During the few days I was hospitalized in the temple, a whole lot happened.
Most of it wasn’t surprising since I had already heard it from Karen’s mouth, but…
There was one exception: several major clans had sent me membership proposals.
Whether they wanted to cheat the rising genius boy adventurer Jonah or recruit him properly, there were quite a few trying to pull him to their side.
Most of them dropped out as soon as they realized that Lydia, Benny, and Ellie were by my side.
Having pretended to be bedridden and rolling around for a few days even after I was healed, I was finally able to leave the hospital with the ‘thank you’ from the elves I helped survive, a bounty sent from the guild, and a few gifts sent from various clans wanting to get along.
“Oh my. How much is all this?”
“Haah. I turned it all into cash or mana stones, but… what on earth are you planning to use it for?”
Rosemary let out a deep sigh, looking exhausted after converting all the trivial items I received into cash or mana stones.
Well, from my perspective, the dark event regarding Eve felt like it had come to an end, but for busy Rosemary, it was just the beginning.
I patted her shoulder as a sign of encouragement and asked, “So?”
“Hmm?”
“So what’s the total amount?”
“… Is that what you’re asking about?”
With another deep sigh, Rosemary continued, “Well, I can’t be exact, but if you add it all up, it should be around 60 gold.”
“Oh!”
Considering that 40 gold of that was the bounty issued by the guild, it seems that the gifts I received from here and there were quite precious.
Being still a rookie, there were quite a few elixirs among the gifts, and even though I had set those aside to eat later, it amounted to 20 gold.
“Elves are valuable…!”
“Is that something you usually say in front of elves…?”
“Come on. Rosemary is like a friend regardless of race, right?”
“I heard from Eve that you and the Cradle Association are called the ‘money bags’.”
“Such rumors! Have I ever asked Rosemary for money?!”
“You haven’t. But I do know you’re not the kind of fool who butchers a pig that hasn’t grown yet.”
“…”
“… Could you not keep quiet here?”
Rosemary said with a desperate voice, but I chose to stay silent since I don’t usually lie.
I thought I should be more thorough in keeping Eve’s mouth shut later.
“Oh! By the way, Rosemary.”
“What is it now?”
“Isn’t the Cradle Association in urgent need of cash right now?”
“Seems like it. They’re so strapped for cash they’re even selling off some businesses.”
“Then I’ll buy something with this money from the Cradle Association, so can you get me something decent at a cheap price?”
The moment I said that, Rosemary straightened her back and adjusted her outfit.
In an instant, her disheveled and tired appearance vanished, and she bowed politely at a 45-degree angle.
“Welcome, dear customer. With a budget of 60 gold in mind, and considering your preference for swift and tricky methods over a direct power struggle, I recommend two items. They’re located on the second and third floors; which one would you like to check out first?”
“…Wow.”
As soon as she realized I wasn’t someone who’s going to take money from her but someone who would spend it, her blatant service attitude was impressive.
I chuckled, thinking a pro is a pro, and replied, “Let’s go to the second floor first.”
After quite a bit of browsing and deliberation, I bought a set of throwing knives enchanted with various types of magic, and a set of bolts for a crossbow enchanted with light and explosion magic, merging them all for ten gold. She didn’t even give me a single coin off!
*
After defeating Tuberose, I realized the usefulness of a wrist crossbow and bought some enchanted arrows to use for long-range attacks.
However, while I acknowledged this usefulness, I also realized my shortcomings.
The armor made from the skin of the Iron Wolf was nearly indestructible on the first floor, but it fell a bit short for use on the third floor.
And while my greatest weapon was the Unicorn Dagger, it was simply unsuitable for battling larger foes like the Minotaur.
For those reasons, I had set aside the loot I gained from defeating the Minotaur before selling it off, having commissioned a special item from it.
I had high hopes as most of the money I would get from selling the remaining carcass would go toward my commission… today was the day I would receive it.
“Dwarf lady! I’m here!”
“Haha! Aren’t you the hero making waves lately! I didn’t expect you to come right after I announced it was completed!”
A middle-aged dwarf woman, similar in height to but slightly shorter than me, with brown skin singed from the fire and strong arms that looked like they were molded from tree trunks, greeted me warmly.
Shrugging her shoulders playfully, she continued, “It just so happens today is your discharge day too, right? This isn’t a quick outing like when you commissioned.”
“You said I had wounds that wrapped my whole body in bandages—are you really healed already? That’s amazing!”
“Everyone at the temple was calling it a miracle, but if even you say that, I’d be too embarrassed to keep going.”
