The next day, I left the inn before noon for a specific reason.
“Alright, first order of business is shopping, Deles. Let’s find you something better than a copper sword.”
“Yes, but as a Porter, this is more than enough for me.”
Nina’s footsteps were light. She must have enjoyed herself last night.
*She always does that on the first night she arrives. She was even doing it while we were traveling…*
More importantly, what I meant by “more than enough” wasn’t just about the copper sword. It was also about the four-times-capacity Porter Bag I was carrying on my back. It was the first piece of equipment Nina bought for me when we arrived in the Ailee Kingdom, and that alone made me happy.
“The Hero Sword. In your world, it’s called the Pride Sword, but here, they have the Prince Sword and the Princess Sword…”
“Ah, so the Princess Sword was the initial equipment for the female hero in this world after all? You get it at the Adventurer Guild.”
“That’s right. They’re gender-specific. The Prince Sword emphasizes strength, while the Princess Sword focuses on speed and lightness.”
“But it’s Orichalcum, so it’s definitely sturdy. Speaking of which, what’s the Berserk Sword made of?”
“This is Adamantite. It’s also been made heavier and stronger through a special technique. It has a special magic enchantment that reacts to the Hero’s Magic Power.”
The enormous Berserk Sword.
Just using that much expensive Adamantite material made its value incredible.
This sword, likely one of a kind in the world, was impossible to ignore just walking around.
“With Deles’ earnings, couldn’t you have made an Orichalcum Sword on the Eastern Continent? The materials would be the same as a Hero Sword.”
“Ah, that seems… like I’d feel defeated, or like someone who isn’t a hero imitating a hero and thinking they are one. Something like that.”
“You mentioned that before, didn’t you? Something about pride in abandoning the hero… I ate that pride for you, though.”
“Hahaha…”
“Jokes aside, I see it now. It’s a weapon and armor shop that also does enchantments. They even make equipment that can only be made here.”
While the exterior didn’t look like a church, it wasn’t rugged or overly stylish, but rather gave off an aura similar to a serious Adventurer Guild. Many people bustled about.
“They have everything from disposable items to lifelong treasures. I stop by every time I come to Ruanko.”
“First, the sword section, I presume.”
“Ah, let’s see… there it is. That’s the highlight here – the Adamantite Sword.”
Unlike Nina’s Berserk Sword, it was a normal sword, just a little longer than average. However, it had decent, albeit simple, decorations. The price was eighty Gold coins.
“That’s expensive.”
“That’s the base price. Given the materials, enchantments will double the cost.”
“Ah, so that would be sixteen Large Gold Coins then?”
“Hey, Shopkeeper! Long time no see! I’ll take this Adamantite Sword. He’ll be using it.”
“Oh, it’s you from the Ailee Knights! And he’s… hmm? Still a child?”
Nina’s murderous intent spiked at his words. I had to step in.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Deles, from the Eastern Continent. I’m technically a Hero, and I’m 19 years old.”
“Oh, my apologies! I’m Blitz, the owner of this shop. Do you have any specific requests for the enchantment?”
“Um, so it gets stronger with the Hero’s Magic Power…”
“That’s standard. It’s the basic, natural feature, but anything else?”
“Then, make it as light as the Hero Sword. That would feel more fitting for me.”
After a detailed consultation, Nina paid the full amount.
“The enchantment will be finished by tomorrow evening, so you can pick it up when you return from the Dungeon!”
“Ah, I’ll count on you.”
“Thank you very much!”
As soon as we were done, we headed to a cloak shop.
“Ah, it’s nice for a female hero to wear a mantle, isn’t it?”
“Do you mean in a cool sense? Or…?”
“Huh? Is there another meaning besides cool?”
“No, nothing at all. This is my first time here… Excuse me, Shopkeeper.”
“Oh my, what a lovely customer! What are you looking for, darling?”
A flamboyant, yet beautiful, makeup-wearing individual whose beard scars were visible – a perfectly common male, really.
