Chapter 81

"Ah, yeah. That old man, huh. He's skilled, though."

The purchasing staff at the Adventurer's Guild smiled wryly.

"He tends to pour in too many materials, often adding extras to orders and raising the price, which leads to rejections when they try to sell them. The quality is worth the price, though."

"He seemed to be drinking a lot."

"He seems to stop drinking when he has work. Really, if he weren't so temperamental, he could make a lot more good stuff. His son, too, is quite the miser, probably a reaction to his father's spending. Still, he's popular with nobles who don't care about the price and high-ranking adventurers who don't mind spending."

"Wow."

In the end, it's all about money. It's common sense that you can buy good things if you have the money. But, I don't want it to be overly decorated. It's also a problem if the weapon becomes too reliant on that.

"These three should fit your needs."

Three swords were placed in front of Koushin. I watched from a little distance as Koushin listened to the explanation with a serious face. This time, I decided to set a budget and let him choose what he liked. I know it's a bit much, but if I leave him alone, he might end up buying something unnecessary just because it was recommended.

Rada was looking at the potions on the shelves.

They were neatly displayed on the shelves here, with price tags, which was very considerate. The staff could also gather items that met certain conditions if asked. Maybe only that place put things directly on the ground.

There was a bow. It was still too big for me, but it was a beautiful, eye-catching white bow. It was beautiful, but maybe too elegant for me.

"Are you going to buy it?"

Rada came over, noticing me staring at the bow.

"No. I hardly use a bow these days. If I were to replace it, it would be after I grow more."

"Grow..."

Don't tilt your head like that.

"Hey, Rada. Is there a potion to make you taller?"

"There isn't. No such thing."

She said it so firmly! No, it must exist! You can freely change your hair. Arms and legs can grow. Height should be...

"It's okay. I'm still growing."

I don't think Rada needs to grow.

"Raito, I think I'll go with this one."

I turned at Koushin's voice. It was a sword with mint-colored lightning patterns on the blade.

"What is that? It looks really cool."

"Right? It's enchanted with a wind magic stone. These lines aren't just for design; they enhance the strength and sharpness, and the magic flow is top-notch!"

The staff's enthusiasm suddenly spiked. He must really like weapons. I'm glad our tastes seem to match. I'd like him to help me choose, but I'm not dissatisfied with what I have now.

"Sounds good. It's within budget, right? It seems to suit Koushin well."

Koushin nodded.

"The moment I held it, I knew this was the one."

"Hehe. The customer really likes it."

The staff looked pleased.

"When you find a weapon that suits your skills, it feels like it fits your hand perfectly, like an extension of your body."

"Is that so? I'll take good care of it."

Koushin looked happy. The sword seemed to have chosen him. I'm sure he'll perform even better with it. After paying and attaching it to his waist, he looked quite impressive. The sheath was simple and black, yet...

"Wow, that's great. I want one too."

I couldn't help but say what I really felt. I wanted it so much that I had to come up with reasons not to buy it. Oh, and the sheath has a mint-colored line at the tip. This subtle touch is great.

"Raito, you should buy one too?"

Koushin said it as if it were obvious.

"Hmm, no. I don't need one. I was just saying."

"We still have funds, right? If you're worried, you can use mine."

"No, it's not about money. I haven't been using a bow much lately."

Unfortunately, I can cover a lot with earth magic. How can I create opportunities for the bow to shine?

Koushin tilted his head.

"I didn't say a bow specifically. What about armor? Or a knife?"

"That's..."

Such tempting words. But, my current equipment isn't damaged, and it's sufficient.

"Oh, how about this?"

The staff, with a gleam in his eye, pulled something out from the back.

"This was made for a noble's child. It looks cute, but it has excellent defense!"

"Reject."

"It would suit you..."

Don't be disappointed. It looks like a dress! It has frilly ribbons! I'm not interested in skirts!

"Then, how about this?"

"Huh, huh?"

The next item he showed was a bracer for archery. It's worn to protect the hand when handling a bow. It looks more like a glove than what I saw in my previous life.

"It's made from carefully tanned magic deer leather. The texture and durability are top-notch. And the design! It's actually an enchantment that enhances defense."

I really want it. The bracer seemed to say, "I'll protect you!" when it was handed to me. It had a soft touch and fit my hand perfectly!

"But..."

Why is it green? Why does it have eyes? Why do the eyes move? Why... is it a frog?

A cute, deformed frog sat in my hand. The large eyes had moving black pupils, a needlessly high-end feature. And it didn't hinder movement. When you pull the string, it looks like the frog is holding it. Does this design enhance defense?

My armor also has a frog. To be precise, it's made from the leather of a magic frog, which is naturally green.

Are you a frog enthusiast? I don't dislike them, but...

"How about this one?"

He showed me a fluffy white rabbit. When you squeeze it, it makes a "kyu" sound, an unnecessary feature.

"Sounds good, right? If it doesn't get in the way, you could wear both..."

"No, no, no. I'll look stupid."

"It's cute, though."

Rada nodded beside me.

"I'm not looking for cuteness. I want to pursue manliness."

Don't all three of us look far away.

"Still, why are there such small-sized items? They shouldn't be that common."

Apparently, a certain noble had them made for his twin children. He liked falconry and made various items for his twins to match. They didn't actually use bows; it was just for show. But after experimenting with various enchantments, these items were created. Through connections, he was able to acquire these unused items.

By the way, the falcon used in falconry is three meters long. What does it hunt?

"Ha, so there are items for boys too!?"

"Ah, they were twin girls."

Here's another one. He showed me a different color version of the dress from before.

"Aw..."

I see. That makes sense. We didn't specify gender.

"What do you think?"

Koushin was squeezing the rabbit. Kyu, kyu, kyu. Does he like it? Is it just funny? Stop it, it looks like you're choking the rabbit.

"Hmm, since it's a rare opportunity, I'll buy it."

Honestly, my hand size would usually require a custom order. It's practically unused, and the enchantments are valuable.

"Then, both of these?"

"Just the frog."

"…I can give you a discount?"

"J-Just the frog..."

"If you buy now, I'll include some leather cream?"

Are you trying to get rid of them?

"Thank you for your purchase."

With a frog on my right hand and a rabbit on my left, I was born!