Chapter 6 – Shopping for Supplies Second Part

After the weapon shop, they visit the armor shop. The store clerk keeps the small talk to a minimum as he helps fit Senna with the equipment of her choice. She ends up purchasing leather armor, boots, gloves, and a sturdy bag. All of the items are one step up from the cheapest armor made from normal animal hide.

NameLeather ArmorTypeChest ArmorGradeEAffinityNoneDescription+5 Endurance

A simple breastplate made from tanned leather. Good equipment for users that dislike heavy armor.

Value: 200 Triton

NameLeather BootsTypeLeg ArmorGradeEAffinityNoneDescription+3 Endurance, +1 Agility

Simple boots made from tanned leather. Good equipment for users that dislike heavy armor.

Value: 100 Triton

NameLeather GlovesTypeHand ArmorGradeEAffinityNoneDescription+2 Endurance, +1 Dexterity

Simple gloves made from tanned leather. Good equipment for users that dislike heavy armor.

Value: 80 Triton

NameCloth BagTypeBackpackGradeFAffinityNoneDescriptionA cheap cloth bag. It can hold light and medium weight items.

Value: 30 Triton

“The magic shop is our next stop. Do you want to go to a specialized elemental shop or a general one?”

{Element? I have the [All Elemental Proficiency], so I guess all of them. But I don’t know how to use magic even if I have it.} Senna stoically thinks of her situation. “I’ve never practiced magic before. They didn’t teach it back home. I’m really curious to learn.”

“Ohh… No one practiced magic there? Your hometown must be really secluded to not have a single practitioner. Then the standard shop would be best. You can get an appraisal there.” Davor comments. To him, magic is fairly integrated into general life in . Many people in the city could use spells on a basic level to help in their daily lives. Though some people like Anahid don’t have access to spells, they have access to magic tools that could substitute for the lack of ability.

Davor leads the way to the general magic shop. “Welcome. What can I do for you?” An old woman dressed in a black robe sits behind the shop counter. “My friend needs a magic appraisal.”

The old woman takes a look at Senna. “Oiya. It’s rare to have a customer your age that’s never been appraised. Well no matter, appraising your magical talent costs 100 Triton.”

“Okay.” Senna hands the woman a silver coin.

“Now then place your hand on this crystal ball and fill it with your magic.” The old woman places a crystal ball on the counter.

“……I’m sorry. I don’t know anything about magic. I do not know how to pour magic into this crystal ball.” Senna awkwardly explains.

“You need to be taught from there? What on earth has your parents been teaching you?” The old woman complains seeing Senna unable to do something most children are taught to do at 3 years of age. “Near your heart is a collection of power that we call the magic core. Focus on tapping into the power within your core and imagine it flowing from your core, down your arm and into this crystal ball.”

“Understood.” Senna shuts her eyes and tries following the instructions. She feels the warm heat coming from the core, which she assumes is the magic core. She opens the core and attempts to manipulate the magical power, easily moving it in accordance to her desires. As the energy passes through her arm, the crystal ball lights up brilliantly.

“Ohhh!! This shine means you have an A ranked aptitude in magic. You have the potential to be a great magician with enough training. Next is the elemental examination. Place your hand here.” The old woman puts the crystal ball away and places a board on the table. The board has a hand print in the center with paths etched leading to the corners of the board. At the corners of the octagonal board, 8 different colored crystals rest.

Senna nods and puts her hand on the board. She follows the same procedure pouring her magic into the board. The board begins to shine as Senna’s magic moves through the grooves towards each of the crystals. All eight crystals light up completely revealing four etched black lines on each crystal.

The old woman’s eyes shine as she slams the table. “Young lady, this is amazing you have the highest possible aptitude for every single element!!”

“Is that so?” Senna tilts her head.

“Yes! Of course!” the old woman stands up. “You can learn any spell up to the fifth tier without limit. To have such affinity without a single weak point has never been heard of before.”

“Wow!!” Davor exclaims behind Senna.

