19th
The waters of the river Styx flow majestically
019 –
“I guess there were a lot of writings that were difficult for Barbaroi to understand?”
The librarian said something to me when I returned to the library less than half a day after checking out the book.
In fact, it wasn’t that there were many difficult passages, but rather that I was afraid of losing the expensive book and wanted to quickly shake it off, but I decided to just keep my mouth shut.
“Okay, no problem, then.”
Only after I had been examined by a skeleton-thin librarian could I finally feel relieved. What the hell, why in this world do I have to feel this heartbroken just from reading a book?
“If you’re going to return it this quickly, you should read it here next time. There’s a desk and chair over there.”
“Okay, then.”
I don’t know if I’ll ever have a relationship with this librarian again. I just gave a vague answer and left the library and went out into the street.
It’s a cloudy but still sunny afternoon. I think it would be a good idea to finish all the work I had planned to do today before evening comes.
I think I need to mend or replace my clothes that are blowing in the wind.
Also, more importantly, I think it would be a good idea to buy defensive gear when you have the money.
During my first assignment, I was attacked by unexpected goblins, and I had to endure frequent injuries and excruciating pain.
It is self-evident that in the future, as I work as an adventurer to earn money and level up, I will have to endure even more physical hardships than this.
It may sound like an adventure, but there is no other industry like this in the 3D industry.
If you rush into a situation without any preparation, you’re likely to get hurt. In that sense, protective gear will be a great way to protect your body.
In fact, Elfriede and her colleagues put a lot of effort into wearing armor. To the point of being picky.
… Looking at it this way, the knowledge I learned step by step under her is helpful in its own way.
Since I happened to be walking around the streets looking for a library and happened to have seen a defense equipment store, I headed there without hesitation.
“Come in.”
An appropriate answer is heard as soon as you enter the store.
Inside the store, breastplates, helmets, and legguards made of bones, iron plates, and wooden boards were hung here and there in a disorderly manner. The smell of iron and oil was terrible, but it was bearable.
“What did you come here to buy?”
A man about half my height licks his lips at me, but his eyes don’t turn to me. He just sits on a chair and keeps polishing his metal plate armor until it’s shiny.
Unlike the thin cucumber-like Platan, it has a solid appearance like a sweet potato, potato, or rock, and a rich beard.
It’s a dwarf. It’s so freaking amazing.
“What are you looking at? Is this your first time seeing a dwarf? You giant. You didn’t come to see me, did you? What brings you here?”
There are many places that sell armor and weapons, but the dwarven stores are said to be the most cost-effective. Anyway, I spoke to the dwarf who seemed to be the store owner.
“I’m looking for some wearable armor.”
“That’s right. That’s why you came to my shop. But it’s so big, I don’t know if there’s anything that would fit. I think I’ll have to order it.”
“Custom made?”
“The price varies depending on the material, but since it’s so big, it would cost about 20 silver to put together the whole thing. There are cheaper ones too, but they’re better than not wearing them.”
20 silver? I don’t have that much money.
Of course, this must have been done cheaply. It seems that the Temple Knights of the Temple or high-ranking adventurers above Silver rank are willing to spend tens of silver coins on a single pair of shoes.
So I compromised and bought only a few braces to protect my wrists and shins.
“Thank goodness I have a larger size. It seems to fit perfectly. It was heavy and big, so no one could use it. Since it was in stock, I’ll give you a discount.”
Oh, the discount is really sweet. And I really like the way the armor itself sparkles with a black glow. It kind of looks like the carapace of a horned insect, I guess?
The black light band is long enough to protect from the back of the hand to the elbow.
And the shin guard protrudes slightly above the knee from the shin, so it can guard the joints without getting in the way of the shoe.
The band-shaped fixing bracket feels a little tight, and it’s heavier than it looks, so it moves a little slowly.
He said that this is the only armor in this store that fits my body and is affordable for me.
“It’s made of giant ara crab shell and oiled olive wood boards, so it should be sturdy. It’s so hard that it’s hard to break on purpose. It doesn’t really have any drawbacks, except that it’s a bit heavy.”
