Chapter 13: New Equipment

While waiting for Kazuya’s new sword to be completed, they managed to take on two A-rank quests.

It had been six days since they asked Zack for the custom job, and now they were finally back in town—two days later than originally planned. But Zack had told them to come after the fourth day, so it shouldn't be a problem.

Right after reporting the quest completion to the guild, they headed straight to Zack’s forge.

Kazuya had been restless ever since they arrived in town—he was clearly looking forward to his new sword. He was like a child on Christmas Eve, too excited to sleep, waiting for their present.

Even the sword he was currently using—borrowed from Zack—was no ordinary blade. He’d praised Zack’s craftsmanship over and over, saying it was leagues above anything he’d used before. And rightly so—it wasn’t some mass-produced weapon, but a one-of-a-kind piece from a top-class blacksmith. Of course it would be exceptional.

And now, Zack had forged a sword from mithril. No wonder Kazuya could barely contain himself.

Watching him grin with such pure excitement made even me feel a little happy inside. I couldn’t help but chuckle, and Kazuya turned to me, puzzled.

“What? You see something funny?”

I brushed it off, not about to admit that seeing him so happy made me happy too.

---

“Zack, you in there?”

Kazuya called out from the storefront. This time, Zack appeared from the back with a speed completely unlike their first visit.

“Hey, I’ve been waiting for you.”

With that, he brought out a sword wrapped in cloth and laid it on the counter.

“Go on, take a look. I nailed it with this one.”

The sword was sheathed in a beautifully simple scabbard with a silver motif. Kazuya picked it up and drew the blade.

The hilt, like the scabbard, was modest yet dignified in design. The blade itself had a muted silver hue, while the edge gleamed with a sharp luster—clearly different from any other sword he’d used.

“As expected from mithril… it’s so light. And the edge looks even sharper than the one I borrowed. You even made it easy to handle with both hands, just like I asked. The balance is perfect.”

He shifted the sword between one and both hands and gave it a few light practice swings.

“Yeah. But keep in mind, the weight’s reduced too—so don’t get sloppy. Swing it like you mean to cut.”

“Oh, right. I’ll need to put more force into it than before.”

The two of them were deep in discussion about the sword—its features, handling, and how to maintain it. In the middle of it all, Zack suddenly clapped his hands as if he remembered something.

“Ah, right—I nearly forgot. Wait here.”

He disappeared into the back room, then quickly returned holding something else—another item crafted with silver at its core. A small round shield, like a buckler.

“You don’t usually use a shield, right? Figured that might get you into trouble sooner or later. So I made you this. You can just strap it to your arm—won’t get in the way.”

Kazuya took the buckler, strapped it on, rotated his arm a few times, then struck a stance and gave his sword a swing.

“Thanks, Zack. This is great. It doesn’t get in the way at all. And it’s made from mithril, too, right? Yeah, I really like it.”

Hearing that, Zack beamed and stroked his beard proudly.

“Mm. Might not be enough to take down a Demon King, but it’ll serve you well against any demon. Use it well.”

“I’ll buy it. How much?”

Kazuya asked, and Zack crossed his short arms, pondering for a moment before raising two fingers.

“Two million!”

T-Two million!? That’s outrageous—way too expensive! Even if they combined their savings, it probably wouldn’t be enough. It had to be close to that, anyway.

But when I looked at Kazuya’s face, he seemed to be thinking it over—maybe hoping to negotiate a better price.

“...Is what I should say,” Zack continued, “but you helped out with the mithril mine and the excavation site. And more importantly—I like you, Kazuya. I’d give it to you for free if I could, but I’m still a businessman. So let’s say this instead.”

He kept the two fingers raised.

“200,000, huh? That’s still kinda—”

“Nope. 20,000 sen.”

Now that’s extreme! Still, judging by his tone, Zack really would’ve given it for free if he could. So maybe this wasn’t unreasonable.

For context, the currency is called sen. The values go from copper to silver to gold, with coins and then large coins in increasing worth.

“Got it. Thanks, Zack.”

Kazuya handed over the money. As he accepted the payment, Zack added:

“Also—this might be sticking my nose where it doesn’t belong, but I went ahead and ordered you a cloak. Woven with mithril threads. One for that elf girl too—Miki, right? You’ll have to pay for those normally, but trust me, they’ll be worth it.”

He handed over a rough hand-drawn map marked with Zack’s emblem.

“Thanks. I’ll definitely come back.”

“When you do, bring some orichalcum with you.”

They waved and parted ways.

Orichalcum, huh…? If they’re going to fight the Demon King, they just might need something that rare.

---

With the map in hand, they arrived at the shop.

From the outside, it looked like your typical store selling mass-produced weapons and armor—but since it was a place recommended by a first-rate blacksmith, it was probably a good one regardless.

