I Possess Too Many Characteristics

Chapter 20

“Grandpa! You have no idea how much this guy looked down on my equipment!”

Perhaps she had a feeling that her grandpa wouldn’t take her side.

She started getting angry at her grandpa instead.

But her grandpa just chuckled.

Only when his granddaughter seemed to have calmed down a bit did he open his mouth.

“Yoo Jeong-ah, you didn’t listen to everything either. The customer probably hasn’t finished what he wanted to say yet.”

“I don’t need to hear it━”

“You seem to be around my age, but you’re amazing.”

“Huh?”

Yoo Jeong turned to look at Jeonghyeon, wondering if she had misheard something.

He had pointed out flaws right off the bat, but those were Jeonghyeon’s honest thoughts.

Handling monster hides is not easy.

It’s on a completely different level from butchering, which can only be considered the first stage of processing.

And what about blacksmithing, which involves making weapons and armor?

Furthermore, the shortcomings he pointed out usually arise from excessive enthusiasm. With a little more experience, they would actually improve significantly.

Of course,

“But I still want to buy your grandpa’s stuff.”

Possibility and reality are completely different things.

He had no intention of buying something that was clearly flawed, especially as a customer.

“Ehahaha!”

The grandpa burst into laughter at Jeonghyeon’s words, as if he was greatly pleased by something.

Then he offered Jeonghyeon a handshake.

“I like you. I’m Lee Doil.”

“I’m Han Jeonghyeon.”

Naturally, the goodwill didn’t end with the handshake.

“It’s low-grade equipment. Everything I’ve displayed out here is made by my granddaughter. I’m sorry that my granddaughter got angry, so I’ll give you something I made, Mr. Han. Just this once, at the same price as my granddaughter’s. How about it?”

“Grandpa, why are you selling it to someone like that at that price!”

It was Yoo Jeong, the granddaughter, who actually caused a scene.

Although Jeonghyeon had said some nice things, he might have changed his words in a hurry because of her grandpa.

Besides, even if he was sincere, he had pointed out the problems right in front of the creator, so she didn’t like him as a young craftswoman.

But Doil still smiled and soothed Yoo Jeong.

“A customer with that level of discerning eye won’t be satisfied with just anything. I told you, a craftsman should give the customer what they want, not just try to sell what they have. If you only try to sell what you have, you’re just a merchant.”

Depending on how you look at it, it could sound like he was criticizing even the people within the same workshop.

But there was nothing wrong with what he said, so Jeonghyeon nodded.

“Come on in. What grade are you looking for?”

“I’m looking for E-rank equipment.”

Now that two out of the three traits were E-rank, it was a bit embarrassing to call it F-rank.

Anyway, what does a Hunter’s trait matter?

As long as you have money, you can buy A-rank or S-rank equipment.

It was just a convenient classification of equipment based on the level of monsters that Hunters of that grade usually hunt. There were no legal or systemically defined standards.

And Jeonghyeon followed Doil into the warehouse inside the workshop.

There, the faint smell of oil coexisted with the inevitable smell of monster hides, a characteristic of Hunter equipment.

They didn’t go too deep.

It was natural, as the deeper they went, the more valuable the items would be.

“The items you’re looking for should be here.”

Doil stopped as he said that, and Jeonghyeon first picked up a piece of armor that caught his eye.

He didn’t know what level of craftsman Doil was, but at this level, Tadan Orcs or Red Goblins were considered high-grade materials.

The one Jeonghyeon was holding was also made of Tadan Orc hide.

But the moment he felt the texture in his hand, he couldn’t help but exclaim.

“Wow……”

“How is it? Do you like it?”

“It’s amazing……”

That was all he said, without any further explanation.

But Jeonghyeon and Doil nodded as if that was enough.

The hide, properly oiled, glided smoothly without any catches.

There were no clumsy parts like in Yoo Jeong’s products.

Even when he ran his hand over the inside of the chest or the back, where it was difficult to reach, every surface was uniform and appropriately tanned.

The cross-section was also meticulous.

“How much is a set like this?”

“I said I’d give it to you at the same price as Yoo Jeong’s, so it’s seven hundred.”

“And at the price you would normally charge, sir?”

“Heheh, it would be over fifteen hundred.”

