Following tailor Altair into the secret room.Unlike the simple tailor shop, the hidden room in the back was a luxurious, gothic-style chamber.A beautifully shining chandelier, and glass display cases arranged on all sides.Inside the display cases, various items like hats, shoes, umbrellas, and glasses were on display.The items on display here weren’t mere accessories, but combat-use artifacts that could be used in emergencies.As I scanned over the items in the splendid display cases, I thought,‘Right now, it hasn’t been long since I was promoted to [Intermediate Alchemy].’Because of that, I was short on artifacts to fill the newly unlocked slots.Until I crafted my own exclusive items, I might as well pick up a few usable ones here.It would be easiest to just think of them as temporary items I’d be passing through.Altair swept his cane across the display cases and asked,“Are you looking for anything in particular?”“If you recommend something, I’ll gladly accept it.”“Good. Let’s start by changing your shoes. Those heels look too high.”Loen’s preference, apparently—quite high heels.Compared to before he put them on, there was almost a five-centimeter difference in height.Altair took a pair of shoes from the shelf under the display case and set them on the floor.Handsome oxford shoes with an inky sheen. Just from the leather’s texture and finish, I could tell they were very high-end.“Try them on. They’ll fit you perfectly.”I accepted the shoehorn he handed me and changed into the new shoes.[Union Uniform Shoes] is removed.You have equipped [Intermediate Secret Society Shoes].Agility +3Tap tap-.After changing into the new shoes, I tapped the floor with the toe to settle my feet fully into them.They weren’t too big or too tight—perfect fit.Strictly speaking, they felt just a little snug, but if I kept wearing them and broke in the leather, they’d be just right.“They fit perfectly.”“They suit you well. Once you wear them a bit, they’ll break in to match the shape of your feet even better.”I nodded, then asked something I was curious about.“Do these shoes have any extra functions? Like hidden blades popping out if I click the heels together.”“Blades? Sounds like you’ve been watching too much theater.”“……”When I showed a disappointed expression, Altair chuckled and said,“I was joking. I’ll just untie the laces for a moment.”Flick-.With dazzling hand movements, Altair pulled out my shoelaces and slipped them free, then infused mana into them.Then—Crackle-.A strong current discharged from the laces and blue sparks flashed.“They’re laces made by processing the fur of highly reactive Thunder Squirrels. If you infuse mana, you can use an electric shock function.”“Oh, so I don’t have to take the laces out?”“Of course not. Just focus mana around your feet. The shoes are insulated, so don’t worry about shocking yourself—just go ahead and kick your enemies as much as you like.”I nodded to show I understood.From now on, for annoying extras, instead of wasting things like Strength Enhancement Stones, I could just put a boot into them and subdue them easily.A very handy function.“What next… a fedora doesn’t fit your age, and a cane’s a bit much. Let’s see, would an umbrella be alright?”After thinking a moment, Altair handed me a folding umbrella. It was small enough to slip neatly into a handbag.“This is an umbrella made with cutting-edge engineering technology, easy to carry around. Press the button and it opens.”‘A long umbrella would look cooler, though.’I grumbled inwardly, but took the umbrella and pressed the button.Pang-.With a rush of air, the umbrella snapped open in an instant.Since Magi-Engineering tech was built in, it didn’t lose out even compared to modern technology.Looking at the opened black umbrella, I thought,‘Umbrellas like this are usually bulletproof as a baseline.’However, since firearms weren’t widespread in this world, I figured it was probably meant to block magic instead.Holding the open umbrella in front of my body like a shield, I asked,“Does this have some kind of mana-resistance coating or something?”“Oh? Sharp eye. It can block spells of 3rd circle and below a few times. Still, don’t rely on it too much. At the end of the day, how much can a piece of cloth really block?”‘How needlessly realistic.’Altair pointed at the tip of the umbrella and continued,“And here, there’s a simple mana cannon installed. Infuse mana and it fires a mana blast from this part.”“How fascinating.”I opened the cap attached to the tip of the umbrella. Sure enough, the inside was hollowed out like a gun barrel.‘Should I try firing it once?’The moment I even thought about trying to fire the mana cannon, Altair warned me.“Ah, don’t fire it in here.”“…Sounds like it packs quite a punch?”“For a mage of your caliber, you could easily blow apart a little shop like this with it. You don’t want to destroy this old man’s shop, which I’ve tended my whole life, do you?”“My apologies.”“And once you use it, the barrel inside gets ruined, so make sure you pick the right moment. It can’t withstand the mana amplification for long.”‘So it’s single-use.’I looked at the umbrella and slowly nodded.Even so, it was good enough to be used as a trump card. An umbrella that fired a mana blast was no small thing.You have equipped [Intermediate Secret Society Umbrella].After that, I was also recommended various things like a Zippo lighter with extra functions, napkins, neckties, and so on.Altair’s Tailor Shop was one of the [Hidden Shops].The items Altair recommended were all mass-produced goods, and yet their quality was high and they were all quite useful, so I was very satisfied with my shopping.Though when I tried to pay, Altair wouldn’t accept it.He shook his head and refused the check I offered.“I heard you’ve brought great profit to the underworld. I won’t be taking your money for these.”