Vol 4. Chapter 159: Noya’s Secret Bookstore

"Welcome~ Miss Yu."

Accompanied by Noya's enthusiastic greeting, an extraordinarily beautiful black-haired girl slowly stepped into the bookstore.

This breathtakingly beautiful young lady, with her glossy black hair and azure-blue (disguised) eyes, was naturally none other than our Lady Yumo.

Since this was a rare opportunity to go shopping in the outer district of Anvika, Lady Yumo wasn't wearing her usual formal dress.

Instead, she had opted for a relatively casual outfit.

Her top was predominantly blue and white, with black trim around the collar and cuffs. Its exquisite tailoring gave her a delicate, petite appearance, while the round neckline revealed Yumo's beautiful, alluring collarbones. Her pale-blue shorts exposed her fair, slender thighs, and a pair of simple white canvas shoes completed the outfit.

Her glossy black hair had been patiently arranged by the maids into a soft, voluminous updo. An exquisite, elegant butterfly earring hung from her snow-white right earlobe. Lady Yumo had also applied some light makeup, with pale-pink lip gloss coating her lips. Her long, curled eyelashes fluttered gently, while her azure-blue eyes occasionally radiated an enchanting, almost bewitching charm.

All in all, having cast aside her usual noble and elegant attire, Lady Yumo now looked considerably more like an ordinary young maiden.

After all, her usual long formal dresses were genuinely inconvenient for shopping.

...

--

"Hm?"

Hearing the fox lady's greeting, Yumo couldn't help knitting her brows slightly, a trace of confusion appearing on her face.

"How do you know... my name?"

"Oh, that's quite simple. A little deduction was all it took~"

Noya pressed a finger against her lips and explained with a cheerful smile.

"It's very simple! Isn't the Black Rose Family's emblem right there on your clothes? I'm not blind, you know~ Besides, with your black hair and blue eyes, your breathtaking beauty, and such expensive clothing designed by Sadar, the Sadik Empire's renowned master of fashion, your identity is practically obvious, isn't it? Of course, if I've guessed incorrectly, please forgive me~"

"..."

Yumo found this explanation reasonably acceptable.

At most, she silently grumbled about Saiboke.

After all, before leaving, she had specifically instructed him to prepare something a little plainer for her to wear.

And yet, these clothes had still been specially designed by a professional?!

"Yes, you're right."

"That's wonderful~"

Noya smiled faintly.

Then, the fox lady with long platinum-blonde hair slowly floated out from behind the counter and gracefully performed a standard curtsy before Lady Yumo.

"Allow me to formally greet you, Miss Yu. Welcome to Noya's Secret Bookstore~ As you can see, I'm the owner of this establishment. You may call me Noya~"

"Noya, huh..."

Yumo softly repeated her name.

At the same time, the black-haired girl narrowed her eyes slightly, observing the fox lady before her with a hint of vigilance.

Lady Yumo had two main reasons for visiting Anvika's outer district today.

The first was to purchase some souvenirs for her adorable children back home, while the second was to acquire materials necessary for teaching.

However, some of the materials she needed were so rare that they couldn't be found through ordinary commercial channels. That was why she had ventured into this relatively remote street.

After all, several shopkeepers she had visited earlier had told her that if she came here, she might discover a special bookstore where she could purchase the materials she needed.

That was what had brought Yumo to this place.

Initially, Yumo had been rather skeptical of those shopkeepers' claims.

She seriously doubted that such rare materials could be purchased in a tiny bookstore like this.

If it hadn't been conveniently located along her route back to Yexinlian Academy, she probably wouldn't have bothered visiting.

However, after entering the establishment, Yumo was somewhat astonished to discover that she might have underestimated this bookstore.

Although its exterior was thoroughly unremarkable, its interior was an entirely different world.

A bookstore containing an independent spatial dimension was clearly no ordinary establishment.

Furthermore...

Apart from the bookstore itself, its owner, this woman named 'Noya,' was also someone who couldn't be underestimated...

"She's actually an Eighth-Tier Magic God?"

Yumo murmured inwardly, somewhat shocked.

Although her own powers were currently restricted by the 'Veil of Deception,' her formidable perception remained intact.

At such close range, Yumo could still sense the tremendous power contained within the fox lady's body.

That overwhelmingly powerful magical energy, approaching the upper ranks of the Eighth Tier...

To think such a powerful individual was hiding inside an obscure little bookstore!

The Crimson Leaf Empire really was a place of hidden dragons and crouching tigers...

Yumo couldn't help marveling inwardly.

However, even as she marveled, a flicker of disgust unconsciously crossed the black-haired girl's eyes.

It was a deep, instinctive revulsion.

An aversion originating from the very depths of her soul.

"This aura..."

After carefully examining it for a moment, Yumo became certain that the bookstore owner possessed an aura she found extraordinarily repulsive.

It was somewhat similar to Holy Mana, yet considerably denser.

Although concentrated, it was still far inferior to the divine power surrounding Mengxi whenever she activated her 'Miracle.'

Could it be some kind of energy that existed between Holy Mana and divine power?

Was she someone from the Asumos Church?

Or perhaps someone who had separated herself from the Church?

...

Yumo continued pondering these possibilities.

