"Urgh..."
Slowly coming to, I shift around in attempts to grasp my sheets and pull them overhead to cover the sunlight bleeding through the window. However, I soon realise I'm on the floor.
What time is it?
Looking to my right where my analogue clock is hanged, nothing's there. My room's devoid of the furniture I've become accustomed to.
"...Oh, right..."
Slowly rising, I check for my status as it brings up the window in front of me. With no change in terms of numbers, I soon realise a gold circular icon below as it has a counter of 1.
"Ehh... Is that..? Hmm, well that's convenient."
Pulling the single coin out, I play with it between my fingers and inspect the two sides. With one side bearing some sort of crest, the other side shows a face of a woman with a tiara.
"Luminary, hmm..."
Reading the text below it, I place it back into my pocket and sit upon the chair beside the table.
"Hah... I guess it wasn't a dream after all."
A knock soon resonates against the door as I tell them to enter.
"Wait, how could you forget to lock the door!?"
Rosebelle steps in as she immediately bombards me with a question.
"Ehh, well I just thought..."
"It's probably fine since I was in the room across from you, but still! Someone could've came in when you were asleep!"
"W-Well yeah but-"
"No buts about it! You should always be careful, even if you're in the safety of a city or town. There are people out there who are set on making others miserable, or even taking their life."
"..."
I guess I was a bit too careless last night. With no possessions, being within a city that requires a permit, being a Hero Candidate or even staying at an establishment, I thought I was safe at least. There's nothing for them to take, but I'd rather not be murdered a second time.
"Duly noted. Aha, thanks, Rosebelle, and good morning."
"Mm, glad that's out of the way.~ Good morning, Akira! Though some shops aren't open, a few are morning risers. If you're ready we can get to showing you around.~"
"Yeah, I think I'm ready."
There's nothing else for me to do here anyway.
...
"Well that's convenient."
Being reborn as a Hero Candidate, we don't emit bodily odors nor do we even sweat. That means there's little reason to wash up unless you're seeking comfort.
"Hehe, right? It means there's much more time to do other things of more importance! It's a rush when you're starting off, so you need every second of the day."
There are bath houses open to all at the cost of five seraphs which is the name for the silver coated coins, it amounts to half a lumin or so.
"Okay, so lets get to the exciting part right away!"
Following after Rosebelle we proceed further into the city as we eventually enter a building.
"..."
Left completely awestruck, numerous sets of armor lay in display as weapons from swords, knives to axes.
"Allow me to present, Xavier's Armory! Here you can find quality equipment at a decent price."
"An armory, hmm..."
Wandering about, its difficult to contain my excitement as I scan the displayed items.
"Hmm, it seems the Master isn't here. Lemme check out back."
Leaving me to myself, a certain sword sparks my interest as I slowly step towards it in a far display cabinet.
"Wow..."
A single word slips out as I'm soon left at a loss for words. From the base of the blade down to the pommel, it's entirely coated in a black coating with a sleek design and a interesting edged hand guard.
"A beauty isn't she?"
"That's one word that'll...-"
Adjusting my gaze, a burly man stands tall beside me admiring the same sword named, Duskbringer.
"Umm... Who are you?"
"Hmm? Oh, you must be a new customer if you don't know me."
Stepping back a few inches, he puffs his chest and introduces himself with his hands by his hips.
"I'm Xavier, though people usually just call me Master. Everything you see here has been hand crafted by these lovely guns."
Flexing his arms, I'm well aware of your massive build even without that, sir.
"Right... Well, they all do look well made."
Though of course I have no idea what I'm saying.
"Mm, yes, yes. I see you're a man of-... Hmm, you're Rosey's friend, aren't you? Hero Candidate also?"
Examining me from head to toe, he gives me a questionable look.
"Well..."
I guess I do look rather dull compared to her sleek fitted outfit.
"Yeah... Speaking of Rosebelle, where is she?"
"She's in the back sharpening her sword, gotta keep your partner well oiled and maintained. So, what are we having today, looking for a new sword?"
"Well, I'm only here since Rosebelle was showing me around... So for now, mind if I look around? I only have a single lumin though, so..."
Giving me a glare like I can't even buy anything if I wanted to, he gestures me to look around.
"Hah! Well with that you could have a knife or sword and chest piece to get ya going! However, I personally recommend something like an axe. But by all means, you're free to admire and come back when you can afford my most finest works."
...
Checking every inch of the store, I find myself wandering back to the Duskbringer.
"Duskbringer, hmm?"
Nothing else in the store comes close in design as I find myself mesmerised by it.
