Chapter 150: Care (2)

A lot happened during the few days I was admitted to the Temple.

Most of it I had already heard from Karen, so it wasn’t particularly surprising…

Except for one thing: several major clans had made offers for me to join them.

Whether they wanted to exploit the super-genius pretty boy adventurer Jonny Boy, or scout me fairly, there were quite a few trying to pull me to their side.

Most gave up immediately upon learning that the Lydia-Benny party, and Ellie were by my side.

Pretending to be sick and hospitalized, I rested for a few days even after I was fully recovered.

As a result, I was able to discharge with ‘thank-you notes’ from the elves who survived thanks to me, bounties sent by the Guild, and some small gifts from various clans hoping to get along well with me.

“My goodness. How much is all this?”

“Haah. I exchanged everything for cash or Magic Stones as requested…but what on earth are you going to use it for?”

Rosemary, who had converted all the minor items received during this process into money or Magic Stones, let out a deep sigh with a tired face.

Well. From my perspective, it feels like Eve’s darkening event has ended, but for Rosemary, who is busy with the aftermath, it’s just the beginning.

I patted her shoulder to encourage her and asked.

“So?”

“Hmm?”

“So, how much is it all together?”

“…So it’s like that, huh.”

Rosemary let out an even deeper sigh and continued.

“Well. I’m not sure exactly, but if we combine everything, it should be roughly around 60 gold.”

“Oh!”

Considering that 40 gold was the bounty paid by the Guild, the gifts I received here and there must have been quite expensive.

Maybe because I’m still a rookie, I received quite a few elixirs as gifts, and even after setting those aside for later, I still had 20 gold.

“Elves are profitable…!”

“Do you usually say that in front of an elf…?”

“Hey. Regardless of your race, Rosemary, you’re like my friend, aren’t you?”

“I heard from Lady Eve that you call me and the Cradle Trading Company moneybags.”

“Such a rumor! Have I ever asked Rosemary for money?!”

“You haven’t. But you at least know better than to butcher a pig that hasn’t fully grown.”

“……”

“…Could you please not stop there?”

Rosemary spoke with an earnest voice, but since she wasn’t good at lying, she chose to remain silent.

Thinking that I should make Eve keep her mouth shut more thoroughly later.

“Ah! Come to think of it, Rosemary.”

“What now?”

“Is the Cradle Trading Company in urgent need of cash right now?”

“It seems so. There’s so much money to be spent here and there that we’re even offloading the business.”

“Then if I buy something from Cradle Trading Company with this money, could you give me a good deal on something decent?”

The moment those words were uttered. Rosemary straightened her back and adjusted her clothes.

In an instant, the disheveled and fatigued look disappeared, and Rosemary bowed respectfully at a 45-degree angle.

“Welcome, customer. With a budget of 60 gold, and considering your preference for swift and tricky tactics over direct confrontation, I have two recommended items for you. They are located on the second and third floors respectively. Which would you like to see first?” R̃À𐌽O͍𝐛ËȘ

“…Wow.”

As soon as she realized I was here to spend money and not collect it, the service became blatantly accommodating.

Thinking that a pro is indeed a pro, I chuckled and replied,

“Let’s start with the second floor.”

After much browsing and deliberation, I decided on a set of daggers enchanted with various spells and easy retrieval.

And a set of crossbow bolts enchanted with illumination and explosive magic.

The total price came to 10 gold. She didn’t shave off even a single penny.

Having realized the usefulness of the Wrist Crossbow after taking down Tuberose, I bought throwing knives and enchanted arrows for mid-to-long range use.

However, this realization of usefulness also highlighted certain inadequacies.

The armor made from Iron Wolf leather, which was almost invincible on the first floor, felt lacking in many ways on the third floor.

And although my greatest weapon is the Unicorn Dagger, it is too unsuitable for dealing with large enemies like the Minotaur.

For that reason, before selling the loot obtained from defeating the Minotaur, I set aside some materials and commissioned an item.

Most of the money from selling the remainder of the corpse went into the commission fee, so my expectations were high…and today is the day to receive it.

“Dwarf lady. I’m here~.”

“Haha! Isn’t this the famous hero causing a stir these days! I didn’t expect you to come right on the day I announced its completion!”

A dwarf woman, similar in height to me or slightly shorter, with skin tanned from the forge, thick arms honed by hammering, and a sturdy waist like a log, greeted me.

She continued speaking, shrugging cheerfully.

“Today happens to be the day I got discharged as well. Not just a brief outing like when I took the request, but a complete discharge.”

“They said your whole body was wrapped in bandages, but you’re already fully healed? That’s amazing!”

“Even the Temple folks were calling it a miracle. If you say that too, auntie, I’ll be too embarrassed to handle it.”

“Oh ho ho! Then I should stop now. Anyway, if you’re here to see the item, wait a moment. I’ll go get it.”

