Chapter 181: Fifteen Minutes

Blacksmiths worked behind open forges, sparks flying every time a hammer struck glowing steel. Tailor shops displayed neatly folded fabrics outside their doors, leatherworkers hung belts and pouches from wooden racks, and carpenters worked with doors thrown open, the scent of fresh-cut wood mixing with coal smoke drifting from the forges.

"I asked you before," Ken said after a while, "but I’ll ask again."

I looked at him.

"Did you love Jelda? I mean... romantically."

I shook my head. "No."

He glanced at me. "Wow. You answered that fast."

"I know the answer." I kept my eyes on the road. "She was a friend... or she would’ve been, if all this hadn’t happened."

Ken stayed quiet after that.

A few minutes later, the ringing of steel grew louder.

Ahead of us, a broad-shouldered blacksmith pulled a glowing sword from the forge and lowered it into a barrel of water. Steam burst upward with a loud hiss as the hot metal cooled.

"My favorite human being," the man called with a grin. "Ken."

His eyes shifted toward me.

"And his friend... Kale?"

"Ace," I corrected with a small smile.

"Morning."

"Morning." He rested the sword on his workbench. "What brings you two here?"

"I’m looking for a sturdy pair of boots."

"Fair enough." He nodded toward the shop behind him. "Give me a minute to finish this order, then I’ll meet you inside."

He pointed a thumb toward the doorway.

"Ken, you know where the boots are. Show him."

Ken smirked.

"I don’t know if I can trust myself in there. I might steal a few things."

Jengo barked out a laugh. "Steal yourself some pride and guts first, fellah."

Ken groaned. "That was a terrible joke."

"Good it should be a bad joke," Jengo replied with a grin. "I’m a blacksmith, not a jester, cunt."

I chuckled quietly and followed Ken inside.

He walked over to a stack of wooden crates piled against the wall, grabbed the top one, carried it to the floor, and pulled the lid open.

Inside were dozens of boots, each pair tied neatly together with its own laces.

Ken gestured toward the crate.

"So, choose away, Ace."

"Hmm..."

I crouched beside the crate and began sorting through the boots one pair at a time. The first one looked like it had survived a war. I picked it up and focused on it.

╔═══════════════════════╗

> Worn-out Boot (Common)

╠═══════════════════════╣

> Armor: 2

> Durability: 20 / 20

> Req. Level: -

────────────────────────

> Upgrade Level

> □ □

────────────────────────

> [UPGRADE] [UNEQUIP] [BACK]

╚═══════════════════════╝

"Nah."

I tossed it back into the crate and grabbed another pair. Same thing. Another. Still the same. Another. Worn-out Boot.

I let out a quiet sigh. It was disappointing, but I couldn’t exactly expect a blacksmith to stock dozens of premium boots... then I spotted a darker pair near the bottom of the crate.

Dark gray, sturdy leather, thicker soles, and surprisingly well made. I held one against my own foot. It looked about the right size.

I focused on it.

╔═══════════════════════╗

> Decent Boot (Common)

╠═══════════════════════╣

> Armor: 3

> Durability: 20 / 20

> Req. Level: -

────────────────────────

> Upgrade Level

> □ □ □

────────────────────────

> [UPGRADE] [UNEQUIP] [BACK]

╚═══════════════════════╝

"I’ll take this one," I said with a nod.

Jengo walked back inside while pulling off his thick work gloves. His eyes immediately landed on the boots in my hands, and a satisfied grin spread across his face.

"My best pair yet, kid." He folded his arms proudly. "One gold."

"Six silver?"

"One gold." He shook his head. "That’s already a discounted price. Don’t push it."

I sighed. "Fine. One gold."

"I knew you’d come around."

I willed a gold coin from my inventory into my palm and handed it over. Jengo turned it over between his fingers with an amused smile.

"Nice trick."

He slipped the coin into his pocket.

╔═════════════════╗

> INVENTORY

───────────────────

> EMPTY

> EMPTY

> EMPTY

> EMPTY

> EMPTY

───────────────────

> Coin: 13 Gold 1 Silver

╚═════════════════╝

As I checked my remaining money, another window materialized before me.

Apparently, old or unwanted equipment could be dismantled into crafting materials. Curious, I focused on the boots I’d just replaced.

A small empty circle appeared above them and slowly filled itself. Once it reached the top, another confirmation window appeared, asking whether I wanted to extract materials from the item. The boots would be destroyed in exchange for two Common Upgrade Materials and one Uncommon Upgrade Material.

"Huh..."

"I could buy your old boots if you want," Jengo offered. "Two silver."

