Chapter 12
Chapter 12
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: Attribute Imbuement and Merchant Hunt
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Attribute-imbued gear is fundamentally different from magical gear.
Magical gear, like a magic sword, has runes forcibly engraved into the weapon to manifest magic.
Because of that, it requires a skilled mage capable of creating intricate magic circles, and it also demands a long production time.
But magic swords have a fatal flaw.
Weapons inevitably get damaged in the course of battle against enemies.
If the engraved magic circle gets damaged during combat, the magic embedded in the sword can no longer be used.
As a result, a magic sword can be used anywhere from just once to a maximum of three or four times.
They cost an astronomical amount of money, yet their practicality is extremely poor.
In contrast, attribute gear has lower potency than a magic sword but boasts considerable durability.
That's because it doesn't involve engraving spells or magic circles—it's about infusing the gear itself with an attribute.
The downside is that the gear capable of accepting attributes is quite limited.
"So... you're asking me to infuse the essence of the fire attribute into this sword?"
"Yes. Not a spell like Fireball, but pure properties of flame flowing into this sword."
"Is that even possible? And even if it is, what change would come from putting the essence of fire into a lump of metal like this?"
"That's why we came to try it out, since we don't know."
"Heh heh heh heh, burning 5 gold for that? Even the spoiled brats of noble houses wouldn't pull something like this."
5 gold was enough for an ordinary commoner to live off for 2-3 months.
It might not be a huge sum to some, but it was far from insignificant.
Especially to a commoner, as the mage said.
"Well, fine. It's extra pocket money for me anyway. Plus, I'm a bit curious myself."
"I appreciate it."
Then Rian took a step back and said to him.
"Shall we get started, then?"
* * *
"This place... it's still around."
[The Garden Brushed by the Breeze]
A small inn on the outskirts he'd found on his first trip to Bellotra to save money.
The vegetable stew he'd eaten here and the cozy bed had left quite an impression.
Creak.
As he stepped inside, a savory yet sweet aroma brushed his nose.
A middle-aged woman wiping down a table smiled at Rian.
"Welcome. This is the Garden Brushed by the Breeze."
"Ah... yes. Do you have any rooms available?"
She felt somewhat like the owner he remembered, but she wasn't the one.
Though a bit disappointed by the different owner from his memory, Rian didn't show it and asked.
"Yes, how many days will you be staying?"
"I think about a week."
"Then there's a quiet room at the end of the second floor. That should be perfect."
Rian nodded at the kind woman's friendly smile.
'Is this different from what I remember...?'
One reason he remembered this place's owner was that the proprietor back then had been around Rian's age.
But soon, the puzzle of his memory clicked into place.
"Mom, is this spot clean now?"
A young girl emerged from the kitchen holding a rag.
She looked about 1-2 years younger than Rian.
Rian recognized her at a glance.
'So that's her daughter.'
She looked much younger, but he could tell she was the same person as the owner from his memory.
"Sir, is something wrong?"
"Oh, no, nothing. Second floor, end of the hall, right?"
"Yes. Shall I help with your luggage?"
The owner glanced at what Rian was carrying.
It was wrapped in white cloth, hiding its contents.
Rian shook his head.
"Ah, no! I'll handle it."
With that, he hurriedly climbed to the second floor.
"Whew...."
Once inside the room, Rian locked the door and unpacked the sword and breastplate he'd brought.
To avoid prying eyes, he'd wrapped the sword in black cloth first, then white cloth over that.
'Who would've thought it'd turn out like this.'
Rian closed the window tight, set it down on the floor, and slowly unwrapped the cloth.
"...Success."
A faint glow emanated from the longsword and breastplate.
Rian knew what this was.
'When attribute imbuement succeeds, mana temporarily manifests as light.'
Of course, it would fade after a day or so, but this glow was the most definitive proof of successful attribute imbuement.
Though people in this era wouldn't even know what attribute imbuement was.
The glow's intensity wasn't that strong—it was barely mid-grade level.
But that was more than enough.
The key point was that it had succeeded.
'However....'
There was a big problem.
The mage who'd performed the imbuement had taken an interest.
It wouldn't cause issues right away. But once these hit the market and word spread about attribute imbuement, things would change.
"I need to... move quickly, then."
Rian had invested 5 gold for these two attribute imbues.
But the moment attribute weapons became known, the entire mage tower would systematize the field of 'attribute imbuement.'
At that point, it'd cost at least 10 gold per piece—and even then, success wasn't guaranteed.
From the moment Rian had these attribute-imbued gear made, this information was no longer known only to him alone.
Whether soon or late, the fact would spread.
And there was one more task to resolve.
He had to sell the attribute gear, but the buyers were quite limited.
Only those who could invest massive sums. And those who practiced mana cultivation techniques to wield mana.
'In essence, nobles.'
Later on, skilled mercenaries who could handle mana would buy them too, but he couldn't start there.
'Attribute-imbued weapons must be an exclusive privilege among nobles. Let them compete among themselves to buy them.'