It wasn't until Noya's voice sounded beside her again that she finally emerged from her thoughts.

"Miss Yu, is there anything I can help you with?"

??

"Hm?"

Returning to her senses, Yumo gave her an apologetic look.

"Ah, sorry. I got a little distracted."

"Not at all, Miss Yu. So, is there anything I can help you with?"

"Well... it's like this. I visited several magical equipment and materials shops earlier, but none of them had what I wanted. However, they all said that your store carries a particularly comprehensive selection of materials, so I thought I'd come and have a look."

"I see. I certainly do have quite a few materials here. May I ask what you're looking for, Miss Yu?"

"Well... a Thunder Qilin's horn, Ghost Mandrake Grass, Ice-Purified Essence, and Regirock White Stone Powder."

"Certainly, no problem. We have all of those~"

"All... all of them?"

Yumo couldn't help exclaiming in surprise.

After all, every one of those materials was extraordinarily rare and difficult to obtain.

Yumo had merely asked on the off chance that the shop might have something.

If she could obtain even one or two of them, she would already have been perfectly satisfied.

And yet, this bookstore actually had every single one in stock?!

The black-haired girl was rather astonished, and the discovery only reinforced her earlier suspicions.

"This woman... must be some reclusive expert hiding among human society, right?"

...

"Now then, how much would you like?" Noya asked with a smile.

"About this much. Also, if you have any of the other things on this list, I'd like those as well..."

As she spoke, Yumo handed the fox lady a shopping list.

Accepting the list, Noya behaved just like a seasoned merchant.

Under Yumo's somewhat bewildered gaze, she slowly reached into her cleavage and pulled out a pair of glasses.

After putting them on, she began carefully examining the contents of the list.

Gradually, an expression of delight spread across the fox lady's face, accompanied by a somewhat crafty smile.

It was the unmistakable excitement of a merchant who had just landed a massive order.

"Yes, we have all of these. We'll prepare everything for you immediately, Miss Yu."

With that, Noya handed the list to her adorable daughter standing nearby.

"Linxi, go prepare these for Miss Yu. Make sure every material is of the highest quality. We wouldn't want to disappoint such a valuable customer, would we?"

"Understood, Mother."

...

After watching her daughter disappear into the storeroom, Noya waited until nobody else was around before approaching Lady Yumo with graceful, seductive steps.

"Miss Yu, you do realize that these things aren't cheap, don't you~?"

"I'm aware."

Yumo replied indifferently.

In truth...

Yumo had practically no understanding of Origin Stone Coins, the special currency used throughout the entire continent.

After all, Saiboke handled every aspect of Lady Yumo's daily living expenses, so she had never really needed to deal with money herself.

How much was a single Origin Stone Coin worth?

What were the general prices of goods across the continent?

Yumo had absolutely no idea.

From that perspective, she really was something of a sheltered noble young lady.

Although she didn't understand the value of Origin Stone Coins, there was one thing Yumo knew very well.

And that was...

The Black Rose Family was extremely wealthy...

As one of the great noble families of the southwestern Sadik Empire, the Black Rose Family possessed countless mineral resources, powerful merchant guilds, and abundant sources of tax revenue.

Furthermore, thanks to their friendly trading relationships with the Dragon Clan and the Elven Race, they frequently acquired all manner of rare treasures.

Unsurprisingly, these treasures could always fetch enormous sums of money at auction, bringing tremendous wealth to the Black Rose Family.

As a result, the Black Rose Family could be considered one of the wealthiest families on the entire continent.

According to Saiboke, the materials Yumo needed were so affordable by their standards that her personal allowance alone would be enough to purchase several tons of them.

Not to mention that Yumo also possessed the 'Purple-Gold Card' Xiao had given her, which contained an enormous amount of Origin Stone Coins.

If she still couldn't afford these materials with all that money, then the person standing before her was undoubtedly trying to extort her.

And if that happened, Yumo certainly wouldn't mind teaching her a little lesson.

...

"Just prepare everything properly. I can afford it."

"Of course! You're a young lady of the Black Rose Family. Why would you care about such a trivial amount of money? Ah... It seems I've asked a rather foolish question. How embarrassing~"

"It's fine."

"However, since you've purchased so many things, Miss Yu, I'd like to give you a few complimentary gifts~"

"Complimentary gifts?"

"That's right~"

After flashing a seductive smile, Noya once again slipped her hand between the two generous mounds on her chest.

Then, under Yumo's increasingly complicated gaze, she somehow pulled several beautifully packaged books directly out of her cleavage and handed them to the black-haired girl.

Looking down at the two books in her hands, both of which carried a strong 'milky fragrance,' Yumo couldn't help twitching her eyebrows.

"Th-this... what is this?"

"Well, the first one is the most popular novel among the noble young ladies of the Crimson Leaf Empire right now, 'Blood of the Blue Rose.' It tells the forbidden story of a poor slave girl and her older sister, who also happens to be her owner~"

"Th-this, this, isn't this xhs?!"

"That's right! There's nothing wrong with reading something like this occasionally~ It's even beneficial for your physical and mental development. Also, considering that Miss Yu might be more of a hands-on learner, the second book is an illustrated encyclopedia of positions~ You can use it as a reference after finishing the novel~"

"???!!!"