My next mission was to get some equipment.
I said goodbye to Maria, Cleus, and the merchant as soon as I received directions on how to get to the Hero's Smithy, the most famous smithy in the village. It was probably also the only one around, so it didn't mean much.
It wasn't hard to find the place. I just needed to walk a dozen steps to see a wooden sign that read "Hero's Smithy." Apparently, it was the only establishment in the entire village that had an identification sign on the facade.
From what Maria had told me, the smithy had that name because it was owned by a retired hero. "Hero" was what they called adventurers and mercenaries who had received blessings from the gods or who served as knights of some religious order.
I needed to get used to this sort of thing, as strange and unpleasant as it was. People throughout Mundus revered the gods, as well as those who served them.
However, as soon as I set foot inside the smithy, I regretted it. Perhaps I should have listened to my intuition, which told me to leave.
The man on the other side of the counter was the only occupant of the space. I imagined he was the so-called hero.
Although his clothes were neat and clearly of better quality than those of the other villagers, his blonde hair was greasy and the expression on his face when he saw me, looking me up and down, was anything but pleasant.
"Welcome! I'm Leinir, the owner of the Hero's Smithy" he greeted me. "Don't worry, I can help you with whatever you need." He smiled in a way that made me uncomfortable.
"I wanted to take a look at the knives" I replied. If the equipment in the smithy was good and the price was fair, I could ignore the discomfort I was feeling.
"The knives are over here" he said, pointing to the far corner of the shop, near where he was standing. I approached cautiously. "I can help you choose a good knife."
"Thank you" I said. He approached me. I could feel his gaze on me, but I ignored it and continued examining the weapons. Mentally, I was prepared to draw one of the kitchen knives I carried in the inventory bag at my waist if he made any kind of advance. They might not be very effective against beastials, but they could probably do some good damage to a human.
For good measure, I accessed his profile.
[Name: Leinir
Condition: Common
Age: 36 years
Species: Human
Level: Individual does not possess the concept of level.
Attributes:
Strength: 12
Agility: 10
Defense: 10
Endurance: 8
Intelligence: 8
Class: Blacksmith; Holy Knight (This occupation is not in use).
Skills: Sword Mastery - level 1; Blessed Blade - level 1.
Titles: Blessed by Elênis.]
This guy was called a hero? It was impressive how unimpressive his profile was.
However, that didn't mean it wouldn't be problematic for me if I had to face him.
"You're an álfr descendant, aren't you? It's quite easy to tell" the man said.
I was taken aback. Álfr descendants were children of humans and álfrs, one of the intelligent species of Mundus, known primarily for their beauty and healing-related abilities. Humans who were grandchildren and great-grandchildren of álfrs were also called that.
Álfr descendants were considered almost as beautiful as the álfrs themselves and lived longer than ordinary humans. They also had greater resistance to disease and an aptitude for healing magic or the preparation of medicinal potions.
"How much for this one?" I asked, pointing to a random knife, wanting to change the topic of conversation.
"6 bronze coins. But for you..." He made a thoughtful face. "I can give you a good discount. Five bronze coins and seven nickels." He smiled.
I looked at the knife again with the See Beyond skill activated. It was slightly better than the kitchen knives I carried. I continued inspecting the knives there, and the best quality one among them cost over a silver coin.
I walked around the space and inspected all the other items present. As good as they looked, the overall quality was terrible. The few items that had reasonable quality were very expensive.
I was about to say goodbye to Leinir and leave when he called me.
"This knife here is really very good; you have a good eye." He smiled, holding the first knife I had asked about.
"Unfortunately, it's not what I'm looking for" I replied. Then I said goodbye and left before he could say anything else.
When I was back on the street, I could breathe again. My first experience in a smithy had been a complete disappointment.
I decided to take a walk through the village before going to the inn, which was right next to the small market I visited upon arrival. Following the main street to the church, I could see that it actually gave rise to half a dozen alleyways, flanked by simple houses made mainly of wood.
Some of the houses had small vegetable gardens, and others even had pens with a few pairs of animals. Observing them, I could see that, although they were similar, they weren't exactly the same as Earth animals.
