A Bracelet from the Heart ① – Torquetum.
A little while after I gave her the bracelet, I received a suggestion from the Witch.
“Um, make the ‘Gauntlet of Still Saint’ stronger… you mean?”
“Yep, yep. I was thinking it’s a bit fragile, you see.”
Fragile. Now that she mentions it, I can see why, but is that really the case?
Ms. Narcissus. Alveld. Both of them are Tier I Seekers.
Can I only say that the opponents were just too strong?
But if it can be made stronger, I’d like to ask her to do it.
“Understood. Please, I’ll leave it to you.”
I entrusted the ‘Gauntlet of Still Saint’ to the Witch.
I’m looking forward to seeing how it turns out.
Shiro-san was asleep, and both Chive-san and Munieca-san were out.
So, I decided to give it to them later and left the Witch’s House.
“Wait, wait. Wof-shounen. You’ve forgotten something, you know.”
“Forgotten something?”
The Witch smiled, bent down slightly, and lightly pressed her lips to my forehead—a kiss.
“Wh-!?”
“Fufu, fufu, looks like you received it properly, doesn’t it?”
“Y-yes…”
I was blushing all the way to my ears.
The rematch with Alveld.
It’s true that things have settled down a bit. It’s also true that I was satisfied with the win.
More than anything, I feel like I’ve become stronger than when I was training.
But the cost is great.
All my knives, except for Dagaa, were wiped out. Yes, completely wiped out.
I’m sure an audience with the Goddess of Knives required 20 knives, so remaining… how many is that?
Anyway, I’m getting closer.
I have a little over 200,000 Oro. But it seems like it’ll all disappear once I get my equipment sorted out.
Ah, come to think of it, I was told to go to the Seeker Guild.
On the way, I passed by the entrance to the Dungeon.
I could see the gatekeepers watching sharply as Seekers entered one after another.
The Dungeon has finally been unsealed.
Many Seekers had been waiting. Gauro-san wasn’t among the gatekeepers. I wonder if he has the day off.
I arrived at the Seeker Guild.
As always, it’s an imposing three-story building.
I entered and was immediately troubled. I didn’t know where to go.
As I was wondering, I found the reception for the ‘Consultation Desk’.
“Excuse me.”
“Welcome. How may I help you?”
The receptionist, a lady with fluffy blonde hair and sheep horns, asked with a smile.
A sheep-person, perhaps.
“Um, I’m the one who was working as a Tsukaeshi for the ‘Great O’Browns’.”
“A Tsukaeshi, you say? Your name, please?”
“It’s Wof.”
“Do you have your Seeker tag?”
“Yes. Here it is.”
I took it out of my pouch and presented it. It’s been a while since I last saw it.
“I’ll take this. Please wait a moment.”
“Okay.”
I sat in a seat behind and waited.
A somewhat relaxed atmosphere flowed.
It’s been a while. This kind of thing.
“Thank you for waiting. Lord Wof. Tier V Seeker, Lord Wof.”
“Yes~”
Since I was called, I headed to the reception.
“We’ve confirmed your identity. Here you go.”
The tag was returned to me.
“This is your payment for your work as a Tsukaeshi. Please accept it.”
She placed a small cloth bag there. Ah, that’s right, I was supposed to receive payment.
“Thank you.”
That’s a relief. I accepted it, hoping it would help even a little.
“It’s 806,400 Oro. Please confirm it.”
“Eigh-eight hundred thousand!?”
“Yes. That’s correct.”
I was surprised by the sudden large sum of money.
200,000 a day? Inside were eight large, splendid gold coins, six silver coins, and four copper coins.
These large, splendid gold coins are Royal Coins. Each one is worth 100,000 Oro.
“I’ve confirmed it… So, I heard you can hold onto money for people?”
“Yes. We have a system for deposits. Would you like to use it?”
“Please.”
“In that case, we’ll charge a fee of 1,000 Oro to open an account.”
I paid 1,000 Oro.
The receptionist lady took my tag again, and I was made to wait for a while.
“Thank you for waiting. We have opened your account. I apologize for the inconvenience, but please handle account matters at the deposit counter.”
“Understood. Thank you very much.”
I bowed my head and went to the deposit counter I was told about. There, I deposited 400,000 into my account.
I also got some money exchanged there and then left the Guild.
“War funds, check! First up, knives.”
Knives, huh. Hmm. Knives… hmm.
What should I do? Until now, I’ve prioritized sturdiness so they wouldn’t break.
However, I’m starting to feel like it doesn’t make much difference.
But knives are necessary. My only weapon is a knife.
But when they break one after another like this, how should I put it… I just end up thinking they’ll break anyway.
“Isn’t that Wof?”
“It’s Wof-san, isn’t it?”
“Nn… Shounen.”
As I was pondering, I was called out to in unison.
When I turned around, it was Ms. Pachira, Liv-san, and Luminous-san.
They are ‘Torquetum,’ the renowned up-and-coming Tier III beautiful girl Seeker party.
