Silver Dawn
“Then I’ll be off. I need to stop by the Magic Tower, so I’ll be staying out tonight.”
“Okay. Have a good trip!”
“The city’s been restless lately, so stay safe.”
“Beep! Beep-beep!”
“Aah, El! Come here!”
El slipped out of Yeriel’s arms and climbed onto my shoulder.
‘He wants to come along because I mentioned the Magic Tower. He’s not just cute—he’s clever, too.’
When I stared at him, he leaned in, so I gave him a gentle scratch with my finger.
“Beep.”
“Alright. Let’s go together.”
“Beep!”
With El in tow, I headed for the lift to visit the armory.
Creak.
“Hm? Oh, it’s you, Aren. Come on in.”
‘Something feels off. The atmosphere’s strange.’
The heavy silence inside the shop and Hutton’s gloomy expression told me something was wrong.
“You look thinner than the last time I saw you. Is there a problem with the shop or the forge?”
“A problem…? Yeah, there is. A very big one.”
What? What kind of problem?
As far as I remembered, Rasion Elsinore—the high-ranking elf who had seen Sirene’s mark on my forehead, smiled, and handed over the proof of his commission—had placed an order worth a hundred platinum coins. Because of that, my own armor had been pushed back. Hutton wouldn’t have taken on any other commissions besides those two.
So if something had gone wrong with either the elf’s order or mine… A cold sweat ran down my back.
‘Stop dragging it out and just tell me!’
“Haaah. The problem is…”
The problem is?
“I’m dead tired!”
“What?”
Goddamn it.
“Hahaha! Look at that shocked face. I was just messing around to wake myself up and shake off the fatigue. If I startled you, I apologize!”
Damn. I worried for nothing. I thought he was just a hearty old man, but after seeing me a few times he pulls a prank like this.
I let out a long sigh of relief without meaning to.
“Whew. I was worried something had gone wrong with the order. If I get fooled twice, my heart might really give out!”
“Ahem. I’ll restrain myself from now on. So today’s already the twenty-eighth? I’ve been living in front of the furnace for weeks and lost track of time.”
“Yes. I was so excited last night I couldn’t even sleep. So… the armor’s finished properly, right?”
Hutton uncrossed his arms and proudly pointed at himself with his thumb.
“Of course! Who do you think I am? I finished it the day before yesterday, and it turned out spectacular. But…”
Again with the pause. But what?
“No, it’s better if you see it with your own eyes while I explain. I’ll run to the forge real quick—wait here a moment.”
“Y-yes. Got it.”
I stood still, trying to suppress my impatience.
[Chaos says the result won’t run away, so calm down for now.]
Bang!
While I leaned against the counter and tapped my finger to steady myself, Hutton slowly wheeled in a cart covered with a white cloth. The way the cloth bulged upward in a human shape suggested the armor was draped over a mannequin or wooden frame.
“Alright! First, take a good look with your own eyes, then I’ll finish explaining!”
Whoosh!
With a rough tug, the white cloth fluttered away, and the armor I had been waiting for finally appeared.
“…Hah, whoa!”
An involuntary, childlike exclamation escaped me at the sight of its luxurious form.
A silvery plate that seemed to emit a faint glow. The mysterious patterns etched across the plates made the armor look even more refined. The black leather under-armor beneath it showed flawless finishing.
‘What kind of leather is this?’
Swish.
When I touched it with my finger, I felt both a soft texture and a toughness that wouldn’t tear easily. It must have gone through a hardening process, yet it remained this supple—an apparent contradiction.
…Still, while everything about it was excellent, a doubt crept in. The visible design was clearly different from the blueprint I had chosen.
Well, Hutton must have made the right call during the crafting process.
‘At this level of quality, maybe the information will show up?’
Information hadn’t appeared on the spare gear from Derick’s party or the hard-leather armor I’d worn before. But this time, I had a feeling it would be different, so I stared intently at the armor.
[Silver Dawn] (B)
Armor crafted by Hutton, master artisan of Aurarium’s commercial district.
Commissioned by the adventurer Aren.
Made from Cheratus hide, a special high-conductivity alloy, and a small amount of Aetherium, granting high durability while remaining extremely light.
