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“Nooo!!! This is the ring you gave me, Master—I like this one!!”
“Don’t cling to such nonsensical attachments, will you!?”

What followed was a truly stubborn display from Momo.

I couldn’t understand it. We were talking about reforging a staff with the finest of materials, so why was she so obsessed with clinging to it?

A ring-shaped staff was certainly compact and easy to handle, but in terms of performance it was only worth what had been paid for it.

“Teach… that was your fault just now.”
“Eh—how is this my fault?”
“Urrgh, grrrrrrrr!!!”
“She’s lost her ability to speak like a person.”

Momo, having transformed into a wild beast, resisted ferociously. The way she guarded the ring sitting on the table, she looked ready to bite anyone who tried to touch it.

Unbecoming as her behavior was, she was still a young lady. Perhaps it was only natural that she wouldn’t want to part with the ornament she used to adorn herself.

“Hahaha! So even the White One has trouble handling her disciple!”
“Mind your own business. If the performance improves, what reason is there to refuse?”
“Human feelings can surpass reason. The more sentiment tied to an item, the harder it is to let go of—just like this reverse scale.”
“I don’t understand. I’ve never had anything left behind for me.”
“…Surely you have not lived all this time cutting off every human bond. Memories can take form and remain—just as this reverse scale has.”

Smiling with a look that was part sorrow, part pity, the foolish king reached out to pat my head.

Being treated like a child was utterly intolerable. This called for extravagant dessert at dinner, or I would not be satisfied.

“Fine, fine, I’ll compromise. Could we use that ring as the base and process the reverse scale into a staff?”
“Hmm… the ring itself is rather flimsy as a foundation. I doubt it could withstand the magic power of a reverse scale.”
“Arnitta, then reinforce the base. What if we upgraded the rank of the embedded magic stone?”
“Idiot, unless it is a top-class gem, the reverse scale will overwhelm it. And where exactly are you planning to get the funds for that!?”
“Excellent! In that case, use whatever you wish from my treasury. I grant permission!”
“Y-you’re serious, Your Majesty!?”

The king laughed as if it were nothing, but what he had said was outrageous.

Even the ornaments worked into the clothes he wore were of considerable value. If the collection he spoke of matched the taste of this greedy king, then each piece would be of national treasure caliber.

“Greed has taken hold! Since this is the treasure left by my friend, I want to make a staff without compromise! I shall spare no expense—whatever you desire, name it!”
“M-Master? Isn’t this getting kind of out of hand…?”
“Indeed. No matter how you look at it, your staff is going to cost a fortune—enough to move a kingdom.”
“T-this is putting the cart before the horse, isn’t it!?”
“Oh? For you, Momo, that’s quite a sophisticated turn of phrase.”

――――――――…………
――――……
――…

“…That should do for measurements. Now comes material selection and the crafting process.”
“The reverse scale must be handled last. If we fail, there’s no undoing it. ‘My hand slipped’ won’t cut it, Arnitta.”
“Watch your tongue, Mintark! My fingers haven’t grown senile yet!”
“P-please don’t fight… my stomach’s starting to hurt…”

While Mr. Mintark and Mr. Arnitta took measurements of my hand, I felt like I was sitting on a bed of… snails?¹　

The table was piled high with heaps of gold and silver treasures of every color. I didn’t know their exact worth, but I could tell they weren’t cheap.

And maybe it was just my imagination, but even the maids waiting in the corner of the room seemed tense. This was probably treasure that wasn’t supposed to be carried out so lightly.

“Momo, let me teach you something. Think of this—just this one—as enough to cover your food expenses for a whole month.”
“Eh, this tiny bean-looking gem!?”
“The purity and the cut are the work of a master’s hand. Don’t eat it.”
“I wasn’t going to! …Though it does look a bit tasty.”

I held up the pea-sized green gem, clear as glass. The sight of it made my stomach rumble before I could stop myself.

Immediately, Master snatched the gem from my hand. How cruel.

“But… do we really need such expensive gems?”
“Well… perhaps a demonstration would convince you?”
“I don’t mind. But take care not to overdo it.”
“No worries, magic control is my specialty. Watch closely, Momo.”

Master raised her index finger and softly casted a spell. At the tip of her slender finger, a tiny ball of water formed.

She held it there, then brought it close to the bean-like gem. In an instant, the water was sucked into the stone like a sponge—and then exploded outward in a shotgun-like spray.

“Ubyahhh!? P-ptooey, ptooey! What was that just now!?”
“That was the amplification effect of a magic stone. A pure gem like this multiplies magecraft several times over. But if you mishandle it, all that power comes back on you.”
“S-so scary…”

The spray of water I’d taken at point-blank range had stung my face just enough to hurt.

But thinking that this was about to be set into something I’d wear on my finger… that was terrifying on a whole different level.

“Don’t worry. With your magic reserves, even if it backfires, it won’t be anything catastrophic. And that’s why we process it into a staff—to prevent accidents like this.”
“Leave it to us, lass! We’ll craft you the perfect staff!”
“P-please do…! But if they’re that amazing, Master, why don’t you use a staff yourself?”
“I make it a rule not to. Relying too much on a staff is poisonous. You’d do well not to put too much faith in borrowed strength, either.”
“Yes, I’ll do my best!”
“And one more thing. When scraps from the reverse scale are left over during the process—don’t eat them.”
“I wouldn’t!”

What on earth did Master think of me? I wasn’t that much of a glutton.

…Sure, I had thought it looked kind of spicy, but eating it? No way. Probably.