One of the species looked like pigs, but the snout was flat, reminding me of a bulldog. The other was a cousin of goats, but had a slightly elongated neck and a flat face. There were also chickens, and in them, I couldn't pinpoint any specific difference from the ones I knew.
'I wonder what the cause is for the animals here to have flat faces?'
The church was in the center of the village. The street forked upon reaching it and then rejoined further ahead, forming a small diamond shape. Next to the building was a well, and at the back, a small space dedicated to cultivating medicinal herbs.
The street ended dozens of meters after the church when it met the mountain that had a mine of iron and other ores, which apparently gave the village of High Mine its name.
Near the mine entrance, the concentration of residences was even greater. Probably, the village arose because of the miners and their families who built houses at the foot of the mountain, and it grew over the years.
The entire village must have been less than two hundred meters in length and just over a hundred in width. Its entire extent was surrounded by medium-sized trees, which seemed to make it appear smaller.
I consulted the Player System to find out what time it was. Upon discovering it was past four in the afternoon, I finally decided to see the only inn in the region. Depending on how it was, there might still be time for me to return home and arrive before midnight. But I really hoped the conditions would be minimally good, because I was too tired and didn't think I'd have the energy to walk another 25 km.
The most impressive part was that three months ago, I wouldn't even consider walking 10km in a day. In moments like this, I could really see how my training had improved my physical condition—and how unhealthy I used to be.
I stopped in front of the rustic wooden and clay construction, the only one in the village with two floors. I had already decided that if there wasn't anything blatantly wrong with the place, I would spend the night there.
I felt a certain excitement as I entered the place, similar to when I first spotted the village, as if the teenager obsessed with games and fantasy stories I once was was finally fulfilling a dream.
The wooden floor creaked under my feet as I entered the inn. The ground floor was basically a tavern, with a few round wooden tables scattered around the place and a counter that was also a kind of bar. Besides drinks, they also served food. I imagined the rooms were probably upstairs.
I went to the bar counter and asked how much it cost to spend a night there.
"One bronze tiélviam" the woman answered. "And since it's your first time here, you also get a meal along with the stay."
I pondered for a moment. Although it was a rustic place and clearly not as hygienic and clean as an Earth hotel, I was very curious to experience it. I ended up accepting and handed over a bronze coin to the woman, who, according to what Maria had said earlier, was named Neidi.
"Do you want to eat now, dear?" she asked me, and I agreed. She then listed the meal options and said alterations could be made to my order.
'Apart from that guy from the Hero's Smithy, the people here are surprisingly pleasant and friendly' I thought.
While I was deliberating on which dish to choose, three children were spying on me and whispering among themselves. I could hear when a girl, who couldn't have been more than eight years old, asked.
"So, is she an álfr?"
"No, not an álfr, an álfr descendant" a boy who must have been about eleven replied. "Look how beautiful she is!"
"Shh!" the third girl, who must have been between twelve and thirteen, scolded them.
"She'll hear you!"
"She already heard you!" Neidi scolded the children, who fell silent. "Jura and Agninis, weren't you supposed to fetch water from the well? And Dana, you have work in the kitchen! Go on, quickly!"
As soon as she finished speaking, the two younger ones ran to the back of the tavern, and the older girl went into the room behind the counter, which I assumed was the kitchen. I was internally concerned that the children were the ones sent to fetch water from the well.
The woman then looked at me. "I'm sorry about my children. They've just never seen... a person like you before. Álfr descendants don't usually show up around here. I hope you weren't offended."
'Offended? Weren't they basically complimenting me?'
"It's alright, I am not offended" I replied. "And I'll have the sautéed vegetables with baked potatoes."
Neidi smiled at me.
"You can sit at one of the tables; I'll bring it to you as soon as it's ready. It shouldn't take long."
Of the four tables, three were free. The fourth was occupied by two people.
The first one was a large man with dark hair and sun-tanned skin. Countless scars adorned his muscular arms. With him was a red-haired woman with defined, though slender, muscles. She had a whitish scar that ran from the corner of her left eye down to the base of her chin. They wore clothes different from the villagers', tighter and darker, as well as boots on their feet. They also carried weapons.
I used the See Beyond skill to access their profiles.
