Chapter 72

### Skill Level Up Notifications

- **MP Auto Recovery** skill level has increased.

- **Demon-Slaying Sword** skill level has increased.

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Since then, we descended the mountain and have been heading back to the capital Bergsardi through the main road without stopping. I was a bit concerned about the state of the fort we passed, but since I had already informed Eleonore and the others about the items we planned to purchase and our expected return time, we couldn't afford to make any detours. From a distance, I couldn't see the situation clearly, but I could only hope they had retreated.

In any case, when we finally reached the capital, which felt strangely like a long time since we had been there, what caught our eyes was a street bustling with people, far more crowded than before.

"Wow... the number of people has really increased."

"Wow, it reminds me of the early days of Faustkatze's service."

Fushin groaned in exasperation, and I nodded in agreement. This place would soon become the stage for the battle, so it was natural for people to gather here. However, I could also understand the feeling of being put off by crowded places. I myself was drawing a lot of attention.

Honestly, I couldn't deny that I felt uncomfortable in such a crowded place. However, I wasn't so cowardly as to take a detour to avoid it. With a light sigh, we headed towards our destination, the "Eleonore Trading Company."

"Still, it's quite a hectic situation, isn't it?"

"Of course, the event is just around the corner."

"Thanks to that, there are fewer players who have the time to pay attention to us."

"That's a relief. Even with Altrius' story, there are still some people who might cause trouble."

Even now, there are still people trying to talk to us. However, when it comes to those who are staring at me, I use my gaze to intimidate them and make them back off. I have no intention of getting involved with any clans, and it's already decided that I will fight alongside Altrius in the event. In this situation, I don't have the time to listen to people I don't know.

Well, Fushin might be different, but I'm not that well-known, so I wasn't approached by anyone I recognized. In any case, we smoothly reached the "Eleonore Trading Company" and were led to the back of the store thanks to the prior arrangements.

"Is it okay for me too?"

"It's fine. Besides, we need to settle the drop items."

"By the way, how should we settle them? We've been collecting things even before Shepard joined us."

"I'm fine with splitting them equally."

"No, that's a bit too much..."

I smiled wryly at Shepard's reluctance. It's commendable that he's hesitant to take too much, but this time, there are just too many items. Honestly, I find the calculations a bit tedious, so I don't mind a little disadvantage.

Well, it's a bit of a hassle to go into too much detail, so I think it's best to distribute the higher-tier materials equally and roughly divide the rest.

"Formic acid ore, only the amount you mined yourself. Upper-tier ants, distributed equally. Queen ants, distributed as they were... What about the rest of the materials?"

"To be honest, we have too much too... You can keep the amount in your inventory, Shepard."

"That's a lot..."

"Actually, it's quite a small amount compared to the total. You can take more if you want—"

"N-no! This is enough, thank you!"

"Alright, then it's settled."

I smiled slyly, and Shepard sighed and chuckled. In fact, thanks to him, we were able to fight more efficiently. Honestly, I think he could have taken more, but if he's satisfied, that's fine. It's better to reach a compromise rather than leaving any lingering resentment. With that, we reached a mutual agreement and headed to Fino's workshop.

"We kept you waiting, Fino. We're here."

"Hey! I've been waiting, Mr. Teacher, Miss Princess."

When we opened the door, Fino greeted us with a cheerful smile, more energetic than usual. It seems she was looking forward to the new materials. Next to her, Iori was talking to her, and Kambai was organizing tools. It seems they were also waiting for us. Kambai, who noticed us, called out with a somewhat wry smile.

"Hey, Kwon. You seem to be doing unexpected things again."

"I didn't do it on purpose."

"If you did it on purpose, that would be a problem... but never mind. We're busy too, so let's get to the point."

The "Eleonore Trading Company" is a large clan, so it's naturally busier than smaller clans. Eleonore is probably busy directing things from the front. Kambai, who is in a position similar to her deputy, should be there too, but he prioritized our business. I silently thanked Eleonore for the arrangement and nodded at Kambai's words.

"Can we start with the equipment adjustments?"

"Sure, I've already prepared what we can with the current materials."

