Chapter 37

Lavia's condition had improved significantly, so after spending a long time together, they went to bed. Originally, they had planned to take it easy the next day, so there was no problem.

When Lavia and Hikaru headed to the hot dog stand, Serika was not there. The owner, with his arms crossed, turned his head to look at them and nodded.

"60 Gilan"

"I haven't even asked for it yet."

The owner busily inserted the hot dog, drizzled ketchup and mustard, and handed it over.

Hikaru paid and took a bite of the hot dog.

"Hmm..."

When he bit into the sausage, the skin burst, and the meat juice spurted out. The harmony of the tangy ketchup and the mustard was quite good.

"Isn't it a decent grade?"

"...Yeah."

"What's wrong? You don't look happy."

"No... It means I've finally been recognized, Master."

"......"

What did he just say?

Why is he looking at me with sparkling eyes?

"Well... How about adding some variety? You could add cheese or chopped onions as toppings, or use a spicy vinegar instead of mustard to make a salsa sauce."

"Got it! I'll do it! I'll conquer the world with this hot dog!"

"O-Okay..."

"It's lacking in spiciness."

Lavia said something, but he ignored it.

Later, the "Pound Hot Dog" crossed the border and spread throughout the continent—but that's another story.

Hikaru came to the "Dodrono's Armor Workshop" where he had shown up yesterday. He wanted to leave for Pound tomorrow, so he needed to prepare his equipment now.

"Sparkle, sparkle☆ My outfit!"

"Too flashy."

It was unbearable to see a middle-aged dwarf wink and make a sideways peace sign. It felt like being forced to drink sweet rice porridge in the middle of summer.

"I'd like to see a few items."

"Sure, sure. Just tell me what you need."

"First, I want equipment that can hide my presence. It can be expensive, but can you give me an estimate?"

"Are you going to wear it?"

"No, this one. I might sell it later, so I want something that can be used by both men and women."

"Hmm..."

Dodrono scrutinized Lavia. Hikaru felt a chill. If he kept looking like that, his true identity might be exposed...

"Sir?"

"Y-Yes."

Lavia panicked.

"...Your skin is so beautiful! I'm so jealous!"

Hikaru exhaled, regretting his hasty reaction.

"If that's the case, anything will suit you. I'll estimate it, so wait a moment."

Hikaru and Lavia also replenished their extra clothes for the journey. Since Hikaru's "Night Wolf's Overalls" were black, he decided to buy linen shirts and pants. However, there was a limit to what they could carry, so they had to choose carefully.

Lavia, for her part, needed women's undergarments, but it was troublesome to have to make excuses like "for my sister!"

They didn't need to replace their coats. The one that was destroyed by the attack of the knight commander Lawrence was bought from a second-hand market in the capital. For night-time infiltration, they would use something that wouldn't leave a trail.

After finishing their shopping, the total came to 800 Gilan. Choosing items of decent quality made it quite expensive.

"The estimate is done... It's quite high, though."

"How much?"

He handed over the estimation paper.

- Camouflage Lizard Leather... 9,200 Gilan

* If using Conceal Dragon Leather, +18,000 Gilan

- Spirit Magic Stone (Wind)... 1,500 Gilan

- Labor... 1,000 Gilan

- Total: 11,700 Gilan

"Dodrono-san..."

"I know, I know. That's why I said it was expensive. We're using a Spirit Magic Stone to disperse the user's scent. Not many people would pay that much for a coat—"

Hikaru pointed at him.

"1,000 Gilan for labor is too cheap!"

"Wait, that's the issue?"

"Custom-made for this price is unreasonable. At least double it."

"N-No, 1,000 Gilan is already quite high..."

"2,000 Gilan. And I want it done as soon as possible."

"Understood—wait, Hikaru. Are you planning to order it?"

"Of course. No one gets an estimate without intending to order."

"But the price—"

Hikaru took out his leather bag, which served as a wallet. The jingling sound and weight made Dodrono gasp.

"I want to know about the 'Conceal Dragon Leather.' How is its performance?"

"Overwhelmingly good. The Conceal Dragon is not a particularly large dragon and can be found in dungeons. When it blends into walls or cliffs, it's almost impossible to spot. Its skin has that function, and we can use it for the coat. Of course, the performance is reduced since it's from a dead dragon, but it's still much better than Camouflage Lizard."

