To express my gratitude for Kikel’s consideration, I introduced him one by one to the relatively decent stores I knew among the shops.
“The prices may not differ much… but at least, these are places that won’t mess around with the goods. They’ll also give you a fair price when selling loot.”
“Kachak! Thank you!”
Even that much could be considered relatively conscientious among the merchants on this street.
The worst merchants not only overcharged but also sneakily mixed in defective products or severely undervalued loot when buying it.
Of course, such boldness was only displayed when dealing with iron or wooden tag adventurers, and from copper tags onwards, the scamming decreased somewhat.
That’s because from copper tag adventurers onwards, the guild started listening to their complaints. Even if one or two people weren’t enough and at least a dozen or so had to gather to protest, at least they were being heard.
That’s why, to properly make a living as an adventurer, getting a copper tag wasn’t a choice but a necessity.
If you don’t like it, just get promoted, they say.
* * *
After that, we walked down the street and entered a blacksmith’s shop with a rough exterior.
Before purchasing new items we needed, we first had to dispose of the dungeon loot that was nothing more than a burden.
“Hmm… Did you two raid a tomb or something?”
The blacksmith who received the loot we handed over – rusty spears and swords – shook his head and asked about the origin of the items.
“That’s just how undead weapons are, you know.”
Well, if you think about it, we did raid a tomb.
Unlike other tombs, thanks to the Abyss Priest’s magical rejuvenation, corpses too old to even stand up straight were walking around upright, that’s all.
“With this condition, it’s hard to give a good price. I’ll buy them for twenty-four copper coins.”
24 copper. It was barely enough money for three or four days’ worth of food.
“Can you go a bit higher? We’re planning to buy a shield and longsword here too.”
“Hmm, if that’s the case… Thirty copper. I’ll give you that much. Any more than that and it’s not even worth the iron.”
Just saying we’d buy something made the price jump by 25% immediately.
You see now how much these merchants here slash prices, don’t you?
And this guy was considered relatively conscientious among them.
The unscrupulous ones would have initially offered about 20 copper, and only when haggled with, they would raise it to 24 copper as if doing us a favor.
“Alright. Thirty it is.”
So I didn’t argue further and accepted the thirty copper coins, then split them in half and handed them to Kikel.
“So… is this shield for the big lizard fellow here?”
“Right! Leg protection shield! Long! Strong!”
Kikel nodded and shouted.
“W-what, what?”
Seemingly a bit flustered by the clumsy, almost bizarre way of speaking, the blacksmith twitched his eyebrows while stroking his beard.
“He means a large shield that can protect down to the lower body, reinforced with leather or metal.”
“Ah, that’s what he meant. In that case, I have just the right item.”
The blacksmith nodded and rummaged through a storage cabinet under the counter, then pulled out a large shield to show us.
A long kite shield reminiscent of a teardrop shape. It was a wooden shield with a thin layer of iron overlaid on the surface to increase defense.
The pointed tip was sharpened enough to be used as a weapon, and the front surface had a slightly curved shape that seemed capable of easily deflecting most arrows or spears and swords.
“How about this? Will this do?”
“Kakachak! Good. Very good!”
Kikel expressed great satisfaction after holding the shield.
It was a bit heavier than the round shield he used before, but he seemed to like that the defense had increased significantly and it could protect down to the lower body.
“The price is three silver coins.”
Of course, he probably didn’t like the price.
We had sold over a dozen skeleton spears and swords for just 30 copper, but this single shield was being sold for 3 silver. That’s a whopping 300 copper.
Of course, rusty metal scraps can’t be worth the same as a decent shield, but still, ten times more expensive than over a dozen weapons combined?
Isn’t this inflation enough to make you want a revolution?
If Marx had seen this scene, he would have wet his bushy beard with tears and urged the adventurers of all countries to unite and struggle.
Saying we have nothing to lose but our chains and such.
Of course, unlike that con man’s claims, what the workers lost wasn’t their chains but their lives.
“Kachak…”
Kikel let out a somewhat deflated laugh and took out three silver coins from his money pouch to hand to the blacksmith.
The expense of 3 silver seemed quite burdensome, as his tail protruding from behind his cloak was drooping.
* * *
I bought a new longsword.
The previous longsword I had been using was chipped and cracked all over from the fierce battle with the wights, to the point where it wouldn’t be strange if it broke at any moment.
A longsword with a handle about one and a half hands long, a simple crossguard, and a blunt metal pommel at the end of the hilt.
It was what’s generally called a bastard sword.
Of course, this was also ridiculously expensive. 3 silver and 40 copper.
They said some kind of anti-corrosion treatment was done on the blade so it wouldn’t rust easily, but even considering that, it was a price that made you gasp.
The sword I had been using before cost only 70 copper, yet this was 5 times that price. Those rotten bastards.
