When he was ready to go out, Arx left Raytheft's mansion.
　In a world where it is not recommended for a nobleman and a child of less than ten years old to go out alone, Arx has no one to complain about his coming and going since he is out of the family.


　When he goes in and out, he sometimes runs into his father Joshua, but since he only glares at him and rarely gets involved, it is likely that he is treated as if he is not there.


　...... The country where Arx lives is the Kingdom of Rynor, an absolute monarchy located in the middle of a huge continent. Compared to other countries, it has developed magic technology, and has established a mage guild in the royal capital to support the status and rights of mages, as well as an academy, the Academy of Magic.


　As a result, although the country is not large in land area, it has been able to survive without succumbing to the armed pressure of the Gillis Empire, a superpower in the northwest of the continent.
　The development of the royal capital is also quite impressive. Of course, it can't be compared to the cities in the man's world, but the streets in the capital are mostly paved with cobblestone, and the buildings are not one-story buildings, but three- and four-story buildings. Stone and brick are used in many buildings, and the roofs are colorful and beautiful to look at.


　The stores along the main street were equipped with "glittering glass" as lamps, so it was not as dark as expected at night.
　Shaking his bag on his shoulder, Arx left the district where the nobles lived and headed for the main street.


　The city was bustling with activity and full of people. This is another sign of the good government of the royal family. With my knowledge of the man's world, absolute monarchy sounds bad, but it is more stable than a republic, so it is hard to say.


　The streets were lined with innkeepers, private grocery stores, large merchant stores, and the familiar weapon shops of the men's world. Because the streets are wide, there are many stalls where you can take out snacks.
　Of course, there are also bookstores inside, selling not only entertainment books and technical books, but also magazines with spell texts, instructional books, and manuals. In addition to entertainment books and technical books, they also sell magazines with spell texts, instructions, and manuals.


　It's sad to say that most of them are unlikely to be useful for ...... arks.


　When I looked into the store, I saw a man in a cloak staring at a book and muttering to himself. He looked very pale, as if he had not slept well. He looked like a wandering student who had just finished an all-nighter in a man's world. He was probably a student of the Academy of Magic, as he was staring at the textbook with a hole in his eye.


　In this world, bureaucratic positions such as military and civil service are almost exclusively reserved for nobles. However, mage related positions can only be held by those with an aptitude for magic, so they cannot be limited to the nobility, and mages are being recruited from the common people as well.


　That is also why the Kingdom of Rynor has adopted a qualification system.
　And there are two qualifications that a mage can obtain.


　There are two certifications that mages can obtain: the Guild Certified Mage Exam and the National Mage Exam.


　Here in the Kingdom of Rynor, you can only get a job as a mage if you have either of those qualifications.
　The man who was reading the book is probably studying hard for those qualifications.


　I don't know if they are guild-certified or nationalized, but I've heard that the nationalized mage exam in particular is quite a difficult one. In the event that you've got a lot of money, you'll be able to take a look at the best way to use it.


　Arx, thinking that someday he too will become a mage, heads for the store he wants to visit.
　Eventually, he arrived at a large store that he always uses. When Crabbe first brought him to the store, he was introduced to the owner and the keeper of the store, so he was treated as a customer even if he visited alone.


I'm sorry.


　As soon as you pass through the threshold, you are met by a familiar face. A man with thread-like eyes and a smiling face. His body gives the impression of being plump and round.


"Well, well, well. ...... Mr. Arx. What can I do for you today?


　Too humble to speak to a child. And the distinctive tone and rubbing hands. But my uncle says that this is a combination of the nobleman's way of dealing with his children and the watchman's original tone. He says he's competent, so there's nothing to worry about.


I'm here today to buy some magic silver.

"I see, I see. I'll have it ready for you now.

"Oh, ...... and, yes. I'd also like some green pigment.

"Yes, sir.


　The guard then instructed his men to go and get the items.
　Magical silver is important for engraving, but pigment is also important. Depending on the spell to be engraved, the pigments must be compatible with the color and used in different ways. Gold, cinnabar, greenish blue, etc., and especially lapis lazuli are expensive and have a great effect when used for engraving.


(Come to think of it, what about toxicity?).


　When I think of mineral pigments, the first thing that comes to mind is their toxicity. It is said that cadmium, water-soluble lead, and especially in the medieval period in the man's world, the arsenic-containing floral greenish blue raged. However, I didn't pay attention to this when I received the explanation of the Mark, because there was no mention of it.


...... People in this world seem to be surprisingly sturdy, so maybe they'll be okay.


　As he was muttering this, the head of the guard suddenly called out to him.


'Sir Arx, Sir Arx. May I ask you something?

What's the matter?

No, no, Mr. Arx is handling small parts now, but I was wondering what he will do in the future.

What do you mean?

Well. Do you have any plans to work with ...... on stand-alone products or engraved weapons?

Yes, I do. I don't think I can do that at the moment, but I'm thinking of doing something at some point.


　In the kingdom, there is a race to develop useful items that use engraving technology, such as shining glass and magic lighters. I've been thinking about making something for a while now, though it will probably remain a hobby of mine.


"I see. Well, then, I'd really like it if you could distribute it to us. ...... What do you think?


　I don't mind if you do, but...


I don't mind wholesaling, but I'd like to be paid for it.

Of course, sir!


