Chapter 1

The atmosphere is a bit heavy up to Chapter 3. The protagonist is also weak up to Chapter 3. From there, the mood becomes quite light.

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Equipment determines your life.

Choosing equipment is choosing your life.

He who controls equipment controls life.

Every time I hear such a common saying, I think it's true.

"Reward? No way in hell I'm giving you one?"

I'm pushed by a man in golden armor and fall pitifully to the floor. The floor of the adventurers' guild meeting room is dirty, littered with someone's phlegm and food scraps. I don't want to sit on such a floor for even a second, but when I try to stand up, my stomach is stepped on.

"I let you carry my luggage, a 'Zero's Noroa' with zero equipment slots. That's reward enough, isn't it?"

The man in golden armor, who is kicking me, sneers. This man has been my companion for the past few jobs. For a week, I followed him as a porter, was treated terribly, was deliberately provoked by monsters, and was tormented... and this is the result.

Indeed, for me, 'Zero's Noroa' without equipment, this is a fitting end.

"What? What's that face? Are you making fun of me, a guy with three equipment slots?"

"......I'm sorry."

I'm used to being unjustly angry at. There's no point in resisting. After all, his adventurer rank is B. The equipment he wears, with three equipment slots, is a gold sword, gold shield, and gold armor, all top-tier B-rank equipment. For me, a G-rank adventurer without equipment, he is a being beyond the clouds. So, it's inevitable that I'm oppressed.

...Equipment really does determine your life. Without equipment, humans are too weak. Without equipment, humans cannot defeat monsters. That's why humans make a soul contract with weapons and armor—equip them. The strength of the equipment is the strength of the human, and the number of equipment slots, which is the number of weapons and armor one can contract with, represents the talent of the human. An average person has one equipment slot. A combat profession has two. A strong person has three. A hero class has seven. On the other hand, my equipment slots are zero. Being given zero equipment slots by the gods is not just a lack of talent; it's enough to be despised as a filthy existence.

"Ah, from tomorrow, I'll be so relieved without you. I don't have the luxury of carrying luggage into the dungeon."

As I watch the man leave laughing, I just sigh. My emotions have long been numb, and I no longer feel regret. This is my daily life, after all, as "Zero's Noroa."

---

In addition to being kicked around, there is one more daily routine in my life. It's peering into the display window of the armory. I've been called an equipment otaku since I was young, and just looking at shiny equipment makes me happy. Humans are scary, dirty, and do terrible things... but equipment is always noble and beautiful. All equipment is like that. Especially the equipment in the armory at the edge of the commercial district is exceptional, and I never get tired of looking at it no matter how many times I come.

"Ah... how nice."

The display window here features an Adamant Armor that shines in a blue-silver color. Its equipment rank is the world's highest A-rank. It's the same rank as a holy sword and might even be worth a national treasure. The reason such A-rank equipment exists in this town is that the shop owner found it during his adventurer days. He couldn't equip it himself, but he couldn't bear to sell it because of its beauty, so he's kept it all along. Indeed, if I got my hands on this armor, I wouldn't be able to let it go. It's that attractive.

Moreover, this Adamant Armor is not just beautiful. When equipped, it boosts defense by 200. My defense is 14, so just by equipping it, my defense would increase by more than 15 times. As expected of A-rank equipment, it's in a different league. Still, I can't equip it, even if I had the money.

Equipment is a soul contract with a weapon. If the weapon doesn't recognize its owner, it won't work. With armor, you can't even wear it. If I can't equip it, the Adamant Armor would just be a decoration.

"...I wish I could equip it someday."

I say this, but I know it's an impossible wish. I can't equip any weapons, no matter how much I love them. I can only be satisfied with looking at them. I've always done this. No matter how much I admire them or how much I want them, I can only grit my teeth and watch as someone else buys them.

While thinking about this, I must have gotten lost in my own world.

"Hey, can you move a bit?"

The person speaking was a porter carrying a wooden box. I hadn't noticed anyone approaching, and I was blocking the way.

