Chapter 86

"Hello there!"

As I called out to the counter, where no one seemed to be, Paiser slowly appeared from the back, where he had been working.

"Hey, it's Loki, huh? Say, your equipment looks pretty worn out, doesn't it?"

"Hehe, I've been pushing hard in Lulub... I came today to ask for maintenance."

Even if you're not a craftsman, you can kind of tell the condition of your own equipment.

The leather armor, which had been gnawed on by small wolves, was now full of scratches, and the sword—how many thousands of enemies had it cut down?

By the end, I felt a strange sensation when beheading orcs, and the blade was starting to show signs of wear.

Especially the knife I used for disassembly, which I had been swinging around quite recklessly in Lulub, was probably at the end of its life.

So, when I was told to take off my armor, I placed my sword on the counter and started to loosen the leather armor. Paiser, watching me, spoke up.

"I've heard the rumors. You've been holed up in Lulub without returning to town, right?"

"Yeah, that's right. The exchange rate there is pretty bad, so I thought I could just stay there."

"Totally foolish... Is that why your equipment is in this state?"

"When I started hunting along the river, which hadn't been frequented for a while, the number of monsters was way more than I expected! But the efficiency was good, so it helped."

As I said this, I handed the leather armor I had taken off to Paiser, who looked it over and muttered.

"I can repair it, but replacing it might be an option—"

"I'll go with the repair!"

I blurted out, interrupting Paiser.

Right now, I don't feel any lack of power with this equipment, and the [Enchantments] on each piece are very useful to me.

Eventually, I will replace them, but I still want to use them for a while longer.

"Hmph... If that's what you want, then fine."

Paiser, who seemed somewhat pleased, confirmed with me.

"I'm taking a break from hunting, so I'm not too worried about the time... How long will it take?"

"About a day for the sword, and two days for the armor."

"Got it. I'll come back in a few days to pick them up. By the way, I have a question for you, Paiser."

"Hmm?"

"Can [Enchantments] be applied only once to a piece of equipment?"

This was something I had been quite curious about.

If multiple [Enchantments] could be applied, my combat power would significantly increase.

And while I don't know how much money I have, it seems I won't need to worry about money for a while, so I could invest a considerable amount in [Enchantments].

In fact, I couldn't think of many other ways to spend my money.

The lady at the magic stone shop knew that [Enchantments] could be applied to magic stones, but she didn't know about the limits or rules of [Enchantments].

So, if [Enchantments] could be stacked, I was thinking of buying some high-quality magic stones from the magic stone shop.

"The material of the equipment and the skill level of the enchanter determine it."

This vague answer left me puzzled.

Would it be possible with the equipment I'm currently using, which was handed down from my son?

Seeing my uncertain expression, Paiser continued.

"First, to be clear, no more [Enchantments] can be added to this sword and armor."

"Really...?"

"Even if you complain, with this sword and armor, it's probably impossible, regardless of the skill level of the enchanter."

"Probably? Is it not certain?"

"Yeah, the workings of magic and skills are still being explored."

It seems that [Enchantments] are still a subject of ongoing research. The mechanism of [Enchantments] that I was told about was somewhat complex but also intriguing.

First, equipment can be broadly categorized into weapons, armor, and accessories, which are made by a different specialized profession. Each category has a rank, which is mainly determined by the materials used.

For low-rank hunters like me, the materials used are iron or low-level monster skins, which are naturally of low rank.

However, when rare minerals or materials from high-level monsters are used, the material rank increases, and there are more examples of multiple [Enchantments] being applied.

This seems to be related to the affinity between the material and the magic power used during the [Enchantment] process, but it's not yet fully understood.

It has also been confirmed that the skill level of the enchanter affects the success rate of multiple [Enchantments], with higher skill levels leading to more successful examples.

Additionally, there are two types of [Enchantments]: [Skill Enchantments] and [Attribute Enchantments]. The success rate is higher when different types of [Enchantments] are applied rather than the same type.

In other words, [Skill Enchantment] + [Skill Enchantment] is less likely to succeed than [Skill Enchantment] + [Attribute Enchantment].

The highest known example of [Enchantments] is three on a single piece of equipment. This is possible with high-rank materials that have high affinity with magic power, and by requesting a high-level enchanter to apply both [Skill Enchantments] and [Attribute Enchantments].

Unfortunately, my equipment is made of low-rank materials, and Paiser's [Enchantment] skill level is also low. In the past, he has never successfully applied [Skill Enchantment] + [Attribute Enchantment] to similar materials, so it seems that stacking [Enchantments] on my current equipment is not possible.

