Chapter 8

Leaving behind the excited cosmos flowers, we exited the labor market and first headed to the craftsmen's district to get Lulitra, the new Sand Lizardman, his weapons and armor.

Lulitra couldn't ride in the carriage due to his physique, but he calmly followed on foot.

We weren't pushing the carriage to its limits, but his physical abilities were clearly far superior to humans.

The shopkeepers seemed to find sub-humans rare, and while they were initially surprised, they quickly regained their professionalism and served us.

"Hey, Lulitra. Which do you think is harder, your scales or hard leather?"

"Probably, it would be a close match."

First, I went to the armor shop and learned that Lulitra's scales were as tough as hard leather armor.

However, if we were to consider metal armor, another issue arose.

Metal armor is typically worn over a padded undergarment called "armor underclothes" to absorb impact. However, Lulitra didn't have such underclothes.

We could have new underclothes made, but his scaly body wasn't suited for wearing clothes. They would quickly wear out from the friction with his scales.

The shopkeeper was also at a loss and sought help from the craftsmen in the back.

A man with a sturdy build, almost as wide as Lulitra, and copper-colored skin emerged from the back of the shop.

"I see... I see..."

The craftsman, who had heard the situation from the shopkeeper, gave Lulitra a scrutinizing look.

"In that case, how about armor made from a monster's carapace? We don't handle it often, but we do have it."

"Is there such a thing?"

"The materials are hard to come by, so it's rare, but we do have it."

Armor made from rare materials obtained from monsters—truly a fantasy item.

"For his size, I think... Killer Bear fur, Giant Crab carapace, those would work."

At that moment, the shopkeeper spoke to the craftsman.

"Hey, what about that thing in the warehouse?"

"Hmm? Oh, that one. It's the toughest, and it should fit as half-plate armor."

"Is there something good?"

When I asked, the craftsman, who had been talking to the shopkeeper, turned to me.

"Yes, we have a large Giant Scorpion carapace from a few years ago. We didn't have a use for it, so it's been stored away."

"Giant Scorpion!"

Lulitra reacted to the name.

"Do you know it?"

"It's a local monster."

According to Lulitra, the Giant Scorpion has a carapace as hard as steel.

"Armor made from a carapace will have shock-absorbing processing on the inside, so you won't need the underclothes. However, the measurements will need to be more detailed."

"Lulitra, is the Giant Scorpion okay?"

"Yes, please!"

"Then, let's go with that."

Unlike metal armor, which can be adjusted in size, this would be completely custom-made, making it a bit more expensive. However, since I'm not paying for Lulitra, it's not a problem.

It might be a problem if it's too expensive, but as long as the butler doesn't say anything, it should be fine.

We ordered a set of gauntlets and greaves made from the carapace, and finished our shopping at the armor shop.

Next, we went to the adjacent weapon shop.

Lulitra used to use a spear in his hometown, so I asked the shopkeeper if there were any good ones.

"How about it, Lulitra?"

"They're light."

However, all the spears in the shop were too light for Lulitra.

We could have a large spear custom-made, but the shopkeeper, perhaps out of stubbornness, kept bringing out spears for Lulitra to try, making it difficult to move forward.

Eventually, the items being brought out were different types of pole weapons.

From a distance, I asked the butler, who was standing nearby, and learned that all the weapons Lulitra was trying, including spears, were classified as pole weapons.

The type of weapon changes based on the shape of the blade at the tip.

"Ugh..."

Lulitra was casually and carelessly swinging the pole weapons, but when he picked up a certain weapon, his movements became serious.

Even I, a layman, could tell his movements became sharper. The sound of the wind cutting through the air as he swung the weapon also became sharper.

"Butler, what's that weapon?"

"That's a glaive. The blade at the tip is a single-edged sword."

Hearing this, I thought of a Japanese naginata.

Lulitra stopped his movements. He looked good holding the glaive.

The glaive was larger than other pole weapons, and the wide blade at the tip was also quite large.

"It seems he likes it."

"Yes, it feels right."

Lulitra's expression is still hard to read, but from the atmosphere, he seems happy.

This is definitely a good purchase.

"Shopkeeper, I'll take this one."

"Understood. Will you take it with you now?"

"Yes, please."

"Then, let's add a decorative cloth. Please wait a moment."

