Custom Armor Commission
Hutton led me to a table by the counter. “Alright, before we look at what you brought, let’s take our time going over the details. Since this is a full custom job, we’ll need to put real effort into it.” He clapped his hands once, the sound sharp, then launched into a string of questions. “What about the helm? It looks fine, so I can assume we’re only replacing the armor?”
“Yes. The armor got wrecked from all the close-quarters fighting, but my head barely took any hits. It’s still in good shape.”
“Well, a helm that’s still intact means you protected one of your vital points well in combat. That’s a good thing.”
“Haha. I’m pretty confident in my evasion.”
Hutton nodded, then tapped the table with his index finger. “Then let’s move on. You just said you’re confident in evasion, right? And earlier you mentioned that when choosing gear, not obstructing your vision or movement is the top priority.”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“So evasion comes before defense… which means you’re a speed-focused fighter, and from the looks of it, you’ve got some kind of eye-related trait as well. If you could trade a bit of mobility for higher defense, would you take that trade?”
“Hmm, could you tell me exactly how much slower I’d become if I gave up mobility?”
Hutton stroked his chin. “Simply put, would you be fine with adding joint guards or extra plating on top of just tanned rawhide?”
He gave examples of how rogues and archers often struggled with that. “Plenty of folks who only ever wore leather armor end up losing their edge the moment things get even slightly heavier.”
I thought it over before answering. “I’m fine with it. My highest stat is agility, but I focus more on precise movement based on what I see rather than raw speed.”
“Then the range of options is wider than I first thought.” Hutton carefully pulled several scrolls from a stack on the table and set them aside. “You’re not planning to use a shield going forward, I take it?”
“Probably not. I switch between one-handed and two-handed swords, so a shield would be too much. The greatsword can serve as a substitute anyway.”
“Got it. Then that’s all the questions. Ah! I forgot the most important one. How much are you willing to pay?”
My current funds were roughly six gold coins and seven silver. I still hadn’t received the settlement from the Adventurer’s Guild for the Grillops and golem corpses, so I could afford to be generous. “I’m budgeting four gold coins for now.”
“What?” Hutton’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Hmm. It’s impressive you’ve already saved that much, but I assume you’re not planning to blow your entire fortune on a single piece of armor. Understood.”
He tapped the table twice. “Look through these and pick one you like.”
Even after setting some aside, there were still plenty left. I nodded and began unfolding them one by one, examining each in detail. This one looks too bulky. This one has way too much ornamentation. Brigandine… it looks decent, but should I just go with this? Let me check a few more before deciding.
I flipped through the designs calmly until one finally caught my eye. “Oh.”
It was based on my existing hard-leather armor but with added sections of plate, preserving mobility while clearly boosting defense. The iron pauldrons were shaped to cover the shoulders just enough without interfering with sword swings, and the chest plating continued into a decorative guard that protected the back of the neck.
Hutton leaned over to glance at the drawing. “You’ve got a good eye. This is high-quality even among the light armor designs. Will you go with this one?”
“Yes. I like it. How much will I need to pay?”
“Even if we follow the design exactly, the cost depends on the materials. If you hand over all four gold coins you mentioned, I’ll promise you a result worth more than that.”
I’d said up to four gold, but I hadn’t expected him to actually take everything. My hands trembled as I pulled the coins from my pouch and passed them over.
Chaos says it’s just money—you can always earn more—and this isn’t waste, it’s an investment in yourself, so don’t be stingy.
“Kahaha! You’ve got a surprisingly cute side for how you look! I understand you’re a rookie adventurer, but don’t worry!” Hutton burst into hearty laughter at the sight of my shaking hands. “I wasn’t going to say anything, but if we make it exactly to the design and add proper materials, this should cost ten gold, not four. You couldn’t get this price anywhere else.”
Thud! He clapped me on the back with a booming laugh. “Don’t be shocked when you see the finished product! Come on, let’s get your measurements.”
I rubbed my stinging back and thanked him. After that, I followed Hutton into a small room attached to the armory and had my measurements taken.
“Last time I measured you, I just let it slide, but now that you’re standing properly in regular clothes… this is no joke. Do you train outside of actual combat?”
