New Equipment
After some time had passed, Elin finally snapped out of her daydream and gave an awkward little smile. She must have felt embarrassed about acting so unprofessional in front of a customer.
“Sorry about that. Whenever I see good materials, I kind of lose my mind.”
“It’s fine. It just shows how passionate you are.”
That kind of passion was exactly what produced high-quality gear. If you talked with the staff who managed the artisan district, half their conversations revolved around the craftsmen’s personalities and skills. The artisans were all eccentric in their own ways, but that eccentricity was proof of their exceptional talent. In reality, every piece of equipment they created went through unique processes. Dwarves, for example, used special flames to imbue metals with additional functions, while elves resonated with the World Tree to infuse wood with extraordinary effects. In game terms, it was like adding bonus stats to equipment. That was why this industry could only run on pure skill. No matter how good your connections or how powerful your backers, if your work wasn’t up to par, adventurers simply wouldn’t come to you.
The palm-sized fairies must have finished inspecting the Nepentula silk threads, because they came fluttering back to Elin in a lively swarm.
“Workshop Master~! Material inspection complete!”
“All done!”
Elin nodded with a satisfied expression at the fairies’ report.
“Good. Then I’ll need you to take his measurements too.”
“Leave it to us!”
The fairies answered energetically and pulled out an enormous measuring tape, swarming all over my body. While they skillfully used a tool bigger than themselves to measure my dimensions, Elin and I continued discussing the equipment.
“How do you want the shape?”
“You can design the appearance however you like.”
These were artisans whose naming sense was nonexistent but whose design skills were widely praised. Most of the stylish gear you saw on adventurers at the guild had been created through their aesthetic sensibilities. Because I trusted their abilities, I left the design entirely to them and focused on performance.
“Then what kind of functions should I prioritize?”
“I’d like it to be comfortable to move in, and strong against physical impacts.”
“Comfort and enhanced physical resistance, huh.”
Elin muttered to herself with a thoughtful look before nodding.
“Perfect timing. Those are exactly my specialties.”
From the face of a small, cute girl came a confidence forged by years of experience. Elin, prouder of her skills than anyone, lifted the silk threads once the measurements were finished and said,
“It’ll take about three hours to complete. Come back then.”
“I’ll trust you with it.”
“You’re going to be shocked when you see it.”
Once Elin and the fairies disappeared into the back of the workshop, I didn’t hesitate to step outside. Artisan techniques weren’t something to be shown to just anyone, so I decided to visit the other workshops during those three hours to complete the rest of my gear.
Out of the three workshops, I had already stopped by the Fairy’s Tail, so next was Vulcan’s Embers. I arrived at the dwarf forge, where the intense heat typical of such places radiated outward, and discussed weapons with the workshop master, Barok.
“Do you happen to have any special materials like Nepentula silk threads?”
“I don’t have anything on that level yet.”
“What a shame. With better materials, I could make even finer equipment.”
I chuckled at Barok’s disappointed tone. His desire for good materials was so transparent it was almost endearing. And he wasn’t the only one. Charlotte, who ran Charlotte’s Tea House, was exactly the same.
“Do you have any leftover silk threads? I’ll pay a high price for them.”
“I used all of it for armor, so I don’t have any left.”
“Ugh… that’s too bad. I wanted to try using it as an ingredient for a new potion.”
“Wouldn’t it be dangerous to ingest?”
“I extract only the material’s properties, so there’s no problem at all. In fact, it’s good for the body.”
Every artisan I met displayed the same transparent greed for quality materials, so I figured I didn’t need to worry about their skills. I spent the waiting time at Charlotte’s Tea House. As the name suggested, it doubled as a café. I sipped on magically infused teas that were both healthy and delicious, and before I knew it, three hours had passed.
“Equipment’s done!”
“Weapon’s finished!”
“Your requested essential adventurer set number one is complete~”
I received the finished products from all three workshops and tried them on. A perfectly fitted black pair of pants and shirt, topped with a long coat embroidered with golden patterns. The garments, packed with the half-fairy’s special techniques, felt so light and comfortable that it was hard to believe I was even wearing them.
“Whoa! These look incredible.”
“Of course they do. My sense is the best, after all!”
“I knew I could count on you. By the way, how’s the defensive performance?”
“Just like you asked, I focused the material’s properties on physical defense. Ordinary attacks won’t be able to pierce it.”
Of course, it wouldn’t completely negate impact, but it should absorb a significant amount.
“It could probably withstand several direct hits from a young Nepentula.”
