Chapter 52.
A moment later...
"Sorry, sorry, I've been researching a new technique recently and just got completely immersed in it!"
Unlike her initial detached concentration, Tsubaki's face was now filled with liveliness and warmth.
Especially her openly welcoming disposition was particularly heart-warming.
"It's your lucky day to come at this time, old man!"
"It just so happens that my regular customers (Loki Familia) have just started their expedition, so I'm quite free right now."
"However, let me warn you, if you don't have a long-term contract, the price will be quite a bit higher, alright?"
Tsubaki put her hands on her hips, her gaze scanning the people in front of her, gradually settling.
A high-level artisan naturally hoped their creations would be used by excellent people.
And in Tsubaki's eyes, although these people were a little weak, they were at least starting to show potential.
Eugene smiled politely: "Expensive means it's worth it. Tsubaki-san's craftsmanship is famous across the world, and it's naturally worth that price."
"However..."
He flipped his hand again, playing with the Orichalcum ingot.
"If it's something never seen before, it's hard to put a price on it, right?"
"Oh oh oh-!!"
Seeing the Orichalcum of her dreams appear again, Tsubaki's eyes twinkled.
"Discount! Discount! I'll give you a discount!" The first artisan, whose eyes lit up at the sight of gold, shamelessly cried out.
Eugene smoothly handed the Orichalcum to her.
"This is called Orichalcum. If nothing unexpected happens, this is the only piece in Orario."
"As for its properties..."
Tsubaki impatiently interrupted: "High-level strength and excellent magical conductivity! Although slightly inferior to Adamantite and Mythril, its overall performance definitely makes it the strongest!"
Worthy of a Giant Smith, she figured it out immediately.
"By the way, how did you make it appear?" Tsubaki scanned Eugene's hand repeatedly, very curious.
Eugene lied brazenly, holding up the cheap ring he had bought from a street vendor: "This is something from the Far East, called a Storage Ring."
"Wow! Space equipment?" Tsubaki was excited. "Even my old man didn't know about such a rarity!"
"Old man, you really have a lot of rare goods!"
"If Tsubaki-san likes it, I can provide more special materials." Eugene was full of confidence: "I can guarantee that, besides me, no one in Orario can get a second piece."
"That includes the Loki and Freya Familias."
!!
The deeper one ventured into the Dungeon, the rarer the materials became.
As the two most powerful Familias, Loki and Freya had definitely seen the most precious materials.
Yet Eugene remained confident about this; he was absolutely certain.
"If anyone else said that, I definitely wouldn't believe it, but I can maintain expectations for you, old man."
Eugene chuckled and nodded, then brought the topic back.
"Since I don't need it for now, you can keep the Orichalcum here and research it however you like. Just please don't play with it too much; it's hard for me to get a second piece."
Tsubaki happily agreed.
Then, at Eugene's request, they went to Tsubaki's exhibition room.
"Wow, I thought all of Tsubaki-san's works would be snatched up!"
The three girls were full of curiosity. The equipment racks standing before them were densely packed, enough to fill an entire large shop.
"Ha, most of these are old works, and some are spare items temporarily stored here by customers who weren't quite used to them."
"If you ask me, they are all old models and failed pieces."
"Even so, they are top-tier Second-Class equipment. Only you have the right to call such divine weapons failed items," Ryuu praised without reserve.
After all, the woman before them possessed genuine skill, unlike a certain lewd man who only knew how to cheat and cut corners. Since entering the door, his gaze seemed to be stuck to Tsubaki.
As for which two poles attracted him... Ahem.
Eugene looked at the girls engrossed in the swords, spears, and axes, finding it amusing.
They were enthusiastic about shopping, and they were enthusiastic about the weapon shop-they were just enthusiastic about buying things, right?
"Feel free to choose! I'm in a good mood today, so I can offer you a friendship price!" Tsubaki laughed heartily.
And so, amid the chirping, the girls each chose weapons and equipment that suited their style.
Although Ryuu repeatedly tried to refuse, Eugene still bought a spare piece for her.
"It's the Boss's turn now." Everyone looked on with anticipation.
Their earlier guesses about Eugene's preference were about to be revealed.
"Do I even need to choose?" Eugene smiled broadly.
He walked past the long spears and swords, all the way to the very back, and then reached out his hand.
Oom-
A huge shadow swung in the air, the polished giant blade reflecting the girls' stunned expressions.
Tsubaki was also slightly surprised: "Huh? It's this one? You can't judge a book by its cover."
There was nothing to be surprised about, Eugene thought, rubbing the long handle in his hand, satisfied with its excellent balance and wild appearance.
A Minotaur should use a Battle Axe!
Yes! The thin-framed Eugene, after transformation, had chosen a majestic, long-handled double-edged battle axe!
According to Tsubaki, this was the weapon once used by Orario's number one heavy tank, one of the three elders of the Loki Familia, "Gros," the Colossus!
One swing of the axe was enough to shatter any obstacle!
Although it was second-hand, it was still a masterpiece-the pinnacle below First-Class equipment!
"This is it." Eugene ignored the girls' exclamations, adopting a look of absolute determination.
Not only that, but he also chose a set of heavy armor that seemed entirely mismatched with his physique, leaving everyone even more bewildered.
Tsubaki didn't hesitate: "That'll be 250 million Valis!"
Eugene's mouth twitched, then returned to normal.
Two hundred million is two hundred million! It's just fifty million more!
In my previous life, I spent far more than that on women!
But despite the bravado, when it came time to pay, Eugene chose to hold back.
"Add-on?"
"You want custom-made armor?" Tsubaki scratched her head, looking at the materials Eugene provided.
"It's too little for a full set," she weighed the Hardest Metal and Mythril Eugene provided. "Even for light armor, it's not enough for all these people?"
"Don't worry, the main material will arrive soon."
Eugene assured her: "Like I said, it will be a completely new version you've never seen before."
"Ha! Well, I'm certainly looking forward to it!"
Tsubaki's eyes returned to their innocent state. When it came to new materials, she was always highly enthusiastic.
"So, when can I expect to get it?"
"What time is it now?"
"Um, 4 PM?"
"What time does the pleasure district open?"
"How should I know!" Tsubaki glared at Eugene in annoyance, the resentment of an older single woman forming a cloud above her head.
"Then you'll just have to wait."
Eugene put the battle axe and armor into the "Storage Ring," smiled, and turned to leave.
His back was thin, but the shadow he cast was extraordinarily large.
[Hard Hide of the Black Goliath]
The world's unique, super-tough material.
How could Eugene possibly miss out on such a treasure?
The countdown had begun.
The most ferocious monster in history extended its claws toward its powerful prey.
This battle was destined to be the true prelude to the Demon Lord's rise!
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