Ackster and Wilma went their separate ways after a few more words, where Ackster also asked Wilma to keep him updated about any significant events or changes in the surroundings.
And then, after a solid nap, Ackster was up before dawn again and ready to seize the day. Mio wasn't as energetic, but he was also in the mood to go on an adventure.
Ackster considered swinging by Tommelier's to see if his stuff was ready, but he realized that it hadn't been half a day since he dropped it off. So, he would make a quick trip out of the city and clear out a goblin cluster.
It wasn't as productive a day as he wanted it to be since he neither got any new skills nor fought any strong opponents that could force him to his limits. But it was better than nothing since he got a reward for killing them and for selling some of their organs, which could be used for medicine.
Ackster returned early afternoon, so he was right before the afternoon rush of adventures. He also got to the Guild before Wilma's shift began, so he didn't see anything. With nothing else to do, Ackster decided to go to Tommelier's. After all, Tommelier had told him to come back tomorrow, yesterday.
Worst case, he can spend some time browsing different weapon shops to see if he can find a suitable weapon for when he comes up with a fighting style that doesn't rely on him maiming himself every battle.
"Hello?"
The door to Tommelier's opened with almost a chime. Like last time, the shop was empty. Not even the desk didn't have anyone behind it. Considering the state of the shop, Ackster hadn't expected anything else.
He didn't get a response, so he started looking at the various armors and weapons on racks around the place. Some of them seemed to have been cleaned and polished recently, others like they had been made and then instantly forgotten.
None of the different creations were alike, which Ackster found odd. They could have been made from similar materials but with completely different methods or with different materials but vaguely similar methods.
There were a couple of interesting items, but nothing that stood out to Ackster.
"See anything you like?"
Again, without Ackster noticing, Tommelier appeared behind the desk.
"Uh, no, not really."
Tommelier scoffed.
"Doesn't surprise me. You don't look like the type with a good eye for these kinds of things."
"I guess that's true. Anyways. How's the progress with what I asked?"
"Wait here."
Tommelier disappeared into his workshop and came back out only moments later with a bundle of what looked like very thick clothes. He also sat down a pair of gloves.
However, Ackster wasn't sure about what he was seeing. The clothes didn't look like they were made from rock lizard materials. They had lost their brown color and the texture of the stone scales and had been turned into something that looked more like chainmail of very fine links so densely weaved together it was practically like a sweater made from metal instead of fabric.
"Umm…?"
"I couldn't have you walking around looking like an idiot wearing rock lizard armor when I'm the one who made it. I dyed it, broke down the scales, and weaved in some Forger's Iron. It will help you stay cool, even when wearing this thing. It's also a little heavier than just the rock lizard materials. But that's what you wanted, right?"
"Y-yeah. That's right. Thanks."
Ackster walked up to the desk and grabbed a piece. He struggled to lift a corner of the shirt.
'A little?!'
The heavy training equipment was solid enough to work as armor just because of the sturdiness of the base materials. But it was too inefficient on a weight-to-defense ratio. So, anyone strong enough to carry it wouldn't get many defensive benefits when compared to other armor.
But it wasn't supposed to be armor in the first place. Although its weight made it difficult to even put on, it was exactly what Ackster wanted.
"I also added some extra reinforcements on the joints. I know it's not an armor, but you'll be using it as one anyways. That is why I also used some leftover material to put these together."
Tommelier put his hand on the gloves and shoved them closer to Ackster so that he could take a look at them.
"Gauntlets?"
"Kind of. They're pliable and easy to use, too soft to be proper gauntlets but too hard to be gloves since I reinforced and padded the knuckles a bit."
"..."
Ackster wasn't sure what to say. He also wasn't sure he could afford it if Tommelier decided to charge extra.
"Don't worry. I made it of my own volition and from scrap materials in the trash bin. I won't charge you extra for them. In the first place, they're not that good. If you don't pull your punches, you're going to break your knuckles against the layers of reinforcement. But they will hit like sledges when you hit someone or something, so there's that. It's up to you whether you use them or not."
"No, I appreciated it. I think I will use them. Happily, even. I was actually just thinking about what kind of weapon would suit me or what I would like to use. And starting out with gauntlets seems doable."
Since Tommelier had noticed Ackster's habits and trends while fighting, Ackster decided he could throw out a hook and see if he had anything to say about what kind of weapon would suit him.
It seemed like Tommelier had noticed how Ackster fought with his bare body and did his best to create a training suit-slash-armor with that in mind. Considering Wilma had also seen through him and noticed that he didn't have any formal weapons training, it was more than likely that Tommelier, a weaponsmith, could do the same.
"Just pick something. There's no need muck about like a trapped fly."