“Eh, does Eve have the ‘Tenma Yoku’ (Wings of Heavenly Devil)? Wow, I’m so jealous… Hey, can you show it to me for just a little bit?” I asked
“No, it’s stored in my house’s warehouse right now,” Eve replied.
“So, even if I went to your house–“
“Absolutely not.”
“I see. That’s too bad…”
During our usual lunch break, Eve and I were discussing magical tools in an unused classroom. It was a secret spot where we could talk without worrying about other teachers. We hadn’t asked permission from the school principal, Aldi, to use it, but we figured it was probably okay. Probably.
“Come to think of it… Have you submitted an entry to the ‘Ancient Relic Exhibition’ that will be held during the ‘Hero Festival’ coming up soon? I submit every year, but I’ve never been to it before…”
I slumped my shoulders as I remembered the upcoming “Hero Festival.”
[Hero Festival]
I didn’t know much about it, but apparently, it was a festival that celebrated the “hero” who saved Magikosmaia a few years ago.
On the day of the Hero Festival, the whole town was in a festive mood. There were many stalls, and people eagerly looked forward to it.
That alone didn’t make it much different from a typical festival.
However, the biggest feature of the Hero Festival was that almost all residents of Magikosmaia dressed up with red hair.
It seemed that the hero who saved Magikosmaia had red hair, which was why everyone dressed up in that manner. And if they wore a red hair wig, the stalls offered a 20% discount. Everyone joined in the fun.
The other day, as I was strolling through town, an old man said to me, “Hey, you’re a little early, bro!” and gave me a friendly pat on the back. It seemed like everyone was eagerly looking forward to the festival.
To be honest, I wasn’t interested in the Hero Festival at all. I was more excited about the “Ancient Relic Exhibition” that took place in a specific location during the festival.
However, the “Ancient Relic Exhibition” only allowed entry to those who had won the ticket lottery. I applied every year but got rejected every time. Why? It was ridiculous.
Furthermore, the tickets had a spell that prohibited resale, and if it wasn’t the person who applied, the ticket would be automatically incinerated upon entry.
Although, if it was a pair ticket that allowed two people to enter, that system wasn’t installed, but the odds of winning were pretty slim. It felt impossible.
“…This?”
As I was contemplating whether to curse the organizers, Eve slightly raised the corners of her mouth and took out a rectangular piece of paper from her cute handbag that was placed nearby.
…Wait, was that–
“You’re kidding me, right…!?”
I was shocked by the unbelievable thing in front of me and stared at the pair ticket for the “Ancient Relic Exhibition” that I had longed for and applied to every year.
“W-where did you get this…!?”
Stuttering and hyperventilating, I couldn’t take my eyes off the ticket that Eve proudly showed me.
“I got it from an acquaintance of the organizer.”
“A cheater who obtains tickets illegally is not worthy of being a magical tool mania! I don’t want to go to the Ancient Relic Exhibition by doing something dishonest like that!”
“…Your words and actions don’t match.”
Eve pointed at me, who was kneeling on the ground, while saying, “Well, if you know the organizers, can’t you persuade one or two people to come?” Apparently, my body language betrayed my true intentions. I was kneeling as if I was flowing.
“No, I can’t. They went out of their way to get me this ticket.”
Despite my desperate plea, I received a merciless response.
“Come on, please!”
I begged with all my might, sacrificing my pride, but Eve paid no attention to me. One person was fine, wasn’t it?
“I can’t ask the organizers, but I can give you this ticket instead.”
“Huh? Really?”
I was dumbfounded by Eve’s unexpected offer.
“Wow, that’s incredible!”
Eve was already a goddess. In that moment, the god I believed in, who was previously non-religious, became Eve. It was the arrival of the goddess Eve.
Unintentionally, I said, “I’ll call you ‘sama’ from now on,” and worshipped her, but she quickly refused, saying, “Definitely not.”
“But, is it really okay? It’s a pair ticket. Didn’t you have plans to go with someone?” I asked, curious about her intentions.
“I was planning to go with someone, but I don’t think I can go this year,” Eve replied, her expression darkening slightly as she looked down.
Eve’s expression darkened slightly as she looked down, hinting at some complicated circumstances. I wondered if she had been stood up by her intended companion.
“Then, don’t hesitate, and I’ll…”
“I can give it to you, but in exchange…”
As my hands trembled, I reached for the ticket, only to have it swiftly withdrawn, leaving my hand empty. An exchange? What did she mean by that?
“It’s alright. Just tell me anything,”
If obtaining this ticket was possible, I was willing to do anything except commit a crime. Even if she asked me to perform an unusual task, like licking her feet, I would comply without hesitation. I had no sense of pride, and this ticket was an incredibly rare item.
“I want you to come shopping with me.”
“What? Shopping?” I questioned, surprised by her unexpected request.
“Yes, I want to buy clothes,” she clarified.
