Maintenance
“Haah.” I’d slept soundly at the inn, so I should’ve felt refreshed starting the day, yet something nagged at me.
[Chaos asks what’s wrong.]
“No, I think I’ve wrapped up most of what I needed to do, but something still feels off. Did I forget something?”
Training? I’d been diligent for weeks without skipping. Sena’s lectures? I’d already told her I’d miss a couple of days. Recruiting party members had succeeded, and I’d received armor far beyond my expectations. What could be the problem?
‘Armor? …Ah!’
Repairs! Damn it.
“Ugh. I did forget one thing. I can’t believe I made such a stupid mistake.”
[Chaos asks what it is.]
I pulled Lehagen from my pack. The exterior looked fine, but… when it had blocked Shurika’s flames in the Colosseum, the system window had clearly stated the magic essence was damaged.
“I got so caught up with the new armor that I left without even asking if repairs were possible.”
Lehagen’s information window proudly declared it was forged by a dwarf master smith, so handing it to an ordinary blacksmith seemed unwise. Asking around at other weapon shops or forges would be a hassle too, and Huton was obviously unavailable until the deadline. I’d simply forgotten about it.
‘I was planning to stop by the general store for supplies anyway, so I might as well ask while I’m there.’
Honestly, I’d finished every task successfully… Looking back, my smug satisfaction yesterday felt a little embarrassing now.
Since Lehagen wasn’t a unique item, registering it with the Armament Convergence didn’t mean others couldn’t touch it. I should head over right away while it was on my mind.
“El. Still sleeping?”
I stroked El, who was sound asleep beside my pillow.
“Piiiii…”
She cracked her eyes open for a moment before fluttering over and curling up in my arms again.
“Yeah. If you’re sleepy, sleep.”
I set the drowsy El back on the bed, washed up in the bathroom, and got ready to leave.
Click.
First, breakfast. Then off to the 4th District.
After finishing my meal, I took a carriage to the weapon shop.
‘Already midday. I always think this, but traveling between districts wastes too much time. Once you’ve tasted warp gates, it’s hard not to feel spoiled.’
When I opened the door and stepped inside, Huton greeted me with a noticeably better complexion than yesterday.
“Ahem.”
Having just left yesterday only to bring more work today felt awkward. I cleared my throat unnecessarily before stating my business, but he told me not to worry about it.
Still, there was a problem separate from his mood.
“This… repairing it will cost quite a bit. The silver lining is that damage like this to the core can be fixed the same day.”
Huton added that any other blacksmith of his caliber would’ve needed at least a week. As expected, the answer was money. How much would it be this time?
“If you can fix it, I was planning to leave it with you right away, even if it means not taking it into the labyrinth this time. I’m glad it won’t even take a day. How much will the repairs cost?”
“Even if I minimize the magic stone consumption with my skills, I’ll still need two gold coins. I know you’re a beginner, but I can’t go any lower than that.”
Two gold coins?
“Of course. I’m already incredibly grateful for all the discounts you’ve given me so far.”
“I appreciate you understanding. Of course, this was a big job, but as you know, this isn’t about making a living—it’s about trust and credit.”
Haah. He was right. Pushing any further would just be shameless. I sighed inwardly and counted the money I had left.
The gold coins from settling the monster corpses a few weeks ago had been split three ways, so my entire fortune now amounted to three gold coins plus a handful of silver and copper. Losing two of them? …Hah! They say earning is hard but spending is easy. Everything that comes in just flies right back out.
‘What can I do? The guildmaster himself gave it to me, saying he had high hopes for my future. I have to repair it and keep using it.’
Even a quick glance around showed plenty of adventurers struggling without even D-rank weapons, let alone C-rank ones.
“Ugh. Here it is.”
“Whoa! Spending four gold on armor and still paying without hesitation—did you hit the jackpot on your last expedition? I’m not sure if this is pushing yourself too hard.”
