Chapter 85

Summary of the previous episode ------------------------------------------------------

Review of the current battle.

We are currently underpowered against more than 10 orcs, including the Orc Leader.

We aim to upgrade our weapons and learn new magic.

When we returned to town, we sold the orcs at the guild as usual. However, since our funds were low, we only sold six today.

From there, we headed to Gantz's weapon shop.

"Hello~"

"Welcome."

The one who greeted us was a middle-aged woman I had never seen before.

Gantz usually manned the shop when I came, but had he hired someone? Probably to help with Tommy's training as well.

"Oh, it's Sibyl."

I thought, but it seemed Toya knew her.

When I asked with my eyes, he told me she was "Gantz's wife."

I see, so he was married. Well, at his age, it's normal to be married. And he has a steady job too.

"Gantz, are you free now? I have something to discuss."

"Your husband? Please wait a moment, I'll call him."

Sibyl bowed slightly to us and retreated to the back.

"Gantz is married, huh?"

"Yeah, I only found out recently too. They seem to get along well."

According to Toya, Gantz works in the back while his wife mans the shop, which is why we hadn't met her before.

After a short wait, Gantz emerged from the back, wiping his face with a cloth.

"Hey, it's you guys. What's up today?"

"Sorry to bother you while you're working. I need you to look at Naoh's spear and Haruka and Yuki's weapons."

"Hmm? Didn't Naoh buy one last time? Oh, you mean the new girl is using it now?"

"I can use magic, so I think the same one will do. Do you have it?"

"It's a spear made of brass and pseudo-iron. Just a moment."

He brought out a spear identical to the one Natsumi holds, and another one that was entirely black from the tip to the handle.

"This one is the same as the girl's. This one, however, looks like black iron but is actually made of magic iron. It's much stronger and sharper."

Apparently, when pitted against brass, the magic iron would remain unscathed while the brass would chip.

I tried to hold it, but—

"Heavy! This is too much!"

"It would be a good weapon if you could handle it..."

The magic iron itself isn't much heavier than brass, but using it for the handle makes it quite heavy.

Incidentally, it costs about five times as much. It's out of our budget.

"I could buy one with just a magic iron tip."

"Guys who use this level of spear can handle this weight. It can crush a goblin's skull with just a swing!"

With its weight, hardness, and length, it would indeed crush a goblin's skull easily.

If I get stronger in the future, I might consider it, but for now, I'll stick with the brass spear. A 6 million yen spear is like a national treasure. This one is practical.

"Next, Haruka, your weapon? Just a bow, right?"

"I can only use a bow, but I want a weapon for close combat."

"Do you have any preferences?"

"Not really... maybe a thrusting sword?"

"Thrusting sword? You don't usually use one, do you? It might get in the way."

Gantz brought out a sword with a long, thin blade, over a meter in length and quite heavy.

It would be difficult to climb trees or use a bow with this attached.

"Indeed, this would be tough as a backup weapon. It's surprisingly heavy."

"Right? I think a short sword of this length would be more suitable."

The next sword was about 50 cm, including the handle. This length wouldn't be too cumbersome to carry on the hip.

Haruka tried it out, swinging it lightly and nodding.

"Realistically, this is about right."

"If you can engage in hand-to-hand combat, there are weapons you can attach to your fists, but you can't, right? Knives wouldn't get in the way, but they're not very useful against monsters."

"Then, can you show me something appropriate?"

Haruka said, and Gantz scratched his head with a wry smile.

"Sorry, but we don't have any in stock at the level of the brass spear. We have some expensive ones, but they're not suitable as backup weapons. The one you have is too cheap."

Gantz brought out a beginner's iron sword, which was quite cheap. Even as a backup weapon, this level is not suitable.

"In that case, can we order them?"

"Sure. ——Right, you guys are Tommy's friends, right? How about letting him practice by making them? They're not up to the level to be sold in the shop, but he can make them for the cost of materials. At least, they'll be better than the materials alone."

