Dual Cultivation

The Man Picked up by the Gods – Volume 1 Chapter 18

TL Note: The guy was awkward in the raws and so I tried to make the guy awkward in English… I tried… and the result was… well, a little… fabulous… so to speak.

I've also added a donation thingy on the side bar to the right. I can't promise extra chapters, so just donate if you feel like it. The translation speed will follow the schedule that I set and if there are any changes to that schedule, I'll mention it.

Volume 1 Chapter 18

~Side Ryouma~

Because I focused too much, I lost track of the time. Sebasu-san was the one who told me that it was getting late, right after he said that, he brought me to where Elia and the others were with Warp.

“Welcome back, Ryouma-san.”

“Welcome home. It’s quite late already, how far did you guys go?”

“Did you manage to learn a new magic?”

As soon as they noticed us they came up to us. The first to greet, was Elia, followed by the madam and Rheinbach-sama.

“Yes I somehow managed to, thanks to Sebasu-san and Camil-san.”

“Good to hear, can you show us?”

At Rheinbach-sama’s request I fired off the magic I learned from Camil-san from start to finish. Although normally in order to open the entrance, 10 seconds would be needed… but this is an important training.

“ ‘Dimension Home’ “

Looks like it worked. When I tried to open it, aside from Sebasu-san, everyone was frozen. ………….. Oh yeah, for kids my age, just opening the Item Box is considered good. I forgot about that when I had learned the Dimension Home…

The four members of the household immediately crowded Sebasu-san, but almost right after they came over to me and praised me. After that we were going to go home already, but since it was a nice opportunity I figured I’d practice my Warp too since it seems to be that the best way to practice Space Magic is by doing it over and over. But just in case, I asked Sebasu-san to come with me.

On the way, Sebasu-san suddenly came to talk to me as if he had just remembered something.

“Ryouma-sama, we plan to go to the abandoned mine tomorrow in order to give the Ojousama some battle experience. If it’s alright, won’t Ryouma-sama also come with us?”

“Ok, will it be ok for me to come?”

“Of course, the Ojousama will also be happy. Does Ryouma-sama have any other weapon aside from the bow? The interior of the abandoned mine is quite narrow so I can’t recommend using the bow. And also, wearing an armor will be necessary. “

“Will a short sword do? And also, I can fight hand-to-hand but I don’t have any armor.”

“Yes, a short sword will do just fine. Even if I say we’re going to go there to fight monsters, they are actually quite weak and also we will have some guards with us. After all, we’re going there to accumulate experience for the Ojousama so it’s just as important to make sure the goal is achievable.”

“Then I’ll go with the short sword. And as for the armor…”

If I remember correctly, I got a letter of introduction from the Guild Master.

“I think I’ll try to go buy some when we get back to the town. I did get a letter of introduction from the Guild Master to a good shop, so this is a good opportunity.”

“I see, that’s good to hear.”

After that we separated when we got to the gate of the town. Sebasu-san went back to the lodging, and as for me I went straight to the weapon shop. When I found the weapon shop, I immediately entered and what greeted me inside was the weird smile of a rought-looking man.

“Welcome to my beautiful shop, is there anything that the esteemed customer may require?”

“Y–yes… I’m looking for a weapon I can use inside a narrow area, specifically for the abandoned mine. And also some armor, please.”

“Then if that’s the case may the esteemed customer, please take a look at the short swords on this beautiful shelf over here.”

“… um, please don’t take offense to this, but isn’t it rather… forced.”

“………….You noticed?”

“……Yes it’s quite… easy to notice”

How can it be not easy to notice when your smile would break after a few seconds and would make a funny face.

When I let him know that it wasn’t working, the man’s face changed almost immediately to an unsociable one.

“Ah… I give up, I give up! Sorry ‘bout that, but I was told by someone I knew that I’m too unsociable so I tried being a bit more sociable but, it really doesn’t suit me at all.”

“Is that so? Ah, this is the Digger Arms Shop, right?”

“Yeah, that’s right. And what of it?”

“I’ve received a letter of introduction from the Guild Master of the adventurer guild. I was told to go here and show this.”

As I said that, I gave the letter of introduction.

“Wogan, huh? That’s unusual. You’re a newbie, right? Do you have money?”

“Yes. I’m unaware of the market price for weapons but I can pay up to 30 small gold coins.”

