I Became a Foreigner Loved by Transcendentalists

17 – Episode 17. Take it off

“Okay, here, get the car. “I brought some snacks, so try one here.”

“Wow, this has honey in it.”

“hehehe, shouldn’t it be at this level before I can say I’m going somewhere to have a snack? Now, let’s eat.”

A quiet snack time while sitting side by side on a bench.

The snacks served with the tea had a sweet taste, perhaps because they contained honey.

The day is coming when we can eat snacks made from materials that are considered luxury items in this world.

Anyway, after all, people have to have good character.

“Okay, I heard you came here to adjust the equipment…. “Before we talk properly, why don’t you introduce yourself first?”

“Ah, yes. “My name is Woo Hyo-seong and I belong to a labor union.”

“hehehe, is your name Woohyo? “What a strange name.”

It’s Hyosung, not Woohyo, but since I introduced my name, it will be properly engraved in her memory, so I didn’t need to correct it.

Even when it’s engraved, if you don’t like it, you’ll just be making fun of it, so it’s not something to worry about.

“Nice to meet you, young man. My name is Jean and I am spending my golden years in this street of artisans. People who know me call me Jean, the alley leader, because I am the guardian of this alley.”

“Aha, I see.”

It was a moment when I thought that was a very fitting name.

Jean is said to guard the streets where blacksmiths reside, so he is called Alley Blacksmith…….

“Are you a blacksmith?”

“It’s not a blacksmith, it’s ‘Captain Jean.'”

“Hmm, I see. Not a blacksmith, but Captain Jean…. “It’s truly a fitting title for an elderly person.”

“hehehe! “He’s a young man whose every word I like is very much appreciated!”

An old man smiling brightly and tapping my shoulder.

It was a skinny hand that seemed difficult to hold a cane, but I could feel a considerable burden coming on just by tapping it.

Anyway, even if you don’t oppose me, it wouldn’t be strange for you to be subconsciously scared after seeing someone completely broken.

“Well, anyway, if you came to adjust the equipment, you came to the right place. I know quite a bit about the craftsmen on this street. If you have the equipment you want, I can recommend a store based on your budget…….”

“Oh, yes. So, the budget is set at this level for now, and what we are mainly looking for is light armor and weapons that are good for use on the battlefield.”

I told him what I had planned and took a quick look at his complexion.

He nodded his head until he rested his chin and thought about it.

From the very first consultation, you could tell that they really paid attention.

“If you have set a budget like this, I think you can try a little more extravagance rather than focusing on cost-effectiveness.”

“Luxury, you mean?”

“It doesn’t seem like a good idea for nobles to be extravagant when they have no money, but if you’re going on an adventure, wouldn’t it be okay to pursue romance?”

Romance.

In fact, it is one of the biggest reasons why I chose to break away from being a foreigner and become an adventurer.

“Travel across the continent, find dungeons, and at the end, unearth the tomb of a forgotten king and obtain treasure… …. “It wouldn’t be fashionable at that monumental moment if you were only wearing old and ugly equipment.”

”That’s certainly true. “If you greet a once-in-a-lifetime monumental moment poorly, your joy may fade.”

“What does a young man know? Anyway, he went on an adventure with great intentions, but he only needs to find efficiency? “If you go into a dungeon looking for something that can make money, you won’t be an adventurer but a miner wearing the mold of an adventurer.”

Yes, as the old man said, what determines the value of an activity is not what kind of work you do, but what mindset you have toward it.

Even if you do the same job, for some it is a dream and for others it is just making money, what you get from it and what you feel will inevitably be different.

And it is also helpful to have an excuse to maintain that mindset.

“With the budget you suggested, it would be a good idea to invest in something like decorative weapons, even if it’s not magic equipment like those used by those bastards. Is there any equipment you’ve admired in that way? Try putting a gem on a dagger for self-defense, or engrave a pattern on the handle of a sword…….”

“Well, it’s decoration.”

But is it because I have never lived a life of luxury?

Even though he actually received advice about romance from the old man, he couldn’t think of anything good about it.

That’s because, as the old man said, the romance I’ve been thinking about was about hiding rather than showing it off.

