[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 15

Why are books so expensive here?

First of all, paper is expensive.

In this world, paper doesn’t mean plant-based sheets like we had back in Japan—it means parchment, made from animal skins. Naturally, that kind of material isn’t suited for mass production, so the cost stays high.

Then there’s the ink. That’s pricey too.

For some reason, inks and dyes are absurdly expensive. Their manufacturing methods are tightly guarded secrets—rumor has it people have been killed for trying to uncover them.

And finally, knowledge itself is expensive.

Even if this is just a beginner’s guide, it’s still a book full of alchemical knowledge. Unlike Japan, where you could just look up anything online, the value of information here is completely different. In this world, knowledge is something to be hoarded and protected.

So really, thirty gold coins isn’t such a strange price.

“Fine. I’ll pay.”

“Gee?!”

I nodded at Clemence, and the next moment, Lise latched onto my arm in surprise. A sweet scent drifted up from her hair and made my head spin.

“T-Thirty gold coins!? Are you serious!?”

“I am. Look, Lise—books are generally expensive. And technical manuals like this one are especially so.”

“Oh? You’re a surprisingly reasonable young man.”

Clemence narrowed her eyes, watching me with a look of amusement.

“What was your name again?”

“Gee. I told you earlier, didn’t I? Don’t tell me you’re already losing it.”

“Gee!? That’s rude!”

“The lady’s right. You should show respect to your elders, Gee.”

Clemence let out a wheezing chuckle and held up one bony, wrinkled finger.

“But still, that would’ve been a rip-off, Gee.”

“What do you mean?”

“Heeheehee. I’ll let it go for twenty-five gold coins.”

“…Huh?”

Wait… she’s giving me a discount? The greedy, tightfisted Clemence?

Maybe what I knew from the game doesn’t line up with how she actually behaves in real life.

“Heeheehee. I jacked the price up expecting a haggle. Thirty coins was the ‘negotiation’ price.”

“Ah… I see now.”

I’d forgotten since I wasn’t used to this yet, but haggling is standard practice in this city. Merchants tend to inflate prices expecting people to bargain.

That probably means I’ve overpaid for all the weapons and armor I bought so far. What a waste.

“Thought you were just some spoiled brat wasting daddy’s money, but I was wrong. You’ve got a good head on your shoulders, Gee. Rare for someone your age. I’ll give you the book at the fair price. But next time, negotiate. Learn from this.”

Clemence being generous and even handing out advice? That’s unusual. Could she actually… like me?

“Thanks. I learned a lot.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Clemence.”

“Heh. I only said something because you two were so clueless. Now cough up those twenty-five coins already.”

“Sure thing.”

And just like that, we got our hands on a beginner’s alchemy recipe book.

Our gambling money was starting to dwindle now.

Still, for the early stages of our journey, things were going fairly well.

Especially since we managed to get the Alchemist’s Ring—something I’d basically given up on. With this, we could probably reduce the number of victims claimed by the Soul Eater. Maybe even save Gee’s soul…

No. It’s too early to share uncertain theories with Lise and risk confusing her for no reason.

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A little over a month passed.

During that time, we trained, dove into dungeons, and fought in skirmishes.

Thanks to the Alchemist’s Ring and the recipe book, Lise had rapidly improved her alchemy skills.

I trained solo in the dungeons to keep up, but even then, I couldn’t match her growth. It’s frustrating being a background character.

Now, we stood before the door to the boss room on the fifth floor of the dungeon.

At the end of the corridor loomed a large double door. Several adventurer parties were queued ahead of us.

“We finally made it to the fifth floor boss.”

For me, it felt like a hard-fought journey. But beside me, Lise was stiff with nerves—as if this day had come too soon. A closer look revealed her trembling slightly. Poor thing. That made her look even more precious—like a scared little animal.

“Nervous?”

“I-It’s not like that! It’s just… my first boss fight, so I’m a little on edge, okay? Aren’t you nervous, Gee?”

“Not really.”

“I see…”

“You don’t have to be that tense. The boss is just five goblins—nothing we can’t handle.”

“But… It’s our first time fighting five monsters at once.”

She had a point. Up until now, we’d never fought more than two enemies at the same time. Jumping to five was a big leap.

“Don’t worry. We’ve got this.”

“Yeah…”

Hmm… her voice lacked energy. At this rate, she might lose the battle before it even begins—from fear.

I gently took her trembling hand.

“Gee?”

“It’ll be alright, Lise. No matter what happens, I’ll protect you.”

“…!”

“Oh—looks like it’s our turn.”

Looking ahead, I realized the party in front of us had already gone in.

“Let’s go, Lise!”

“Sigh… Fine. Let’s do this…”

For some reason, she sounded sulky, but I took her hand and led the way into the boss room.