　Some may call me mean, but money is important. Especially as I am not the heir to the family, I know that I will be dismissed when I get older. Even if people think I am greedy, I should talk about my compensation.


　On the other hand, the Chamber of Commerce probably wants to talk to people who have skills, even if they are children. There are not many mages or engravers, so they want to keep their customers.




　Eventually, my men will return with the goods.


"Magical silver and green pigments. This way, sir.

Here we go.

Yes, yes!　Thank you again!


　When you pay the bill, the keeper replies cheerfully with a nice smile. It's hard to tell at first glance if he's just trying to be charming for business or if he likes money, which makes him a bit crooked, but at his age, there's no point in trying to guess.


　...... After that, I looked around a few stores and decided to go back to the house.


You can't do that.　Don't come!


　From somewhere, I heard a loud voice that seemed to belong to a girl.
　From the sound of her voice, she seemed to be in a state of great urgency.


　Could it be an incident? So you look around.
　It seems that the source of the voice is located near the back street.


　--Should I go call the guards?
　You think about it for a moment, but it could just be children fighting. Children are usually screaming and yelling. In the squares of downtown King's Landing, children often make these kinds of noises.


　It's hard to imagine that they can be heard in the back streets near the commercial district, but...


(Well, I'm a kid too. ......)


　(Well, I'm a kid, too. ) The fact that I have a memory of a man makes me feel a bit sensitive.
　Anyway, I thought I should take a look at him, so I stepped into the back street.


(I have magic, I can handle it.)


　Now I can use magic. Now I could use magic. Even against adults, I would not be outdone.
　After searching around for a while, a girl suddenly jumped out from a side alley.


"Oops. ......

"Whoa!


　The girl jumped out and stepped on the tatara, almost hitting it.
　The girl loses her balance a little, but her core is good. She spun around on the spot to kill the momentum and quickly adjusted her stance.


　She is about the same age as you. Her long black hair was silky smooth, her face was pretty, and she had lapis lazuli in her eyes. She was wearing a child's white cloak.
　Suddenly, I hear a man's voice coming from behind her. "Where'd he go? "Over there," they say.


　Apparently, the girl is being chased by them.


"Hey, um, let me see!


　Suddenly, the girl speaks to me. But she's too flustered to speak.
　She probably wants to tell them that she is being chased.


"This way!

"What?


　You pull the girl's arm and pull her into the alley where you have been hiding. As I peeked out from the corner and looked around, I saw two men who were not well dressed, or worse, dirty.


　They seemed to be looking for the girl and were glaring in all directions.
　They seemed to be looking for her for a while, but the men went off in a different direction.
　When the girl saw them, she breathed out a sigh of relief.


Thank you. Thank you for saving my life.

You're welcome. What about them, anyway?

That's what I don't understand. I was walking by and all of a sudden they surrounded me, and when I saw an opportunity to run away, they chased me ...... and they chased me to the back streets!　It's so persistent!


　As she spoke, the girl began to remember the incident, and her tone of voice became excited.


"So you think he's a kidnapper or something?

Yes. Maybe so.

Well, let's get to the main street while we still can.

Wait.


　Suddenly the girl shouts a warning. I look at her, and she puts her finger to her lips, gesturing for me to be quiet. I obeyed her and held my breath, but then I realized that I could hear footsteps approaching.

　My ears are good.


"At the end of the alley.


　Let's go, I guess. I listened to her words and proceeded to the end of the alley, paying attention to the footsteps.
　Through a dimly lit tunnel of glittering glass, and further down the back alley.
　However, the footsteps do not hesitate to approach you.


　You continue to look for a way out of the alley and go deeper, but...


What do I do? It's a cul-de-sac. ......


　The place we ended up was surrounded by high stone walls on three sides. I had no idea it was a dead end alley.
　I guess I shouldn't have pulled you into the alley so carelessly.


I'm sorry. It's my fault.

No. It's not your fault.




　As you struggle to cope, a man appears.
　He was dressed differently from the ill-dressed men we were looking for earlier. He wears a dull brown cloak and looks somewhat tired.


　His physiognomy is not ...... very good.
　It is often said in the world of men that people who do bad things also have bad faces, and this is a typical example.


　The girl stoutly stepped forward to confront him.


"...... How did you know I was here?

"I searched everywhere. I'm sure you'll find me.


　The kidnapper lets out a creepy "khich" laugh.
　It's hard to find someone so quickly, even if you have a lot of people, even if you split up.
　Perhaps they used magic. They must have improved their physical abilities and searched their surroundings.


　In other words, this kidnapper is a


"Mage......

"That's it. That's what I'm talking about.


　The girl, who seemed to have arrived at the same answer, said so, and the kidnapper affirmed with irritation.
　Then the girl said.


"What the hell do you think you're doing to a child?

"It's for money," he says. Especially a smart, pretty-faced kid like you.

"Lowlife ......

Say what you want. It's all about money in this world. I'll be a lowlife or whatever if it gets me money.


　The kidnapper said, and now turned his gaze to Arx as well.


"Kich, and that kid's got a pretty face, too. Is he your friend?　You'd be worth a lot of money if you took it with you.


　The kidnapper then lets out a sneer.


"Stick with .......


　...... To be honest, the situation is not good.
　In addition to the fact that you can use magic, you don't have any real combat experience, and you're limited to running away with the girl instead of by yourself.


　If my opponent was not a mage, I would have been able to get out of the way.
　How should I get out of this predicament?