed by [Beginner’s Appraisal] changed accordingly. The name of the two-handed sword changed from [The Undead Princess’s Hatred & The Vampire’s Blessing] to the separate [The Undead Princess’s Hatred] and [The Vampire’s Blessing]. The former corresponded to the grayish-white sword, and the latter to the blood-red one.

Hey, it can do that?

Fia was even beginning to suspect that Milu had known how to use them from the very beginning. This scene was too magical. Even Fia couldn’t help but be surprised.

However, to her surprise, Milu did not keep the two swords separated for long. She quickly re-merged them into one. Then, the wind in the hall gradually weakened, and people opened their eyes.

“She actually lifted it!”

“Seriously? Is that really the cursed sword? It’s one thing for a big man to lift it, but for such a little girl…”

“A cursed person can naturally lift a cursed object.”

The first few people aside, is that last guy looking for a beating?

As if she hadn’t heard the adventurers’ voices, Milu puffed out her chest and let out a light snort. A barely perceptible pride appeared on her usually emotionless face.

“Hmph.”

“Uh, miss, you see…”

“We’ll take this one. How much is it in total?”

Facing the clerk’s hesitation, Fia sealed the deal with one sentence. Since Milu could split the sword into two, it proved that she was compatible with it. If it made her uncomfortable later, she could just seal it away and get another weapon. As long as one had money, many difficulties were not difficulties at all.

“One Orichalcum-rank piece of armor, three Mithril-rank weapons and items, a total of seven Gem Coins and three platinum coins.”

“Only one Orichalcum-rank piece of armor? What about this cursed Orichalcum-rank two-handed sword?”

“This Orichalcum-rank two-handed sword is a cursed weapon. It’s been in the warehouse for over a decade, so it’s being sold at the price of a high-grade Mithril-rank weapon.”

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Sold at a Mithril-rank price?

Fia was stunned for a moment, then instantly understood why Milu had re-merged the two swords just now. Milu must have been worried that if the clerk knew that the sword could actually be split into two Crimson Gold-rank weapons, the price would no longer be that of a Mithril-rank.

Although Fia felt that the Mage Association was a large establishment and would not do something like changing the price on the spot, she couldn’t help but look at Milu. The latter’s face seemed to be written with the words “Praise me,” and Fia couldn’t help but find it amusing and patted her head. Milu must have experienced many such on-the-spot price changes to have become so shrewd.

She didn’t know whether to call her clever or pitiful.

“Only two Orichalcum-rank weapons? What about Anastasia’s?”

After comforting Milu, Fia turned her head. She had instructed before she left that besides Liti and Milu, Anastasia should also choose a suitable weapon. As a quasi-Fifth Rank warrior, it was a waste of her talent to only have a standard-issue longsword.

Anastasia lowered her head with a wry smile.

“I understand your intentions, Your Highness, but I did not find a suitable weapon…”

Anastasia is definitely lying.

Fia, as if she were a worm in Anastasia’s stomach, saw through her thoughts at a glance.

The Mage Association in Byrne City was huge, so much so that it could pay out twenty Gem Coins at once. How could it not have an Orichalcum-rank longsword? Anastasia just didn’t want her to spend the money because she saw that the price was too high.

Although Fia saw Anastasia as her older sister, Anastasia did not have the same self-awareness. In her eyes, she was just Fia’s servant, a slave. As a servant bearing the sinner’s mark, she naturally couldn’t let her master spend several Gem Coins to buy her a weapon.

However, even if she were to drag Anastasia to choose, she would probably only reluctantly choose a cheaper longsword from the Mithril-rank weapons. Rather than forcing her to do something she was unwilling to do, it was better to change her mindset from the root and make her realize that she valued her very much.

As for how to make Anastasia accept, Fia decided to start by making a weapon for her herself.

She could even make magic potions herself; a magic weapon shouldn’t be too difficult. Even if she couldn’t forge a longsword that could spew flames with an infusion of mana in a short time, she could still use a large amount of precious magical metals to create an indestructible longsword, which would at least be stronger than the standard-issue one Anastasia was currently using.

“Sister Ana, you should just obediently accept sister’s goodwill. She won’t mind this bit of money. And as a bodyguard, don’t you need a better weapon to better protect your master?”

