Chapter 28: Short Preparation (2)

Chapter 28: Short
Preparation (2)

“There’s
no romance in explorer babies these days.”

-Boom!

The
masked blonde tanned woman said, slapping her own toned thigh.

The
slap was so hard, her palm marks were red on her coppery thighs.

“A
sharp and sleek sword? Nice. A nimble and precise spear? That’s good
too. Rapiers are quite popular as well. I enjoy making those kinds of
weapons too. But…”

-Gulp.
Gulp.

She
ate and drank while wearing a mask with no holes in it.

I
stared blankly at that unbelievable phenomenon, then glanced at my
level. Seeing that I could not do anything, I just nodded.

“Mmmm!
It’s delicious. I can’t stop coming back for this. ⋯Uh,
where was I?”

‘Is
it dementia?’

The
truth is, it was nothing like this.

I
was just going to take the order, but she grabbed me at every
opportunity to give me a rant.

This
is actually the fourth time we’ve had this conversation. I can
already see what she’s going to say next.

I
glance at the level again. The level is a bully. I have no choice but
to shut up and agree.

“They’re
all efficiency-minded crabs, and no one has a romance in their
hearts?”

“Ah.
That’s right, that’s what I was going to say. You’re smart enough to
know the romance of the⋯Great
Helm?”

“⋯⋯”

I’m
getting a little dizzy at this point. What kind of a waste is this,
after praising my pitching?

“You
have eyes that can see through anything.”

The
woman suddenly clasped her hands together and held them in front of
her eyes. As if she were pretending to look through a telescope.

She
seemed to be looking straight at me, even though she shouldn’t be
able to see through her mask.

This
is an introduction I’ve never heard before. Is this the beginning of
a new drinking pattern?

I
had suspected I had similar abilities, though, regardless of the
woman’s words.

‘For
when I first laid eyes on this Great Helm, I saw a brilliant blue
glow that not even the arms dealer saw.’

And
now a dazzling light, comparable to the Great Helm, radiated from the
woman’s mask and cloak.

“They
are all illusions, the illusion of a name and a cool exterior. Even
mid- to high-level explorers who visit workshops and armory shops
have a vague idea of what they are, but few have a clear view of
their true nature.”

“Ah,
yes.”

I’m
not sure what you’re talking about. Name value? Appearance? Workshop?

‘A
blacksmith…and a pretty successful one at that?’

At
least, that’s what I inferred from the conversation so far.

“But
you’re not. You found a treasure hidden in a pile of trash.”

With
that, she gestured to my face with her hand. Or, more accurately, the
helmet I was wearing.

“Well,
I’ll admit it’s a bit, well, crude in its construction. It was my
first piece, but still! It hasn’t sold in over a decade?!”

-Gulp.
Gulp.

The
woman gulped down the 82-degree dwarven brew like it was water.

Her
esophagus must have been burning, but she continued as if she didn’t
care.

“Hmph,
even after I became truly successful, I still visit the armory I
first delivered to every now and then, and it breaks my heart to see
the helm lying on the shelf, untouched, and the saddest part is that
no one has ever recognized its worth.”

The
woman spoke as if lamenting her predicament.

“But
if I say, ‘I made this,’ it’s a bit⋯
well, it’s like I’m asking you to buy it, it’s like I’m giving up my
pride. Isn’t that right,
huh?”

“Yes,
it’s a bit annoying.”

“Isn’t
that right?! You think so?!”

As
I continued to listen to the woman’s words, my doubts kept piling up.
But I summarized the story as best I could.

‘Is
she saying that she’s upset that her first artwork didn’t sell
because she’s already successful?’

And
that piece is the Great Helm I’m writing now?

Is
it like a famous artist wanting to be recognized for his work when he
was younger?

“Yes,
it is. Now that I’ve found the owner, I don’t have any regrets,
c’mon, it’s finally sold!”

-Gulp.
Gulp.

-Kee-hee!

The
woman emptied the bottle in a flash and staggered to her feet.

She
was so happy that her first creation, the helmet, had finally sold,
you could feel it in the air.

“How
much is it?”

“Thirty-six
silver coins.”

Thirty-six
silver coins for a meal it’s a lot of money, almost two months of my
salary.

No
wonder she’d just emptied seven bottles of expensive dwarven brew.

As
I pondered that, the woman pulled something even more incredible from
her bosom, a golden coin, glowing with a brilliant yellow light.

“I
don’t have any change.”

With
that, the woman flicked the gold coin.

I
flicked it with my callused thumb, and the coin landed on my palm.

“I
feel good. Tip the rest. Don’t give the rest to Diana.”

“Thank
you!”

I
bowed my head, sincerely. The annoyance and boredom I’d been feeling
when dealing with women was gone.

So
much for dealing with drunks.

Damn
it. For this much, I’d be willing to listen to her talk shit 24 hours
a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

She
staggered out of the inn, her hands flailing, and suddenly stopped
dead in her tracks against the door.

