Chapter 38

Lucas and I were at the Adventurer's Guild, investigating information about the "Dream Hole."

"Since we leveled up quite a bit last time... maybe we should first look into getting some new equipment."

Even though I had put about fifty million gold into my skill tree, "Smoldering Fang," the reward for defeating Embryo was ten million gold, and the total value of the monster cores was four million six hundred thousand gold, which we had almost entirely saved. It wouldn't be a bad idea to start by getting some new weapons.

"Hmm... I really like the 'Iron Piercer' that Elma bought for me... but should I get a new one?"

"Rouche, you're probably around level 40, right? Unless you're facing an extremely hard opponent, the 'Iron Piercer' isn't really suitable for regular combat..."

Since we have the money, it wouldn't be a bad idea to get some stronger equipment.

---

'Iron Piercer' (Recommended Level: 18)

[Attack Power: +3]

[Market Value: 550,000 gold]

This knife is easy to use against tough opponents.

When an attack succeeds, it reduces the opponent's defense by 15% for damage calculation.

---

At our current level, the 'Iron Piercer' is a bit unreliable. With its current capabilities, it's hard to consistently deal damage to monsters. For a level 40 weapon, we'd want something with an attack power of around +10, and ideally, some additional bonuses.

I'm in the same boat, still using the equipment I bought at the beginning. Both the Jester and the Heavy Knight classes suffer from a lack of base attack power. That's why I quickly obtained the 'Blade of Striking' to ensure I could deal enough damage.

We should prepare the best weapons we can and cover our weaknesses.

The only reason we were able to defeat the higher-level Embryo was because of a favorable matchup. If it had been a purely physical 'Dream Lord' instead of a technical one, our low firepower would have made a fair fight impossible.

"But... good weapons are really expensive, you know... They're in short supply in regular shops... And I don't even remember if they had any level 40 weapons in stock."

That's the problem.

In the city of Rondalme, level 40 adventurers are at a very high level. This means that the number of adventurers who can aim for item drops suitable for that level is limited.

In this world, useful information about strategies isn't easily shared.

The chances of finding a suitable weapon at a reasonable price are slim. If we buy a subpar weapon, it will become useless as soon as our level increases.

It's true that we shouldn't be stingy with money in the adventurer business, but it's a waste to spend a lot on equipment that will soon become obsolete.

"Ah! I've got an idea! Elma, what about relying on the item drops from the 'Dream Hole' for weapons?"

"Rouche, you can't just aim for specific weapon drops..."

I recalled the 'Bear Shield' and 'Tin Sword' that I hadn't specifically targeted, both of which I had received duplicates of. Those alone completed two sets of equipment for sword-wielding classes.

"Maybe not, huh?"

With Rouche's luck, it shouldn't be too difficult. Indeed, hunting monsters and waiting for weapon drops would be faster than buying subpar equipment.

"Yay! My suggestion was accepted! Let's do it! I'm getting excited!"

Just as Rouche exclaimed excitedly... the door to the Adventurer's Guild was violently thrown open. The noisy guild suddenly fell silent.

When I saw the two people who entered, I was greatly surprised. My heart raced, but my mind remained strangely calm.

A well-built middle-aged man in luxurious noble attire and a pale-skinned, black-haired girl in light armor. They were Aizas, the head of the Edvand family, and his successor, Maris.

"Goodness, Lord Aizas...! But why have you suddenly come to such an adventurer's guild?"

The guild master immediately appeared and bowed deeply to Aizas.

"I have important business. Yes... clear the room."

Aizas looked around and then gave the order to the guild master.

"Excuse me? If that's the case, we could just talk in a private room without clearing the room..."

"Didn't you hear me? I said to clear the room."

Aizas repeated his command with a hint of anger in his voice. The guild master bowed and said, "I apologize!" before turning to us.

"Lord Aizas has an urgent matter! I apologize, but we must close the guild for the day. Adventurers, please leave immediately!"

Some adventurers looked displeased, but they quickly backed down when Aizas glared at them. The head of a noble family, who has the duty to protect the territory from monsters, possesses a level and combat skills far beyond those of ordinary adventurers. If a commoner were to challenge him, they could easily lose their head in the next instant.

"Let's go, Rouche. It's not good to draw attention."

I don't know what his purpose is, but I don't want to have anything to do with Aizas. He probably feels the same way. After all, I'm no longer part of the Edvand family.

"Y-Yes... But that's Lord Aizas, isn't it? I've never seen him before. I didn't have a good impression of the Edvand family to begin with... He seems a bit arrogant and unpleasant."

Rouche chuckled and mimicked Aizas's displeased face, pulling her eyes up with her fingers.

"Adventurer, you stay."

Rouche's body trembled at Aizas's words.

"Y-Yes! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I was just trying to lighten the mood because Elma's face looked dark... I really didn't mean anything by it!"

"Relax, Rouche. It seems they want to talk to me."

Aizas and Maris stood in front of me. I didn't want to get involved, but it seems I don't have a choice.