Interlude: Ivan
I am Ivan, a former slave of the Bear Tribe. The details of my past are best left unsaid, but now I travel alongside the adventurer who freed me from my shackles. I don’t think I can ever repay the kindness I’ve received, but I hope to do so in any small way I can.
“Is it really okay for me to use such fine equipment…?”
“It’s just some spare gear, so don’t worry about it.”
“Right. It’s just gathering dust in the Dimensional Box anyway.”
We are currently at an inn in the first town we entered after crossing the border into the commercial nation, having left the Imperial Capital behind. With my adventurer rank in mind, we decided to head to the Adventurer’s Guild to see about leveling it up.
“Is this really just spare gear…?”
I glanced at the various pieces of equipment laid out on the bed. Even as a novice adventurer, I knew it was unacceptable to go to the guild in casual clothes. And since I had just been freed from slavery, I obviously didn’t possess any weapons or armor. I had planned to borrow some from Shu and Rio, but…
“Wow, these pieces have such an intimidating presence… They’re way beyond what an F Rank like me should be using.”
Even to an amateur like me, the sheer power emanating from the weapons and armor was palpable. It was something awe-inspiring.
“Well, what can we say…?”
Shu and Rio exchanged glances and shrugged. Perhaps they were expecting this.
“We don’t have any beginner gear lying around, and it would be a waste to buy some, right?”
Just as I suspected. For S Rank adventurers, that might be the case.
“Besides, if you’re going to be in danger from a mere rapier stab, we can’t feel secure about you.”
“Huh? No, no, normally you’d be in serious trouble if you got stabbed! You could die if you’re unlucky!”
I’m not like you guys! If I get stabbed, I’m going to die for real! What are they even talking about!?
“Yeah, so you absolutely have to wear that armor… I mean, the White Shirt. Got it?”
“Uh… sure.”
I picked up the shirt in front of me and examined it closely. They seemed to be emphasizing the shirt more than the armor, but was there something special about it? It looked like an ordinary, albeit high-quality, shirt.
“Ivan-nii is so unfair. I want some gear too!”
Phonia climbed onto the bed, pouting her lips.
“Ha ha, could you wait just a little longer? I don’t have any armor that fits your size on hand.”
“Okay! I’ll adjust the size to fit Phonia-chan, so just wait a bit!”
“Yay!”
“Oh, but let’s make sure to prepare a shirt for Phonia-chan quickly.”
“Right. The shirt is important after all.”
…What is it with this shirt? It looks like just a plain white shirt, but is it really that significant?
“Hey… is this shirt really that amazing?”
I was both scared and curious, and the question slipped out before I could stop myself.
“Hm? Oh, this shirt? Well, if you wear it, it’ll protect you from a rapier stab without getting pierced, so it has decent defensive capabilities.”
“…Huh? No, it’s just a shirt… right?”
“Ufufufu.”
“Ha ha ha. It’s just a shirt, so don’t worry about it.”
No, no, a shirt that can withstand a rapier’s thrust? It feels nicer to the touch than a regular shirt, but how could it possibly have such capabilities!?
“Alright, let’s head to the guild.”
And so, I was taken to the guild without getting a chance to voice my complaints.
“Over there and here, and there’s some over there too!”
“Be careful not to gather everything.”
Collecting herbs and antidote herbs is a common request at any guild. Naturally, the guild in this town had such requests, so we had come to fulfill them.
“Wait, it’s so vast and there are so many! Is all of this really for gathering?”
Shu and Rio had incredible mobility. Riding on Nil’s back allowed me to share in that benefit, and we found ourselves in a gathering area far from the town.
“I’ve appraised them, so there’s no doubt.”
“Well, I guess that’s true!”
For now, gathering herbs was fine. It wouldn’t be surprising to find a patch of herbs in a clearing within the Forest. But still—
“Oh, looks like a good one is coming!”
“Alright, Ivan, it’s your turn!”
“Ivan-nii, do your best!”
“Grrrraaaah!!!”
“Wait, I need to mentally prepare…!?”
As I confirmed the approaching monster, I saw it was a bear-like creature with two arms on each side. They were trying to toughen me up by luring out ferocious monsters and throwing me into the fray. Sure, I had expressed my desire to grow stronger, but this was a bit much! Jumping straight into a real battle with a monster!?
“Guh!?”
I used the spear I borrowed from Shu as a shield to block the monster’s attack. It had incredible strength, but was it really a match for me!?
“It’s so strong!”
“You’ll be fine, don’t worry.”
“Ivan will probably be okay!”
“I’m cheering for you, so do your best!”
“I-I don’t feel okay about this, so shout out—whoa, watch out—!”
I dodged one of its raised arms, but unfortunately, it still had two free arms left.
“Guh!”
I grunted as I took a hit from its gauntlet, but I retaliated.
“Damn it, don’t think I’ll stay weak forever!”
Thus, my training under the guise of gathering continued, with real battles happening time and again.