"Duskbringer, it sure is a wonderfully crafted piece."
Rosebelle stands beside me as it seems she too can appreciate the design.
"Yeah, it does look that way. Anyways, are we ready?"
"Hmm? Oh, have you already decided on what you want? I thought it'd take longer than that."
"Ehh, wait was I supposed to be doing that?"
"Of course! You can't be defenseless when you're out there on quests!"
"Well..."
With one lumin to my name, I can get a least a weapon and a chest piece.
"Oo, you're more of an axe person? That's nice, but that one... Are you sure?"
"Mm, yeah. I am. I'd prefer a sword too, but this I don't mind."
"B-But-"
Leaving Rosebelle with her words, I move towards the armor sets for the chest piece and take the two towards the counter.
"All right, you're buying. So that's... Ho... So you took up on my offer. You're paying yourself?"
With a smirk, he crosses his arms as he looks to Rosebelle who seems to want to offer more of her services.
"Well, no arguments here."
Placing the lumin down, he kneels behind the counter and places a piece of clothing down.
"Ehh... That's not part of the set, right?"
"It is now. Think of it as a token for your continued patronage. That thing will wear you down without this."
"R-Right... Thanks, Master."
"That's the way, haha! Oh and just a little more service."
Moving away from the counter, he heads to the side and opens the display case for the Duskbringer.
"Agrh, come on..."
Bringing the Duskbringer over, he appears to be having some sort of trouble as he then holds it out to me.
"You're not serious..."
"Hey, if you recognise this ones worth, I have to do something like this."
"U-Umm, Master, perhaps that's not a good..."
Hovering her hands out in front of her, Rosebelle seems to be against the idea.
"W-well... In that case..."
I reach forward to the handle as a red aura soon resonates from the Duskbringer soon accompanied by a warning symbol.
Rosebelle quickly retrieves the Duskbringer from my grasp as she holds it up high.
"...R-Rosebelle?"
"Akira, there should be a warning sign just within your peripheral vision, right?"
"Ehh, yeah."
Looking to it, it expands a window as it reads that I do not meet the requirements to wield it. In f
"Ehh, thanks Rosebelle."
"Hey, you just took the kids dream right from him."
"You shouldn't offer him such an absurd sword to begin with, Master!"
"W-Well I just thought-... Wait, Rosey, you're holding her upright..."
"Hmm? Oh... I am."
Holding it before her, I check the requirements again before the timer expires. If my memory serves me correctly, she does meet the requirements.
"I remember when you couldn't lift her past your waist. What d'ya say about taking her off me?"
"Hmm... It's an enticing offer, but I think I'll let her go. I already have a spare if needed, and It'll take an absurd individual to wield both of them."
"Why don't you just give it a go?"
Using her free hand to unsheathe her other sword with a reverse grip, her grip against Duskbringer tightens as though it got heavier.
"Yup, my STR parameter doesn't increase like it used to. If my starting values were higher then perhaps."
"That's a shame."
Handing the Duskbringer back to Xavier, he looks to me once again.
"So how about it, wanna give her a go?"
"Master!"
"Hahaha! Settle down, Rosey. I'll go put 'er back."
Placing the sword back on display, Rosebelle could only sigh.
"So... Duel wielding isn't viable?"
"It's not a question of it's viability, but preference. It's not my style, plus to simultaneously wield two is no easy feat."
Placing her hand against the pommel of her sword, she tilts it at an angle.
"For instance, Dawnbringer requires 2500 str and 1500 dex, but when you add Duskbringer into the mix, you need to meet her requirements plus their added total."
"So... You'd need absurd stats to wield two powerful weapons?"
"That's the short end of it, there are very few who dedicate their lives into mastering the style. But that doesn't mean two is better than one."
"I see..."
I think I'll just stick with the simpler option.
"So, kid, what's your parameters at anyways?"
Crossing his arms, I feel utterly humiliated.
"Let's just say they're fifty at best."
"Psh, what that's it? Hahaha!"
Xavier bursts into laughter as I felt somewhat ticked about it.
"Not everyone has the time to be a body builder!"
As work may have been tiring everyday, it's not like I do a lot of heavy labor. I suppose that's the reason.
"Haha, well, it's bad taste to bring up memories related to a candidates past. But, hmm... How about this?"
With a smirk, he points over his shoulder towards the Duskbringer.
"If you meet her requirements, I'll allow you to take her off my hands at a discount."
"...So you're saying I'd never reach it?"
"No no, think of it as a challenge. As a retired Candidate, I know it's great to have something to strive for. Or are you saying you're no longer interested in 'er?"