"Huh? Oh, sorry."

I reflexively bowed and apologized, making way. The porter quickly carried the wooden box into the armory. It must be new equipment from the dungeon. New equipment. Even if I can't get it, I'm interested.

After the merchant left the store, I went in.

"Welcome..."

Mr. Yabuki, the shop owner, muttered while inspecting the contents of the wooden box. As a former B-rank adventurer, his muscular build is intimidating. The lack of customers in this store is probably partly due to Mr. Yabuki's appearance.

"Um, are these the ones you got today?"

"Hmm? Yeah... but, 'Zero's Noroa,' huh?"

Mr. Yabuki's face darkened when he saw me. Of course, he knows I don't have money and can't equip anything. A customer who sits in the store with no intention of buying anything. If he could be friendly, he'd be a saint. Still, Mr. Yabuki, though brusque, doesn't treat me rudely, which is a relief.

"Mr. Yabuki, did you get any good equipment?"

"Yeah, I haven't fully appraised them yet, but... this one might be B-rank. The attack power is over 100, I think."

Mr. Yabuki took out a silver sword from the wooden box. The extremely thin blade that could cut through steel, the intricate magical patterns engraved on the blade, and the simple yet elegant hilt... I can't help but be drawn to it.

"Wow... it's so cute."

"Cute? Hey, don't get so close with that face!"

"Eh...? Oh, sorry!"

I realize I was almost touching the blade with my eyes. I quickly pull back.

"Seriously, you're still an equipment otaku..."

"Hehe... sorry."

I always lose myself when I look at equipment. Especially high-rank equipment, it's so cute. Looking at it makes me go "haa haa" and sometimes I even think I want to marry such equipment in the future. But, I'm not considering marrying any equipment other than the Adamant Armor yet. Anyway, for my brain, equipment is like an attractive partner. That's why, when I see someone else equip it, I feel like I've been cheated on.

After that, I watched Mr. Yabuki appraise the weapons with a magnifying glass-like appraisal tool. It must be difficult for him, but he didn't say anything. Maybe he wanted someone to talk to since there are hardly any customers.

"Hey, you..."

"Huh?"

While casually looking into the wooden box, I heard a faint voice. I look in the direction of the voice, but no one is there. It sounded like a girl's voice, but it wasn't Mr. Yabuki speaking. Well, Mr. Yabuki might occasionally speak in a high-pitched voice.

"Ah... I guess I can't be equipped... even speaking is exhausting... I'll go to sleep..."

"What...?"

The voice comes again, but there's nothing around. Well, there is something... just a palm-sized doll in a birdcage. A cute doll with black hair and red eyes that seem to be looking at me. It looks out of place among the other weapons, but since it's in an armory, it must be an accessory-type equipment.

I was strangely drawn to the doll, but it couldn't be the source of the voice. The voice stopped, so it must have been my imagination. I stopped worrying about it and turned my attention back to Mr. Yabuki. There was something I really wanted to ask him.

"Um... is there any 'cursed equipment' in here?"

Mr. Yabuki looked at me silently, with a face that said, "Not this again." For Mr. Yabuki, who dislikes cursed equipment, this question is like a taboo. Still, I couldn't help but ask.

"Well, they do sometimes mix in, but they're not that common. Adventurers aren't stupid enough to touch equipment randomly."

"Right..."

For adventurers, whose strength is determined by equipment, cursed equipment that forces them to equip it just by touching it is a true nemesis. Cursed equipment pushes aside other equipment and equips itself, consuming one equipment slot. And there is no way to remove cursed equipment. Once equipped, you have to keep it on until you die, paying the "price" attached to the cursed equipment. That's why adventurers are extremely careful not to touch cursed equipment. They don't touch anything that looks like equipment until it's appraised. Even touching with gloves or gauntlets can trigger cursed equipment, so they wrap it in cloth or put it in a box when transporting it. They take thorough precautions to avoid any contact with cursed equipment. If cursed equipment enters the market, it's immediately disposed of, and it's illegal to sell or equip it intentionally.

