Alice walked down the street, frustration creeping over her once again.
She still hadn't managed to locate the Kuonji Residence, and evening was already drawing near.
"Why isn't there a proper address in the documents?" she muttered under her breath. Her luggage sat beside her feet as she settled onto a park bench, scanning the papers in her hand with a slight frown.
The map didn't mark the Kuonji residence either—not that she was surprised. She'd feel uneasy too if her own private home was plainly labeled for anyone to see.
What's more, she didn't have Six Singing Chocolates on her right now.
Just then, a blue robin descended slowly from the sky.
With no convenient means of reconnaissance at hand, she'd sent Robin up earlier to scout the area from above.
"Absolutely nothing to report," Robin chirped, alighting on Alice's shoulder and giving his wings a light shake.
"I see…" Alice sighed softly.
On the bright side, her suitcase was stocked with plenty of cash, so at least she didn't have to worry about food or lodging for the night.
Heck, even if she couldn't find the place anytime soon, she had enough to live comfortably for months.
Might as well go with the flow for now.
Running her fingers over the documents, she turned her gaze toward the large automaton mall across the street.
Might as well get a sense of the prices first, she thought.
Tucking the papers away, she lifted her suitcase and headed inside.
Past the entrance, rows of shops greeted her—selling mechanical parts, magecraft tools, Magic Circuits, even a fair number of finished automatons on display.
After storing her luggage and instructing Robin to keep an eye on it—ignoring his squawks of protest—Alice stepped into the nearest Magic Circuit shop, one with reasonably elegant decor.
The moment the girl in black entered, several staff members eagerly approached.
Her refined attire and appearance suggested she was either a tourist or an exchange student—someone likely to spend generously.
Having quickly sized her up, the staff's smiles grew even brighter.
"Good afternoon, miss. Over here we have—"
"No need. I'll look on my own," Alice cut in, raising a hand before they could launch into their spiel.
"Of course. Please let me know if you need anything," the staff member replied politely before stepping away.
Guess they're used to customers who prefer to browse alone, Alice mused.
She moved slowly along the display counters, examining the variety of Magic Circuits.
Hmm… Heating, Cooling, Strong Strike.
All pretty standard functions. Nothing particularly unique on offer.
Her eyes drifted toward the components section.
Even though it was a Magic Circuit shop, they did carry some basic parts.
Dog tails, cat ears, bird wings…
"What's this?" A peculiar Magic Circuit sat casually among the rest.
"Ah, that's an Eve's Heart," a staff member said smoothly, retrieving it and presenting it to her.
"As you know, normally only one type of Magic Circuit can be installed in an automaton," he explained, sensing her curiosity. "But there's one exception—the Eve's Heart. It can coexist with other Circuits and grants autonomous judgment—you might even call it 'life' itself."
Alice's mind flashed to the golden-haired girl she'd seen earlier, speaking with a dragon in the street.
That dragon must have been equipped with an Eve's Heart.
"How much does it cost?"
"The Eve's Heart is quite common now. You can't assemble one from scratch, but replication is straightforward."
He then quoted a surprisingly affordable price.
Alice also asked about the price of a replication device.
As expected, it was considerably more expensive than the Eve's Heart.
A classic sales tactic.
Still, it was within her budget.
Without hesitation, Alice placed an order for both the replication device and an Eve's Heart, then picked out a few magecraft materials as well—cat's eye gemstones, glass, and the like.
She'd need to craft more of those one-time-use Night Banquets.
Then came the next problem, and Alice found herself stumped again.
"Please fill in your address. We offer delivery services."
Well, of course—the replication device wasn't exactly small. They couldn't expect customers to carry it off by hand.
Normally, this wouldn't be an issue. But right now, Alice didn't have a fixed address.
Pen in hand, she stared uneasily at the form.
Noticing her hesitation, the staff member added helpfully, "We can deliver to international addresses as well."
Unfortunately, that wasn't the problem.
Wait—
"Do you know the exact address of the Kuonji residence?" Alice asked, looking up.
"The Kuonji residence…" The staff member frowned, then his expression cleared. "Ah, yes! The wealthy Easterner who appeared out of nowhere bought a plot next to the Walpurgis Royal Academy of Mechanarts and built a mansion there." He quickly scribbled down the address.
"Here you go. No one's ever seen the mysterious owner, even after the mansion was completed. It's practically an urban legend now."
Alice nodded silently, accepting the slip of paper with the address, then turned her attention back to the displays.
Noticing her gaze soon drifting away from the counter, the staff member quietly explained, "This area features common, general-use Magic Circuits. If you're looking for something more advanced, please follow me this way."
He led Alice up a staircase inside the shop to the second floor.
Here, the atmosphere was noticeably more refined. The Magic Circuits in the display cases were elegantly lit.
The selection was clearly a step above what was downstairs.
This one… Flight?
Alice paused in front of a particular Magic Circuit.
"This is our only Flight Circuit in stock. It's secondhand, but it originally belonged to the fallen former House of Belew. It hasn't been used much, so the quality is still quite reliable."
Seeing her interest, the staff member laid a red cloth over the counter, carefully retrieved the floating Magic Circuit, and set it on the cloth for inspection.
"Since it's pre-owned, we're offering it at a discount. If you'd like, I can demonstrate it for you—though it will cause minimal wear."
Alice gave a slight nod.
The staff brought out a demonstration automaton, installed the Circuit, and channeled a bit of mana into it. The doll slowly rose into the air.
"We also provide a warranty, along with some complimentary gifts."
"Wrap it up."
"Right away!"
"Wait, please!" A slightly flustered voice cut in.
Alice turned to see the golden-haired girl from the street earlier approaching quickly.
Noticing Alice's gaze, the small dragon perched on the girl's head actually bowed in a strangely human-like gesture.
The girl stopped in front of Alice, slightly out of breath, and made her plea: "This Magic Circuit—I was wondering if you might be willing to let me have it?"
"I'm quite fond of its function myself," Alice replied, shaking her head in refusal.
The girl seemed at a loss after being turned down.
"Might I ask if you could look for a similar Circuit in another store?"
"I was here first."
Alice turned away, no longer interested in continuing the conversation.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
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If you guys wanna check it out.