Leaving behind the grand plaza of the royal capital, Clockronde, the bustling street of stalls stretched before us. Merchants with powerful voices called out to customers, and a variety of goods displayed at makeshift shops caught our eyes. Whenever something piqued our interest, we would stop to take a closer look.

“Oh! Out shopping with your sibling? By all means, please take a look at our finest wares!!”

“Onii-sama, may we take a look?”

“Ah, sure.”

To ensure that Alice wouldn’t be swallowed up by the crowd, I always made sure to walk arm-in-arm with her. However, once we moved to the roadside, that concern was no longer necessary. Alice let go of me and approached the merchant who had called out to us.

“May I pick this up?”

“Of course, feel free!”

With the shopkeeper’s permission, Alice eagerly examined the beautifully arranged accessories. This stall seemed to specialize in ornaments, and as a girl of her age, Alice couldn’t help but be enchanted by the colorful, dazzling gemstone craftsmanship.

“This... is quite well-made.”

“R-right?! Our skilled artisans have carefully crafted these using Crimson Scale Gems retrieved from the labyrinth!”

Holding up a bracelet adorned with gemstones, Alice tilted it under the sunlight to observe its brilliance. The shopkeeper, noticing her action while she still had an eyepatch on, appeared somewhat bewildered. From an outsider's perspective, it would be natural to question whether she could actually see—or rather, they would likely assume that she couldn't.

Indeed, Alice had lost both her magic and sight due to the curse of the detestable Shadow Dragon Bastard Lizard. However, in strict terms, she could still faintly perceive her surroundings. Whether this was a result of her body adapting to the curse, or the fruits of her efforts in sensing magic, even she didn’t seem to know. But at some point, she found that she could.

Though she could no longer wield magic, she had not lost the ability to sense its presence. Because of that, she could discern the shapes of objects imbued with magic. This allowed her to navigate crowds with an escort without issue—and even enjoy shopping.

───That curse makes no sense at all.

Yet, even a faint ability to see—even the smallest sense of her surroundings—was a beacon of hope for Alice.

“Onii-sama, what do you think of this necklace?”

“Oh, I think it looks good. I bet it’ll suit you.”

“Right?! This red gemstone is just like Onii-sama’s beautiful eyes, so I thought it would suit you as well!”

“Ah, me...?”

I had assumed that Alice was picking something for herself, but it seemed I was mistaken. Still, if my beloved little sister went out of her way to choose an accessory for me—and even said something like that—how could I not want it?

“Excuse me, I'll take two of the necklaces she’s holding.”

“Ah, thank you very much!!”

Instinctively, I handed over silver coins to the shopkeeper and received two identical necklaces in return. I wouldn’t call this a wasteful purchase—this was a necessary expense.

“Here, this one’s for you, Alice.”

“A-are you sure?”

Alice, having received the necklace, looked up at me in surprise. I responded with a smile.

“How could I not want something my adorable little sister said would suit me? Besides, I think this would suit you too, so I bought two... Unless, do you dislike the idea of having matching accessories with your brother...?”

If she had firmly said, "I don't like it," I was confident I would break down in tears. Warily, I asked her, and Alice quickly shook her head.

“No! Never! It's just...”

“Just?”

“I feel bad for Freesia-oneesama...”

“Huh? Why does she come up in this conversation?”

Hold on, why would another girl’s name come up when I’m out shopping with my sister? That’s not okay, right? Of course, I’m going to get jealous here. My sister is just too much of a charmer.

“Onii-sama, I think you might be missing the point here...”

“Eh? What did I do wrong? Tell me so I can fix it!”

“I don’t know.”

As I got lost in thought over something silly, my dear sister let out an exasperated sigh. I could feel my credibility as a big brother dropping. Desperate to find the cause, I tried to ask again, but that only made things worse. Alice put on the necklace by herself and started walking.

“Hey! Alice, it’s dangerous in the crowd! At least hold onto me when walking!”

Panicking, I rushed to catch up with her, and we resumed our journey toward our destination.

Before we knew it, after thoroughly exploring the street stalls, it was already past noon. As expected of the largest market street in the royal capital, the variety and scale of goods available were impressive. At some point, even I got caught up in the excitement.

“So, now that we’ve finally reached the commercial district, is there a specific shop you’re looking for?”

After a quick lunch, we left the bustling stalls behind and entered the commercial district, where large merchants and craftsmen had their shops.

Compared to the market street, the crowds here were calmer. The people walking around seemed wealthier—mostly nobility and affluent individuals. That was only natural, considering many of the stores here were high-end establishments catering to nobles.

“Oh, I haven’t mentioned our actual destination yet, have I? We’re here for Red-Winged Bat.”

It seemed that Alice’s reason for coming here was a blacksmith workshop that the Bradley family had favored for generations.

Red-Winged Bat

This was a smithy run by dwarven craftsmen, renowned for forging custom weapons for the warriors of the Bradley family. The master smith, Crimson Steel Artisan Eisel Metallind, was famous even within the royal capital. It was no exaggeration to say that without his craftsmanship, many of the historical victories and great deeds of Bradley's warriors would not have been achieved.

“Wait, does this mean Alice wants a weapon?”

Since she prioritized visiting this place, I assumed she planned to order a weapon for herself. However, Alice shook her head.

“No, not for me—for you, Onii-sama.”

“...For me?”

Perplexed, I tilted my head further. Why was this suddenly about me? Sensing my confusion, Alice pressed on.

“Yes. Onii-sama, you don’t have a proper sword, do you?”

“Huh? Oh, well, I guess not. I have a heavy training sword, but in actual combat, I mostly use the swords I create from my blood and magic. That’s more than enough for me...”

My blood-forged swords didn’t need to be carried around and could be summoned whenever necessary. They were incredibly convenient. That’s why I never really cared about owning a personal weapon. Hearing this, Alice raised her voice in protest.

“Onii-sama, you’re strong, yet you don’t own your own sword? That’s unacceptable! As the next head of the Bradley family, you must not neglect the blade that protects your life!”

“O-okay...”

“That’s why! Today, we’re going to have a one-of-a-kind sword made just for you!”

Faced with Alice’s overwhelming enthusiasm, I found myself at a loss. I had no issue with getting a sword. She had a point—beyond just function, a sword could also carry significance and status. But...

“That’s fine and all, but do we have the budget for this? I don’t have the funds to commission a custom-made sword.”

“Not to worry! I’ve already spoken to Father, and he has provided the necessary funds.”

From somewhere, Alice produced an unnaturally heavy-looking pouch. As expected of my sister, she was thorough in her preparations. With nothing left to say, I could only follow her lead toward the kingdom’s finest smithy.

───But seriously, isn’t this budget a little excessive???