n

n

n

"Hey isn't that Ariel?

" Said a familiar voice.

nJohn was currently walking through the capital with Ariel. They were planning on buying new clothes and just going sightseeing. After all, since John came to this world, all he had done was try to survive. He thought that he should try to enjoy it more.

nJohn turned his head to see who the familiar voice was confused after doing so.

n

"Will!

" Ariel called.

n

"Hey Ariel, how have you been?

" Will asked.

n

"Good... What about you?

" Ariel replied.

n

"I've been managing,

" Will said as he let out a laugh.

nJohn watched as the two interacted, they seemed to know each other.

n'Who is this, man…?' John wondered

nJohn's mind couldn't stop thinking about words to describe him. He was tall, nearly twice John's height. Strong, with defined muscles all over his body and bald, a shiny head with a sharp gaze attached to his face.

nJohn felt intimidated as he stared at the man, but didn't look away. Ariel was there so there was no way he could, even if he felt like a puppy staring at a wolf.

n

"So aren't you going to introduce your boyfriend?

" Will asked with a smile on his face as looked at John

n

"H-He's not my boyfriend... He's my partner… His name's John.

" Ariel replied with slightly reddened cheeks

n

"I'm John, nice to meet you.

" Said John with a smile as he extended his arm for a handshake

nSeeing this, Will smiled back before grabbing John's arm. As he did so, John's smile began to twitch as he felt an immense amount of pressure begin to squeeze his hand.

n'O-Ow… What's with this strength...? Is he testing me?' John wondered

nWill watched as John was about to fall onto his knees and expected John to beg for him to stop. But contrary to that expectation, John stayed on his feet and even squeezed will's hand back.

nSeeing this an even wider smile was formed on will's face as he weakened his grip. John took this opportunity to let go of his hand.

n

"John, huh…? You're an interesting kid, I like you. The name's Will, if you ever need anything, just ask.

" He said happily

nJohn wondered why the man seemed so happy before grabbing onto the hand he had just used to shake Will's. It was red, and was throbbing in pain.

n'It hurts like hell… What is this guy?! If I hadn't used magic strengthening…'

n

"Haha, Thanks.

" John replied as he forced a smile

nAriel looked towards the two and smiled happily as they seemed to get along. .

n

"So.. What happened to you? After these few days?

" Will asked after staring at Ariel's clothes.

n

"Well.. I-I became an adventurer.

" Ariel answered.

n

"Oh! I knew you had it in you!

" Will said with an amused expression before giving her a pat on the back.

nAriel looked happy receiving the praise and pats. Seeing this, before John had even realised it, a smile was formed on his lips.

n'So you weren't alone… That's good.' He thought to himself.

n

"What are these fruits called?

" John asked as he stared at the fruits on the stall. They were red like an apple yet shaped like a mango.

n

"These are appa!

" Ariel said excitedly.

nShe looked at John expectantly, as if she wanted him to try the fruits. John was particularly interested in them either way, so he just went along with it.

n'Appa… How much are they?' John wondered.

n

"How much would 2 appas cost?

" John asked.

n

"25 Copper coins each

" Will replied with a smile on his face.

n

"Right, then can I have 4 Please?

" John questioned.

n

"Sure, pick anyone you like.

" Will responded.

n

"Right, thanks. Ariel, aren't you gonna pick one?

" John asked after choosing 2 random ones.

n

"Huh? Ah, yes.

" She replied with a startled reaction.

n

"Pick a good one.

" Said John with a smile

n

"Mn, Thank you

" She said as she showed a happy and excited smile back..

n

"I-It's fine,

" Said John, slightly surprised by how happy she looked.

nHe then looked at will before pulling out a few silver coins from out of his pouch.

n

"Here's the payment,

" John said as he handed Will 5 silver coins.

n

"This is a lot more than I requested, John. I only need one of those.

" Will said with a confused expression.

n

"Consider it as thanks. I know it's not much but I'd appreciate it if you could accept it.

"

n

"For what?

" Asked Will

n

"For letting me try some of this appa.

" Said John happily

nThe man showed a troubled expression as he thought about whether or not to take it

n

"You're a strange kid... Alright, I'll take you up on that. Thanks John.

"

n

"Yeah. Well then, We're going to continue to look around the city. See you later!

" John said.

n

"Stay safe and take good care of Ariel!

" Will replied.

n***

nShortly after, John and Ariel continued to walk along as they waved at him.

n

"He's a nice person.

" Ariel said as they continued to walk along the roads.

n

"Yeah.. He is..

" John replied.

nJohn wondered how exactly she knew him or what was she to him, but since she didn't say anything, he thought it'd be better not to ask.

nTo distract his mind, John moved the red fruit towards his mouth to take a bite out of it. He still hadn't tried it and was curious to see just what sort of flavours a fruit from this world would hold.

nAs he did so, John then noticed out of the corner of his eyes, Ariel staring at him expectantly, but he decided to ignore it.

n*Crunch*

nAs soon as John took the first bite, his eyes widened. The sund similar to the crunching of an apple, yet the juice sourer than that of an orange and a sweet rich flavour similar to that of a mango. It was a triple combination. All happening within John's mouth at once.

n

"So good~!