Moreover, all of them were unusually armed.
“Hello. Ms. Pachira. Liv-san. Luminous-san.”
“Hello to you.”
“Nn… H’lo…”
“Mm. Hello. So, Wof. You. What are you doing?”
Ms. Pachira flicked her long and short white tails and perked up her cat ears.
A beautiful Cat Beastman girl with light green hair and white streaks.
She was dressed in a black robe, with one eye hidden by her hair. Her other blue cat-eye reflected me.
“Actually, I’m wondering about equipment. What about you, Ms. Pachira and everyone?”
“We’ve just finished a request.”
“Nn… Completed today too… yay.”
Expressionlessly, Liv-san made a V-sign with her fingers.
A beautiful girl with short, pinkish-white hair. Her red eyes had a sleepy look.
A black jacket with red lines.
Underneath, she wore a futuristic mechanical bodysuit.
Added to that, she wore tattered jean-like pants.
Hanging at her waist was the Pleiades Blade. It’s an SF weapon.
“And also, we were looking for materials for Luminous’s new equipment.”
“Ah, I believe… it was a crystal, right?”
“A blue-green crystal, it is.”
The one who answered so refreshingly had long blonde hair reaching her waist and pointed ears.
A beautiful woman clad in distinctive white full-body armor. She carried a large round shield on her back.
“That’s all that’s left.”
“…Still… no results… dejected…”
“Shall we ask the Witch?”
I feel like I said that before too.
Ms. Pachira and Luminous-san gave a wry smile.
“About that, you see…”
“We already asked her.”
“Nn… In the bath… we met her, so…”
“And then?”
“She said she remembered hearing about it and agreed to look into it for us.”
“But there’s no reply yet, though.”
“I see…”
She remembers hearing about it, huh.
I was sure it would be in the earth-type Dungeon.
“So, you’re troubled about equipment, you say?”
“What kind of knife would be good. Actually, all my knives were wiped out.”
“…Shounen… that knife too…?”
“That one, only the tip…”
‘Agaro’s Knife Modified’ only had its tip shaved into an arc.
Other than that, it’s fine.
“Nn… Just the tip…?”
“Yes.”
“………Then… maybe it can be fixed…”
“Really?”
“Nn… First… bring the actual thing…”
“Understood.”
“Hmm. A knife, eh? In this case, wouldn’t a sword be fine?”
“I… can’t use swords because of a cursed Relic.”
“What!”
“Oh my.”
“…Wa-oow.”
I don’t even have a clue how to break it.
Wait. Maybe Ms. Narcissus knows something?
I’ll try asking her when I go to thank her and give her the item.
“Alright. Then let’s go to a shop together with us.”
“Is that okay?”
“That’s a good idea.”
“Nn… Anyway… I’m free.”
“‘Free’ you say…”
“Liv. Don’t say that. Things one can’t solve alone can sometimes be solved if everyone puts their heads together. Besides, I’ve been thinking for a while now about getting a knife for self-defense myself.”
“That’s right. It’s a good idea to have one.”
“…Pleiades Blade… also has… sub-weapon… knife…”
It does, huh.
For my part, I’m grateful they’re willing to think about it with me.
“Please, I’d appreciate your help.”
“Well then, hmm. Shall we guide you to an armorer we’re familiar with?”
“It’s not Arifa-san’s place?”
“It’s different.”
“Nn… Familiar… regularly patronized.”
“That place is an Antique Shop, not a specialist, right? Though you can find good bargains there.”
A shop ‘Torquetum’ is familiar with, huh.
On the opposite side of the central Noble District from where Arifa-san’s shop in Hydrangea is located.
That place is called the Industrial District.
Various artisan workshops and factories lined the streets, and Blacksmith Street was also here.
Because smoke constantly billowed from the chimneys, it was also called Soot Street.
Beyond a sloping road paved with fine stones and a flight of stairs, brick buildings stood in a row.
All of them were Blacksmiths.
“Blacksmith Street?”
“It’s down from there.”
Going down from Blacksmith Street, that area was also Blacksmith Street.
At its edge was a red brick shop. A sign reading ‘Kikka’s Armory’ caught my eye.
This seems to be the place.
Ms. Pachira and the others went in. I followed. A bronze cowbell rang with a clang-clang.
“Yeah?”
From behind the counter emerged a Dwarf with a brawny, muscular build.
He had a shaggy, pure white beard, and a large burn scar over his left eye.
“Verent-san?”
“Yeah. What’s this? If it ain’t the Witch’s apprentice, Bozu.”
Verent-san.
He’s a Blacksmith who created my ‘Gauntlet of Still Saint’ together with the Witch.
He also specializes in repairing OOPArts.
“Why is Verent-san here?”
“Well, ’cause this is my daughter’s shop.”
“Daughter?”
“Perfect timing. You couldn’t meet her last time. Hey! Hey, Kikka! Kikka!”
“What is it, old man?”
From the back emerged a woman with messy black hair and yellow streaks.