Chapter 9: New Beginnings: Equipment and Encounters

By the time I descended the mountain and arrived at the capital city, it was already evening.

My body hadn’t felt right since I left the mountainside, and by the time I reached the city, my fever was so high that I staggered with each step.

It seemed worse than a simple cold from the winter winds.

My feet naturally led me to the Adventurers’ Guild.

I presented the receptionist with the request form and the required items.

She chattered on as she handed me the reward, but the fever clouded my mind, rendering her words meaningless.

I barely remember staggering all the way to the inn.

When I opened my eyes again, I found myself in a familiar room.

Apparently, the goblin’s claws were laced with poison.

My body twisted on the bed, drenched in sweat, as my fevered mind slowly sank into darkness.

I spent an entire day in that feverish state.

“Ah…”

I groaned, sitting up in bed after waking.

The overwhelming stench of sweat hit me immediately.

The clothes I wore were soaked inside and out—sweat from within, and melted snow from outside.

Everything felt miserable.

I stripped off my clothes and called for Mary to run some errands.

Mary was competent, likely from years of tending to adventurers at this inn.

After washing myself with the hot water she brought, I put on the fresh clothes she had prepared.

They were hers, but since we were similar in build, they fit well.

“Ah, Cerys!”

Cerys… Who was that?

It was the name Mary called as she greeted me warmly.

“Did you come down to eat?”

“Oh, yeah.”

I belatedly realized that Cerys was now my name.

The unfamiliarity of this new name gnawed at me. I had lived my whole life as Emily, so of course, it felt strange. But from now on, I would have to get used to it—Cerys.

I whispered the name softly to myself.

“Thanks for the clothes.”

“Hehe…”

Mary’s cheeks flushed at my gratitude.

Seeing her smile so brightly brought a grin to my face as well. I found a spot and sat down. After spending the entire day bedridden, hunger gnawed at me.

Mary, however, was busy. The inn bustled with guests, leaving her with little time for conversation. Although she wanted to chat with me longer, the chaos around her kept pulling her away. Eventually, she ran off to the kitchen with a pout.

As usual, the food on my plate looked quite appetizing. Compared to other guests, I always seemed to get a slightly larger portion. It was probably Mary’s doing.

While moving my fork, my mind drifted to my memories.

What filled my thoughts was swordsmanship.

The radiant image of moonlight from my blade still lingered vividly.

Even now, at this very moment, I felt as if I could perform that sword technique again—even though all I held was a fork.

This nameless swordsmanship had become a part of me, but an unshakable feeling of frustration remained.

The more I practiced it, the more I sensed there was something beyond what I had achieved—something still unfinished.

It was like gazing toward an unattainable light, wondering what it could be.

However, the sword techniques I knew were shallow. There are things one cannot imagine without first understanding them.

The little swordswoman inside my mind merely toyed with fragments of pale moonlight, struggling to grasp their full shape.

After finishing my meal, I borrowed a hair tie from Mary to tie back my dull brown hair.

The once-lustrous golden strands were gone. It would take a long time—just as spring brings new buds after winter—before my hair returned to its original golden hue.

“Heading out somewhere?” Mary asked.

“Yeah.”

Nodding at Mary’s question, I stepped out of the inn.

Mary’s desire to make friends with kids my age seemed to remain stagnant. She dashed off eagerly to take new orders.

I was headed to the adventurers’ district—a place where I could find various items. Since my clothes had become a mess, I planned to buy some new ones. The same went for armor.

My experience in the mountains had deeply impressed upon me that sturdy armor could save my life. Although I had already known this from the guidebook of the Knight’s Guild, it was only after feeling it firsthand that I resolved to seek armor.

Without personal experience, one cannot truly comprehend. The mind of a man from the modern world regretted making decisions based on superficial knowledge.

But I knew this regret wouldn’t linger long.

Everything must be learned through direct experience—only then can one truly grasp it.

“Welcome!”

The first place I entered was a leather workshop. Shoes, hats, and everything in between were displayed. It was hard to find an item they didn’t carry.

The shopkeeper’s gaze warmly scanned my body, from my toes to my head, finally stopping at the heavy iron sword strapped to my back.

Regardless of her scrutiny, I moved toward the items that caught my eye.

As I browsed through the selection, a deep sigh escaped me. With my small frame, I couldn’t fit into the stylish and sturdy boots on display. The best I could manage was a pair of neatly finished deer leather boots.

“Do you like those?”

