Gearing Up
Yeriel's voice drifted through the door. "Aren, are you up?"
"Mmm." I snapped awake. It felt like I'd only just fallen asleep, yet my body felt strangely refreshed. Had I slept that well?
Right, Yeriel was waiting outside. I couldn't just sit here dazed. I slid out of bed, stretched my stiff neck, and opened the door.
"Aren! Did you sleep well? I knocked because it was mealtime, but maybe I should've let you rest a little longer..."
"It's fine. I slept plenty. Where's Lumia?"
"She's downstairs. Let's head down for breakfast too."
When we reached the first floor, Lumia was already seated at the table, staring blankly into space.
"Lumia, did you rest well?"
"Yeah. I already ordered for us."
After thanking her, we chatted about nothing in particular until the food arrived. We ate heartily, and once we'd finished, I spoke up.
"It's still early for evening, but should we stop by a few shops? The labyrinth opens soon, so we ought to start preparing."
"Yeah! We don't have much time left before it opens. We should get everything ready in advance— it'll be packed on the day itself."
"I agree."
We donned our gear and stepped out of the inn. All I had on was a flimsy hard-leather armor set, a pair of tight greaves, Barak sheathed in the scabbard I'd received from the knights, and the Hynax earring Ivelin had given me.
'My weapon's fine with just Barak, but the armor is the real problem.'
The greaves pinched uncomfortably—they'd only ever been spares—and the armor was flimsy everywhere except the chest. Replacing my equipment had to come first.
That said, the only places I'd visited in the 4th District were a handful of magic tool shops, the library, the inn, and the Adventurer's Guild. Where should we even go?
I turned to the others. "Does anyone know a blacksmith or weapon shop?"
Lumia shook her head. Yeriel shot her hand up with a bright smile.
"Me! I know one. It's one of the forges the knights commission, and the owner runs a weapon shop right next door."
"Really? That's a huge relief. If none of us had known anywhere, we'd have wasted the whole day wandering the 4th District."
I exhaled. It hit me again how lucky I'd been to meet Yeriel on the third floor. Without her, I might never have escaped the labyrinth at all. Even if I had, I'd have had no connection to Ivelin, no money, and no clear identity— I'd probably have ended up on the streets. Isaac would still be thriving, and I'd have missed Lumia entirely...
Stop. Dwelling on things that never happened won't change anything. I should just thank Yeriel instead. Having her by my side, no matter what, meant more than I could say.
"Yeriel, thank you. Always."
"H-huh? Hehe. Me too!"
"Tch."
Lumia clicked her tongue softly and tugged on my sleeve. I looked at her.
"You too, Lumia. Thank you."
"Eep... Yeah."
Chaos says the conversation is ticklish.
We climbed into a carriage in that warm, cheerful atmosphere and headed for the weapon shop Yeriel had mentioned.
"Hm? Yeriel, is that you?"
"Huton, hello!"
"It's been a while. Why come in person instead of sending someone from the knights?"
A burly, bald giant greeted us at the weapon shop—well, greeted Yeriel. From the way he spoke, he wasn't a clerk or apprentice. He had to be the owner. Maybe business was slow today.
"Ehehe, actually, I'm not here on the knights' orders. I came to get some personal equipment fitted."
Huton scratched his head, puzzled. "Equipment? What kind? And Yeriel... don't tell me you've been to the labyrinth?"
"Hee, can you tell? That's right. I even reached the third floor."
"What?! I'm surprised you went in at all, given how timid you used to be, but the third floor on your very first run? You're serious?"
"Yes. It just... happened."
She explained how Derick had suggested they try the second floor, and how things had escalated from there. Huton smacked his forehead.
"You went through a lot. That's one hell of a baptism by fire. Still, the gear you're wearing looks sufficient for your level."
"It is. But Aren needs equipment too."
Only then did Huton turn his gaze to me and Lumia.
"Ho. That boy's quite handsome. He'll break plenty of hearts someday. You're in the same party as Yeriel?"
"Yes. The three of us—Yeriel, Lumia, and I—form a fixed party."
"That's not all," Yeriel added proudly. "Aren is my sister's disciple!"
Huton's eyes lit up. "Ivelin's disciple, huh? He must be more capable than he looks."
"Ahem."
I coughed awkwardly.
"...By the way, forgive me for asking on our first meeting, but aren't you an Arar? I recall reading about their curse. Yeriel, are you all right?"
"Oh, come on! Thanks to Aren, it doesn't affect me at all. So please stop giving Lumia that suspicious look."
"If you say so, then fine. Lumia, was it? My mistake. I apologize."
Lumia waved it off, saying she was used to it and that his reaction was actually quite polite compared to most.
"You've had your share of hardships too. So, Aren—you want equipment?"