We had a red decorative cloth, matching Lulitra's eyes, attached to the base of the blade. During this time, I also ordered some working axes and knives for Lulitra.

After receiving the glaive with the decorative cloth, we left the weapon shop with high spirits.

The last place we went was the pervert 'Phicks Brand'.

Lulitra was only wearing an apron that covered from his waist down, but it had gotten dirty from his life in the labor market.

Since he had no other clothes to change into, we bought some for the time being.

There were no aprons for lizardmen, so we bought a few simple ponchos and also ordered a few aprons like the one he was wearing.

Before leaving the shop, I had Lulitra change into one of the ponchos.

After finishing all our shopping, we returned to the temple.

When we got back, the butler said he would return tomorrow and went back to the castle. He probably needed to report today's events and confirm information.

The people at the temple were surprised to see Lulitra, but they seemed to understand after I explained that I wasn't a criminal laborer.

Lulitra was assigned the room next to mine.

However, before taking him to his room, I brought him to the high priest's room.

The high priest was in his room, so I first had Lulitra greet him.

Then, I explained the problems Lulitra's hometown faced.

"I see, so that's the situation."

The high priest seemed to understand what I wanted to do.

He then turned to Lulitra and spoke.

"Lulitra, have you heard of 'Gifts'?"

"I've heard that the first Holy King had a power that sealed the Demon King... I remember the elf girl mentioned signs of the Demon King's revival."

"I also heard that just now. It was a bit late, though."

"Late? Has the Demon King already revived?"

"No, not yet. To prevent it, we have summoned heroes from another world again. One of them is—"

The high priest looked at me, and Lulitra, following his gaze, realized the meaning and opened his red eyes wide.

"Could it be, Toya-sama...! You bought me to fight the Demon King? No, I would not refuse to fight to repay your kindness."

"Ah, sorry to burst your bubble, but my Gift isn't for fighting. The Demon King will be dealt with by others."

"By the way, five heroes have been summoned, including him."

"Cosmos is one of them."

Lulitra was speechless after hearing our words. Five heroes were clearly unexpected.

"So, the problem is my Gift... Let me show you."

I made the door to the 'Infinite Bathroom' appear on the wall.

Lulitra immediately tensed up at the sight. He had a quick reaction.

"Don't worry. This is my Gift, the 'Infinite Bathroom.' Lulitra, take a look inside."

I opened the door and entered the 'Infinite Bathroom,' and Lulitra cautiously peered inside.

"Ugh!"

He grimaced and quickly pulled his head back.

The steam from the bath probably didn't agree with the Sand Lizardman.

"Is this a human bath? I've never seen one before."

"Yes, from my world. You can take a bath whenever and wherever you want. That's all it does. It's ridiculous to think it could help fight the Demon King, right?"

"Indeed..."

Lulitra agreed, though he seemed confused.

For someone who can't use a bath, this Gift would seem even less valuable.

"But, it can do this."

I turned on the faucet and filled a basin with water. I can do this even while wearing clothes if I'm inside.

"Take a look. The high priest's magic has confirmed that the water from here is safe. It's pure, tasteless, and odorless, with no chlorine smell."

"Water?"

Lulitra took the basin I offered and looked inside with interest.

"This is indeed... It's so cold despite the steamy heat! And the basin too!"

Lulitra was surprised not only by the water but also by the basin.

The basin was made of plastic, so it might seem strange to him.

Come to think of it, the high priests were also like this when they first saw it.

"The 'Infinite Bathroom' can produce water as long as I have MP. Lulitra, do you understand what this means?"

Lulitra looked up at me, seemingly realizing something.

"With this power, the pond that was destroyed for my tribe...!"

"Let me be clear, it can't be used indefinitely."

"That's fine! As long as we have enough water to survive until the next rain!"

"Yes, that's why I chose you."

Lulitra put down the basin, knelt before me, and bowed respectfully.

"Thank you, Toya-sama. This Lulitra will swear loyalty to you!"

"Yes, thank you, Lulitra. I'm a novice at both travel and battle, so I'm counting on you."

"Hai!"

The effect was more than I expected. This felt more like having a subordinate than a companion.

However, since he was already acting like a laborer, it didn't bother me too much.

In fact, it felt good. I could understand a bit of what it's like to be in a position of authority.

