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The capital of Rubel, the city I had only seen from a distance, was filled with gears and machinery, so much so that it could easily be called a mechanical city. At first, I thought it had a steampunk-like atmosphere, but contrary to my expectations, it wasn’t unbearably hot. That was when I realized that the moving machinery was powered by magic, not steam.

I had assumed that Mana was drawn from the spirits, but seeing it function like this made me question that belief. Perhaps wizards in this kingdom were working tirelessly to keep everything running. Either way, it wasn’t my concern.

What mattered more was touring this city, which was entirely composed of man-made structures.

Fantasy and machines seemed like an odd combination, yet they appeared surprisingly often in fantasy works. Especially in games. Machine soldiers, guns, and other advanced technology were common there¹. On the other hand, novels rarely depicted such technology.

But those were works of fiction—yet this was reality. So, I couldn’t help but compare them.

Even though the city was mechanical, there were no flying cars in the sky, and the clocks, while intricately designed, seemed to have little practical use. Regardless, I found it enjoyable to explore simply because of its aesthetic. With that in mind, I took my time strolling toward the Collegium.

◇◇◇

After illegally entering the kingdom, we paid the fee to enter the capital, which naturally meant we had to register at the Collegium first. Once again, I had to alter our status, but rather than overcomplicating things, I left both of us as D Grade adventurers—with no skills.

The only unusual part was that I changed my name to Fi. This was because I’d been using the name Finis all too much². It was only a matter of time before someone exclaimed, “Finis?! Isn’t that the one who stole Fraus and Viridis’ spirits? There’s no way that’s her!”

Well, in reality, I doubted anyone outside the upper echelon even knew about this. It wasn’t as if a mere gatekeeper would recognize a spirit thief.

The gatekeeper was human. I wasn’t sure if anyone here knew about the mess in Viridis, but it would be a problem if they suspected I was involved. The sad thing was that Lullus had now transformed into a human too, so I couldn’t fondle her ears. I chose not to disguise myself as a dwarf because I didn’t understand their customs well enough. Dwarves weren’t hostile toward humans, but if I pretended to be one without knowing their culture, it would cause trouble.

On the other hand, if I made a mistake as a human, people would likely just say, “Well, they’re human. It can’t be helped. Just be more careful next time.” I also didn’t understand anything about the Dwarves of this world—especially their women.

I had seen humans, and elves weren’t much of an issue since my physical form was originally elven, but dwarves? That was a mystery.

Especially their women.

Male dwarves fit the usual image—burly, bearded, drinking heavily, and working as blacksmiths. But as for the women, I had no idea. Would they have full beards, or would they look like small, youthful girls? I was secretly looking forward to finding out.

◇◇◇

When we arrived at the Collegium and completed our adventurer registration in an orderly manner, the receptionist clapped her hands and said, “Your timing is perfect.” The receptionist was a dwarf, but if I were to describe her in human terms, she looked about ten years old. I supposed she could be called a little girl, but since I was also short, she didn’t seem that young to me.

“Our timing is perfect?” I asked.
“Yes! Even the simplest adventurer requests can prove to be dangerous.”
“I can imagine. You do have to leave the town quite often.”
“It is as you say. But even within the city, some places aren’t exactly safe.”

The woman said, adding a bit more information that I didn’t need. However, even if I didn’t need it, new adventurers could easily assume that being in town meant they were safe.

“From what I’ve heard, it seems like this kingdom is buying Mana,” I said.
“Yes! If you’d like to do so, simply channel your Mana into this. Once it’s full, it can be exchanged for one large copper coin.”

She handed me a black crystal ball, large enough that I had to hold it with both hands.

(A Mana Absorbing Crystal, huh.)

I had seen crystals like this before— the kind they give you as a test. If you pour in too much mana, the crystal shatters. And if I filled it with divine power, it wouldn’t turn white at all. Lullus would probably have the same issues. Worse, it could expose her as a spirit.

So, the best course of action was simple: return it. There was no other option.

“Sorry. I’m low on Mana right now. I’ll do it some other time.”
“It’s alright! I just thought I’d show you how it worked.”
“Thank you. By the way, how is the pay for this job? Even if I push myself, I’d probably only manage three or four at most.”
“It’s not exactly a lucrative job, that’s for sure. But it’s popular because you can do it even if you’re injured. The risks, however, are higher—especially for female adventurers.”

I understood what she meant. Two young women could easily attract the wrong kind of attention. So that’s why she recommended it. Still, this alone wasn’t enough to pass the time. I needed to find another request.

1. Robinxen: Most of my DnD campaigns involve at least some level of magitech belonging to a faction.
2. Robinxen: Considering your travel speed, your shapeshifting, and the fact that I doubt your name is that wide spread… you’re probably in the safe for now.
3. Robinxen: Return of the stat table!

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