A New Weapon, the Longsword

The sun was high in the sky when we finally stepped out of the dungeon.

Malton adjusted his heavy backpack and muttered, "We were only in the dungeon for three or four days, yet it feels as though we have been away for an eternity..."

"Tell me about it."

"Now that we are back on the surface, is there anything you wish to eat? It is an adventurer's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠tradition to feast and drink to one's heart's content after a successful expedition."

"Me? Pork bel—no, some grilled pork wrapped in a nice, crisp piece of fermented cabbage. I couldn't ask for anything more."

"Hmm? A peculiar combination."

"It's a local specialty from my hometown. Though I'm not sure if we can find the ingredients here."

"Intriguing. If you ever happen to cook it, do invite me. ...By the way, do you intend to keep trailing so far behind us?"

"..."

When Malton looked back, Radie, who had been following at a considerable distance, reluctantly spoke up.

"...Malton-nim, you deceived me."

"Deceived you? In what way?"

"..."

Radie's brow furrowed, and she snapped at him in disbelief.

"I mean, are you in your right mind, Malton-nim? Tagging along with such an ominous entity... what if you are branded a heretic as well?! And it's not just a simple association—there are two whole evil gods involved, mmmph?!"

"Are you crazy? Don't say that so loudly."

I rushed over and clamped my hand over her mouth. Radie glared at me with murder in her eyes.

I awkwardly lowered my hand and said, "Ahem... We had a deal, remember? We don't bring up that topic where people can hear. ...We have plenty to do out here, so let's take care of those things first."

"Things to do? I have absolutely nothing to do with you! I don't care which evil god you worship, but if we get caught by the Inquisitors because we're together...!"

"Yeah, yeah, we'll be tortured to the brink of death or boiled alive in a cauldron. ...But we still have to report back to the Adventurers Guild, don't we?"

"And it would be wise to exchange our materials for coin," Malton added. "My pack is so heavy I can barely move."

Even though we had only kept the valuable golem cores, the weight was still a struggle to carry.

Shouldering our heavy backpacks, we made our way toward the Adventurers Guild.

I should look into acquiring a familiar or hunting a monster specialized in carrying cargo at some point.

As we stepped inside the massive tent—large enough to host a theatrical performance—the receptionist greeted us with a look of surprise.

"Oh? You're the ones I helped register the other day. But... was the exploration more difficult than you expected? It's only been four days since the three of you entered the dungeon..."

"No, we found a great hunting ground and filled our packs."

"I see! If you want to exchange materials, please place them on this table... W-Wait! This many?!"

The receptionist's eyes widened in shock as Doran tipped his backpack, pouring out a small mountain of golem cores.

But this was just the tip of the iceberg.

"There's still more."

"T-This isn't the end...? Surely..."

The receptionist let out a small gasp upon noticing Malton and Radie's bulging packs, then hurriedly ran toward the back of the tent.

"Here is your payment."

The situation finally settled down after the guild's appraiser arrived.

Radie accepted a heavy pouch, peeked inside, and let out a soft gasp.

"What is it, Radie?" Malton asked.

"Gold! Th-There are gold coins mixed in!!"

"Gold, you say..."

Sifting through the silver coins that filled the top of the pouch, I indeed saw the glint of gold coins resting underneath.

Let's see... just like in medieval England, twelve coppers make a silver, and twenty silvers make a gold...

This was a substantial sum.

It was several times what I had earned risking my life in the Radgit Caves.

Yet, my expression remained somewhat strained as I stared at the coins.

...It's nowhere near enough.

If this were still just a game, I might have been satisfied. But now that this world had become my reality, it felt like a meager price for my life.

Then again, even before the apocalypse, this dark fantasy world was overflowing with cheap labor. Expecting fair compensation in such a place was foolish to begin with.

As I let out a self-deprecating chuckle, the receptionist spoke in a cheerful voice.

"Seeing your bright smile, you must be pleased with the reward! It just so happens that a large number of mages have gathered here, causing the demand for golem cores to skyrocket! But where on earth did you find these?"

"We'll... write that down in our report soon. However, those were the last of the ones we hunted, so we won't be able to bring back the same spoils next time."

