Chapter 51: A Gracious Refusal

As soon as those words fell, Barnes realized he had accidentally blurted out too much and instantly clamped his mouth shut.

Faced with Xanan's inquiry, his thick-haired face, a legacy of his dwarven heritage, first flashed a hint of hesitation.

Then, with polite and measured tact, he subtly shifted his gaze away from the young man with black hair to the far corner of the nearby shelf, resting it upon a full heavy plate armor marked with a price tag of "1,500 gold."

He spoke slowly:

"Actually, my suggestion is to simply process this scale first, turning it into a temporary arm shield while preserving the integrity of its main material."

"That way, you'll not only have something to use for emergencies right now, but later on, when conditions permit and you want higher-tier advanced equipment, you can easily separate the scale from the arm shield."

"What do you think?"

Barnes phrased it very tactfully.

Xanan understood his meaning just as well.

To sum it up in four words:

If you have no money, don't touch it.

Being a normal person, he naturally wouldn't fly into a rage or feel looked down upon just because of a few words that had been made as subtle as possible.

Objectively speaking, his current savings might seem like a fortune to an ordinary person in this world, enough to cover living expenses for many years.

Yet placed within the supernatural-laden circle of adventurers, it was only enough to buy a few potions.

He hadn't come away empty-handed, though.

At least from Barnes's reaction, he learned that a magical equipment possessing special effects of Green quality or higher—such as the [Dead Line] and [Green Pine] in his possession—

Should command a price in this world on par with the 1,500-gold full plate armor, or perhaps even higher.

"Then let's just make a transitional arm shield for now, the kind that preserves the integrity of the primary material."

"Uh... about how much will that cost?"

After the brief interlude just now, Xanan, who had previously felt quite confident about his modest treasury, suddenly lost his footing.

Even his tone weakened accordingly.

Fortunately, if it was just ordinary white-tier equipment, the price still fell within the income range of bottom-tier adventurers.

Barnes stroked the snake scale in his hand, weighing the potential expenses as he spoke:

"Though I call it a temporary transition, I certainly can't use cheap supplementary materials for you. Combat equipment must guarantee structural strength."

"The shape of your scale is unusual, and since it's a custom piece, the shop doesn't have a matching mold, so the labor cost might be slightly higher."

"Altogether—"

"Let's say 35 gold. I'll give you a small discount."

Hearing this, Xanan instantly breathed a sigh of relief.

It was slightly more expensive than he had expected, but still well within his acceptable range.

He nodded in agreement and paid the deposit.

Afterward, Barnes demonstrated great professionalism, earnestly discussing the specific details of the arm shield with him and taking precise measurements of his arm.

Perhaps feeling that his previous remarks about magical equipment had lacked discretion, and remembering that the customer before him had just spent nearly 100 gold in the shop—

The shopkeeper known as "Rockhammer," who enjoyed an exceptional reputation in the [Adventurer's Handbook], hesitated momentarily while measuring the dimensions of Xanan's arm.

He spoke slowly:

"I have a shipment to deliver to Karanfor recently. Starting from River Valley Town, the round trip takes about four or five days."

"The caravan is currently resting in town and happens to be recruiting guards."

"If you have the time to help out on this run, I can knock down the labor cost a bit more and give you an extra discount."

"By the time you return, the arm shield will be practically finished. What do you say?"

Xanan did not accept.

From his perspective, as a bottom-tier adventurer who hadn't even attained a professional class level yet,

He should probably focus on slaying more goblins and taking on classic errand-running quests of that sort.

However, having just returned from the Hazy Forest without even managing to eat a few decent, hot meals, setting right back out on another task felt far too hasty.

Before entering the forest, he had naively thought he was merely gathering a few clusters of herbs on the outskirts, only to be dragged deep into the woods by the half-elf and her companions for days on end, nearly losing his life in the process.

If he went back out now under the guise of a caravan guard, goodness only knows what kind of trouble he might run into.

Having finally escaped the blessed "996" lifestyle of his previous world and arrived in another realm,

Was he not allowed to enjoy a few days of idleness?!

Furthermore, Xanan was still waiting for a reply from the half-elf.

At the very least, he planned to wait until she confirmed when the combat technique instructor she contacted would be free and when they could arrive in River Valley Town.

Only then would he make further plans.

During this idle interval, Xanan also intended to figure out whether he could practice the two "suspected" combat techniques in his possession.

If he actually managed to master even a move or two, combined with the proper combat technique taught by the professional later on, and his already maxed-level [Whirlwind Slash]...

Then he really would meet all three conditions and become a professional classer, wouldn't he!

With these thoughts in mind, Xanan politely declined the offer.

Barnes didn't get angry; he merely laughed and patted him on the shoulder, saying:

"No worries. The caravan is going to stay in town for quite a few days anyway."

"If you change your mind by then, it won't be too late to come find me."

"..."

Clad in a brand-new chain shirt and with his twin swords slung across his back, Xanan stepped out of the blacksmith's shop.

With this, the spoils acquired from his recent quest had essentially been fully processed.

The [Iron Bones and Bronze Sinews] perk and the 3-point boost to his Constitution attribute—such implicit enhancements went without saying.

As for equipment, the wooden sword [Green Pine], which possessed damage bonuses against "undead" and "serpents," along with the set of sturdy, high-performance refined chainmail on his body, elevated his overall combat capability to an entirely new tier.

Even after his spending spree inside the blacksmith's shop, his once-deflated wallet still retained a massive sum of over a hundred and forty gold coins.

Even if he were to eat, sleep, and do absolutely no work at all every day, he could easily lie low in an inn for over half a year while maintaining a very decent standard of living.

Standing on the bustling street, Xanan felt the slight burden lifting from his heart, perfectly mirroring the backpack on his back that was no longer weighed down by unrefined loot.

The busyness of the entire day had finally drawn to a close.

"I should rest for a few days."

Xanan thought to himself.

If possible, he could use this time to scout around and see if any place sold incendiary throwables.

The oil-powder explosive bomb that Wood had hurled at the scorpion swarm during their mission had left a deep impression on him.

In future adventures, items of this nature were very likely to produce miraculous results.

He would practice his two combat techniques, while not forgetting [Whirlwind Slash] either—though it was already maxed out, who knew if this world had mechanics like breakthroughs or advancements.

Practicing more could certainly do no harm.

As for supplies, there was no rush at all; he could purchase them right before setting out on his next mission.

The sky gradually grew dim.

Deep within the purplish-red evening glow, wisps of cooking smoke rose leisurely from the town.

Xanan let out a long, slow breath.

"For dinner... mushroom soup it is."

"I must admit, it's actually quite delicious."