The Day of Reckoning

''This chest plate is made of mithril, sir, would you like to try it on?.''

The butler offered and extended the armor towards Isaac, who scanned his eyes over the chest plate. He took it from the butler's hand and put it on, and was surprised at how light and flexible it was despite how bulky it looked.

He took it off and returned it to the butler.

''I'll take it.''

The butler nodded and returned the armor to the shelf and turned his attention to Isaac once again.

Knowing that the queen's order was absolute, Isaac decided to take full advantage of her ''kindness'', by taking the very best he could get. He followed the butler to the castle's armory room, which was a not-so-pleasant and awkward thirty-minute walk.

''If it's possible, I'd like a pair of steel boots with speed Protection.''

The butler raised his eyebrows at Isaac's request.

''Quite a rare combination, sir, I'm not sure if we have any.''

''That so? Then let's walk around and confirm it.''

The butler's brows creased, before sighing and turning in his heel to walk around the armory room.

Isaac took in the musky smell of the place and unconsciously scrunched his nose up. The place was massive and stored probably more than a thousand pieces of armor and weapon, and so it made for a nasty combination of smells.

''Right, I'll also need some gauntlets with a Protection that lets me use heavy weapons more heavily.''

''...Of course, sir.''

---Protections are abilities some armor, weapons, and items get when they are fused with a monster's heart, the result of an incredible process of alchemy. Isaac had learned about them from the library's books, as a way to prepare himself for being an adventurer. It seems all those hours of reading didn't go to waste, after all

''...Ah, look at that, we have both of them right here.''

The butler stopped in front of one of the shelves and took out a pair of shining, silver boots and a pair of gauntlets that were of a grayish color that resembled a very dark fog.

''These boots have the ''Horned Rabbits Protection'' which allows you to move faster, and these mithril gauntlets have the ''Orc's Protection'', which lets you swing even the heaviest of weapons as if they were sticks.''

The boots caught Isaac's eyes. He couldn't help but admire their craftsmanship, with the complex engravings they had and how light they looked. The gauntlets, on the other hand, were very bulky and had an aura of danger surrounding them. And it wasn't just their design that impressed him, but the butler's description of their Protections made them sound too good to be true.

If they had such powerful items and still were unwilling to go to that dungeon, just how dangerous is that place? The thought crossed his mind.

''I'll take them. As for the pants and helmets, I'll take your recommendation.''

''I see, then that should be it for now, right? Then we shall move on to your main weapon.''

''...It may be strange, but my main weapon is a halberd. Do you guys have any?''

''Halberds?''

The butler's brows raised in confusion.

''...Yes, we do have a few, but are you sure?''

''More than sure, please show me the way.'''

''Of course.''

The butler bowed and motioned Isaac to follow him. As they walked towards a corner of the room, Isaac took in the view of the carefully placed and pristine swords hanging on the wall.

''Here they are.''

The butler pointed at a place in a corner, and Isaac saw the bundled and barely organized halberds standing there. They were clean, of course, but they weren't treated with the same care as swords or spears. It was almost pitiful, Isaac thought, for such good weapons to be thrown away like this.

One of them caught Isaac's eye. It towered well above his head, and it was of a dark, shiny color, almost like mithril. But what caught his eye wasn't that, but rather, the blade of the halberd, which was larger than any he had ever seen. It resembled that of a great-axe's blade, which would usually be a flaw in design as it would make the halberd too heavy to swing properly.

However, since Isaac's gauntlet would allow him to use any weapon no matter the size or weight, he could now use such a thing to his heart's content

''I'll take this one.''

''Of course. Would that be it, sir?''

''Yeah.''

''I understand. We'll have everything prepared in a few minutes. We will prepare a proper bag so that you can carry the items comfortably.''

---As mentioned before, it's not only weapons and swords that can acquire Protection. Items such as cloaks, robes, hats, and even bags could have one.

Isaac smiled and bowed in thanks to the butler.

--------------------------------------------

''...It's already pretty late,''

I grimaced at the sky. While the sun was yet to set, it could very well become nightfall by the time I reach the slums. Was I really inside that place that long? it's not like I took that long to choose my armor, were the queen's speeches really that long-winded? Well, it could also be the fact that I had to wait until those brats chose their gear.

Tsk, fucking bastards, just choose something good, not something that looks good.

Well, it's whatever, I have a few more things to worry about.

