章 12: Chapter 12: Picking Up the Young Silver Lion Part 2
Just like his name, Iron Arm Robert had a prosthetic arm made of iron below his left elbow.
"Hello."
I greeted him politely while forcibly bending El's head in a bow as she was still unaccustomed to such formalities.
– Clang!
Iron Arm Robert did not respond to our greeting. Instead, he continued to hammer and shape a weapon he was holding.
"I would like to request the crafting of armor."
"..."
"I have the materials ready."
I took out dented pieces of golden lion armor from my space ring. They were made of such fine metal that they would seem unusual, but the golden lion armor pieces were too distorted to be recognized, so I wasn't worried about arousing suspicion.
"...!"
El flinched beside me but she only let out an exasperated sigh and didn't move any further.
It was Iron Arm Robert who moved.
"It is a fine armor indeed."
It seemed his reputation for being skilled was not unfounded, as he recognized the value of the armor at a glance. While hoping he wouldn't recognize the distorted golden lion armor, I replied,
"Yes, they were worn by the zombies of the cursed lands."
"....."
A considerable number of humans were exiled to the cursed lands, and this included nobles. Iron Arm Robert was likely aware of this fact, so he didn't ask me anything further.
"Can you modify this armor to fit this kid here?"
Among the armors obtained from the six zombies, only four were usable. Some parts did not match, but it didn't matter since they could be melted down and reforged.
"I will pay the proper price."
I said, showing him a leather pouch filled with coins.
Iron Arm Robert examined the dented armor for a while and soon nodded in agreement.
It was fine armor, unlikely to be worn by mercenaries. Any blacksmith would covet such material.
"You'll have to wait about half a month."
"That's fine."
I could hunt in the cursed lands for the next two weeks.
I handed Iron Arm Robert a down payment of fifty silver coins.
"I would also like to acquire a usable sword."
At my words, Iron Arm Robert stood up and led us deeper into the forge.
Inside the forge were rows of crude but useful swords lined up.
After sizing up El, I selected a sword of ordinary length and weight and handed it to her.
"Use this from now on."
And after paying Iron Arm Robert, we left the forge.
El still had a sad look on her face even with a sword strapped to her waist.
Really, children can be so…
"What's the matter?"
"…Those armors, they were keepsakes."
"So?"
"At least, show some respect…"
"Respect doesn't help keep you alive."
"….…."
"But this new armor might help save your life, even if just a little."
"..…Yes."
"I didn't dispose of the armor you were wearing or the sword you had. So stop looking like you want to die."
"….…."
"When you grow into the armor, I'll give it back to you."
"Yes, Master."
…Master, out of the blue?
Perhaps she saw my incredulous expression, El blushed and mumbled.
"I was taught to call those who teach me 'Master'."
"It's not wrong, but…"
"You don't like it?"
Well, fine. I also find it awkward to be addressed as "You" or "Sir Theodore".
Perhaps "Master" would be acceptable.
"Suit yourself."
With that settled, El and I returned to the inn.
There were no major issues along the way. Perhaps due to her hair being cut short, no one seemed to think of El as a girl.
And the innkeepers, possibly thinking she was a servant, didn't say much. They just subtly reminded us that even if we shared a room, the fee for two people was required.
I requested thick blankets and bedding for two, along with meals for both, and then we headed to our room.
"Let me lay down some rules."
"Okay."
"Never touch my belongings."
"Okay."
"I always bathe first."
"Okay."
"You'll be sleeping on the floor."
"…Okay."
"Any complaints?"
"None."
Making a noble lady sleep on the hard floor was unimaginable in this world, but now the situation was different.
Now, there was no more the noble young lady Elizabeth Reinhardt; only the orphan "El" remained.
In the first place, taking in orphans in a world like this was tantamount to charity.
I'll make sure to get my investment back when she becomes the <Silver Lion> someday.
After a simple meal, each of us took turns bathing and then settled into bed. Due to the exhaustion from the recent events, El quickly fell asleep, and Ayla who had taken a spot beside her, soon followed suit.
I suppose our expenses will double from tomorrow on.
Having unexpectedly taken on this troublesome responsibility, I alone remained awake long into the night.