The Giant Arachnids were a monster I often fought when I was Elfriede’s slave. I never thought that the shell and the wooden planks would be worth 5 silver. They are expensive.
“The band is a little tight, how can it not be?”
“That’s because it’s made from crocodile tendon. If you keep wearing it, it will probably stretch to fit perfectly. That’s why it’s expensive.”
“hmm….”
“But when you buy something, it’s better to buy something expensive. Cheap things tend to break and break easily. Oh, and the repair and maintenance costs can be even higher. That one doesn’t even need any special maintenance. A savage gentleman wouldn’t mind that kind of thing.”
It’s not that I don’t like taking care of it, but it’s more like I don’t know how to do it. Anyway, it looks like an expensive piece of armor.
After hearing that, it seems like it’s more beneficial to use one for a long time than to buy a cheap one and keep replacing and repairing it.
It seems like the right thing to say, but it also feels a bit uneasy, since I lack knowledge of this world and this dwarf is a merchant and speaks well.
Because my ears are on the thin side.
“Among the Iron-rank adventurers, there is no one who wears better protective gear than you. You won’t regret it. I’ll fix it for you twice as a service, so come back when it breaks.”
It’s a bit disappointing to lose so much money at once, but let’s think of it as an advance investment to earn more money in the future.
I’ll quickly get to the silver level, take out a bank loan, and open a health center here. Then I can sit back and make money comfortably.
It’s too harsh to have to roll out the field when you have the grace that others don’t easily have.
Anyway, half of the money I had was gone in an instant, and I was left with 5 silver and 60 coppers. If you convert it to copper, it’s 560 coppers.
15 copper for 3 meals a day. 10 copper for bed. If you use an average of 25 copper a day, it will last about 25 days. If you skip breakfast, you can use it longer.
Just the right amount of money to live on. But it’s not a lot of money. In this world, unexpected events happen so quickly… .
“Hey, you little brat. I finally found you. You savage, did you think you’d get away with doing that?”
Look, shit.
*
It happened in an instant. I was wearing the armor I had just purchased, leaving the store, and walking down the street when I heard a fairly high-pitched male voice behind me.
“Brother Wutter, it’s me! It’s that kid! That black hair, that big guy! There’s no doubt about it!”
Black hair?
I’m the only one with black hair around here. So I’m bound to run into a truckload of people who pick on me because of my looks and size.
Still, there was something about their reaction that was more concerning than a simple quarrel. It felt like they knew me?
There are three gangs in total.
They were a group of people so fierce and unique that it would be a hassle to describe their appearance.
Judging from the many scars on their faces and the shoulder pads they are wearing, they seem to be mercenaries. Each of them is armed with an axe and a longsword on their waist, creating a slight sense of tension.
Well done-.
I could tell they were adventurers like me, because I could see the iron identity tag (similar to a military tag) that marked them as Iron Tier adventurers, worn around their necks like a necklace.
“Hey, you little brat, where have you been running around like that? You were in a place like this!”
A man with an M-shaped bald head, who seemed to be the leader of the group, growled at me.
It’s a face full of personality, so once you see it, you’ll never forget it. But unfortunately, I can’t remember it.
“Look at this kid. He looks like he doesn’t know anything. Are you ignoring us right now? Huh?”
“Brother Wooter, you have to show me an example.”
Why are you pretending to know me?
Are they guys I unknowingly touched or got into a fight with when I was drunk and blacked out last night? That’s all I can think of right now.
They are all about a head smaller than me, but they are also armed.
Also, since there are three numbers, the thought that if an annoying fight breaks out, I might get seriously hurt crosses my mind.
“You’ve been doing it safely?
But I didn’t like the way they kept swearing and cursing at me. So I decided to ask them back in a way that wouldn’t cause any trouble.
“What happened? Do you know me?”
“You little punk, just pretend not to know and watch me beat you up. If you don’t know, I’ll tell you a story so you can remember. Guys, take me to that dark alley over there.”
