Sword.


Adventurers Guild, Aurora gazed at the towering building. In a typical isekai game, this location is often the main setting of the story.


"Adventurers," Aurora said. "Don't they hunt monsters for a living?"


"Yep," Ruby replied. "More specifically, they hunt for magic crystals found inside monster bodies."


Magic crystals, Aurora thought. She had been studying them for a while. By infusing them with magic would result in the crystals releasing the same element. For instance, if she infused her magic into the crystals, they would emit light.


The same concept applied to other elements as well. Take a kettle filled with magic crystals infused with the fire element, for example. The water inside would stay warm as long as the mana within the crystals didn't run out.


Hunting monsters for magic crystals might be their main source of income," Rita added, "but their work is more diverse than that. They'll take on a variety of tasks, like escorting a convoy, gathering herbs, and more - whatever is posted on the bulletin board." 


Basically, they will do anything as long as you pay them," Ruby said.


"While that's true, Miss," Rita said. "They won't be happy if you put it that way."


"Who cares what they think," Ruby said.


"Miss..." Rita sighed.


"Let's check it out for a bit," Aurora said, sounding curious. "I'm interested to see what's inside."


Ruby wasn't as excited. "I doubt we'll find anything interesting," she said, but agreed to go along anyway.


As they entered the guild building, they were met with a crowded room filled with people. Most were big, burly men sporting scars and wielding weapons like swords, lances, and axes. But there were also smaller folks dressed in robes, who were likely magic users.


Aurora scanned the room, but didn't spot anyone who looked like a healer.


It makes sense, she thought to herself. Healing magic is a specialty of light magic users, and since she's the only one with that kind of magic, there are no healers here.


This meant that the only way to heal wounds was through potions. Being an adventurer in this world was a high-risk, high-reward job, with no support from healers and the permanent death if one were to fall. There was no magic for raising the dead, after all.


"Oh ho, what's this?" said one of the adventurers, surveying the group of girls. "Don't just roam around here, this isn't a place for weak-looking girls like you all."


"Aww, a bunch of cute girls!" exclaimed the other. 


"And they smell nice too. Why don't you stay and play with us?" they added with a laugh.


Ruby sneered. "They're disgusting."


"Hey, that's not very nice, princess," said one of the adventurers, trying to grab Ruby. But Rita quickly drew her sword and swung it, the tip of the sword touching the skin on his neck. The cold, sharp metal made him freeze in fear.


"Don't you dare touch my Master," warned Rita.


"Whoa, isn't she that famous female knight?" whispered one of the adventurers in amazement.


The other nodded. "You're right! That's Rita!"


"Damn, what's she doing here?" another asked, taken aback.


Rita promptly kicked the adventurer, sending him flying into a table and chairs. 


"Stay back and watch your tongue," Rita warned, sheathing her sword.


The room fell silent.


"That was so awesome!" Lyra exclaimed, her eyes wide with excitement. "Did you see that, Miss?"


"Yes, yes," Aurora replied, impressed.


"That's my knight, all right," Ruby boasted, a proud grin on her face.


Despite the harassment stopping, all eyes were still on them and whispers echoed throughout the room.


Aurora ignored the stares and walked over to the bulletin board, which was full of requests. From escort missions to herb collection, each request was listed with details such as who made the request, the time limit, and the payment.


Ruby was also looking at the board while Rita stood guard, ready to jump into action if anyone dared to interrupt again. The maid, Lyra, looked at Rita with respect and awe.


"Excuse me," Aurora said to the woman behind a table. "Can I post a request too?"


"Of course," the woman replied. "But you'll need to deposit one gold coin per request, separate from the payment you'll make to the adventurer who picks it up."


"Isn't one gold coin per request a bit too expensive?" Aurora asked.


"No, it's for security," the woman explained. "Sometimes, after the request is completed, the requester doesn't pay. So, we require a deposit to ensure that doesn't happen. Don't worry, we'll return it once your request is successfully paid."


"I see," Aurora nodded. "But where does the guild get its money from?"


"Adventurers in the guild have to pay a monthly fee, or they'll be kicked out," the woman said.


Makes sense, Aurora thought. 


She then turned to the maid. "Lyra," she said.


The maid nodded in understanding, quickly placing a gold coin on the table.


"Okay, one request accepted," the woman said, pocketing the money and grabbing a blank request form. "Just fill out what you need on this paper."


"Can I put anything in here?" Aurora asked.


"Of course," the woman replied. "Just keep it within the law. And make sure to offer a fair reward, or else no one will take on your request."


Ruby snuggled up next to Aurora, trying to get a glimpse at the request form. "What are you planning to request?" she asked.


In the game, there is an item based on the legendary sword Excalibur named the Holy Sword of Wind. This was supposed to be the solution to Finnick's problem. With this sword, his inability to use his wind magic will disappear.


