Poor Noble Nord’s Adventure

6. Shopping

After finishing a profitable run in the dungeon with his armor, Nord sold off the magic stones he’d gathered at the buyout counter near the dungeon entrance.

It was his highest-selling amount in the past two weeks, and his wallet felt warmer than usual.

Then, after quickly reporting his mission’s completion at the Adventurer’s Guild, Nord moved to another building.

The place he was headed was a short walk away from the cobbled streets of the capital, away from the guild.

The building had a sign prominently displaying a crest of a sword and shield.

Opening the door of the store bearing the emblem of the Blacksmith Guild, Nord found no desks or chairs inside.

Instead, the shop was packed with weapons and armor displayed throughout the space.

Behind a thick wooden counter sat the shopkeeper, a muscular man with a dense, black beard.

“Hey, welcome! What can I do for you?”

The energetic greeting was met by Nord, who told him what he wanted.

“I need a full set of armor. Also, I want my sword sharpened.”

“Armor…?”

The shopkeeper looked Nord up and down, observing him closely.

Nord wasn’t wearing the armor he had used in battle. He’d returned home to take it off, so he now wore cotton pants, a tunic as an undershirt, and a leather vest over that.

Apart from the sword at his waist and the vest, he looked like an ordinary townsman.

“Are you an adventurer? What’s your rank?”

“I’ve had a Slate Adventurer card for two weeks now.”

“Hmm.”

The shopkeeper grunted, then asked Nord for his budget.

After hearing it, the shopkeeper thought for a moment before curtly saying, “Wait here,” and disappearing into the back of the store.

A short while later, the shopkeeper returned from the back.

With a clanking sound, he began dressing a wooden mannequin with armor.

In no time, the mannequin was outfitted like a warrior.

“This is hardened leather armor. It’s made of leather, but hardened with special materials, so it offers decent protection. Of course, there’s still a risk of being cut by metal blades, but…”

The shopkeeper paused, looking back at Nord.

“You’re probably a knight apprentice or something, right? Don’t you have chainmail or anything?”

Nord didn’t bother asking how he figured it out.

He knew the shopkeeper must have judged from his posture, his balance, and the way he moved, having handled swords since childhood.

The blacksmith looked a bit older than middle-aged, so he’d probably seen many customers.

Especially in the capital, a weapons dealer would likely have had more encounters with soldiers and knights than adventurers.

Nord assumed the shopkeeper had recognized his fighting style the moment he entered.

But even this perceptive man wouldn’t have been able to tell the financial state of Nord’s family.

It would have been terrifying if he had somehow known that the Ferris family couldn’t afford to send Nord to military school, and that the chainmail at home was used by his father and brothers, leaving none for him.

While someone who knew the large size of the Ferris family might have guessed, Nord had come to a shop where he was unknown.

After all, while it wasn’t unheard of, it was rare for a noble to become an adventurer, and if they did, they usually at least attended military school.

Those who didn’t receive such training were typically illegitimate children.

Although the Ferris family treated both legitimate and illegitimate children equally (likely because Albireo, the eldest legitimate son, was firmly the heir), Nord was the child of the main wife.

There was no need to explain all this, so Nord said he didn’t have any chainmail.

The shopkeeper began explaining the armor.

“This leather armor is designed to fit a wooden plate in the chest. If you insert a board, it’ll be a bit harder for blades to pierce it. That said, chainmail would offer more protection. Especially around the head and torso.”

The shopkeeper knocked on the chest piece with his knuckles, showing where the wooden plate would go.

However, the board wasn’t particularly thick, likely prioritizing mobility, and Nord was unsure whether it would hold up against an attack strong enough to cut through hardened leather.

The shopkeeper continued.

“But at the end of the day, it’s still wood. If it’s too thick, it’ll restrict movement, and it can shatter if hit hard. The leather should keep splinters from stabbing you, but if you replace the wood with iron, the protection improves a lot. Iron’s heavy, but it absorbs shocks better and doesn’t let blades through.”

The shopkeeper gestured to indicate money.

“How much?”

The price wasn’t cheap. Iron was costly after all.

Nord unconsciously rubbed the hilt of his sword as he thought.

His sword, though not a named blade, was sturdy for an unnamed one and well-made, so he had taken good care of it.

It was quite a find, and even now that he had moved up to the Slate Adventurer, it was still usable. Replacing it with something of similar quality would be expensive.

After two weeks of heavy use, it was about time to take it in for proper sharpening.

When Nord asked about the sharpening fee, it turned out it would nearly wipe out his budget.

But…

“Alright, I’ll take it.”

Nord decided without hesitation.

For an adventurer, survival is the top priority.

So, if there was a chance that spending his money could save his life, that was the choice he had to make.

“Good! Deal’s done!”

After receiving payment, the shopkeeper spoke cheerfully.

“Right, the leather armor won’t take long to adjust, but the sword will take a few days. Do you want to pick them both up together, or wear the armor out now?”

“Hmm…”

After a brief moment of consideration, Nord decided to wear the armor out.

He only had one sword, but he could practice with a wooden one when he got home. He might not be able to defeat enemies, but at least he could get used to the armor.