“Let’s cut the small talk and get back to the main topic.”
I distributed the papers detailing the information Sif collected about the dungeon to the group. The kids glanced over the papers, displaying a variety of reactions.
“Dr-Drake…?”
“Is it really a golem made of steel? I wonder how pure it is…”
“Fog Graveyard has a lot of fog, right?”
What are they even asking? I turned my gaze from a petrified Shuri to Karina, who was staring at the paper with intense focus.
Karina was glaring at the paper as if she were determined to memorize every word about the dungeon.
“Karina, do you understand it well?”
“Yes! But is the Dragon’s Rest only inhabited by ‘Drakes’?”
“From what I hear, there are Sea Dragons too.”
“Sea Dragons… Isn’t that a bit too dangerous?”
“Our party should be able to handle it just fine.”
Indeed, the Sea Dragon is considered among the most dangerous monsters, but there wasn’t anything our party couldn’t handle. If things went south, I could just call Renny to swing her sword once, and it would be sliced in half.
Even if someone gets severely injured, with Karina around, recovery would be quick.
As long as it wasn’t a fatal blow, dying wouldn’t be a concern—we had excellent insurance. I planned to take this opportunity to teach them how to deal with monsters at Cerberus level. Though it might be difficult to view it as standard practice, knowing what to do and not knowing make a world of difference.
Getting them to maintain composure and continue their tasks in the face of such formidable monsters was my biggest goal for this winter vacation.
Clink Composure can become a lethal weapon in a split second.
Once I thought everyone had read the contents of the paper, I tapped the table with my hand and said, “As it states on the paper, the dungeon we are heading to is significantly more dangerous than the usual ones. It might even be more perilous than the one we visited last summer, so we need to be thoroughly prepared.”
“Prepared? What do we need to prepare?”
Millia looked up at me, puzzled. I suppose having spent so long in dungeons, she wouldn’t know what’s needed to enter one.
“We need to gather food, sleeping bags, and camping gear, as well as equipment to use in the dungeon.”
“Oh, I see… So what should I bring?”
“Pack suitable clothing for activities that you can wear in the dungeon. Something close to workout gear would be best, as you’ll need to wear protective gear over it, so it shouldn’t be too thick.”
“But I don’t have winter clothes…”
“Guess we’ll have to go buy some together before we leave.”
“Hehe…”
What’s so funny? I tore my gaze from the oddly pleased Millia and turned to Karina. Since this was her first time as well, I needed to help her prepare a bit more.
“Karina, how’s your condition?”
“Very good.”
“Hmm. Then you’ll also need to get new clothes made and buy a new backpack.”
“I’ll carry Karina’s share, so I don’t need a backpack.”
“Renny, I’m sorry, but Karina needs to carry her own share.”
“Exactly! I should carry my own portion.”
I understand the urge to protect her, but some things need to be upheld.
“Renny, this is for Karina. If, by any chance, you and Karina get separated due to an unavoidable accident, she’ll have to survive with the bare minimum tools.”
“…Got it.”
Renny seemed to consider my point valid and nodded quietly without any further rebuttal.
“Now, let’s gather the clothes we’ll wear into the dungeon, and as for the weapons, you should prepare what you already have. You all should be familiar with your gear—take good care of it and use it—”
“Uncle, can I get my prosthetic arm repaired? It seems a bit stiff when I move lately.”
“Is there a problem with its use?”
“No, not really, but it might be dangerous when we actually go to the dungeon…”
“Understood. Come to my room during dinner.”
I didn’t need to go all the way down to the workshop for just a repair.
“Into your room?”
“Is there a problem?”
Why is she blushing? Is it because I’m a guy that makes it awkward for them to go in together? It wasn’t an issue when we went to check out Crow Lady last time.
Oh, that time was different because there were others with us.
As I pondered this, Millia and Elisa spoke up from either side of me.
“Can I have a peek too? I want to see how Johann works…”
“Johann, can I come to watch too?”
“I-I want to see as well…”
“That’s fine. Elisa, do you need to buy anything new?”
“I think I need to buy a new catalyst… This one is too worn out…”
“Got it.”
I shifted my gaze away from the settled Yeomyeong-gwan crew to Lewis and Shuri. Shuri seemed disinterested, but Lewis had a look of contemplation.
“Lewis, do you have something to say?”
“My sword is getting old, and I’ve been thinking about whether I should spend money to replace it.”
“Hmm. Hand it over.”
Lewis unsheathed the sword from his waist and handed it to me. I held the sheath and slowly pulled out the blade, revealing a decent-quality sword made of iron.
“This sword fit you well?”
“It feels a bit short in the handle and blade.”
It certainly didn’t seem to match Lewis’s height and hand size. I raised and lowered the sword a couple of times with one hand to check its balance and asked Lewis.
“Did you feel uncomfortable with the weight balance?”
“…Now that you mention it, I think so.”
“I’ll make you a new one that fits your body.”
This guy is a beast. He’s been fighting with a sword that didn’t fit him this whole time?
They say a craftsman doesn’t discriminate based on tools, but using better equipment will surely improve skills. I recalled the ultimate weapon Lewis could get if he took the knight route in the original story.
Wasn’t it the Stellar Blade?
I might be short on suitable materials for a weapon of the same rank, but even if the power contained in the sword is out of the question, reaching a similar base spec shouldn’t be too hard. If I coat mithril over Damascus steel, a powerful sword would emerge.
“The sword will take about three days. Until then, keep using this one.”
“Yes! Thank you, Sir Quartz!”
Lewis’s face was lighting up at the thought of getting a new sword.
“Well, that settles it. We need to go get our clothes tailored tomorrow, so everyone should follow along. Understood?”
“Yes!”
“Sure!”
Hearing the answers from the party, I stood up from my seat.
—————-
“Is everyone ready?”
“Yes!”
“Then let’s get going.”
With a total of nine people, it was a bit overwhelming to walk down the street. The guards shot me unusual glances, but who cares.
“…They didn’t recognize us, right?”
“Probably not.”
Karina, wearing a black wig and non-transparent glasses, was holding my hand and glancing around. It seemed she worried that her first disguise might be discovered.
“Disguising and deceiving people feels a bit sinful…”
“Don’t think like that. Even a saint needs time to breathe, right? Think of it as your free time.”
“…Thank you.”
We headed quietly towards the clothing store we reserved in advance through Sif, checking out the sights along the way. This place primarily sold leather attire for explorers, renowned for its skills, according to Sif.
I locked eyes with Sif, who now dressed like a company employee as we reached the store. Sif looked at me with a welcoming expression, only to gaze at the people trailing behind me with a bewildered face.
“Th-That’s a lot of people…”
“I told you. Including me, it’s eight. You’ll have to adapt, so go inside.”
“I-I’m back to work after a long time…”
“If you don’t want to, you don’t have to go.”
“No, I’ll go. I’m tired of sitting at a desk and wrestling with papers…”
So it seems.
After all, she’s not the type to sit behind a desk fiddling with a pen.
I opened the door to the clothing store and walked straight to the counter. Behind the counter was a middle-aged woman looking seasoned as she skillfully concentrated on sewing.
“Oh! Welcome! Are you the ‘Crow Hunter’ Sir Quartz? It’s an honor to meet the hero of the West!”
Crow Hunter? That sounds a bit cringey, but better than nothing, I guess.
“Miss Matilda, I hear you have impressive skills.”
“Hoho, at least I’m confident in making explorer attire in this city.”
“It’s going to be a tough schedule since we have to check every sizing for nine people.”
“I can handle that much. Now, please line up one by one…”
Starting with me?
I followed Matilda into the workshop inside the store.
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