Chapter 25

We divided the money we got from selling the monster materials among the three of us. Nina and I manage the money together. According to Nina, it's easier this way.

Rena tried to decline her share, saying she hadn't contributed much and had learned from the experience, but we forced the money on her.

"Mr. Joseph is a B-rank adventurer, you know~"

"…He's a pervert."

(That perverted old man is a B-rank…)

Right now, we are heading to a store that sells magical items. Colette introduced us to a few, but apparently, high-end stores only sell to regular customers or C-rank adventurers and above.

"Hey, thanks."

Yu said this as he returned the item pouch to Rena.

"…Not 'hey.' Rena."

This exchange has happened a few times… While we were talking, we arrived at the magical item store. The item we were looking for was an item pouch, but there were various other items on display. Decorative items with skills attached were particularly expensive.

Item Pouch (6th Tier): 1,200,000 Madoka

Item Pouch (5th Tier): 3,000,000 Madoka

The item we wanted was indeed expensive. I focused my eyes, thinking about whether I could make it myself.

Item Pouch (6th Tier): Cloth bag, Benanthus's stomach, Alchemy LV3

Item Pouch (5th Tier): Sturdy cloth bag, Benanthus's high-quality stomach, Alchemy LV5

If I could get Benanthus's stomach, I could probably make it.

"Yu, item pouches are still expensive~"

"We're buying equipment too, so we'll go for the cheapest 6th tier."

Nina was seriously selecting the 6th tier item pouch. I thought there was no difference, but her serious expression made me trust her. In the meantime, I checked the skill-attached decorative items.

Parara's Bracelet (6th Tier): Increased paralysis resistance 250,000 Madoka

Messe's Bracelet (5th Tier): Increased poison resistance 300,000 Madoka

Ward Bracelet (5th Tier): Reduced surprise attack probability 330,000 Madoka

Healing Ring (5th Tier): Increased HP recovery speed 360,000 Madoka

Arest Ring (6th Tier): Increased poison resistance 180,000 Madoka

Western Witch's Pendant (5th Tier): Increased magic resistance 430,000 Madoka

I looked at a few, but they had grand names and were expensive. I also checked the materials.

Parara's Bracelet (6th Tier): Ordinary bracelet, magic stone, Alchemy LV2

Messe's Bracelet (5th Tier): Ordinary bracelet, magic stone, Alchemy LV2

Ward Bracelet (5th Tier): Iron bracelet, magic stone, Alchemy LV2

Healing Ring (5th Tier): Silver ring, magic stone, Alchemy LV2

Arest Ring (6th Tier): Ordinary ring, magic stone, Alchemy LV2

Western Witch's Pendant (5th Tier): Silver pendant, magic stone, Alchemy LV2

(If you look at the cost alone, it's a rip-off…)

In the end, we bought two 6th tier item pouches and immediately threw in the money and items. The weight didn't change, and it was incredibly convenient.

"Do we not need to buy resistance-type decorations?"

"Yeah, we can manage without them. Let's go around the weapon and armor shops."

We had been introduced to a few weapon and armor shops, but we skipped those that treated us like kids and those that only stocked weapons and armor. I had my reasons; I wanted to see the blacksmith's level before deciding. To have the materials we obtained processed and made into weapons and armor, I wanted to find a skilled craftsman and build a relationship.

We had already visited about eight shops, and the highest level blacksmith so far was level 3. There might be higher-level blacksmiths at high-end stores, but unfortunately, we didn't have any connections.

We turned off the main street to a less crowded area where there was one blacksmith shop. The owner was a dwarf, and I checked his level. His stats were surprisingly high.

Name: Woods Colory

Race: Dwarf

Job: Blacksmith

LV: 31

HP: 323

MP: 66

Strength: 266

Agility: 24

Stamina: 369

Intelligence: 83

Magic: 26

Luck: 6

Passive Skills:

Strength Increase LV3

Stamina Increase LV2

Active Skills:

Blacksmith LV5

Appraisal LV3

Unique Skill:

Bad Luck

"I'll go with this one!"

"Is this place even open for business?"

