'Tsk. I found an annoying rat,' she thought to herself.

As if she were the protagonist of one of those reincarnation stories, a couple of years ago, she had been summoned to this world to become a kind of hero. A lot had happened, and she found several companions who joined her in her adventures; still, problems kept arising one after another.

Currently, her group was heading towards the outskirts of a city called Cardinal. They were looking for merchants. The outskirts of the city were sandy, the very image of a desolate land: a few rocks here and there and the occasional bush.

'An unappealing landscape, but maybe they'll have interesting items here,' she concluded.

In this new world, it was difficult to find powerful items or weapons, as the only things sold in plazas or markets were simple gadgets that, besides being expensive, were useless for a warrior of her level. Therefore, she had pinned all her hopes on these merchants.

"Miss Astrid, thank you for earlier," said the girl walking beside her.

"You should be more attentive, Pia," Astrid replied in a monotone.

Her companion, Pia, was a somewhat modest young woman. With short leather pants and a somewhat loose shirt, she had the aura of a mercenary.

'Ah! But she's quite cute, like a little animal. She has the second type of face I like the most!' For a moment, Astrid considered patting her head.

"Still, Miss Astrid has saved me even today. Again, thank you."

"Hmph. Just stop with the praise."

Despite being a hero, Astrid thought those around her exaggerated with their praises. Every little thing was hailed as the most wonderful act of kindness, talent, and bravery. In truth, she felt like a daughter being praised by her father just for having eaten the soup.

"Give me a break…" Astrid whispered.

"Eh, miss?"

"It's nothing."

Suddenly, a male voice interrupted them:

"Still, Miss Pia should be more careful next time."

"Adriano, even you!" Pia complained. "Now I look like the biggest fool in the group!"

"No, I never said Miss Pia was a fool."

"But that's what it implies. You have to learn to read between the lines!"

The new arrival, named Adriano, had golden hair and wore light black leather armor. His eyes, a beautiful light blue, lacked pupils, and what stood out most about his appearance were the eye-catching decorations in both his hair and ears.

'In my world, those would be earrings,' Astrid thought.

At twenty-five years old, Adriano was bringing up the rear of the group. His gentle face and calm demeanor would take anyone's breath away. Even Astrid, who wasn't fond of men, admitted that Adriano was handsome.

'Maybe it's the cultural shock, but everyone here looks like characters from paintings! Ah, damn it! It gives me chills.'

"As expected from Miss Astrid," Adriano interrupted. "Even I didn't notice when the boy took Pia's purse. I'd say he's quite skilled."

"Ah? Y-yes…" Astrid stammered.

Maintaining a calm attitude was exhausting. When Astrid arrived in this world, she decided to disguise her personality as a street-smart, gruff, and ill-spoken girl, under a mask of coldness and elegance. As keeping up her persona was crucial, she watched her words and tried not to be too harsh in her character. Otherwise, she would have likely yelled at the thief: "Hey you! Return what you stole or you're dead!"

On the other hand:

'Ha! Skilled?' Astrid didn't think so. To be honest, the impression the thief gave her was of someone weak and impulsive. 'I wouldn't say he's clever either. I've met many like him! He's just a small-time thief! In fact, I think I'm forgetting his face.' When Astrid tried to recreate it, no image came to mind. 'Yes, I've forgotten his face.'

Once they arrived at the merchants' shops, Astrid couldn't help but jump with excitement, at least in her mind.

It was a place similar to a plaza, although the ground was still dirt. Around twenty newly set-up stalls were scattered about, and the usual merchant noise filled the air, as if anticipating the soon-to-start sales.

'Is it still too early?' she thought. 'If I'd known, I wouldn't have gotten out of bed!'

Although she could see that the tables and display cases in the already set-up shops were being filled with various colored stones. They were gems, though no minerals were visible.

In this world, both minerals and gems played a crucial role in the creation of artifacts and weapons.

Minerals were solid substances found in the Earth's crust. Most were no different from those Astrid remembered from her previous life, like gold, silver, copper, etc.

However, there were seven particular minerals, called primordial, that were unique to this new world. Making a face, Astrid tried to recall them, but for now, the only names that came to mind were: plouton, mithril, and hemdal.

On the other hand, gems were mana stones. They shouldn't be confused with minerals. These stones were created after years of accumulated energy. Depending on the time and type of energy accumulated, the size, value, shape, and color of the gem varied. They were found at great depths within the Earth, though they were more common in lakes or seas. In short, they were types of energy similar to electrical, thermal, chemical, etc.

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

'They're like batteries.' A conclusion of Astrid's. 'Ha! It's easy to understand: minerals are the metal that shapes your gadget, and gems are the energy that powers it.'

It should be noted that depending on the combination of minerals and gems, more powerful weapons could be crafted. That is, if you couldn't find good weapons in the common market, you had no choice but to order a custom-made one with the materials you preferred.

As an impulsive buyer, Astrid couldn't resist the temptation to take everything the merchants offered. After all, money was no longer a problem. But just when she was about to empty her purse…

"What a bad coincidence," Pia interrupted her, though her words weren't directed at Astrid but at a young man she had grabbed by the collar.

"Yes, a very bad coincidence. But you know, I don't have many changes of clothes, so could you let me go? You're going to damage my outfit."

"Ha! It should be the least you get for the trouble you put me through."

Why did fate, disguised as Pia, dare to interrupt this small moment of happiness? Astrid couldn't help but sigh.

'Ah! Stop bothering me! Let me drift in my thoughts! Who is it this time?!'

"But look, it's the same thief from this morning," Adriano commented.

