A Change of Luck? A Gold Coin?

After spending some time inspecting it carefully, the workshop owner looked up with a rather odd expression. He hesitated before asking, "Young man, what star rank are you?"

Gordon paused at the question, but answered honestly, "Two stars."

The workshop owner's expression immediately grew even stranger.

"The metal smelting and forging on this Buster Sword were done very well, and its internal structure is sturdy enough. I can tell it's seen a fair amount of use, but overall, there's nothing seriously wrong with it.

"But there are signs of high-temperature scorching on the blade. A Yian Kut-Ku's breath couldn't produce heat like this, nor would it hit this hard. Looks more like a Rathalos. Did you use it to block a Rathalos's breath?"

Gordon's eyes widened in surprise. He could tell even that?

"It did block a Rathalos's breath for me. Otherwise, I'd have been blown to pieces right then," Gordon answered truthfully.

The workshop owner opened his mouth, but ultimately swallowed his retort. So why the hell was a two-star hunter like you picking a fight with a Rathalos??

"The problem with this hook is fairly serious, too. It must have taken an impact from something tremendously powerful. The hooked blade is slightly deformed, and the internal mechanism has been knocked out of alignment. That's why it's jammed.

"Honestly, I can't quite make sense of this damage. Judging by the chips in the hooked blade, whatever struck it should have been a relatively small blunt weapon, but the force was astonishing.

"Doesn't look like a monster's claws. A Bullfango King's tusks? But those aren't shaped like this, either.

"Wait, you weren't crossing blades with another hunter for fun, were you? An Insect Glaive could leave marks like these. If you really did something that stupid, this old man is going to give you a beating!"

The workshop owner raised a fist, his expression dark. Nothing annoyed him more than people recklessly damaging their weapons like that.

Gordon hastily waved his hands. He couldn't let that accusation stick. Whether it was a dispute or mere horseplay, whatever the reason, turning a weapon on another human was a very serious offense for a hunter.

"No, no, I'd never do that. It was the King Shakalaka. I clashed with the King Shakalaka once, and he smashed the Buster Sword into this state with a Bone Scepter."

"Cough, cough, cough. The King Shakalaka."

The old Wyverian choked on his tobacco. After a fit of coughing, he snapped, "First a Rathalos, then the King Shakalaka! Can't a little two-star hunter like you find some normal monsters to fight?!

"Even if you can take it, can your weapons and armor?!"

"..."

Gordon ducked his head. Only after the old man, who valued equipment more than people, had finished venting did he protest somewhat aggrievedly, "I ran into them by accident..."

The workshop owner was left speechless. Seeing that Gordon didn't seem to be lying, his deeply wrinkled face twitched hard. "Then your luck really is rotten," he said irritably. "Remember to visit a temple later and try asking for a charm to turn your luck around."

The workshop owner's mention of "luck" suddenly reminded Gordon of something. He reached into the pack behind his waist, rummaged around, and took out a copper-yellow Ancient Coin.

It was the foreign Ancient Coin Hayata had given him.

"What's that? Your lucky charm?" a familiar female voice asked from behind him.

Gordon instinctively turned and found that the newcomer was the light bowgun user, Oshura.

"Oh, it's you, Oshura, ma'am-"

"Hmm?"

"Ahem, Senior Oshura." Gordon changed his form of address with an awkward laugh, then continued, "A friend with really good luck gave it to me. She said she'd share some of her luck with me."

"Oh? A guy friend or a girl friend?"

"...A girl."

"Oho! A girlfriend? A token of love? Who is she? Is she a hunter? I know every female hunter in Minegarde!" Oshura's interest flared instantly, and she fired off one question after another.

Gordon said helplessly, "She's just a friend I only recently met. Senior Oshura, please stop making things up."

"Oh, don't try to fool me. Just a friend? This thing doesn't look cheap. Tsk, tsk, sharing a little good luck with you. Tsk, tsk, tsk."

Just as Gordon was struggling helplessly under Oshura's relentless teasing, the workshop owner suddenly spoke. "Young man, could I have a look at that coin?"

"Of course!"

Finally finding a chance to escape her questioning, Gordon hurriedly turned to the workshop owner and handed him the foreign gold coin.

The old Wyverian rubbed a calloused thumb over the Ancient Coin for a while, then looked up. "A very fine Ancient Coin. Judging by its design, it's a relic of the previous era. Came out of the Ancient Schrade City Ruins, I'd imagine.

"The process used to smelt this alloy has been lost. I'm quite interested in it. I'll offer 6,000z. Would you sell it, young man?"

Oshura, who was clearly quite familiar with the workshop owner, immediately planted her hands on her hips and snapped, "Hey! You clueless old man! Sell it, my ass! Didn't you hear Gordon say it was a token of love?"

Then she turned a hostile stare on Gordon, as though she'd start berating him the moment he dared say, "I'll sell."

In her view, such a precious gold coin given by a girl to bring him better luck had to be a heartfelt gift, even if it wasn't a token of love.

Selling it off for money would be going far too far!

Although Oshura's opinion didn't factor into Gordon's considerations, he still firmly and politely declined the workshop owner's offer.

For one thing, he wasn't short of money at the moment, so naturally he wouldn't do something as contemptible as reselling a friend's gift.

For another, ever since Hayata had pulled a foreign Ancient Coin and a pure crystal, one after the other, from the Shakalakas' rubbish-filled packs, he'd begun to believe in the supernatural.

Luck, people chosen by fate-all of that had to exist!

He was counting on this gold coin to turn his luck around. No way was he selling it...

His offer refused, the workshop owner reluctantly handed the Ancient Coin back, though he didn't forget to remind Gordon, "Coins made from this alloy barely corrode, but they still need looking after.

"The grime on it is caked on pretty firmly. Remember to give it a good scrape and wash when you get back. Such a fine Ancient Coin-it's a shame to leave it all black and filthy like this."

Oshura chimed in beside him. "Right, right, wash it properly. I can see a little hole in it, too. You could find a sturdy leather cord, thread it through, and wear it around your neck.

"I'm telling you, with lucky charms, the closer you wear them to your skin and the longer you wear them, the better they work!"

Gordon helplessly agreed to each suggestion. He'd almost forgotten how the conversation had ended up revolving around this foreign gold coin in the first place.

In any case, it was time to return to the matter at hand. Gordon cleared his throat and asked the workshop owner, "So, can my Buster Sword be repaired? How much will it cost?"

The workshop owner glanced at the Buster Sword beside him and said casually, "Of course. It's nothing major. Repairing the hook alone will cost 500z. If you want full maintenance on the internal structure and blade, that's another 300z, for a total of 800z."

"Repairs and maintenance, then." Gordon readily paid the fee without asking for a receipt. The man ran such a large workshop not far from the Hunter Gathering Hall; surely he had at least that much integrity.

"Come pick it up after noon tomorrow."

After giving him the pickup time, the workshop owner turned to Oshura. "And what are you here for this time, girl?"