First, Allen headed to an alley off the main road.
There were few people on the road, and only houses lined up.
Charlotte followed Allen, holding his hand tightly, with a puzzled look on her face.
"Where are we going?"
"Just a little shopping. Ah, here we are."
"This place…?"
Allen pointed down an even narrower path branching off from the alley.
It was dimly lit, sandwiched between buildings, and there was a damp atmosphere about it. But Allen didn't care and continued walking.
At the end stood a shabby little shack.
When he opened the door――Charlotte's eyes widened.
"Wow...!"
Beyond the door was a huge space.
Rows of shelves lined the walls on both sides, continuing all the way up to the third floor, which had an open atrium. The shelves were packed with dried plants, flowers, minerals, and other things.
There were also other mysterious objects, like floating crystals and slime clinging to the walls, making it look like a miscellaneous museum. And it continued on as far as the eye could see.
Allen was familiar with the place, but this was the first time he had brought Charlotte here.
She stood in awe, looking around at everything.
"This… this didn’t look like such a big house from the outside… How is this possible?"
"It's warping space with magic. But still..."
Allen let go of Charlotte's hand and looked around as well.
At first glance, there were no people in sight, but――
"Oi! It’s me. Anyone here?"
"Huh? Allen-san?"
A voice called down from the second floor.
Looking up, Allen saw a young man peek out from the shadows, sitting in a wheelchair. His dull red hair reached his shoulders, and he wore a soft, gentle smile.
"It’s rare to see you come all the way into the shop. Did something happen with the potions?"
"No, I’m here to buy something else. Is the owner in?"
"She’s out restocking at the moment… but I can help you, if that’s alright. Just a sec."
Then the wheelchair floated up and came down to the first floor in front of Allen and Charlotte.
The young man gave a slight bow to Charlotte.
"Hello. You're Charlotte, right? Nice to meet you."
"Y-Yes. Nice to meet you...?"
Charlotte bowed timidly.
She stared at the young man’s face, tilting her head slightly.
"Um... haven't we met somewhere before?"
"Oh, that’s right. He’s the one Eruca confronted in town that time."
"Ah, that time!"
"My name is Gilles Constant. Pleased to make your acquaintance."
Allen, Charlotte, and Eruca had gone into town together once before.
That time, Eruca had spoken with this man Gilles.
"This is a magic tool shop, and Gilles is a clerk here."
"Only for about a month now. Eruca-san introduced me to the job…"
"I see… So this is a magic shop."
Charlotte looked around with even more interest.
Meanwhile, Allen frowned in thought.
He had asked his younger sister Eruca to investigate Charlotte’s homeland.
"But Elluka hasn't come back yet... I wish she'd at least send a message."
"Ah, she did send me a letter saying she’d be back soon."
"R-Really? But why did she send a letter to you and not to me..."
"…Huh?"
At that moment, Gilles’ smile froze completely.
"Wait… She hasn’t told you?"
"What?"
"Ahh… Well, I guess I’ll have to formally introduce myself next time then…"
"Introduce yourself?"
Gilles now wore a serious expression.
Allen could only tilt his head, but seeing that Gilles had no intention of saying anything more, he changed his thoughts.
"Whatever. Today’s about Charlotte’s shopping."
"Huh? M-me?"
"Yes, you."
Charlotte’s eyes widened at the sudden shift in topic.
Allen smiled at her and nodded.
"I figured it might be about time you started learning some magic."
"Magic…?"
"Yeah. Even with Luu and Gousetsu around, it’s best to have more ways to protect yourself."
Allen and the others would do their best to protect Charlotte.
Still, if she could fight a little herself, she’d likely feel more secure.
Her talent as a monster tamer was well-known, and he was sure she would soon learn magic as well.
"And also…"
He lightly patted her shoulder and spoke with a cheerful face.
"The thrill of blasting someone you don’t like with offensive magic, is one of the top five naughty pleasures in the world. I want you to experience it too."
"U-uhh…"
"That's probably a pleasure only a select few can enjoy, though..."
Gilles added with a slightly awkward laugh.