17. A Big Spender Today

Today was our scheduled day off from dungeon exploration. Glory's Steps operated on a two-day-off-per-week system. It seemed our policy was to take one day off in the middle of the week and another over the weekend.

And so, today was my very first holiday. Actually, it was my first day off since becoming an adventurer. I hadn't really thought of adventuring as a "job," so I'd been active every single day. Looking back, it was a pretty grueling work schedule.

Now then, what does one do on their first day off? Shopping! After all, I had ten gold coins in my pocket—the proceeds from selling that magic pitcher.

There were plenty of things I wanted, but an armor shop topped the list. I already had a specific place in mind.

I arrived at my destination shortly after setting out. This armor shop was a bit unusual because the owner was a Grassfolk.

The Grassfolk were a race that originally lived a nomadic lifestyle on the Great Plains. Appearance-wise, they looked a lot like Commoners—the race Rei and I belonged to—but they were naturally small. Even an adult was only about as tall as I was. Since their features looked youthful to a Commoner's eyes, I often heard stories about them being mistaken for children.

Most Grassfolk were free-spirited travelers. While there were plenty of Grassfolk peddlers, it was rare to find one who had actually settled down to open a shop.

"Hey there. You're the kid who was here before, aren't you? Back again?"

The man who seemed to be the owner greeted me with a laugh. He looked like a child himself, but since he called me "kid," I assumed he was an adult.

The reason I'd set my sights on this shop was the selection—specifically, the sizes. Because the owner was a Grassfolk, he carried a wealth of small-scale armor designed for his kin. Since a Grassfolk adult was roughly my height, his stock was a perfect fit for me.

"I’ve got money today, so I'm here to do some serious shopping."

"Oh, is that so? In that case, I'll have high expectations. What's your budget?"

Budget, huh? I had other things I needed to buy, so I couldn't blow everything on armor. That said, it would be beyond stupid to die because I'd cheaped out on protection. It was a difficult balance to strike.

"I can go up to... three gold coins!"

"Heh. Look at you, a regular big spender. If you’re willing to shell out that much, I have just the thing."

The owner disappeared into the back of the shop and returned with a black coat. I think it’s called a trench coat? It looked like the kind of cool, rugged gear a soldier might wear. Since it was made for Grassfolk, it was a perfect fit for my frame.

"A friend of mine used to cherish this back when she was an adventurer. She was quite the elite—people even called her the Grassfolk Hero."

The owner looked into the distance, his eyes full of nostalgia.

I had no way of knowing the specific feelings swirling in his heart, but it was clear that the coat held many memories.

Adventuring wasn't all fun and games. There were surely many painful and sad experiences involved. And among those experiences was the cruel reality of death. I couldn't afford to think I was special. Someday, I might lose my life, too.

I was getting caught up in these somber thoughts when—

"It’s been ages since she retired, though. Nowadays, there’s no trace of her old self left. Ahaha!"

She’s alive?!

Given the way he was talking, anyone would have assumed it was a memento! Anyone!

"We have kids now, you see. She’s really mellowed out."

And he was just bragging about his wife!

Good grief. The owner looked at my face and chuckled. He’d known exactly how I would interpret that and did it anyway. He was totally playing with me.

"Sorry, sorry. You have such an honest reaction, it’s hard to resist. So, what do you think? At three gold coins, I’d say it’s a steal."

Hmm. I thought three gold coins for a coat was ridiculously expensive, but the owner seemed to think it was a bargain.

I really want to appraise this. I wondered if it was okay to use appraisal skills on shop merchandise? I figured I should just ask.

"May I appraise it?"

"Oh? You can do that too? You really are a box of surprises. Sure, go ahead."

The appraisal wasn't actually my own power, but the power of my loupe. I secretly pulled it out of my Storage Ring and peered at the coat.

The item's name was "Cloak of Grace." Quality: S-rank. While I couldn't see the exact stats, its durability was incomparable to ordinary leather armor. It was light and didn't restrict movement, which was a huge plus for my fighting style. It even had a special effect: when worn by someone who had received divine grace, the cloak’s performance would be maximized.

I wasn't sure if [Destiny God's Smile] counted as "divine grace," but even without that bonus, the cloak was easily worth three gold coins.

In fact, with performance like this, there should have been plenty of people willing to pay more. Why had he offered it to a rookie like me?

"Why are you offering this to me?"

"Hmm? I wonder why. My wife told me to find a good partner for this little one, you see."

According to the owner, he’d been watching for someone worthy of the cloak. But no matter how many skilled adventurers he met, it never felt right.

"But looking at your face, I just got the feeling it would be okay to let you have it. No real reason, I guess—if I had to put a name to it, maybe it's just 'Destiny God's Guidance'?"

The Grassfolk were a race that lived by their instincts. They called following those instincts the "guidance of the Destiny God." In this case, it might actually be true, considering my skill was [Destiny God's Smile].

"I see. Alright! I’ll take it for three gold coins!"

This was a stroke of fate. The quality was beyond reproach, so I'd be a fool not to buy it.

"Much obliged! Oh, that's right—while we're at it, I have a pair of twin swords my wife used to use. They aren't quite on the level of that cloak, but they're excellent pieces. Also, it’ll look unbalanced if you only have a nice cloak, so how about these boots? You’ll probably want these bracers, too..."

The moment I agreed to the purchase, the owner started a high-speed sales pitch for his other wares.

I—I mean, it was true that I wanted to upgrade my weapons. Could I use twin swords with my [Dagger] skill? Oh, I could? That’s good, but my budget—

In the end, I somehow got talked into spending a total of five gold coins. I’m sure they were good purchases, but man, am I tired...