“I see. But I don’t think learning spells is that easy. It would probably be better to focus on mastering one or two elements instead of learn everything on a basic level?” Senna replies. {Best to try and be realistic. I’ve already drawn too much attention that will make people from different groups swarm for me. Though I will still learn everything I can get my hands on.}

The old woman frowns plopping back into her seat. “That’s very true. It is still an amazing rarity. You should still consider joining the mage’s guild. They would love to have you contribute your skills for research.”

“…I’ll think about it. I haven’t learned a single spell yet, so research is still a bit out of my reach right now.” Senna smiles wryly.

“Can you explain the ranks for magic?” Davor interjects.

“Yes, yes. No problem.” The old woman replies. For the first test, it shows the overall potential in magic. The rankings conform with the Adventurer’s guild with F as the lowest and S rank as the highest. For the elemental test, she explains how most magic is split into eight categories, , , , , , , and . The branch is also known as . Every person is ranked by their affinity to an element. There are five rankings for your affinity based on the type of spells you are able to learn, Basic, Intermediate, Expert, Master, and God rank. God ranked individuals have a greater ease in learning and use spells of that element than a Master rank, but no actual, usable God ranked spell exists. Magicians have long since attempted to create spells that can be classified as God ranked, but was forced to seal the idea since it was determined to exceed the limits of the human body. The existing books containing God ranked spells were unusable for the same reason.

“Isn’t it possible for multiple people to cooperate in casting a possible God rank spell? That would lessen their burden.” Senna asks.

“You are very sharp, young lady. But no... Long ago in the Krosal Empire, 20 God ranked magicians attempted to cast a self-created God rank spell, but it failed miserably. The spell destroyed the testing field and drained each of the magicians until they were empty husks simultaneously killing every one of them. The king was furious at the loss of so many talented magicians and banned all text and research associated with God rank magic. Rumor has it that the king has locked up every book with God rank magic in a secret library, sealing the entrance so that the knowledge would ever come to light.” The old lady explains.

“Ahh… That is very depressing to hear.” Senna replies. “Is that the side effect if your magical power hits zero? You dry up and die?”

“Heavens no. there would make magic a far more dangerous art to learn. When you get close to using up all the magic in your body, you start to feel fatigued. If you go reach zero, you pass out from the exertion. Those magicians died because the God rank spell used up all their magic and began tapping into their life to compensate for the lack of magical energy.” (Old Woman)

“Phew. That’s good to know. Thank you.” Senna places her hand on her chest breathing a sigh of relief.

“Do you fully understand the difference between Intelligence and Wisdom in your ?” The old woman asks. Senna shakes her head at the question. “I believe your friend would be a better person to explain than me.” The old woman points at Davor.

“Me?” Davor points at himself.

“Of course, Mr. member.” The old woman replies.

“Uh, Ok. I’ll cover everything then if that’s ok?” Davor asks Senna, which she promptly agrees to.

Davor explains the differences between each of the stats. HP and MP are indicators of a person’s total health and magic respectively. When HP hits zero, their life ends as a result and needs to be preserved with the utmost caution. Strength represents your physical power and attacking strength. Endurance focuses on the body’s resilience. Agility defines their movement speed, while Dexterity controls the ability to perform delicate movements. Intelligence defines their magical strength, while Wisdom affects the magical control of a person’s spells and also the magic recovery speed. Luck is like its name affecting their general luck.

“Did you understand everything?” (Davor)

“Yep. Thank you for clarifying.” Senna smiles and nods.

“Now then, why don’t you pick out a book to learn magic? I’ll give you one for free. I won’t let you leave until you take one.” (Old Woman)

“That’s very generous. Thank you!” Senna bows to the Old Woman. “I guess I’ll get the basic book for each element? I can read each one and figure out which one I want to focus on.” She starts looking around the shop for things to buy.

“Senna, wait a second.” Davor stops her from looking around the store.

“Hmm?” Senna turns around to look at him.

