Chapter 42

"Hey, you finally made it. That was quick."

"I'm sorry for rushing you."

"Hello, Mr. Ramou."

"That's a greeting. Good morning, old man!"

"Hey, how have you been? Kid."

"Muu has eaten a lot of breakfast and is feeling great!"

"Is that so? Well, you might grow big soon, then."

Praised by the old man wearing a leather apron, Muu proudly lifted his nose.

Tall and the others, taking a break from their morning dungeon exploration, visited an armor shop tucked away in an alley. They had come to check on the leather equipment they had ordered, which was nearly ready.

"Let's start with the young lady. Here, try this on."

The shop owner handed Sora a brown leather vest. It was sleeveless, designed to be worn over a cloth shirt. The outer side retained the tough fur of an armor boar, giving it a somewhat rugged look.

"Wow, amazing! How does it look, Tall?"

"If the shoulders or sides are tight, you can adjust the straps here."

"Okay, right here. ...It seems a bit tight in the front."

"Hehe, that means you're growing well. Yes, that's a good thing."

The wide neckline was lined with metal grommets, through which leather laces were alternately threaded to adjust the tightness. Sora, delighted, put on the vest and twirled around. The shape of her chest, which had been less noticeable with the thick chest plate, was now more clearly defined. Satisfied with his work, Ramou nodded with a slight smile.

"Good, no problems. Next is this."

The shop owner then presented a pair of leather gloves that covered up to the elbows and knee-high leather boots. Both were adjustable with leather laces, just like the vest. Sora, who immediately put them on, beamed with delight at the comfort.

"How is it?"

The short question, meant to confirm her satisfaction, was filled with the pride of a leatherworker. The girl nodded vigorously, and the shop owner smiled warmly. Turning to his workbench, Ramou then faced the purple-eyed girl.

"Kid, yours is ready too. Try this on first."

"Whoa, what's this!"

Muu's eyes widened slightly at the item shown to him. It was a furry, horned hat made from boar fur. Muu, who had the hat placed snugly on his head, laughed with delight at the sensation.

"This has an interesting shape, doesn't it?"

"Hey, you noticed. It works like this."

Ramou reached out and untied the leather laces at the top of the hat. The tied parts fell to the sides, turning into ear flaps. The child, whose face was now covered, lifted his chin in surprise.

"Wow, old man!"

"Haha, not done yet. Next is this."

The new items were black, rounded elbow and knee pads. The back parts were belts, allowing for a secure fit.

The child, whose elbows and knees were snugly covered, gazed at his hands and feet with slightly parted lips.

"How is it? Do you like it, kid?"

"Yeah! It's cool, old man!"

Wanting to test the fit, Muu lifted his elbows and bumped into Tall and Sora. The sensation of being pushed back made his eyes sparkle.

"This feels so strange. It's soft but also firm."

"Ah, that's because it's made from the bumps on the armor boar's skin. When layered, it becomes like this."

Though he said it casually, it was a job that required considerable effort and labor. It was probably thanks to the hard work of his two apprentices, who were his sons.

So pleased with the items, Muu began running around the shop owner in circles. Soon, he started jumping and bumping his head and elbows into Ramou's back and waist. The bearded old craftsman, who usually had a stern expression, relaxed his cheeks in a way that seemed out of character.

"Ugh, if my sons could just get married soon..."

"You're still in your mid-twenties. There's plenty of time."

"You're right. You, who's nearly forty, have such a cute wife and daughter. It's not too late to give up."

Tired of explaining, Tall shook his head without a word. Sora, with a full smile, clung to his arm. Muu, who had run over, hugged his waist tightly.

With an indescribable look, Tall turned to Ramou, who was still grinning.

"So, old man, how about mine?"

"Ah, I almost forgot. Here you go."

Unlike the previous two, Ramou handed the item over rather casually. However, it was the most eye-catching of all.

A smooth, fine-scaled mantle covered in striking blue stripes. It was made from the skin of a blue-striped giant snake that lived in the Enchanted Swamp.

"Wow, it's so beautiful!"

"Tall, it's shiny!"

The Enchanted Swamp was a marsh deep in the hinterlands, a dangerous place where a single misstep could lead to rapid decay from the thick miasma. Naturally, it was a place Tall and the others would reach much later, and the snake skin was a high-end material worth dozens of silver coins.

However, a few days ago, a repair request for a snake skin coat had come to Ramou, which was Tall's good fortune. Using the repair as an opportunity, he had cut out several pieces of fabric and had the shop owner patch them together into a mantle.

"Thanks, just as I ordered. I appreciate it."

"Hmph, I make a living this way. Come back anytime."

"Sure thing!"

The armor boar vest cost three silver coins, the gloves and boots each cost one silver coin. The hat, elbow pads, and knee pads each cost two silver coins. The snake skin mantle, which would have cost about twenty silver coins, was reduced to five silver coins due to the savings on materials.

Just as they were about to leave after paying, Muu suddenly turned back. He looked up at Ramou and took out a small pouch from his collar.

"Old man, thanks for this!"

"Hey, you're using it, kid."

Ramou, relaxing his lips, reached out to touch the leather bag. He tilted his head at the strange sensation.

"Hmm? What did you put in there?"

"Want to see? Here!"

Muu loosened the laces and opened the pouch, lifting it to show the contents. Inside were rough, transparent magic stones.

"Why do you have these?"

"They're O-hana Maru's food!"

"O-hana? Food? I don't understand."

"Sure, let me explain."

"Okay, go ahead, young lady."

"First, O-hana Maru is the name of Muu's favorite sled. It's called that because it has a flower-like design."

Actually, it was a design of multiple snake heads spread out, but it could be seen as a flower if you tried hard enough.

"So the magic stones are used to make the sled float."

"Ah, that's why you call them food."

"Yes, actually, Muu used up a lot of magic stones riding the sled and got scolded by Tall."

"Tall, you were mean!"

"So now, when he goes on adventures and does well, he gets magic stones as a reward."

"Yeah, it's called a reward."

"I see, I see. That's great, kid."

Though it wasn't the use he had expected, Ramou was pleased to see Muu using it and lightly patted the child's shoulder.

"Alright, old man, we're off."

"See you!"

"Old man, see you later!"

"Sure, come back anytime."

Equipped with their new gear, Tall and the others headed towards the goblin cave. They were starting their exploration of the second level today.