"That's a shame... Ah, with this many subjugations, I can stamp your adventurer plates with the Golem Crest! We look forward to your outstanding performance in the future! Will all three of you be entering together next time as well?"

"Um, about that..."

Radie hesitated, raising her hand slightly.

"...I think I'll be sitting this one out."

"What? Why?! With this kind of success, people usually want to stay. Even ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠high-rank parties struggle to make this much money in such a short time..."

"Well... the income is certainly tempting, but..."

Radie glanced at me, her brow furrowing, and she shook her head slightly.

"Let's just say... we have different directions."

"I see... That's unfortunate. But if you change your mind, please let us know! It's not too late to think it over and decide!"

Radie let out a sigh, hoisted her backpack, and headed out of the guild tent.

I instinctively reached out to grab her shoulder, but she threw a sharp glare my way and vanished before I could say a word.

Damn... this is a bit troublesome.

Losing the kid was a heavy blow, to be honest.

The deeper we ventured into the dungeon, the more we would absolutely need a skilled ranged attacker.

Moreover, she was a versatile talent who was adept with traps and could perform scouting duties using her keen sense of smell.

Her expressive reactions also made her the perfect target to boost my stats through my Chaos ability.

And above all...

...She didn't report me to the temple even after seeing my undead form.

Associating with me put her in grave danger. Though she was furious about being deceived, Radie had ultimately kept my secret.

In a world rife with betrayal, a tight-lipped and trustworthy companion was worth far more than a few jingling gold coins.

I couldn't afford to let such a valuable ally slip away.

The problem is she's already gone...

Fortunately, there was still a way.

Now that she was here, she would eventually want to form another party and challenge the dungeon again.

Considering the time needed to rest, restock supplies, and search for new party members, we had at least three to four days before the next entry.

And I had a pretty good idea of where she was heading.

As I curled my lips into a scheming smile, Malton gathered his share of the reward and spoke.

"It is a pity, but it cannot be helped. We should make our move as well. ...Shall we visit the temple?"

"The temple? Why the temple... Ah."

While I could check my status window at any time, the people of this world could only verify their levels through the crystal balls in the temples.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

Come to think of it, I also need to get rid of the pendant the goddess gave me when I transmigrated...

Since we had earned enough money for our immediate needs from the golem hunt, I decided to postpone that for later.

"Let's visit the temple next time... How about we go to a weapon shop instead?"

"A weapon shop?"

"Yeah, my cutlass was completely ruined while fighting the golems. Since we made some money, I might as well replace it."

"A sound decision."

Malton and I set off at a leisurely pace.

Even ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠though we had only been gone for three days, the camp near the dungeon had undergone significant changes.

Temporary wooden structures now stood where empty fields once lay, and narrow alleys were packed with stalls and tents that hadn't been there before.

Barkers lined the streets, and the sounds of haggling echoed from every corner.

Somehow, this place feels more like a dungeon than the actual dungeon.

When we entered a decent-looking weapon shop, the owner swept his eyes over Malton and me, then spoke in a dismissive tone.

"...Welcome. Beginner weapons and armor are over there, so take a look. Don't touch unless you're buying."

"..."

Was this how he treated customers?

I frowned, but quickly understood after looking down at myself.

Having just returned from the dungeon, my clothes were filthy and tattered. In this pre-modern society, attire was practically an identity card.

Malton, seemingly accustomed to such treatment, calmly displayed his silver adventurer plate.

"I would like to see some swords."

"Ah, oh my! You were high-ranking Elven lords! A B-rank adventurer... No wonder both of you possess such exceptionally handsome features..."

"Please, keep it down."

"Of course, of course!!"

The merchant bowed obsequiously and stepped back.

I looked around the shop. For a hastily erected tent, it was surprisingly well-stocked, displaying a wide range of equipment from beginner gear to weapons fit for seasoned mercenaries.

As I browsed the armaments with a flutter of excitement, Malton spoke.

"There is quite a variety. What kind of weapon do you plan to choose?"

"A longsword. A straight, double-edged type."

"Hmm? I believed you preferred curved blades."

"That was just... something I had to use after plundering it from a pirate. I prefer straight swords."

In Velheim, many sword techniques utilized the back edge of the blade.

