"Hurry! This way, my comrades!"That evening, Simon stopped by Rochester with Benya. He was there to meet Gallen Eclipse, the creator of Simon's Magical Inventory.'But why are we running?!'Having too much energy could also be a problem.Despite being in a hurry, Benya laughed loudly, "Hahaha!" and greeted every single Rochester resident they passed. One hundred out of one hundred residents knew Benya of the Vanilla family."By the way, Senior.""What is it, my comrade?""It's illegal to be outside Rochester on weekdays, isn't it? Is it really okay to go around revealing our identities like this?"Simon had changed out of his uniform, put on a robe, and pulled up his hood to avoid being noticed by school officials, but Benya was waving and greeting everyone they passed.Benya smiled, showing her white teeth."Of course, it's not okay!""......?""If we get caught, well, we'll just consider it a vacation, get disciplined, and come back after a break!"Was it the nonchalance of a second-year, or was it just her innate personality? She remained someone Simon found difficult to understand within his common sense.Fortunately, they arrived at their destination without any issues.The meeting place was a small cafe in the city. After ordering drinks and heading up to the second floor, they saw a man sitting at a table.He was a middle-aged man in an out-of-fashion, autumn-leaf-colored coat and a fedora.He spotted Simon and Benya coming up the stairs and stood up with a bright smile."Hello, Gallen!"Benya waved first, greeting him. The man took off his fedora, placed it neatly on his chest, and bowed his head."It's been a long time, Young Lady.""........"Simon and Benya were momentarily speechless. When Gallen took off his fedora, the bald spot in the center of his head was starkly revealed. It looked even emptier in contrast to his long sideburns.Simon closed his eyes, and even the usually lively Benya couldn't speak, turning her gaze away.Gallen seemed completely oblivious, put his hat back on, and looked at Simon."Are you perhaps the student...!""Yes. I am Simon Pollentia of Kizen.""Ah, it's a pleasure to meet you!"The two shook hands."I heard the news! You can't imagine how surprised I was to hear that the person who bought my finest masterpiece was Kizen's Special Admission Student No. 1! Haha! As someone in this profession, it's the greatest honor!""The honor is mine. I'm using the Magical Inventory very well."The three sat down and began their discussion in earnest."The Young Lady explained the situation to me. You wish to commission a custom Magical Inventory this time, correct?""Yes!""I'd like to see the undead in question myself. Would that be alright?""Of course."Coincidentally, there was no one else on the second floor besides the three of them, and the space was ample. Simon immediately took out the Overlord."Oh...... this is it!"Gallen couldn't hide his excitement. Benya's eyes were also sparkling, even though she had seen it plenty yesterday.Simon lightly moved his legs, mimicking an attack on an imaginary enemy."Like this. I want to extend only its legs outside the Magical Inventory to attack the opponent.""Haha, impressive. Very impressive!"An excited Gallen returned to the table and pulled a pouch from his pocket.He poured the contents of the pouch onto the table: accessories such as rings, earrings, and necklaces."This one! Or is it this one?"Simon, curious, approached him as he picked out accessories."What are all these?""Ah, all these products here are Magical Inventories!"Simon's eyes widened. It was as if dozens of mansions were laid out on the table."To be more precise, these are 'reserved works' that haven't been officially released as products. I never make the exact same product twice. When a new inspiration strikes, I try to create it, and these are the ones that were put on hold due to practicality issues."He picked up a sleek ring and looked at Simon."I heard you don't have much time either, student.""Yes, I have an important evaluation soon.......""I can only stay on Locke Island for about four days. To create a Magical Inventory within that time, it would be better to modify one of these reserved works into a 'custom Magical Inventory' rather than creating a completely new product. That way, the price will be much lower, and it can be completed within the timeframe."Simon's eyes grew wide."Can it really be done in four days?""I will do my best. However, there are a few things you need to agree to regarding the product."Gallen said."First, a custom Magical Inventory is a thoroughly tailored product, so I do not recommend using it for purposes other than its intended use. Second, since it needs to produce abnormal output different from its normal use, there may be risks due to overload. I cannot know the exact nature of those risks until it is completed. Is that acceptable?"The item Simon would receive was something unobtainable on the market. And if the risk was due to 'overload' rather than a product defect, it was perfectly understandable.Simon nodded."Alright. Then, what about the production cost......."Simon said, subtly glancing at the Magical Inventory ring on his right hand.A standard product was 5,000 gold, so how much would this custom product cost? He only had 1,000 gold on hand.Gallen seemed to be contemplating the price, closing his eyes."You'll give us a good price, Gallen, won't you?"Suddenly, Benya interrupted with a thump! She rested her elbows on the table, cupped her face, and smiled sweetly."For my sake, please." 