…Anyway, after changing weapons like that, I said goodbye to Kikel.
Unlike me who still had business in the shopping district, he had finished his errand with changing his shield.
“Kachak! Rest well! Next meeting probably happy!”
I guess he meant he’d be happy if we could work together again next time?
Hmm, in that case…
“Hey, Kikel. I have a suggestion…”
I called out to Kikel who was about to leave without hesitation, and proposed to him that we work together for a while.
Suggesting that it would be better to work with someone whose skills and trustworthiness had been verified, rather than forming one-time parties with people we’ve just met.
“Shaaah…”
Kikel flicked his tongue while pondering for a moment, then asked me a question in return.
“I, outdoor work difficult. For now. That okay?”
He was saying he couldn’t perform outdoor missions due to his weakness to cold.
Things like subjugating monsters that had emerged from dungeons and formed settlements, hunting rare beasts, or gathering medicinal herbs.
“Well, we can decide that as we go along. Even with a fixed party, we don’t always have to move together.”
For such missions, well, we could just let Kikel rest and I could go alone.
What I had proposed to him wasn’t to stick together like glue as a duo, but to share each other’s schedules to some extent.
So that when suitable requests come up, we could choose each other instead of complete strangers. Like friends.
“Kachak…! Then, good. You strong! Have trust!”
Kikel readily agreed and held out his hand.
“You flatter me.”
I grasped his hand and shook it, expressing my gratitude, then we exchanged information about our lodgings and future plans to coordinate our schedules.
Surprisingly, Kikel’s lodging was quite close to the inn where I was staying. About a five-minute walk away.
It was an inn that was a bit expensive compared to its facilities, but he chose it because it was the only inn that would accept lizardmen.
He said he sleeps face down, hugging a leather sack as big as a person filled with heated stones, like incubating eggs? I thought it was quite a pitiful way of living.
Anyway, after parting with Kikel like that, I continued walking around the shopping district, passing time.
The next place I visited was a store specializing in armor.
While blacksmiths also deal with plate armor, scale armor, and chain mail, being metalworkers, they neither make nor sell leather armor or quilted armor.
“Welcome! What are you looking for?”
“I’m looking for a cloak that can cover my head, and a quilted armor to wear under my plate armor.”
Those wights had caused massive damage to my wallet.
Not just the longsword I had been using well, but even the quilted armor… and cloak I had been wearing for a while were turned into rags.
If they were just a little torn, I would have just repaired them, but it was clearly beyond the level that could be fixed by just sewing.
The tattered cloak was still covering somewhat, but underneath, it was completely shredded with bare skin exposed.
Like the ragged jeans of drug-addicted homeless people.
“A cloak and quilted armor… How about this?”
The armor merchant, repeating my words, pointed to a quilted armor hanging on the wall and asked.
A black cloth armor that covered about half the thighs.
The arm parts were somewhat puffy, while the waist part was slightly tapered to enhance the outfit’s style.
“That’s nice.”
I especially liked the color.
The simple finishing touches with gold thread on the black-dyed cloth made it look quite luxurious despite being just quilted armor.
“Yes. I’ll take this.”
I picked up that quilted armor, and while at it, also bought a new black cloak and pants, then went into the changing room to put them on.
When I came out, the merchant, with a very excited face, lavished exaggerated praise.
“Oh! It suits you very well! Just like a knight!”
Indeed, it did suit me well.
The black quilted garment decorated with gold thread and the steel armor with a silver sheen.
Add to that the lemon-colored hair falling to the waist, and it exuded an aura like some princess knight.
“How much is it all together?”
“Four silver… no, I’ll give it to you for three! Isn’t that almost like giving it away?”
What nonsense about giving it away.
Four silver was enough money to make a beggar lick your feet like some kind of doctor fish if you threw it at them.
How can pieces of cloth be more expensive than a forged steel longsword?
Is it because one is for taking lives and the other is for protecting them?
“Ah, if you’re thinking of selling your old quilted armor, I could subtract that price… Two silver. I’ll give it to you for two silver coins! How about it?”
As I was letting out a hollow laugh at the absurdly high price, the armor merchant made a very bold deal.
He offered to buy my old cloak, quilted armor, and pants, which were little more than rags now, for a whole silver coin.
…What is this, is he some kind of philanthropist?
Or was this quilted armor actually some terrible stock that wasn’t selling at all?
“Alright then.”
Of course, there was no reason to refuse.
Obviously, I should hand it over.
Rags that wouldn’t fetch even ten copper anywhere else, and old clothes I had bought and worn casually on the way – he was offering to buy them for a whole silver coin.
I handed over the clothes I had taken off and two silver coins to the merchant, then put on the cloak over my new clothes and returned to the inn.
Although I had spent money like water, it was a fairly satisfactory shopping trip overall.