The price difference was enormous.

But it was understandable.

The products he had seen while looking around the workshop so far were all of a certain quality, but Doil’s work surpassed that level.

It was comparable to equipment made with materials at least one grade higher.

‘No wonder the discount rate is so high when he sees his granddaughter’s work.’

Of course, she would be the apple of his eye, but he seemed strict when it came to products.

That was another reason to trust him.

“I’ll take this.”

“You don’t need to look at anything else?”

“There’s no need.”

A set of equipment like this for seven hundred?

It was an unbelievable deal.

Honestly, even if Doil hadn’t offered a discount and had asked for fifteen hundred, he would have bought it without complaint.

Doil nodded and called Yoo Jeong to pack the armor Jeonghyeon had chosen.

“Is there anything else you need?”

“I’m thinking of buying a set of daggers.”

“Hmm……”

He had a mace, but he needed a secondary weapon.

Now that he had acquired D-rank Throwing Technique, there was no reason to hesitate.

If he didn’t have to worry about what others thought, he could unleash even more destructive power than with a mace.

The weapons were placed next to the armor.

They were also well-maintained and shone despite the dim lighting inside.

This time, Doil opened a drawer next to it and took out a case.

“Daggers aren’t in high demand, so I only have this one set.”

The blade length was about 10cm.

Ten small but sharp daggers were neatly arranged in the case.

Jeonghyeon examined them carefully and picked up one of them to take a closer look.

“Is this Marium?”

“Oh, as expected, you have a great eye.”

Doil complimented him, but with a little knowledge, it wasn’t difficult to recognize Marium, a unique metal from the mining Gate, ‘Mari Mine’.

The higher the level of the mine, the more vibrant the color of the ore becomes.

That’s because it contains more demonic energy.

Marium was light purple and was close to the starting point of mines that produce demonic energy-infused ores.

Since it contained demonic energy, it was the highest grade mineral for making low-grade weapons.

Therefore, its performance was incomparable to that of minerals from ordinary Gates.

But there was something else that caught Jeonghyeon’s attention.

“The pattern is unique.”

“It’s just a little trick. I mixed it with a metal of similar grade to Marium.”

“Wouldn’t that make it weaker?”

“Not really. It actually makes it stronger.”

It would have been impossible with common sense, but the materials for these daggers were metals from the Gate.

There could be a harmony that Jeonghyeon didn’t know about.

He looked at the rest of them, but none seemed to be made using minerals of similar grade to Marium.

“How much is this?”

“Seven hundred.”

Even if it was a set made of Marium, wasn’t it strange that the daggers were the same price as a set of armor?

When Jeonghyeon looked at Doil with that thought, Doil chuckled and added,

“I haven’t taught Yoo Jeong how to make weapons yet. She can’t make them.”

It was a reason he had to accept, even if he felt like he was being tricked.

The total price, including the armor, far exceeded his original budget, but,

‘I like it for some reason……’

He couldn’t help but keep looking at the daggers that had caught his eye.

The faint purple blade and the grip that felt comfortable in his hand.

In the end, Jeonghyeon surrendered.

“I’ll buy it.”

“You won’t regret it.”

Doil grinned and called Yoo Jeong again.

‘I feel like I saw a similar scene at the rental shop.’

Jeonghyeon felt a bit uneasy.

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“Well, goodbye.”

“Thank you.”

Jeonghyeon received the purchased equipment from Yoo Jeong after paying.

It was a purchase that had almost drained his living expenses, but he figured it would be okay since he was planning to go into a Gate soon.

Meanwhile, Yoo Jeong’s expression was still sullen.

It seemed the resentment from earlier hadn’t faded.

‘Is she going to be like this until I come back next time?’

He planned to visit whenever he needed equipment, so it was a bit uncomfortable, but Jeonghyeon decided to brush it off.

And as he was about to leave the shop,

“Yoo Jeong-ah, is the old man here?”

He ran into an unexpected person.

“Huh?”

“Aren’t you…… Hunter Han Jeonghyeon?”

A middle-aged man with receding hair.

It was Park Cheol-yong from the rental shop.

As they recognized each other, Cheol-yong was the first to greet him warmly.