“You still want to visit the library right?” (Davor)

“Yes, of course. Why do you ask?” (Senna)

“The library has the basic spell books for every element. It’s better if you just borrow the books from there. Buy an intermediate spell book here instead.” (Davor)

“Hey! Don’t interfere in my business.” The old woman angrily comments.

“I see! That’s a good idea.” Senna nods intently, but the old woman obviously isn’t as keen on the suggestion. “Madam, I don’t mind paying for all of it, if the free book turns out to be a problem.”

“Hmph, don’t mock me, child. I promised you a free book and I’m not going to go back on my word.” The old woman replies offended at Senna’s offer.

“Okay. Then what should I do for intermediate books...” Senna starts thinking about her focus. {Keeping up my health would be best.} I should start with healing magic then. Madam, what do you recommend?”

“There are several elements that teach healing type spells. In terms of healing potential, from the weakest to the strongest they are , , . There is also the obscure magic that could loosely be considered healing magic.” (Old Woman)

"Ooo! That sounds really interesting, then I'll buy the books for and !" Senna's eyes sparkle when she hears about time magic.

"Really? I do happen to have a copy, but it's an Advanced magic book that costs 20,000 Triton." The old woman warns Senna about the price.

"I have enough! Where are the books, I'll go get them?" Senna cheerfully replies.

"Just wait here. I'll go get it." The old woman stands up and walks to the back.

"Oi, Senna. Is that okay? I thought you didn't want to spend too much like with that sword?" Davor whispers to Senna.

“Ahaha. That’s true. But sounds like I could find a lot of uses for it… is something that will require a lot more practice before I can be proficient enough to use it properly.” Senna awkwardly explains.

"Maybe that's true, but you're jumping ahead too much buying an advanced book when you don't know any basic magic." Davor hisses back.

"True… But I have limits to how much I can hold back my impulses to buy what I want. It’s only a matter of time before I decide to head back to the weapon shop to buy .” Senna replies turning her attention away from Davor.

The old woman returns with the magic books. Senna pays for the book and also buys a short magic rod for practice. Senna sports a large smile as they leave the store and head to their next destination. On the way, they stop at a stall and have a simple lunch consisting of bread and a vegetable soup. Senna calmly eats the food. {It’s simple. But at least it’s normal food. Better than the torture days of being fed semen and my own blood.}

They stop by the library where Senna pays 10 Triton for a library card. Senna promptly borrows several books teaching her how to read. Senna thanks the librarian as they leave.

“It’s getting kind of late. Are you still okay on time?” Senna turns to Davor.

“Yes! I still have time. We only have one place left you wanted to go anyways.” (Davor)

“That’s true…” Senna replies quietly. When they enter the Apothecary, an overwhelming smell of herbs fills their nose. Senna looks around the shop seeing shelves full of preserved herbs and compounded concoctions. She sees opened boxes set further in the store filled with different types of potions and their descriptions.

“Welcome. What can I do for you?” A middle aged man with gray hair greets them putting down the pestle in his hand.

“Hey Arnost. I got a new customer for you.” Davor greets the man.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Senna. I’m a new adventurer.” Senna bows to Arnost.

“It’s a pleasure. Name’s Arnost Sayre. If you need herbs and medicine, I’m your man.” Arnost greets Senna with a smile.

“Thank you. I’m looking for some simple medicines you can recommend for someone just starting out. Also, a book on crafting medicine, if you have one.” Senna smiles back listing off her shopping list.

“Oh? You’re thinking of studying the trade?” Arnost lifts his eyebrows reevaluating Senna.

“Haha... I’m not sure if I would consider a career on it, but I figure making medicines and antidotes would be a critical skill when I’m out in the wilderness.” Senna replies meekly.

“Hm? Senna, aren’t you already going to study healing magic for that? You don’t need to make medicine too. Just buy it.” Davor interjects in their conversation.