[Name: Ruskus
Condition: Common
Age: 28 years
Species: Human
Level: Individual does not possess the concept of level.
Attributes:
Strength: 14
Agility: 13
Defense: 14
Endurance: 15
Intelligence: 10
Class: Warrior
Skills: Resilience - Level 2; Sword Mastery - Level 3.
Titles: Beast Hunter; Fierce Warrior of the Southern Cold Lands]
[Name: Katarina
Condition: Common
Age: 26 years
Species: Human
Level: Individual does not possess the concept of level.
Attributes:
Strength: 13
Agility: 14
Defense: 12
Endurance: 14
Intelligence: 15
Class: Assassin
Skills: Short Blade Mastery - level 3; Light Feet - Level 4.
Titles: One with the Shadows; Master of Blades]
They were impressive profiles. A complete contrast to Leinir's profile.
'They must be the mercenaries Maria was talking about.' I ended up sitting at a table near theirs, so I could hear their conversation.
"Do you think she's one?" the man asked. They weren't speaking Low Vernacular, but a language whose sound resembled a mix of Russian, German, and French. It took me a few seconds to identify it as Etrusko, the language spoken in the Kingdom of Etruskia, the southernmost country on the continent, known for its strong warriors and for not mixing much with other nations.
'From what I read in the Temple, they are the only place on the entire continent that worships the god Ektir, and no other.'
"No, although the backpack is similar to theirs, she seems to be from Mundus. She speaks Low Vernacular and seems to know about Ceratris' customs. Probably a citizen, a little girl pretending to be a mercenary" the woman replied.
"So, you think she's an álfr descendant?"
"Either that, or she's a noble in disguise. But, most likely, she's an álfr descendant, that would make more sense" the woman replied.
They were blatantly talking about me, not knowing I could understand what they were saying. Besides the Etruskians themselves, probably no one spoke the language nowadays.
However, Etrusko was one of the languages I made sure to learn during my long afternoons at the Temple of the Knowledge of Astar, since it was one of the languages spoken on the Continent of Salvation.
They then changed the topic of conversation to the exploration they were doing. Apparently, they had been hired by nobles from the Kingdom of Etruskia to investigate and gather information about Earth and its inhabitants, as well as the main changes that occurred in the world since the fusion.
One part of the conversation that caught my attention was a comment indicating they had already encountered people from Earth on their journey. Before I could gather enough courage to ask about it, Neidi appeared with my food. I politely thanked her.
When I looked up again, I noticed the pair of mercenaries had already gotten up and left the place. I almost sighed aloud.
I at least hoped to have a chance to speak with them later.
Since there was nothing I could do for now, I tried the sautéed vegetables and baked potatoes. The taste wasn't very refined, but the seasoning, though different from what I was used to, was good. The appearance of the food wasn't bad either.
As soon as I finished the meal, I went up to the room I had rented for the night. The space was small, just enough to fit a bed and a large wooden basin that I supposed served as a bathtub, although it was much smaller than one. There was also a small cupboard for storing things.
On one wall, to my surprise, there was a small mirror. I approached and analyzed my reflection. My dark blonde hair was tied in a ponytail, with a few stray strands near my face. It was slightly wavy at the ends and reached down to the height of my shoulder blades. My skin was fair, and my eyes were amber.
'Am I that beautiful? The people here treat me as if I were a true beauty, I thought.
Although I could be considered pretty, there was nothing particularly special about my appearance.
'But this must be because, in general, people from Earth are better cared for and appear healthier than the inhabitants of Mundus, who follow a lifestyle similar to the Middle Ages.'
What I could observe about the villagers of High Mine was that they appeared older than they actually were. Their skin had more wrinkles, spots, and marks from the sun and acne. On Earth, we had access to cosmetics, medicines, various foods, and products. Our lifestyle was completely different. This made our skin, hair, nails, and teeth more beautiful and well-preserved.
'That is probably the reason they think I'm an álfr descendant or a noble. It's still not safe to tell them that, in fact, I'm just an ordinary girl from Earth. They seem to fear and even be hostile towards people from the other world.'
I then remembered the mercenaries' conversation.
'Yes. For now, it's better to let them believe I'm an álfr descendant.'