***
Two weeks passed by. Ayla, El, and I ventured daily into the cursed lands to hunt and returned each time. Even veteran mercenaries typically don't hunt every day, so it was no surprise that the merchants trading in monster materials shook their heads in disbelief at my routine.
"Never thought you'd go hunting every single day."
"One must be diligent to make a living."
"I've never seen a mercenary like you. Truly remarkable."
"Ha, you flatter me."
I accepted a purse of coins from the merchant with a smile.
My relentless hunting had nearly cleared the nearby undead monsters, and it seemed like the city started to consider cutting down and burning the trees of the cursed lands to expand the safe zone.
It might take some time, but it's a good development.
As always, after completing our trade, we returned to the inn.
El seemed overwhelmed by the rigorous journey, but perhaps because she was young or because she was born with natural resilience, she recovered quickly and was soon following me around with ease the next day. Her role was more of an assistant than a full participant in the hunting, which probably reduced her burden.
I had been feeding Ayla high-quality meat every day, and she had grown to the size of a large dog by now. As a shadow wolf, she still had more growing to do, but for now, her size was sufficient for her to excel in her role as a hunting dog. The cost of her food was increasing, though…
But that's alright, as my earnings have improved.
I submerged myself in the hot bathwater mixed with ice salt and lost myself in thought.
Today, I reached level 20 by beheading the last skeleton I encountered.
I had been stuck at level 12 for three months, but in just fifteen days, I had gained an additional eight levels.
Just as planned.
Finally, I became an Apprentice Druid.
In <Age of Envis>, there were a total of five classes for each profession, and Druids were no exception.
From levels 1 to 19 was the Novice Druid.
From levels 20 to 39 was the Apprentice Druid.
From levels 40 to 59 was the Skilled Druid.
From levels 60 to 79 was the Master Druid.
And from levels 80 to 99 was the Transcendent Druid.
To my knowledge, the highest-ranked player in AOE was a warrior in the 60-level range. For Druids, the highest level reached was 42.
This meant that I had no idea what being a "Master" or "Transcendent" Druid entailed with my current level of knowledge.
Anyway, after breaking through level 20 and becoming an Apprentice Druid, I gained the ability to choose "Traits".
There were a total of 30 different traits available, but I could only select three of them.
Traits were different from skills in that they couldn't be easily discarded or reacquired, so it was important to choose them carefully.
The traits ranged from the simple ability to carry heavy objects to increased movement speed to enhanced awareness of your surroundings.
Since I already have a space ring, there's no need to choose the [Porter] trait. And as my main weapon is a bow, I don't need the [Herculean Strength] trait that benefits wielding hammers or clubs.
The key to selecting traits was to pick those that would give me an advantage, rather than just make me stronger.
What I need is…
[Explorer: Detect secrets in dungeons. Increases the likelihood of discovering traps, shortcuts, and hidden rewards.]
[Polyglot: Gain proficiency in various languages. Improves understanding of complex ciphers.]
[Lucky One: Receive the blessing of the goddess of luck Liadel. Significantly boosts luck.]
These were the three choices.
All of these were abilities that couldn't be acquired through "training", "skills", or "totems".
For entering dungeons and obtaining various rewards, the [Explorer] trait was essential. As higher-level dungeons often contained numerous puzzles, the [Polyglot] trait was equally important. It would be insane to try to learn a language from scratch, whether it's dragon tongue, holy tongue, or evil tongue. The same went for the unique languages of each race, as well as foreign languages other than the Imperial tongue.
The [Lucky One] trait had a somewhat vague description, but because of that, it made "luck" applicable in many situations and it was already renowned in the game as a highly beneficial trait.
"Phew, that should do it."
While I was selecting my traits, the bathwater had cooled down. I slowly got out of the tub feeling relaxed and dressed myself. As I stepped out, I saw Ayla and El waiting for me at the door.
"Master, dinner is ready."
"Already?"
"Yes? It's already been an hour since you went in…"
"Good that I'm not late, then. What's on the menu?"
"Tonight, the innkeeper has specially prepared round-horn buffalo ribs. He said he cooked it with great care, especially for a gourmet like yourself…"
Round-horn buffalo? That's a rare ingredient that can only be found in the south.
Could it be that a merchant caravan has visited the city?
-Growl…
"..."
"..."
"…Right. Let's go have dinner first."
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