“Clothes?”
Staring rudely at Eve’s figure, I observed her from head to toe. It occurred to me that her outfit was well-coordinated and stylish.
The accessories were cute and enhanced her appearance, or at least that’s what I thought. I didn’t really understand fashion, but I could tell she looked good.
“Girls like me should care about fashion too.”
“N-no, it’s not like I’m surprised or anything…”
Eve pouted, dissatisfied with my response. I quickly tried to explain myself, not wanting to make things worse.
“Besides, I’m wearing this to impress ‘Ray’.”
“‘Ray?'”
I wondered who that was. Was it a friend or a lover? The way she spoke suggested it was a romantic interest.
“Yeah, someone that I love.”
“Oh, really?”
Eve looked down, casting a shadow over her face. It was clear that she had a lover, but I didn’t really care. As long as I could get the ticket, I was happy.
“Anyway, do you want to come along for the shopping? If so, we can go now.”
As I was about to accept, Eve added, “And you’re buying everything.”
“Really?”
Eve nodded silently. Well, among magic tool enthusiasts, a pair of tickets to the tournament was worth a lot. Treating her wouldn’t be a big deal. In fact, it was a pretty good deal.
“O-okay! That’s fine!”
“Your face…”
Eve took out a mirror and held it up to me. I saw my own face, distorted by an awkward grimace. It was true—my true feelings were evident on my face.
“And… while we’re shopping, I’m going to try on a bunch of clothes. I want you to tell me what you think.”
“Me? Why?”
“Because you’re so much like ‘Ray’… at least in terms of personality.”
“Well, I guess that’s fine.”
I thought she should be asking the person she’s trying to impress, but if she wanted my opinion, I was happy to give it. Right now, I was completely devoted to her. If I were to refuse, she might change her mind about the ticket.
“Okay, let’s do it after the magic tournament.”
“Got it.”
I replied, trembling with excitement at the thought of going to the ancient relict exhibition this year. And with a pair of tickets, no less. Eve said she wasn’t interested, so we could have both seats to ourselves. It was too good to be true!
“I thought so, but–“
“No money.”
As I made my way back from the magic academy, I muttered while staring at my wallet, which felt as light as a feather.
“Only 35,000 lien… It’s not enough after all.”
Inside my wallet, there was a mere 35,000 lien. It’s an amount that could easily vanish with the purchase of a single expensive piece of clothing. This is bad.
“Winning prize money at the magic tournament… is probably impossible. It’s exactly the same as Aldi’s repayment amount, 30 million. Hmm…”
I groaned and held my head. What should I do?
“I don’t know how much Eve will spend… And if we go to a high-end brand store, I doubt I’ll be able to buy anything. It’s safer to have as much money as possible.”
With this amount of money, it would be reckless to think that I could treat Eve. While I could easily buy dozens of regular clothes, that would be too cheap as payment for the pair ticket. Besides, Eve is a young girl, and I have no idea how much she plans to spend on shopping. Dozens of clothes? Hundreds? Maybe she’ll seize the opportunity and buy out the entire store. That’s impossible.
…In that case, I need to come up with as much money as possible.
“Should I take a request at the guild? But there are limits to what I can do at my D rank, and the pay won’t be much. Should I defeat a rare monster and exchange it for money? No, I don’t have time for that before the magic tournament… I can’t afford to do that.”
I racked my brain, but no good ideas came to mind.
“…Should I borrow from Charl?”
No, that’s not a good idea. She’d probably lend me the money without hesitation, but I already have a considerable amount of debt. She bought me some personal items the other day, and it wouldn’t be right to ask for more. For some reason, Charl always wants to lend me money, but the circumstances are different each time.
“Damn! Why didn’t I save money at a time like this…!”
I know the cause. It’s because I splurged on magic tools. But I can’t help it, I just want them.
“Hmm, what should I do…”
Lost in thought, I continued on my way back to the mansion and passed by “Charllette,” which Charl runs. It should be closed at this time, so there shouldn’t be any customers… but.
“Lord Demon King! Just a little more! You can do it!”
“Yuri! I told you not to shout. Keep it down a bit!”
“Okay, I understand–!”
“No, that’s not–“
In the alley behind Chartette, two girls were causing a commotion.
Well, one of them seemed more like a young girl. One was a blonde young girl, and the other had deep green hair.
It wouldn’t be a big deal if they were just making noise near the store.
However, for some reason, the girls were piggybacking on each other’s backs and attempting to invade through the window of Charllette, which was situated a bit higher up. They were clearly suspicious individuals.
I looked at the girls and couldn’t help but think.
“Who the hell are these girls?”
Please consider joining my Ko-Fi membership. By becoming a member, you’ll gain access to 2-5 additional chapters translated into English and receive updates before everyone else. Not only that, but your support will also assist me in upholding the translation quality and speed. For more information, please follow the link.
Additionally, I am now accepting translation requests.