The problem with this is that if his problem is fixed by an item, the Heroine or Villainess roles become obsolete. That's why the item was removed from the game.


Aurora wondered, will the items that were removed from the game still exist in this world?


"I want them to look for a sword for me," Aurora said as she Aurora wrote on the paper. "If my memory is correct, it should be in this forest." She added a map to the paper.


"A sword?" Ruby asked. "What sword?"


"I read about it somewhere," Aurora whispered. "It's sort of like a legendary sword. It would be useful if we could find it."


"In case we have to fight Nova?" Ruby whispered back.


Aurora nodded.


"But... do you even know how to use a sword?" Ruby muttered.


Aurora smiled. "I don't need to use it myself, do I?"


"Oh, of course," Ruby said, glancing at her knight, Rita.


"But still," Ruby continued, "can you really trust these adventurers? What if they find it, but choose to keep it for themselves?"


"It's fine," Aurora replied, handing back the paper to the woman. "Right now, I just want to confirm if the sword actually exists. It's legendary for a reason, after all. Only the worthy can wield it, and I doubt a normal person could even remove it from the sealed stone. Probably."


"You don't sound so sure," Ruby said.


"Yes, it's an impulsive plan," Aurora giggled. "But we're already here anyway, so why not, right?"


Ruby shrugged. "If you say so. Are we done here? I saw a clothing shop across the way. Want to check that out next?"


"Sure," Aurora agreed as they left the guild building.


Ruby quickly approached the shop owner and requested to see their best clothing options. As the shopkeeper displayed their collection, Ruby sought Aurora's thoughts and opinions, frequently asking, "What do you think of this one?" Despite being shown several pieces, Aurora could only muster a simple "good" or "great".


Aurora was unsure about the latest fashion trends in this world, so usually she relied on Lyra to make clothing choices for her. Despite the friendly attitude of the shop owner and employees, being in this store was a painful experience for Aurora compared to the Adventurers Guild. 


"Nothing catching your eye?" Ruby asked. "What about that one?" she pointed to a dress adorned with ribbons.


It looked nice enough to Aurora, but she still wasn't really sure.


"Can you just pick for me?" Aurora said, feeling defeated.


"Can I?" Ruby's excitement suddenly spiked.


Her enthusiasm made Aurora feel uneasy, but she had already given her consent. She swallowed hard and nodded in response.


Thankfully her worries proved to be unfounded. Ruby had picked out something beautiful for her. The blue dress was made of a soft and luxurious fabric, elegantly draping over her curves. The full and long skirt flowed gracefully in beautiful folds, while a blue ribbon was tied at the waist, accenting the narrowest part of her figure. 


"How is it?" asked Ruby. "Do you like it?"


"Yes," replied Aurora. "Thank you."


Lyra eagerly said in agreement. "You look absolutely stunning, miss!"


Rita, who was standing at the back, simply nodded silently in approval.


Ruby smiled, pleased with the positive feedback. 


"I'm glad you like it," she said. "Let's pick a few more outfits and then head over to our next stop." 


They spent a few more hours picking clothes and then Ruby hurriedly pulled Aurora to her original destination: the jewelry shop.


"As promised," Ruby smiled, "You'll do what I said, right?"


"Okay," Aurora said. "But what exactly are we going to do?"


Ruby touched her necklace. "You gave me a gift before," Ruby said. "Now it's my turn. Let's buy something matching for the two of us."


Like before, Ruby asked the shopkeeper to show her their best products.


As they sat and checked all kinds of jewelry, Aurora noticed something.


"Don't most of these have a couple theme?" Aurora said as she picked one, with a heart shape.


"D-do you have a problem with that?" Ruby asked nervously. "Are you questioning my taste?"


"No, no, that's not what I meant," Aurora said quickly. "If you like it, then it's fine by me."


Trying to hide her expression, Ruby picked up a bracelet adorned with beautiful sapphires.


"Stay still for a moment," Ruby said. She then put it on Aurora's wrist.


Aurora gazed at the bracelet. The silver metal band was crafted with care, each link designed to enhance the sparkling sapphires. The rich blue hue of the gems was reminiscent of a midnight sky.


"It's beautiful," Aurora said as she touched the gems.


Ruby offered her hand, and for a second, Aurora was confused.


"My turn now, silly," Ruby murmured, blushing slightly.


Aurora smiled. "Sure."


She took Ruby's small hand and put on the bracelet.


Ruby smiled, happy to see the bracelet on her wrist.


"Actually, I wanted a matching ring, but that might be too much," Ruby murmured.


"What?" Aurora asked.


"Nothing," Ruby said, hiding her face. "It's my gift, you better treasure it."


"Of course." Aurora said, smiled. 


***


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