Chapter 52 – We Bought New Weapons As Well

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The next problem was weapons.

As Menew had broken stats and a cheat ability that gave him time to train, he was able to use most weapons. But Totto was different.

But when it came to Ralph, his initial gear was rare, so he was not included.

For Totto, it would be best to get a powerful blade that he could still swing. And then he just needed to train, and it would be perfect.

And since they were in the processing industry city, there were a lot of weapon stores. The three visited one such store, which had been recommended to them. But unlike the armor store, it was quite small.

Also, it was away from the market, and in the industrial district.

Still, if they were successful enough to stay around, it must mean they had great skill.

If Menew was going to have to spend a lot of time around Sety, who was an outsider, it would be best if he fought mostly with magic and common weapons.

“Hello!”

When they entered the store, they were greeted by a large bearded man, who looked like he would have a very stubborn personality.

However, in terms of height, he only came up to Menew’s chest.

“Eh? Do I have something on my face, boy?”

“No, you don’t.”

He was short.

Menew knew better than to voice such a thing, but it seemed to have come out in his expression anyway.

“Mock a half-dwarf too openly, and you’ll end up in a world of pain!”

Menew was satisfied with this explanation.

After the elves, he had now met a dwarf. Well, half-dwarf. But Menew was still delighted.

“I’m not mocking you at all. I’m very happy to meet you!”

Menew said as he grabbed the dwarf’s giant hands.

“!?”

“A real dwarf…! I was wondering when I would meet you!”

“Is it so strange to meet a dwarf, boy?”

“And a blacksmith dwarf! You must give me a weapon!”

“I see, I see! Well, what do you want? I can make it if we don’t have it already!”

After seeing the admiration in Menew’s eyes, the dwarf was in a very good mood.

“Uh, um…”

“Oh, are these two with you!? Hmm!? Hmm!?”

He looked at Totto and then Ralph. And then at Menew again.

“Wait a minute… You three are customers at the inn!”

“Huh?”

“The Hammer Inn! It’s my wife’s inn.”

Now this was a most unexpected connection.

He must have heard that they were valued customers. And so he was even more pleased now.

Indeed, this place was also called the Hammer Workshop.

“It was about twenty years ago now. I was traveling in order to hone my skills as a blacksmith, and find good metal. And I stopped by a certain village. She was the most beautiful woman there…”

As he started to brag about his wife to Ralph, the other two decided to go around and look at the weapons.

In fact, Menew could just make a weapon himself. However, even if he was going to draw it, he still needed to base it off of something.

So looking at the work of a professional would be educational for him.

Totto was looking at the shortswords.

As Menew browsed, a certain staff that hung on the wall caught his eye.

It seemed to be made of wood, and was as black as ink. He reached out to touch it, and the texture was like light metal. Not aluminum though. Much stronger.

“Oh? Does that one interest you? It’s my finest staff. After all, it was made from the rarest wood materials. A branch from the sky tree!”

Ralph, who was finally freed from listening to the dwarf, was also surprised. But Menew and Totto did not know what a sky tree was.

“Sky tree?”

“What is that?”

The dwarf looked at them suspiciously, and so Ralph quickly explained.

“Ah, I see, I see. So you two have had a hard life… Well, the sky tree is the source of all things once protected by the sun god. And though it is in the sky, the tree branches fall occasionally. They are incredibly rare, and it takes great skill to work with them.”

It was similar to the World Tree that Menew knew of.

“Well, no one has actually seen the tree though! Gahaha!”

But the branches still fall. And so it must exist.

“Can I hold it?”

“You can try. But it’s quite heavy.”

So that was why no one had bought it yet, in spite of being rare.

However, when Menew picked it up, it was not heavy at all. If anything, he felt it was very light.

(It’s no different than a pencil…?)

He tried swinging it a little.

“Ar-are you incredibly strong…?”

“Uh…maybe?”

But even then, it was too light.

Menew took out his paintbrush from his pouch, and it was exactly the same weight.

As he compared the two with a puzzled expression, the dwarf’s eyes suddenly widened and he took a step forward.

“Ca-can I…hold that brush…”

“Uh, yes. Here.”

Menew said as he handed the brush to him.

“Gaah!!”

The blacksmith’s hands lowered immediately as if he was carrying a mass of iron. Had he not been a dwarf, he might have lost his hands.

Menew frantically took the brush back.

“There is no doubt about it. This paintbrush is also made of the sky tree…!”

“Uh…”

“Ahh!”

“…”

Ralph was giving Menew one of those looks again.

“The weight of a sky tree branch does not fit its appearance. No matter how small or how large it is, they always weigh the same. I had to use a cart when bringing this branch in. And it took me years to strengthen it. As it is so heavy, I could only work on it a little every day. While it is wood, you must heat it like metal when processing. Thanks to that, it is my masterpiece, but… I am also having trouble selling it.”

Menew put away the paintbrush and looked at the branch.