A superior piece in which advanced techniques minimized the materials’ drawbacks and maximized the advantages suited to its purpose.
Thanks to the rare metal Aetherium’s properties, it can be restored with mana.
─Increases Stamina and Endurance by one stage.
─The wearer can inject mana at will to repair damaged sections. However, mana consumption rises sharply depending on the extent of the damage, so caution is advised.
─“Descending Radiance” can be used once every 30 days.
“…!”
For a moment I thought I’d misread it and squeezed my eyes shut before opening them again.
But no matter how many times I reread the information window, nothing had changed. Only the description of equipment far beyond my current level filled my vision.
“Hahaha! That expression of yours is a masterpiece!”
Hutton’s laughter snapped me back to reality.
I worked my lips for a moment before speaking.
“Th-this… at this point it’s almost frightening.”
“Frightening? What do you mean?”
“I may still be an amateur when it comes to equipment, but I know enough to tell this isn’t something that should be made for a mere four gold coins.”
Even back when I chose the blueprint, Hutton had said the design alone was normally worth at least ten gold coins. It felt ridiculous to call four gold coins “mere” at my level, but could this armor really be obtained for only four—or even ten—gold coins? I didn’t think so.
“I roughly understand what you’re saying. Even I didn’t expect something this grand when I first calculated the estimate. I figured it would at best become a C-rank item.”
Hutton scratched his head.
“But that… what’s-his-name. That rude elf from last time? He came by a few days ago to pick up his finished piece, and there was some material left over.”
“Don’t tell me that leftover material was…”
“Exactly. I was just going to return it. Even if it was supplied separately from the commission fee, using leftovers without permission would make me unworthy as a craftsman. But the guy just smiled and said this.”
What exactly had he said that led to the leftover material being used for my armor?
“He asked if the human who came after him had placed a separate commission. If so, he told me to just use the remaining ingot on that.”
‘Not only did he hand over the emblem after barely glancing at me—he even showed this much kindness?’
Hutton raised his eyebrows and continued.
“When I asked if he wanted it back instead, I just went along with what you said.”
[Chaos says it never expected that flippant elf to be this helpful and is surprised.]
“I get to work with a rare metal one more time, and you get to take home something you could never have dreamed of at such a low price. In the end, it’s good for everyone, so that’s how it turned out!”
Rasion… I don’t know when I’ll see him again, but I want to express my gratitude.
Anyway, with only a few days left, the result ended up looking more like plate armor than light armor. Hutton said he had considered intense close-combat movements during the crafting process, and because the weight was so light, it would actually be better than the blueprint I chose.
I bowed deeply, pouring all my gratitude into the gesture.
“That’s enough small talk. Go ahead and try it on! Once you’re gone, I’m closing up early and getting some rest today.”
I stepped into a small room inside the shop and put on the Silver Dawn.
Click.
When I opened the door and came out, Hutton’s admiring voice reached my ears.
“Ho. A man really does need good hair and good gear! I was quite the figure myself back in the day, just like you.”
[Chaos says that’s not true at all.]
“I thought it might look odd without the gauntlets, but it’s surprisingly fine.”
The gauntlets… were impossible to wear because of the weapon manifestation, so it couldn’t be helped. Good that he said it looked fine.
[Chaos gives a thumbs-up and says it suits you well.]
“Thank you. Thanks to you, I get to enjoy this kind of luxury!”
“Ahem. If you want detailed information, get it appraised or use a scroll. How is it? Other than the changed appearance, there shouldn’t be any problems, right?”
If there were any discomfort, I should say so now, but I felt no issues at all—only comfort and reassurance—so I shook my head.
“Then, thank you from the bottom of my heart for making such equipment for me. I’ll be on my way. See you next time.”
“No need. As a craftsman, hearing that satisfied voice after someone receives their item always feels wonderful. You wouldn’t understand. Take care on your way.”
Bow.
I bent at the waist in thanks and left the armory.
With my heart swelling from the unexpected valuable harvest, I rode the momentum and boarded a carriage heading for the Magic Tower.
“Beep-beep-beep—!”
“You’re that happy just because we’re going to the Magic Tower?”
While I chatted and played with El, who was darting around in his tiny body, I closed my eyes and dozed off. A few hours passed in an instant.