“It’s good to see you here. But by any chance……”

And Cheol-yong, trailing off, looked back and forth between Jeonghyeon and Yoo Jeong before asking quietly,

“I doubt it, considering your eye for quality, but you didn’t buy anything from this girl, did you?”

He tried to speak quietly, but his voice was loud enough for Yoo Jeong to hear.

Yoo Jeong yelled back.

“Mr. Cheol-yong! What’s wrong with my stuff!”

“No, I didn’t mean it like that, hahaha.”

Now that he looked, Cheol-yong’s way of speaking was similar to Doil’s.

He could understand where Cheol-yong’s speech pattern came from.

Jeonghyeon chuckled and replied,

“No, I bought something from Master Doil.”

“……What?”

Cheol-yong looked surprised.

Jeonghyeon bowed to Cheol-yong and left the shop.

“I’m using the mace well. The armor got a bit damaged because of something…… I’ll return it before the deadline.”

“O-okay.”

Cheol-yong accepted Jeonghyeon’s greeting with a bewildered expression.

And as Jeonghyeon completely disappeared from the shop, Doil came out from inside.

“You’re here?”

“No, sir! Is it true that you sold something to that young man?”

Cheol-yong asked urgently, forgetting to even greet him.

Of course, he immediately realized his rudeness and cleared his throat, correcting his expression.

Doil smiled and nodded.

“Of course, I sold it.”

“Oh my, Yoo Jeong-ah. Did the old man eat something wrong today?”

“What are you talking about! Ugh, I’m already in a bad mood because Grandpa sold it without even asking.”

“Ahaha, of course not.”

Yoo Jeong, who was already in a bad mood, snapped at Cheol-yong’s absurd words, and Cheol-yong scratched the back of his head and nodded.

That’s how surprising it was that Jeonghyeon had bought Doil’s work.

Who was Doil?

While most craftsmen focused on either armor or weapons, he was one of the few who could create both to near perfection.

He had mostly retired from active crafting, and most of the items currently being sold were those he had made in the past.

He did accept custom orders from famous guilds and high-ranking Hunters in the association, but he only took orders as he pleased, so it was difficult to even get a chance to buy his work.

Doil was the undisputed best, even among the veteran craftsmen gathered in the association’s workshop, which boasted the best craftsmen in Korea.

There was a reason why Cheol-yong, who once dreamed of becoming a craftsman, still frequented Supreme Crafting.

“That young man seems alright, but…… was he good enough to catch your eye, sir?”

“He’s more than alright. I had extra stock, so I sold it.”

Despite his words, Doil didn’t sell his equipment to just anyone.

This was true not only for custom orders but also for pre-made items.

He rarely even came out from the back of the shop.

This was especially true for the low-grade products that he had now completely entrusted to Yoo Jeong.

Why would Doil, who had been in charge of making equipment for the highest-ranking Hunters, whose work was priceless, care about a mere low-grade Hunter?

As Cheol-yong’s jaw dropped, Doil, amused by his expression, added,

“It’s just a hunch, but I have a feeling that young man will come back.”

“Huh? Well, of course…… once he’s used your work, sir, there’s no way he’d be satisfied with anything else.”

Moreover, he was currently using the rental equipment that Cheol-yong had lent him.

The difference was beyond compare.

But Doil simply shook his head.

“No, I mean, I think he’ll come back to buy even better equipment next time. Well, it’s hard to believe, but.”

“Huh? What do you……”

Cheol-yong tilted his head.

Hunters were what they were, except for re-awakenings.

An F-rank Hunter couldn’t become an A-rank Hunter.

Even if their level increased, there was a clear limit.

Therefore, the level of their equipment wouldn’t suddenly jump up either.

So what did Doil mean by that?

He didn’t seem to believe it himself yet, but Doil wasn’t one to talk nonsense, so Cheol-yong’s mind became even more complicated.

Doil had met countless individuals who were now called legends since the Gates first opened.

He wasn’t famous among the general public, but he was no less than a legend himself.

His discerning eye was unquestionable.

And Yoo Jeong, who was watching the two of them from the side, thought,

‘What’s so great about that guy that they’re all talking like that?’

It seemed that the resentment she felt towards Jeonghyeon wouldn’t be easily resolved.