“What Her Highness Liti says is true, but I really did not find a suitable magic weapon among them. If there’s a chance in the future…”

“Even I can see through you, Sister Ana, let alone our sister. Even if you have your own considerations, accepting a reward from a princess is also a knight’s duty. Otherwise, you’ll make the princess lose face.”

“Ngh…”

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While Anastasia was hesitating, Liti, with her back to her, winked at Fia and mouthed the word “Mithril.”

She probably meant that since Anastasia was unwilling to choose an Orichalcum-rank weapon, they should settle for a few Mithril-rank ones for the time being, Fia guessed.

For now, this was indeed the best solution. Before she could make a better weapon, they would make do with a Mithril-rank one for the time being. Fia suggested this with a feigned look of helplessness, and Anastasia finally agreed.

In the end, Fia spent nearly eight Gem Coins on magic weapons and items.

Liti chose an Orichalcum-rank piece of magic armor called the “Smooth Jewel,” which could block one attack of the Fourth Rank or below. Milu, besides the cursed two-handed sword, chose a medium-sized storage item and a Mithril-rank piece of armor that could withstand three Second Rank magic attacks. Anastasia, who chose last, only selected a Mithril longsword with the effects of “Sturdy” and “Slow Repair.”

It was worth mentioning that the “Smooth Jewel” Liti chose cost six Gem Coins alone. This was due to both the high price of Orichalcum-rank magic items and the fact that, at the same rank, magic armor was generally more expensive than magic weapons. Not everyone could use a magic weapon. In the eyes of those high-status nobles with little magical ability, high-quality armor was always more attractive than an indestructible weapon.

As an interlude, when Liti put the “Smooth Jewel” bracelet on her slender wrist, it attracted the attention of quite a few adventurers in the hall. Most of the adventurers here were no higher than the Second Rank, and most of them had never even seen what a Gem Coin looked like, let alone a magic item worth several of them. Their gazes reminded Fia of vultures on the savannah seeing a carcass, and this also reminded her to warn Liti when they got back not to casually display valuable items when she was out, to avoid being targeted.

It was fine when she was with her, but she wasn’t always by Liti’s side.

After everyone had put away their magic items and weapons, the surrounding adventurers gradually dispersed with looks of envy and clicking their tongues. In addition, during this process, a young man had rushed down from the second floor, laughing loudly as he jumped and spun as if dancing. At first glance, he looked like a madman, but Fia could recognize him as the male clerk who had served her when she was trading as Thanatos.

Counting the other male clerk who was holding the Gem Coins, chuckling to himself while scribbling calculations on a piece of paper, their exaggerated reactions made Fia sigh. So the stories written by the ancients were not all made up.

“How nice… if someone were willing to give me such an expensive magic item, I would marry him without a second thought. Apart from that dagger I saw at the city gate yesterday, this is the first time I’ve seen such a beautiful weapon.”

“For me, a Mithril-rank would be enough. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to touch an Orichalcum-rank item in my lifetime.”

“You’re so greedy. I’d be satisfied just to have a full stomach every day and live in a house that doesn’t leak—and the blanket had better be soft.”

“But we can’t even sell our magic potions now…”

After the adventurers dispersed, the worried young witches reappeared in Fia’s sight. They glanced from time to time at the tall woman who was arguing with the Mage Association staff, biting their lips, looking particularly vulnerable.

Unlike yesterday when they were wearing cat-eared nun habits, today most of the witches were wearing large witch hats that covered their bodies, and each held a wooden staff, fitting the image of a witch from a story.

“These are magic potions made by witches. Even if they are from the hands of an apprentice, their quality is definitely superior to that of an unrated alchemist. By deliberately refusing to buy our potions, are you, the Mage Association, targeting our Witch Hall?”

The tall, androgynous-voiced witch questioned loudly, while the female clerk attending to her had an anxious look on her face, as if she were about to cry.

“It’s not that we are deliberately not buying your potions. We really aren’t buying any more of the lowest-grade Mana Recovery Potion. It would have been better if you had come a little earlier. The association has just bought a batch large enough to last us for several months, and they are all of the highest quality. If you don’t believe me, you can… you can see for yourself.”