Huton accepted the gold coins, scratching his head as he said he couldn’t lower the price further but would’ve been willing to extend credit once or twice. I was tempted for a moment, but I shook it off. There was no point in going into debt when I could pay.
Huton took the greatsword, told me to come back in an hour or two, and gave my back a hearty slap with his pot-lid-sized hand before I left the shop.
Jingle.
“Suddenly asking me to watch the counter—Master really is something else. He should just hire a full-time employee! But who could ever talk him out of that stubbornness?”
The moment Huton left, the clerk who came in to relieve him grumbled. I watched him with a lukewarm expression before stepping outside.
‘He said an hour or two. I can stop by the general store in the meantime.’
“Pii. Piii.”
“You little rascal. You said you’d stay in my arms because you were sleepy, but now you’re uncomfortable? Do you like my shoulder? Or my head?”
El climbed onto my shoulder with her chirping cries. I carefully stroked her as she nuzzled my cheek and kept walking.
Creak.
After about thirty minutes of walking, I arrived at the largest general store in the area.
The supplies I needed for this expedition… I had plenty of rope and flint, but I’d need more torches. Bedrolls and blankets weren’t expensive, so I should buy a few extras in case they got dirty. It might also be a good time to replace my old wristwatch.
‘I probably don’t need to worry about Veronica’s share of the bedding, right?’
With her experience, she was more of a veteran than us. If anything, she was more likely to notice what I’d missed.
“Here—torches and lesser potions. You can pick out the bedrolls and blankets over there, and for the watch… hmm. How about this one?”
“Is it sturdier than the one I’m wearing? The strap on mine frays too easily.”
“Of course! This is a new low-price model from a famous workshop. It’ll last quite a while even if you treat it roughly, as long as it doesn’t take a direct hit from a weapon.”
Cheap wristwatches were all pretty much the same. Still, if it was new stock, I’d buy one.
‘They do carry intermediate and even advanced potions here, but my finances… aren’t great.’
Now that we were a four-person party and expenses kept piling up, I couldn’t keep covering all the supplies myself. I’d stock up with my own money this time, but I needed to talk to everyone about setting aside a separate party fund.
“Alright, that comes to forty-five silver coins total. It was forty-seven, but I gave you a little discount because you seem like a good kid!”
“Haha… Thank you. Take care!”
“You too. Stay safe!”
Now I had around seventy silver coins left. Seeing all those gold coins disappear felt strangely hollow. I could only hope this expedition would bring in a lot of money.
I stuffed everything into my pack and turned around.
‘Thirty minutes to get there. If I leave now, the timing should be perfect.’
I racked my brain for anything else I might need as I left the store, but nothing came to mind. Rotten would handle the rations, and I didn’t need to buy any magic tools. I couldn’t afford them anyway.
When I returned to the weapon shop at a brisk pace, I saw Lehagen resting on the counter and Huton standing with his arms crossed.
“Oh! Right on time. I’ve restored the magic essence to its original state—take a look!”
I didn’t really need to check to trust him, but at his confident words, I accepted the greatsword and opened its information window.
…Perfect!
As expected, it had been restored to the same flawless condition as when the guildmaster first gave it to me.
“Thank you. Now I can enter the labyrinth without forgetting anything. I’ll be back again.”
After expressing my gratitude, I left Huton waving it off as nothing and headed for the carriage stand.
“The fare is five copper coins, sir!”
I was already looking forward to the surprised faces when they saw my new gear. Chatting with Chaos inside and El outside, I returned to the inn.
“The portal’s open!!!”
News that the entrance portal had opened after the lockdown spread, and the streets grew lively. It was a day late, so that was understandable. I’d been wondering why it hadn’t opened even after the month changed.
“There are always those excitable adventurers every time. Well then, are your preparations complete?”
“Yes. Don’t worry. I’ve finished everything without missing a thing.”
“Good. It’s reassuring to have you as party leader.”