“Ohoho! Then I guess I’d better stop. Anyway, if you’ve come to see the goods, just wait a moment. I’ll fetch them right away.”
The cheerful dwarf disappeared into the workshop but returned shortly with three items.
One was the choker made from moonlit crystals for Ellie and me, which I had requested through Benny before taking on the Minotaur.
It looked like a regular pet collar. Both could adjust to size magically, and the names Ellie and Jonah were engraved subtly in the center.
One amplified the Wolf Hybrid like a bright full moon, while the other, like a dark new moon, specialized in hiding one’s presence.
“Hmm. This is just as I ordered. The design is pretty too.”
“It’s my first time making a choker, but I’m confident that I did a good job. Given the quality of the materials, it’s natural.”
“Aha, I’m perfectly satisfied, so I’ll receive it as is. You’ll repair it if it breaks later, right?”
“Since it relies on the power of the materials, as long as that power hasn’t been depleted, I can fix it as many times as you need.”
“Sounds great! Let’s move on to the next one!”
I tucked the choker into my robe pocket and giggled, as the dwarf craftsman now brought over an armor stand.
“This armor is made entirely from the skin of the Minotaur. It’s a complete set combining both upper and lower parts, with no gaps, allowing ease of movement, and you should be able to put it on and take it off by yourself. I made it according to the request, but… the design turned out a bit shameful.”
“Hmm. How so… Ah-ha?”
As I scrutinized the armor draped on the stand, I understood. It looked somewhat like a thick latex suit, right?
In other words, it had the feel of the tight suit worn by old superheroes in my previous life, albeit with a slightly duller design.
It wasn’t as form-fitting as Benny’s suggestive dress, but it certainly revealed the outline.
In other words, it’s a bit embarrassing armor for a man of Pangrave to wear.
“Still, the performance is exceptional, right?”
“The performance, I can boast about. Aside from the floor guardians on the third floor, no monster will be able to kill the wearer in one hit. It should be just fine for the fourth floor too.”
“That’s sufficient for me.”
The guardian on the third floor was a golem bigger than most buildings, which couldn’t be avoided. Even if the armor were intact, the impact or weight would probably crush me.
Having passed on the armor, there was just one item left.
As I quietly gazed at the dwarf craftsman, she grinned and began speaking.
“The last one, I proudly declare, is my masterpiece. Only a master could make something better with the same materials.”
“Wow, with that level of confidence, you’re setting my expectations sky high.”
“You can expect great things.”
A Master is a title given only to the very best in their craft within the guild of artisans in Pangrave.
Since they don’t easily toss that title around, this must really be something exceptional.
“Good. Then let’s skip the suspense and open it right away.”
“Your awaited gift.”
It was supposed to be my item, yet she looked like a child receiving a gift as she placed a large box on the counter.
With anticipatory excitement, I opened the box, and inside was a greatsword nearly my height.
“Whoa.”
It may be called a greatsword, but it wasn’t well-crafted or fine. It looked like a solid block of rock just carved to resemble a sword.
However, the blade was sharp enough to rival that of a Unicorn Dagger.
Overall, it had a design that would, in theory, woo any man’s heart. Oh wait, am I a woman here?
Regardless, it was a horrifyingly beautiful greatsword. The material was, naturally, the last remaining horn of the Minotaur.
Staring at it with fascination, I asked the dwarf, “What effects does this have?”
“Nothing special. Just absurdly solid, chillingly sharp, and heavy enough that anyone but the owner would struggle to lift it.”
Simple is best, they say. It might just be the essence of what a weapon truly is.
“Can I swing it once?”
“Of course. But you should probably identify it as yours first.”
Following her instructions, I let a drop of blood fall on it, and it let out a muffled glow before settling down.
Grasping the greatsword, I felt a resonance, and it became so light in my hands.
The weight hadn’t entirely vanished, but it felt easy enough to wield with one hand.
“Wow.”
Amazed, I cautiously swung the greatsword through the air a couple of times. And then I realized.
This was an incredible item the famed craftsman was proud of, yet why was its ability so simple?
And this is acceptable! It’s to the point where additional functions aren’t even needed due to overwhelming basic specifications.
Durability, sharpness, the weight I feel versus its actual weight, along with its aura and mana conductivity.
Just all of it was a superb weapon. Simply holding it made me feel stronger.
After swinging it through the air for a while, I finally composed myself and spoke with residual awe in my voice, “It’s amazing.”
“Isn’t it?”
After paying the remaining balance, I gathered all three items and returned to the Fairy and Silver Coin.
Now, the only thing remaining was a gacha show where I could blow my entire fortune!
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