Even so, I wouldn't be able to help them without having an adequate weapon.
When I fought yesterday, I used the iron sword given by Van-san, and I knew that sword didn't have any power at all.
A sword like that only relies on the user's skill, but if it's up against a stronger sword, it will still lose.
Because of that, today I went to a weapon shop, all by myself.
I didn't have any reason to bring Hime or Yuu-chan with me.
I feel like this is something I have to choose on my own, since it also determines my future.
To be honest, I don't know whether the money I brought is enough or not.
The amount is probably around 40 silver coins and 20 bronze coins; at the very least, I should be able to get a decent branded sword.
For strong and durable swords, maybe the kind that can be bought using gold coins.
Right now, the gold coins we have must be kept stored, just in case something happens and we need emergency funds.
Because of that, I only asked Hime to give me that amount.
At first, I said that bringing 30 silver coins was enough, but she insisted, and in the end I brought this amount.
—
Hime said there was one shop she always visited if it had anything to do with weapons.
She even gave me a map of the city and circled the shop's location. It helped me a lot.
She said the shop owner was very friendly and skilled. She even said that fifty percent of the swords used by the kingdom's army were made by his hands.
If his work is used by the kingdom, then his skill is definitely extraordinary.
Sometimes, you know, there are fake sellers who lie and sell broken swords at high prices.
I would never fall for something like that though—I can tell which ones are fake and which ones are real.
"Ah, here it is," I muttered after stopping right in front of a shop.
This shop's walls were made only of stacked bricks held together by cement.
No paint or coating on the walls. It felt like a signature that this place really was a weapon shop.
Then, from inside, I heard the sound of metal being hammered. It seemed like they were currently crafting a sword inside.
If that's the case, this is definitely the place I want to visit today.
——
I walked inside and saw various kinds of weaponry attached to the walls and placed on shelves.
There were long, shiny swords, shields with designs that looked extremely complex to make.
There were still many other weapons I had seen before, but I didn't know their names.
I went to the counter—there was no one there, but a bell sat on top of the table.
Ring, ring.
It seemed this bell was used when the owner was in the back room.
There was a door behind the counter, covered by a curtain made of cloth.
"Wait a moment!" someone said from inside.
From his voice, I could sense he was an old man. His voice sounded deeper than most men my age.
The curtain opened, revealing an old man with a thick white beard whose height was probably only up to my chest.
I think this man was from the dwarf race, known for their incredibly impressive weapon craftsmanship.
I've often heard, since long ago, that if you want a weapon, go to a dwarf and he'll give you one.
Well, I'm certain now that those words are probably completely true.
"What are you looking for?" the dwarf asked.
It seemed I couldn't beat around the bush when speaking to him. I was sure he wasn't the type who liked small talk.
"I'm looking for the highest-quality sword in this shop," I answered.
I felt like gathering a bit of information; who knows, it might be useful later.
"A good sword, huh… Come inside with me," he said as he walked back through the curtain-covered doorway.
I followed him and entered the dwarf's workshop.
The atmosphere inside was quite hot because of the furnace used to heat and shape metal.
Honestly, I wasn't used to being in a place this hot.
"Look at this," he said, pointing at one of the swords.
I looked at the sword he pointed at and felt a bit surprised.
The sword was blue with a slight green tint, its color bright, and the patterns on the blade were very cool.
The handle also looked very comfortable; it looked like an ordinary sword, but I knew this was definitely more than that.
"Let me guess, the material is different, right?" I asked.
The color changed like this—meaning the material used was different.
Usually, they only use heated iron shaped into form, but this one must have been mixed with other materials when heated.
"As you guessed, this is mostly made from Mithril, one of the most expensive metals in the world," he replied.
Mithril? I felt like I had heard that name before, and other similar metals.
Like Orichalcum, or adamantium… it seemed those metals were indeed extremely valuable.
"This sword has already been ordered by someone, and he's the one who provided the Mithril," he said.
"I see… About how much does a Mithril sword like this cost on the market?" I asked.
I knew my question sounded a bit stupid, because Mithril was definitely expensive and rare.
"Maybe… around 15 to 30 gold coins, depending on its material composition."
"If it's pure Mithril, the price can reach 90 gold coins," he continued.
Yep, that's a price that's impossible for me right now.
"Unless you have the Mithril yourself, then you only need to pay around 10 silver coins," the dwarf added.
Wait a second—did I hear that wrong? Did he just say 10 silver coins? That's way too cheap, isn't it?
"Wouldn't that make you lose money?" I asked.
If we bring the materials, the price is the same as other swords.
But if the dwarf has to provide the materials, then the price stays high. I understand now.
"For us, creating great weapons is an honor throughout our lives. The rarer the material, the stronger our desire to create," he answered.
I could really feel his determination and strong emotions from those words.
Seems like I finally understand what dwarves always take pride in.
"Is there a place around Necvalion where I can find Mithril?" I asked.
If it wasn't too far from where I was now, maybe I would try going there.
"You want to look for it? There might be some in the dungeon located in the forest outside the city," he replied.
The forest outside the city… I guess that wasn't too far.
"All right, thank you for the information… ah, yes, I also want to buy a sword," I said.
—
The two of us exited his workshop and checked the qualities of the swords he showed in the front racks.
There were many swords that looked ordinary, but their quality was more valuable than the others.
And finally, I bought a sword that he said could be combined with magic power for 30 silver coins.
I still had a little money left after buying the sword.
If I wanted to, I could take the leftover, but this was the money Hime lent me, and I had to return it.
Maybe I'll talk to the two of them about that dungeon before the three of us head to another city to stop the Abyss army invasion.