Wakasha paid no attention to the blacksmith's tone. His eyes quickly swept over the weapons on the shelves, and he tried to keep his voice steady.
"I want a short sword suitable for a beginner, and... a set of light armor."
He deliberately emphasized "beginner" and "light," both to match his current identity and to hint that his budget was limited.
The blacksmith let out a snort of laughter and pointed at the bottom shelf.
"If you're a beginner, don't be so picky. There are ready-made ones over there, all forged by apprentices. Cheap and durable."
Wakasha followed the direction of his finger and bent down to take a look.
Several short swords were laid out on the bottom shelf. Their blades were not particularly long, only a little over half an arm's length. The metal was a plain iron-gray color, and while the edges were not especially sharp, they had been polished fairly smooth. The hilts were made of ordinary hardwood wrapped with coarse hemp cord, which probably made them comfortable enough to grip.
Beside them were several simple sets of leather armor, all made from low-grade beast hide. They were not especially thick, their edges stitched together with rough thread. There were also small scratches and stains on them, making it obvious that they were either defective goods or refurbished old leather armor.
"How much is the short sword? And the leather armor?"
Wakasha picked up one of the short swords and weighed it in his hand. It was not too heavy. With his thin build, he could at least wield it with some degree of agility.
"12 silver for the short sword. 20 silver for the armor."
The blacksmith crossed his arms, his tone leaving no room for argument.
"Don't haggle. That's already the cost price. Anywhere else would charge at least twenty percent more."
Wakasha's heart sank a little.
Twelve silver plus twenty silver came to thirty-two silver altogether. That would leave him with only 4 silver and 82 copper. He still needed to buy supplies and other auxiliary tools. It simply would not be enough.
He frowned, then looked up at the blacksmith.
"Mr. Blacksmith, could you make it a little cheaper? I don't have much money on me, and I still need to buy other things."
"Cheaper?"
The blacksmith raised an eyebrow, walked over, and snatched the short sword out of his hand.
"Kid, my price is already generous enough.
You think forging a sword doesn't cost anything?
Coal, iron ore, labor—which one of those is free?"
He paused, looking Wakasha up and down. Seeing the washed-out coarse linen clothes, the thin frame, and yet the stubborn determination in the boy's eyes—unlike the hot-blooded fools who only lasted three minutes—his tone softened a little.
"Fine. Since you look like an honest sort, the short sword is 10 silver, the leather armor is 18 silver. 28 silver total. That's as low as I'll go. Any lower and I'd be taking a loss."
Wakasha calculated quickly in his head.
Ten silver plus eighteen silver was twenty-eight silver. That meant he would have 36 silver 82 copper minus 28 silver left—8 silver and 82 copper, or 882 copper. That should be enough for supplies and tools.
He nodded and said sincerely, "Thank you, Mr. Blacksmith."
The blacksmith waved a hand and handed him the short sword and a set of leather armor.
"Take them. And remember, this short sword is usable, but it can't cut through anything too hard. It'll do against soft-skinned monsters like goblins, but if you run into wild boars or something stronger, don't count on it.
And this leather armor will only protect you from wooden clubs, stones, and goblin claws. If you get hit by a short sword or an arrow, it'll still go right through."
It was rare for him to say so much. This counted as a few words of advice for a novice.
"I understand. Thank you, Mr. Blacksmith."
Wakasha took the short sword and leather armor, carefully packed them into the cloth bag he had brought with him, then counted out 28 silver from his money pouch and handed it over.
The blacksmith took the money and casually tossed it into the cash box beside him, then lifted his hammer again and resumed striking the iron. The clang of metal rang out once more, as though their conversation had never happened.
After leaving the blacksmith's shop, Wakasha did not linger. He immediately headed for the general store in town.
The general store was quieter than the forge. Its owner was an elderly man with graying hair, dozing behind the counter.
Hearing the door open, the old man lifted his head. When he saw Wakasha, a kindly smile appeared on his face.
"Wakasha? Haven't seen you in a while. What are you buying today?"
Back when he still lived at the orphanage, Wakasha had often come to this shop to help Mother Director buy things, so he was quite familiar with the owner.
Wakasha smiled and stepped forward.
"Old Boss, I need some black bread, water skins, wound ointment, torches, flint, and a rope."
"Old Boss" was what Wakasha had come to call the old man. Once the two had grown familiar with each other, Wakasha had just kept using the name.
The old man nodded and slowly began taking items down from the shelves.
"You're heading out to become an adventurer?"
"Yeah. I just left the orphanage, and I'm planning to hunt goblins on the outskirts of Chalk Forest and make some money."
Wakasha did not hide it. He answered honestly.
The old man's movements paused for a moment. The smile on his face faded a little, and his voice carried a trace of concern.
"Goblins may be weak, but they live in groups, and they're crafty. They like ambushes. You're a beginner, and thin as you are, you'd better be careful."
As he spoke, he set the items down on the counter one by one.
"Black bread is 1 copper each. I'll get you 10—that's enough for five days. Water skins are 5 copper each, so two of those: one for water, one spare. Wound ointment is 8 copper a jar, so two jars—good to have in case you get hurt. Torches are 3 copper each, so take 5. It gets dark in the forest at night, and you'll need them. Flint is 10 copper a piece—one is enough, it lasts a while. Rope is 10 copper a length. I'll get you a thicker one. You can use it to tie things up, or set simple traps."
Wakasha listened carefully, and a warm feeling rose in his heart.
He knew the old man genuinely cared about him. Nodding, he said, "I'll be careful. Thank you, Old Boss."
The old man smiled and began adding it all up.
"Ten black breads, 10 copper. Two water skins, 10 copper. Two jars of wound ointment, 16 copper. Five torches, 15 copper. One flint, 10 copper. One rope, 10 copper. Altogether, that comes to 71 copper."
Wakasha counted out 71 copper from his money pouch and handed it over.
The old man took the money, then pulled out a small leather pouch from under the counter and handed it to him.
"There are some dried herbs in here. They can keep mosquitoes away, and they'll also help ease the pain of wounds a little. No charge, take them. The outskirts of Chalk Forest have a lot of insects, and some herbs can help cover the stench goblins carry."
"Thank you, Old Boss!"
Wakasha took the pouch and gripped it tightly, his heart full of gratitude.
In his previous life, he had been an orphan too. After coming to this world, he was still an orphan—but the orphanage director, the uncles and aunties in town, and the shopkeeper standing before him had all shown him kindness. That was one of the reasons he had managed to keep going.
"All right, you've got everything. Set out early, stay safe, and remember to come back soon."
The old man waved him off, his tone gentle.
"Mm. I will."
Wakasha nodded, picked up his cloth bag, and turned to leave the general store.
By now, the sun had risen to the middle of the sky. Sunlight filtered through the clouds and spilled onto the town's stone-paved streets, warm and bright.
Wakasha did not go home—after leaving the orphanage, he still had not found a place to stay. His original plan was to earn some money hunting goblins first, then rent a small room afterward.
He found a quiet corner by a wall, set his cloth bag down on the ground, opened it, and began checking his equipment and supplies.