“yes.”
“Follow me, kid!”
Even though they are a group of adventurers of the same iron rank, is there a hierarchy among them?
Anyway, two men who were instructed by the balding man approached me on my left and right and tried to grab my arms. Shit, if I were to be dragged to a dark place like this, there’s no telling what would happen.
So I swung my arms violently against the restraints that were squeezing me.
“Why is this kid so strong!”
“Hey, be quiet, kid! I tried to say it with words, but it didn’t work!”
Slurp, slurp.
The bastards seemed to have given up on using force, each pulling out a longsword and an axe from their waists and taking up a stance. Shit, I didn’t expect this kind of fight to break out.
I can’t help but feel nervous in front of the power of the blade.
“This kid!”
A man with an axe swings his weapon with all his might toward me.
This is clearly an act of murder.
This kid is trying to kill people on the street in broad daylight! No matter how fucked up this world is, is this acceptable?
As I backed away from the attack and looked around, people on the street exchanged glances here and there.
“What, what?”
“Is this a fight?”
“It sounds fun.”
It seemed like no one wanted to get involved.
It’ll be annoying if I get entangled, so I’ll just watch for a bit and avoid it – that’s clearly what he’s thinking.
This is the continent.
Because it is a place full of disorder and chaos, just like the continent!
“What the hell.”
I had no choice but to back away, avoiding the axes and blades flying towards me. However, I was unable to dodge the attacks coming from both sides, creating an opening.
“Send it to Pluto!”
As if he thought he had seized his opportunity, the axe, raised high, came crashing down right at me.
Whoosh- I could see the rusty blade slowly cutting through the air and approaching me. Is this a kaleidoscope?
Shit, I have to die like this without even knowing why? Feeling so wronged, I raised my arms as if I was grabbing at straws. It would be better to have my arms cut off than my head cracked open.
Bang-.
That was when.
“Uh, what, what is it?”
The man’s axe, which I thought would cut off my arm, bounced back as if it had hit a rock, causing me to stagger in my stance.
It was only then that I realized the existence of the bracelet on my arm. I had forgotten about it because I had just bought it and was unfamiliar with it, and also because I was embarrassed by the situation.
Anyway, damn, it looks sturdy enough to be worth 5 silver. But it’s dented. Damn! I just bought it!
“You little shits!”
You’re saying that you’re denting a brand new product that you just picked up? I’m not generous enough to forgive you for that.
I suddenly felt a surge of anger in my head. When I came to my senses, I was striking a man in the face, unable to keep my posture.
Bam-.
“Gueeeeeek-!”
It was a punch so strong it literally shattered the lower jaw.
It seems that the weight of the fist itself increased as the heavy armor on the wrist increased. Anyway, I was surprised by how strong the punch was.
“Ouch, do it, do it, huck-!”
“Scar! Scar! You fucking savage! Not only did you hit Daphne’s cheek, you hit Scar’s chin!”
“What, Daphne?”
“You won’t say you didn’t know, you savage! You slapped Lady Daphne on the cheek. That is unacceptable behavior! We, the group that watches Lady Daphne from afar, will punish you!”
What the heck is this group of people watching Daphne from afar? What the hell, isn’t that stalking?
Stalker.
The word stalker made my head spin like I was cramming the night before an exam.
Daphne, a receptionist at the Mars Guild, was suffering from a delusion that someone was following her and spying on her. But what if it wasn’t a delusion but rather a reality to some extent?
If someone was really chasing Daphne, spying on her, and making her feel some kind of pressure.
Wouldn’t it be fair to return the slaps and misunderstandings I received to their original owners?
“Because of you, I… Anyway, it was nice meeting you. Stalking is punishable by death, you little shits!”
[Work review] The 20th episode that I had been saving for the next episode is finally being uploaded ㅠㅠ… Actually, I wonder if it’s right to release it all at once, but the responsibility will be on the Michuri of Tomorrow, the Michuri of Tomorrow Sand, and the Michuri of the distant future, hehe. Let’s do our best!!
