“Welcome, guests! I’m Lenden of the Golden Hammer! Now, hand over your money!”
“Golden Hammer, huh…”
Encountering a member of the infamous Blacksmith Guild, known for their skill and greed, Ur wasn’t sure whether to be happy or annoyed. His expression turned complicated.
“Now, hand over your money.”
Lenden’s unwavering demand for money left Ur half-dumbfounded and half-impressed. It was similar to what he’d seen in the Great Sin City-State of Greed, but it seemed everyone associated with it was the same.
“Wait, if you were on the Island Devouring Turtle, your life was in danger too, right? How are you still doing business?”
“Of course! Losing my business spirit would tarnish the name of the Golden Hammer! …That said,”
Lenden looked at Ur and Shizuku.
“You’re the adventurers who fought those monsters during the attack, right?”
They hadn’t noticed, but he must have seen them. Since they were assisting with rescue efforts, they stood out somewhat.
“Then, I’ll do my best for you. Even if you don’t have much, I’ll do what I can.”
“…What brings this change of heart?”
His words were unexpected for someone from the Golden Hammer, known for their greed and disdain for underselling their skills or goods. Ur couldn’t help but doubt his ears. But Lenden responded as if it were natural.
“Money is important. But if you respect money, you shouldn’t disregard favors either.”
“Wow…”
Recalling how everyone in Greed’s Golden Hammer always talked about money, Ur was somewhat moved. Perhaps he had misjudged them a bit.
“Moreover,”
“Moreover?”
When Ur asked, Lenden looked down for a moment, then said,
“This incident has nearly ruined some important business deals! If I can help crush those bastards, I’ll spare no effort!!”
His face twisted with terrifying resentment toward the attackers of the Island Devouring Turtle.
“He’s turned into a vengeful spirit, hasn’t he?”
“Hope he hasn’t been cursed or enchanted.”
The Golden Hammer was still the Golden Hammer. Ur thought this while brushing away the overflowing resentment.
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT LOCALIZERMEERKAT.PAGES.DEV
“…Sigh… So? What do you need?”
“Well, all I really need is some equipment maintenance.”
“That’s it? Even in a temporary stall, I’ve got plenty.”
Looking around, the stall was filled with a surprisingly diverse array of weapons and armor. Some of the goods were likely meant to be transported on the Island Devouring Turtle. It was tempting, but,
“I don’t have the confidence to use a new weapon on the fly.”
“Typical amateur.”
“Shut up.”
They still didn’t treat customers with any respect.
“It’s good to have a backup weapon, especially when using something like that.”
Lenden pointed at Ur’s dragon fang spear.
Ur understood what he meant. The dragon fang spear was a bit of a monstrosity with its complex mechanisms. Having a backup in case of malfunctions was a good idea. But,
“Using a new weapon without practice is—”
Just as Ur was about to decline, he suddenly remembered last night’s battle.
“…Hey, do you have any gloves that make it easier to grip things?”
“Hmm? Gloves?”
“For throwing.”
Understanding dawned on Lenden, and he nodded.
“I see. A Bronze-rank adventurer throwing with full strength could rival a cannon… But do I have any?”
As he rummaged through his goods, he muttered, “Hmm…” and pulled something out.
“…This was here.”
He presented it to Ur with a strange expression.
“What’s with that face… What is this?”
What he handed Ur was indeed a pair of gloves. However, they were clearly different from the other goods he had. First, the material was hard to identify.
They were a dark color, possibly made from animal hide, but Ur couldn’t tell for sure. There were no decorations or patterns, just plain and rugged. When Ur picked them up, they felt somewhat heavy but not too thick.
“These are called ‘Hawk’s Talons.’ They’re not something we made but an ancient relic found in the labyrinth.”
In labyrinths, aside from magic stones, relics of various kinds can be unearthed.
Items lost by other adventurers, natural products of the labyrinth, sacred objects left by spirits,
and ancient relics from a bygone era swallowed by the labyrinth.