I peered down at the crimson-colored bag in my right hand. Although, calling it a bag would be an understatement. It was more like a fancy, large, and expensive suitcase which felt as light as a feather. And there was simply no way I could carry it around the slums unless I wanted to get robbed.

''Let's see, I think I still have a few bronze coins left, I'm sure I could rent a room for the night somewhere around this place...''

I checked the small bag inside my pockets just to make sure and was relieved to hear the iconic sounds of coins inside.

I walked down the street looking for a good inn and realized that most of the places are ridiculously expensive. I guess it's not the noble district for nothing, but still.

My eyes landed on a wooden and elegant-looking building made up of two floors. It was a large place, but it wasn't as grandiose as the other buildings in this place.

''...40 bronze for a night,''

I looked at the sign outside the inn's building. My eyes narrowed. That's pretty damn expensive, but it's the only reasonable price I've seen so far.

''...Well, fuck it, I'll just rent here.''

I walked up the small wooden staircase and into the inn, greeted by the pleasant smell of freshly baked bread and the sound of chit-chat coming from the adjacent room to the right, where multiple knights and young nobles could be seen talking and enjoying dinner. I couldn't help but feel out of place looking at them.

I approached the smiling receptionist, who asked me before I could even begin to talk:

''Welcome, what type of lodging service do you require?''

Her voice was sweet and melodic, and I hesitated for a second before responding.

''Uh, just a room for the night.''

The woman nodded, seemingly unfazed by my lack of confidence and grandeur.

''Certainly, that will be 40 bronze. Would you like me to show you to your room?''

I reached into my pocket and took out the small bag, grumbling as I placed the coins on the desk.

''Yeah, that'll be great.''

Seriously, someone invent paper bills already. How can this world have magic and castles the size of skyscrapers but still be stuck in this archaic form of currency?

''Thank you very much! Follow me, please.''

The woman placed the coins inside a small drawer and motioned me to follow behind her. She guided me toward the second floor and to a room that was furthest away from the stairs, right at the end of the hall.

''Here's your room, I hope you enjoy your stay.''

''Yeah, thank you a lot.''

''It's no problem.''

She closed the door as I entered the medium-sized room, leaving me alone. The place itself was pretty spacious, nothing like the rooms at my parent's house, it even had a balcony that faced a small plaza, from which the smell of the blooming flowers came and filled the room with a pleasant aroma.. I could sort of understand my sister's feelings seeing this.

I put down the suitcase and let my body fall on the bed. It was unlike any bed I've ever laid on in this life, it was fluffy and soft. It made me almost instantly sleepy, and the distant noise of the people downstairs didn't help.

I thought about my family for a second, then shook my head. According to the queen's personal butler, she had taken into consideration my situation as a peasant and said she would support my family so that they are taken care of and have a good life while I'm away. As to how genuine her words were, I could only imagine.

I just closed my eyes and let myself drift off to sleep.

--------------------------------------------

''Mhm, this is pretty good...''

I patted my armor down. I had woken up well before sunrise to ensure I arrived in time at the castle's gate, and to also gather my thoughts.

I had put on the armor that was neatly packed inside the suitcase. I was surprised at how light it felt; Mithril was amongst the heaviest and most durable of metals, yet it was pretty flexible and maneuverable, even more so than the plate armor I typically wore.

The light silver boots enhanced this feeling of wearing normal clothes I felt with the chest plate. They allowed me to not just move as if I weighed nothing, but they also made me considerably faster.

I had expected the dark gauntlets to be uncomfortable and bulky, but to my surprise, they felt as if I had nothing on my hands. It was as if they were part of me, somehow.

''Well, then, let's go.''

I grabbed the crimson bag off the ground and headed up toward the castle's main gate. I secured the Iron helmet on my hip, as I didn't want to be wearing it 24/7.

It was pretty early in the morning, and there were very few citizens out and about. This peaceful atmosphere was a rare and bizarre sight in the city, and it tempted me to stay for a while.

I shook my head and looked up, noticing a luxurious and elegant carriage stationed outside the castle's main gate. It was nothing like the ones I was used to, this one was decorated with beautiful carvings on its crimson walls, and was far, far smaller. It looked like it could only carry 4 people at most.

''Ah, look who finally showed up!''

My brows creased in annoyance at the obnoxious voice. I scowled upon seeing Vittorio's arrogant and smug face.