I looked at my worn pair for a moment before nodding.

"Nah, thanks."

"Your choice, kid. What else are you looking for?"

"Some armor," I replied. "Something like what Ken’s wearing."

"Leather," Ken said with a nod. "Easy to move in. Not the toughest, but it’s every Ranger’s best friend."

I looked at Jengo. "Any recommendations?"

"I’ve got something." He jerked a thumb toward the back room. "Wait here."

He disappeared through a wooden door and returned a few moments later carrying a dark gray leather breastplate. It was almost black in color, with reinforced stitching around the shoulders and ribs.

He held it out toward me.

"Same color as that glove of yours, kid. What do you think?"

I focused on the armor.

╔═══════════════════════╗

> Leather Breastplate (Rare)

╠═══════════════════════╣

> Armor: 8

> Durability: 00 / 20

> Req. Level: -

────────────────────────

> Upgrade Level

> □ □ □ □

────────────────────────

Slots: ● ○ ○

- Slot A: Armor +3

────────────────────────

> [UPGRADE] [UNEQUIP] [BACK]

╚═══════════════════════╝

Rare. That alone made it tempting. Then I noticed the durability. Zero.

The thing was practically falling apart. Unless he repaired it first, it’d be nothing more than an expensive decoration.

"How much?"

"Five gold." Jengo answered. "Repair included. Just for you."

"Damn... five?"

He shrugged. "It’s a good piece, kid. You’ll get your money’s worth."

I looked over the breastplate once more. "Alright. When can I pick it up?"

"Come back this evening. It’ll be fully repaired by then."

"Sounds good."

I summoned five gold coins into my hand and passed them to him. He counted them with a satisfied nod before slipping them into his apron.

"Pleasure doing business."

Ken let out a laugh. "You absolutely robbed him, Jengo."

"We’re conducting honest business here."

I shook my head with a faint smile. "That’ll be all. Thanks. I’ll come back this evening for the armor."

╔═════════════════╗

> INVENTORY

───────────────────

> EMPTY

> EMPTY

> EMPTY

> EMPTY

> EMPTY

───────────────────

> Coin: 8 Gold 1 Silver

╚═════════════════╝

"Come back any time." He smiled. "See you around, kids."

"Yep." Ken smiled. "Bye."

ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎

Ken drew his bow, aimed at the rabbit a short distance ahead of us, and let the arrow loose. It struck the animal cleanly, sending it tumbling into the grass.

We waited a few seconds before leaving our hiding spot among the bushes and walking toward it.

"And that was the last one," Ken said with a tired exhale. "Phew. Easiest five silver I’ve ever made."

"Who posted the quest?" I asked.

"I dunno." He shrugged. "But it pays well enough."

"Hmm."

Once we reached the rabbit, Ken dropped to one knee and carefully pulled the arrow from its body before sliding it back into his quiver. He then grabbed the rabbit by the ears and handed it to me.

I took it from him and stored it in my inventory. The moment I did, the animal disappeared in a faint golden glow.

"You should teach me that trick," Ken said. "I was pretty annoyed when I realized I’d forgotten my hunting bag."

"Give me ten gold and I’ll teach you."

"Uh, no thanks. I’ll bring my bag next time."

"Your choice." I smiled.

I opened the system map and looked around. A large white question mark was directly beneath our position. It was one of those encounters where the system only showed the general area, meaning I’d have to search around to figure out what was actually waiting for me.

"How about we just walk around for a while?" I asked. "I don’t really know this side of the area."

"Sure." Ken shrugged. "There’s a small village not far from here. Want to head that way?"

"Yep. We’re not too far from the city, right?"

"About fifteen minutes."

"That’s not bad."

Ken glanced at me. "Why?"

"We’ve been walking for quite a while. Couldn’t we have hunted rabbits closer to the city? There’s forest all around us."

"You need a permit to hunt near the city," he explained. "The Gamekeepers patrol those areas constantly. Poaching can get you hanged, so people like us have to go farther out."

"Oh. Got it." I looked at him suspiciously and exhaled, a bit tired. "Or you’re just luring me out here so you can steal my kidneys. That’s why we’re so far from the city, isn’t it?"

"That was my grand plan, man." He chuckled as he continued walking.

I adjusted the leather breastplate resting against my chest and followed him. Maybe I should get a bow eventually, like Ken. Having a ranged weapon would definitely be useful, but I already knew I’d probably be terrible with one at first. I’d need time to actually learn how to use it properly, and I wasn’t particularly interested in wasting money on something I might barely touch.

A good sword or another dagger sounded more practical. The dagger especially, considering how much I already relied on it.