"…He looks like a stubborn dwarf."

Indeed, the shop looked run-down, and the old dwarf owner had a face that showed no friendliness, but it didn't matter. What mattered was whether he had good items and skills.

"Excuse me, we came to buy equipment."

The dwarf looked at us without a smile, scrutinizing us.

"Let me tell you, the shop may be run-down, but I only sell to those I like."

This kind of attitude made it easier for me to be straightforward.

"Got it, can I check, old man?"

"Who's an old man! I'm still in my 60s!!"

(He is an old man…)

I decided to go with 'old man' for now.

"So, what kind of weapons and armor do you want?"

"I want a two-handed sword, armor, and gauntlets. What about you, Nina?"

"Hmm~ I'm good with my weapon for now. I want light and easy-to-move-in armor~"

"Brat, you want a two-handed sword? Wait a minute."

The old man went to the back and brought out a greatsword about 150 cm long.

"Try swinging this greatsword."

Swish! Whoosh! Swish! Whoosh!

I took the greatsword from the old man and swung it with one hand. It was heavy but felt good.

"Whoa!? That's not a weapon to swing with one hand… but from the looks of your movements, you seem to have some skill. What's your budget?"

"About 100 gold coins, between me and this Nina. I'm an F-rank magic warrior, and Nina is an E-rank assassin, so if you have any recommendations, bring them over."

"100 gold coins!? Got it. What about the girl?"

"…I want a hat and a cloak. By the way, I'm an F-rank mage."

The old man, who had a grumpy face at first, started smiling and went to the back, returning with equipment in both hands.

"These should be suitable for you."

He laid out the equipment on the table.

Obsidian Greatsword (5th Tier): None

Steel Armor (6th Tier): None

Obsidian Armor (5th Tier): None

Steel Gauntlets (6th Tier): None

Hard Leather Jacket (6th Tier): None

Steel Helmet (6th Tier): None

Obsidian Gauntlets (5th Tier): None

Hard Leather Boots (6th Tier): None

Hard Leather Gauntlets (6th Tier): None

Triangular Hat (6th Tier): None

Leather Hat (6th Tier): None

Wan's Cloak (6th Tier): None

Momon's Cloak (6th Tier): None

"None of these have skills attached, but they should be sufficient for your ranks. The hard leather equipment has decent defense and is light and easy to move in. The obsidian equipment is heavy, but it shouldn't be a problem for you. For the small girl, I recommend the triangular hat and Momon's cloak. They are both black, giving a unified look."

"What's the difference between this obsidian greatsword and the first one?"

"The first one was a claymore made of steel. Since you're a magic warrior, you'll use a magic sword, right? A weapon made of mithril would be better for a magic sword, but it's way over budget and not suitable for your skill level. This obsidian is not particularly compatible with magic, but it's tougher than steel and won't wear out easily even with a magic sword."

After discussing with the old man, we bought the following:

Me: Obsidian Greatsword, Obsidian Armor, Obsidian Gauntlets

Nina: Steel Helmet, Hard Leather Jacket, Hard Leather Gauntlets, Hard Leather Boots

Rena: Triangular Hat, Momon's Cloak

The equipment for me and Nina cost 40 gold coins, and Rena's equipment cost 1 gold coin. The old man said he still lost money on the deal. He took my worn-out longsword, which he was surprised to see in such a state.

"Old man, thanks. Also, can you take materials and make equipment?"

"Bringing materials to a run-down shop like this for custom equipment? You're an interesting kid. Bring them anytime, I'm usually free anyway!"

The old man laughed heartily, but I liked his straightforwardness and decided to come back here in the future.

"See you, old man~"

"…I hope you like the equipment."

Woods watched as Yu and the others left, then sat down in a chair. At first, he thought the kids were just pretending to be adventurers, but when he saw them swing the sword, they moved faster than most warriors, and the girl, being an assassin, had impressive agility. The equipment he recommended was not for beginners but for D-rank adventurers, and he believed they could handle it.

"It's been a while since I met adventurers with potential for growth…"

Woods muttered to himself and drank his ale with a smile.