Chapter 84

Having completed his information gathering on-site, Worm was about to take his first step toward the walled city. He blended into the line at the gate, which was short enough that even if the waiting person were a child, they could entertain themselves by poking the ground with their toes or looking up at the sky. When it was Worm’s turn, the guard’s probing gaze fell upon him, but there was no need to be nervous. It was like the immigration checks at airports in the old world, where there were no passports, metal detectors, or X-ray machines. If anything were to come out, Worm would be genuinely surprised, but apart from the weapons and his hands, which had sucked blood, he had nothing to hide.

"Your purpose for visiting?"

"It’s a labyrinth city, so I came to delve into the labyrinth."

"You don’t seem to have an adventurer’s guild tag."

"I’m a mercenary, not an adventurer."

"Where are you from?"

It was a rather dishonorable situation, but it seemed that Worm was being suspected. Since he was being framed, Worm, the party involved, answered confidently.

"From Dalimark."

"Dalimark... Ah, there was a battle there recently."

"Since the battle ended quickly, I came here looking for a job."

The guards seemed to be discussing Worm’s identity, as if to say he had no principles. Worm, who had a taste for blood and malice, was not without principles. It was frustrating to have to claim it, but Worm was a solid and reliable person.

"You’re a common mercenary. You can pass."

"One small silver coin. No ill-gotten gains."

"Enough to buy several ales just to pass through."

When Worm lamented the harsh world, the soldier delivered a painful counterattack.

"You’re a noisy one. Should we search you thoroughly, including your underwear and food, and add taxes?"

"Go ahead, but you’ll only find dust and dirt."

The soldier, after visually confirming and rubbing the small silver coin, put it in a small bag.

"Get going. You’re blocking the passage."

Without a kind word, the guard dismissed Worm, who then proceeded down the main street based on the information he had gathered. His goal was to sell items obtained from the battlefield, but it wasn’t easy to find a reputable store in the back alleys.

The store Worm visited was one used by novice to mid-level adventurers and mercenaries. The information he had obtained from a drunk adventurer, who had been further loosened by ale, indicated that the store dealt not only in swords and spears but also in a wide range of other items. Pushing open the door, Worm stepped inside. The brass doorbell rang, announcing his presence.

Swords and spears were naturally plentiful, as were blunt weapons. The armor ranged from leather to metal, and there were items that were unfamiliar from the battlefield or looked old. They might have come from the labyrinth. Worm approached the man behind the counter, who appeared to be a sword merchant, and who finally straightened up upon noticing Worm’s approach.

"What can I do for you?"

"I want to sell weapons."

"Your longsword?"

Worm denied the shopkeeper’s probing question, made while the sword was still in its sheath.

"No, something else. I have a considerable amount, but can I leave them here?"

"Yes."

The merchant, who looked puzzled, watched as Worm laid out the weapons he pulled from a magic bag. The magic bag was something he wanted to keep hidden, but carrying a large number of weapons through the city would attract the attention of the patrolling soldiers, even if he looked like a mercenary or adventurer.

"These, these..."

The sword merchant’s eyes changed as one weapon after another was pulled from the magic bag. He did not ask any tactless questions about magic, but calmly checked the craftsmanship and materials.

"They’re not from the labyrinth, are they?"

Some of the spearheads had deformed rivets and nail heads, as Worm had hurriedly cut off the wooden handles to avoid the metal parts.

"They seem to have been collected from a battlefield, and only the ones in good condition."

"Can I buy them? If they were picked up from a battlefield..."

"Of course, whether from the labyrinth or a battlefield, they’re still weapons. I don’t care who or where. Quality is everything."

"That’s a good attitude. If you mean it, I can sell these."

Worm placed a small bag on a corner of the counter, which was almost filled with weapons. Inside were rings, bracelets, and necklaces he had collected from the bodies of dead mercenaries. The mercenaries seemed to need to wear all their wealth to feel at ease, and they carried precious metals in various forms.

Even Worm, who was thorough, had to take some time to collect the items without cutting off fingers or arms. He did not want to further disgrace the dead, and it would be bad if they turned into undead. The only things he might have missed were gold teeth and false eyes, which would damage the bodies during collection.

Given the quantity and quality, the negotiation was not like a vegetable sale. While waiting for the appraisal to finish, Worm began to browse the store. The first thing that caught his eye was a battle axe and mace made from monster bones, which had been treated and dyed black like tar. As far as Worm knew, bones were used to make daily items, but it was hard to imagine that they could be used as weapons without losing their strength.

The sword merchant was busy appraising the items Worm had brought in, and the only other person in the store was dealing with a group of adventurers. There was no one to ask for information.

"What to do..."

Worm, who was considering whether to casually ask about the surface coating when leaving the store, noticed a bottle of liquid on the lower shelf of the weapons. Next to it, it was labeled as a preservative and repair agent, followed by "Dark Slime."

"Ah, a type of slime."

Worm had seen slimes before. They were omnivores that fed on moss and insects. In his hometown, boiled slimes were mixed with tree sap and other chemicals to waterproof water bottles and flasks. If that was the case, Worm did not understand the mechanism or effect, but it seemed that the slime had a preservative and strengthening effect on bones. The fact that the items made from bones were all blunt weapons suggested that they either hindered sharpness or were difficult to process.

It was unclear how durable they were, but the prices listed were much cheaper than metal items. For former commoners with little money, these could be a viable option as a first weapon. One of the adventurers in the store was carrying a black mace, which could be described as an object. Their equipment, even if viewed favorably by Worm, was poor, and they were likely to be classified as rural newcomers or novices.

"Wild boar leather armor and a bone mace, I wish we had some metal."

"Don’t be silly. You break your blades so often, just use the bone. It’s better than stone, at least."

"I broke a spear last time. I handle them too roughly."

"At least get a mace made from a horned grizzly’s horn, or something. This is just an orc’s thigh bone. Even goblins in the labyrinth have better equipment."

"Don’t look at me. I’m not lending you my spear."

"My sword is off-limits too."

Worm regretted eavesdropping on their conversation. The financial situation of the novice adventurers seemed rather bleak. The young boy, looking enviously at his companions’ equipment, sighed as he looked at the weapons stacked on the counter.

"Ah, some people have everything. I guess I’m stuck with bones."

In the end, the boy was dragged out of the store by his companions. The bitter taste left in Worm’s mouth was indescribable, but thanks to their conversation and the Dark Slime, he managed to pass the time until the sword merchant finished the appraisal. The price offered was reasonable, and Worm, without haggling, put three small silver coins, two