#039
I cursed inwardly, but since the Secret Merchant had many rare items, it was a good opportunity for me too. If I could buy anything, I absolutely had to purchase something, whatever it was.
As if knowing exactly what I needed most right now, the first page was weapons. Swords, spears, bows—all kinds of weapons were overflowing. There were even guns and cannons.
Naturally, I believe the foundation of weapons is the sword, but with my strength and stamina both at rock bottom, ranged weapons would be better for me. In that case, nothing beats guns. I suddenly thought of Carlisle Lightinger shooting with that stylish silver antique gun. I’m the player, so why does that bastard get to do all the cool stuff?
Grumbling, I looked at the firearms first. Every single one was a high-performance, impressive weapon. However.
‘The cheapest hunting rifle is 120 million Rual…’
I quietly turned the page. There were various items like armor, potions, detection equipment, mounts, and so on. There were infinite things I wanted to buy, but they were all pie in the sky.
‘How much do I have to roll around like a dog to be able to buy that stuff?’
Actually, I already knew this well. The items Bisang dealt with were mostly incredibly expensive due to their rarity, so even in the game, in the early stages when you had no money, you could only suck your fingers. I’d never properly traded with him until I became wealthy. I was newly envious of Carlisle Lightinger’s wealth. That guy could choose whatever he wanted from stuff like this.
The catalog was processed as if it had peered into my wallet situation—things I could afford with my money were in color, and things I couldn’t afford were in black and white. And currently, there was only one photo processed in color on the tablet screen.
[Novice Explorer’s Sword]
“……”
I could tell from the name, but it’s an extremely ordinary sword. The blade being black looks somewhat unusual, but there’s nothing else special about it. The attack power and durability are also at ordinary levels. I even looked at the price.
[990,000 Rual]
A subtle rage surged up. This bastard, really. After setting aside the money to give to Eira, this leaves me with exactly 10,000 Rual.
This is such a targeted price.
“Buy it. It’s good stuff.”
Bisang shoved the catalog right up to my face as I glared at him.
Actually, I know buying it would be good. Even if it looks similar, it’s definitely going to be far superior to what regular shops or guilds sell. I only felt like it was relatively mediocre because I’d seen too many fancy things earlier. But the fact that I was being played by this guy’s hands one way or another didn’t make me feel very good.
When I frowned and didn’t respond, Bisang deployed the superior party’s signature line again.
“If you’re not buying, I’m leaving?”
Damn it.
“…I’ll buy it, I’ll buy.”
I was only going to give him 10,000 Rual anyway.
Grumbling, I took out only 10,000 Rual from the money pouch I’d received and returned the rest intact to Bisang. Curved eyes appeared again on Bisang’s mask as he received the pouch. He seemed pleased with the scenario proceeding as expected.
‘This is kind of irritating…’
Let me make it clear that it’s not a problem with my personality. No one likes being manipulated.
“It’s good stuff. Not a loss for you.”
As if reading my mind, Bisang said something soothing while fumblingly pulling out an item from somewhere in thin air and handing it to me. The actual item I saw looked somehow even more shabby than the photo. With its black handle and black blade, it looked like it might cut well, but it was just dull and somehow looked like an old toy.
‘What can I do.’
No matter what, it would be better than farming tools, so I had no choice. I’d just have to diligently save money to buy a real weapon from the very last page.
Like people making suspicious deals, we completed our transaction in that dark alley and parted ways. Bisang disappeared somewhere, and I hurried back to the guild.
At the lobby counter, I gave my name and received my room key. I thought Elmer would be there, but there was a different extra NPC. Elmer must be working the day shift tomorrow. Leaving behind the NPCs who were stealing glances at me with eyes full of curiosity, I climbed the stairs.
The room was cold—I couldn’t even dream of heating. After checking the locks on the door and window once more, I burrowed into the blankets.
I thought I wouldn’t be able to fall asleep easily with so many thoughts, but surprisingly, sleep came quickly. Come to think of it, hadn’t I barely slept for two days? Not long after putting my head on the pillow, I fell asleep as if fainting. I think I had insomnia in reality, but coming here seems to have cured it.
***
I must have been tired, because I didn’t wake up until the early spring sun was high in the sky and sunlight was prying through my eyelids. Thanks to sleeping soundly, my stamina bar had recharged somewhat. But as soon as I woke up, hunger came rushing in—there was nothing I could do about that.