As though I offended him, I couldn't help but feel reluctant to accept his challenge.
"I just thought that- Wait, you were a Hero Candidate?"
"Hmm? Sure, I was. But I took to being a blacksmith because I feel more fulfilled helping others achieve in their goal. And as it turns out, I do one heck of a good job at it."
"Hmm... Guess I'll give it a shot, can't see why not. But are you sure? You don't really get anything out of it."
"It's not like I'm running some sort of charity, sure. But if she keeps sitting there collecting dust, it makes me feel bad as her parent, so I'm willing to part with her if you manage to complete the challenge."
I can kind of see where he's coming from, but at the same time... I'm sure others wouldn't mind paying in full for a sword of this caliber. Nonetheless, this won't be an easy task.
"All right, then I accept."
"That's the way! If there's something that catches your eye, as a man you'd do whatever it takes to seize it, even if it kills you."
"Hahaha... right."
...
Exiting the store, the Master bids us farewell. Though he may be a little overbearing, he seems like a great guy. To be able to devote yourself in your work to provide other Candidates quality equipment in hope to achieve their goal. I'd say that's a trait of a Hero.
"So, the Master is a Blacksmith and a Candidate also? How does that work?"
"Hmm, I did tell you about the Demon Lord, right, and how he was defeated? With him out of the picture, the Master took to opening up a store and create weapons for adventurers."
"When exactly was this Demon Lords defeat?"
"It was on... First Moon, 2170; so about 5 or so years ago."
So it's still rather recent... I wonder how long both Rosebelle and the Master have been in this world.
"Okay, now that, that's out of the way, we should get you stocked up on potions and what not at the Herbalist."
...
Showing me a few other stops before we get there, there's a few small stalls set up by the roads that range from small produce, to materials and confectionery; kind of like flea markets.
When we reach the Herbalist, I realise it was the same store that Rosebelle received those colourful vials.
"Oh, Rosey, good morning to you. How are you doing?"
In the middle of prepping the store front, a crate loaded with vials and jars sit against the table as he individually divides and assorts them on display.
"Good morning, Graffios.~ I'm doing fine, so far it's been a lovely morning."
"Yes, always a fine morning, isn't it? Getting up early and smelling the fresh scent of sage... Ahhh, what bliss."
"Mm, it sure is. Anyhow, this is Akira, I met him a day ago."
Introducing me to the man, he turns around with a few vials in hand and stares at me as his mouth gradually opens. Compared to the Master, he appears a lot older with a slim build, what they do share in common is their baldness.
"Ahh... yes, the boy from yesterday, was it?"
"Y-Yes, It's nice to meet you sir...-"
"Graffios, a pleasure. So, what can I do for you today?"
Rosebelle explains my situation to Graffios as I follow her inside the store. I expected there to be a strange scent to the place, however, it's similar to the atmosphere of an old bookstore. Many books are lined upon shelves in a dim lit room and as we proceed further in towards the counter, a lady sits behind it.
Reading a thick book, she adjusts her glasses after she notices our presence.
"Good morning, Luel.~"
"Morning, Rose. I heard that you've been helping my inadequate husband with his stock problem."
"E-Ehh?~ W-Whatever do you mean..."
With a sigh, she firmly shuts her book before placing her glasses against the counter.
"You were always an easy one to read, little Rose."
"...Sorry."
"It's not like I mind, so long as my store makes a profit, I don't care about little mishaps."
Rubbing her eyes, they seemed strained as she places her glasses back on before setting her gaze on me. Though it looks like she's able to see through me.
"Hmm, and you are?"
Introducing myself, she bows just a slight and states herself to be the owner of the store. An herbalist who specializes in creating potent concoctions. She also sells related materials and books for those with experience in the field.
"Since Akira here's a fresh new Hero Candidate, I've just been showing him places that'll serve him well."
"A fresh Candidate is equivalent to dwellers in terms of strength and endurance. I suggest taking it slow and not try anything stupid to survive. A few potent potions and Rose's teachings should suffice in that."
Yawning into her hand, she pulls out a few items from beneath and places them on the counter.
"The starter kit, almost the same one I gave you, little Rose, all those years back. Three reds, two greens, and a beginners guide to herbs in the wild. A total of 75 seraphs."
Being flat out broke, there's nothing I can do except respectfully decline.
"I know that you don't have enough, but I'm not asking for you to pay up now. Once you gather enough from requests, or simply selling junk you find out there, you can come back to see me."
"Ehh... You don't think I'd run away?"
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