Does the mechanical girl dream of the Messiah?

This sentence was not that difficult to understand, and it did not contain any language that Lunisia had never learned, so she quickly understood what Ashithelin meant - the answer was obvious. Although the Mariai region had many terrains that did not seem to be natural in any way, such as vertical canyons that looked like they were cut by swords, and square chessboards of the earth that were cut open, there were very few reports of unearthed ruins here, and adventurers seeking wealth had little interest in this place.

"If that's the case, why do people still pursue weapons?"

Ashetherin tilted her head and stared at Lunicia with her golden eyes.

"There's no need to do that, is there?"

"what……"

This is indeed the case.

For swords and armor, which are not in excessive production and are not necessary for livelihood, most people would not consider paying for them unless they need them. An ordinary iron sword passed down from ancestors can be used for at least two generations with proper maintenance. The current bustling scenes in these stores obviously do not conform to this principle. People flock to the stores as if they had heard some rumor. Even if they do not understand the reason, they will still spend a lot of Il and Yayin on such an incredible place.

——It’s just like… the rush to buy supplies before a disaster.

Lunicia just felt a little uneasy.

"But you still have to buy armor... so you can protect yourself."

"Such light clothing is not suitable for combat, although I don't hate it."

"Thank you for the compliment……"

"But Luna, you have to understand one thing."

"Ok?"

"Now, the price of armor will definitely increase."

Ashlee looked quite serious.

Chapter 5: Shopping Tips

Lunicia knew almost nothing about this commercial street. All her knowledge came from that small paper map. It was not easy for her to choose one of the several equipment stores in front of her.

"First, we can rule out the weapons store."

"Of course, weapons are out of the question."

"The Avenger" is still on her back. This wide, thick and long sword only needs simple care to remain in optimal condition. Even though it has endured so many impacts and blade contacts in previous battles, there is no need to worry about it being damaged or deformed. One is very curious about how she did it.

Since there is no need to replace weapons, there is naturally no need to pay attention to those weapon stores.

"Then there are shops that are limited to providing women's armor."

“Are there still shops like that?”

"Actually, I don't know..."

Ashlee only provided suggestions, and she herself did not actually understand the current market situation. In her fragmented knowledge, "women in armor" did not seem to be a very common thing. It was better to say that it could be called a rarity. Whether it was public opinion, actual conditions or personal choice, every point made the number of female adventurers low. In this case, naturally, apart from those custom-made shops, there were few places that could provide women's equipment.

"Actually, this is no longer the case." Lunicia shook her finger. "Now it is an era where people of all genders can be adventurers. After all, 'strength' is not gender-specific."

"This statement is not Luna's style."

"Of course, I can only quote the original sentence like a bookworm - but there must be differences in quality. Each company is definitely good at different things. Why don't you ask around first?"

"…There's no need to be so troublesome."

"Any good ideas?"

Looking at Lunicia's puzzled eyes, Ashlee just nodded slightly.

"Um... that one."

She reached out and pointed with her slender index finger at a shop called "Silver Thorn". The number of customers in that shop was much less than that of the shops on both sides, but the condition of the shop seemed to be better, whether it was the integrity of the columns, the cleanliness of the walls or the degree of wiping of the sign. The words on the sign were written in exaggerated cursive in Ozawalan language, "Silver Thorn", which was more difficult to understand than the Danu language signs of the other shops. Maybe that was the reason for the small number of customers.

"It looks like a protective gear store that specializes in fine goods, but why this one?"

"Data analysis methods." Ashlee's golden eyes flickered a few times. "Among the several armor stores on this street, this one has the highest proportion of female customers, and they are several levels higher than the other stores."

"Is that so?" Lunicia wanted to confirm it, but found that she couldn't see such a thing at all - the walls and display windows blocked most of the customers, and she couldn't confirm the ratio of men to women in any of the stores.

Although it is unclear what method she used, Ashlee seemed to have the ability to see through things.

Thinking of this, and looking at her gaze that was always directed towards her, Lunicia felt a little more uncomfortable - fortunately, the other party's gaze was always on her face, otherwise she really couldn't be sure whether this outfit of hers had any meaning to Ashlee.

Faced with Lunicia's uncomfortable expression, all Ashlee could do was tilt her head in confusion.

……

The interior decoration of this "Silver Thorn" is more exquisite than the uniform facade.

It's not about the luxurious relief decorations or exaggerated things like marble fountains, but the quality displayed by this store in terms of elements such as spaciousness and cleanliness is really surprising.

This is more like a jewelry store than a store selling armor.

This not only refers to the decoration, but also to the quality of the store clerks - compared to the traditional equipment store clerks in Lunicia's impression, they do much more than just watch the store and do the cashiering, they also take on the responsibilities of reception and shopping guide, and these two things should not exist in most equipment stores.