'This crazy woman.'Simon inwardly sighed.Stop it, Senior, please...... This isn't the kind of business where that approach will work on someone like......."Ahem."But Gallen, surprisingly, was wearing a pleased, fatherly smile."Actually, even if the Young Lady hadn't said that."Gallen turned his head to look at Simon."Having Kizen's Special Admission Student No. 1 use my product provides a huge promotional effect. I've decided to take that into account.""Good job!"Benya smiled brightly and held out her palm. Simon, with an excited expression, high-fived her and then looked back at Gallen."The down payment is 500 gold."Gallen said."The price may increase by a few hundred gold depending on the materials, magical effects, and costs involved afterward. Let's set the maximum at 1,000 gold. Do we have a deal?"For Gallen to create a Magical Inventory just for Simon, this was more than just a good deal. Moreover, it was just barely within his budget.Simon quickly nodded before his mind could change."We have a deal, Gallen."***The discussion concluded successfully.Gallen immediately began his work, and Benya decided to take care of her remaining business in Rochester before returning to Kizen.Simon walked alone through the night. "What lovely weather."Perhaps it was due to his anticipation for the new Magical Inventory, but even the cold night wind felt pleasant. The rustling of leaves in the wind sounded refreshing.Now, all he had to do was return safely to Kizen, being careful of the Watchmen. Having been outside the school more than once or twice, he was now accustomed to walking at night.[Boy.]Pier spoke to him.[You readily paid a large sum to someone you just met. Is that Gallen person trustworthy?]"More than anything, it was arranged by Senior Benya."He believed the reliability was certain, as it was a meeting personally arranged by the chairman's daughter of the Vanilla Group.And since Gallen was a well-known figure in his industry, the possibility of him crossing Kizen students and absconding with 500 gold was virtually 0%.'Putting the price aside, whether he can meet the deadline is the key.'There was a reason the Magical Inventory needed to be completed quickly. His next duel evaluation opponent was Malcolm, Special Admission Student No. 10.This was the first time Simon would face a special admission student. Simon became No. 1 through Neptis's recommendation, but in truth, special admission students were all chosen for their proven achievements and skills. Their strength was undeniable.And when Dick told him about Malcolm, Dick used an interesting example to explain it.-There's a famous senior in my second year who runs a betting pool. Actually, second-years are really interested in first-year duels and bet a lot for fun, but when I saw the win rates, it was quite shocking.At that moment, Dick had an unusually serious expression.-Malcolm's win rate is over 80% of the total. This is a truly, truly unusual case. The seniors haven't seen your skills firsthand yet, have they? If there's no information, it's common sense that Special Admission Student No. 1 would beat Special Admission Student No. 10, but for the rates to differ this much means everyone is that confident in Malcolm's victory.While student bets for fun couldn't be considered highly reliable, Simon didn't think it was something to dismiss lightly. This duel evaluation wouldn't be easy.Mud Golems or Skeleton Archers wouldn't be enough to secure victory against Malcolm. He had to somehow raise his Overlord's operational proficiency to a high level by the day of the duel evaluation.'When I get back, I'll train with the Overlord for just three more hours.......'-Kiiiririririri!Just then, Erzebet's Corpse Spider appeared in front of Simon, who was heading towards Kizen.Simon knelt down and looked at the Corpse Spider."What's wrong?"-Kilik! Kiiiriririri!The Corpse Spider quickly drew an 'X' on the ground with its two front legs.Seeing that mark, Simon's heart sank.The Corpse Spider's 'double X mark' meant only one thing.'......A Priest has appeared!'The night of the full moon was still vivid in his memory.The memory of almost being killed after accidentally witnessing a Priest worshipping God while fleeing from the Watchmen with Kamibarez.He would never forget those chilling eyes beneath the hood.'Pier!'[I just received the report too! I'll head to the forest!]'I'm heading out too!'Simon immediately used Jet Black Treading and sprinted towards the Forbidden Forest.As Simon ran frantically through the bushes, he recalled what Neptis had told him.-Do you remember the last Cyclops evaluation? The Cyclops your group faced was particularly strong not because of drug side effects or curses during its capture, but because someone intentionally interfered.Simon also felt that the Priest's influence was steadily spreading.That's why he had released Erzebet's Corpse Spiders into the Forbidden Forest, instructing them to immediately report if a Priest appeared.The next step was for Erzebet to transform into someone related to the Priest and extract information from them.If they were discovered or failed, they would either subdue the Priest or retreat, inform Lorraine, and investigate all routes into Kizen."Haaah! Haaah!"He absolutely couldn't miss them this time. The moment Simon, breathing heavily, entered the middle section of the Forbidden Forest.Kukukukukukukukung!From afar, he heard a massive explosion and the sound of trees falling.The situation had gone awry.The engagement had already begun.'......You have to be safe! Erze!'The opponent was a powerful individual, on the level of a professor.Simon used Jet Black Treading and ran at full speed.
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