"Refray, I'm not running away anymore. Please let go of my hand now."

"No way. I'm not letting go today."

"You'll have trouble when you need to use the restroom, won't you?"

"I'll go with you."

"Seriously...?"

Walking briskly, as if eager to get far away from the labyrinth.

Strolling through the city with a beautiful woman holding hands is incredibly noticeable.

But since she clearly has no intention of letting go, there's nothing I can do.

I gave up.

"So, where are you taking me?"

"Hikaru, let's buy some gear."

"Gear...? Why all of a sudden?"

"I've always thought so. Hikaru, you're too reckless. I was afraid you'd die somewhere I don't know about, without me knowing. And it turns out my intuition was right."

"I'm not really wanting to die,"

"Going into the labyrinth where the Demon King has appeared all by yourself is basically suicide... Especially since you're the 'Chosen One.' If the Demon King finds you, hiding in the shadows won't be enough to save you."

So the Chosen One is loved even by the Demon King...?

Come to think of it, I've heard that before.

"Still... you figured out I was about to go into the labyrinth alone pretty easily."

"Of course I did. I've been watching you all along. I even suspected you on your days off. But I didn't want to push too hard and make you hate me... Still, today, I just had to stop you."

"I see..."

When I went into the labyrinth alone, I got hurt by Trent.

I tried to cover it up by saying I'd fallen while fishing, but I guess I didn't fool anyone.

"And besides... you can't just leave someone with such a terrible expression, can you?"

"Expression?"

In this world, mirrors aren't everywhere like they are in the previous one. The chance to see one's own face is almost nonexistent compared to before.

So I have no idea what kind of face I'm making. Maybe I should've swapped for a crystal hand mirror.

"You've had that pale, bloodless look every day—just like yesterday, and for a while now, Hikaru. It's as if your heart isn't even here anymore... That's why I was so worried when you said you wanted to dissolve the party. I was afraid you'd just vanish somewhere without a trace."

I couldn't argue against those words.

If meeting the Demon King could secure my viewership rank as number one, I'd have been content to die.

My heart has remained trapped in that other world all along.

If Nanami were to come back to life, my job here in this world would be over—I had vaguely thought of it like that.

I hadn’t even properly looked at Refleia as she walked beside me.

It should have been obvious what she must have felt seeing me like that, even if I just took a moment to think about it.

The warmth from her palm was a real, tangible truth right here, and it made me realize I hadn’t even faced up to those feelings.

She had been looking at me this whole time, so deeply.

◇◆◆◆◇

"We’ve arrived,"

"A weapon shop...? This place looks like a high-end store."

The place we were brought to wasn’t at all what I’d expected from a shop selling armor.

A two-story building that extravagantly uses wood stands out in a town filled with pale, dusty white-washed buildings, setting itself apart as a high-end shop.

"This is a shop for equipment used by explorers of Silver rank or higher."

"Why not just buy gear from the blacksmith, Uncle? We don’t have that much money."

"I’ll cover the difference. I brought you here, after all."

"Even if you say that, you don’t have much money yourself, do you...?"

"I’ve earned it. Affording Hikaru’s gear isn’t a problem."

I’m pulled inside by Refleia.

The equipment displayed on the shelves is all designed to protect the area from neck to shoulder—precisely the vulnerable 'central life point' that is the weakness of creatures in this world.

The shopkeeper was a gentleman with a crisp shirt and pants held up by suspenders, while I, looking dirty and out of place, felt utterly mismatched.

"Ah, Lady Reflair! Are you here for equipment inspection today?"

"No, I'd like you to show me a Gojitt Plate."

"Ah, a referral? Thank you very much."

The shopkeeper glanced at me briefly, his expression unreadable.

Well, naturally, it's no surprise he's disappointed—Refalair, a proper lady and a regular high-class customer, has brought along someone like me, a scruffy street urchin brandishing a stick like a thug.

"Excuse me, but may I ask your name?"

"...Hikaru. Nice to meet you."

"What kind of Gojitt Plate have you had before?"

Given the flow of the conversation, the protective gear that safeguards the vital essence of spirit power must be called the Goujitt Plate. It's a type of lamellar armor that covers the neck, shoulders, and upper back with thin metal plates—standard equipment for explorers, worn even by Reflair and the Links.

And since I didn't know about this, I wasn't equipped with it.

"Well, I'm just starting out, so this is my first purchase."

"Y-you're buying it for the first time...?"

The shopkeeper glances briefly at Reflair.

His expression says it all—Is this guy even able to afford our pricey goods?

Well, I'm not sure if I can actually afford it, but thanks to the unusually high price of the Garden Panther's stone, I do have some extra funds.

"Hikaru, the Goujitsu Plate should be made of mithril. I never take mine off in daily life, so it needs to be both light and durable. Steel is strong, but it's hard to maintain and heavy. Leather might be better, but that's unreliable too."

"Mithril, huh?"

I don't really know what mithril even is, but apparently it's some incredibly light and strong metal. Maybe like titanium?

The shopkeeper, having listened to Refreia's words, brought down a shiny piece of armor presumed to be mithril from the shelf.

"For you, this size should be fine. Please try it on."

It goes on like a helmet—slipped over the head, with the front opening secured and adjusted by laces.

Inside the armor, there's thick fabric, so it doesn't feel too bad to wear.

The mithril metal itself seems to have a certain flexibility, offering no restriction on shoulder movement.

The neck might feel a bit tight, though.

"It suits you, Hikaru!"

"I've never worn armor before, so it feels strange. Still, this metal is surprisingly light."

It's probably not much heavier than leather.

The thickness is substantial at the base of the neck, but overall it's quite thin.

"Mithril is a special metal. It's expensive, but its lightness and durability far surpass those of steel."

"Mithril is also known as 'magical silver,' crafted by elves drawing on the power of spirits."

"Elves?"

"Yes? You've never seen one? Some elves even explore dungeons occasionally."

"I don't really show up at the guild much."

In the labyrinth, you don't usually run into other explorers that often.

The labyrinth itself is vast, and I've also been careful not to run into people—changing direction whenever I sensed someone nearby.

"So, how much is this?"

"Yes, since it's recommended by Lady Refrea... how about one gold coin?"

I don't know the current exchange rate, but if it hasn't changed much, that's equivalent to forty to fifty silver coins.

It's not cheap, but it's within my budget.

A night's stay at an inn costs two small silver coins, so if we assume that's equivalent to five thousand yen, then one silver coin equals about twenty thousand yen.

A gold coin would be roughly eighty to one hundred thousand yen.

Converting to Japanese yen isn't particularly meaningful, but one thing is certain—the dungeon exploration business is incredibly profitable.

Now I understand what Reflair meant when she said she was practicing her magic and also lurking around for money.

"This item has no decorations whatsoever and is the most basic model available, so if you find something you like better, please let us know."

Such shops in another world would definitely be an interesting topic for viewers.

Honestly, I didn't care which one I picked, but I checked every shelf just to be thorough.

It seems this shop is exclusively dedicated to neck guards—specifically Goggit Plates—and sells nothing else. However, they offer a wide range of materials, from steel to mithril, and even mysterious metals (priced astronomically) as well.

The mithril one I tried on was the cheapest, and those with engravings were even more expensive. But engraving doesn't change the performance, and since I'd just cover it with black cloth anyway, the simple one was plenty good enough for me.