Asuna perked up at Ren's suggestion. Since they didn't like these weapons anyway, melting them down to upgrade their own was a fantastic idea. It wasn't like Ren didn't know how to do it, right?
The matter was settled just like that. Everyone continued their meal, and once they had eaten their fill, Asuna led Iroha Sakayori and the others to the Guild's front desk to register and collect their adventurer cards.
Looking at the information and the skill points displayed on their cards, the girls were itching to get started. "I only have some low-level magic on my end," Asuna offered. "If you need it, you can copy it from me. If you're looking for `[Support Magic]`, you can ask Mahiru."
Asuna pulled out her adventurer card as she spoke. She had learned quite a few spells here—none of them were high-tier, but they were still perfectly fine to pass on.
Hearing this, the girls were eager to begin, but Ren suddenly interjected. "Hold on a second. There's a powerful mage in this town. We can just go learn from her."
Ren glanced at the magic listed on Asuna's card. It seemed they hadn't run into Wiz yet. There was a literal hidden boss living right here in town with an absolute surplus of magic—why bother learning low-level spells?
They could just go straight to her and learn the high-level ones. Ren also had an adventurer card of his own, along with an abundance of skill points. He had more than enough to completely drain Wiz's entire magical repertoire without breaking a sweat.
Besides, he didn't even need to level up; he just needed to learn the spells. As for the actual destructive power when casting them, that was entirely up to him.
Asuna blinked in surprise. Wasn't this supposed to be a beginner village? Someone like that actually existed here? The very thought left her amazed.
"Really, Senpai? Take us there right now!!" Yuki Suou was the most excited of the bunch. She had originally wanted to learn some `[Basic Mechanical Magic]` just to satisfy her cravings, but hearing Ren's words made her instantly hold back.
If there was a big shot around, then obviously they had to learn from the big shot. High-level magic was way more enticing. She couldn't wait to see exactly what kind of existence this person was and what kind of magic they could learn.
"Let's go, then. We should pack a portion of food on the way. She's probably starving to death right now." A strange look flashed through Ren's eyes at the thought. Wiz was practically an investment black hole, constantly buying piles of utterly useless junk.
Now she couldn't even afford rent and frequently went hungry. Through Ren's perception, he could tell she was on the verge of actually starving to death. Normally, someone might drop off a bit of food for her, but right now everyone in town was busy drinking, leaving her completely forgotten.
The group's faces were filled with question marks. Yukino Yukinoshita gave Ren a weird look. "Starving to death? Are you joking? Is this some sort of hidden master trope in a beginner village?"
She had read her fair share of light novels. Hearing Ren's description, her first thought was: *How could someone who possesses that much magic possibly starve to death?*
"I'll go buy some!" Mahiru Shiina didn't hesitate. She quickly ran off to get a takeout meal packed while the rest of the group waited.
"Senpai, is the person you're talking about super unreliable or something? If she has so much magic, how could she end up starving?" Iroha Sakayori asked, thoroughly confused.
Even someone as small as her wouldn't starve. A person who had mastered numerous spells had to be incredibly strong, right? How could they starve? Wasn't that basically starving while sitting on a gold mine? The others felt the same way—it was just too bizarre!
"And yet, that's exactly the case. She isn't human, but a Lich~!" Ren shrugged, casually revealing her identity. Asuna, Yukino, and the others exchanged surprised glances at the word 'Lich'.
"Are you talking about Miss Wiz, the one who sells all those useless items?" If there was any Lich in this town, it had to be her. They had visited her shop before; it sold all sorts of magic items, but each one was weirder than the last.
They had assumed the shop owner was just being eccentric and left after a quick glance without overthinking it. But now Ren was telling them that this Lich lady was actually incredibly strong?
The girls were stunned. Was he joking? Really? That Lich lady looked incredibly weak-willed and timid. No matter how they looked at it, she didn't seem like a powerhouse.
"Looks like you guys have already met her. Yep, that's her. She's actually very strong. And since you've seen the inventory in her shop, you should know that she spends all her money on restocking. Do you really think she makes enough money to eat?" Ren chuckled at Asuna's reaction.
Since they had already met her, this would be easy. His words instantly plunged Asuna and the others into silence. Those magic items... *Right.* No wonder Ren said she was about to starve to death.
"Hmm, she sounds like a very interesting person!!" Yuki Suou rubbed her smooth chin, her interest thoroughly piqued. She must be a really fun person to mess with, right?