I tried on the boots and nodded. They fit perfectly. If I tightened the laces, they would provide solid support around my ankles, allowing for plenty of movement.

“The quality is good.”

“Right?”

A light compliment brought a smile to the shopkeeper’s face.

I also purchased a pair of wrist guards to protect my arms.

I wanted to buy proper armor for my body, but I didn’t have enough money, and there was nothing that would fit me properly.

“1 gold and 7 silver.”

The shopkeeper demanded a rather high price.

Given my knowledge of fantasy from games, I found it outrageous.

It seemed that much of what I knew would be rendered useless.

The leather armor was not the basic armor one would encounter in games.

Properly treated hard leather boasted considerable toughness, and its price was beyond imagination.

If leather armor was this expensive, how much would sturdy plate armor made of iron cost?

“Short on money?”

It seemed the shopkeeper misunderstood as I drifted off into my thoughts.

I wasn’t exactly short on cash, but I was contemplating how expensive it was.

“1 gold and 5 silver! No lower!”

“Gah…”

I hurriedly paid the price.

Although I hadn’t asked for a discount, she was willing to lower the price, likely due to my bright appearance.

I smiled widely and politely bowed my head.

“Thank you!”

This would be a shop I’d return to often.

It wouldn’t hurt to get friendly with the owner.

Next, I headed to a store that specialized in fabrics.

In the back of the shop, a weaving machine was operating, but it seemed more like a display for customers than anything else.

“What are you looking for?”

Unlike the leather workshop owner, this one appeared indifferent as they interacted with customers.

I passed the owner by and browsed through various garments.

As expected from a fabric specialty shop, there was a plethora of everyday clothing.

Among them, my eyes were drawn to a specific garment that resembled a medieval cloak.

“Gambeson?”

“Ah, is this a gambeson?”

“Are you interested in that?”

I nodded naturally.

Gambeson, I recalled it was a type of armor I had heard about before.

I never imagined a gambeson would look like this.

The shopkeeper got up from his seat and retrieved a suitably small gambeson from the storage area.

However, there was a significant difference from the one displayed in the store: it was filled with wool.

Just as I was about to point that out, the shopkeeper stretched out his thick hand and grabbed some wool from the corner of the store, starting to stuff it into the gambeson.

I stared in amazement as it grew plumper, and then the shopkeeper tossed the gambeson to me.

“2 silver.”

That was incredibly cheap compared to the leather armor.

I didn’t pay for it right away, as I also bought a few more outfits to use as everyday wear.

The total expenditure came to 4 silver.

The gambeson felt comfortable to wear.

Thanks to the wool filling it, it seemed suitable for enduring the cold winter.

Next, I headed to a place that was quite noisy.

Bang! Bang! Bang! The cheerful sound echoed around me.

Even in winter, I could feel a warm heat in the street.

This was where artisans who worked with iron and fire gathered.

It was a blacksmith’s forge.

The inside of the forge was just as loud.

The shopkeeper seemed aware of this and greeted me with a nod instead of words.

As I looked around the shop, I spotted a sword displayed on the wall and gasped in awe.

The straight sword blade had a strange blue hue, appearing almost transparent, as if it were made of ice.

Even the chilling aura that emanated from it was not just a figment of my imagination; droplets of water had formed around the sword.

This was no ordinary sword.

There was definitely something magical about it.

Beneath the display where the sword was placed, a metal plate was attached with the sword’s name and price written on it.

[Icicle]

[150G]

“Isn’t it cool?”

A voice interrupted my admiration of the sword.

Turning my head slightly, I noticed the shopkeeper, who had been sitting, had come up behind me.

I was so absorbed in the sword that I hadn’t noticed him approach.

“Did you make this?”

“Me? No, it’s a work I could never dream of creating. It was made by my father.”

As he answered while gazing at the Icicle sword, the shopkeeper’s voice was filled with pride.

I couldn’t help but let out a pure exclamation of admiration.

“It’s amazing…”

“Ha ha!”

The shopkeeper seemed pleased by my compliment.

In a good mood, he sold me two sturdy iron swords at a reasonable price.

The total expenditure came to 6 silver.

Unlike when I entered, my hands felt heavy on the way out.

If I had known, I would have at least brought a bag…

I trudged back to the inn.

On the fifth day of staying at Mary’s inn, I decided to step out to undertake a new quest.

Having spent quite a bit on equipment, I needed to work even harder.

Draping a thick wolf leather hood over my body, I exited the inn.

The winter wind still blew harshly.