Chapter 7

I showed my ID at the gate and entered the town. Even though it was evening, it wasn't too dark, so the town was quite lively. The population density wasn't as high as in big cities like Tokyo, but it was similar to a small shopping district in a rural area. Most people were ordinary humans, but about 10% had ears or tails, mostly cat ears or dog ears. When I appraised them, it showed they were cat people or dog people. It felt a bit intrusive to appraise strangers, but I lacked information about this world. Gathering information without arousing suspicion was valuable, so I appraised people while there were still many around.

The survey results showed that everyone on this street was either a human, a cat person, a dog person, or a rabbit person. The ratio was roughly 90:4:4:2. The average status was around 10, with INT around 7. Adventurers had slightly higher AGI and STR, averaging around 30, with significant individual differences in DEX. People who looked like mages had INT around 30, but their other stats didn't differ much. Most people had HP around 30, but MP was usually only around 8. The levels were mostly between 5 and 10. Adventurers often had HP in the triple digits, with a maximum of 183. It could be due to the level difference or physical build, or both. People with bows tended to have higher DEX, and their MP was also slightly higher, around 20.

Mages had HP around 60, with AGI, STR, and DEX similar to ordinary people, but INT was close to 30. Their MP was also around 20-30, but it seemed usable. Since they had wands, they could probably make use of their magic. Even if they could only cast 30 stone spears, it would be enough to contribute in battle.

Their skills weren't particularly high. No one had innate magical or martial talent. Adventurers had Sword Skill 1-2 or Magic 1-2, while ordinary people had no skills other than daily magic. Almost everyone had daily magic, but I didn't. Only two people had Magic 2. Most mages had one attribute, and those with two attributes were rare.

If I increased my attributes, I might stand out, but since my magical talent was already known, it didn't matter. I didn't plan to hide it.

While thinking about skills and stats, I arrived at the guild. It was time for my first report, though it was a no-requirement quest.

"Hello, Sally. I've collected the Zunana herbs."

"Sure, please put them here."

Sally greeted me with a full smile. The guild receptionist's service was indeed excellent.

"Here they are."

I took out about 200 Zunana herbs and placed them on the counter.

"Quite a lot. Did you bring Dokuzunana too?"

"No. I appraised them, and I think they're all Zunana herbs."

"What...? Please wait a moment."

Sally brought a box from the back and put the bundle of Zunana herbs inside.

"...! They're all Zunana herbs! 203 of them! How did you collect so many? You didn't buy them, did you!? And you said you appraised them, but you don't have an appraisal skill, do you!? Do you have a magic tool!?"

Sally leaned forward and spoke rapidly.

"I have a special ability that allows me to identify Zunana herbs from a distance."

"That's amazing! You could live off Zunana herbs alone! And what about the appraisal!?"

"Please calm down. The appraisal... it's not showing up in my status, and maybe the herb-finding skill is the same."

"I'm sorry for getting so worked up. Let's settle the payment. 203 Zunana herbs, that's 6090 tel."

She handed me 6 silver coins and 9 copper coins. I put them in my item box and left quickly before she could ask more questions.

"Thank you. That's all."

"Sure. We look forward to your next visit... You have a good face and are polite, a valuable asset..."

I thought I heard Sally say something as I left the guild, but I couldn't hear clearly. If it was important, she would have called out to me, so it was probably nothing.

I made 6090 tel in just one day, bringing my total to 7440 tel. I could buy a shield even after paying for lodging. A shield alone might not be very useful, but it wouldn't take up space in my item box, and it would be handy to have. If I could block attacks with a shield, I could use magic in between. I didn't need to focus my mind to cast magic, so I could fight with a shield.

I went to the inn and paid for two more days. Since it was cheap, there was no discount. I didn't remember the route to the blacksmith, so I went back to the guild and then headed to the blacksmith. I wasn't lost and didn't hesitate.

I opened the door and entered the blacksmith. The owner wasn't at the counter but was working in the back, making a clanging sound.

