Chapter 45

“Wonderful! This AGI multiplier shirt was made for you! Now, please take it! Oh, no-no-no-no-no-no-no-no! I would never think of payment! I am happy to have just been a witness to that moment! I am the most fortunate of fellows! I have witnessed such a historical moment with my own eyes!”

Of course, such a convenient conversation did not take place. I quickly removed the shirt and it was placed back into its glass case. We then continued to look at other sets of light armor. The clerk was still a little dazed at first, but seemed to regain himself when I came out of the dressing room and handed him the shirt. I didn’t know what kind of person would ultimately own it, but it was really something special. I could only hope the new owner was a good person.

Now, there were all kinds of armor before us. General leather armor. Armor made from the skin of monsters, and even armor made from the knitted hair of monsters. They had other enchanted clothing as well. And so I settled on some armor made of monster hide and clothes with magical enchantments.

“These products you have chosen would usually be very expensive, but they are discounted a little at this time of the year.”

“Oh, and why is that?”

“The truth is, the material used for this is from dragons.

Daniela was sitting unconcernedly on a chair until the word ‘dragon’ caught her ear. She stood up loudly.

“Dragons?”

“Uh, yes…there was a small scale stampede in a town north from here. They say it was dragons… Only young ones, though. Fortunately, there was a brave hero present. All the dragons were slain and a lot of material flowed into the market.”

“A dragon stampede…”

Daniela sat back into her chair with a complicated expression. It had been a small scale one, but it was still a stampede. Something about them only being younger dragons seemed odd, but there was another word that caught my interest even more.

“A hero?”

“Yes. Do you not know? The hero of the royal capital, Yasushi Matsumoto.”

“Yasushi…Matsumoto…?”

Hey, hey, hey, hey… That was clearly a Japanese name!

“The name has a similar ring to yours, Asagi. Is he from your homeland?”

“No… I don’t know…”

My heart was beating so fast that it was difficult to think straight. I could hear my pulse hammering in the back of my ears. This was the first time this had happened in this world. The first time I had heard anything about home.

“Are you alright?”

“Ah…ah… I’m sorry… I see. So that is why they are cheap. So how much will it be exactly?”

“Indeed. This leather armor is made from a young ice dragon. It offers protection from fire magic and increases the strength of ice-related spells. The price is forty pieces of gold. The undergarment is weaved from the hairs of a wind dragon. The wind dragon is loved by the wind, it will enhance your wind magic and raise your AGI. Furthermore, the enchantment on the shirt will grant you an additional AGI boost as well. Its price is sixty gold pieces.”

It was a young dragon and the materials were abundant, and yet this price… I felt rather betrayed after hearing that they had been discounted. Especially as it was not an amount I could immediately afford.

“It is a very appealing set of gear. But I won’t be able to buy it immediately at that price…”

“It would usually cost eight times as much. The price has only collapsed due to the market, but that will soon be fixed and the price will return to normal.”

Well, this was annoying! Go hunt some more and flood the market, Yasushi Matsumoto!

I was being pushed and pushed by the sales talk I was hearing. I was developing a dire compulsion to buy it somehow. However, I couldn’t allow myself to fall into debt over this. I also refuse to borrow from Daniela. Borrowing and lending money between party members was the door to destruction.

“Ahhhh… I do want it…but I will have to pass. It’s just not feasible for me. It would be a different story if there was some way to make money around here.”

“Is that right… It is too bad. But a good merchant does not force customers to buy things. Though, I could accommodate you with a small price cut.”

My ears perk up at those words.

“…And how much would that be?”

“Indeed. Altogether the items are one hundred gold pieces. I could lower it to eighty pieces, as a thank you for that wonderful show you put on!”

Hmm… I suppose this was where I had to try harder. This was a negotiation to go into with full force.

“I’m sure the next auction will be a massive success, thanks to that demonstration.”

“…Well, yes. The rumors will spread. I have no doubt that many people will come to see it.”

“And once that happens, the birthplace of that artifact, this store, will gain tremendous business. Don’t you think?”

“Our sales will probably go up, thanks to you…”

“…”

“…”

Both of us fall silent. I can feel drops of sweat running down my back.

“Sixty.”

“!?”

“If you can lower it to sixty, I swear that I will do everything I can to buy this set of gear.”

“But sixty is far too… I understand that I owe you, but…”

“I will not back down from sixty. And I imagine they will be a harder sell once the price goes back up.”

“Ggg…!”

“Why don’t you just play it safe?”

“No…seventy-five!”

“It’s sixty.”

“Agh…! B-but, this is a business! The price may have collapsed, but I cannot let you have it for sixty!”

He wasn’t wrong. A full set of dragon armor for sixty gold pieces was pure robbery. And so I pretend to give in.

“…Very well then. I am an adventurer. I travel. I shall advertise this store in all the lands I visit. ‘This wonderful set is from a store in Spiris. The Paw Armor Shop!’”

“Tha-that is very enticing, but…!”

“Please consider what that could do for you. If you agree to this, I will pay you sixty-five gold pieces!”

“Oh, oh…”

He was probably trying to calculate his earnings and expenses and how such advertising may affect him. The clerk’s brow was covered in sweat as he closed his eyes and thought very hard. But that didn’t last too long, and his eyes opened wide as he looked at me and shouted.

“Sold!”

I smile with satisfaction and offer my hand. He takes it and we shake on it. And so I was to attain a full set of dragon armor for sixty-five pieces of gold. Yes, it was all good.

□ □ □ □

“So, Asagi. Can you really prepare that many gold pieces?”

“Daniela, it’s not a matter of can or can’t. I will.”

We were now walking toward the guild. As we had finished negotiating, the armor would now be set aside for me on the promise that I would buy it. So the only thing left to do was to raise the money.

“That is easy to say… But how much do you have right now?”

“Uh…two gold and about sixty silvers.”

“You…what do you think you are going to do?…”

Daniela put a hand to her face and shook her head. She even sighed so I would make no mistake that she was exasperated. Oh, I’ll think of something! Maybe I had gotten a little carried away, but I was still a man of action when I needed to be. I would keep my promise. I would get that gear. I should be able to make enough money even if I had to go berserk in that forest. And it would be all the better if some orcs wandered in again.

“This is a huge city we are in. And we have proof of killing the orcs. It’ll be fine!”

“I sincerely hope so…”

Daniela said with another sigh. She was folding her arms and glaring at me.

“Hey, I’m sorry… I just got caught up in the moment. I won’t do it again.”

“Really… You are lucky to have me. Eh?”

Her expression changed a little now as she looked into my eyes.

“What, what do you mean?”

“You would be in quite the ordeal if you were alone, Asagi. But you are not alone. I am here. Together, we shall make twice as much.”

“!”

So she would help me then…! And I had been thinking of allowing her to take a long rest…

“Are you sure? It’s not really your concern.”

“We are a party. Allow me to help you.”

She smiled and slapped me on the shoulder. I suppose that this was what it was like to have a good partner… It was great. I would try not to trouble her in the future. Well then, we better hurry to the guild. There may be a good quest waiting for us!

“Thank you, Daniela! I love you!”

“Y-y-you fool! What are you saying?!”