It wasn't about selling as many as possible recklessly—it was about maintaining scarcity.
"To do that... I need a merchant group I can trust...."
In his past life, Rian had taken interest in quite a few fields.
There wasn't any grand reason.
As a commoner turned soldier, he figured knowing how the world worked would be helpful.
So, on leaves, he'd paid attention to all sorts of topics without discrimination.
Listening to tavern gossip or focusing on tales sung by wandering bards.
Naturally, he'd learned a lot about major events.
That was why Rian, an ordinary soldier who couldn't use even a speck of mana, knew about attribute-imbued gear.
"First, I need to scout around."
From now on, every step had to be taken with utmost caution.
'If I've truly returned 20 years to the past....'
It was akin to knowing the future events.
But Rian didn't get arrogant.
'Thanks to my actions, Eagle Company survived instead of being wiped out.'
That alone meant the future had changed.
So, some of the futures he knew might have altered too.
That was what he needed to watch and worry about most.
Rian整理ed his plans once more and set off somewhere.
* * *
Adelson was the head of a small merchant group called Hamel.
He lifted his beer with a contented smile.
How long had it been since he'd had time alone like this?
'I barely rested for a fortnight....'
To close deals in Bellotra, he'd pushed the schedule hard.
Everyone in the group had suffered, but thanks to that, he could enjoy this sweet break.
"Ahh... today, no work thoughts. Just rest."
This Bellotra trip hadn't made him a fortune, but he'd had no choice to uphold their reputation.
It was bittersweet—the earnings didn't match the hardship.
He felt sorry for the people who always followed such an inept leader.
"It's been a while here too."
A small pub in Bellotra he'd visited as a child with his father.
It was a tavern frequented by many merchants.
Though larger now than back then, it still felt cozy because of those memories with his father.
Clunk.
As Adelson sipped his beer, someone entered the shop.
A somewhat boyish young man who didn't quite fit in, heading to the counter to talk with the pub owner.
"...What the?"
Normally, he wouldn't care.
But for some reason, the out-of-place youth caught his interest.
Soon, the boy frowned in embarrassment, tapping the table with his finger.
Bow.
Adelson rose as the boy politely bowed and left.
"Who was that?"
"Dunno. Asked for a list of merchant groups he could trade with."
"Merchant groups list?"
"Yeah. Weird conditions, though. Looking for large-scale groups operating over 10 years that deal with nobles. I told him a few."
"Over 10 years... large-scale dealing with nobles?"
Not easy criteria.
Probably only a handful qualified.
"And it's odd. What business could a kid like that have? Probably nothing."
"Did you mention my group?"
"Hamel? You don't deal with nobles. Not large-scale either."
"Why don't we deal with nobles?"
"Heh, not large-scale, right?"
"Well, true."
Adelson scratched his head sheepishly. Then he glanced toward the pub door the boy had exited.
Something... something....
"You didn't get a name?"
"Why bother?"
Adelson nodded at his words.
A subtly strange feeling nagged at him.
Adelson left the pub right away and headed to where his group members were.
Even a small merchant group had over forty members.
They'd rented out an entire inn.
"Huh? Boss."
"Boss, didn't you say you had business and would be back for dinner?"
Adelson always gave his staff space to relax after work.
His quick return meant something was up.
"I need to find someone."
They nodded at Adelson's words.
* * *
"...Haa, strikeout."
He'd visited quite a few pubs in Bellotra popular with merchants.
All to find a merchant group worthy of trading attribute gear.
'No trustworthy ones.'
It was for his own sake, but also tied to Walter.
He couldn't proceed lightly.
Yet time wasn't on his side for such caution.
"Hmm...."
His head ached.
He hadn't expected it to be easy, but he hadn't thought he'd find zero suitable groups in this huge city.
It was because he lacked detailed info on merchant groups.
The conditions Rian set weren't simple.
But they were crucial and necessary.
'Can't do it with superficial knowledge....'
Seeking groups over 10 years old verified their management skills, and large-scale ones dealing with nobles suited the high-value goods.
But more important than those was trustworthiness.
'I have to return to the unit in a few days. I need a reliable group to stay and handle my affairs properly.'
Judging that from names alone was tough.
Most were groups that wouldn't exist in the future or had issues with dishonesty.
No name rang solidly true.
'For now... check again tomorrow. Can't rush and ruin it.'
Rian had spent over 20 years in life-or-death battlefields.
Battlefields laid bare human desires in their rawest form.
Naturally, he'd come to understand human nature well.
Knowing how greed twisted people, he couldn't decide lightly.
'If it doesn't pan out... find another way.'
"Whew...."
Rian calmed his mind and closed his eyes.
Just one day.
'One more day, then decide.'
Rian nodded firmly, resolved.
Then,
Knock knock.
"Sir, someone here looking for you. What should I do?"
The polite voice came with the knock.
Rian shot up from his seat.
"A visitor...?"
Did he have anyone in Bellotra who'd seek him out?