Most importantly, considering his serious personality, I don't think he will betray me in the future.

I have a trustworthy companion. I decided to accept Lulitra's attitude.

"By the way, High Priest, can we go to Lulitra's tribe as soon as we're ready?"

"The equipment isn't ready yet, is it? Considering the time it will take to complete, I think it would be a few days difference if we wait until the ceremony is over."

"Yes, that's true. My armor isn't ready yet either."

We can't set off without proper equipment.

"Lulitra, I'm sorry, but we'll have to wait until after the ceremony."

"That's fine. We still have the water you sent earlier."

Lulitra seems to understand the situation.

We need to finish our preparations so we can leave immediately after the ceremony.

The next day, we started the remaining preparations.

There are five things to do.

The first is to make Lulitra's status card and prepare a coat suitable for the arid climate of his hometown. Since Lulitra can't ride in the carriage, we also did some walking around the city to help him get used to it.

The second is to learn the magic to summon a light spirit. I want to be able to use it by the time we set off. Practice is the only way.

The third is combat training. Lulitra and the high priest, who claims to be weakened but is still far beyond my current level, helped me with this.

The high priest's style, using a mace and a large round shield, is similar to mine, which uses a mace and a broad axe, so I learned a lot from him.

The fourth is to use my Gift as much as possible. As I did for two days, which raised my level to 5, using my Gift strengthens the power of the blessing.

The effect of using the Gift becomes less significant as the level increases, but it still helps to train my MP.

Considering the amount of water I'll need to produce in Lulitra's hometown, training my MP will be beneficial.

Thinking of using the water for everyone, I had a barrel prepared and started filling it with water, but a problem arose.

"My back..."

While producing water is good, the only way to transport it is with a basin or similar container. After a while, it starts to strain my back.

"High Priest, does this world have hoses?"

"Horses?"

"Ah, never mind."

I wanted a hose to distribute the water, but it seems this world doesn't have them.

In this world, water is typically drawn from wells or rivers, and there are no faucets that produce a continuous stream of water. It makes sense that hoses don't exist.

Since they don't exist, I would have to have one made. I wonder if it's possible to make a hose like the ones in our world with the technology here.

Rubber is apparently practical in this world, but I doubt a simple imitation would work like the hoses in our world.

I decided to rely on connections and asked the butler to look into it while we were training.

The fifth thing to do is to find companions.

Perhaps inspired by the four people who sealed the Demon King with the first Holy King, the castle people believe that a party of four heroes is ideal.

In fact, when combat laborers work as a group, they often form parties of four.

Whether in combat or stealth, four is the ideal number for flexibility in various situations.

In the military, a unit consists of one leader and three subordinates.

However, four people might not be enough for a large battle, so a larger army is formed by combining these units.

Currently, I have Lulitra as my only companion, leaving room for two more in a four-person party.

After buying Lulitra, I didn't feel like getting another companion, but I was thinking of getting a female combat laborer next. However, another problem arose.

"Ugh, lining up mediocre warriors might just be a hindrance."

"Even a layman can see that."

"Um... I'm sorry?"

"No, don't apologize."

Lulitra is too strong.

When we made his status card, it was a light purple with a level of 29. The high priest is level 28, so Lulitra is higher.

I was surprised by his level, but even more by his high stats.

His MP was almost zero, but everything else was high. His STR and VIT even surpassed the high priest. His TEC was the next highest.

His MEN was average for a level 29, but it wasn't low.

According to the high priest, Lulitra has the typical abilities of a warrior, and they are extremely excellent.

With such strength, it would be better for the party's front line to have Lulitra swing his glaive alone rather than have a mediocre warrior beside him.

In other words, we don't need another warrior unless they are as strong as Lulitra.

I could have one person focus on one side and the other on the other, but in that case, I would be a hindrance with my current abilities.

Most combat laborers are warriors. Those with special skills, like magic, typically choose other professions.

Moreover, I didn't have the courage to ask for a female laborer just for mixed bathing.

So, I should look for someone other than a warrior, but I would have to ask if they would share a bath. I wouldn't have bought a laborer if I could do that.

The butler said he would look into it, but I suspect the people he can gather are the carnivorous noble daughters who want to use me as a stud.

While it might be tempting, I would rather not.

In other words, my mixed bathing plan has taken a significant step back.