"2 thieves from the group were defeated by the villagers, will it be okay if I distribute 2 portions of equipment to them?"
While walking towards the destination, the village chief asks me about the loot.
"Sure, I don't mind"
Durandal made it seem so easy, everything was a 1 hit kill. But all the villagers together were only able to kill 2 people, showing just how dangerous the situation was. If I wouldn't have been here, this peaceful village must have been totally ravaged.
"Thank you very much Michio-sama, let me thank you on behalf of the village."
"It's fine"
The village head must have mistaken me for a very high leveled adventurer, but in reality I am a level 2 noob. He wouldn't even be able to tell just by looking as Appraisal is also one of the rarest skills, at least there was no second person even hinted at having it in the story.
Still I won't clear that misunderstanding, it's helpful to me if he fears and respects me. That is also the reason I keep talking in Brahim language, which is an upper class language of this world.
We keep walking towards the edge of the village where they had put every piece of equipment neatly inside a wooden house. There was also man standing at the gate.
[Bikka
Merchant Level 6
Equipment: Armor of wood, Leather shoes]
"His name is Bikka and he is the only merchant in this village"
"Hello sir, I am Bikka. This time you saved all of us, I cannot express how grateful I am"
"I am Michio, please there is no need"
Michio, the name just rolls off my tongue easily now. As I can't change my name in the system and hence the id card, I will have to get used to the new name.
"Ok sir, here are all the equipments"
I use appraisal on the equipment.
[Leather Armour: Body equipment]
[Leather shoes: Leg equipment]
[Copper Sword; 2 handed weapon]
[Iron Sword: 2 handed weapon]
[Iron Armour: Body equipment]
[Copper Sword: 2 handed weapon
Skill:Empty]
[Bandana: Head equipment]
19 copper swords were piled up and on the side there were 2 leather armours and 7 pairs of leather shoes. 1 Iron sword, 1 Iron armour and the bandana all being the leader's equipment were placed together.
While I was on one knee 'inspecting' the swords, the village head was telling the merchant about me being generous enough to give 2 portions of equipment to the villagers.
"Wow, the villagers who defeated them would be glad."
"They deserve it"
Answering the merchant I get back to the swords and take out the empty skill one.
You are able to equip different skills to swords, my Durandal is an extreme example. But unfortunately only Blacksmiths are able to imbue skills from a monster card and Blacksmith is a race specific job.
This empty skill shows that there is an empty skill slot which can hold a skill. The more skill slots the equipment has, the more skills it can hold. Like here there is no other equipment with any skill slot except this sword, so even if a blacksmith tries he won't be able to imbue a skill into any of the remaining equipment here.
"Does Michio-sama have any capacity left in your space?"
"No unfortunately my space is already full"
I skillfully lied to the merchant, while keeping the empty skill sword aside with the leader's gear.
Space or inventory is a skill provided by many jobs, mainly explorer and adventurer. As they mistake me for a high leveled adventurer, obviously they will assume I have space skill. I too would love to have an inventory but I will have to wait for that.
"Tomorrow at dawn I am going to Vale city to sell my goods. If Michio-sama doesn't mind, I can transport the equipment in my cart to the town. There is an Armour and Weapon shop in the city where you will be able to sell them sir"
"That would be very helpful"
So my ride for tomorrow's journey is booked.
"Here are the intelligence cards"
The village head presents me with rectangular cards about the size of a notepad.
I take them in my hand and notice that they are blank with weird tree shaped design on it.
"Among the thieves there were some with a bounty, you can take this to the knights in Vale and get the reward."
"Okay"
Intelligence cards, another unique setting of this world. These cards are the id cards of this world. It contains the picture of the person on the right side and other relevant information. Like Name, Age, Job, Status and Slaves Owned/Slave's Master.
There is nothing written on it as it attaches directly to the consciousness of the person reading and then that person would see the characters on the card which then they could read.
Even equipment has their own intelligence cards. It would have that equipment's picture, its name and skills attached to it if any.
For people, the intelligence card comes out of their left hand, for equipment it can come out from anywhere. There are only some jobs that give people the ability to make other people's intelligence cards appear.
If you are dead then the intelligence card comes out on its own after half an hour. That's why bounty hunters usually kill their bounty and cut the left hand off and take it away so they don't have to wait that long.
But the intelligence card that comes out after death is blank this way, no picture nothing, just like the intelligence cards the village head gave me. For these cards only guild temples have the ability to identify the owner.
The information shown in the intelligence card is very sparse, like they never show multiple jobs, only the first one, nor do they show any levels.
I keep the intelligence cards in my pocket and then pick up the bandana.
"This is not the bandana the leader was wearing"
I show the bandana to the merchant and the village chief. Both of their faces distort in astonishment.
"No way … we should investigate this, Please give me a moment"
Speaking hurriedly, the village head goes away.
I change my sandals with the cleanest looking leather shoes. Then I select the iron armour and wear it over my shirt. The equipment miraculously adjusts to my size.
I pick up the Iron sword, swish it around a bit and then keep it on my left side through my belt like a warrior. Then I pick up one leather armour from the two, a pair of leather shoes and keep it with my sandals and the empty skill copper sword.
"Can you keep this whole bundle separate, I would sell the rest of this equipment"
"Very well, Michio-sama"
I hear a commotion outside and see the Village head coming with a bunch of villagers in tow. Behind him is a young man held in wooden handcuffs.
"I am sorry, this is the man who secretly stole and replaced the bandana"
The man keeps his head down clearly afraid of me.
"Here is the correct item"
The village head gives me a black bandana which looks exactly the same as the other one.
[Thief's Bandana]
But according to the Appraisal skill both are different, even though this bandana too doesn't have any skill.
"Yes, this is the item"
"And the punishment for this man ….?"
The village head looks at me with hope.
"As this is an internal matter of your village, please handle it according to your rules"
The village head looks dejected. Sorry village head I don't give a shit about the man and am not in a position to turn away free money.
The village head tells the man, that according to rules of the village he will be branded as a slave and sold to a slave trader. The man looks like he had already expected the punishment.
The other villagers pull him forward by his handcuffs in front of the village head.
"Will of thy turbulent soul, breath of thy endless knowledge, intelligence card open!"
After the village head chants an incantation in Brahim, a card appears from the criminal's left hand. Then village head mutters something to the card.
"I added the slave status to his intelligence card. He will remain a slave until he is released or all his debts are paid"