" John let out as before taking more and more bites.

n'The sourness and flavour dissolves in your mouth!' John thought to himself, happily.

nSeeing this reaction, Ariel couldn't contain her smile before taking a bite herself. As she did so, she too had a satisfied face as he continued to eat.

n

"So good…

" She muttered to herself

n***

nThroughout the day, John and Ariel just continued to walk around the city. They bought new clothes, ate delicious meals in restaurants and just had fun. Just the two of them.

n'Wait, isn't this a date? No, I'm just overthinking. It's just 2 party members walking through the capital and having a great time.' John thought.

n

"John.. John, are you listening?

" Ariel asked.

n

"Wha- What's up?

" John said.

n

"I was asking what you wanted to do now..

" Ariel questioned.

n

"Oh! Well.. I'm guessing we could get better weapons? Daggers are a dual-handed weapon but since we were only given 1 pair, we only have one. I'd like to get another pair.

" John answered.

n

"Okay.

" Ariel replied.

nThey headed towards the smithy they had been to previously and like before, there were iron clanking noises coming from the back room and there was no one behind the counter.

n

"Um, excuse me.

" John said loud enough to be heard.

nShortly after, a dwarf came out of the room.

n

"Oh, it's the two kids. Was the armour useful? What can I get ya?

"

n

"Yes. I'm looking for strong, light and sharp daggers and I'd like a wand for Ariel.

" John answered.

nAfter hearing his words Ariel let out a surprised

"Eh?!

"

n

"Yep, I'm planning on getting you a wand. I feel like you'd do well as a support mage while I go on the offensive. However, if you don't want to then we don't have to get you a wand.

" John spoke.

n

"I-it's not that, it was just that I was surprised. I also think being a mage would suit me!

" She replied with an excited look.

n

"Well then, I guess we're getting the wands.

" John decided.

n

"What's your budget?

" The Blacksmith asked.

n

"2 gold coins,

" John replied.

nAriel gave him a surprised look but didn't say anything.

n

"Right, follow me,

" The smith said.

nHe led them to one of his dagger displays.

n

"This is?

" John curiously asked.

n

"These are mythril daggers. They're quite common amongst adventurers due to how durable and sharp they are. They're also fairly light.

" He said as he stroked his beard.

n

"How much are they?

" John asked.

n

"50 Silver Coins.

"

n

"Hmm.. What about this one?

" John pointed.

nHe pointed at the dagger, which was next to the Mythril ones.

n

"This dagger is quite unique.. It's made by a special ore which gets harder and lighter as you give it magical power. If you give it enough, it could easily surpass the mythril one.

" The smith explained.

n

"That's pretty good..

" Ariel quietly said

n

"So what are the drawbacks?

" John asked.

n

"You're pretty sharp, kid. To use it, you need to constantly supply it with magic. Most people don't have enough magic power to last long and it turns into a useless piece of metal when they run out.

" The smith answered.

n

"How much is it?

" John questioned.

nThe man gave him a look as if planning something and replied

"Hm.. Usually it would've been 4 Gold coins but I can make it 1 since you look like you'll become a regular.

"

n

"1 Gold coin for a dagger which looks as if it can't be sold due to how hard it is to use. Aren't you being a little cold?

" John asked as he stared at him.

n

"The ore is rare.. You won't find others selling these kinds of daggers.

"

n

"Isn't that mainly because of its drawbacks?

" John asked.

nThe man clicked his tongue and appeared to have given up.

"Alright, I'll sell it to you for the same price as the mythril. There are no refunds.

" said the smith.

n

"Understood.

"

nThe man opened the display and handed the daggers to John after he paid him.

n

"Is there anywhere I can test this on?

" John asked.

n

"Yeah, follow me

"

nThe man led them to his backroom. Inside, it looked just like you'd expect. It was full of weapons and tools blacksmiths would use to craft swords. the room was also moderately warmer compared to outside.

n

"Here use this.

" He said.

nThe man handed him an iron sword. The quality looked like it had deteriorated a bit, but it still felt sturdy and the handle seemed broken.

n

"How?

" John asked.

nThe man placed the sword on top of a wooden table

n

"Take a shot.

" He said.

n

"What? John asked.

n

"Try cutting the sword.

"

n

"Are you sure?

" John hesitantly asked.

n

"It's fine, it's just junk and besides, you wouldn't be able to break it even if you tried.

" The smith said.

n

"If you say so..

"

nBoth Ariel and the man stared intently as John, in a swift motion, swung his new dagger at the sword on the table. After it hit, a scratched was formed on the sword.

n

"See, what did I tell you? The dagger is only good if you have enough magic po-

"

nBefore the man had finished speaking. As my dagger began to slightly glow, John took another swing at the sword, only this time, he kept a constant supply of magic power flowing through it.

nOn the swing, both the sword and the table were cut in half. Both Ariel and the man stared motionlessly at him with dumbfounded expressions.

n

"It's pretty sharp.

