Jack didn't believe his own eyes. Seeing his current appearance was too shocking for him. To call his reflection as a crazy homeless person is really an understatement. Because rather than a person, he is looking more like a lunatic monkey that bathed in his own sh*t!
His long black hair curled together like medusa's hair, but with smaller and uglier snakes as hair, and his decision to tie it to the back just made it even worse.
He also underestimated the sunburn on his face, which turned out to be even worse than the other parts of his body. There are no traces of his natural light-brown skin anymore. Every corner of his face is like being given a clay mask beauty treatment, only in his case, the clay mask is non-removable. At least for a short period of time.
Combined with his tattered clothes, Jack is only one step away from winning the title of the ugliest man in Terrenia.
Turns out, he really deserves all the humiliation that comes to him since setting foot in human civilization. What shocked him more is the fact that Joran, Joana, The old Librarian, and Tarud are still willing to talk to him. Because Jack himself definitely didn't want to talk to this version of him.
That fact actually explains some strange things that happened before, such as how the horse carriage driver acts, the waiter at 'Winter Dusk' reaction, and the scarred face of the lady receptionist of Adventurer's Guild. Remembering the incidents made Jack's face flushed with embarrassment.
Hearing Jack's scream, Tarud hurriedly ran back to the fitting room.
"What's wrong, Jack?!" Ask Tarud with a vigilant expression. A big hammer raised in his right hand when his left hand carried four black undershirts.
"Haha… It's nothing!" Jack was making a weird face while saying it.
After that, Jack tells the abbreviated version of his story to Tarud. Before kindly asking about the location of the nearest barber.
In the beginning, Tarud listened with a solemn expression, but in the end, he laughed his heart out while hugging his big belly. To his surprise, the dwarven blacksmith offered Jack to cut his hair for free after that.
Of course, Jack accepted it. Apart from saving time and money, he was also curious about how Palonian people cut their hair. But when Tarud is taking out weird-looking scissors, his heart jumps out, knowing that in reality, his fate is no better than a guinea pig.
On one side of the scissor, Jack could see an adjustable comb-like thing used to control the cutting length. But by only seeing a glimpse of Tarud's invention, Jack knows that the tool won't work out the way he hoped it would.
At first, Tarud's hands were moving awkwardly, but the more he used the weird-looking scissor, the smoother his movements were. Only in five minutes, Tarud turns from an amateur barber into a professional one. His 2.2 meters body really helps him observe from every angle possible.
Jack was watching in the front row when the legendary crafter hands worked their magic. Turns out, the story about a craftsman that could sculpt a wood chunk into a masterpiece is really true.
When he was done, Jack's inhuman appearance was no longer present. And like ducklings that evolved into a phoenix, the new Jack is born.
Jack prefers short hair with a slightly longer upper part because it is more suited for his slightly-round face. Kind black eyes, bowstring-like eyebrows, standard nose, and well-balanced lips, coupled with his temporarily darkened face skin Jack did not look too handsome, but more on the sweet side.
Judging from his look and the hair growing in several places, Jack could estimate that his age is around 22 to 25 years old. Overall, his face is not too different from the one he had on earth, to the point that he thinks that both of them are actually siblings.
The only shortcoming he has is his lean body. With a height of about 1.70 meters, his body is too thin and malnourished, to the point that he was afraid that a sudden gust might blow him away.
After taking a quick bath, Jack finally has the courage to put on the crow armor.
He was satisfied with how he looked. Even though most of the parts were a little bit loose, the armor matched his body size. He just needs to put on a little weight and muscle to make it fit his body perfectly.
But Tarud has another opinion. "Hmm… I think we need to adjust it a little. The adventurer who ordered this armor seems to be bulkier than you. No offense, but it seems that you need to eat more to become a proper adventurer."
Tarud sought perfection in his work. When he saw the armor didn't fit Jack's body perfectly, he felt like something was scratching his skull from inside. It's a feeling that can't be relieved by a regular means.
But Jack has a different opinion. "No need. I will grow my muscles instead."
Tarud laughed before responding. "That's the spirit, Jack." After a small pause, he continued, "So, what more did you need? A bag, maybe?"
"That actually is a good idea. Did your workshop also make a bag?" If he wants to upgrade his appearance, why not buy all he needs here. Tarud is a good man, and his goods have better quality than any other store he has seen before.
"Of course. Follow me."
The two of them went to a little room on the opposite side from the one they are in. Inside, Jack finds many kinds of adventurer bags, but no one falls into his criteria. For a modern person like him, the bag's designs are too inefficient and inflexible to be used outdoors.
So instead of buying, Jack wants to order a custom-made bag that suits his criteria. He tells Tarud the description of a modern outdoor carrier bag that has an adjustable shoulder strap and a main compartment that can be folded so the size and capacity can be adjusted as needed.
Tarud was flabbergasted by the idea. After hearing all Jack's descriptions, he immediately drew a design on a piece of yellowish-brown paper. After a few revisions, the final design was finally completed 15 minutes later.
"Marvelous! This design will bring the bag industry to the next level! If you agree, our workshop would like to make this bag our exclusive product. That means you will get a 10% share of its total net sales. How about it? Do you want to sign an exclusive contract with us?"
Jack was interested in the idea. He could get a steady income and get close to a skilled craftsman at the same time.
A brilliant Idea suddenly popped up in his head. 'That's right! I didn't need to waste my time learning about blacksmithing or alchemy in the first place. All I need is to befriend a master blacksmith and alchemy to craft all the weapons and potions I need. Good job, Jack!
"One problem solved!"