“I’d like to commission a lightweight mantle. I have the materials. Deles, bring me that black fur.”
“Huh? Black… Oh, that one? You mean all of it?”
“What are you saying?… Amazing! Is this… the fur of a Sexypanther, perhaps? A Demon Lord class one?!”
She was so surprised, her makeup was almost falling off.
“Ah, with this, please make two of each size for myself and him, plus a spare.”
“Sure, darling! But even with your own material, it’ll be pricey, darling!”
“I know. So, let’s make it two more, no, three, four more. Also, make some in normal sizes and sell two of them here.”
“Eh?! Really?! That’ll be an amazing feature product, and two of them!”
“Then, please charge me for the adjusted price, and return the leftover fur.”
That Sexypanther fur, which became incredibly hard imbued with magic, would likely make a mantle that could unscathed deflect any half-hearted arrows or spears.
“…Thank you. I’ll hold onto it for now. It’ll take about four days for them to be ready.”
“Ah, please make them the type that can be worn like a Robe when wrapped.”
“It’ll be expensive, but leave it to me, darling! This will be a big job!”
She was beaming with joy, her eyes sparkling. Good. I didn’t want to stare too much, but…
“The payment will be upon completion. I’ll be waiting!”
“Understood. See you in four days.”
“Y-yes, please!”
Next up is the armor shop then.
“This is the last stop. I decided to buy lightweight equipment based on Deles’ advice about the loss of momentum when stepping.”
“Are you referring to Mithril? But if you increase the strength of an alloy, it becomes heavy.”
“Well, on this continent, we have processed Mithril where the material itself has been altered. See, that’s it.”
What I saw was incredible equipment.
“Whoa, th-this is… a Bikini Armor!”
“That’s right. It’s made by combining White Mithril and Metal Mithril, giving it incredible strength. Not only that, but when worn, it protects the exposed skin with magic. However, the price is one Platinum Coin.”
“Platinum Coin?”
“That’s ten Large Gold Coins in Deles’ continent. Large Gold Coins aren’t minted here anymore. It’s usable here in Ruanko, where donations from all over the continent, or rather, the world, are gathered, or in Ailee, which is at the gateway to the continent. But you’ll visit countries where it’ll be difficult to use in the future.”
“I understand. I’ll exchange some money somewhere. Do you happen to have Platinum Coins?”
“I had one left over from the reward I received from the Ailee Kingdom for defeating the Demon Lord.”
She purchased it with such ease…
I was forced to accompany her for a fitting, and it was truly an assault on the eyes.
“I won’t wear this yet because I need to combine it with the mantle.”
“I-is that so? When combined with the mantle, it will surely… ah.”
“It’s this late already? I have a meeting at the lunch spot. Let’s hurry.”
I was reminded of the words Nina almost said about the mantle, beyond just “cool.”
Many female customers were here, not Adventurers, but many female Clerics from the Church filled this bustling eatery. She led me into a stylish, feminine restaurant that I wouldn’t normally enter alone. *Isn’t this the kind of place you go on a date?* As I thought that, a monstrous (excuse me) figure was devouring a giant Parfait at the very back.
“Sorry to keep you waiting, Karna.”
“Oh, Nina! Is the small one next to you your boyfriend?”
“He is. Isn’t he great?”
She dropped her spoon, seemingly in shock, as if it were a joke. Then, she grabbed Nina’s hands and looked overjoyed.
“That’s great, that’s really great! I’m glad you found a legal partner.”
“Boyfriend, your name is?”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Deles, more of a Hero Porter, and I’m 19 years old.”
“I see. I’m Karna. I’m a Warrior, a Tank, and a married woman of 29.”
She was huge. Bigger than Nina, both in height and width.
“Then, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll sit down. Deles, you’ll be next to me.”
“Yes, Nina. Um, can I order lunch now?”
“Ah, they have Sandwiches and other light dishes, but…”
As she said that, Nina ordered enough to fill the table.
“Now, let’s get to the main topic.”