“If you can pay that much, then it’s enough. What have you been using up till now?”

“I normally use a bow but inside the abandoned mine it’s a bit…”

“I see… then in that case, just as you’ve said before a short sword and you want something that’s one handed, right?”

“Then in that case…. 2 short swords, and aside from that, do you have some throwing knives?”

I do have the Throwing Skill, it’d be a waste if all I used it for is to throw rocks so I might as well buy some now.

“1 small gold coin per 10 knives. It’s a bit expensive but they’re well-made and you can use them again for quite a long time as long as you retrieve them after throwing.”

“Then in that case please give me 10 throwing knives and 2 short swords.”

“It’s 2 small gold coins for one short sword, so along with the 10 throwing knives, it totals to 5 small gold coins. Aside from that, you also need an armor, right?”

“Yes, as much as possible I’d like something easy to move in… what kind do you have for sale?”

“If you want something easy to move in, then you want hide armor. If it’s something made from the skin of magical beasts, then it can even be tougher than an armor made of metal that’s poorly made. There are also magic enchanted full armors that can provide the same level of movement as hide armors, but those aren’t available in the market, and if they are, they’re ludicrously expensive such that the price would start with at least a white gold coin”

“Then, I’ll purchase one set of hide armor made from magical beasts.”

“Got it. But the thing is I only have two kinds that can fit your size right now. Other than that I’d have to adjust it, and it’ll take a day. So what will with it be? You want to see everything?”

I’m going to use it tomorrow so let’s choose something we can buy now.

“I’m going to the mine tomorrow, so please give me something I can purchase today.”

“Got it.”

The man went inside and then came back with two kinds of armor.

“Both of these are hide armors made from the skin of magical beasts. One is made out of the skin of Grell Frog. It’s flexible, easy to move in, and in its own way it’s quite strong. It goes for 4 medium silver coins.”

Frog skin, huh? ……. It’s like rubber.

“The other one is made out of the skin of a Hard Lizard. This one’s a bit expensive and costs 5 small gold coins.”

The price is on a different level compared to the one called Grell Frog, huh?

“The price difference is quite big.”

“It’s a question of raw materials. The Hard Lizard lives in the wild but it’s very hard to find. Also it’s hard to hunt because it uses magic power and has an ability similar to the neutral magic Harden. Unless you have a good sword arm you won’t be able to cut the skin, and if you use magic, you might end up damaging the goods.”

Harden covers the body with magic and makes it difficult for the body to be cut. A magical beast that can use that will definitely be hard to hunt…

“In order to defeat one, one needs both luck and skill but if you put in a little bit of magic power in it, it will harden. It may be the ability of the beast, but the skin also possesses that nature. And also, even if it hardens, it’s not like it turns fully rigid. Instead it will keep its flexibility while increasing its toughness.

It’s light, easy to move in, and is normally robust, but if you put a bit of magic power into it, it will become even more robust. And because of that, people that don’t have a lot of physical strength, like magicians, tend to buy this kind of armor.

I actually got the skin for this quite a fair bit back, and there weren’t a lot of it so I was only able to make an armor that would fit the size of a kid like you.

Because of that, it wouldn’t fit most of the adventurers, and adventurers that are around your age don’t have money. And because there are no materials I couldn’t make it bigger either. And so, in the end, I wasn’t able to sell it for the past 2 years. So, if you have the money I’d be really grateful if you could take this off me. If it’s just quality, then this one is way better.”

True, from what I’ve heard, this one is definitely better. And besides it’s a shop that was recommended by the Guild Master and it also doesn’t look like the type that overcharges…

“Then in that case I’ll have the Hard Lizard Hide Armor.”

“I see, thanks. The armor plus the weapons, altogether costs a total of 10 small gold coins.”

I take the money from the Item Box, and pay him with it.

“Here you go.”

I put the armor, the short sword, and the throwing knives into my Item Box.

“Thank you very much. When I need something I’ll come here again. My name is Ryouma Takebayashi, it was a pleasure to meet you.”

“I’m the shop keeper, Dalton Digger. Don’t do anything reckless, and if you take care of your things, they’ll last you a long time. Use those armors until you grow out of them, then at that time, come over and buy a new one, I’ll give you some service.”

At those words, I give him my thanks and then go back to the lodging.