Chapter 17
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?"
"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 .
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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 a magic sword 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 .