Chapter 5 - The weight of silver

Last night left me pretty depressed, I must have gotten so absorbed in entering the Tower that I completely forgot about the orphanage's rule. Now that I'm an adult I can no longer live here… meaning I'll have to look for another place to live.

It also means money is going to be a priority in adventuring from now on but… none of that seems bad after how Miss Kana reacted last night~

"She must really care about me to pout like that!" I sang gleefully down the stairs.

It sucks that I'll need to find somewhere else to live but she said I could use this place until the end of the month. That just leaves me with one week, I wonder if I'll be alright.

Somewhere cheap wouldn't be too hard to find but I should make at least 9 000 Rhan to cover the rent.

I rifled through my coin purse attached to my waist and emptied around 800 Rhan into my palm.

"This will barely cover 3 nights in an inn, it is something though." I said with a disappointed sigh.

The responsible thing to do would be to use it for the inn but... I've already made up my mind!

I walked up to a small dainty building with broken floorboards along the staircase leading up to the door and cracked glass on the window. It was probably the roughest-looking building that bordered the East side of Istoria between the Slums and Markets.

A few unsavoury characters shot dagger expressions toward me as I entered the building, holding my hands over my coins so that nobody would steal them.

A small block of wood with carvings in it hung over the door that read, "Blackwood Goods and Trinkets".

The room inside was dreary with only a single ray of light pouring in from the window at the front of the store. All the attention was focused on me as the sun's harsh light followed past me as I opened the door.

Curved swords and bootleg equipment hung on the wall with prices written on pieces of paper stuck to them. Nearly all the items displayed along the walls were pretty good quality, even if they came from such a shady place.

The front desk was located on the opposite end of the room from the door with a burly man leaning on the counter behind it. He didn't seem all too concerned about me being there and simply greeted me with a half-hearted wave.

I think I know why this place is always empty when I come in here. I'd say he should show some more enthusiasm but can I blame him? I'd be pretty depressed in a room like this too.

"Hello there, I need a new weapon."

"Welcome, well what kind of… wait a minute, didn't we sell you a sword not too long ago?"

Don't bring that up please, I don't have the heart to tell him that the sword I bought from them got destroyed in my first week! He might just think I'm trying to say he sells crappy weapons so I'll avoid the attention all together.

"You must have me confused with someone else…could I just see what kind of weapons you might have for someone starting out."

"…Fine then, I doubt you're that other kid anyways. He was only here last week after all, plus his hair didn't stand out as much as yours." The burly man walked away from the counter towards a section of swords. "Follow me."

I clenched a fist trying my best not to let my frustration surface.

Don't make fun of your customers you idiot!

"Well we have these swords over here; they would be the most popular option."

After what I experienced last time I think it might be best to stay away from swords.

"Could I see something else, swords kind of slow me down?"

The man stroked his beard and looked at the other pieces of equipment hanging higher on the wall. He then took off an extravagant-looking dagger aligned with a steel edge and handed it to me to observe.

Something this sharp almost cut me as the guy handed it to me, no doubt this is a good weapon.

"This is amazing, is this something a beginner could use?!"

I accidentally let my inner thoughts slip and sounded like a complete fanboy.

The salesman stroked his beard and let off a smirk, "Don't worry you're not the only one fawning over daggers these days, it seems like all the up-and-comings are gravitating to them!" He said energetically.

"I can see why he says that, this would be perfect for me. I want to take this one then…uh…is this the price?"

I held out a small tag and the price of it was over 20 thousand Rhan! I let out a ghostly noise as my spirit left my body and my knees buckled in.

"What, is it too much out of yer price range?" He asked tensely.

"Way too far out, like unthinkably out!" I blurted out.

The large man's face cringed back as his face went as pale as mine.

"What you can't be serious…this is the cheapest thing we have left."

This?! This is the cheapest thing they have? I didn't think about it as much last time because I was getting an allowance before but now that I'm on a budget I guess prices are really important after all.

"There has to be something, a spear, maybe a shield even?"

I don't relish the idea of using anything but a shield but I've seen it work! I just need something!

"Well…there is something but- "

"I'll take it!" I interjected.

"Mmmmm…" The salesman didn't seem too confident in letting this go any further but he eventually caved in and made his way back behind the counter.

He stepped off into a back room where they held more stock.

The sounds of metal equipment clanking together filled the room as he rifled through an assortment of boxes. Eventually arriving at what he was looking for the man brought out a strange rounded figure wrapped in a sheet.

"This is an item that a hooded guy brought in one day, he had me take a look at it but never came back for them. They must be exotic or something, cuz I never seen em before."

I unwrapped the garment and revealed a pair of round blades shaped like large rings, slightly bigger than my hands.

The entire weapon was a silver ring-shaped blade with a handle for the user to hold when wielding them. A strange set of runic text stretched out along the blade that was completely unreadable.

Is this a foreign language, I've never seen something like this before.

"I didn't know weapons like this existed, did he not say anything about them?"

"Not a word, I was ready to throw them out if nobody came to fetch em but I figured I'd hold off in case someone crazy enough came to fetch em."

"Can I really have them?!"

As soon as those words left my mouth I knew I messed up, he had clearly been desperate to get rid of them and probably would have just given them away close to nothing. But now that I showed him how desperate I was…

"Hmm~ So you want these huh, not so fast kid. Give me a number and I'll see if I'm feeling kind today." He taunted as he dangled the rings in front of me over the counter.

I felt like just snatching them from his hands but I knew I wouldn't be able to do that, even if I don't plan to buy here again I can't imagine anything worse than getting into an altercation here.

"Fine… how about 200?"

"Pffft! I said kind, not charitable!" He argued back.

"300." I replied sternly.

"900" The salesman didn't bat an eye and pulled the rings away.

"That's too much, you didn't even want them a second ago!"

"Now it's 950." He responded angrily.

If this goes any further I really will lose my chance at getting a weapon.

"Fine then, you win…I have 700 on me and nothing more, will that work?"

He smiled at me with a big hairy grin that nearly went past his ears.

"Sounds good to me kid."

…

I hate that I got ripped off like that but I managed to save at least 100 Rhan for myself.

"Now that I have that settled there's nothing left to do but climb."

As I walked the streets towards the centre of the city an underlined thought began to pound away at the back of my mind, oh so silently.

*Devour!*

I jolted around to look for the person whispering in my ears but nobody could be seen close to me.

"Am I imagining things?"