Chapter 45

After a 30-minute drive.

The retail store of weapons and armor, "Singroad Eastern Branch of the Capital," which is said to be one of the largest in the capital, turned out to be a high-ceilinged one-story building, similar to a home center from my previous life, with weapons and armor densely lined up inside.

"Allen will probably use a katana of the same model as that wooden sword as his main weapon...

Considering you were planning to go hunting without even thinking about equipping yourself with weapons and armor.

This must be your first time coming to a store like this, right?

You might want to consider having a secondary weapon in the future, so it wouldn't hurt to take a look at what kinds of weapons are available."

Indeed, Stella seems to have thought things through.

I don't have any particular attachment to katanas, but the moment I stepped into the store, my excitement soared.

"Thank you, Stella!"

I expressed my gratitude from the bottom of my heart.

As a flashy open-top car pulled up to the entrance and a group of students in the Royal Academy's uniforms entered, a dignified man immediately approached, rubbing his hands together.

"Welcome to Singroad.

I am the deputy manager of this Singroad Eastern Branch of the Capital, Lund.

Unfortunately, our branch manager is currently out.

I recognize you as Lady Jewelle Revalence and her classmates from the Royal Academy.

What brings you here today?"

The well-dressed man, with his slicked-back hair, seemed to be bowing deeply.

He must have immediately identified Jewelle from the family crest on the open-top car and the uniforms. He seems to be quite competent.

I didn't want to come with these guys because I don't need such overly polite service...

"There's no need to trouble yourself.

I apologize for the inconvenience of not contacting you in advance.

Today, I'm here to accompany a friend shopping."

Jewelle answered with the grace befitting a viscount's daughter.

The sudden appearance of a group of high-status students from the Royal Academy caused a stir in the store.

"I see.

It is a great honor to guide the future leaders of this country, the students of the Royal Academy.

May I ask what you are looking for and your approximate budget?"

"I am Failoon von Dragoon.

I'm here to accompany a friend."

"I am Stella Achilles.

I'm also here to accompany a friend."

"I am Aldore Engreaver.

I aspire to be a mage, and I already have a staff, so my main purpose is to get armor.

My budget is around 20,000 reals."

"I am Cocniar Canardia.

I'm looking for a short sword and armor.

My budget is around 30,000 reals."

Hmm.

Considering our family status, both Aldore and Cocniar have quite high budgets.

Is our family particularly poor, or is there a reason why my mother has been limiting the amount of money sent to me?

It seems to be a bit of both.

But I didn't plan to rely on the allowance anyway.

Lund's eyes sparkled as he listened to our introductions and was about to say something.

"You are all exceptional talents in the A-class of the Royal Academy.

And that dark-brown-haired young man... could it be that you are—"

"I am Pork Ritz.

My budget is 2,500 reals, and I want to get a main weapon, a secondary weapon if possible, a full set of armor, and basic survival items for an explorer."

I quickly came up with a strange character as Lund checked our identities against a list.

Of course, I didn't want to cause a commotion because of the exaggerated rumors circulating in the capital.

Lund looked puzzled at the unknown poor person mixed in with such distinguished company. Naturally, there would be no name like mine on his list.

"2,500 reals?

If you want to get all that within that budget, the quality will be the lowest class.

However, as a student of the Royal Academy, you can also consider a loan with a very low interest rate..."

"Ha ha.

I thought something was different because you're in civilian clothes today, Lund.

Pork's budget is unlimited; I'll buy his weapons."

I was in civilian clothes today, not to use a fake name, but because I planned to visit the Eastern Branch of the Explorer's Guild afterward to hear various stories.

"Oh, then I'll also give Pork a gift to celebrate his registration as an explorer.

Please provide him with the best equipment."

...That's why I didn't want to come shopping with these guys.

In what world would a beginner explorer in the starting city get the best equipment with an unlimited budget?

It's a real mood killer.

"Lady Fay! Lady Jewelle!

Giving the best equipment to a mere porter is a bit much, isn't it?

Even Mr. Lund looks troubled!

I'll go look around on my own, so please give advice to Lord Aldore and Lord Cocniar."

With that, I quickly left the group.

It would be more beneficial for them to spend time with such valuable customers rather than a poor person like me.

For some reason, Jewelle seemed to find it hilarious and was trying to suppress her laughter.

◆

As expected, this store, which is said to be one of the largest in the capital, had a wide variety of weapons and armor.

I walked through the vast store, excitedly looking around.

The sword corner near the entrance, with various sizes of swords, was clearly a highlight.

I passed by the long swords with elaborate decorations displayed on the wall and checked the price tags of the swords casually stuck in a large bucket.

The prices of the swords on the wall were clearly out of my reach, just by glancing at the number of zeros.

My goal today is to check the market prices...

Hmm.

Two-handed swords start at 2,000 reals, even for ordinary iron swords that seem to be mass-produced.

Considering the prices in the capital, it might be unavoidable, but it's quite challenging to get a two-handed sword if I want to buy other items as well.

Incidentally, there were no cheap katanas in the bucket, and the only one I noticed, a black katana in a showcase, was priced like this:

──────

Name: Black Evil Slayer

Country of Origin: Bearlents Archipelago

Manufacturer: Evaille Ningrose

Material: Black Tiger Iron

Price: 220,000 reals

Description: A single-edged long sword forged with the secret forging techniques of the Bearlents Archipelago, using black tiger iron, which is ten times harder than iron.

It has a property that makes it difficult to conduct magic, capable of even slicing through magic.

──────

The black katana looks really cool, but at 220,000 reals, it's out of the question.

It will be a long time before I can afford it.

I've never seen anyone in the capital carrying a katana, so it seems to be a high-end item.

Next, I went to the one-handed sword corner.

The prices were slightly cheaper than long swords, starting at around 1,000 reals.

However, there were small shields nearby, and it seemed that these were often sold as a set.

If bought as a set, a simple iron one-handed sword and a wooden shield reinforced with iron would cost around 2,000 reals, which is also tight for my budget.

I might consider getting the shield later as a last resort.

I've been using swords since before my awakening, so they were my first choice, but I also wanted to try various weapons.

After that, I checked out the spear, naginata, and staff sections, which are long-range weapons.

However, from the perspective of the lowest price, these weapons, which require more material, were as expensive as long swords.

Next, I went to the bow section.

There were two main types of bows.

Longbows, which are as tall as a person, and shortbows, which are M-shaped and seem to be used by hunters.

Longbows prioritize range and power, while shortbows prioritize speed and maneuverability.

Bows...

A romantic weapon, but I never considered them because I thought I needed a bladed weapon.

The prices for longbows start at 1,000 reals, and shortbows start at 500 reals.

However, arrows are sold separately.

The simplest, pointed wooden arrows cost 5 reals each, and iron-tipped arrows cost 10 reals each.

Hmm.

Considering the running costs, is it really worth it...

While I was thinking about this and holding the cheapest shortbow, a tall woman who looked like a store clerk approached me.

She was probably around 27 or 28 years old.

She had long legs.

Her brown hair, with tight waves, was cut to her shoulders.

She didn't wear much makeup, which gave her a youthful appearance.

She looked more like someone who would wear overalls and carry an assault rifle.

"Are you an explorer?

You seem to be a new registrant.

If you're interested in bows, you can try shooting one."

"Really?

I'd love to!"

Hearing my response, the female clerk, with a teasing smile, said, "Follow me," and led me to a shooting range on the side of the building.

This is the kind of normal service I wanted...

I can post again tomorrow!