" John said.

nThat being said, this dagger barely took any energy from John. In fact, it was just slightly more than magic strengthening and he didn't really need to keep it active the whole time, so the drawbacks weren't really that bad. He felt like he just made a huge profit.

n

"Oi kid.. You never told me you could use magic.

" The smith said.

n

"You never asked?

" He replied with a smile on his face.

nThe man put his palm on his face and let out a sigh as he realised he made a huge loss before taking them back to the entrance.

n

"What about the wand?

" John asked.

n

"John, about that-

"

nBefore Ariel could explain, the man interrupted.

"Wands contain a magic stone as a mana store. They improve the amount of magic you have and the power of your spells. Do you get it, kid? They're quite expensive, and would cost at least 10 Gold Coins.

"

n

"I see.. Then looks like we're going to have to make more money..

" John quietly said.

nAriel, who looked as if she had something to say, decided to keep it to herself.

n

"Well then, we'll be back for a wand later.

"

nAriel who had remained quiet finally decided to say what she was holding back

"Are you sure we should get a wand.. Isn't it too expensive..?

"

n

"Don't worry about that. What kind of mage doesn't have a wand? Besides, we're still training right now, so it's best if you don't rely on one too much. But after you're good enough, I'll get you one.

" John answered.

n

"Yes!

" Ariel said with a slightly relieved expression.

nJohn paid an extra 5 silver for dagger sheaths, and then they left. He felt sorry for the blacksmith, but at least he learned something new.

nOn our way back, he thought about getting Ariel a gift to remember this day.

n

"Ariel, wait here for a moment, I remembered something.

"

nShe hesitantly nodded

nJohn felt bad for leaving her here, but they were near the inn and he wanted to make the gift a surprise.

nJohn activated magic strengthening and rushed to one of the jewelry shops he had seen while we walked around the city. There was something that had caught his eye.

nAfter a minute he arrived at the shop. He had been quite fast for his size, so the shop workers. Had a perplexed expression.

n

"Um.. I'd like to buy this pendant.

" John said.

nIt was a pendant shaped in the form of a moon connected to a pendant shaped in the form of a sun. The main function that attracted John was that it could be connected, and once that happened, it would look whole.

n'I'm getting it because I think it would suit us.'John thought.

n

"Y-Yes, that's 2 silver coins,

" The clerk said.

nJohn handed the coins to her and placed the pendant in his pocket.

nExcited to see Ariel's reaction he rushed back to where he had left her. As John got nearby he noticed that something was off.

nAfter John finally arrived, he saw the 3 Guys who tried to rob us yesterday standing behind a guy who held a dagger at his hand. He also saw Ariel with both of her arms stretched out. A position she usually uses when she's about to cast her spell.

nJohn rushed to Ariel's side before asking,

"What's going on?

"

n

"I-It's him!

" Shouted out the guy whose arm John nearly broke.

n

"This kid? You got beaten up by a kid?

" Asked the man who was holding the dagger.

nThe man who held the dagger looked like he was in his twenties. He didn't look as buff as the dwarf blacksmith or will, but his body looked trained. He had short brown hair and a piercing on his ear.

nThe one on the ground with bandages all over his body nodded in response without saying anything else.

n

"Oi, kid. Why d'you beat up on of my guys?

" He asked

n

"You must be pretty stupid if you can't tell why. Especially in a situation like this,

" John replied.

nIn an instant, the guy leapt towards John giving him a kick which he managed to block with his hands. The kick was so strong that it pushed him back a few feet. John's arms felt numb. He was sure that if he didn't have magic strengthening on they would have broken them.

nHe let out a whistle before saying,

"Not bad. Follow me. You know what will happen if you don't

" as he looked at Ariel.

nAriel who had kept quite glared at him as she spoke

"Don't worry about me John.. I'll be fine.

"

n

"No. That guy is probably an adventurer which is why he didn't do anything to you, There are people watching us so if he did anything he'd be in trouble.

" John replied.

n

"Hoh.. You're quite smart aren't you. Kids like you piss me off.

" He said.

n

"Then!

" She said

n

"It won't work. Even if we get away today, he'll most likely try again where there aren't any people watching. It's better to deal with this now.

" John explained.

n

"But! He's dangerous...

" Ariel replied.

n

"Don't worry, I'll be fine. He got me by surprise.

" John said.

n'Or so I said, but I could tell, he was a lot stronger than me. He's probably reinforcing his body with magic, just like me.' John judged.

n

"She's coming too.

" He said

n

"She has nothing to do with this.

" John said.

n

"I'm going to need something to stop you from running.

" He said with a grin on his face.

n

"I was planning on going either way.

" She said.

n

"But-

"

nBefore John could finish he was interrupted by Ariel.

"We're partners, aren't we? How could I leave you by yourself when you're in danger?!

" She said with an annoyed expression as she looked at him.

n

"Fine, we'll go.

" John replied.

n

"Good, I was getting tired of waiting.

"

n