Volume 1 Chapter 22 Feelings Of Gratitude
After parting ways with Ryuin and the others, Fatina and I left the adventurer's guild and walked along the main street.
According to the receptionist, the dungeon will be reopened starting tomorrow.
"Well then, we'll be going to the middle layer with Ryuin-san and the others from tomorrow, right?"
"Yeah, but it would be better to get new equipment before that."
Starting tomorrow, the five of us will embark on the exploration of the Emerald Green Dungeon without delay.
One of the reasons I accepted the proposal was because I thought it would lighten Fatina's burden compared to just the two of us.
Since we'll be fighting in the middle layer from now on, it won't be as easy as the upper layer.
As long as my Instant Death Magic hits, there shouldn't be any problem, and Veronica, an S-rank adventurer with the [Appraisal] skill, has high stats that even surprise me, so it should be fine as it is.
But Fatina, who directly engages with enemies, will need better equipment.
In regards to the monster in the middle layer, I don't know how well I can fight with my current equipment.
In the previous battle with the Shadow Chimera, I was lucky to come out uninjured because there were many other adventurers present, but I can't guarantee the same luck will continue.
During our journey through the dungeon, I saw Fatina's silver sword, but the blade was completely damaged.
I have to be grateful that the sword has endured Fatina's increasingly fast movements as she levels up.
Ryuin and the others are S-Rank adventurers, so they must have really good equipment.
I can't prepare something of the same level, but I still want to get the best possible gear available right now.
"Well then, let's go to Gail-san's shop!"
I'm grateful to the shop owner for taking care of us in various ways, but it's not like his shop specializes in weapons and armor; it's more like a general store.
However, if he hear our story, he might be able to help us somehow.
"Well, let's just give it a try and go."
And so, we decided to head to the shop in the back alley for now.
"Hey, isn't it Voltana's Hero (Eiyuu) and his partner? How have you been?"
"Hello! Gail-san."
As soon as we opened the door and entered the shop, the shop owner started making his usual jokes.
"I'm not some Hero or anything. I'm just an ordinary adventurer."
"Don't be so modest. But thanks to you and the other adventurers, this town and the people were saved. Thank you."
I was slightly shocked by the fact that the shop owner said that to me. I started to worry if he had eaten something bad.
"By the way, I have heard. After the monsters came pouring in, now they completely disappeared from the upper layer of the dungeon. I have no idea what's going on."
"Yeah. Starting from tomorrow, we'll be heading to the lower layer to investigate this incident. So we need equipment that matches that."
The shop owner smiled, his mouth contorting into a smirk, upon hearing that.
"Haha, I knew you guys would eventually say that. As a matter of fact, I just finished making something that I wanted to show you. Check this out..."
Saying so, the shop owner placed a long, slender object covered in fabric on the counter, which was leaning against the wall right behind him. It made a clattering noise as it was placed, momentarily causing other objects to float in the air.
Then, the shop owner untied the string and pulled out the object from the fabric.
What emerged from the fabric was a set consisting of a jet-black long sword and its sheath. It was in stark contrast to the silver sword Fatina had been using.
While the entire sword was black, the edges of the blade were slightly closer to white in color.
The decorations on the handle and blade were also exquisite, even someone like me who lacks knowledge about weaponry could tell at a glance that it was a high-quality piece. I wonder if the shop owner bought it.
"Do you happen to know what material this sword is made of?"
Upon being asked by the shop owner, Fatina gazed at the sword from various angles.
"Hmm, what could it be? Is it some kind of hard metal?"
"This sword was made by processing the material from the Black Chimera that two of you defeated the other day. The blade is made of its bones."
"Huh! This is made from the bones of that monster!?"
The materials from the Shadow Chimera defeated in Voltana were collected by the Adventurer's Guild.
The guild asked me to accept it as a reward because I delivered the finishing blow, but it was based on the result of the entire party's efforts, so I requested to convert it to cash and distribute it among the adventurers.
"Nevertheless, I never would have thought it was originally made of bones..."
"Yeah."
The sword emits a dark shine that would make it look like a metal if we weren't told in advance that the material was bone.
I've heard before that armor and weapons made from the materials of powerful monsters like dragons are high-end products, and it seems like this is also one of those.
"Sometimes mutated versions of normal monsters appear in dungeons. They are usually stronger than normal monsters, but in return you can obtain higher quality materials."
"Ah, I see... So that's why they were so powerful."
"According to what I heard from a craftsman who actually worked with them, these monsters are much tougher than ordinary metals, and just trying to cut them is a real challenge. It's quite bone-breaking, literally."
"Oh, really? I didn't know that."
"..."
It seems like he went through all that trouble just to show us this item. He must have expected us to buy it.
I have no idea how much this rare item would cost, but if Fatina gets her hands on it, she could probably use it in the lower layers. It's something we really wanted.
"I want you to sell me this sword. How much will you give me for it?"
"Hah, I don't need money. Take it."
"What?!"
"Huh?"
Both Fatina and I couldn't help but make weird sounds in surprise.
"Ahahaha! Just the reaction I expected!
The shop owner, seeing our astonished faces, burst into laughter with his arms crossed.
"Actually, you know, there's talk among the craftsmen in town about showing their gratitude to you guys who saved Voltana from crisis."
"Gratitude?"
"Yeah, everyone in town already knows the story of you two bravely facing that huge swarm of monsters. And the fact that you didn't ask for any reward from the town or the guild has really won everyone over."
It's true, neither I nor Fatina ever asked for anything in return.
In our case, we weren't seeking materials or money, but rather our goal was to defeat the Chimera. Plus, I was able to gain the ability to use a new Instant Death Magic spell."
"But, is it okay? It looks very expensive..."
"Don't worry about it. Besides, you're heading to the middle layer to solve the anomaly, right? It's like protecting the town. This sword may be a little heavy, but if you swing it, you'll be able to handle the monsters in the lower layer."
The shop owner turned out to be a much better person than I had thought, going so far for us strangers.
Come to think of it, it's thanks to this shop owner that I was able to form a party with Fatina.
"Thank you. You always help us so much."
When I said that, the shop owner scratched his cheek with his finger. It seems like he's trying to hide his embarrassment.
"Well, anyway, it's good that you got a new weapon."
"Yes! With this, I can be more useful to Ark-sama!"
When Fatina answered like that, the shop owner grinned just like before.
"What is it, the beastkin girl is head over heels for bro, huh? Surprisingly, she's not someone you can easily dismiss."
"It's not like we have that kind of relationship. But she's an important member of our party."
Just to clarify, so there's no misunderstanding.
"Well, that's true but..."
"Sigh... Some things never change, huh..."
Saying that, the shop owner and Fatina somehow slumped their shoulders together.
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