Episode 112: Downtown (3)
There are only pure white clouds all around, so I can’t see anything.
In the clouds, I could briefly see the calligrapher’s hand slowly groping through the air.
I felt a little embarrassed, so I put my arm out in front of me.
“Here, arm.”
Then, the calligrapher’s groping hand gently grabbed my arm.
I continued talking in that state.
“It’s a random box production. Just stay still for now. Don’t move around unnecessarily and bump into anything.”
In general, you can estimate the grade of the items that appear in random boxes by the color or quantity of light.
However, sometimes, the production changes depending on the items that appear.
‘And the clouds are a harbinger of a very special item.’
Moreover, if it was sprayed out so much that it covered the entire area.
It’s worth looking forward to.
As time passes, the clouds gradually thin out,
After a little more time passed, they were completely free and could see each other again.
I checked the jewelry box to see what was inside, and there was a pair of bracelets.
One is white, the other is black.
Starting with the white bracelet,
It looks like several clouds the size of a fingernail were cut off and connected with a very thin golden thread.
When you touch it, it feels like a cloud, soft and fluffy, as if it is there and not there.
[Cloud Bracelet (A)]
▷Summons a cloud.
▷The cloud protects the user from magical damage.
The other bracelets looked similar, but the clouds were dark in color, like dark clouds.
And a name that reflects that exactly.
[Dark Cloud Bracelet (A)]
▷Summons a dark cloud.
▷The dark cloud protects the user from physical damage.
Two A-rank accessories.
It was the highest level reward that appeared in the Fairy Queen’s Jewel Box.
In fact, the probability of getting only one item was quite high, let alone a blank.
If that was the case, I would have accepted it as my luck and handed it over to the calligrapher, but I ended up taking the highest reward.
“Bokdeungi did it again.”
“Did it help?”
The calligrapher asked.
Just like when I got the Black Box, it seems like whether or not it was helpful to me is more important than the dropped item.
I nodded and asked back.
“Of course. Which one do you like better?”
Since this is a result obtained by using two vouchers, it is right for both of them to have one each.
And since calligraphers have a big stake in selecting the best reward, they were given the choice first.
“… … .”
There was no reply for quite some time.
Looking at the calligrapher’s face, he seemed to be deeply troubled.
I look at the two bracelets alternately and think about it for a while, then look at them alternately again and think about it for a while.
After repeating it several times, I finally slowly raised my hand,
“this.”
He pointed to the cloud bracelet.
‘You chose well.’
If we only consider performance, the cloud pen is a bit more useful for calligraphers.
This is because ranged attacker classes like musketeers are more likely to engage in melee combat with other ranged classes than to be caught by melee classes.
And a big part of those other ranged classes are wizards.
Also, the weakness of weak defense has been continuously pointed out so far, so this bracelet will be able to compensate for that to a large extent.
“Give me your hand.”
At my words, the calligrapher extended her hand, pointing to the bracelet.
I pulled up my sleeves a little to expose my wrists and put on a cloud bracelet.
“… … .”
The calligrapher brought the braceleted hand closer and looked at it quietly.
While looking around here and there, he touches the clouds as if he finds them curious.
I guess you like it.
* * *
“… … .”
“Is it that good?”
When I asked, the calligrapher nodded, her gaze fixed on the cloud bracelet.
I think I like it more than I thought.
Even while walking through the downtown area, I was so focused on my bracelet that I didn’t notice the street performances.
It was almost lunchtime, and I thought it was time to go out, so I headed to the bakery.
The downtown bakery had a waiter standing guard at the entrance, as if it were a high-end restaurant.
As we approached, he asked.
“Have you made a reservation?”
Because it is so popular, you won’t be allowed in without a reservation.
Reservations can take anywhere from several weeks to several months.
But we are the exception.
“I have a coupon.”
When I handed the coupon I received from An Jeong-mi, the waiter scanned it on the terminal.
He soon bowed politely and asked.
“Are there two of you?”
The mighty power of coupons.
Not only will you be allowed in without a reservation, but you will also be provided with a hearty meal.
You can think of it as a confectionery version of [Production VIP Coupon].
Since this coupon has such great benefits, its value is also enormous.
If you put it up for sale, you could trade it for one usable item.
The process of acquiring it must not have been smooth, but An Jeong-mi sacrificed what she gained for the prosperity of me and the calligrapher.
– I will make sure that Mr. Kim Ho’s time is never wasted.
I remembered what An Jeong-mi had said and expressed my gratitude in my heart.
As expected, not just anyone can be a butler.
As I entered the store, a fragrant and delicious smell wafted in.
And on the shelves are bread, cookies, cakes… … .
There were works of art made from flour there.
“… … !”
The calligrapher, who had been absorbed in the bracelet for a long time, also started looking around the display case like me from this point on.
“This looks delicious. Doesn’t it?”
“huh.”