"Excuse me!"

"Shut up! I can hear you, just wait!"

There was no customer service manual in the blacksmith. The last time was also terrible. I appraised the dwarf and found out he had high STR, DEX, and HP. His name was Dverag. Since I had time, I observed Dverag working. He was forging with a furnace and cooling the metal in water after hammering.

"I'm done. You came pretty early. Did you collect the money?"

"I only have enough for a shield, so I thought I'd get one. I'm a mage, so even a shield will be useful."

"A mage using a sword and shield? That's not a good idea. It can disrupt your concentration and make it hard to fight with one hand occupied by a staff."

It seemed unusual for a mage to use a sword and shield. I decided to be honest.

"I can cast magic quickly without a staff and even while moving."

"Are you some famous mage? I've never heard of a young guy like you being able to do that without a staff."

Maybe it was something only experienced mages could do. It might be related to my original world, and I was a Rank 10 interloper.

"Actually, that's the case. I don't remember what I did before, but..."

"I see. Well, if you're strong, that's good, but don't get overconfident. Many have died that way."

He was subtly kind.

"So, about the shield. A small round shield would be good for your build. Try this one."

It was a round shield about 50 cm in diameter with a strap to attach to the arm. I tried it on, but it didn't feel right.

"A bit heavy, huh? How about this one?"

This one was about 45 cm in diameter. It felt better but still a bit loose.

"I think the weight is about right. I'll adjust it to fit your arm, so wait a moment."

Dverag removed the metal parts, hammered them, and reattached them. The shield now felt right.

"Is this good? Do you have the money?"

"Yes, thank you. By the way, about the sword..."

I handed him 5 silver coins. Dverag put them in his pocket casually.

"Hmm? Do you have any requests? I thought a one-handed sword about this long would be good for you."

Dverag spread his hands to show a length of about 1 meter.

"No, I was wondering if you do tempering."

"Tempering? What's that? I use fire before hammering."

It seemed tempering didn't exist in this world.

"No, after hammering, heating and then cooling the metal quickly makes it harder."

"Huh? Don't be ridiculous. Heating after hammering makes it softer. That's why we don't heat after hammering. Bad hammering can cause strange bends, which is where skill comes in. I succeed about one in three times."

Dverag seemed proud. Maybe he was using the hardening effect from hammering.

"Well, I already mentioned it, but if tempering doesn't work in this world, what should I do? The effects of Nazuna are a bit different from Earth's... Maybe the carbon content isn't right. But I already said it, and if it works, I'll get a strong weapon. Charge!"

"Yes, the metal bends during hammering, but it can be hardened by cooling. But the temperature before cooling is crucial."

"Fine. Since I failed just now, I'll try it. I don't think it will make a difference, though."

Dverag put the sword blade in the fire, heated it for a while, and then plunged it into water.

"Let's see how it goes."

Dverag took out the sword. It was bent to the right.

"It's bent, but it's hard!"

Dverag flicked the sword and changed his expression.

"It's hard! Really! This is amazing!"

"Um..."

After a while, Dverag threw another sword blade into the fire to temper it. He didn't listen to me. The second sword also bent but was hard. After a while, Dverag came to his senses.

"Tempering makes iron harder, but it also makes it too brittle. If we heat it at a lower temperature for a longer time and cool it slowly, it will become slightly softer."

"I see. That will take time to research. I'll study the tempering method, so come back after the day after tomorrow. If this method works, I'll give you a sword for free. I'm closing the shop now."

I was kicked out of the shop. It was a bit harsh, but if I got a free weapon, I could accept it. I would consider it Dverag's way of being kind.

I put the shield in my item box and headed home. Well, to the inn. I ate at a restaurant next to the inn and then went in. I ordered the Gargon set meal for 10 tel extra. It was as delicious as always.

For some reason, my body and clothes didn't get dirty even without washing. Maybe it was a world bonus. It was convenient, but it was a bit concerning. I wished there was a bath.

With these thoughts, I fell asleep.