As evening approached, I left the inn.

　Before heading into the labyrinth, I needed to cash in my spirit stones.

　Meeting Alex was a mistake.

　Right now, I should be more vigilant than anyone else about the existence of interdimensional travelers, yet I carelessly went to a bathhouse and ended up in that situation.

　It’s better to think I was lucky to survive.

　Maybe I should change my inn location periodically to be more careful, but perhaps that’s going too far. After all, there’s no real benefit for an interdimensional traveler to kill me just because of some message.

　Still, there are people out there—like Nanami, Nanami’s family, and that idiot who killed us—whose actions make no sense even if their motives are unclear. I should stay on guard.

　

While lost in thought, I passed through a narrow alley at dusk and arrived at my usual black market.

The old man runs the black market without prying, just quietly buying from me—truly a relief.

In this world, no matter how I choose to live, what I need most right now is money.

"Hm. These are two-layered stones, aren’t they? Quite a few of them. Been hoarding these, have you?"

As I laid out the spirit stones on the counter, the old man raised one eyebrow.

There were nearly forty stones in total.

More than half were transparent, but some had color.

"That’s about right."

"Hmph… still as uncharming a kid as ever."

Still, he placed four silver coins and seven smaller silver coins on the small dish atop the counter.

"I’ve been depending on your earnings, so I’ll give you a little extra."

"I appreciate it."

Four silver coins amounted to roughly thirty-two small silver coins.

I didn't know the exact equivalent in Japanese yen, but it was certainly enough to stay at that cheap inn for over half a month.

It was quite a profitable day's work, just for hunting monsters for a single day.

After all, adventurers risk their lives, so it made sense that they were paid well for it.

Exiting the alley, I stepped onto the main road and entered a shop catering specifically to adventurers.

It was a moderately sized store stocked with weapons, armor, and equipment for exploration—back when I first bought my short sword and clothes, I had purchased them here.

The selection was good, but since it wasn't a specialized shop, the quality was just average.

Still, I couldn't afford high-end items anyway. For a beginner, the goods here were more than sufficient.

(I could really use a spear…)

A dagger is convenient, but given my fighting style, I feel it'd be safer to stab from a slight distance using a spear. The Darkness Fog has a reasonably wide effective range. Attacking up close with a dagger is too risky.

Well, I've never used a spear before, so it's just a mental image, but whether I can actually use one or not won't be known until I buy and try it out.

(That's expensive. Do spears really cost this much?)

It's just a short sword attached to the end of a wooden stick, yet it costs twelve silver coins.

I could afford it, but I'm not sure if I really need it right now.

Besides, seeing it in person, a spear seems less reliable than I imagined.

(Maybe a dagger would be just as good.)

A short sword has its own advantages. First, you can swing it or thrust with it—being able to attack in various ways is important, depending on the situation.

Also, since we often fight in tight spaces on the second floor, a short sword won’t get in the way.

Most importantly, it can be used for defense when needed. A spear is just a wooden stick; if you use it for defense, it’ll break immediately. A broken spear is no better than a knife—essentially useless.

So, spears are low on my priority list for purchase.

(What about armor?)

I don’t own any armor other than the gauntlets that came from the jewel-like(orb).

My boots, which I got from my first point exchange after being transported to this world, are still intact, but that’s all.

No matter how well I blend into the shadows, if I’m caught off guard, I’m as fragile as paper.

If you have armor, that's best.

(Even leather armor costs this much...)

A tan leather cuirass made from tanned leather costs fifteen silver coins.

A leather breastplate costs ten silver coins.

A chain shirt costs thirty-five silver coins. A steel breastplate costs forty-two silver coins.

It might be a scam shop, but regardless, this was beyond my means.

If you want proper iron armor, you'll need gold coins.

I don't know the current exchange rate for gold, but I remember being told that fifty silver coins—or around that amount—can get you a gold coin.

I don't understand the price difference between gold and silver, but gold is definitely precious.

That must be the reason.

(…Why are there so many neck guards for sale?)

Among the protective gear, there's a specifically designed piece that covers the neck and shoulders.

Prices vary depending on the material—could it be because monsters that target the neck are so common?

Leather ones are most common, but iron-made ones are also plentiful.

Either way, they’re beyond my budget.

Other items include water flasks, torches, fire-starting tools,

and likely smoke bombs, stink bags, and dried meat—though the dried meat might just be for portable food.

Come to think of it, while walking through the forest, I really wished I had a backpack.

Now that I have a Shadow Bag, it's not strictly necessary, but maybe it'd still be useful for camouflage.

(Hmm. Interesting.)

Perhaps because I'd grown a little more accustomed to this world than during my last visit, I found it enjoyable to browse shops filled with

assorted items. Compared to goods sold in Japan, these trinkets were poorly made, making me reluctant to buy them intentionally. Still, the sight of unfamiliar objects on display sparked my curiosity. Maybe the drop in viewership

had given me a bit more mental space. Though I should stay alert, since Alex—the other transmigrant—was also

in this town. But as long as I didn't make contact, we probably wouldn't run into each other. In the end, I bought a replacement set of black clothes and left the store. I could use

some undergarments too, but those would be better acquired through

crystal exchange due to quality concerns. Goods made in this world tend to be cheap and flimsy, often tied together

with string—quite impractical, really. "Ah! I found it!"

As I stepped out of the shop, I heard a voice like rolling bells from afar.

Looking toward the sound, I saw Reflair, her body bathed in the crimson light of the setting sun, dashing toward me.

Her cheeks flushed, her platinum blonde hair shimmering in the sunlight, she smiled gently as she ran—completely catching me off guard.

I couldn’t even think to flee, and stood frozen in the middle of the bustling street, utterly stunned.

"Thank goodness… I’ve been waiting at the entrance to the labyrinth this whole time, and when you didn’t show up, I was afraid I’d never see you again…"

Panting slightly, Reflair approached me.

For a brief moment, I actually thought she might have been waiting there just for me.

But I never imagined it was really true.

A beautiful woman suddenly shouted and rushed toward the man.

As a result, nearly all the onlookers' gazes shifted entirely onto me and Refrea.

I felt more discomfort about that than about the woman in front of me.

A sensation of blood draining from my feet.

A cold shiver ran down my spine, and I decided to run away.

But I couldn't possibly activate dark spirit magic right here, so I ignored Refrea and dashed down the alley.

It was shameful and reckless, but right now protecting my own mind took priority.

I couldn't imagine that refined noblewoman, Refrea, knew her way around alleyways.

I had confidence I could shake her off.

(Huff, huff—now that I've made it this far)

"Is it over already?"

Startled by the voice, I turned around to see Reflair standing there with a cool expression.

Despite darting through the maze-like alleyways, left and right, she hadn’t managed to escape at all.

"You know, despite how I look, I’m actually quite high-ranking. I’ve finally found you, so I’m not letting you go?"

"Damn it! Shadow Bind!"

There were people around, even in the alley.

But being caught here wasn’t an option.

I’d only just managed to fight monsters. My viewers were already dwindling.

I’d only just, only just started taking small steps forward.

I didn’t want that all to be ruined.

My words resonated with the spirits; tentacles emerged from the shadows and wrapped around her body.

She let out a faint cry, but I used the moment to vanish into the darkness with Darkness Fog.

The effect of the bind would last around ten seconds, but that was more than enough to blind her with speed.

I dashed through the alley at full speed and successfully lost her this time.