"Ha..."

Mr. Yabuki sighed, stopped his work, and looked at me.

"I don't know why you're looking for cursed equipment, but don't ever touch it."

Mr. Yabuki's face was serious.

"Because it's illegal?"

"That's part of it, but that's not all. I've been an adventurer, and I've seen many people destroyed by cursed equipment. Cursed equipment... losing your mind just by touching it is the best-case scenario. There are plenty of people who died the moment they touched it."

"Die... just by touching it..."

I swallowed hard.

"I'm not trying to scare you. I'm just stating the facts. Cursed equipment is really that dangerous."

"Right..."

I slumped my shoulders.

...I know. I know cursed equipment is dangerous. Anyone who lives in this world, whether noble or commoner, knows it from childhood.

Still, I...

"Ha... you still have that look of not giving up."

Mr. Yabuki scratched his head.

"By the way, have you been to the eastern dungeon?"

"Eh, yeah."

The eastern dungeon is a new dungeon recently discovered in the eastern forest. Now, the adventurers in this town are all challenging it. I went there with the man in golden armor, too. Just as a porter, though.

But why did the eastern dungeon suddenly come up? I couldn't give a proper answer to the sudden question.

"This is something I heard at the tavern. The contents of the treasure chest at the end of the eastern dungeon are said to be cursed equipment."

"Eh?"

"The cursed equipment is still in the dungeon. If you want it so badly, you should try it. But for you, without any equipment, it might take centuries."

"...Why are you telling me this?"

"With your zero equipment slots, you probably can't equip it even if you touch it. Besides, you'd hear it from someone else soon enough."

Mr. Yabuki said brusquely. It might just be a casual comment for him, but it was a piece of information like a revelation to me.

"I'll try it!"

"Be careful and run if it gets dangerous."

"Okay... thank you...!"

"Don't thank me."

With Mr. Yabuki's embarrassed voice behind me, I ran off.

There's a chance to get cursed equipment. Even that small hope makes my steps lighter.

I know cursed equipment is dangerous.

But I want my own equipment.

No one knows, but I'm not really "Zero's Noroa."

I do have equipment slots.

And the number of my equipment slots is—

—9999.

In a world where the highest human is said to have seven slots, it's an absurdly high number.

Of course, no one would believe me, and I eventually started passing myself off as having zero slots.

Besides, it's true that I can't equip normal weapons.

I visualize my status in my head.

Noroa Reita, Adventurer, Level 10

HP: 74

MP: 15

Attack: 12

Defense: 14

Speed: 17

Magic: 17

Luck: 11

Equipment Slots: 9999

- Weapon: None

- Armor: None

- Accessory:

1: ■■■■【Curse】 (Equipment Slots: 9999)

This is my status.

Ignoring the opinion that I'm too weak for an adventurer, the problem is the accessory in the equipment slot, '■■■■【Curse】.'

Its details are as follows:

- ■■■■【Curse】

...Details unknown.

Rank: ??

Type: Accessory

Effect: Equip Love (Equipment Slots: 9999)

Price: Can only equip cursed equipment.

A mysterious cursed accessory I've had since I was old enough to understand. The reason I've never equipped anything is because of this cursed accessory.

The price of this accessory is that I can't equip normal weapons.

But, in exchange... I can equip as many cursed accessories as I want.

—You can become stronger than anyone in this world. Maybe even stronger than me.

—So, please... find cursed equipment.

—And when we meet again someday... please, help me?

I remember someone saying this to me, whose face and voice I've forgotten. The words "you can become stronger than anyone in this world" are my driving force and my only hope.

If I can get cursed equipment, something might change.

If equipment determines life, maybe this miserable life can improve a bit. Even if equipping it destroys me... I can't fall any lower.

So, there's no reason not to try.

With that in mind, I began preparing for the dungeon challenge.

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