Chapter 68

In the midst of cherry blossoms dancing in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of promise written there.

After exchanging the magic stone and reporting the Death-Armed incident at the Adventurers' Guild, Lucie and I were strolling through the streets of Lakorina.

We were looking for a skilled blacksmith to forge new equipment suitable for our level.

Originally, we headed to the Centipede Mine to gather the black steel needed for this purpose.

"Is it really okay, Elma? For me to equip such an expensive weapon..."

Lucie held the black dagger in her hand and murmured.

It was a drop item from the Death-Armed... the "Poison Centipede Dagger."

――――――――――――――――――――

Poison Centipede Dagger (Recommended Equipment Level: 70)

【Attack Power: +28】

【Market Value: 28 million gold】

A dagger imbued with the centipede's potent venom.

In addition to high attack power, it occasionally poisons enemies.

――――――――――――――――――――

With a market value of 28 million gold.

The recommended equipment level is a bit high, but Lucie has already reached the 60s from defeating the Death-Armed.

If the equipment level is not met, there would be a slight negative stat adjustment, but with this level difference, it wouldn't be a significant penalty.

Rather, it would be most beneficial to acquire equipment that won't need to be replaced for a while.

"High attack power, and it even has a practical additional effect. It would be a waste to sell such a weapon."

Moreover, the poison effect of the "Poison Centipede Dagger" is supposed to be a low-probability bonus... but the activation rate of this item depends on the user's luck stat.

In the "Magic World," poison is a very powerful status effect against enemies without resistance.

When poisoned, the damage is calculated as a percentage of the maximum HP and continues to deal damage.

Additionally, it imposes a 10% penalty on speed.

"But... Elma, listen! If we sell this, we can eat delicious food every day! We can eat until we're full, and even have dessert!"

Lucie mentioned what she considered to be the utmost modest luxury.

"Next time, let's look for a good restaurant in Lakorina. This city is well-developed, so we should be able to find a nice place."

The total amount from the magic stones of "Angel's Toy Box" and "Centipede Mine," along with the reward for defeating Embryo, already amounts to 24 million gold, even without considering the main drop items.

A little bit of luxury wouldn't bring any punishment.

"Rather, I want to use black steel for my armor and mithril for my weapon. Is that okay? Considering the blacksmithing costs, it might even exceed the market value of the 'Poison Centipede Dagger.'"

Indeed, a "Mithril Ingot" is a high-value item comparable to the "Poison Centipede Dagger."

Moreover, requesting a blacksmith capable of handling mithril would come with a significant cost.

――――――――――――――――――――

Mithril Ingot

【Market Value: 25 million gold】

A mithril ingot.

A magical metal with a strong mana glow.

Also known as magic silver.

A rare and expensive metal; having mithril equipment is a sure sign of a respected adventurer.

――――――――――――――――――――

Considering the cost of materials and the commission for the black steel armor, the total would be quite substantial.

The material cost for a "Mithril Ingot" alone is 25 million gold.

Combined with black steel, it would certainly exceed 30 million gold.

In that sense, I feel a bit guilty.

Especially since we also have the expenses from "Smoldering Fang."

The shield can remain as it is for now.

The "Mad Goblin Shield" and "Black Steel Shield" we currently have don't have a significant performance difference.

However, I want to replace the "Iron Armor" I've been using since the beginning.

"In other words... the total cost of our two sets of equipment would be 60 million gold..."

Lucie gulped.

"However, to process mithril, we need a high-level blacksmith. Even in Lakorina, the city of adventurers, we might not find one."

To process metals from the "Dream Hole," a blacksmith needs a dedicated skill tree.

In a world where death is permanent, high-level blacksmiths are even more valuable in the "Magic World."

Afterward, we spent some time searching the city for a blacksmith capable of processing mithril.

However, as expected, most high-level blacksmiths were employed by nobles or had large shops in the capital, and we could only find blacksmiths up to level 45.

After half a day of visiting shops and asking around, we finally obtained information about a level 60 blacksmith.

However, he was described as a stubborn and grumpy old man, and not recommended due to his troublesome personality. He wouldn't take a job no matter how much money was offered if he was in a bad mood.

"This doesn't seem like the place where a top blacksmith would live..."

We arrived at a shack-like house off the main street.

"Are you sure this is okay? I'm starting to feel uneasy..."

Lucie knocked on the door and cautiously opened it.

"Excuse me... I heard there's a blacksmith named Berga here..."

"Brats again! No matter how much you threaten me, I won't forge a sword for a rotten kid like you!"

A hoarse angry voice came from inside.

"Ah! I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

Lucie bowed deeply, not understanding what was happening.

"Who are you? Not those brats, are you?"

An old man with thick glasses and white hair appeared from the back of the shop.

He had a bushy white beard and was holding a large hammer.

We were startled by the sudden outburst, but it seemed to be a case of mistaken identity.

...However, the reputation of the stubborn and grumpy old man seemed to be accurate.