LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 7
TLed by NolepGuy
Chapter 7
As mentioned before, there isn’t a significant difference between Magical Engineering Products and Artifacts.
Broadly speaking, Artifacts are a branch of Magical Engineering Products.
The source of their exclusivity, which elevates them to the status of “luxury items,” lies in their rarity.
Simply put, it comes down to whether they can be mass-produced or not.
Unlike other Magical Engineering Products, Artifacts may lack versatility, but they excel in at least one unique function.
That’s what defines an Artifact, and because of this, Artifacts—such as Subspace Pouches—varied endlessly in type, reflecting the characteristics of the Magicians who created them.
A Self-Defense Wand that emits fire or electricity.
Clothes or bags made of fabric that automatically repair torn parts over time.
From music boxes that store pleasant memories to let you dream of them repeatedly, to gems that reflect a rainbow of colors depending on your current emotions.
Whether they are useful or not doesn’t matter.
Even Artifacts with the same function differ in the techniques and features imbued by the Magician who created them.
This is why collectors who specialize in Artifacts often search for items made by specific Magicians or collect Artifacts with the same function.
“Wow……”
Artifacts weren’t necessarily better than Magical Engineering Products.
Some Artifacts were of lower quality than common mass-produced Magical Engineering Products.
Yet, the reason people regarded them as luxury items and considered them special was that most of the ones available on the market had been carefully filtered by experts.
Unless you were scammed in the black market or at a street stall, you could generally find Artifacts worth their price.
At department stores, you could even see high-grade Artifacts among those selected.
Whether in terms of functionality or aesthetics.
“Is there something you’re looking for, ma’am?”
Nell, wandering through the luxury section, feeling dejected after seeing a bourgeois uncle and niece.
But she quickly regained her composure and headed to the 9th floor of Grant Department Store.
The top three floors of Grant Department Store, including the 9th, were entirely dedicated to selling Artifacts.
‘Alright, I decided to treat myself for once. Let’s go big.’
Come to think of it, the Academy’s semester was about to start.
Since the Demon Lord also held the title of the Academy’s chairman, the workload would pile up, and then some, once the new semester began.
Naturally, Nell, who had to assist him, would also find her workload overwhelming.
So, as a reward for all the hard work she had done so far, and as encouragement for the hard work she’d do in the future, she decided to splurge a little.
With that in mind, she repeatedly hesitated in front of the elevator, causing inconvenience to others, before finally arriving at her destination.
However, her resolve faltered the moment she stepped onto the 9th floor and was overwhelmed by the solemn atmosphere of the Artifact showroom. She couldn’t help but gawk in awe, glancing around awkwardly.
At the same time, when a clerk noticed her and approached with a smile, Nell felt a wave of embarrassment and lowered her head.
‘How embarrassing.’
This was a place within the department store frequented only by the wealthy.
Knowing this, she couldn’t help but wonder how pathetic she must have seemed to someone working here.
Wasn’t the clerk probably mocking her inwardly, thinking something like, “Why is a poor person here?”
That’s how it went in dramas, after all.
In reality, though, the clerk was simply hiding thoughts like, “I can’t wait to clock out, grab a beer, and watch a movie at home,” behind a professional smile.
Unaware of this, Nell cleared her throat to cover her awkwardness and tried to speak calmly.
“I’m just browsing for now.”
“Of course. If you need any assistance, please don’t hesitate to let me know.”
“Thank you.”
So polite.
There wasn’t even a hint of disdain in the clerk’s smile, unlike what Nell’s insecurities led her to believe.
On the contrary, the clerk’s composed demeanor seemed to calm Nell’s excitement.
It was enough to make Nell think, “Is this what it means to be a professional in customer service?”
‘Impressive.’
Was this what true professionalism looked like?
Nell found herself thinking she should learn from that.
Though, given her job mostly involved staring at a computer rather than interacting with people, she wondered how often she’d actually need such skills.
‘It’s strange. Other secretaries often deal with people, don’t they?’
Why was it that, as the secretary to the Demon Lord—the second most powerful person in the land after the King—she spent more time cleaning up after him than dealing with people?
One reason might be that the Demon Lord was so influential that he didn’t need to care about others’ opinions.
Frankly, as a public servant, she could confidently storm into the mansions of high-ranking nobles under the Demon Lord’s authority and cause a ruckus.
As long as she did her job well, the Demon Lord would handle any fallout.
There was no need to act subservient; she could always operate from a position of power.
But that was that, and this was this.
Watching the clerk, Nell realized she had forgotten about feminine grace while doing her job.
Nell quietly observed the clerk’s retreating figure as she turned her attention away from the Artifacts.
“Ma’am, is there anything you need?”
The clerk greeted another customer with a smile—this time, a child who had just entered the 9th floor.
The child barely reached the clerk’s knees.
Yet, the clerk remained polite, addressing the child formally and maintaining a professional demeanor.
Even though it was likely the child had wandered up here by mistake.
‘…Wait, what!?’
As Nell followed the clerk’s movements, she suddenly realized the child’s face looked familiar.
It wasn’t someone she personally knew.
Or perhaps, if she did know them, she would have remembered.
The child was one of the two people who had utterly humbled Nell earlier on the lower floor.
The uncle was nowhere to be seen, leaving only the niece.
But Nell already knew her well from their encounter downstairs.
She knew the power of the money the child wielded.
“Oh, I’d like to see a Subspace Pouch.”
Look at that. The very first thing the child asked for was a Subspace Pouch, one of the most notoriously expensive Artifacts.
It was a mindset worlds apart from Nell’s, who had planned to pick out a pretty but affordable Artifact.
“Subspace Pouches are available on the 10th floor. A dedicated elevator for the Artifact showroom is located to the left. If you’d like, I can guide you there.”