Leaving behind Vincent’s stern gaze that still guarded the Magic Tower entrance, I headed for the twenty-seventh floor.
Knock knock.
“It’s open. Come in.”
When I opened the door and entered as before, Heinz, seated in his chair, greeted me.
“Heinz, have you been well?”
“Of course! I’ve been doing great. Thanks to you, the research grant is generous, so life’s been good lately. By the way, is that armor you’re wearing the one you want enchanted?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“It suits you well. Let me see… From a glance, it looks like equipment that’s been itemized and given a rank. Surely it’s not A-rank, right?”
Of course not. Had he already forgotten the warning I gave him last time? I told him it was B-rank, so there was nothing to worry about.
“Then there’s nothing more to check. You can go to the next room, take the armor off, and place it on the table.”
‘Since the enchantment is applied directly to the item, it’s impossible while wearing it?’
I quickly entered the room, removed the armor, and brought it out.
“As you probably guessed, even though I received permission to use the secret art, a B-rank item requires another mage’s help. Besides, I can’t show the enchantment process to someone who isn’t a member of the Magic Tower, so I’ll have to go alone.”
Right. Given the name “secret art,” which sounded like something that should be kept hidden at all costs, that made sense.
“I’ll be back soon. While you wait, feel free to have some refreshments if you’re bored, or look at the stones on the display. It won’t take long.”
Nod.
…
…
“Not long,” my ass. Two hours had already passed.
Bang!
“Sorry for the wait! There were more things to consider than expected because it’s B-rank. Still, the wait should be worth it, so go ahead and check.”
Heinz already knew I had an observation-type trait from the Efusio incident, so he paid it no mind as I examined the information.
[Silver Dawn] (B)
Armor crafted by Hutton, master artisan of Aurarium’s commercial district.
Commissioned by the adventurer Aren.
Made from Cheratus hide, a special high-conductivity alloy, and a small amount of Aetherium, granting high durability while remaining extremely light.
A superior piece in which advanced techniques minimized the materials’ drawbacks and maximized the advantages suited to its purpose.
Thanks to the rare metal Aetherium’s properties, it can be restored with mana.
*A random additional ability has been permanently granted through the Earth School’s secret art.
─Increases Stamina and Endurance by one stage.
─The wearer can inject mana at will to repair damaged sections. However, mana consumption rises sharply depending on the extent of the damage, so caution is advised.
─“Descending Radiance” can be used once every 30 days.
─Constant Slow effect reduced by half.
─Very rarely triggers “Earth Dragon’s Roar” when hit.
Kyah!
The moment I saw the armor upgraded even further by the enchantment, a smile bloomed on my lips.
With this, the final piece needed for the next Labyrinth expedition was complete.
Unable to hide my joy, I went to the next room, put the armor back on, and came out.
“If you have no other business, how about grabbing a meal together before heading somewhere to eat?”
“Sounds good. Is it the private dining hall again this time?”
“Haha. It’s much better than most inns or restaurants around the Magic Tower. Let’s go.”
After successfully finishing all of today’s tasks and before leaving the Magic Tower, I had a light dinner with Heinz.
‘I’m a bit tired. Maybe I should head back to the inn.’
[Chaos says the only thing left now is to enter the Labyrinth.]
[Chaos praises that although many difficult things happened this month, it’s admirable that you overcame them all and made it this far.]
Praise is nice, but why so suddenly?
…Yeah. Looking back, a lot really did happen this past month.
I sent Jacob off, unexpectedly received an item from Rasion, was briefly surprised by Scarlet’s survival, and then ended up taking care of her familiar.
After causing a scene with an apostle of an evil god at the circus I’d gone to just for fun, I met Sena and became like siblings with her. Finally, I even managed to recruit a new party member.
Thump thump.
I struck my chest firmly and spoke.
“This is only the beginning.”
Until I become strong enough that no one can compare to how I am now—strong enough to live proudly while openly declaring that I am a returnee.
Or until I become someone who can block and repay in kind anyone who tries to crush me with malice, no matter what incident I get caught up in.
I will never stop until then.
To do that, I need to wrap up today first.
“El, can you guide me to the inn we went to last time?”
“Beep!”
El answered confidently, as if to say “leave it to me,” and flew ahead to lead the way.