Dean Palmer is the first to break the silence. His poker face hides his boiling emotions again, but his magic is betraying him. I wonder how emotions correlate to magic.

[Thisss one will look into it.]

Ah, thank you, Duchess.

"I'll let you present your reward first, Albert. I need to discuss something with Ellis anyways. I'll give him my reward then."

"Sure, let's see. You didn't seem excited when I offered you a beast, so how about I get you any taming item you want."

I've read about enchanted whips or masks that buff the abilities of hunters are grant skills that can buff beasts, but I don't know if I want to get that kind of item from him. I could eventually get one from Giles over here. Maybe.

"I want four magical items. One for each of my beasts or something equivalent. Maybe five since my egg may hatch at any moment. Is that possible instead?"

Giles looks at Albert, almost asking him with his eyes if that's equal to or better than his offer. Albert relents.

"That reward doesn't match the level of winning the tamer's tournament. If that's what you want for halting the cult, then I will let you get your pick. Since Palmer doesn't want to embarrass himself further, let's get to the vault now."

"Contact me when you're finished."

Dean Palmer stays behind while Albert leads me outside the room. I follow him as he starts boasting about the architecture. The origins don't interest me until he starts talking about the man the institute is named after. The Auroran Institute isn't called The Auroran Institute because it's located in the capital of Auroran. But because of the man the city is named after.

Aurelius the Undying is the leader of the First Party, the coalition of humanity's first heroes that kept them from going extinct after the Collision. He was called a one-man army, literally, and got his moniker from his tenacity in fights. There are many reports of him falling in combat, sometimes many times in one battle. He'd always get back up and finish the fight. He wasn't a tank but a spearman and was the best combatant in the party. My grandfather was in it. He joined near the end of the crusade for humanity's safety after establishing the Prime Territories. He was in it nontheless.

I wonder how that worked out. My grandfather doesn't seem like he would be willing to give up a leadership position or be under someone else. I wish I could ask him.

"...in conclusion, he founded the institute and named it at the same time as the city, so we aren't named after the capital, but we were named at the same time. A little-known fact about the leader of the First Team was that he was a philosopher as much as he was a fighter."

"It's the First Party."

"Ah, my bad."

"Anyway, his breastplate was donated here at the institute, but it's under lock and key. Unfortunately, you wouldn't be able to see it today. It's a pity what happened..."

"I didn't know he died. I thought I would've heard about that."

"...I didn't mean it like that. The enchantments are gone on the armor, but it has a significant historical impact. It's the one worn during the heyday of the Collision."

"Do you have anything from the Silver Conqueror?"

"There is that one... Wait, isn't your last name the same as his, Vincere? Are you related?"

"If I was, would that change your answer to my question?"

"I didn't know he had children. I wish I could meet that man... Is he still around."

"Nope."

"Pity. At the founding of the institute, your relative donated a small box. He said to not force the lock or look inside until the world needed it. He was the only one who could open it, we tried to force the lock, and it wouldn't open. Nor could we divine what's inside. Hey, if you are related, you might be able to open it. Are you interested?"

I can see his eyes almost sparkle. It's almost as shiny as his head.

"Not really. Being the only person who can unlock something and not being able to keep whatever's inside would piss me off."

"How about this? Depending on what's inside, you could take it with you."

I will steal it if it's significant to me, and he won't let me walk with it.

"Sure. Sounds good."

"Marvelous! Now keep following me this way!"

~

After three security checkpoints and an ostentatious vault door, There are at least hundreds of items littered on various metal shelves.

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

"Take your pick from here. There is nothing in here the institute isn't willing to lose. If it's only a few items, that is. I'll grab someone to explain items to you while I get the box."

It's probably someone who'll babysit me, so I don't steal while he's not looking. Giles is here too, but he must not trust him to watch me. Somebody who embodies the feeling of an intern is introduced to me as I walk around the room using [Scientific Insight+]. Most of this stuff is junk, but some are pretty good.

[Reliable Bone Whistle B

This dog whistle is made with pure silver and formed in the shape of a stereotypical bone. It is home to a reliable phantom hound willing to defend its owner till death. Blowing into the whistle summons the hound.

This hound can only be awake for one hour a day. It'll sleep for the other twenty-three hours.]

The [Phantom Hound] is a rank-A creature immune to most physical attacks. It's usually contracted or tamed because it's a reliable, faithful guard dog. I wonder if dead dogs hate me like their alive counterparts. Better not risk it. Besides, I'm here for my beasts.

I couldn't tell my beasts to spread out and look for something they wanted because that'll bring more people here. I don't need that.

The first thing that seems nice is an earring that boosts mind magic, but Duchess doesn't have ears. The enchantment will not work if the earrings are not attached to ears or on non-humans, which is the main reason. But Rob managed to luck out. He found a bone he really likes. It's too big for him to use it as a part of his [Undead Chimerism].

[Hydra Bones A

Miscellaneous bones from an adolescent hydra. It has a prominent femur.]

