Preparations for the Second Entry
I woke early and immediately set to work. First, a wash and breakfast.
“Hwaaam. No matter how much I sleep, I’m still sleepy.” Yeriel yawned the moment she sat at the table, her eyes heavy with fatigue. Ivelin was probably regulating her condition, but was she really all right?
“You look half-dead. Are you okay?”
“Yeah. On the first day my legs were shaking so bad I thought I’d collapse, but after pushing myself hard for a few days, it feels manageable now.” Yeriel smiled brightly, telling me not to worry.
“I think I’ll make some progress with magic if I keep at it a little longer.” Lumia, who had been quietly listening, spoke up clearly, as if to show she was also doing her best.
“Don’t you get bored staying at the inn all the time?”
“No. I’m used to this much. Right now, the most important thing for me is to grow into an adventurer who can stay by your side.”
⋯She must have remembered what I told her in earnest last time. Well, what could I do? All I could offer them was praise and encouragement. While I sweated and pushed myself in every direction, Yeriel and Lumia were also doing their best in their own situations.
‘I need to work harder too.’
All right! First, I’d stop by the armory to deal with the armor issue. Then, since there was a library near the guild, I could check if the bounty for turning in Gaspel’s head had come through.
Click.
After finishing the meal while chatting with them, I went up to my room to prepare to leave.
“Then I’ll see you in the evening.”
“Understood. I’ll be helping Lumia with her magic practice and studies, so be careful out there.”
I nodded. Once I finished my errands and returned, I’d probably have to train until my arms went numb again. Shaking off the stray thoughts, I headed for the lift platform.
“All right. Let’s go in.”
I arrived at the armory. When I opened the door and stepped inside, the same countless weapons and pieces of equipment lined the walls and displays as before.
“Welcome! Is there anything specific you’re looking for?”
Hm? This time it wasn’t the burly middle-aged Hutton. Instead, a young man around my age with a short haircut, brimming with enthusiasm, greeted me.
“Hello. My armor’s pretty worn out, so I was wondering if it could be repaired. By the way, is Hutton around…?”
The clerk laughed cheerfully as he answered.
“Haha, Master’s busy working right now. Normally these days he leaves the small jobs to us and just rests while manning the counter, but an important commission came in.”
After saying that, he started asking if I knew his master. He went on about how impressive it was that someone my age had fought so fiercely that Savage Boar leather got torn up like that, and how he himself had once dreamed of being an adventurer before picking up the hammer. He chatted and laughed the whole time.
Well, it wasn’t a bad thing that he was friendly and talkative, but…
‘So, can the armor be repaired or not? If it’s the latter, that’s going to cost quite a bit…’
I hadn’t earned much on the first floor this time, so I was worried. Just as I was about to ask again clearly—
Whoosh!
Hutton burst through the back door. A wave of heat rapidly filled the area. The closer he came, the stronger the metallic smell grew, announcing that he was a blacksmith.
Bang!
“Aagh!”
“You little brat, your laughter was echoing all the way from the forge and shaking the whole building. What’s so damn funny, huh?”
The clerk clutched the top of his head and groaned. He’d said his master was in the middle of important work—had he finished already?
“Hm? You’re Yeriel’s companion, if I remember right. What was your name again… Aren? Aren, right? Seeing your face, I remember clearly now!”
“⋯It’s Aren, not Aran.”
A random name that sounded like it belonged to someone who could swing a polearm had popped out. Hutton, who had been glaring at the receptionist while clicking his tongue, finally noticed me and spoke. After hearing the correction, he cleared his throat and looked embarrassed.
“Ahem. Sorry about that. I’m terrible at remembering people’s names. Hope you can understand.”
“It’s fine. This is only my second visit, after all.”
“Hahaha! I like your straightforward attitude. Let’s see, you came alone? Judging by the state of your gear, you must’ve rolled around quite a bit in the labyrinth. Is Yeriel all right?”
Hutton looked around, searching for Yeriel. Since I’d come to this armory on her introduction, it was only natural he’d be curious as an acquaintance. I told him her current situation—that she’d returned safely and was currently being put through the wringer under her sister for various reasons. Hearing that, he broke into a cold sweat.
“Oh dear. So Ivelin’s got her eyes blazing and is grinding Yeriel down? Once that girl sets her mind to something, nothing else enters her field of vision.”
He scratched his cheek and shook his head, wondering if that frail child could endure such harsh training.
Clap!
He clapped his hands to change the mood.
“Right! Anyway, now that I’ve heard how she’s doing, I feel a bit more at ease. Let’s take a look— you came to get your armor repaired?”
“Yes. I figured it’d be best to fix it before the portal opens.”
It wasn’t like I had to keep wearing the tattered front out of necessity because I had no money. Fighting Gaspel had taught me that when it came to equipment, I shouldn’t skimp on money for attacks I couldn’t dodge.
“Well, it’s not so bad that you need an entirely new set. By the way, how far down did you go for the leather to get torn up this badly?”