Kambai pointed to a table in the back of the room. There, a katana and a kimono, presumably made by Fino and Iori, were already prepared. I had planned to use formic acid ore for the katana, but its properties are still unknown. Therefore, I decided to prepare the best equipment available and compare it later. First, I checked the katana.

#### **Weapon: Katana** White Steel Katana

- Attack Power: 32 (+4)

- Weight: 18

- Durability: 120%

- Effects: Increased Attack Power (Small), Increased Durability (Small)

- Maker: Fino

#### **Weapon: Katana** White Steel Wakizashi

- Attack Power: 28 (+3)

- Weight: 16

- Durability: 120%

- Effects: Increased Attack Power (Small), Increased Durability (Small)

- Maker: Fino

#### **Weapon: Katana** White Steel Tanto

- Attack Power: 24 (+3)

- Weight: 12

- Durability: 120%

- Effects: Increased Attack Power (Small), Increased Durability (Small)

- Maker: Fino

"Hmm... what's this white steel?"

"The best metal material available in the capital now. There are better ones if you use local connections, but I can't handle them yet."

"I see. Is this the best quality available now?"

The katana and tanto are for me as usual. The wakizashi is for Fushin and Lumina. Lumina used to use a tanto, but a wakizashi would be better for her current build. It's a bit heavier, but it shouldn't be a problem for her. Since the transaction isn't complete yet, I put the katana back on the table. Next, I inspected the set of cloth armor lined up next to it.

"It's my turn now. This time, I used new materials and introduced a new manufacturing method."

"Really? I didn't know about that. Did you get a quest or something?"

"Yes, there are few people who have obtained it, so it's not very well-known... but I can guarantee its effectiveness."

I looked at the kimono with admiration as Iori confidently puffed out her chest. The design hasn't changed much from before, with only a pattern added to the collar, giving it a slightly modern feel.

#### **Armor: Torso** Magic Silk Kimono with Metal Thread (Black)

- Defense: 21 (+3)

- Magic Defense: 11 (+2)

- Weight: 6

- Durability: 100%

- Effects: Increased Defense (Small), Increased Magic Defense (Small), Slash Resistance

- Maker: Iori

#### **Armor: Waist** Magic Silk Hakama with Metal Thread (Black)

- Defense: 16 (+3)

- Magic Defense: 8 (+1)

- Weight: 4

- Durability: 100%

- Effects: Increased Defense (Small), Increased Magic Defense (Small), Slash Resistance

- Maker: Iori

The defense hasn't changed dramatically, but the magic defense has increased significantly. I usually use the **Demon-Slaying Sword** to cut through magic, but if the opponent's magic power is high, I can still take piercing damage. The increase in magic defense is useful. This seems to be a characteristic of the magic silk material, but what is this metal thread processing?

As if reading my mind, Iori explained with a proud expression.

"Metal thread processing involves weaving metal fibers into the fabric and sewing them between the layers of the armor. It not only increases the defense but also adds slash resistance to the armor."

"Ah, so the metal fibers are sandwiched in there."

"That's right. Although it adds a bit of weight, it shouldn't be too much of a hindrance."

When I picked it up, it did feel a bit heavier than what I'm currently wearing. However, it's not as heavy as full armor. This should be within the range of adjustment. With this, I should be able to move around as usual.

"Hmm... both of you still have great skills."

"Hehehe."

"Hehe, I'm flattered."

"It seems you're satisfied. The rest of the equipment will be made after we receive the materials, so let's settle the accounts now."

"Alright, thanks."

Kambai nodded at my words and activated the **Clerk** skill interface. We calculated the equipment for me, Lumina, and Fushin separately. When I included the unmade equipment in the list, the amount of gold required was quite substantial. However—

"This, this, and this..."

"Whoa, what's with this amount?"

The materials from Forest Apes, Strike Bees, and Legion Ants—each of them in large quantities—were thrown in one after another, and the displayed amount of gold quickly decreased. It's natural, given the large quantity.

"I leveled up in an area with a lot of enemies. But for items this far into the game, the price isn't that high, is it?"

"Yeah, the materials from Forest Apes, Strike Bees, and Legion Ants... to be honest, they're not worth much."

"You know about these monsters' materials?"

"Most players have reached that area. These monsters are numerous, so a lot of materials are circulating."