The dwarf lady who laughed heartily disappeared into the workshop. And soon after, she returned with three items that had been requested.

One was a set of chokers for me and Ellie, made from the Moonlight-infused Crystal that had been commissioned through Benny before subjugating Minotauros.

They were ordinary chokers resembling a dog collar. Both had size adjustment magic cast on them, with the names Ellie and Jonah engraved in the center as a focal point.

Each artifact contained a power: one strengthened wolf beastkin like a bright full moon, and the other specialized in concealing presence like a dark new moon.

“Mmm. It’s well-made as requested. The design is pretty too.”

“It’s my first time making a choker, but I’m proud of how it turned out. Of course, with such good materials, it’s only natural.”

“Ahaha, I’m satisfied, so I’ll take it as it is. If it breaks later, you’ll fix it again, right?”

“Since it’s equipment that relies on the power of the materials, as long as the power of the materials hasn’t run out, I’ll fix it as much as you want.”

“Great! Then let’s move on to the next one!”

As I put the choker in my robe pocket and giggled, the dwarf craftsman lifted an entire armor stand and placed it right in front of her.

“Armor made from the leather of a whole Minotaur. It’s made as a one-piece suit, so there are no gaps, yet it doesn’t hinder movement, and it should be easy to put on and take off by yourself. I made it according to your request…but the design turned out a bit embarrassing.”

“Hmm. How so… Ah-ha?”

Looking over the armor fitted on the stand, I understood. This feels like a pretty thick latex suit, doesn’t it?

In other words, it’s a slightly bulkier design of the skin-tight suit worn by the superhero I saw in my previous life as a child.

Although it doesn’t cling to the body like Benny’s provocative dress, it’s true that the armor does reveal some contours.

In short, it means that it’s a slightly embarrassing armor for a man of Pangrave to wear.

“The performance is as outstanding as it looks then, right?”

“I take pride in its performance. There won’t be any monster on the 3rd Floor except for the Floor Guardian that can take down the wearer in one hit. It should be sufficient up to the 4th Floor as well.”

“That’s good enough.”

The Floor Guardian on the 3rd Floor is a golem larger than a building, so there’s no helping it. Even if the armor remains intact, one would be crushed to death by the impact or weight.

With the armor passing the test, only one thing remains.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

As I silently watched the dwarf lady, she grinned and began to speak.

“The last one is my masterpiece. Probably only a Meister could make something better with the same materials.”

“If you’re that confident, I’ll have high expectations.”

“It means you can expect great things.”

A Meister is a title given only to the top experts in each field within the Eternal Mercantile Eden’s Artisan Union.

It’s not a title that’s easily spoken of… It must really be a piece she takes pride in.

“Sounds good. Shall we unveil it without further ado?”

“Been waiting for this.”

Although I’m the one receiving the item, she places a large box on the counter with a heart-pounding expression like a child receiving a gift.

With an excited heart, I opened the box, and there lay a gigantic greatsword almost as tall as me.

“Ooh.”

It’s called a greatsword, but it’s not a properly polished piece. Its crude appearance is like a roughly hewn boulder barely mimicking the shape of a greatsword.

However, the blade was sharp enough to rival the Unicorn Dagger.

Overall, it was a weapon designed to stir a man’s heart. Or perhaps a woman’s here?

Anyway, it was a greatsword with a very savage charm. Naturally, the material was the last remaining Minotaur Horn.

I stared at it, almost entranced, and asked the dwarf lady.

“…This. What effects does it have?”

“Not much. It’s just absurdly hard, terrifyingly sharp, and so heavy that only the owner can wield it.”

Is simplicity the best? In some ways, it might be the closest to the essence of a weapon.

“May I try swinging it once?”

“Of course. But before that, it would be good to establish ownership.”

Following the given method, I dripped a single drop of blood on it, and after a brief dull glow, it quieted down.

When I grasped the greatsword, I felt something resonate within me, and the greatsword felt incredibly light.

The weight hadn’t completely disappeared, but it was light enough to wield with one hand.

“Wow.”

In awe, I carefully swung the greatsword a couple of times in the air. And then I realized.

Though a renowned craftsman took pride in this creation, its abilities were surprisingly simple.

But that’s okay. The basic specs are overwhelming enough to not need additional functions.

Hardness, sharpness, the perceived weight versus the actual weight, and even the conductivity of aura and mana.

It’s simply an overwhelmingly superior weapon. Just holding it makes me feel stronger.

After swinging it in the air alone for a while, I finally spoke with a voice still tinged with excitement.

“…It’s amazing.”

“Isn’t it?”

After paying the remaining balance to the chuckling dwarf lady, I gathered all three pieces of equipment and returned to Fairy and Silver Coin.

Now, all that’s left is to blow my entire fortune on the gacha show.