I walked along, enjoying the sights—and by sights, I meant both the marketplace and the gorgeous women passing by.
Stalls lined the streets, selling everything from fruits and spices to weapons and armor. The city was huge, which made sense since it was the capital of this kingdom.
…
Wait.
I don't even know the name of this kingdom.
Or this capital city.
Damn it!
How long have I been here, and I still don't know where the hell I am?!
I sighed, rubbing my temples. "Haaa… whatever. I'll ask the repairman gang later."
For now, I kept strolling, occasionally drooling over the stunning women walking by. They moved with a confidence that made my heart race.
And before you judge me—what can I do?! I'm a man! A virgin man!
Unlike those normies who get girls every damn day!
Me? I didn't even have a girlfriend back in Japan!
And whose fault was that?!
IKEMEN.
Those pretty-boy bastards conquered all the beauties, leaving nothing for regular guys like me!
Damn right! IKEMEN!
I clenched my fists dramatically, gritting my teeth as I walked, feeling the familiar sting of envy.
…
Alright, enough moping.
Time to find a cheap sword and some leather armor—after all, I was a fledgling adventurer now.
"Hello."
The shopkeeper, a burly man with a thick mustache, looked up from polishing a sword. "Oh, a customer! Welcome!"
I nodded, trying to appear confident. "Umm… I just want to find a sword. And maybe some leather armor."
His eyes lit up, reflecting the glint of the blades around him. "Ahh, looking to gear up, huh? Good, good! So, how much do you have?"
I hesitated, the weight of my dwindling pouch pressing on my conscience. "Err… around 1 silver?"
…
"GO AWAY!! SHOO!!"
"Huh?! Oi, chill, man! I'm just asking!"
The shopkeeper waved his hands dismissively, like he was trying to fend off a stray dog. "You can't even buy food with that money! Go away!"
"Oi! The hell, man?!" I scowled, incredulous at his rudeness.
But he didn't let me finish.
"Go! Shoo! Get lost, cheapskate!"
I clicked my tongue in annoyance, turning away. "Damn it… fine! I'll go! Damn!"
I stomped out of the shop, my frustration bubbling over, feeling more broke than ever.
…
Now what?
I scratched my head, looking around at the lively crowd. Merchants shouted excitedly, trying to draw in customers, while children played tag nearby, laughing and weaving through the stalls. So much life, yet I felt lost.
Where should I go next?
I strolled through the market, asking around, hoping—just hoping—to find a weapon that fit my miserable budget.
What did I get?
A free item? Nope.
A free curse? Oh yeah.
A free chase? Absolutely.
Freedom? Err… let's not get into that… ahahaha…
So I kept moving through the market, occasionally stopping by shops while oogling the beautiful women passing by.
Man… finding a weapon with 1 silver is impossible!
Even a kitchen knife costs 2 silver!
2 SILVER! FOR A DAMN KITCHEN KNIFE!
I sighed, rubbing my temples. What the hell am I supposed to do? Fight with a spoon?!
Maybe I should keep working as a repairman and save up some money later?
Yeah… that actually sounds like a solid plan.
Leveling up?
…
What is that? Is it edible?
Haaaa… damn this isekai.
Yeah! Lucky bastards, all of them!
Those protagonists in isekai stories…
They get reborn as nobles, surrounded by cute maids who adore them.
Or they get summoned to another world with some holy-shit-tier sword, forming a harem, sleeping with goddesses, elves, beastgirls—whatever they want!
Yeah, no shit!
And don't even get me started on those transmigration types—they wake up in another world with some broken OP power, snap their fingers, and suddenly they're legends.
FUCK THEM!
Yeah, screw those lucky assholes!
Why do they get all the cheats, all the women, all the power—and I get nothing?!
…
Or maybe…
I was just unlucky?
…
…Damn. That's depressing.
Sigh…
Damn these overpriced stores!
Or…
Maybe…
I was just poor?!
Ahaha… damn.
I rubbed my temples. Great realization, Hazuki. Truly groundbreaking.
