First Purchase

After buying a slave, my stock of one hundred large gold coins had dropped to thirty-nine.

Next, to prepare our equipment, we headed for a weapon and armor shop.

I had never been there before, so I had Liricia guide me.

Hand in hand, the two of us walked down the main street.

Then we went into a large weapon and armor shop facing the street.

Inside, the spacious shop floor was crammed with swords and axes, armor and shields.

Expensive-looking swords and spears hung on the walls.

“So, Liricia, what kind of equipment can you use?”

“I think wood and leather gear that doesn’t interfere with healing magic would be best for me. And some potions and herbs, if possible.”

“Hm? If you can use healing magic, do you still need herbs?”

“People who only use healing magic are called healers. Those who pray to the gods and perform healing and exorcism are called priests or clerics. And those who use multiple herbs and medical knowledge to multiply the power of healing magic are called recovery specialists.”

“That’s impressive… Have you trained for combat?”

“Do recovery specialists also fight?”

It seemed she didn’t understand even the basics.

Even a rear-line role needed to fight to defend themselves if they ended up surrounded by monsters.

I shook my head.

“So six hundred really was too much.”

“I–I am terribly sorry! I did have four hundred fifty to five hundred in debt, so Master Simon probably didn’t profit that much…”

“Ah, it’s fine. I mostly just needed anyone with common sense.”

“I—I’m sorry, Master…”

“Don’t worry about it. I’m counting on you.”

When I patted her head, Liricia’s cheeks flushed in embarrassment.

I decided to leave choosing her weapon for another time and started with armor.

I picked out an iron breastplate for myself, and for Liricia, a leather cuirass and a small wooden shield, a buckler.

Then I looked for a weapon for myself.

Swords, axes, spears, halberds, hammers, daggers.

I checked through them one after another.

Liricia tilted her head, her rich silver hair sliding down in a smooth wave.

“Will you not be using a sword?”

“Mm, I always found swords awkward. I feel like a different weapon would suit me better.”

“I see. I see…”

She seemed oddly bewildered, almost dejected, behaving in a strange way.

Ignoring it, I picked up weapons, poured strength into them, then put them back again.

I repeated that over and over.

The reason a hero’s attacks were so effective against monsters was that he poured his own holy wave energy (Serâge) into his weapon when he struck.

But no matter what I did, when it came to swords, the holy wave energy slipped right out as soon as I tried to channel it.

So I was testing each weapon, one by one, to see whether it could hold that power.

—But I just couldn’t find a good one.

With a sigh, I muttered to myself.

“There really isn’t anything decent among off-the-shelf gear.”

A voice came from over by the counter.

“Oh? You’ve got some nerve saying that, kid.”

“Hm?”

I looked over and saw a bearded shopkeeper standing at the counter with his arms crossed, scowling.

“We’ve got nothing but good stuff here. You saying my eye for quality is bad, huh?”

“That’s not it. I’m just looking for something that can hold more… magical power.”

“Ah, so you want a sword tough enough to withstand the magic-swordsman skill ‘Magic Sword,’ huh?”

“No, that’s not it either… Hmm…”

I hesitated, unsure how to explain the holy wave energy that was unique to heroes.

Then Liricia, standing beside me, nodded and her hair swayed.

“So the weapon Master has been looking for all this time was something like that! —Leave it to me!”

With that, Liricia made a ring with her fingers and held it to her eye.

Using her “finger glasses,” she stared around the shop—at the packed racks of weapons and even the ones on the walls.

“Ah! There it is! —That sword looks promising.”

She pointed at a single-edged sword hanging on the wall.

Its blade was black as night, with strange patterns etched into it. It looked quite ominous.

Was it really safe?

The shopkeeper grimaced.

“That one’s cursed, you know. You sure about it?”

“What kind of curse?”

“Just holding it drains your magic.”

“Oh… Let me see it.”

“Don’t go passing out on me. Happens from time to time with that thing.”

With that warning, the shopkeeper wrapped the sword in cloth before taking it down from the wall.

He brought it over to the counter.

I accepted it and wrapped my hand around the hilt.

Immediately, my holy wave energy was pulled into it with a heavy tug.

The black blade began to glow a pale blue. It felt perfectly at home in my grip. The holy wave energy only gathered in the blade and didn’t leak out.

“Oh. This is good—how much is it?”

“Y-you’re fine even holding it? That’s amazing… Well, since it’s cursed, I’d say eight hundred thousand.”

“I don’t know the going rate… What do you think, Liricia?”

“Well, I’m not entirely sure, but for a single-edged sword, that seems a bit much. If it were double-edged, that would sound fairer…”

The shopkeeper scratched his head roughly.

“Then let’s say seven hundred twenty as a favor.”

“How about seven hundred?”

“Fine, seven hundred.”

I placed the iron breastplate, the leather armor, the buckler, a robe, and some packs on the counter.

“And sell me this armor and shield as well.”

“Got it… Breastplate is twenty, leather armor twenty-five, buckler five, two hooded robes and two backpacks for four. With the sword, that’ll be one million two hundred forty thousand gort.”

“Huh? The leather armor costs more?”

“If you want cheaper, I’ve got an eight-hundred-thousand one. That brown one on that shelf over there.”

Now that he mentioned it, the leather armor we chose was white and bleached. Thin and sleek. Shaped to follow a woman’s curves.

I looked at Liricia.

“Is this the one you want?”

“Yes, this is the best piece here.”

She declared it confidently, running her slender fingertips over the white leather.

—I’d trust the eyes that found that sword.

“Alright then. We’ll go with this.”

I took thirteen large gold coins from my pouch and lined them up.

The shopkeeper accepted them and handed over six small gold coins.

“Here’s your change. So, you putting it on right away?”

“Yeah. Let’s try it on.”

—Given how little common sense I had, there was a good chance I’d put the gear on wrong otherwise.

Following the shopkeeper’s instructions, Liricia and I equipped our purchases.

I strapped the breastplate over my clothes and threw on the robe, then hung the sword at my waist.

Liricia wore the slim leather armor under her white habit and put on a robe over that.

We both shouldered our packs.

—I actually felt like an adventurer now.

The shopkeeper seemed to agree.

“Not bad at all. You look the part. Do your best out there.”

“Yeah, thanks.”

“Thank you for everything.”

Liricia and I thanked him and left the shop.

As we walked down the street, Liricia leaned in close and whispered.

“Thank you very much for buying the equipment I chose. I’m really happy.”

“Don’t mention it. I trust you, Liricia.”

“Thank you!”

“Next is adventurer registration.”

“Yes! The Adventurer Guild is that way!”

Pressing her chest against my arm, Liricia clung to me as she led the way.

—Come to think of it, do slaves normally cling to their masters this much?

With no common sense to judge by and no experience with women, I had no idea.

Doing my best not to focus on the softness pressing against my arm, I kept a calm face as I walked down the street.

I now had twenty-six large gold coins and six regular gold coins left—two million six hundred sixty thousand gort.