“Is that so? Then please use this to buy something tasty for your grandson. He’s very polite.”I pulled out a check for a suitable amount and held it out to him.“If you won’t take it, I’ll give it to your grandson directly.”“Hoo.”Altair let out a small sigh, then accepted the check with a smile.“…You’re a stubborn young man. If you insist that much, then fine.”***When we came back outside, Ciel, who had been playing with the boy, stood up.“Having fun?”“Yes, well.”Ciel patted the boy’s head, then came to stand by my side.She silently eyed me sideways, gauging my height, then glanced down at my feet and cautiously asked,“Did you change your shoes?”“Yeah, the heels were too high. And they were worn out from long use. I bought a pair with extra functions.”“…What about the ones you used to ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) wear?”“I threw them out. The owner said he’d take care of them.”I shrugged and took Ciel’s shopping bags.I was in a good mood from having picked up good items; I could at least carry them on the way back.“It’s gotten pretty late. Let’s go.”“Yes.”Ciel hesitated in place for a moment, then followed behind me.“Come again!”The boy’s energetic farewell from inside the shop was pleasant to hear.***A few days later. May 1st.The Competition Battle season finally opened.Starting today, each class would be shortened, and after school, all the training grounds throughout Union would be fully open, allowing Competition Battles using student IDs.All Competition Battles had to be held in official training grounds, and before each match, you had to use the magic tools placed there to report to the management committee.Also, every Competition Battle would be recorded via magic tools, and those recordings could later be used as legal grounds in case of ranking disputes or rule violations.“Please familiarize yourself with the detailed rulebook. The situation is a little different this year.”Ciel handed me the Competition Battle rulebook distributed to all Union students.I skimmed through the rulebook and nodded.There had been a Competition Battle season last year too, but things were a bit different this year.To maintain my position as Student Council President, I absolutely had to place high, so the situation was completely different from last year, when I’d avoided Competition Battles.On top of that, with Loen’s fame having risen sharply and with me having subdued Tepes, people now saw me as someone hiding some kind of power.I needed to thoroughly understand the rules and be fully prepared.After closing the booklet, I asked,“When’s the first official match?”“Today at 17:00. There’s an opening match in the Great Hall between Senior Gawain and Senior Leonhardt.”“Sounds like both of them finished their closed-door training.”“Yes, this is the first time they’ll officially face each other since last year.”Hearing the exhilarating matchup, I muttered quietly,“This is… something I can’t not go watch.”First, Eredor’s former Student Council President, the Magic Swordsman Gawain Ardion.‘Gawain is one of the few beings in this game world with dual classes.’Just like how I’d opened two classes, Alchemy and Martial Artist, he too could be considered an exceptional talent who had mastered both magic and swordsmanship at the same time.Of course, in my case it was a benefit of being a player, and in Gawain’s case, it was due to his trait [Return to Origin], so the situation was a little different.‘I heard that right now he can handle 4th circle and above specialized magic and sword aura at the same time.’And it wasn’t just at the level of simply using them.He ran very calculated battles, linking two opposing forces incredibly smoothly and placing them in the right spots at the right times.Given the nature of [Return to Origin], he only had room to get stronger as time went on.He was already incredibly strong now, but he could still aim for even greater heights—he was a late-blooming type of talent.His opponent was Saintea’s former Student Council President, the Divine Sword Leonhardt Michael.He was a promising talent of the Holy Kingdom, with holy power aptitude on par with Elena’s and outstanding swordsmanship.Though, contrary to the title “Divine Sword,” he actually showed more talent in shield techniques.So he was often called [Shield of God] instead of Divine Sword.What made this even more ridiculous was that his trait [Immovable] was an epic trait that let him take all damage dealt to him at half value.Moreover, the calculation for [Immovable] applied before factoring in the effects of other items, traits, or artifacts: first it cut the damage dealt by the opponent in half, and only then did everything else apply, so its broken nature was extremely strong.If you were picking the strongest in the academy, both of them were people who always made the top five.Those kinds of people had been in lengthy closed-door training in the training annex since winter break, and now, with Competition Battle season arrived, they’d finally appeared.The two had been fighting for the 3rd-year 1st place spot all along; as far as I knew, their current record against each other was about 7 draws, 7 wins, and 7 losses.Truly legendary rivals.Jeremy, who was also a 3rd-year, had been stuck as the eternal 3rd place behind them.It wasn’t that Jeremy’s skills were lacking; he just didn’t seem too concerned about his ranking.In any case.‘I can’t not watch such an amazing match.’Gawain and Leonhardt were important figures in this Mirellin Saga.And if I watched their fight, I might get some inspiration for myself.And above all—‘The most fun thing of all is watching a fight, isn’t it.’It just so happened to be the opening match. Many of the people I’d be facing in Competition Battles would probably show up too, so I should go and familiarize myself with their faces in advance.

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