Kuro no Maou

Chapter 25 Irz Village Toolmaker

“Welcome”

I heard the voice of a man from inside the chaotic shop when I opened the door.

Sitting at the counter was a portly middle-aged man. It seems like he is the toolmaker ‘Kische’ of Irz village.

“Hello, I am a rookie adventurer who just finished the guild registration, and I’m here to purchase the necessary items.”

“Oh yes yes, we keep all things you’ll need in the store. My name is Kische and I hope you continue to favor my store with your patronage in the future.”

“Yes. I am called Kurono, I’ll be in your care.”

The shopkeeper shows a kindhearted smile. It seems that even in a different world the business-smile is a basic skill for a merchant.

“By the way Kurono-san, the thing you’re carrying on your shoulder is perhaps......”

“Lily is having a little nap, I’d like us to speak as calmly as possible.”

Lily who completed the basic course as a sleeping tutorial, is still on a journey in dreamland, even after leaving the guild.

It couldn’t be helped, so I came over to the store carrying her on my back.

“If it’s okay with you, would you like to lay her on this chair?”

“Sorry, I appreciate it.”

With the owner’s kind permission I gently lay Lily on the couch. Lily is lighter than she appears, I wonder if it’s because she is a fairy. It will inconvenient to move around the shop carrying her, and she seems to have bad dreams if I move around too much.

“Well, I was surprised. Do you and Lily know each other?”

As expected of Lily-san. She’s even famous here

Yes, we are friends, from now onwards I’ll be living with her.

“Is that so? Why are you livi――”

“There are various circumstances and I’d appreciate it if you didn’t pry too much.”

“However, I’m thinking of working as an adventurer in Irz for a while, so please take care of me from now on.”

“That is a grateful offer even to us, because supporting an adventurer is not only the work of the guild. So then, then you want to prepare to work as an adventurer, is that right?”

“Yes, but it’s my first time doing this and I don’t know what I will need to prepare. Can you assist me in choosing properly?”

I honestly ask for help without putting on airs. Even if I was made to buy too much there’s no way it would cost over 20 gold.

“Of course I can. But you see there is an adventurer set for rookies.”

“That...... sounds like a very convenient thing.”

“It is common for a lot of newcomers to miss what is important, so it would be much better to sell the necessary things in a set.”

“Oh, it sounds like there would be quite a demand for such a kit.”

“Nh? Kurono-san, to know a word like ‘demand’, are you a son of some shopkeeper? Your way of speaking is also very polit―― Whoa, I did say I won’t pry into your affairs. From my side Kurono-san is an adventurer, and will be shopping at our shop, that’s the important thing, right?”

“Thank you.”

“I’ll go prepare your rookie set so please wait for a moment.”

It is called ‘adventurer set’,huh? Pretty straightforward item name it has, but for the current me it is a necessary thing, I honestly appreciate it. It seems I’ll be able to carry out my shopping smoothly.

“Yes, it is indeed 2 gold. Thank you for your purchase.”

The rookie set I bought, was the most expensive one.

It’s not like I am being taken advantage of, this set contains a tent for sleeping outdoors, so it was expensive. In the first place, it was a thing I didn’t have, and by adding various things to my purchase it came to this price.

The thing that impressed me most in this shopping was the recovery potion. I read about collecting the ingredients for a potion in a quest description, but seeing the real thing in front of me, it really is impressive.

The potions come as a liquid contained in a thin vial, much like what you’d see in an RPG. The liquid inside isn’t a primary color like red or green, but rather it is a shade of greyish white. Potions are a liquid medicine, in addition to it, there are ointments for healing wounds too.

For external injuries like bleeding, the ointment is used and during a combat it might be much faster to close the wounds, compared to the potion.

In any case, I purchased a rookie set plus various things for 2 gold. It somehow makes me happy thinking this is now all my property.

“Kurono-san, that is quite a lot of luggage, are you sure you can carry it back?”

That reminds me, I don’t have a bag let alone a horse drawn carriage. While holding some of the luggage with one arm I realise it is too much for one person, but luckily I’m a black mage!

“It’s okay, it all goes in-”

The shadow extends from my feet and takes in the rookie set inside like a quagmire.

“This is... Well, I am surprised that you have learned spatial magic too.”

Even though he knew I was a black magician from looking at my guild card, he is surprised because he thought a rookie wouldn’t have such a level of skill? So this is called spatial magic.

