Another Visit to the Weapon Shop

After returning to town, Chuan Wenwu naturally headed back to the weapon shop to pay the owner another visit first.

Who would have thought that the moment they stepped through the door, the owner would greet them first? "Well, if it isn't the shield lad! The other heroes all stopped by after you left, and I have to say, you still seem the most dependable of the lot. So, how did today's haul go?"

Seeing the owner's beaming smile, Chuan Wenwu promptly pulled out a large bag of today's spoils-fragments of Orange Balloons-to show him.

"Here. We didn't go too far today, just killed some balloon monsters outside town. Are there any shops that buy this stuff?"

"Whoa-you call that some? You're pretty ruthless, lad. This is the first time I've seen such a huge sack of balloon hide. Don't tell me you slaughtered every balloon monster in the area?"

The owner sucked in a sharp breath at the bulging sack Chuan Wenwu held up.

After all, the material left behind when a balloon monster died was just a small, thin scrap that took up hardly any space. It wasn't hard to imagine how many balloon monsters he must have killed to fill such a huge sack.

And it had only been one day, hadn't it?

Normally, anyone with that kind of strength wouldn't spare a glance for the materials these balloon monsters dropped. They would already be adventuring farther afield in more dangerous areas with richer rewards. Who would stay near town poking balloons for fun?

Chuan Wenwu scratched his head, looking a little sheepish. "Well, it's my first time adventuring in another world, after all. I'm playing it safe. I didn't really dare venture too far, so I had to pick on weaker monsters to build up my confidence first... Anyway, you still haven't told me whether you buy these materials."

The owner waved a hand. "What are you thinking? This is a weapon shop. What would I buy balloon hide for? There's a shop over there that specializes in buying monster materials. If you want to sell them, go ask there."

Looking somewhat disappointed, Chuan Wenwu put his spoils away. "I thought this balloon hide was pretty stretchy. Maybe you could use it to make bowstrings or something."

"What kind of damage could a bowstring made of balloon hide possibly do?" the owner asked.

"Well, even if you can't use it on a proper bow, you could at least put it on a slingshot as a rubber band and sell it to kids so they can shoot out the windows of people they hate, right?"

"Get out of here!" The owner was so exasperated that he laughed. "Then sell it to a toy shop! This is a weapon shop!"

"Back to business. What brings you here this time? Are you buying some equipment for the young lady accompanying you?" The owner tilted his chin, directing Chuan Wenwu's attention to Myne, who was gazing eagerly at the weapons and armor behind him.

Chuan Wenwu glanced at Myne, frowned, and shook his head. "No. Myne already has a basic set of weapons and armor, so she doesn't need better equipment for now. Besides, although she's my companion now, I've always believed in earning your keep. You get back what you put in. Myne's performance today wasn't exactly outstanding... Or rather, aside from bringing us to your shop, she just stood on the sidelines cheering us on. She didn't take part in the adventure or the monster hunting."

He paused, then continued, "But I'm not completely heartless, either. Myne, you did at least do your job as a guide, so I can't leave you with no payment at all... Here. You can have this whole bag of balloon hide I worked so hard to collect today. You're well connected, so whatever you can sell it for is yours. And while we're traveling together, I'll cover your meals and lodging as well."

With that, Chuan Wenwu placed the heavy bundle into the hands of a dumbfounded Myne.

"H-Hero, are you really unwilling to buy me some better equipment?" Myne put on a pitiful expression.

But Chuan Wenwu remained unmoved, appealing to her feelings and reason. "Myne, it's not that I'm unwilling. It just really isn't necessary. You've already got a well-made shortsword at your waist, right? Your leather armor offers some protection, too. That's more than enough, isn't it? You saw how well I, the Shield Hero, could draw monsters in today. Even Bruce could take down a whole bunch of them almost without injury using only his claws and teeth, without a weapon at all. Your current equipment will last you quite a while. The king didn't give us all that much funding, so we have to spend it where it counts... Can you understand that?"

"...Y-yes, I understand." Myne's smile looked strained, and her reply was reluctant.

"Good, as long as you understand. Our adventuring party has only just started out, and we can't earn much yet. We have to make good use of every bit of money to improve our combat strength quickly and head to higher-level areas to hunt powerful monsters as soon as possible. That's how we'll get better returns. When that time comes, even a small share of the loot will be worth far more than today's paltry earnings! You'll have to put up with this for a little while, Myne. This balloon hide isn't worth much, but selling it should still get you a few silver coins."

Then Chuan Wenwu turned back to the owner. "I'm here this time because I'd like you to repair this sword for me..."

Chuan Wenwu took out the Magic Iron Sword he had bought just that morning, its blade already chipped, and handed it to the owner, whose eyes suddenly went wide.

The owner lifted the sword and examined it in disbelief, exclaiming, "No, good heavens! What did you do with it today? Whatever happened, it shouldn't look like this after just one day! And all the wear is concentrated at the tip?"

"Uh..."

Chuan Wenwu briefly explained his monster-farming process that day, earning repeated strange looks from the owner.

"Well, that explains it. That explains it. If you use a sword that roughly and that often, wear like this is inevitable... And here I thought you'd actually bought this sword for Bruce to use. I didn't realize you were so inventive. Even with your hero's Holy Weapon preventing you from using other weapons, you still managed to come up with such an outlandish method," the owner muttered.

Chuan Wenwu rubbed his hands together and said sheepishly, "Ahaha, just a little ingenuity. So, I came to ask you to repair this slightly dulled sword, and also to ask whether you have any equipment or weapons suitable for my Bruce. We tried it out today, and holding a sword in his mouth really doesn't suit him. Bruce used his teeth and claws to deal with the monsters all day."

"If you want equipment for a monster, go ask at a monster shop! This is a weapon shop that sells equipment for humans!" the owner barked, rubbing the roughened sword tip with a pained look. "With the way you use it, even if I sharpen it again, you'll wear it down into a sorry state in no time. If you ask me, the right weapon for you is a long spike!"

Unexpectedly, Chuan Wenwu nodded eagerly. "Yes, yes, exactly! You're absolutely right! That's what I was thinking after trying it today. Could you melt this sword down and make me some nails?"

Stare-

The owner stared hard at Chuan Wenwu, but he didn't care in the slightest. He looked back at the owner with utter sincerity, one hand unconsciously reaching behind him to scratch his backside.

"...Five silver coins for the work. Pick it up tomorrow."

"Sure thing! Here you go!"

Chuan Wenwu cheerfully laid out five silver coins. "I'll come back tomorrow!"

Then the owner could only stare blankly as the two people and their dog left the shop without a backward glance.

"Heh, that kid..."