“⋯The first floor, supposedly. But I ran into human hunters, matched blades with mid-floor adventurers, and a lot of other things happened.”
‘Ugh. The fact that I returned from the first floor is still bothering me. Next month when the portal opens, I’m definitely going to push through and increase my floor count.’
He looked skeptical for a moment at the mention of the first floor, but nodded after hearing the rest.
“No need to explain further. As long as you didn’t disgrace my work by falling for some low-floor trap like an idiot.”
“Then, how much will the repair cost?”
I had about four gold coins and thirty silver coins on hand. Hutton stroked his chin for a moment before speaking in a tone that suggested there was nothing to think about.
“I’ll be generous— just thirty silver coins. In return, make sure you stop by my shop from time to time.”
The moment he heard that, the clerk—who had been keeping his mouth shut ever since getting smacked on the head—spoke up.
“What? That’s ridiculous! Which armory would repair something like that—not even ordinary beast leather—at that price?”
[Chaos says it wants to sew that mouth shut.]
Ah, so he wasn’t just all talk—he was quite good at stirring things up.
“So what? I originally sold that armor for seventy silver coins. Are you saying I should charge that much just for repairs?”
“That’s not what I meant. I just thought we should at least make some profit instead of practically giving it away… Wait, you sold it without even getting a gold coin?”
Hutton waved his hand dismissively.
“Enough. I sent this brat away for a breather and all he did was run his mouth. It’s a friend discount. Don’t argue any further.”
Intimidated by his presence, the clerk fell silent again. I took off the armor, placed it where he indicated, and set down the pouch containing the silver coins alongside it.
“It’ll take a few days, so don’t come back tomorrow.”
“Yes. Thank you again for the discount. I’ll see you in a few days.”
He laughed heartily, telling me that if I was grateful, I should earn a lot of money and buy more expensive equipment from him. Leaving the boisterous man behind, I stepped out of the armory.
‘I’ll probably keep coming to this armory from now on. I wonder if I’ll get tangled up with that chatterbox again.’
His first impression had definitely been fine. Well, I should just think of it as him being diligent about his work in his own way. I let out a deep sigh and headed for my next destination.
Time was money. Especially when I was spending my days striving for self-improvement, I had to be even more mindful of it. Walking all the way from the armory to the guild would take quite a while, so I simply took a carriage to the nearest lift platform.
‘It’s really fortunate that carriage fares are cheap enough to ride without burden.’
As my range of activity in the city gradually expanded, I was beginning to feel just how vast the 4th District was.
I passed through the revolving door at the guild entrance.
‘As expected, it’s bustling. Come to think of it, they said there are branch offices in each district from the 5th to the 7th, right?’
I suddenly wondered how big the difference was between the headquarters and the branches. If I lived in the city, I’d probably have to visit them someday. After briefly entertaining that pointless thought while looking at the scene before me, I found the shortest line among the settlement counters and stood at the end.
“Next, please.”
After a short wait, it was finally my turn. I faced the receptionist, presented my iron badge, and exchanged a brief conversation. After that, everything proceeded smoothly.
“Here is your bounty.”
I accepted the small pouch the receptionist handed me.
⋯Huh? It was way too light. Was there even anything inside? With a puzzled feeling, I slowly opened the pouch.
‘It’s a gold coin!’
Surprisingly, a single gold coin sat alone inside. Seeing my startled expression, the receptionist added an explanation.
“After verifying your identity and processing the procedure, we found records of the deceased adventurer’s rank and the victims he had harmed, so the amount was set relatively high.”
I hadn’t expected to receive a gold coin so readily. Before coming, I had only anticipated a few dozen silver coins at most.
“The bounty transfer procedure for the subjugation of Gaspel, an adventurer affiliated with the Red Wolf Clan, has been completed. Is there any other business you require?”
“No, I have no other business. Thank you for the swift and accurate handling. I’ll be going now.”
After bowing, I stepped away from the counter.
‘Red Wolf Clan… I’ll remember that.’
Groups with names like that always ended up getting involved with me one way or another. Anyway, wow, I really hit the jackpot. Grinning inwardly, I headed for the library.
I spent every day in a routine of harsh training without a single lazy action, pouring out blood and sweat. In response, the time until the labyrinth entry portal opened… flew by in the blink of an eye.
Bang!!!
‘Finally…!’
For over two weeks, I had thrust my sword—filled to the brim with mana—again and again until well past midnight every day. The sense of unity I felt when extending my arm just now, and even the difference in the sound of it cleaving through the air and exploding, were different this time.
This was definitely a success.
[You have acquired the trait One-Point Focus.]
“Yes!”
At last, all the preparations I could make were complete. Even during the day today, when I went out as usual, I clearly heard adventurers making a commotion everywhere, saying the portal was starting to open.
‘I’ll go to bed early and depart tomorrow without dragging things out.’
The time had come to prove that the past few weeks of intense days had not been in vain.
Now… it was time to enter the labyrinth once more.