“Oh, no, that’s alright. Thank you.”
Let’s not look anymore.
Let’s not envy her.
As a public servant, the 10th and 11th floors were beyond her reach.
That child lived in an entirely different world.
Nell just needed to pick something she liked on the 9th floor and happily head home.
Determined to ignore the child, Nell started walking to browse the Artifacts in earnest.
‘First, let’s look at the Subspace Pouches.’
Meanwhile, completely unaware of the envy and jealousy directed her way, Arina briskly headed toward the dedicated elevator.
The atmosphere was incredibly stifling.
The items encased in museum-like glass displays seemed to scream, “I’m an expensive item!”
Honestly, it was overwhelming.
Even more so because she held a card that could acquire any of these items with just a few taps.
It was a rare sight for a child to exhibit such restraint despite having access to such power.
This was proof that she had matured relatively early.
“Hmm, I like this one. I’ll take it too.”
Unlike another child nearby, who was smudging fingerprints on a pristine glass case while claiming items inside.
“Hmm?”
At the same time, Arina’s eyes widened as she unintentionally passed by that child.
A child in a place like this?
She herself had only come here because her uncle had forced a card into her hands.
Normally, everyone knew this wasn’t a place for children.
“Huh?”
At the same time, the other child seemed to notice Arina.
As their eyes met, the other child’s eyes also widened in surprise.
Eyes that sparkled like they had captured starlight within them, a vivid blue.
A child with an adorable appearance, accentuated by rich, flowing golden hair that shimmered like cascading honey.
Just as she was about to approach Arina out of curiosity and strike up a conversation—
“Kyaaaah!!!”
A sudden scream echoed loudly through the Artifact Hall, shattering the serene and elegant atmosphere.
Startled by the sound, the two children turned their heads simultaneously.
Their gazes landed on the entrance of the elevator that connected to the lower floor Arina had just come up from.
From there, a somewhat shabby-looking man slowly walked into the Artifact Store.
However, the problem wasn’t the man’s appearance.
The reason people were screaming was because, behind him, the clerk who had just kindly greeted Nell and Arina moments ago lay collapsed on the floor, covered in blood.
“Heh.”
In the man’s right hand was a dagger, presumably the weapon used to stab the clerk.
Drops of what seemed to be the clerk’s blood dripped onto the floor.
“Heh-heh.”
The man staggered forward with an unsettling gait, bursting into laughter.
His demeanor was that of a madman.
Covering his face with his left hand and brushing upward as if he had lost his mind, the hood that had been concealing his face slid back, fully revealing his appearance.
His hair, unwashed for days, was brittle and wildly sticking out in all directions.
A scruffy, patchy beard and sunken eyes added to his disheveled look.
His gaunt cheeks and yellowed, missing teeth made his appearance even more unpleasant.
It was a face that made it nearly impossible to form a favorable impression at first glance.
He approached as if he might hack apart anyone in his path with the dagger in his hand, and the sight of him filled people with terror, causing them to retreat.
“Stop right there!”
Before he could cause more casualties, security guards quickly surrounded him.
Their swift response was impressive, considering how little time had passed since the incident began.
A man who appeared to be their leader drew a Magic Bullet Gun and aimed it at the intruder.
“Move, and I’ll shoot.”
“Do as you please.”
Despite the stern warning, the intruder chuckled playfully and didn’t stop walking.
On the contrary, his gaze grew even more frenzied as he stared at the leader and opened his mouth.
“Don’t you dare give me orders, you maggots hired by that trash Grant!”
His emotions swung wildly.
Just moments ago, he had been laughing, but now he was so enraged his eyes turned bloodshot.
Bang!
As if to subdue him, the Security Chief fired his Magic Bullet Gun at the intruder’s thigh, but something swiftly intercepted the shot.
“Graaaaah!”
A distorted scream.
Eyes rolled back, showing only the whites.
Drooling and twisting its joints grotesquely, the figure that stood before them was none other than the clerk who had just been stabbed to death by the man’s dagger.
“A Necromancer?!”
The dark magic of controlling the dead.
Upon confirming that the enemy was a Black Mage, the last shred of mercy in the Security Chief’s eyes vanished.
Being a Black Mage wasn’t inherently a crime on the continent.
However, crimes committed by Black Mages were met with far harsher punishments.
The reason was simple.
The scale of the incidents they caused was incomparably larger than other crimes.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
A barrage of gunfire.
It was unfortunate that the clerk’s corpse was being mutilated, but they couldn’t allow it to remain under the Necromancer’s control.
The relentless attack aimed to completely disable the reanimated corpse.
Yet, the zombie shielded its vital points as much as possible, covering its head with its arms, and charged at the Security Chief with a feral roar.
‘If it gets close, I’ll smash its head.’
Adjusting his approach, the Security Chief focused his sharp gaze on the creature.
As it lunged at him to bite, he blocked the attack with his left arm and swung his right arm, which held the gun, to strike its head with full force.
Crunch!
The blow, imbued with magic power, shattered its skull.
With that, the summoned creature was eliminated.
The incident seemed resolved—or so they thought.
“Gah!?”
Suddenly, the Security Chief let out a scream and began convulsing.
“Now, let the chaos begin.”
Following the intruder’s words, the Security Chief turned and sank his teeth into the neck of the guard standing next to him.
Madness spread like a contagion.
One by one, they bit into each other, and the living were forcibly turned into zombies.
Like a virus spreading, the number of zombies rapidly multiplied.
The bewildered security forces were wiped out in an instant.
The zombies, created from their corpses, charged at the remaining survivors, and as the man had declared, chaos engulfed the Artifact Store.
‘Uncle!’
Watching the terror unfold with fear-stricken eyes, Arina clenched her eyes shut and collapsed to the ground, her legs giving out beneath her.