"Yes. I figured I'd need to reinforce my gear before entering the labyrinth."
"Smart. You'd drop dead in no time wearing that. Good you came. Even if you're with Yeriel, I'll still charge you, so don't forget."
I nodded. Huton asked, "What exactly do you need? Weapons? Armor? From what I can see, you should at least replace the upper body armor."
"I need a full set of armor."
"The labyrinth opens in a few days, so anything requiring custom-forged plate is out. Let's take your measurements first."
He moved around me, taking measurements with practiced efficiency.
"Now for the estimate—how much can you spend?"
I had five gold coins, but I should keep some in reserve. "Up to one gold coin."
A short while later, he returned with leather boots, greaves, and a hard-leather armor set.
"Here. Leather armor tailored to your measurements. Made from savage boar hide—nothing like the junk you're wearing now. Try it on."
I stripped off my old gear and changed into the new set.
...Wow. The first thing I noticed was how comfortable it felt. Same leather greaves and hard-leather armor, yet the difference in fit was night and day. The boots too.
"This is incredible. I don't think I could go back to the old spares. How much does it come to?"
"Glad you're satisfied. As for the price... before that—"
Before that?
"Judging by the sword at your hip and your build, you're clearly a swordsman. You're not planning to enter the labyrinth without a helmet, are you?"
...Damn. A helmet. A staple of fantasy gear, yet I'd completely forgotten about it after weeks without one. Even if I relied on Chaos to see and dodge or parry attacks, what if I faced something stronger or an attack I couldn't avoid? A helmet would be another layer between me and death, just like armor.
"Of course not! Especially for front-line adventurers, a helmet is essential. If I go down from a vital hit, the rest of the party is in danger too."
...Though...
"I've managed without one until now, so I suppose I forgot. My oversight."
Huton kicked at something imaginary and laughed. "Unlike those greenhorns who complain helmets are cumbersome or say they won't get hit anyway, you're different. No need to kick you."
It was true I'd fought without one since the third floor. Wearing one now would feel awkward at first. But as the front-liner, it wasn't optional—it was necessary.
"Do you have any helmets that don't restrict vision too much?"
At least I wouldn't make the stupid mistake of sacrificing Chaos's efficiency for protection. Anything that severely narrowed my field of view or locked my neck in place—like the famous great helms or bascinets—was out.
'If I can't dodge what I normally could, the helmet defeats its own purpose.'
Huton thought for a moment, then brought over two helmets.
"These—a barbute and a kettle hat—should fit what you're looking for. Take a good look and pick one."
First, the barbute. It was a fully enclosed helmet with a T-shaped opening at the front. It felt secure—eyes, nose, and mouth exposed yet the whole head protected—but a bit stifling.
The kettle hat... I was skeptical at first glance. 'With that handle on the side, it looks like a pot lid.' But once I tried it on, my mind was made up. It was lighter, less oppressive, and barely restricted my vision at all. The protection was slightly inferior, but it matched my requirements perfectly.
After some deliberation, I picked up the kettle hat.
"I'll take this one."
"Kettle hat? Solid choice. It protects the head, stays relatively light, and the brim helps deflect downward strikes—useful in duels."
He stroked his chin. "All right. Time to settle up."
"First purchase, and considering Yeriel and Ivelin, I'll give you the best discount I can. Seventy silver coins total. These pieces would normally cost more than a gold coin."
His expression told me he meant it. I paid immediately, leaving me with four gold coins and roughly forty silver.
"Thank you."
"Come back when you need more gear."
"And above all, do your best to keep Yeriel safe. I still can't believe that tiny, frail girl is heading into the labyrinth..."
"Of course. I'll protect her. Don't worry."
"Ugh, I can hear everything! Why are you two acting all dramatic like I'm not even here? It's embarrassing—stop it!"
Yeriel's cheeks flushed as she scolded us. Huton laughed heartily behind us as we left the shop.
"Let's find a general store nearby, then catch a carriage. It's getting dark."
Luckily, we soon spotted a large general store. The guild training had warned that the first floor was dark, so I prioritized torches. With money to spare, I also grabbed blankets, bedrolls, rope, flint, and two spare low-grade potions—anything that looked useful.
"Potions aren't cheap, you know? Twelve silver for the lot."
Neither Yeriel nor Lumia objected, so it had to be the standard price. I paid.
'We'll buy food tomorrow or the day after.'
We rode the carriage back to the inn, satisfied. Lying in bed, I closed my eyes.
'Isaac's dealt with, and the gear's sorted. All that's left is entering the labyrinth again in a few days.'
I wouldn't let my escape from the third floor make me overconfident. With that thought, I drifted off to sleep.
Two days flew by. The moment guild training ended, the entrance to the Great Labyrinth began to open, as if it had been waiting for us.