Chapter 19: Because Lili is Cute
"It takes forty million Valis just to repair a single sword?"
Shirou asked.
Riveria answered at that moment, "Because Ais's matching sword, the 'Desperate Sword,' is an extremely high-quality weapon with the 'Indestructible' property, the repair cost is naturally that high."
"I see..." Shirou fell into deep thought as he looked at the 'Desperate Sword' sheathed at Ais's waist.
In terms of quality, it was roughly equivalent to a Grade-C Noble Phantasm.
That level of craftsmanship represented the highest quality of weaponry artisans were capable of producing.
"Hmm... It seems that bringing out a batch of Grade-C minus Noble Phantasms first should be enough to essentially command the market in Orario."
Although directly pulling out Grade-B Noble Phantasms would shock these craftsmen to their core, it was completely unnecessary.
If rare items were mass-produced, they would lose the immense value generated by that very attribute of "rarity."
Simply put, it was time to play the game of "hunger marketing."
Something that could easily be achieved with a bunch of Grade-C Noble Phantasms would only see its price cheapened further if he directly introduced higher-grade mass-produced phantasms, and that simply wouldn't do.
Even if Shirou brought out just a single Grade-C Noble Phantasm right now, he could easily sell it for an exorbitant price. If he brought out several at once, however, the price would instead plummet due to the loss of "uniqueness."
While Shirou was pondering these things, Ais was talking with Lefiya about heading down to the dungeon to make money.
Hearing their exchange, Tiona chimed in enthusiastically, "Let me go too!"
"But, Tiona..."
"It's fine, it's fine! Besides, I need to scrape together the money for upgrading my twin great-swords anyway!"
After Tiona volunteered to help make money, Lefiya refused to be left behind and expressed her wish to pitch in as well. Although Ais felt somewhat guilty for dragging Tione and the others into this because of her own problem, their eagerness made it hard to refuse.
Besides, their goodwill made Ais very happy.
"...Mm, then I'll leave it to you."
Seeing Ais lower her eyes with a smile, Tiona and Lefiya smiled back.
"We might be away from the headquarters for quite a while. Should we let Finn and the others know?"
"Indeed. Although the next 'Expedition' is still a ways off, if we're going to stay in the labyrinth for a spell, it's best to notify Loki or the captain."
Moreover, leaving without saying a word would only worry them, Lefiya added.
As the three of them discussed their approximate duration of stay and exploration dates, people around them had already begun to leave.
Shirou looked at Lili, whose stomach had bulged out slightly from eating her fill.
"Are you full?"
"Mm!" Lili nodded with a satisfied expression.
"Then let's get going."
Shirou smiled as he looked at Ais, Lefiya, and Tiona, waving goodbye.
"Have a safe trip~ Mr. Orihara~!"
"Goodbye, Mr. Orihara."
"It somehow feels like they're seeing off a customer~"
The girls' whispered voices drifted from behind as Shirou and Lili stepped out and left the grounds of the [Loki Familia] estate.
After first heading off to exchange all the magic stones in Lili's backpack for Valis, Shirou brought her along to start scouting for a residence.
"Is this the first place we're going to look at?"
Lili asked Shirou, staring at a very grand, magnificent large villa.
"Mm, let's go inside and take a look first."
Shirou cast his gaze toward the villa, sizing up the layout of the place.
Meanwhile, the owner of this villa—a stout, middle-aged man—hurriedly trotted over. While using a handkerchief to wipe away the sweat continuously streaming from his forehead, he spoke to Shirou respectfully and deferentially.
"Kami-sama, welcome to my estate, please come in, please come in."
A blend of romantic and solemn architecture, a high-ceilinged portico, imposing grand doors, circular arched windows, and corner stonework all conspired to display unadulterated luxury and elegance.
Lush, verdant bamboo lined the pathway in staggered, orderly rows, their emerald-green leaves gradually meeting overhead to form an arched canopy that completely walled out the intense sunlight and the scorching late-summer heat.
Passing through the cool, verdant bamboo grove and stepping into the villa's foyer, one was greeted by flooring paved with black marble, bright mirror-like tiles, a magnificent crystal-drop chandelier, a solid black-fragrant-wood table with glass inlay, and exquisitely carved bookshelves. Both the great hall and the rooms fully lived up to their exorbitant price tag.
"It certainly looks nice... but if it's right in the bustling downtown area, it feels like it'd be too noisy."
Shirou shook his head.
"Let's go check out the next place."
Although the villa's owner looked somewhat disappointed upon hearing this, he still wore a smile as he bowed deeply toward Shirou.
"Please take your time, Kami-sama."
If not for the status of a deity standing right before him, this villa owner would have long since dropped his pleasant expression.
Yet an otherworldly god—and one who hadn't even sealed his own divine power, at that—was someone whom anyone with even an inkling of the rumors would treat with the utmost caution.
Shirou and Lili walked along the path toward the next location, the surrounding pedestrians sparse.
Adventurers who needed to make money generally headed to the dungeon bright and early in the morning, so foot traffic thinned out a bit by afternoon. When evening rolled around and adventurers returned from the dungeon, places like the taverns and Pleasure Quarter would instantly burst to capacity.
As they walked, Shirou suddenly noticed that Lili had been completely silent the whole time. Maintaining her quiet demeanor as if deep in thought, her brows furrowed slightly from time to time, wearing a thoroughly conflicted expression.
"What's wrong, Lili?"
Shirou asked with a hint of puzzlement.
The possibility of physical discomfort was ruled out by Shirou right away, because Lili, now serving as his subordinate god, possessed a physique and strength that were remarkably formidable—easily rivaling certain deities who didn't specialize in combat.
That being the case, it could only be due to some other reason.
Hearing Shirou's inquiry, Lili hesitated for a good several seconds before timidly and hesitatingly asking:
"Um... when Kami-sama bestowed the Falna upon me earlier, you did that... I mean..."
The Pallum girl spoke in fits and starts, as if still carefully piecing her words together in her mind.
"I wanted to ask... if Kami-sama takes in more familia members in the future, will you have to do the same thing you did with Lili before..."
"Actually, you don't have to do it that way."
Shirou's abrupt answer left Lili's expression frozen in place, tilting her head in confusion.
"Eh?" Lili's eyes slowly widened. "Since you don't actually need to use that method, then why did you do it to Lili..."
"Because Lili is my very first familia member, and most importantly, Lili is cute."
Shirou's matter-of-fact declaration instantly turned the Pallum girl's cheeks bright red.
Crimson climbed all the way up her snow-white neck, spreading upward until her earlobes were completely flushed.
"W-Why would you... wuwu..."
The girl let out a whimper of overwhelming embarrassment, a mix of the joy of being praised and the intense shyness born from realizing Shirou had done that on purpose.
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