Since many of the skills were derived from actual historical European martial arts, there were various techniques beyond simple slashing and thrusting.

Horizontal sweeps followed by reverse cuts, deflections, binds, and deceptive double-strikes...

To reach a high level of mastery, it was better to familiarize myself early with a longsword, which offered greater versatility depending on the user's skill.

"But there are so many types of longswords displayed here... It will not be easy to choose."

"True..."

In fiction, the term 'longsword' was often used as a catch-all for Western swords, but in reality, there were various shapes and designs.

And the shape of a sword revealed its purpose.

For instance...

"Hey Malton, we'll probably be facing monsters more often than humans, right?"

"Would that not depend on the time and place? In the dungeon, at least, we will certainly face monsters more often. ...But why do you ask so suddenly?"

"Because the ideal sword shape differs depending on the opponent."

Against typical monsters, a wide, slashing-oriented sword with high stopping power was best. Against humans, a tapered, thrust-oriented sword was superior.

To bypass and damage knights wearing plate armor or chainmail, a thrust was far more effective than a slash.

In the early medieval period, wide blades optimized for slashing were common, but they gradually evolved into tapered, thrusting designs as blacksmithing advanced and chainmail became more widespread.

Since I don't have to fight knights just yet... a slashing sword is more appropriate for now.

After some deliberation, I pulled a longsword from the rack.

Excellent.

On Earth, this type of longsword was used in the late 13th and early 14th centuries.

It was a design that went all-in on slashing power to cleave through the increasingly formidable defense of chainmail.

Consequently, if one had the strength to swing it with full force, it was highly effective even against sturdy foes.

I showed the sheathed sword to the merchant, silently warning him against trying to overcharge me. After paying the bill, we stepped outside, and Malton asked with concern.

"Hmm... You seem to have spent a considerable sum. Are you alright? In Verastin, you could have found a sword of similar quality for a lower price."

"Think of it as an investment. An adventurer who skimps on gear is as good as dead."

"A wise answer to a foolish question. An excellent mindset."

"Yeah, besides, we can always make more money."

Saving money on equipment could lead to a swift death.

It was a lesson I had learned the hard way while playing Velheim.

An adventurer should never be stingy when it came to weapons and armor, which were directly linked to survival.

Besides, prices were naturally inflated around the dungeon, so this wasn't really a loss.

"Now we need to find a place to stay for a while... There was a cluster of lodgings on the way here. Shall we head there?"

"Regrettably, I plan to stay at the home of an acquaintance nearby. He is a rather private fellow, so I doubt I can bring you along."

"Well, nothing to be done about that. See you later, then."

"Yes, let us meet after we have rested. Take care of yourself."

After discussing our future plans, Malton and I parted ways in front of the alley packed with lodging tents.

Since we needed to relieve our fatigue as much as possible before the next expedition, staying in a cold, cramped one-person camping tent would be foolish.

Even if it costs a bit more, it's better to rest in a proper place...

I paid the silver coins and stepped into a temporary rental tent.

As I stepped inside, the faint scent of grass and straw tickled my nose.

In the corner stood a bed made of straw covered with a blanket, alongside a small table and a lamp.

Sharing a tent with another adventurer was slightly inconvenient, but a large partition stood in the middle, ensuring our privacy wouldn't be invaded.

I feel like a Mongolian nomad.

Without even changing my clothes, I collapsed onto the bed.

My entire body was stiff and sore from carrying a heavy backpack all day.

Moreover, in the dungeon, I had to remain constantly vigilant against monster attacks, and even during rests, I had to keep my hood pulled down to hide my black hair.

With proper rest finally within reach, my brain felt like it was melting.

But just as I was about to drift into a sweet slumber, a groaning sound echoed from the other side of the partition.

Every time I tried to lose consciousness, the noise pricked at my nerves like a needle, making sleep impossible.

Damn it... did I choose the wrong tent? It was the last one available, so I can't even change it...

After tossing and turning, I finally lost my patience. I roughly threw open the partition and shouted at the person next to me.

"Hey, keep it down, I'm trying to—! Uh, wait."

Why are you here...?

And on the other side, a startled Radie was staring back at me with wide, bewildered eyes.