It was on a beautifully sunny day. A party of renowned adventurers had stopped by a small rural village by the riverside.
They traveled the world, investigated the movements of monsters, explored ruins, and were heroes to the information-starved villagers. Among the adventurers warmly welcomed by the villagers, a swordsman noticed a girl looking at him from a distance.
She was probably in her mid-teens. Petite but with beautiful golden hair that glistened in the sunlight, she was a precious beauty to have in a rural village. The swordsman approached the girl eagerly.
"Hey there, miss. We're planning to discuss our adventures at the village chief's house tonight. How about joining us?"
"Huh?"
"My name is Rogosso. I'd love to hear your lovely name."
"Um... Silly, but..."
"Silly! What a beautiful name! Please join us tonight."
"Don't embarrass us, you fool!"
Suddenly, a woman who had come from behind smacked the swordsman's head with force. She wore comfortable and loosely embroidered attire, clearly a magician who specialized in providing support from the rear.
"What the hell, why are you doing that?"
"Seriously, if you want to hit on someone, do it in the capital. —Sorry about that, our idiot has a weakness for pretty women."
"Ah..."
As Silly rolled her eyes at the comedy unfolding before her, the magician noticed something at her neckline.
"...Hey, what's that?"
"Huh? This necklace?"
"Yeah, that. It's quite distinctive..."
"Haha, it's really not that pretty, is it? Some good-for-nothing who stayed in our village gave it to me once, but I didn't want to keep it locked away in a drawer, so I wear it."
"Is that so? Can I take a look?"
"Huh? S-sure."
The magician accepted the necklace from Silly and examined it closely.
"...Is this by any chance from that good-for-nothing who stayed in the village? Was he an adventurer?"
"No, I think he was just an ordinary traveler. He didn't even work during the day."
"What's wrong? Are you so interested in this necklace?"
The swordsman asked, and the magician replied as she placed the necklace around Silly's neck.
"Yeah, it's not something you see every day, so I'm surprised."
"Is it really that special?"
The swordsman stared at Silly's necklace and then shifted his gaze to her ample chest, earning himself another smack from the magician.
The magician turned to face Silly again.
"I've never met that good-for-nothing, so I can't say for sure, but it seems like he was either a highly skilled magician or incredibly wealthy, and he cared about you."
"Highly skilled or wealthy? That guy?"
"That necklace is a magic tool. It repels negative energy and fine-tunes your magic power. It's the kind of magic item that just works by being there."
"A magic item... I think he said he made it himself."
Silly stared at the necklace in astonishment. Now that she thought about it, she had received it several years ago, but it hadn't deteriorated or been damaged in any way.
"He made it himself... If that's the case, he must have been incredibly skilled. Probably much more than me."
"Huh, more than you?"
"Yeah, the materials alone are top-notch. It seems like he even used materials from monsters I've never heard of. You could probably build a mansion in the capital with the money you'd get from selling this."
"Wow!"
Silly was stunned by the magician's words.
The swordsman whispered to the magician.
"Hey, is that story for real?"
"I don't lie. With its ability to repel negative energy and fine-tune magic power, it even provides resistance against diseases and poisons. If a noble heard about this necklace, they'd pay a fortune for it."
"...Isn't it dangerous for a village girl to have something like this? What if some weirdo targets her?"
"I told you, it repels negative energy. Just think of her as a monster for a moment."
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
"If you do that, you'll understand what I mean."
The swordsman had a contemplative expression, but eventually, he turned to the still-stunned girl. And then, as he looked at the girl as if confronting a monster――
"Whoa!"
Something was staring at him.
The man nearly stumbled backward but managed to catch himself just in time.
Cold sweat poured from his entire body, and his heart raced with relief at still being alive. It felt as though he was being stared down by a gigantic monster.
"W-what... what is that thing?"
"We called the person who made that necklace a master, but to us, it's a monster. Even the residual aura imbued in the magic item carries that kind of killing intent."
"Even if it's a joke, it's not funny..."
"Well, it's not a magic item that poses an actual threat. It's strictly for self-defense."
The magician shrugged and patted Silly on the shoulder.
"Wh-What is it...!?"
"Don't be so nervous. You've been wearing it for a while now, right? It's your choice whether to keep it or sell it, but I recommend keeping it."
"Um, what do you mean?"
"Well, that magic item was crafted by a magician with you in mind. You are undoubtedly its rightful owner."
"With me in mind..."
Silly gently held onto the necklace.
Just a few years ago, a traveler had stayed in the village briefly and left without saying goodbye. She couldn't remember his face clearly, but the mere thought of it warmed her heart.
"I won't sell it. I think I'll keep it."
"That's a good choice. I agree."
Silly looked at the necklace once more and smiled, just as she had at that moment.
"But it still isn't cute, after all."
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