If it could block the attacks of those young Nepentulas that had shredded the Rune Golem’s body, then its performance was solid. Realizing why she was so confident, I checked the rest of the gear with an excited grin.
“The weapon looks great too.”
“It’s a longsword made with mithril mixed in. I poured everything into durability and cutting power, so it should be very sturdy.”
“The multi-purpose belt and pouches are nice as well.”
“I made them myself. They’re flexible and elastic, so they won’t break easily.”
I examined the longsword at my hip, the numerous pouches dangling from the belt, and the multi-tools, then smiled in satisfaction.
The money I’d earned from disposing of the corpses came to twelve gold. Considering that four gold was usually enough for an average family to live on for a month, I had spent two gold on the armor (excluding material costs), five on the weapon, and four on the utility items—eleven gold in total. I had used up most of my earnings, but I believed it was worth every coin.
After confirming my fully armed appearance, I gave a wry smile.
“I originally planned to take my time gathering gear.”
But with summons that could fight in my place, I had intended to use only the guild’s basic equipment while completing five requests. Even the basic gear provided by the guild was far from shoddy. Equipping oneself was something that required careful consideration. My plan to gradually strengthen myself while handling relatively low-risk requests had completely changed after finishing my first one. The variables on-site were not something a mere employee could fully grasp. Even I, who prided myself on having plenty of field experience, had realized why real adventurers staked their lives on their equipment the moment I faced the kind of sudden situations they dealt with.
The artisans nodded as they listened to my thoughts.
“Yeah, it’s best to adapt to being an adventurer quickly.”
“After all, this is the North. It wouldn’t be strange for a Gold-rank monster to pop out during an Iron-rank request.”
“If you ever find good materials, please bring them to us.”
I nodded in understanding at the three artisans’ words, but then suddenly realized they had all left their workshops to gather at the tea house. If I had been an ordinary rookie adventurer, I might have scratched my head in confusion, but as a former employee, I understood why.
“Using those special techniques must consume quite a bit of stamina.”
“Making adventurer-exclusive equipment is no easy task.”
“In a way, it’s a power close to a Mystery.”
I nodded at the sight of Elin, whose usual vitality seemed slightly diminished, and Barok, whose body heat had noticeably cooled.
The better the equipment, the greater the stamina consumed. That was why artisans needed to rest for at least a few hours after creating high-quality pieces.
“In that sense, Charlotte’s Tea House is the perfect place to recover.”
“She sells teas that are great for replenishing spent flames.”
“Oh my~ If you praise me so openly, I’ll get embarrassed.”
Charlotte laughed brightly at the two artisans’ compliments. She had also expended a fair amount of stamina making my order, so she sat in a chair and enjoyed her tea.
“Here is your Afternoon Sunlight.”
“Barok always orders the Heat of the Volcano, right?”
“This is the Relaxing Sigh that Master drinks every day.”
The tea house’s apprentices, carrying teas with unique names, quickly returned to the workshops. The masters of the workshops were the artisans themselves, but when the masters rested, it became the apprentices’ time to work. While the artisans recovered, the apprentices handled regular orders or focused on improving their skills. Of course, when the tea house was operating like this, the apprentices took turns running it.
Elin carefully sipped her tea and smiled contentedly.
“Mmm. The tea made by Charlotte’s apprentices really is the best.”
“I still don’t like it.”
“They worked so hard—give them some praise.”
“Making tea requires precise ingredient ratios, meticulous care, and genuine heart. Only by mastering those can you create better potions.”
Perhaps that was why she ran a tea house. Charlotte seriously savored the flavor and delivered a sharp critique. Barok burst into hearty laughter and gulped down his steaming tea.
“Hahaha! True. If my apprentices used good materials like garbage to make weapons, I’d be furious enough to explode.”
“Well… when you put it that way, being strict with them usually seems like the better approach.”
While Elin nodded in agreement and continued sipping her tea, I quietly listened to their conversation from the same table before standing up.
“Now that I have my new gear, I should get going.”
“Already?”
Elin gave me a look that said I should stay a little longer, but it was no use. I gently stroked the long coat she had made for me.
“Since I have new equipment, I need to test it out.”
If artisans were obsessed with materials, then adventurers were obsessed with growth and fame. With better gear now, I felt excited at the thought of taking on more requests to earn even greater renown. I looked up at the sky. It was still only lunchtime. There was plenty of time left in the day, so I headed to the adventurers’ guild with the intention of completing two requests before the day was over.