(Hmm. I kind of understand, but there are still some parts that don't quite sit right... Surely, with this level of material, it should be clear that only one [Enchantment] can be applied, right?)

Paiser says that even with iron or low-level monster skins, it's "probably" not possible.

But wouldn't it be a one-shot deal if someone with a maxed-out [Enchantment] skill tried it? I asked, and—

"You're an idiot. People who reach skill level 10 are extremely rare. You might hear rumors about combat skills that are easy to level up, but for job-related skills like [Enchantment], it's almost unheard of. Even if it were possible for long-lived races who have lived for hundreds of years, they wouldn't be the type to share information, and the premise of testing at level 10 is flawed."

—This was the fierce counterattack I received, as if to say, "Don't spout nonsense."

The "easy to level up" part probably refers to the occupational bonuses I heard about from the church's Merries.

Even with such bonuses, reaching skill level 10 is a significant challenge...

But thinking about it, that makes sense.

If we use the number of monsters killed as a benchmark, it takes about 10 times as many to go from level 4 to level 5.

This means going from around 100 to 1,000 monsters.

Assuming the monsters have a skill level of 1, it takes this many to reach level 5.

So, the number required for levels 9 and 10 is unimaginable.

Moreover, considering that skill experience points increase very slowly, even with related actions—

It's a realm that only someone who has dedicated their entire life to a single skill could reach.

That's what skill level 10 is.

—However.

"Foreigners have high-level skills, right?"

"…Yeah. That's why they're called 'heretics' or 'monsters.' Though I've never heard of a foreigner with [Enchantment]."

"…"

It seems similar to Yagof, the guild master.

From the way he talks, he doesn't seem to have a good impression of foreigners.

So, it might be difficult to reveal my true identity in a pinch… Let's change the topic.

"By the way, if each piece of equipment can have only one [Enchantment], does that mean the effects of multiple [Enchantment]-equipped items can stack?"

From what I've heard, this might be a loophole?

If one iron weapon can have one [Enchantment], then having multiple small, cheap weapons would be fine.

Like a ninja's shuriken, carrying 10 or so wouldn't be a problem in terms of weight.

"Sure, that's what everyone thinks. But it's been tested, and the answer is 'there are limits.'"

"Hmm? What limits?"

"Weapons: 2 types. Armor: varies by type, but all together, 2 types. Shields are treated separately. Accessories: 2 types. This is the maximum number of [Enchantment]-equipped items that can be effective."

"I see… So, a shield user can have up to 7 [Enchantments], and others can have up to 6. And with high-quality materials and a high-level enchanter, it's possible to have multiple [Enchantments] on one item, right?"

"Exactly. So, for you—first, it would be good to have a [Enchantment]-equipped secondary weapon in addition to this short sword."

I see, a secondary weapon.

In that case, it might be better to have a separate disassembly knife.

The disassembly knife tends to wear out quickly, and it feels a bit wasteful to apply an [Enchantment] to something that will be discarded.

"Hmm, how much would it cost to have a [Enchantment] applied to a secondary weapon by you, Paiser? The content would be [Increase Maximum Magic Power] or [Increase Automatic Magic Power Recovery]."

"For a [Skill Enchantment], a proper request would cost around 1 million bekes."

"…I see. So, it wouldn't be worth applying to a disassembly knife or beginner's equipment."

"Exactly. [Enchantments] are meant for equipment you plan to use for a long time. In Bezart, there are far fewer people with [Enchantment]-equipped items."

Hmm…

I thought about it for a moment.

The main reason it wouldn't be worth it is the cost.

Paying 1 million bekes for a 50,000 to 100,000 beke disassembly knife or beginner's equipment doesn't seem to make sense in terms of return on investment.

For me, the cost isn't an issue, but I don't have much attachment to a disposable disassembly knife.

But what about a proper, long-lasting secondary weapon?

In Lulub, the sheer number of monsters made it almost a dual-wielding situation… though it's not really dual-wielding since they're not swords.

The knife was too short and hard to use.

But a larger weapon would be cumbersome and get in the way when not in use…

So, what about a 50-60 cm blade, like a katana?

Ideally, I want to improve my [Swordsmanship] skill.

A blade of this length could be considered a sword, and if I go with a design similar to my short sword but a bit shorter, it wouldn't interfere with my [Swordsmanship] or [Dagger] skills.

It wouldn't be too burdensome when not in use, and it would have decent killing power when needed—

Yeah, that's it.

I looked around the shop, but there were no swords of the size I was thinking of.

So—

"I've decided! I want a sword that's about 20 cm shorter than this short sword—use the best materials you can, within your means! And of course, with [Enchantment]!"

At that moment, Paiser smiled, as if accepting a challenge.