Chapter 17 Strongest Sage, Finish the Peaceful Journey

 

Looks like my prayer didn't get answered.
The one-week peaceful journey ended as we arrived at the royal capital.

"....What a peaceful trip it was."

"What's peaceful about a trip where a Calamity-class came out!"

"Only in the first day, and there was only one of it wasn't there."

"Even one of them is a huge disaster okay? If something like that appears often, this country would be destroyed okay?"

That's way exaggerated. There won't be enough countries in the world if that level of monster can destroy one.
Two or three Castor, my father, should be enough to defeat that level of monster.

"By the way, where should I bring the monster body to?"

I'd like to sell it, but I don't know where.

"Let's see. Normally you'd want to bring it to the guild, but a 12 year old can't register with them.... If it's alright, would you like me to purchase it? I can pay 150 gold coins for it."

"You sure?"

I thought it'd be 100 gold coins judging from the monster I beat in the territory.

"I'm super sure. That's already more than profitable enough for me."

"Then, please do."

Even if it's haggled down a bit, I don't really mind it this time.
The one who beat and carried it was me, but it was the peddler who told me its value.
Well, I simply don't know its market price though.

By the way, my way of speaking gradually return to the original me during the trip.
I'm not in the territory any longer. There's no need to speak the way I used there here.

◇

After handing over the monster and cashing in, I parted with the peddler and went to the town blacksmith.
One of the exam main points states that I should bring my own weapon.

The sword I have right now is partly for training, so it's not well suited for real combat.
I'm not sure if this exam requires that much preparation, but better safe than sorry.

I haven't really checked the reputation of the blacksmiths here, but this place is the royal capital. The competition here is probably not kind enough to let a poor store survives.
I should get some good stuff if I just randomly walk in a blacksmith store.

....There was a time when I thought that.

"....Hmm?"

I muttered when I walked into some random blacksmith.
The quality is terrible. The swords lined up inside the store window are indeed better than the sword I currently carry, but they are all of questionable quality. Furthermore, they're not augmented with magic at all.

It'd have been understandable if they were swords made by apprentice blacksmiths.
However, since I was an owner of production Crest in my past life, I had forged countless swords during my lifetime so I know. These swords were probably made long after they started blacksmithing.

The prices are generally 5-10 gold coins. Judging from the value of money the peddler told me, these aren't cheap. I'm amazed that they could survive in the royal capital.

I gave up on this store and went to the next one. I'd rather use a sword I forge myself than those swords.
However, the next store and the store after that and the one after that were all the same. Apparently, magic isn't the only thing that has declined.

If the next store is no good, I'd give up and forge one myself.
Right when I thought of that, I found a small old blacksmith store.

The signboard is also quite small, normally you probably won't notice that it's a blacksmith store.
However, right now it's easy to find this store.

"I beg of you! The exam is tomorrow! Without a sword, my friend would..."

I heard a desperate-sounding voice from inside the blacksmith store.
The person was referring to themselves with 『Boku』 but judging from the voice, the owner should be a girl.

"I'd like no more than making it myself--but magic swords are nothing like common swords, they ain't something I can forge alone. Get it already."

"Please do something about that!"

I could hear another voice that sounded troubled (probably the storekeeper.)
....This smells like trouble. I really should give up and forge a sword myself.
When I passed the shop while thinking that, the swords displayed inside the shop caught my eyes for an instant.

They're good. The swords in the first store can't even be compared to them.
The current me probably can't reach those levels without any equipment.

....I can't pass this by.
I went into the blacksmith for the sake of obtaining a proper weapon.






























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