“And
you, what’s your name?”

“Balkan.”

“Balkan⋯
yes. But you, what’s your name?”

“⋯?”

‘Are
you sure you don’t have dementia?’

“⋯Balkan.”

“Okay.
Balkan. You should come to my workshop in about ⋯
two months. You’re an explorer who knows how to look at weapons, so
I’ll make you something.”

-Hiccup.

With
that, the woman waved her hand and turned away.

“No⋯”

So
who are you⋯?

***.

“⋯You
said Zirnier was here?”

“His
name is Zirnier?”

I
was chatting with Diana as we cleaned up the shop after closing, and
when I brought up the story of the masked woman, Diana suddenly
raised her eyebrows.

Zirnier.
Now that I think about it, I remember.

The
splendor and variety of weaponry in the luxury weapon shop, the huge,
magnificent double-edged axe that struck a man’s heart.

Most
of the armor on display there bore the name Zirnier Besil.

“⋯Did
she ask you to go to her house once?”

“Not
her home, but her workshop.”

“⋯With
lots of tips?”

“Yeah.
I took it once, but it was a lot of money⋯”

Diana
closed her eyes and waved her hand.

“No,
no. It’s yours, and I trust you’ll spend it properly. Invest in your
future.”

There
were plenty of crooked bosses out there who pocketed their employees’
tips, but Diana was far from one of them.

Suddenly,
I had a lot of money in her pocket.

The
money the blonde tan woman had given me was 64 silver coins. My total
wealth is now about 70 silver coins.

‘⋯I’ll
have to reinvest it.’

There
was no money for luxury or leisure.

The
money from Zirnier? I’ll invest it in the Labyrinth.

The
money from the Labyrinth? Invest it in the Labyrinth. That way, the
future will be brighter.

“So.
Was this the first time you met Zernier?”

“Yes.
I’ve often seen her at the tavern, but this is the first time we’ve
talked.”

“I
see⋯
I misunderstood
you.”

–
Did you get attacked by a shirtless, weird-haired guy or something?
Were you hurt?

I
remembered Diana’s strange concern when I switched helmets.

The
Zernier I saw this time wasn’t naked, but she did seem a bit
weird⋯Was
she drunk?

‘Wait
a minute. So Diana realized that the helmet was Zirnier’s, right?’

Even
I, who can see through glowing armor, hadn’t realized that the Great
Helm was Zirnier’s until now.

However,
to be able to glance at it and recognize it, doesn’t it mean that
Diana and Zirnier have been in a relationship for quite some time?

Come
to think of it, they had often been seen together before.

‘Speaking
of which, why is Diana working at the inn here?’

A
level 70 innkeeper. Honestly, it’s a bit of a horror. It’s just a
hobby, but she’s serious about it.

I
suddenly wondered about Diana’s past, but I quickly dismissed the
thought.

–
Everyone has their own reasons.

She
didn’t ask me about my past, and I couldn’t ask her about hers if I
was curious first.

“Let
me finish cleaning up.”

“Okay.
I always appreciate it.”

And
that was the end of the day.

***

~The
weapon shop line in the explorer zone~

On
my way to get my gear, I sneak up on a luxury weapon shop where
Zirnier’s armor is displayed.

“This
spear was forged by a blacksmith from the depths of the world.”

The
level of the people inspecting the armor is also very strange.

There
were no low-level explorers in sight. The minimum cutoff is mid-level
explorer.

‘Two
months.’

It’s
hard not to get excited when I see such a fancy weapon.

Still,
I took a deep breath to calm myself.

A
good weapon is nothing if you don’t know how to use it properly.

For
now, at least, it was time to focus on my specs rather than my
weapon.

I
turned and walked down the aisle to the weapon shop. It’s not a
fly-in-the-wall weapon shop, but one that has a few beginner
explorers.

I
rummage around, but I can’t find any armor that emits a blue glow
like Zirnier’s helmet.

Eventually,
I settled on a better quality breastplate for 40 silver coins.

“I’ll
give you 88 silver coins for a full set of half-armor, if not more.”

“How
badly do you want to live well, that you can’t even invest this much
in a future talented explorer?”

“Haha.
Bullshit. If you want to bargain, take off your pants and tell me.”

The
reason I only took the breastplate was simply because it was too
expensive.

I
decided to be grateful that I could at least protect my torso.

My
axe was getting to the point where I couldn’t use it anymore, so I
bought a new one with a good sharpening, and I got gaiters for the
long journey.

After
purchasing other lesser potions, antidotes, supplies, and food, I
evaporated another 25 silver coins.

It
took me less than a day to go from 70 to 5 silver coins.

It’s
so hard to save money, but it’s so easy to spend it.

However
it wasn’t a waste. It was a necessary investment.

I
believe this choice will save my life one day.

Time
passed quickly and the day when the portal to the Labyrinth reopens
arrived.