Tommy can't match Gantz with the same materials, but by using better materials, he can make decent weapons for the cost of materials alone.

This way, we get decent weapons at a reasonable price, and Gantz saves on materials for Tommy's training. It's a win-win.

"Let's do that, then."

"Sure. I'll call him when he's done with a task. What about the other girl?"

Gantz turned to Yuki, who looked a bit troubled.

"I was thinking of a knife, but it's not very useful against monsters, right?"

"Hard to say. With a knife, you'd have to slash repeatedly to cause blood loss or aim for vital points... Against humans, maybe, but against monsters, even a stab to the heart might not reach it."

It's like trying to kill an elephant with a knife. I don't know where an elephant's heart is, but a knife probably wouldn't reach it, and aiming for the carotid artery in the neck would be difficult.

"Then, what do you recommend for someone like me?"

"You're small, so flails... with strength and weight, maces, poleaxes, and polearms are also options."

Basically, weapons that use centrifugal force to strike.

Flails and morning stars, for example, can deal damage through armor even with less strength if used skillfully. This might be suitable for Yuki.

In games, small characters sometimes wield large weapons like maces, but in reality, even with strength enhancement, it would be impossible without counterweights.

"Umm, flails... not cute."

"You're not looking for cuteness in a fight! If you're not mainly in close combat, a short sword like Haruka's is an option..."

"Ah, I might mainly use magic?"

Gantz snapped at Yuki, who twisted her neck and said this.

"What do you mean, 'might'? Are you mocking me with that iron rod? Get a mage staff!"

A mage staff is a wand that helps cast spells, increasing their power and allowing some physical attacks, though not too aggressively, as it could damage the staff's function.

"Do you have any mage staffs here?"

"We don't, but I can introduce you to a friend's shop. If you can fight with that iron rod, buying a spell activation ring and using another weapon might be better for your combat effectiveness, though it's quite expensive."

There are various spell activation items like rings and necklaces, but they are quite expensive.

Regular mage staffs are used by beginners to advanced users, while other activation items are for intermediate users and above, priced accordingly.

"In that case, I might ask Tommy. Is that okay, Gantz?"

"Sure. It'll be good practice for him. Wait until he finishes his current task."

"Got it."

We watched Gantz head to the back and sat on the benches in the corner of the shop.

"At least, we can get decent weapons."

"Right. We'll need training for the short swords... Toya and Natsumi, can you help?"

"Sure. Leave the swordsmanship to me."

"I hope my knowledge will be useful."

"Let's get Tommy to make something suitable."

We waited for about 30 minutes, and Gantz brought Tommy out.

Gantz sat at the counter, and Tommy came over and bowed.

"Hello. It's been a while. You want me to make weapons?"

"Yes. It's a win-win. We need short swords for me and Yuki."

"Considering the use, a sturdy one would be good. A short sword... single-edged, maybe?"

If Natsumi can teach Yuki the art of using a wakizashi, that might be a good choice.

"Something like a sturdy wakizashi... What's the priority: sharpness, sturdiness, or weight?"

"Since we'll use it during adventures, it doesn't need to be maintenance-free, but it shouldn't become unusable without regular care."

"I want it to be sharp but prioritize sturdiness. If it breaks, we're dead. I can handle some weight with strength enhancement."

"Got it... Can I have some creative freedom?"

"As long as it meets the conditions. I don't want it to be too personalized and hard to use."

Haruka said, and Tommy nodded happily.

"Understood! What's the budget?"

"Let's see... 100 gold coins per piece, for two."

Haruka looked at Gantz, who nodded in agreement.

"What's the deadline?"

"Sooner is better, but no shortcuts. How about a week?"

Gantz nodded again, and Tommy also nodded, so it was agreed.

Payment would be made upon delivery, and Tommy would inform us when it was ready, as we were staying at the same inn.

We also looked at and purchased a few large knives for disassembly, in addition to my spear, before leaving the shop.