She Is Not a Witch

Most streets in Hopland were named after flowers, and this one was Daffodil Street. It was an area where the wealthy and middle-class districts converged, mostly filled with various shops and the occasional alchemy workshop.

Alchemy originated from the former Oz Kingdom, a field in which the great witch Dorothy’s lineage excelled. They developed various potions, alchemical items, magic circles, golems, and more. Especially after Oz’s destruction, the alchemical branch that integrated into Ruluna, seeking revenge against the Verdant Empire, delved deeper into golem technology development. Starting from the most basic earth golems of that time, they now had guardian colossi and celestial wheel colossi equipped in the army, along with elite gem colossi, holy stone colossi, and the decisive battle weapon, the magic-guided colossus.

These colossi had astounding defensive capabilities, acting like mobile fortresses on the battlefield. They shone brilliantly in the “Severed Leg Battle” of that era, greatly hindering the Verdant Empire’s armored cavalry charges and buying precious time for the allied forces. The magic-guided colossi for decisive battles were even equipped with magic-guided cannons, whose fully charged shots could almost sweep across the entire battlefield.

Loranhil now stood before an alchemy workshop, with two deep blue stone golems standing at the entrance. The sign featured a very three-dimensional shield emblem, its edges and corners cut with perfect symmetry, with “Lake Light Shield” written beside it.

The shop’s interior was predominantly blue-steel, with deep blue steel shelves and light cyan signs and descriptions. There were only three staff members. When Loranhil entered, they didn’t come forward to greet her but quietly stood at the cashier and observation points, watching customers browse on their own. They would only approach to explain when a customer actively inquired. It was quite an unusual style.

Unlike Western Wind, which sold many impractical things, this workshop straightforwardly displayed various cold, gleaming weapons: swords, shields, halberds, armor, crossbows, battle potions, and even golems.

The young woman walked among the shelves, observing these meticulously crafted creations. It was only now that she truly felt she was living in a fantasy world. Many things she had seen in Western Wind were crudely made, but the weapons and armor displayed in this shop were almost all rated Silver grade or above.

[Electric Rapier] (Rating: Rare Silver Grade): Forged from thousandfold steel with a small amount of mithril, it can convert supernatural magic power into electricity. When attacking, it can suddenly discharge to paralyze opponents, breaking through their defenses to strike vital points.

[Wave Armor] (Rating: Outstanding Silver Grade): Made with snow flower steel and tidal stone, it grants the wearer some ability to manipulate water flow. Even if one falls into water, they won’t sink to the bottom but instead will be assisted in swimming more agilely.

In the crafting methods of these creations, Loranhil even saw traces of the former Mercury Dynasty. Thinking carefully, it wasn’t surprising; Oz had inherited part of the Mercury Dynasty’s legacy, so it was natural for their descendants to pass down some techniques.

Although the style differed greatly from the Mercury Dynasty, the technical level wasn’t low. These later-generation mages seemed to have taken a different path.

Finally, Loranhil stopped before the shop’s finest item, a crossbow. Its precise components fit together seamlessly, the body coated in matte black with deep cyan patterns outlining its shape and structure. Matching bolts were displayed beside it, the whole set placed in a transparent cabinet. The price tag showed 200 supernatural gold coins.

The purchasing power of one supernatural gold coin was roughly equivalent to 10,000 in her previous life, meaning this weapon was priced at 2 million. Truly remarkable.

Loranhil recalled the sniper rifles from Blue Star, estimating they would cost only 100,000 to 300,000, even for good ones. She was curious about this crossbow’s origins and raised her hand to summon a staff member.

A black-clad employee approached. The young woman sensed this staff member also had Sequence 2 strength, piquing her curiosity further.

“Can you introduce this item?”

“Certainly, esteemed customer.” His voice was neither subservient nor arrogant, and he didn’t seem to care whether the young woman could afford it.

“This crossbow is made of chromium hope gold, with four magic arrays ingeniously built into it: [Speed Boost], [Atmospheric Stabilization], [Sharp Edge Enchantment], and [Magic Breaking Enchantment].”

“When bolts are loaded into the cylindrical quiver at the bottom, they can be automatically chambered through mechanical rotation, firing as fast as one shot every three seconds. Each fired bolt is imbued with a level 4 sharpness effect, level 2 magic breaking effect, and level 3 speed boost effect. These three enchantments have been perfectly balanced by Ruluna’s masters and don’t interfere with or weaken each other.”

“Additionally, when the trigger is pulled, the atmospheric stabilization enchantment activates, temporarily solidifying the air around the crossbow to greatly reduce hand-induced tremors, making shots more accurate. Even ordinary people can easily kill Sequence 3 supernatural beings from a safe distance, and it poses a significant threat to Sequence 4 beings. If your funds allow, I highly recommend purchasing it. This weapon is a recent masterpiece, and as its reputation grows, the price will surely increase.”

“It’s truly impressive. Are you from Ruluna?” Loranhil marveled, becoming more interested in Vegar’s eastern neighbor.

“Yes, I’m an alchemy apprentice from Ruluna, currently working in Vegar with my mentor for a while.” The young bespectacled clerk replied coolly, as if having answered this question countless times. The young woman thought to herself that many people must have been interested in this shop recently.

“Are such crossbows common in Ruluna?” Loranhil wanted to estimate the neighboring country’s level of strength.

“Not at all. Even in Ruluna, this is quite novel.” Seeing Loranhil’s interest in his country, the young clerk became more willing to chat.

“Perhaps you’re new here, so it’s natural you might not know some things. The Vegar Commercial Alliance and our Ruluna reached an agreement three months ago.”

“From now on, all of Ruluna’s top technologies will be fully open to Vegar. Any alchemical creations available in Ruluna can be purchased by Vegar’s merchant associations. Previously, many golems and advanced technological products were not allowed for export. Moreover, Ruluna’s Alchemy Guild will establish workshops in major cities throughout the Vegar Alliance, selling products of the same standard as those in Ruluna and providing support for various excellent technologies.”

“In exchange, Vegar will provide national-level interest-free loans to Ruluna and make every effort to procure resources on Ruluna’s shortage list, fulfilling 70% of the list within three years and all items within five years. The two countries will further cooperate in sharing airship technology, steel warship technology, and magic crystal gun technology.”

“So, what you see before you is not only Ruluna’s top alchemy technology but also proof of the friendly cooperation between our two countries.” The apprentice pushed up his glasses, his tone revealing pride and satisfaction at being part of this historical wave.