The little hotdogs look delicious, so I grabbed one.
“Can I pick one of these and have half?”
“Half and half.”
And pick up some chocolate cream bread,
“Stop moving. That’s not it.”
“… … ?”
Don’t pick up the spicy bread.
That doesn’t look good to me either.
The name itself is ‘Hellfire Pizza Bread’ and there’s a huge ‘Caution! Very Spicy!’ label on the side.
I don’t know how you can find something like that when you can’t even eat spicy food well.
This way, the calligrapher avoided the unfortunate incident of his tongue being burned by the Hellfire Pizza Bread.
After grabbing a few more breads from the shelf, I sat down at the table the waiter guided me to.
And we ordered a few more menu items, including drinks.
Menu items like the ‘Crumbly Cheese Sandwich’ and the ‘Honey-Covered French Toast’ are best eaten right away before the bread gets soggy, which is why they are not on the shelves.
As we waited and shared the things we had brought,
The cheese sandwiches I ordered came out and I took a bite,
Next came the toast, and we took turns eating it with our forks.
I thought to myself as I watched the calligrapher mumble his toast.
‘It looks delicious.’
Since we’ve been sitting across from each other every day for a month and a half now, I’ve gotten to the point where I can roughly tell whether or not the menu suits my taste just by watching them eat.
Today the pace of the rumbling is slightly faster than usual and the bread comes in almost continuously.
In other words, it is very delicious.
‘Honestly, it’s delicious.’
There’s a reason why the downtown bakery is considered one of the top three restaurants on Dungeon Island.
If the words ‘deep flavor’ come to mind from a mere toasted honey syrup, then that says it all.
While I was facing the calligrapher and continuing to fork,
I asked because something suddenly occurred to me.
“By the way, how did the cushion shape change?”
I gave her a cushion and a shape-shifting scroll, but I never heard anything from An Jeong-mi about what happened after that.
To be exact, I haven’t asked yet.
The calligrapher answered, chewing on a piece of toast.
“I haven’t done it yet.”
“Have you decided what to change it to?”
This time, the calligrapher shook his head again.
And then he asks me back.
“What do you like?”
“The safest and most widely used one would be a doll.”
That’s how it was for the players, but it’s probably similar in the world of this game.
How many people would hate the idea of being able to change the appearance of a cushion or pillow into a cute doll while maintaining the effect of the cushion or pillow?
But the calligrapher’s response was still lukewarm.
He asks, tilting his head slightly to the side.
“……doll?”
Regardless of whether I liked it or not, it seemed like I hadn’t even thought about it.
I asked back because I had a question.
“Do you hate dolls?”
– Dori dori,
“You don’t even like it?”
“huh…….”
I heard from An Jeong-mi that she doesn’t have many things she’s attached to.
Perhaps the attitude towards dolls was similar.
It doesn’t matter if you have it or not.
I understand, but you can’t just give her a shape-shifting scroll on the cushion and say, “If you don’t want to change it, then don’t change it. If you don’t like the doll, then just leave it alone.”
“Shall we go and get one? A doll.”
“good.”
The calligrapher readily accepted my offer.
If so, our next destination has been decided.
The easiest and simplest way to get a doll is to go to a doll store or a toy store and buy one.
‘Good things don’t come easy.’
The rarer the item, the more difficult it is to obtain it.
And if we were to name a representative place in the downtown area where you can get rare dolls,
‘Game Center.’
This is where you can play all sorts of different mini games, and many of the prizes are doll-like decoration and cosmetic items.
It was also a place where hidden pieces were hidden without anyone knowing, so even if the topic of conversation did not turn to dolls, it was bound to be visited at least once.
“Let’s get up, then.”
After diligently forking, the plate that once held the French toast now contains only crumbs and honey syrup.
Since my stomach was full, I cleaned up and got up.
And as I was leaving the bakery,
The waiter handed the calligrapher a well-wrapped box and a paper bag.
First of all, the box was transparent so I could see inside clearly.
‘It’s a cookie.’
There were so many cookies on the shelf, but I didn’t even touch them.
Judging from the fact that the cookies all look different at first glance, I think they picked one of each type.
“You bought so much. Are you going to eat it all?”
“For research purposes.”
I see. It’s for research purposes.
I immediately nodded, convinced.
If the research shows that the quality of cookies baked by calligraphers has improved, then as guinea pig number one, I have no reason to oppose it.
It would be nice if we had less shape-matching challenges to do.
So I get the box, but what’s in the paper bag?
As I sent him a curious look, the calligrapher caught it and opened the envelope slightly.
A spicy scent that rises immediately.
It was so intense that my eyes started stinging.
‘Is this the spicy bread from before?’
I think the name was Hellfire Pizza Bread.
“When did you get this? Can you eat it?”
“no.”
“Then what are you going to use it for?”
The calligrapher answered in a tone that it was very obvious.
“Butler’s gift.”