Astrid remembered the theft incident, but if asked to recognize the thief's face, it would be another story. However, according to Adriano, this boy was the culprit. He and Pia had surrounded him in the middle of the plaza. Astrid, sticking to her persona, decided to keep her comments to herself and watched from a distance. Unlike this morning, there was no need to intervene.

"Uhm. Weren't we supposed to have settled things?"

"I don't understand. Are you following us?"

"Eh?! I-I could say the same! Ahem. I was just passing through the plaza, and suddenly, you grab me by the collar, corner me, and start interrogating me. You're the ones who are suspicious!"

Observing the thief more closely, Astrid concluded, 'I'm not sure, but it's like he's trying to pretend he's strong. Maybe it's a personality trait? Like the typical shy person pretending to have friends. Or maybe he's just a weirdo?'

"I don't believe you."

"Come on, Pia, you don't have to be so intense."

At Adriano's intervention, the thief said, "Hey! How could I be following you? After all, no fool comes to the square this early. How could I know you're here?!"

'Ugh! He's just an annoying person.' The hurtful words made Astrid frown. She had already admitted she got the timing wrong, so she didn't need to be reminded of her mistake.

"So what are you doing here, you early fool?" Pia asked.

"I already told you I'm just passing through," the thief replied. "This is a good shortcut to cut through the main road."

"It could be the same for us."

Pia was quite persistent with her questioning. Meanwhile, Adriano remained silent but occasionally intervened to calm her down. From several meters away, Astrid observed the thief more closely. His brown hair was common on the central continent. His clothes were ordinary and inexpensive. He didn't seem to stand out in appearance. His build was average for an eighteen- to nineteen-year-old.

Growing tired of listening to the conversation, Astrid intervened, "Let's end this here. Don't you think that's for the best?"

"Ugh! Why are you all staring at me?"

'How annoying!' Astrid thought, frustrated. 'Is that supposed to be an answer? And what's with the victim act?! I'll show you what it means to be intimidated. Haah, no, I need to calm down. Remember, Astrid, stay in character… Be a leader.'

"You…" Pia seemed fed up. "Stop following us! Do you like me or something?!"

'…Sorry?' How did the conversation get to this point? Astrid was lost.

"…Eh? Huh?! W-where did that come from?!"

"If you like me, you should be straightforward, even if my rejection is inevitable."

Not only the thief but also Adriano and Astrid were bewildered. Something must be going on with Pia for her to act like this.

"Ha, I don't believe in coincidences, thief. You probably enjoyed bumping into me. That's why you're following me." As she said this, Pia hugged herself and wiggled like a worm out of the dirt. "Just admit it so I can reject you."

"T-too intense!"

"You're lying!"

In some way, Pia resembled a barking Chihuahua.

Astrid apologized sincerely to the thief for her friend's behavior. Then, she clasped her hands and lifted a prayer to the sky. Since leaving the inn, Pia had been in a bad mood, and now she was taking it out on the poor guy.

'Haah. This conversation has worn me out. But I don't plan to help,' Astrid thought as she walked away. 'Let this serve as a lesson! Sometimes you need to be careful about who you try to rob; your victim might be a demon.'

The merchants, although attentive to the scene between Pia and the thief, had already finished setting up their stalls. However, there were still no buyers in sight.

Astrid looked at the numerous gems in one of the stalls.

"Ah! But look, we have such a lovely young lady here! Let me clarify that there's nothing Mama Hollín doesn't have," said a plump woman. Her tanned skin and colorful, light clothing suggested she was used to the desert. Rubbing her hands together, the woman continued, "I heard about you in the city. But I didn't expect you to come to this gloomy place."

Astrid didn't respond and just pointed at the gems.

"What's this?"

"Do you want Mama Hollín to explain? Well, there are four unrefined gems on this table. First, look at the gem on the right. It has a smooth texture and an opaque green color; it's wind energy."

'The gem on its side, golden and somewhat grainy, is composed of fire energy. The third, light blue in color, has a water energy base. And the last, white, controls earth energy.'

The gems were quite similar to water stones found in any river. They had an irregular shape and average size, no bigger than the width of four fingers. While Astrid enjoyed the explanation, she also kept a discreet eye on the duo. Apparently, Pia was still bombarding the thief with words like, "Just admit it!"

With a sigh, Astrid turned to the merchant, "And the others?" She pointed to three gems in another pile on the table. "They're gems; what kind of energy do they use?"

"Ah! So you're interested in the exotic, huh?"

"If not, I wouldn't have come here."

"Well, my fault, my fault. Mama Hollín apologizes. Recently, we received these from a rather mysterious trader. He swore they were unique types of energy not found in this world."

"The short explanation, please?" Astrid asked.

"Haah. Impatient, are we? The black gem uses a new type of energy; they call it impulse…"

Astrid was about to immerse herself in the explanation when several murmurs and loud noises interrupted her. Turning around, she noticed the commotion that had erupted behind her.

Pia was chasing the thief through the stalls, earning some unflattering remarks along the way. Meanwhile, Adriano watched the scene with an ironic smile. Eventually, Astrid had to step in.

'Even in this world, fate hates me!' she complained. 'It's like taking care of children! It would have been so much better to bring her… But no, you had to stay in the other city!'

For a brief moment, a girl with cream-colored hair and a cold gaze, tinged with slight anger, appeared in Astrid's mind.

Due to some issues, she had to part ways from the group consisting of Adriano, Pia, and Astrid.

'Even with the distance, it's as if I can hear you scolding me: "Astrid, you need to relax more. That hesitant and cold attitude worries me. Remember, you're the leader of the group, so try to act like it."'

If her friend were here, Astrid was sure she would have been able to handle Pia's mood swings, Adriano's indifference, and even the annoying thief. There was something inside Astrid that made her believe this.

'Haah! I should hurry so we can return to her and the rest of the group.'