Selecting goods, asking prices and paying, most stores still follow this ancient rhythm.

“What a novel shop.”

Lunicia looked around curiously. In the dim light of the solar eclipse, the brightness of the store really gave her a good impression.

Just as Ashlee said, the number of female customers in this store is much higher than that of male customers. From the samples in the display windows, it can be seen that the number of armors for women is overwhelmingly large. Not only that, but the female adventurers also look extraordinary - not in terms of strength, but in terms of the exquisiteness of their armor, the jewelry inlaid on the guards of their swords, the emblems on their cloaks or chests, the manners when they talk and walk, or the butlers who follow them. All of these can show that their status is not bad, at least far better than the middle class in the Marie region.

This store looks like a chain store. Taking this into consideration, they should be celebrities or young ladies from other nearby principalities or Nosavi. After all, if they are from Muirand, they should be more inclined to Twick, the capital of Mariai, which is much closer.

Of course, Lunicia also sensed the presence of several powerful women. They should be the kind with strong abilities and high incomes. Such people would naturally attach great importance to armor, their second life.

——Not only that…

In the corner of the store, like decorative empty armor, stood several tall and well-equipped men. They looked alert, as if ready to draw sharp blades from the scabbards at their waists at any time.

Such defense is too strict for an equipment store.

"Hello, how can I help you?"

Just as Lunicia was looking around, a clerk came up to her with a smile.

……

When stepping out of the gate of "Silver Thorn", Lunicia's expression looked quite subtle, while Ashlee remained silent, with only the soles of her high-heeled boots making slight sounds as they stepped on the ground.

How should I put it? The expression on Lunesia's face was a mixture of awkwardness and distress.

Judging from her current appearance, it is true that she did buy armor, but in fact she was only half successful - the hand armor, arm armor, shoulder armor, skirt armor, leg armor and combat boots are already worn on her body. Even in the dim light of the solar eclipse, these well-made armors can still reflect the eye-catching cold light. Their lines are extremely beautiful and focus on protective performance. The raised edges and beautiful thorns can not only enrich the layers, but also have the effect of deflecting the blade and reducing impact.

This set of silver armor made Lunicia feel very satisfied. Both its appearance and protection were better than her original standard armor. If it was well maintained, this set should be able to accompany her for a long time.

However there is a problem.

She was unable to buy armor for the torso, as the armor they used was only jet-black tight-fitting leather armor that accentuated the figure but lacked defensive performance. Although she liked the shape and patterns of the armor, she really didn't think that its defensive capabilities could be compared to real plate armor.

It’s not that there is a shortage of armor. According to the clerk, in order to cope with a wide variety of customers, even a branch like theirs has sufficient reserves of various models of armor.

The most important issue is... money.

Even though she had spent half of her fortune, Lunisia still couldn't afford to buy a full set of armor. In fact, just buying this part had almost completely used up the 120,000 el she had exchanged, leaving only a few hundred el left.

"Armor, is it really that expensive...?"

She looked at Ashlee with a subtle expression, hoping that she could give her a comforting answer.

"As for what Luna is wearing," Ashlee paused, "there is a premium, but overall it should be within the normal price range."

The total price of the parts that Lunicia has bought so far is 117,315 el, while the price of the torso armor that she failed to buy is the same as the rest of the parts combined, or even slightly more expensive, at 118,000 el. In other words, the total price is 235,000 el. There are no hundreds because the number can be deducted if the full set is purchased.

This price is not only used for the refined steel used in this armor, but also includes the labor fee paid to the armorer. Forging those beautiful edges and protrusions on this armor is a nightmare job for armorers without extraordinary powers. If the salary is not enough, no one would be willing to do this.

Even if the wages are high enough, only armorers with more than ten years of experience can do this job, which leads to the high price of this type of armor.

Lunisia herself didn't know, but for Asheselin, who had just "accidentally" invaded the steam engine shutdown terminal here, she could quickly determine the specific value of this armor - 235,000 ells, which was equivalent to the salary of an ordinary craftsman working for more than ten years in this Mariai area.

Lunicia knew nothing about these things.

She could feel that she had spent a lot of money, but she did not understand the specific value of the money in her hand, let alone how much a person needed to spend in a day just to live, and how much most people could earn in a day.

She was so ignorant, but Ashlee just stared at that face quietly, watching her strange expression that seemed like she wanted to laugh happily but couldn't because of the heartache.

"Luna shouldn't just be upset about the money. Is there anything else that makes Luna feel uncomfortable?"

"Uh...this..."

When it comes to this, Lunicia looks a little embarrassed to talk about it, and with her face, she looks particularly cute - at least in Ashlee's eyes. Of course, the cuteness here is more of an objective evaluation than a subjective feeling.

"If you don't want to say it, then..."