He was wearing a dark, shining armor made entirely of mithril, much like my own. What caught my attention the most, however, were the symbols and designs spread throughout his armor, which I wasn't familiar with. Upon closer inspection, I realized the symbols were actually a golden and carefully interwoven mesh layered on top of the dark armor. At the center of the chest plate, the mesh formed the image of a roaring manticore, the symbol of Belica and the queen.

I noticed at his hip a long and extremely thin sword, which resembled a rapier.

''I-It's fine, we haven't been waiting for t-too long...''

I looked over and saw the hunched figure of the green-haired girl, Fiorella, standing awkwardly next to Vittorio. She was wearing a long, purple robe with a white, shining silver mesh layered on top, similar to Vittorio's armor. However, in her case, the mesh didn't form any animal but a shining and almost blinding cross that spread across the robe. She was holding onto the same large wooden wand as yesterday.

Upon closer inspection, I noticed that Fiorella was still wearing some kind of plate armor underneath her robes. It was easy to miss at first glance, but if you looked closely enough the outlines of the armor were rather visible even through the dark cloth.

I turned my attention toward Vittorio and frowned.

''You're talking as if I'm late or something. I arrived as soon as the sun rose, just like the queen said.''

''Of course, but it's a matter of simple courtesy to arrive early to a meeting. Although I wouldn't expect someone like you to understand that.''

I gritted my teeth at his words. This fucker, I just rolled my eyes at his words yesterday, but I'm not a fucking pushover. Who the hell does this guy think he is?

''Uhm, I don't think that's...''

Fiorella tried to speak up but was silenced by Vittorio's intense and sharp gaze. She shrunk onto herself yet again, becoming even smaller.

''My position and social status don't matter, your disrespectful and snarky attitude proves as much.''

Vittorio's brows furrowed at my words, and the veins on his forehead popped out.

''Huh?! What are you---''

''I'm saying that you're being an arrogant fucking prick. Stop saying dumb shit before I beat the shit out of you.''

I interrupted him with a low and cold voice. Well, as cold as I could muster. I saw his face go pale for a second, which I considered a win in my book.

''That's enough.''

A deep and commanding voice interrupted our exchange. Vittorio's previously pale face had gained a bit of color, and I could see a small smile form on his face. This prick, I really want to bash his face in.

I looked toward the man who interrupted us. It was Eduardo, the tall and brutish-looking man. I expected him to be clad in bulky armor much like Beltran, but he was wearing an open and light leather jacket, which revealed the iron plates in his chest. Armor like that can't protect you against much, can it? I wonder if he had some sort of cheat skill or something.

''We are to leave in a few minutes, prepare yourselves.''

He said and walked away, leaving Vittorio to smile in a creepy way and mumble something in a low voice.

''Sir, here's your weapon.''

Someone's voice came from behind. I turned around and saw the same butler that helped me yesterday approach me with the large halberd in hand. He was wearing iron gauntlets to hold the weapon. Must be because of how heavy it is, I guess those gauntlets have the same sort of protection as mine.

''Thank you.''

I replied and took the halberd from his hands, and returned the crimson bag to him, to which he bowed in thanks and walked away with it in hand.

I studied the halberd closely. Despite how gigantic it was, it didn't feel heavy at all, and was also surprisingly flexible. It made for a swift and powerful weapon.

I patted myself on the back for having chosen this to be my main weapon.

''Sir Isaac.''

A thin lanky man called out to me.

''Because of the size of your weapon, you won't fit inside the carriage. Would you ride alongside me in the driver's seat?''

He asked in a very polite manner, although I couldn't help but be annoyed by Vittorio's mocking laugh.

''Ah, for sure, it's no problem.''

I nodded and found myself frowning once again at the sound of Vittorio's snickering laugh. I'll beat the shit out of him one of these days.

''Thank you. Then, let us part now.''

I followed behind the man and climbed right next to where he sat, clutching the halberd tightly in my hands. It was a bit awkward to travel like this, but I'm pretty used to it. At least I won't have to put the halberd on the ground.

With a crack of the whips, the horses started moving down the stone road through the noble district.

I leaned back in my seat and looked toward the cityscape, taking in every detail of it. I was supposed to be the most experienced here, but I was also probably the most nervous. No matter what, I guess I'll never be able to get over this feeling.

I silently prayed to nobody in particular, to hopefully get rid of this terrible gut feeling.