The Necromance of Love and Death: Defeated Early in the Game, I Reincarnated as a Tragic Villainous Noble and Rebel Against the Scenario with My Beloved Using My Modern and Game Knowledge - Chapter 21

Mana Ring.

It’s a ring that increases the maximum MP by 50 when equipped. I don’t know my exact stats, but the protagonist’s MP at the starting level is 23. My MP is probably similar. With this, my MP would go more than triple.

That means… I can spend more time with Vio!

But why is this here?

Mana Rings are incredibly rare items only found in ancient ruins!

Why is it being sold in a shop in the royal capital…?

As far as I know, the only rings sold in stores here are Silver Rings and Gold Rings…

“What’s wrong, Kuro?”

“N-No, it’s just… Can I take a look?”

“Huh? Sure.”

I suppressed my excitement and approached the display filled with rings.

“Can I pick it up?”

“Of course. These are artifacts we purchased from adventurers.”

“Oh…”

At last, I held the Mana Ring in my hand.

“It really is a Mana Ring…!”

It had a seamless, porcelain-like smoothness, with a soft milky-white color. Yet, it felt heavy and cold, almost like metal—but not a metal I recognized.

No matter how many times I looked at it, the patterns engraved on the ring were unmistakably those of a Mana Ring.

Was this really the real thing?

“That’s a ring excavated from ruins. We don’t know what it’s made of. It costs ten gold coins.”

“I’ll take it!”

An ultimate MP-boosting item for just ten gold coins?!

Of course I’m buying it!

“Kuro, do you like that one?”

“Yeah! Hm?”

Wait… I recognize this ring too.

I picked up another ring from the display.

“No doubt about it…”

This is a rare ring that increases defense—the Tank Ring!

“Huh? There’s another one here too!”

Looking closely, I saw even more familiar rings. These weren’t supposed to be sold in the royal capital…

Why were they being sold here?

But the answer came to me right away.

“It’s probably a game mechanic…”

The royal capital is a hub where goods from all over the kingdom gather. It would actually be strange if only Silver Rings and Gold Rings were available.

However, from a game design perspective, they probably didn’t want the player to get strong equipment so early in the game.

My knowledge of the game was useful—but not absolute.

Maybe I need to adjust my plans…?

“Hey, Kuro, do you like that one too?”

“Huh?”

Vio’s voice brought me back to reality.

Oh, right. I’m on a date with Vio.

“Yeah. I think I’ll buy this one, and this one… and maybe this one too.”

“Thank you for your purchase.”

I carefully selected the rings I recognized as useful and bought them. The shopkeeper looked delighted, and honestly, I probably had a big grin on my face too.

“Alright, now it’s your turn, Vio. I hope you find something you like.”

“Yeah!”

As I helped Vio look through the accessories, I kept thinking.

If other stores in the royal capital also sold high-quality equipment and items that should only be found in dungeons, I needed to start gathering them.

Equipment had always been a concern for me. I assumed shops would only sell items according to the game’s original design. That’s why I thought I’d have no choice but to face my first adventure—one of the most dangerous moments—with subpar gear.

But if I can buy good equipment in the capital, that changes everything.

I still don’t know what kind of gear I can get, but maybe I should move my plans forward.

That said, I’m the only one who can evaluate equipment.

In the game, I could just check the status screen to see an item’s stats. But in this world, there’s no status screen.

That’s probably why an ultimate MP-boosting item like the Mana Ring was being sold so cheaply.

I have to check everything myself…

Wait. Maybe today is the perfect opportunity.

We’re spending the whole day in the lower district. That means I can personally visit different stores.

It’s not what I originally planned for the date, and Vio might find it boring.

But just for today, I hope she’ll forgive me.

With that thought, I spoke up.

“Can I ask you something? Do adventurers often sell accessories here?”

“Not too often, but it happens from time to time. They bring in excavation finds that weren’t recognized as artifacts.”

“Artifacts?”

That term wasn’t in the game…

“It’s a general term for special items with unique powers found in ancient ruins. To put it simply, they’re items with gifts.”

“Oh!”

So those exist too?!

They’re probably equipment with abilities that are obvious even without a status screen.

Or… maybe they’re entirely new items that didn’t exist in the game!