[Lucky Overpowered] — I Became a Background Character Meant to Die in the Game’s Opening, But Now I’m Overpowered and Fighting to Save My All-Time Favorite Alchemist Heroine - Episode 13
“Thank you very much!”
After that, Lise and I each decided on our equipment and left the shop.
Lise chose the maid-style outfit I had recommended. I went with a lightweight leather armor set.
I’m thrilled that she went with what I suggested—it suits her perfectly. And I’m also relieved to have improved my own defense.
In addition, I bought her a pouch to carry potions and alchemy items. I thought she’d be happy about that, but when I glanced at her, she looked down and let out a sigh.
“Lise, what’s wrong? Aren’t you happy?”
“It’s not that… It’s just… sigh… I ended up spending way too much.”
True, we did spend a fair amount, but we still have more than half our money left. There’s no need to worry so much.
“Sorry, Lise, but we still have one more thing to buy.”
“…We’re still buying more?”
“Yeah. I’m looking for something in particular. It might take a while, so if you want, you can head back to the inn first.”
“It’s fine. I’ll come with you…”
“Really? Then let’s go. First, we’ll start by checking every shop that sells artifacts!”
“Ah—!”
Without waiting for her reaction, I grabbed Lise’s hand and charged into the nearest shop.
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It was in the seventh artifact shop that we finally found it.
“There it is! Finally!”
I reached into a basket full of rings and pulled out one. It was a wide, silver ring engraved with delicate patterns. I examined the markings again to be sure.
“No doubt about it—this is the Alchemist Ring!”
The Alchemist Ring boosts the rate at which one masters alchemy. It was exactly the piece of gear Lise needed right now.
Because of its powerful effect, the Alchemist Ring had sky-high demand. However, it was a rare drop from the boss on the tenth floor of the dungeon, with a staggeringly low drop rate of just 0.03%. Even if players
wanted one, few actually had it.
I had poured a ridiculous number of hours into the game to get mine. In Lise’s Atelier: The Fallen Alchemist and the Soul-Eating Demon King, the ring was invaluable in new game plus playthroughs.
It was often said that having the Alchemist Ring could cut your game completion time in half.
I had a hunch, but I never imagined I’d actually find one here. I’m so glad I looked!
“Gee? You finally found it…?”
I turned around and met Lise’s slightly tired gaze.
“Yeah! I finally found it. I’ll go pay for it right away.”
I handed over the money and bought the Alchemist Ring. Who would’ve thought I’d get it this early in the game? What a stroke of luck!
“So, this is the Alchemist Ring…”
Just thinking that I was holding one of the rarest items in the game made me giddy. I was practically breathing through my nose like a bull.
“Is that the ring you were looking for?”
“That’s right, Lise. This is the Alchemist Ring. It speeds up how quickly you learn alchemy.”
“What!? I’ve never heard of such an artifact!”
Lise stared at the ring in my palm, wide-eyed. She looked absolutely adorable like that.
“And if it has such an amazing effect, shouldn’t it be way more expensive…?”
“Well, there’s a trick to it. The Alchemist Ring is a rare drop from the boss on the tenth floor of the dungeon, right? But that boss also drops a Power Ring as its common loot—a ring-type artifact. My guess is someone mistook this for that and sold it without getting it appraised.”
Also, there’s a bit of a culture here where adventurers don’t bother appraising gear they find in the lower levels of dungeons before selling it. In this case, that actually worked in our favor. The person who sold this ring probably thought it was just another Power Ring.
Thank you, clueless adventurer I’ll never meet!
“So then, this artifact is the real deal…?”
“Yeah. Think of it as a lucky charm to wear when you’re practicing alchemy.”
When I held out the ring, Lise unexpectedly blushed and held out her left hand.
“You found it, Gee. So… will you put it on for me?”
“Hm? Sure.”
I gently took Lise’s delicate hand and tried to slip the ring onto her middle finger.
“Hmm? It’s a little tight…”
Then I tried her ring finger—and noticed her hand trembled slightly.
Was she cold?
Not thinking much of it, I proceeded to fit the ring onto her ring finger.
“Huh? It won’t go on…”
The ring stopped halfway down her finger.
I popped it off and tried her pinky instead. This time, it slipped on smoothly.
Perfect!
“It fits, Lise.”
“…Thanks, Gee.”
At that moment, Lise looked strangely disappointed.
…But I’m probably just imagining things, right?