For now I’ve learned it’s unusual for someone to know this magic at a low rank.

“Kurono you seem to have a lot of skill in magic. Come to think of it, do you have a weapon prepared?”

“A weapon, well, more or less.”

I have a large cursed hatchet.

“Is that so, for weapons there is a workshop for them on the outskirts of village. It’ll be good if you head there, they repair everything except magical weapons. They don’t specialise in canes or grimoires, but you can more or less see them in our workshop. They also appraise goods and weapons, if you find anything like that in a dungeon, by all means go there to have it appraised.”

“What do you mean by ‘appraisal’?”

“Did you know there is such a thing as a magical weapon?”

“Yes I’ve seen them several times and also used them here and there.”

“If you have some experience, then that’s good. Our appraiser can explain what sort of power the magical weapon has, how to use it and many other things.”

“The appraisal of the sharpness of the blade, or which skills or spells it has are outside their area of expertise, you can go to workshop if it’s okay with you.”

“I see... Can cursed weapons also be appraised?”

“Cu-,Cursed weapons is it ? It is dangerous and it cannot be appraised if we don’t know the curse. Well, we more or less can appraise it.”

“Is that so–”

I’m secretly excited while I take the cursed hatchet out of my shadow.

“Can you appraise this?”

I place the big hatched on the counter. It is solid black from the handle to the blade.

Is it my magic or the malice of the hatchet, a sinister aura starts flowing out from the blade.

“T-,This is... You also have such a ridiculous thing?”

The shopkeeper pulls his face back, maybe this is what happens when a normal person has a cursed weapon put in front of them. No, maybe because he is a tradesman, that he is only reacting this much..

“Kurono-san......, by any chance, did you dispel... No, you overwrote the curse with black magic?”

“It is called overwrite? I don’t know. So that I can use it, I wrapped it in black magic.”

“Is that so? You did a great job, it is suppressing almost all the malice of the curse, to ‘overwrite’ the process in itself is simple, but it consumes a large amount of magical power. Kurono-san you have a great talent.”

“Is that so, it is something I can’t know by myself. It’s just that, I think because my black magic has good compatibility with the curse that it can be done easily.”

“Splendid! Kurono-san you’re the very rare type which can use a cursed weapon, without making any changes in it. If it’s alright with you, I can sell the cursed weapons we have here on cheap prices to you.”

“Wha-, is that alright?”

“The cursed weapons are naturally difficult to use, but even storing them safely is a hassle. Unless there is an an complete seal on the curse, the weapon can’t be used easily, even if it does have a seal if not taken care periodically, who knows what calamity may befall on the user. After all, they are accompanied by bad luck.”

“I see, but when used normally, it has a great power.”

“No matter how powerful it is, if you make a mistake in using it, you cannot come back to life after then. So how about it?”

“I’m really curious about it, but for today I’ll be going back.”

The sun is still up and shining, but if we leave the village during sunset, we will have to walk on the road in pitch black darkness.

“I see, so the appraisal results will be given tomorrow. Is that alright?”

“Okay, well then I’ll be coming tomorrow, it would be good if you can show me the cursed weapons. Ah, along with that I would like you to see my other weapons too.”

“Yes, please.”

I take out the small knife and the black baton out from my shadow. They were inside the treasure box along with the robe, I can’t understand how to use the knife and I more or less understand the how to use the baton. There is no harm in having them appraised.

“The cost of appraisal per weapons is 2000 silver, is it alright with you?”

It seems like to appraise the weapons, a special practical magic is needed, along with the materials required for invocation of “Catalyst” magic. It seems like this price is not very expensive and is common here.

“Yes, please do so.”

“Certainly, then see you tomorrow.”

I entrust the weapon with the shopkeeper and leave the shop―― then stopped walking.

I completely forgot it, the me right now is only wearing an underwear under the robe. I have the same level of equipments like the perverts that sometimes appear on the school route.

The thing most important to me is, neither the magic weapon nor items, but normal clothes.

“Excuse me, where can I buy the clothes and underwears.”

Without saying unnecessary things, I calmly ask the shopkeeper pretending to be wearing acceptable clothes.

“Yes, in that case――”

I gather the information about the most important shopping, and this time leave in the shop in a ‘cool way’. By the way Lily was still sleeping.