Rotten always sold preserved rations at a low price, which took a huge weight off my mind. That aside, when was Veronica arriving? She’d said she’d come once the portal opened—
Bang!
Speak of the devil. She opened the door and approached with her usual expressionless face.
“I’m a little late. As you know, it’s been months since I last entered, so the inspection took time. Please understand.”
She said it confidently. That confidence was probably well-earned.
“Hehe. It’s nice and lively with just one more person!”
Yeriel’s voice, which had been listless lately because of Ivelin, sounded especially energetic today and softened the party’s atmosphere.
“Yeah. Definitely.”
Lumia seemed to have grown mentally as well. She looked noticeably more confident than a few months ago.
‘Let’s see—did both of them gain anything from their training?’
Holy Law Proficiency, Innate Luck, Faith, Overcoming Weakness, Touch of Light, Silver Cross Holy Combat Art
‘Just how much did she roll around? All her stats except Luck went up a rank… Did she use a trainee’s protective gear?’
Even her Holy Law had moved past the basics. It was clear she hadn’t only trained her body harshly.
“Yeriel, you really worked hard.”
“Hehe. You saw? I even rolled around wearing increasingly heavy equipment, and my sister gave me elixirs too. It feels worth all the effort now that you noticed right away, Aren!”
She added that she hadn’t skipped daily prayers or holy power conversion practice either, and had even learned a new holy art. I couldn’t let that go without praise and showered her with compliments.
Next was Lumia.
Curse of Darkness, Black Magic Proficiency, Cat Beastman Senses, Burning Fighting Spirit, Fear Infection, Balanced Stride
Balanced Stride? A trait I hadn’t seen before.
Balanced Stride (D)
[P] When a cat beastman’s innate sensory physique is combined with the training methods of veteran explorer Geila, hidden talent blooms. She has learned to attune her body for more sensitive and agile movement.
— If Agility is below D-rank upon acquisition, it increases by two ranks.
— Increases the chance of instinctively detecting physical traps.
— Slight speed correction when leaping over obstacles.
No wonder only her Agility had ranked up. Lumia’s talent was extraordinary too.
“Lumia, you went to the explorer training center and came back with a whole new trait? I really am blessed with party members.”
“Yeah. I… I worked hard too. After what happened last time, my body and mind both feel lighter.”
“I’m glad. I can finally breathe easy.”
Lumia said she felt like she’d been reborn, exaggerating a little. It was truly fortunate that an unremovable peculiar constitution trait had disappeared.
Just as the conversation was wrapping up after the checks, Veronica spoke quietly.
“You all get along so well. I might feel a little left out.”
“No way, I want to get close to you too, Veronica! While we’re at it, can I call you big sister? Veronica, big sis!”
“…I think that’s still too soon.”
“Aww. Okaaaay.”
She’d been calling her an angel since their first meeting, and after a week of training together, Veronica must have really grown on her.
My own traits hadn’t changed, but the physical training at the Sword Guild had finally pushed my Strength into C-rank. Thanks to the Silver Dawn increasing my Endurance and Vitality by one rank each, my Endurance had ranked up as well.
From here on, raising stats through independent short-term effort would be difficult, but…
‘Even so, this should be enough to set a meaningful new record in this expedition.’
“Pii!”
El didn’t need any explanation. She was still just adorable. Since an elder from the Magic Tower had specifically asked me to take care of her, I couldn’t leave her at the inn for over a month.
‘Veronica hasn’t changed. Well, expecting something to change at her level with just one or two weeks would be strange.’
Veronica showed no changes, and with that, all the checks were complete.
Thud.
“If we’re late, we’ll have to stand in line for ages, so let’s get going. Everyone ready?”
Now that the portal was open and adventurers were allowed entry, all that remained was heading to the plaza.
“Take care out there. I wish you all the best of luck!”
Carrying Rotten’s send-off in our hearts, we left the inn.