“What do they do?”
“Don’t know.”
“Hey, come on.”
Lenden grimaced at the sheer carelessness of it all and groaned, “What else can we do?”
“We’ve looked into it thoroughly! But we still don’t have a clue! After the chaos following the labyrinth’s appearance, many records and technologies were lost!! There’s so much we don’t know!!”
So, its original purpose remains unclear. However, it doesn’t hinder finger movement, has good friction for gripping objects, and is breathable to prevent sweating. He claims it’s an extremely high-performance glove.
“Well, in short… it’s a good product if you overlook some things? Then why are you making that face?”
“After all that research, we still don’t know the material or how it works! It’s frustrating that my own skills can’t measure up to this!”
“I can’t blame you for that.”
“Personal grudge, huh?”
At any rate, it seems to be an excellent piece of equipment. After venting his frustration for a while, Lenden, both a merchant and a blacksmith, fixed his gaze on Ur.
“Well, even if it’s a unique artifact, it’s still of unknown use, so there’s no product guarantee. I’ll give you a bit of a discount.”
“How much?”
“Twenty silver coins.”
“…Hmm.”
In Ur’s estimation, twenty silver coins weren’t exactly cheap. But while it wasn’t cheap, he still had some leeway in his budget right now. This time, with no preparation time to spare, he didn’t want to miss the opportunity to supplement his combat strength with money.
“Well, consult your own finances. Now, next is the young lady, right?”
“Thank you very much, Lenden-sama.”
“Right, ask me anything. I’ll do my best to help…!”
“The attitude’s too different.”
As soon as he saw Shizuku, Lenden began to smile warmly, almost adoringly. It was a stark contrast to how he’d treated Ur with no reservations whatsoever.
“The young lady is a mage, hmm…”
However, when he examined the equipment Shizuku was wearing, his expression quickly turned serious again. He crossed his arms.
“Magic isn’t your specialty, is it?”
“Whether the opponent is a mage or not, the equipment they wear is my specialty. But depending on the type of magic they use, the necessary gear can change drastically. I won’t deny it’s a bit tricky.”
Ur agreed with Lenden’s words. Even though it’s all called “magic,” there are many types, and the tools needed would vary depending on the magic one specializes in.
In fact, he’d even heard stories of mages who wore absurdly heavy armor and used buffing spells to enhance their own strength, specializing in brute force.
“By the way, what kind of magic can you use? The classic 【Fireball】?”
“My main spells are 【Fireball】, 【Ice Thorn】, 【Ice Barrier】, 【Wind Armor】, and 【Clay】. I’ve also learned a few other spells and 【Advanced Magic: Second Stage】, but they have strong recoil, so I can’t use them repeatedly.”
Shizuku answered honestly. Hearing this, Lenden fell silent for a moment.
“…At a practical combat level?”
“I’ve used all of them in actual combat.”
Ur knew this too. Every spell she mentioned had been used in battle, and Ur had been saved by them more than once. Seeing Ur’s reaction and understanding that this wasn’t some kind of bluff, Lenden nodded.
“Right, quit being an adventurer and join the mage guild right now. I’ll introduce you.”
“Stop trying to poach her right in front of me.”
“Quiet. What kind of genius are you traveling with?”
“I know, but…”
“No, you don’t.”
Lenden angrily pointed at Ur. It felt unfair that he was being lectured over Shizuku’s matter.
“Normally, an adventurer mage—if you can even call them that—can handle maybe one or two types of magic at best.”
Lenden argued that even calling them “adventurer mages” was questionable.
True mages are those who manipulate the mana that fills the world and explore the phenomena it creates. Those who just use it like a sword or spear as a tool can hardly be called mages. It’s a common story that such people get sour looks if they introduce themselves as “fellow mages” in front of professional mages.
“But that’s not to say adventurer mages are inferior. It’s also about being able to act quickly in critical moments by narrowing down their options.”
“Yeah, I get that.”
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