"No, um... that is to say..." Lunicia hesitated for a while before continuing: "Because I have never done anything like this before, how should I put it, it's the first time like this..."

--I see.

Ashlee immediately understood the reason.

As a bird in a cage, she probably has never had the experience of going to the street to buy things and talking to the clerk.

Thinking of this, a feeling that could perhaps be called "curiosity" surged in Ashlee's mind.

——What was the place where she used to live like? What kind of people did she live with?

She tilted her head, but ultimately didn't ask.

After all, it was that Lunicia, so if she had something to say, she would naturally tell her Lunicia.

Chapter 6 What if I stay in a hotel?

"I only have over 2,000 elis left. Is that enough? Should I go and exchange for some more?"

Lunicia weighed the purse at her waist - in addition to the twenty-five pure gold coins, there were two thousand-dollar notes and some one hundred and fifty-dollar notes. The experience of buying armor just now really gave Lunicia a big shock, and she suddenly began to doubt whether the remaining banknotes on her were enough.

This little panic certainly didn't escape Ashlee's eyes. She just blinked and said softly, "Don't worry, Luna. Do you know the prices of food and accommodation in Nosavi?"

"Not sure. Uh, I was planning to ask when I got there..."

"Well... I searched for information about prices in the Nosavi area." The golden light in Asheselin's eyes flickered slightly. "A craftsman's daily food expenses are about thirty el. If he gives up buying his own ingredients and chooses to eat in taverns and affordable restaurants, the price will rise to forty to fifty el. The regular price of an inn is about two hundred and twenty el a day -"

"I've heard of this price somewhere before... My senior mentioned the price of a hotel, and it seems to be about the same."

Lunixia was talking when she suddenly thought of something and asked, "But you always go on missions alone before, and even if you stay in a hotel, you will definitely choose a single room. So is this actually the price of a single room?"

"To be precise, it's the price of a double bed room. Seventy percent of hotels have cancelled the single bed room format. The main reason is that this type of room can only meet the needs of a small number of travelers."

A single room that is too small can basically only be used for sleeping. It is difficult to even store the equipment that an adventurer carries. And if someone cannot even afford to move to a bigger room, they may prefer to sleep on the street or under a bridge rather than staying in a hotel.

"No, the point is...Ashe, what are you going to do?"

With only more than two thousand dollars left in funds, choosing a two-bed room with a starting price of three hundred ells would only seem to make the financial situation even more severe. In this case, Lunicia had to think carefully about how to arrange accommodation for Ashtherin.

"?"

And Ashatherin didn't seem to understand her troubles at all. She just tilted her head, with a puzzled look in her golden pupils.

"That is to say, since it is a bed..."

Lunicia originally wanted to suggest something like "I'll sleep on the floor, Ashley, you use the bed", but was interrupted by Ashley: "Why are you so confused? I'm just a creation, a failed product that was abandoned because of its worthlessness. I don't need a bed at all. If I want to sleep, I can do it while standing. If you need me to play my role at night, I can also give up sleeping and keep watch--"

"Wait, Ash."

Lunicia's face was full of surprise, so much so that she couldn't help but interrupt Ashlee's words.

She always felt that she could sense something from those words, some emotion hidden deep in the sealed memory that even Ashlee herself could hardly perceive, and it was her own actions that made this emotion overflow from the cracks, turning into words and becoming a part of her cold face.

Thinking of this, Lunicia's voice couldn't help but soften a little.

"Ashe, I don't see you as a machine... or a prop."

"Why?" Ashlee tilted her head again. She seemed to like expressing her confusion in this way. "I'm just a machine. Even my appearance is completely different from that of a human like Luna. The same goes for my hands, feet, and the part below my waist. Two bouquets of flowers with different petals and stems, are they the same kind of flowers? Two drops of water with different colors and smells, are they the same rain?"

"But I think...Ashe must have something like a 'heart', so she is definitely not just a machine."

Ashethelin wanted to continue talking, but her golden eyes accidentally met Lunisia's brown eyes.

Tenderness and firmness, something that combines these two emotions at the same time should perhaps be called "seriousness."

This made her lower her head slightly, turn her golden eyes to the side, and even lower her voice: "...I don't understand, such a joke. I am a robot that was produced. What I have is just a fake thing called 'mind' created by scanning the human brain, 'heart'..."

The "heart" cannot be digitized, so she, whose thoughts are compiled from data, cannot have something called a "heart".

She had organized her words, but found it difficult to speak them out.

The girl in front of her, even though she was wearing majestic armor and carrying a giant sword taller than herself, could not hide her innocence and immaturity like a bird in a cage. Ashlee fully understood that she lived a life like a greenhouse rose, and her thoughts on everything only came from the most primitive virtues and emotions in her heart, rather than the education in the scriptures and the little experience brought by others.

Can she really understand such a simple and straightforward truth?