Indeed, these monsters are not hard to encounter, and once you do, they gather in large numbers. It's not surprising that the materials are circulating.

"However, these aren't particularly good materials. The ape's leather is mid-tier—good for players around level 20. The bee's materials, both the stingers and wings, can be used for arrows. They sell well as consumables but aren't very expensive. As for the ants, to be honest, the research is still lacking. Their armor is mediocre at best, suitable only for light armor users."

Indeed, the defense of regular Legion Ants isn't great. With their low rarity and performance, it's understandable that they don't fetch a high price. This was a bit of a miscalculation, but the sheer quantity is significant. We were able to cover the cost of the equipment before running out of materials.

"How many did you kill...? Well, never mind. Do you need anything else? We can settle it all at once."

"Ah, right. Can you prepare some potions? I want to have some as insurance."

"...You didn't have any before? Well, I'll include a set of high-quality pharmacy potions."

Well, I managed without potions before. However, in this event, we'll be facing many enemies. It's best to have some emergency recovery options. But—

"What are pharmacy potions?"

"You didn't know, Mr. Teacher... Well, there are two methods for making potions: **Pharmacy** and **Alchemy**. Pharmacy potions are made using the **Pharmacy** skill."

"I see. Is there a difference between the two?"

"To put it simply, **Pharmacy** is like handmade luxury items, while **Alchemy** is mass-produced standard items."

"Expensive but high-performance, or cheap and ordinary... there's demand for both. This time, I'll include the best work from our top pharmacist."

In other words, he's selling us high-performance potions. Since we have extra gold from selling the materials, it's best to get the high-performance ones. There shouldn't be any issues with the potions. Now—

"Then, this is the main event."

I spread out the new items we had obtained on the table.

### Avatar Name: Kwon

- **Gender:** Male

- **Race:** Human

- **Level:** 27

- **Status (Remaining Status Points: 0)**

- STR: 24

- VIT: 18

- INT: 24

- MND: 18

- AGI: 14

- DEX: 14

- **Skills**

- Weapon Skill: **Katana: Lv.27**

- Magic Skill: **Enhancement Magic: Lv.19**

- Set Skill: **Dead Point Strike: Lv.17**

- **MP Auto Recovery: Lv.15**

- **Plundering Sword: Lv.14**

- **Identification: Lv.15**

- **Life Sword: Lv.16**

- **Demon-Slaying Sword: Lv.7**

- **Tame: Lv.12**

- **HP Auto Recovery: Lv.12**

- **Life Force Manipulation: Lv.9**

- Sub Skill: **Mining: Lv.8**

- Title Skill: **Fairy's Blessing**

- **Current SP:** 30

### Avatar Name: Fushin

- **Gender:** Female

- **Race:** Human

- **Level:** 27

- **Status (Remaining Status Points: 0)**

- STR: 24

- VIT: 17

- INT: 21

- MND: 18

- AGI: 16

- DEX: 16

- **Skills**

- Weapon Skill: **Katana: Lv.27**

- Magic Skill: **Fire Magic: Lv.23**

- Set Skill: **Fighting Spirit: Lv.17**

- **Spell Charge: Lv.16**

- **Fire Attribute Enhancement: Lv.15**

- **Healing Proficiency: Lv.10**

- **Identification: Lv.15**

- **Dead Point Strike: Lv.17**

- **Martial Arts: Lv.16**

- **Combat Skills: Lv.16**

- **Endurance: Lv.16**

- Sub Skill: **Gathering: Lv.7**

- **Mining: Lv.10**

- Title Skill: **Crimson Sword Princess**

- **Current SP:** 30

### Monster Name: Lumina

- **Gender:** Female

- **Race:** Valkyrie

- **Level:** 1

- **Status (Remaining Status Points: 0)**

- STR: 25

- VIT: 18

- INT: 32

- MND: 19

- AGI: 21

- DEX: 19

- **Skills**

- Weapon Skill: **Katana**

- Magic Skill: **Light Magic**

- Skill: **Light Attribute Enhancement**

- **Light Wings**

- **High Magic Resistance**

- **Medium Physical Resistance**

- **MP Auto Recovery: Large**

- **Wind Magic**

- **Magic Circle**

- **Boost**

- Title Skill: **Servant of the Spirit King**