“Of course. Haha. Goes without saying.” Most of the change is thanks to my traits, but training regularly isn’t a lie either.
After about twenty minutes, the measuring was done. I thought we were finished, but Hutton still had more to say.
“By the way, how much of my conversation with that elf did you overhear?”
How much had I heard of his talk with Rasion? I wasn’t sure. “Since it was my first visit, I figured you’d pay extra attention. I think I started listening around the time you mentioned how long it would take to finish.”
“Why do you ask?”
Hutton scratched the back of his head. “If you heard from there, this’ll be quicker. Normally, armor takes one to two weeks to finish, but that guy commissioned something ridiculous.”
I grew curious as I listened. What on earth had he asked for? He’d even mentioned platinum coins. Never mind. No matter how curious I am, asking directly would be crossing a line.
“So, the work’s going to take longer than usual.”
How much longer? “It’d be easier to just hand it off to the apprentices like everything else, but I can’t do that to Ivelin’s disciple, can I?”
“Could you tell me roughly how long it’ll take? I need it before the next portal opens, at the very least…”
Skipping a labyrinth run just because of one piece of armor would be unthinkable for me right now. That’d be like throwing away an entire month. It’d be a burden on both of them too.
“I’ll pour everything I have into it and finish before then, no matter what. Let’s say… come back in twenty-eight days.”
Today was the sixth, so that meant a little over three weeks. It was cutting it close. “Understood. I’ll see you then.”
“Right. I need to get started right away. Won’t have much time to rest for a while. Take care on your way out!”
Jingle.
Leaving Hutton heading toward the forge, I wandered aimlessly for a bit. Maybe because I’d taken the carriage right after breakfast, the clock showed it was around noon. Even after spending quite a while in the armory, it was only just turning midday. I needed to decide on my next destination. Going straight back to the inn felt wrong. Let’s grab a quick meal first. There should be an inn nearby.
After walking about ten minutes while looking around, I spotted a large inn close by. The Golden Apple Inn? The door opened smoothly, suggesting it was well-maintained for its size.
“Bwahahaha! So yesterday I was saying, I forgot my scroll and had it appraised, and wouldn’t you know it—the coat got a B-rank evaluation! It even had an equip-binding effect, so I threw it on without a second thought!”
“Damn it. This expedition was a total bust. I shouldn’t have gone up another floor. Guess I’ll be grinding simple repeat quests until next month.”
“Really, Mr. Judeka, drinking first thing in the morning isn’t good for you! Put that cup down already!”
Stepping inside, I couldn’t tell if the place was simply popular or if a lot of adventurers had returned from the labyrinth in the past few days, but the spacious inn was packed with the lively chatter of all kinds of adventurers.
“Oh my, welcome! We’re a bit short on seats, so if you’re alone, you’ll have to share a table. Is that alright?”
A waitress approached while I was looking for a spot near the entrance.
“That’s fine, but… if possible, I’d prefer a table with fewer people.”
“Well, they’re all pretty much the same size. Please follow me!”
Sharing a table out of nowhere. If I’d known it would be this crowded, I should’ve just grabbed something quick from a street stall. I’ve already shown my face, so there’s no helping it. I’ll eat fast and leave.
Following her lead, I was seated at a table where a party of four—two men and two women—were already talking.
“One lunch special, coming right up! I’ll bring it out soon!”
I’d gone with the lunch special since it came with several dishes. After the waitress left, I was left sitting in awkward silence. What’s with this quiet? Weren’t they supposed to just keep chatting like before I arrived?
The atmosphere had gone oddly still, and everyone was clearly aware of my presence.
“Ahem.”
After I let out an embarrassed cough, they finally started talking again.
“So what you’re saying, Edwin, is that we should split up for about three months and take some time to regroup?”
“Yeah. It’s already been a year since we left that backwater town together and formed a party here in Labyrinth City.”
Wow. Four friends from the countryside heading to Labyrinth City together and lasting a full year as a party without issues. That’s downright romantic.
…At the time, I’d only planned to eat while listening to how other adventurers lived their lives. I never expected to hear such shocking news here.