It doesn't matter if its use isn't apparent right now. Rob's happy, so it's okay. I pat his head as he tries to shove it into his bag. I won't let him put it away yet. We might find something better he wants. I make the babysitter carry it for me so he can be helpful. Nothing here is unidentified, so I can read everything with my [Scientific Insight+]. It'll be strange for an organization to not know what they have. If the institute couldn't identify those things with its power, why wouldn't it keep it with its good stuff?

I spot something peculiar.

[Elemental Stone]

"..."

I stare at the stone.

"Oh that, that's an [Elemental Stone]! It's a type of rock that holds powerful elemental energies! Since there is a little of everything, it isn't as strong in fire energy as a [Fire Stone] would be.

"..."

"Ah, let me explain a little more. [Stones] are different from [Crystals] in more ways than just their compositions. [Crystals] are an amassment of energy, typically from a slayed beast, and they act like a battery. With the technology and energy, they can be recharged. But [Stones] are the power plant that makes the energy! It doesn't produce much, but it does so at a steady rate. If you don't drain it to 0%, you can keep reusing it!"

"..."

"[Elemental Stones] can produce a little of everything, but since extracting specific energies is difficult, it's being stored here instead of with the others. If you need fire energy, get a [Fire Stone]. Need lightning? [Lightning Stone]. Need a little of everything? Get one of each stone. It has more energy that way."

I look down at Flash Gordon, who is nested in my pocket, and decide to get him the [Elemental Stone]. It might be healthy for him to socialize with another of his race, and the opportunity is right here. Maybe Flash Gordon can eat him and double his elemental energy.

I wonder if my other beasts are lonely. Nah, Duchess looks down on other snakes, and Rob wouldn't be able to hold a conversation with a skeleton. He'd steal his bones. Khan can talk to himself if he ever decides to develop speech,

We find a nice silver shovel, but Rob isn't interested, or willing to give up his bones. Duchess picked a set of components and regents inside a travel case. It's a boring pick, but I understand. The hardest thing was trying to find something for Khan. I even found something for my unborn child. I grabbed a gold lighter with a [Continual Flame] inside of it. It's a flame that won't run out of fuel. The fire can be put out once it spreads, but the fire inside the casing can not. If there was a way, it would no longer be a [Continual Flame]. It's also a decent hand warmer.

"Ehem, you might have missed this one, disciple to be."

Giles is gesturing to a chest plate that wasn't there when I walked past that area. For a second, I thought it might have been Aurelius'. But unless he liked clouds, I doubt it.

The armor plating is a mixture of a shifting blue and white that gives the impression that clouds are moving in a clear sky. The trim is puffy and slightly gesticulates like a cloud. Yellow chainmail is embedded in the armor to protect under the armpit and other spots where the defense was sacrificed for maneuverability. It's a cuirass since it has back protection, but a breastplate as a descriptor works too. It seems wonderfully crafted and obviously enchanted, but the creator designed it to look cool, sacrificing some utility. I wondered for a second if there was a rubber ducky version.

[Cloudplate Breastplate A

A breastplate enchanted with the combined elements of water, air, and lightning to create weather-infused armor.]

"I'm looking for something for my Khan. This wouldn't fit him..."

Khan has a [Cloud Affinity]... I see. Giles is trying to gain my favor by pretending to find this item for me. I wonder where he was keeping it. There is also the possibility I didn't see that item, but I won't be gaslit into misremembering. Probably. I change my words.

"Do you think he would benefit from this breastplate? He has a cloud affinity. There's only one set of armor too."

For every item I considered for my beasts, the intern would vehemently talk about it, but this time he was suspiciously quiet. I can't read the effects of the armor, only its description. I don't look over at the intern for an answer.

"Sure, disciple to be, there are many worthwhile things between these walls. Additionally, higher-ranked armor typically shifts to fit the body of the user. Mightly convenient for the free market."

"..."

I hold the armor and get the "Alpha Khan" over here. While 99% of the Khans are identical, one is bigger than the rest. It's the one that won the fight in the burlap sack when I first tamed him. I also believe this one has slightly better stats than the rest, but with how his stats work, it really doesn't matter. I treat this Khan as the hive leader, just for convenience. I don't know if the other Khans are being controlled by the 'Alpha' or if it's an actual hive mind. Khan won't tell me. Duchess doesn't know, even with her mind magic.

I try to slide the armor over Khan like a glove over a hand, and he slides right in without issue. It morphs and adapts to Khan's physiology in real-time. The plate armor turns more into a scale armor as the placoid scales get imprinted into the armor, giving the feel that the armor is a part of his body. Gaps forms in the armor so Khan's fins can poke through without issue. This leaves Khan's dorsal fin exposed, but I'm sure the armor has enchantments to protect the whole body rather than just the torso. The cloud pattern remains, giving him the look of a kid in his pajamas. Actually, it's more like a blood-thirsty man-eater with a crimson mouth and blood-red eyes in pajamas.

I pat Khan's rough skin as the armor settles on him when the armor explodes suddenly, engulfing everyone in clouds.