But just as I was about to wallow in my financial misery, something caught my eye.
Huh?
In the alleyway, a guy was hammering something.
A blacksmith? Here?
I squinted. What's he doing? Fixing something? Making something? Knocking on wood for fun?
…
Well, whatever. Let's check it out.
I walked over and found myself in front of a small, run-down weapon shop.
The guy—thin, with messy hair and soot-covered clothes—looked up at me.
"Oh, h-hello… u-umm… y-you… w-want… to b-buy… w-weap—"
…
I blinked.
Err… yeah… but—
"W-w-what's with the s-stu-tuu-tter…?" I mocked him, grinning.
"I-it's j-just… u-umm… i-it's… m-my f-first t-time… m-making… w-weapons…"
The man exhaled sharply, trying to calm himself.
I raised an eyebrow. "Ohhh~? First time, huh? No wonder this place looks like it's one gust of wind away from collapsing."
After taking a deep breath, he finally straightened up.
"So, c-customer… w-what do you n-need?"
I smirked. "Heh! Not like you have a short sword for 1 silver or something."
He hesitated. "Umm… y-yeah… t-that m-much… y-you c-can't e-even b-buy a w-weapon."
…
"S-s-SSS…so?" I mocked again, grinning.
The man took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly. When he spoke again, his voice was steady.
"Are you an adventurer?"
I scowled. "Hah! I just started, and now you're mocking me too? M-m-mis-ter B-black-smith?"
"Um… no. I just asked."
…Oh.
Awkward.
I scratched my head. "Tch… Well, did you see me using or wearing any armor or weapons?"
I spread my arms dramatically. "Of course, I'm a newbie! You know… NEWBIE. Even finding a weapon is already hard! Ugh!"
The blacksmith just nodded, listening.
I sighed, rubbing my temples. "You got anything or not?"
"For one silver? I don't think I have anything."
"Yeah… already figured. Damn… maybe I should just keep working as a wall repairman, save up, and budget my food and drinks so I can afford better gear later."
Hesbeirn scratched his head, then suddenly grabbed a short sword from the rack.
"How about this?" he said, holding it up. "Normally, it costs 10 silver. But you can pay me 1 silver first, and then either pay the rest slowly or just come here and pay whenever you can. Maybe around 20 copper a day?"
I stared at the sword. Hmm… that's actually a good deal.
"But are you sure?" I narrowed my eyes.
Hesbeirn nodded. "Well, once you use it, you'll eventually need to repair it when it gets damaged, right?"
"Yeah, but what if I run off with the sword? Or go to another blacksmith when it breaks?" I smirked.
He shrugged. "Up to you. But most blacksmiths charge extra for fixing weapons they didn't make. They don't like working on someone else's craft… unless you're willing to pay a high price."
"Hmm… yeah, I guess that makes sense."
I tapped my chin, then sighed. "Fine. Here, take my 1 silver." I dropped the coin onto the counter.
"Oh, and one more thing…" I pointed at a leather armor hanging nearby. "Can you toss me that? I'll pay you back later."
Hesbeirn chuckled. "Okay. Deal."
I caught the armor and started strapping it on. It wasn't the best fit, but it was better than getting stabbed in the gut with nothing on.
Satisfied, I looked at him. "By the way, what's your name?"
"Hesbeirn."
I smirked, resting my new sword on my shoulder. "I'm Hazuki—soon to become the legendary adventurer!"
Hesbeirn just laughed.
"Before I go… if I find something while grinding monsters, can I sell it to you?"
Hesbeirn crossed his arms. "Depends on the parts. But I'm not gonna pay high."
"Sure, man, sure…" I smirked. "Well, I'll be coming over here soon, Hesbeirn."
He nodded. "Good luck, Hazuki."
I waved at him while walking away.
Heheheh… now I got my sword.
Time to level up by killing those slimes!
99 EXP to Level 2!
…
Which means… 99 slimes to kill.
…
Damn.
( End of Chapter )