"This is way too absurd... Is everyone in another world this weird? Is this some sort of weak-willed older sister setting?" Eriri muttered under her breath. A character with that kind of setting wouldn't even put up a fight in a doujinshi!
*Incredibly powerful, cowardly personality, and an absolute failure at daily life... This kind of setting is practically begging to be bullied. Just threaten her a little and she'll obediently comply, crying as she lifts her skirt and begs for mercy...*
At that very moment, Eriri's mind was already racing, drafting up all sorts of plotlines. Suddenly, she felt a gaze land squarely on her. Startled, she snapped out of her fantasies with a shiver.
Looking up, she saw Ren staring right at her. Remembering what she had just muttered, Eriri's face flushed bright red. *Did Senpai hear what I just said?*
Panic set in. *He didn't notice anything, right? Dammit... why did I have to say my thoughts out loud?*
Ren gave Eriri a deeply meaningful look. It seemed this girl was exactly the same as her original self—a true doujinshi artist at heart. Once they got back to their world, he would definitely have to "admire" her work!
While they were chatting, Mahiru Shiina returned carrying a lunchbox. Seeing this, Ren stood up. "Let's go. We'll head over there and learn from her properly. How much of this world's currency do you have left on you?"
Ren asked Asuna as he got to his feet. Facing his question, Asuna smiled brightly. "I killed a cadre of the Demon King's army, so I actually have quite a lot of money right now. Will we need it later?"
Making money in this world was simply too easy. With their level of strength, it wouldn't take long at all to achieve complete financial freedom here.
"Yeah, we'll spend some money on her later to have her teach you all her magic. If you don't have enough skill points, prioritize learning spells from various different elements. I want to see if learning magic of an element you don't naturally possess will grant you the corresponding elemental affinity." Ren explained his thought process.
His main goal was to run a test. Everyone in their group had different affinities, and some only had a single one. If learning elemental magic here could grant them new affinities...
"Understood!" Asuna instantly grasped his meaning. This was definitely worth testing. When she had been learning spells, she had subconsciously gravitated toward magic that matched her existing affinity. Ren's reminder made her realize the missed opportunity.
"Senpai, we can also test if someone with zero magic talent like me can change their aptitude!" Yuki Suou chimed in faintly.
She was completely fed up with her lack of magical talent. She just didn't know if this trip would finally solve the issue. If it did, then coming to this world would be incredibly meaningful.
"Exactly, these are all things we need to test!" Ren nodded, fully agreeing with Yuki Suou's point. The group continued chatting as they made their way toward Wiz's magic item shop.
The further they walked, the more deserted the streets became. Once they arrived, Ren pushed the door open and walked right in. As the group stepped inside, a chilling aura washed over them—it felt exactly like walking into a girls' dormitory in the dead of summer. The yin energy was simply too heavy!
"W-Welcome..." Just as Ren and the others entered the shop, a tiny, feeble voice drifted over. Behind the counter sat a weak-looking older sister, her brown hair covering half her face, slumped over without an ounce of energy.
Looking at her, one would think she was on the verge of dropping dead. The group went numb at the sight. Mahiru Shiina hurriedly stepped forward. "Miss Wiz, please eat first!"
This state... she really was starving to death. She was even starting to turn transparent! Mahiru was speechless. How could someone actually starve themselves to death? *Wait, she isn't human, is she?*
While Mahiru pondered this, she opened the lunchbox she had brought and took out the food. The moment the aroma hit her nose, Wiz's eyes flew wide open. She frantically grabbed the food and started wolfing it down.
Judging by her appearance, she had been starving for a very long time. The scene that followed was incredibly bizarre: Wiz was eating while tears streamed down her face. Anyone watching would feel a pang of sympathy for her.
No one said a word. They just stood there quietly, watching her rapidly demolish the food they had brought. After about ten minutes, Wiz finally finished every last bite.
"Ah... thank you... I'm saved. Um... how much is it? Can I... owe you for now? I'll pay you back as soon as I have money!" Now that she was full, Wiz finally had some strength returning to her body. Her very first thought was how to repay them.
Seeing her like this, the group couldn't help but feel a bit helpless. Ren stepped forward directly. "No money needed, Miss Wiz. We came here today because we want to learn magic from you. Could you please teach us your spells? We'll pay 10,000 Eris per spell!"
At those words, Wiz's eyes widened in shock. Without a second thought, she pulled out her adventurer card. "Magic? Learn whatever you want! I don't want your money. Just consider it repayment for treating me to a meal!!"
So they had come to learn skills, and they were even offering to pay her... They had already treated her to a meal; there was absolutely no way she could accept their money!!
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