"How about availability? Which material is more common?"

"Conceal Dragon Leather is easier to obtain. It's expensive, so it doesn't sell quickly. When it's killed, the stock remains for a long time. I saw it in the inventory list from a wholesaler who came from the capital recently. Camouflage Lizard has a season. It hibernates in winter, so it's often hunted during that time. It's processed in early spring, so it's not commonly available now."

"In that case, I want to use Conceal Dragon Leather."

"...Understood."

Dodrono didn't say anything more.

"Is the labor still 2,000 Gilan?"

"Yes. Conceal Dragon Leather is easier to process."

"Then how long will it take?"

"Hmm... Even with priority, it will take about 10 days. The materials need to be sourced."

"10 days..."

Hikaru thought. He wanted to leave tomorrow. He didn't want to wait 10 days.

"Can you send the finished product? I want to go to the 'Ancient Divine People's Underground Street' soon."

"A dungeon! I see, in a dungeon, such equipment would be useful."

"Do you really think so?"

"Of course. In a dungeon, the one who strikes first has a significant advantage."

"Then I want it sent to the adventurer's guild there."

"There... Routehaberd?"

Hikaru nodded. Routehaberd was the nearest city to the "Ancient Divine People's Underground Street."

"Then let's make the arrangements—"

As Hikaru and Dodrono were discussing, Lavia listened intently with sparkling eyes.

Since they didn't have the money on hand, they decided to pay 30,700 Gilan after withdrawing it from the guild. They agreed to pay the full amount upfront, and Dodrono offered to cover the shipping cost to Routehaberd.

After that, Hikaru and Lavia headed to "Renewood's Weapon Workshop."

After hunting dozens of monsters, Hikaru's "Strength Dagger" was starting to show wear. He also wanted to buy one for Lavia's self-defense.

"Wow! This one has been well-used!"

When Hikaru showed his "Strength Dagger," Renewood examined the blade and said this.

The elf, who was obsessed with forging, seemed pleased that his weapon was being used properly.

"The blade is worn out, and the handle is warped. What kind of use did you put it through in such a short time?"

"Well, a lot has happened."

"I can repair it, but I'll need to keep it for the day!"

"In that case, I'll buy a spare. And—do you have any staffs that are good for using spirit magic?"

"Staffs? The alchemist guild has a lot of good ones, but we have some here too!"

On the counter, dozens of staffs wrapped in cloth appeared.

Lavia's eyes widened.

"All metal...!?"

"Exactly! I'm a blacksmith, so I made sturdy, beatable staffs out of metal!"

"Using trees as a medium should make spirit magic easier to control..."

"True, true! But the blessings on these have nothing to do with magic!"

Ah—Hikaru understood—another disappointing weapon.

"This one has the 'Strength' blessing! This one has the 'Strength' blessing! And this one has the 'Strength' blessing!"

"Too biased."

He couldn't help but point it out.

"Guess you think so too, huh? Hehehe, that's why they don't sell at all!"

"Of course. I'd buy from the alchemist guild."

"But not all of them have the 'Strength' blessing."

Renewood pointed to one.

A dull silver rod—like a police baton. It was about 30 centimeters long with a handle. A smooth rod from end to end.

"This one has the 'Stamina' blessing!"

"Really? How much?"

"Surprisingly, 400 Gilan!"

"...It must not have sold well."

Hikaru's "Strength Dagger" cost 5,000 Gilan. This was less than a tenth of that.

He bought this "Stamina Staff" along with a "Steel Dagger" (4,000 Gilan) that had no blessings. The "Strength Dagger" was left for repair (300 Gilan).

They rode fast horses toward the eastern lake. They arrived at the lake around noon and had a meal.

(...There are adventurers here.)

Three adventurers were interviewing fishermen around the lake.

Hikaru had a hunch.

(Are they investigating my "cheating"?)

The mountain of slaying items he delivered yesterday. They were probably checking if there were any issues.

(Do your best.)

He smiled.

Hikaru and Lavia ate in a position where the adventurers couldn't see them, then entered the depths of the forest.