‘I’m going to collapse at this rate.’
But I didn’t feel like going to the dining hall. When I thought of the eyeball soup, my stomach still churned. I wanted to at least fill my stomach with water, but water was even more precious in this world. With no choice, I took out one of the carrots I’d kept as emergency rations and chewed it absentmindedly while in a daze.
It was something Eira had prepared for me after I’d shared some of the mushrooms and wild berries I’d obtained from the hidden dungeon. I couldn’t help but think anew about how precious a thing she’d given me.
‘Especially when I think about what trash I was in the game.’
Since it was precious, I chewed it as long and thoroughly as possible before swallowing. It might not have many calories, but at least the fiber and moisture eased my hunger a bit. Unintentionally doing proper chewing exercises naturally cleared my head too.
I was busy continuously until the day of departure.
When I went to find Eira and handed over the payment for selling the Melbrain potions, as expected, she was speechless with her mouth hanging open for a while. I felt proud for once. My Favorability also rose to 120, which was a higher increase than I’d expected. She definitely hadn’t thought I would keep my promise to establish sales channels and give her half the profits. Thanks to that, I was able to get several stamina potions and healing potions for free when I left. (Actually, I was planning to ask for more credit since I had no money, so this worked out well!)
As soon as I came out with the completed potions, the Secret Merchant suddenly appeared. (This time he was wearing a knit hat with only the eye area cut out, turned inside out. Really, he’s not even a robber… It’s a secret that I was startled again.) After handing over the promised 5 potions, I really felt like I’d been robbed. Both my inventory and money pouch were empty. Perhaps noticing this, Bisang handed me something round like a button, calling it a service.
“…What is this?”
“A summoning item.”
Summoning? What… you?
“Weren’t you the one who appeared on your own?”
When I asked in puzzlement, Bisang nodded.
“Right. I’ll appear on my own, but you never know. If something special happens, call me. That doesn’t mean I’ll definitely respond though.”
“……?”
Then what’s the point?
“I have busy times too, and sometimes I just want to rest.”
“……”
What a self-centered NPC. But there was no reason to refuse something he was offering. Anyway, he was someone I could encounter anywhere at any time, so having a means to call him when needed (even if not 100% reliable) seemed useful.
Having concluded that transaction, I entered the town and found Seiz’s workshop. From him, I received various items needed for exploration on credit in exchange for my promise to obtain Halmite for him. Like with Eira, it was actually an uncertain deal. I could take the money and run, or I might not come back alive at all. Perhaps because of this, Seiz didn’t look very happy even while handing over the items.
Still, since the items were lifelines for me setting off on the long journey to the desert, I pretended not to notice the gloomy atmosphere and collected the items. The new work gloves and vest he’d made specifically for me weren’t stylish at all in design, perhaps keeping in mind my identity as a farmer… but not only did the durability increase significantly, the storage capacity was also greatly expanded.
“Thanks, Seiz. I’ll definitely repay this debt.”
At my words, Seiz just nodded with a glum face. No matter how you looked at it, he didn’t seem optimistic. In fact, his Favorability had even dropped. At least it was only a small decrease.
‘I’ll definitely raise your Favorability.’
I resolved inwardly. In Wanderer’s Plains, I had nothing and my stamina was at rock bottom, so I had no choice but to grovel, but in this desert quest, I would definitely pay attention not only to the quest but also to making money separately. Of course, first I’d have to avoid dying.
Resolving to skillfully stick close to Carlisle without getting on his nerves as much as possible, I finished preparing for departure.
***
Finally, the morning of departure.
I got up from bed accompanied by rumbling sounds. My face in the mirror looked haggard. I was already worried about my lack of basic stamina, and I seemed to have lost a lot of weight too. It was natural since I’d survived on only the carrots and wild berries Eira gave me for the past three days. I’d only managed to hold out this much thanks to potions and level-up correction values.
Though I’d stayed at the guild for three days, I never managed to adapt to the dining hall food. I even tried once more with my eyes squeezed shut. On the day monster burgers appeared, I bit into the meat oozing out between the bread with my eyes squeezed shut, then immediately ran to the bathroom. Even if I could somehow solve the visual problem, there was no way to cover the smell. Not throwing up in the dining hall was already doing my best. How on earth could the other hunters eat stuff like that as if it were nothing?
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
