Chapter 6

Basically, I aim to write more than 2,000 characters.

Depending on how the story unfolds, it can get longer, and the length may not be consistent, so please bear with me.

Nord, after finishing his lucrative work in the dungeon using armor, sold the magic stones he had collected at the buyback station located near the dungeon entrance.

The amount he received set a new personal record for the past two weeks, and Nord's pocket felt warmer than ever.

After quickly reporting the completion of his quest to the Adventurer's Guild, Nord moved to another building.

His destination was a place a short walk from the street where the Adventurer's Guild was located, on the cobblestone roads of the capital.

The building had a sign with a sword and shield emblem prominently displayed. Opening the door of the shop with the emblem of the Blacksmith's Guild, Nord found that there were no tables or chairs inside; instead, the space was filled with weapons and armor.

Behind the thick wooden counter set up inside, a muscular man with a dark beard sat.

"Hey, welcome! What can I do for you?"

In response to the enthusiastic greeting, Nord stated what he wanted to buy.

"I need a set of armor. And I want my sword sharpened."

"Armor...?"

The shop owner scrutinized Nord.

The armor he had used for the hunt was already taken off and left at home, so Nord was currently wearing cotton pants, a tunic as a shirt, and a leather vest over it. Apart from the sword at his waist and the leather vest, he looked like a regular townsman.

"Are you an adventurer? What rank are you?"

"I've been a Slate Rank adventurer for two weeks."

The shop owner hummed, then asked about the budget.

When Nord told him the budget, the man thought for a moment and then gruffly said, "Wait here," before disappearing into the back of the shop.

After a while, the shop owner returned from the back of the shop.

With a clattering sound, the shop owner began to dress a mannequin in the shop with armor. Soon, the wooden mannequin was dressed like a warrior.

"This is hardened leather armor. It's made of leather but treated with hardening materials, so it has decent defensive properties. Of course, there's a risk it can be cut by metal weapons..."

The shop owner paused in his explanation and looked back at Nord.

"Are you a squire or something? Don't you have chainmail or something like that?"

Nord didn't ask how he knew. He could tell the shop owner, who looked a bit older than middle-aged and had seen many customers, had judged Nord's center of gravity, gait, and body movements from his experience with swords since childhood. Especially in the capital, where a weapons shop would see more soldiers and knights than adventurers, the shop owner would have been able to discern Nord's fighting style as soon as he entered the shop. However, even the shop owner couldn't guess the financial situation of the Felis family.

If Nord had been accepted into a military academy, it would have been because the Felis family had the money. The chainmail at home was used by his father and older brother, and there was none left. It would be scary if the shop owner had guessed all this on their first meeting. While the shop owner might have been able to guess if he knew the Felis family was a large one, Nord had come to a shop where he was unknown. After all, it was rare for a noble to become an adventurer, and if he was from a military family, it would be normal to send him to a military academy.

Being from a military family and not receiving such education was rare, and in the Felis family, children from both the main wife and mistresses were treated equally (the fact that Albiore, the eldest son, was a stable heir probably played a role). Nord was a child of the main wife.

Since there was no need to explain all these details, Nord simply said he didn't have any, and the shop owner began to explain the armor.

"This leather armor is designed to have a plate inserted into the chest. If you insert a wooden plate, it will be harder for blades to penetrate. Even if you can't afford chainmail, higher defense is always better, especially for the head and torso."

The chest, which the shop owner tapped with his knuckles, indeed had a space to insert a wooden plate. However, the wooden plate, prioritizing mobility, was not very thick, and it was uncertain if it could withstand an attack that could cut through hardened leather.

The shop owner continued.

"Still, it's just wood. If it's too thick, it will restrict movement, and it can break from blunt force. The wood is sandwiched between the leather, so broken pieces won't pierce your body. However, if you use iron plates instead, the defense will be much better. Iron is heavy but more resilient to impact and won't let blades through."

The problem is... the shop owner made a gesture indicating money.

"How much?"

When asked, the price was quite high. Indeed, iron was expensive.

Nord unconsciously rubbed the sword at his waist while thinking.

This sword, though not as sharp as a famous sword, was sturdy and well-made, and he had taken good care of it. It was a good find that could still be used even after he advanced to a Gemstone Rank adventurer, and replacing it with something of the same quality would be a significant expense.

Therefore, after two weeks of heavy use, it was time to have it professionally sharpened.

When Nord asked about the cost of sharpening, the total would almost deplete his savings.

However,

"Alright, I'll take it."

Nord made the decision without hesitation.

The most important thing for an adventurer is survival.

Therefore, if there was a possibility that his life could be saved with the money he had, he believed he should always choose that option.

"Alright, we have a deal!"

After paying, the shop owner said cheerfully.

"Oh, right. Since it's leather armor, the fitting won't take long, but the sword will take a few days. Do you want to pick up the armor on the same day as the sword, or do you want to equip it now?"

"Hmm..."

Which one to choose...

After some thought, he decided to equip it now.

Although he only had one sword at the moment, he could use a wooden practice sword at home. Even if he couldn't defeat enemies, he could still train to get used to the new armor.

Nord equipped the hardened leather armor!