“Excuse me, I’m Kazuya. Zack referred me to this shop.”

“Master! Mr. Kazuya is here! Master!”

As Kazuya spoke, the girl working at the front hurriedly rushed to the back to call the “master”—probably the owner of the shop.

Soon enough, the person she had called “master” appeared. He looked like an ordinary middle-aged man with a small mustache.

“Hey, welcome! So you’re the Hero Kazuya, huh? I can see it—you’ve got sharp eyes and look like you can handle yourself. If Zack’s taken a liking to you, you must be the real deal. Oh, are those the sword and shield Zack made? Hah, the guy’s still got it!”

He rattled on at a rapid pace and stepped in close.

“And you must be the elf girl everyone’s been talking about! …Whoa, you’re definitely a beauty. No wonder. Hero Kazuya’s got some taste… You two make a great couple! No surprise none of those guys could win her over.”

“Couple” caught his attention, but what really piqued his interest was the “those guys” part. Kazuya decided to ask.

“He’s talking about the regulars who shop here. Word has it that around six months ago, a stunningly beautiful elf started appearing in the area. Every guy who saw her tried their luck, all fired up to win her over—but in the end, they all gave up, realizing they couldn’t compete with the Hero. I mean, you’re the Hero, got Zack’s seal of approval, and you’re a good-looking guy to boot. No way they stood a chance! Wahahaha!”

So it was the adventurers from the guild, huh? Since this was a weapon and armor shop, it made sense that gossip would spread here.

Actually… this place kind of looked like just a normal store, didn’t it? Zack…

Kazuya, for his part, was a bit overwhelmed by the so-called master’s energy and gave a wry smile.

“Master! Enough with the chatter! Let’s get down to business—Mr. Kazuya’s here for a reason!”

The girl working at the shop—she looked around 18—gently scolded him and urged him to focus.

“Oh, right! My bad, Hero.”

“Ah, no, don’t worry about it. And please, just call me Kazuya. I’m not really comfortable with the ‘Hero’ thing.”

The master straightened up.

“No can do. You’re a Hero—the hope of humanity. Gotta show proper respect. Hey, Clara! Bring it out!”

“Yes, Master!”

The shop girl—Clara—stood and went into the back.

“My name’s Fabio. Not to brag, but I’m pretty handy with a needle and thread. When it comes to making things out of cloth or leather, I’d say no one can beat me.”

As Fabio introduced himself, Clara came back carrying something in her arms.

“Here you go, Master!”

Fabio took the items from her and laid them out on the table. They were cloaks.

One was a deep purple, the other a dark crimson.

“These cloaks have mithril woven into them. Not only do they keep you warm in the cold and cool in the heat, they also offer magical resistance. With this, you won’t have to worry about freezing or burning, and they’ll give you solid protection against magic. Since it’s mithril, the weight’s practically the same as regular cloth. If I may say so myself, I did a damn fine job. Go ahead—try them on.”

Kazuya and I each picked one up and tried them on.

They felt no heavier than a regular cloak—actually, they might’ve even been lighter. And from the feel of them, they wouldn’t tear even under some force. They were definitely tough.

When I looked at Kazuya, I could tell he liked his just as much as I liked mine.

“These are great. I really like it. How much are they?”

Kazuya asked, and Fabio raised two fingers. Here we go again.

“Wait, don’t tell me… Two million?”

Kazuya asked hesitantly—given what happened with Zack, it wasn’t a far-fetched guess.

“Nope! Twenty thousand sen for both. Even for the Hero, I can’t go any lower than that!”

Kazuya and I both breathed a sigh of relief. That was a price we could actually afford.

“Great. Then I’ll take them.”

“Much appreciated, Hero Kazuya!”

Kazuya handed over twenty thousand sen and took the cloaks. Then he handed the red one to me.

“I think this one suits you better, Miki. You okay with that?”

I took the cloak and smiled.

“Good call—I was hoping for this one. Thanks.”

Later, during some small talk with Fabio, we learned that his cloth and leather gear was actually very expensive, so he didn’t even sell it here. Instead, he sold to high-end weapon and armor shops.

As for Clara—she apparently admired Fabio’s sewing skills and asked to become his apprentice.

From what we gathered, Clara was also quite talented, with a good head for business. Fabio even claimed she had combat abilities on par with a C-rank adventurer. He offered to let her tag along with us.

But Kazuya firmly refused.

Honestly, for most people, she’d probably be a prime candidate for the harem route. That crossed my mind. But honestly, it was the expected outcome.

—Still, I can’t deny feeling just a little relieved. Just a little.

With mithril weapons, armor, and now cloaks—we were finally starting to look the part of a proper hero and his party.

That thought had barely settled when the next day, a quest exclusively for Kazuya appeared at the guild.