“Mmn.” Senna turns around scowling at Davor. “Is that the kind of attitude an adventurer should have? I want to prepare for every eventuality. I hardly believe magic is omnipotent enough to cover every situation. Magic has its benefits, but so does medicine. There should be situations where magic can’t be used and knowing how to craft medicine will be a lifesaver.” Senna rattles off her thoughts without restraint at Davor. “And another thing…”

“Ahahaha!!” Arnost bursts out laughs listening to Senna. “Good answer! I like how you think.”

Senna’s face flushes as she calms down. She takes two steps back and bows to the two of them. “I’m sorry! I got ahead of myself talking so harshly.”

“It’s fine. I got a good laugh out of it. Tell you what. I’ll give you a book on the basics for free. In return, why don’t you become my apprentice? There needs to be more people that think like you do.” (Arnost)

“Is that okay?” Arnost nods to her question. “…I plan to stay a year in the city to learn what I can before setting off to explore the world. If it isn’t a problem, then I will gratefully accept.”

“Haha! Sure. I’ll beat the basics into you.” (Arnost)

“How often should I come and what time of day?” (Senna)

“Let’s say three times a week. That way you still have time to perform jobs as an adventurer. Come when the morning bell rings.” Arnost replies to her.

Senna frowns and turns to Davor. “Um…What time is the morning bell?”

“An hour after dawn. It signals when the day starts and people go to work.” Davor explains to her.

“Is that so?” Senna returns her attention to Arnost bowing. “Understood. I’ll come when the morning bell rings.”

“Good answer. Over there are sets aimed at beginner adventurer. One of those will fulfill your needs.” Arnost points to a corner deeper in the store stacked with arranged medicine bags.

“Okay. Thank you.” Senna walks over to the corner to buy some medicine.

“Oi. Is she that ignorant that she doesn’t know about the morning bell?” Arnost whispers to Davor.

“She’s new in town. So she doesn’t know how things work.” Davor replies.

“Idiot. The morning bell is set to ring in every city in the kingdom. She would have to come from outside the country if she doesn’t know about the bell.” Arnost refutes him.

Davor shrugs. “I don’t know. More importantly, what happened to never taking an apprentice? You were always adamant about that to other members.”

“Why should I teach those magic loving idiots? They think magic can solve everything.”(Arnost)

“She can use magic just the same. Isn’t it the same?” (Davor)

“She understands the importance of medicine. She’s less of an idiot than other adventurers.” Arnost replies. Davor just shakes his head. Senna returns and pays for the medicine and pretends to place it in her bag before throwing it into her [Storage]. She thanks Arnost again as they leave.

Davor escorts Senna back to Anahid’s house. “Then, I’ll take my leave here. Thank you very much for escorting me today.” Senna bows to Davor.

“N-no. I-it’s my pleasure to be of service.” Davor tenses up again seeing her smile so brightly towards him.

Senna giggles as she straightens herself. “You’re speaking stiffly again.”

“Sorry.” Davor blushes as he scratches his head.

“Then take care.” Senna gives a parting wave as she opens the door.

“Bye.” Davor replies absentmindedly.

Author Notes

I haven't checked my series' main page much, so I'm a bit late to this. Thank you to the 6 readers that gave me such a high rating. And to the readings following the series, Thank you too!

Now then, I want to ask for some help if anyone has the chance. I have a few points I can't seems to figure out on my own. Advice would be greatly appreciated.

Question 1: I stated there are 8 elements, but I'm wondering if I should fuse the branch with the branch? is unique enough I could make spells limited to lightning (like arrows made of lightning or any other element as a simple spell), but I could just say it's an advanced branch in to include any electrical type spells. Thoughts? (Currently leaning to 1st option for keeping them separate.)

Question 2: For the 'God' class elemental affinity, should I change the name to something else? As stated in the chapter, I want it to represent a class exceeding the limits of the human body.

Question 3: Should I make the tiered ranking more than just 5 ranks for the elemental affinity/spell classes?

Question 4: Can you refer me to some charts or lists (games, LN, anything) that tiers elemental spells, so I can think of spell names and how they should be tiered for the spell ranks?

Thank you!