It seemed durable, and he wouldn’t have to worry about it being stolen.

“On the top, there is a decorative handle with magic energy circuits.”

So it wasn’t just for decoration.

In his past life, Menew had played many games for inspiration. And he never understood why the more rare staves were so fancy looking.

However, if the decorations were magic energy circuits that raised the force of the magic, then it made sense that the more fancy ones would be more powerful.

For this staff, there was a complex pattern that seemed to depict a sun.

“Try pulling it.”

When he did, Menew saw that the staff had a blade hidden inside. It shone black from the light that poured through the window.

Menew thought that it looked like a starry night.

“What do you think…young man? Will you buy this staff…!”

He had the money.

And no one else wanted to buy it. It was surely strong, and weighed the same as his brush. And he could use the sword for close quarters combat.

“Uh, yes. I will buy it.”

“That’s it!? You’re not even going to ask about the price and abilities!?”

“I can tell that it is good quality… As for the price… Well, I intend to use it for a long time. So as long as it’s not too expensive, I should be able to pay for it.”

“…Even 80 gold?”

“Huh? Why is it so cheap?”

Menew had been prepared to part with three platinum coins.

“I had heard stories from the wife, but…you really are something else.”

He looked at Ralph with a sympathetic expression.

“Well, I like it. So I will buy it. Does it have a name?”

“I don’t name my weapons. They only come alive once they are in the possession of a wielder.”

I see. Menew looked at it thoughtfully. He was not good at naming things. However, it was a weapon made from the sky tree and decorated with a sun.

“Alright. Sky Staff it is.”

And then a light started to shine around Menew, and it gathered into the staff and disappeared.

“What a surprise… It happens sometimes, but it is rare. I can count the times I witnessed it on one hand. The weapon has taken a liking to you.”

Menew nodded understandingly. Ralph looked stunned, and Totto looked at Menew with great respect.

“It happens when weapon and wielder are well suited for each other. And the weapon grows along with you. It means you won’t need to buy a new one. Unless it breaks!”

He added that he never heard of sky tree weapon breaking.

And so Menew had chosen his weapon. He gave the dwarf one platinum coin, and received twenty gold as change.

The best weapons were costly, so Reed must have sent them here on purpose. He knew how much Menew had in his balance. After all, he was managing it, and would have seen an opportunity to help the economy.

Now, there was just Totto left.

“Mister, what kind of weapon would you recommend for him?”

Menew asked as he placed a hand on Tottoo’s shoulder. And then the blacksmith stood in front of Totto. They were about the same height, but it was like a log next to a bean sprout.

He looked at Totto up and down and around.

“What’s your occupation?”

“Al-alchemist.”

Totto looked intimidated.

He did not ask to see Totto’s status. But he seemed to ‘know it.’ The level and abilities did not match.

After thinking about it for a moment, he picked up a small knife from a shelf and made Totto hold it.

“That should do.”

Apparently, he had a spot in the back where you could test the weapons.

They went out through the door in the back. Here, there were logs wrapped in ropes, either sticking out of the ground or held up in the air.

“You two stand back and watch.”

Then the dwarf said something to Totto and then moved away.

First, the dummy.

Totto held the knife in his right hand for a moment, and then he concentrated. His eyes seemed to flash behind his glasses.

Then his right hand swung. In the next instant, the log was cut into numerous pieces.

“Woah!”

“What was that…!?”

Next was the hanging, moving target.

The dwarf made the log swing, and the focused Totto turned that into firewood as well, without hesitation.

“Haha. What an interesting group of customers!”

Totto and the dwarf returned to the others.

Totto looked very excited. Even he seemed to be surprised about what had happened.

“He’s incredibly skilled as an alchemist. All I said was that he should carve it up as if it were materials. He has a good eye. He sees things with precision.”

Menew and Ralph understood then.

Indeed, Totto was able to gather materials and make medicine at an incredible speed.

So if he saw enemies as materials…

When placed on the cutting board that was alchemy, Totto could do anything.

However, it was likely only a power that activated with great concentration.

Since Totto lacked experience, going to the dungeon should be a great opportunity for him.

“This knife fits well in his hand, and it is made of mithril. And so you do not need so much strength to cut with it. You can have it for free, since you purchased the staff. Take good care of it.”

Totto nodded happily and sheathed it and strapped it to his belt.

Lastly, the dwarf looked at Ralph, but did not say anything. There was no need to.

His armor and weapons suited him perfectly, and there was no need for change.

The dwarf was excited to see what kind of party they would grow into. Right now, they were like materials with a lot of potential.

“Now, come back to me once that boy grows out of that knife. I will be waiting.”

And like that, they left the Hammer Workshop behind them.

There was now one day before they entered the dungeon.

Next Chapter

Anything Could Be Manifested Efude no Shoukanjutsushi - Kamieshi ga egaitara nandemo gugenka dekimashita- Paintbrush Summoner: When the God Artist Painted