“I am interested in something other than decoration. For example, a cane that an elderly person uses.”

“You mean this wand?”

“Oh, yes. Do you know what a sword stick is? Usually, he disguises himself with something like a staff, but when he activates the device, a sword just pops out…….”

“Huh, a weapon disguised as an item. “I have an unusual romance.”

It’s natural.

One of my dreams is that if I earn a lot of money one day, I will be able to buy crutches made of mithril and go around cosplaying as an underdog.

If you show off like a warrior, the risk of death increases, but if you hide just one powerful weapon, wouldn’t you be able to at least destroy the pots of those who fight against me like this old man?

“So, I’m asking, because when the old man swung his cane before, I didn’t see any use of mana or anything like that.”

“hehehe, right. They say they used it in the past, but what kind of power does an old man like this have to openly respond to a magic weapon? “It’s all because the material of the cane is good.”

As expected, the secret to that power was the staff.

I immediately felt that his interest was focused on this, so I asked him any questions I might have.

“If the material is good…. By any chance, is it a staff made of mithril?”

“Puhahahaha! What a funny joke you tell! “Do you think it would be reasonable to make an old man’s staff out of materials that are only used in weapons used by warriors?”

An old man who laughs and slaps his back as if he regards the question as gossip.

It was painful to hear that force hitting my shoulder, but more than that, I felt that my sadness was even more pronounced, as if a stake was being driven into my heart.

Still, I thought it would be positive to some extent, but jokes came out right away. Anyway, it’s really too much.

“Well, it’s not like Mithril…. It is made from an alloy processed by a craftsman with whom I have some ties. “It’s so hard and light that it’s perfect for holding and swinging.”

“Oh, really?”

But what we are saying now is difficult to overlook.

If it’s hard and light, even if it’s not mithril, wouldn’t it be exactly the material I’m looking for?

“Um, old man? “If it’s okay, could you introduce me to your father-in-law?”

“Huh? “You mean that friend?”

“Ah, yes. As I said before, we are trying to focus on light armor, and I think that if it is made of light and strong material, it fits that requirement perfectly.”

Of course, if it is a material made by a craftsman, it will cost a certain amount, but since the equipment will be used for a long time anyway, it would be better to make it relatively hard to initially fit.

With that thought in mind, I made a suggestion out of curiosity, and he started moaning, clenching his chin.

“Well, it’s okay to introduce it, but… …. Once we meet, it’s going to be a bit of a hassle. “That friend is so different, there are many things that are difficult to deal with as a person.”

“The gritty side?”

“Rather than explaining this in words, you will definitely feel it when you see it in person…” ….”

Sigh.

An elderly man looking at me with wide-open eyes.

After a while, his stiff face began to soften.

“Well, if it’s you, it’ll be fine. “I’ll write you a letter of introduction, so you can come and get some advice.”

“Are you sure?”

“hehehe, shouldn’t I at least repay him for being an old man’s companion in this harsh world?”

An old man smiling cheerfully and stroking his beard.

I felt that the conversation was going well through that attitude, but soon I started to notice a serious color in his eyes.

“Still, since I’m introducing you to an acquaintance, I’ll give you some advice out of frustration.”

As if he were giving a warning, he even added strength to his next words.

“That friend is very sensitive to promises, so if you make a promise, be careful.”

“… “A promise?”

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep. “Can you protect me?”

Despite the weight, however, I did not feel much tension in his words.

That’s because I’ve never been a person who has ever broken a promise.

“Yes, well. “That’s it.”

You have a promise to keep it, but you break it.

No matter what happens later, you won’t have anything to say, so shouldn’t you be careful and live your life?

****

After concluding the conversation like that, I went to the deepest part of Craftsman Street after receiving a letter of recommendation.

However, contrary to his boasts about making and using good materials, the place he actually arrived at was not a downtown area, but a place closer to a back alley.

Can we say that it is a secret place hidden deep in a place where others cannot see it? ….

Well, okay. This is the place where the craftsmen who make superalloy staffs live, so they might stick to a place like this.

Whatever it was, once I decided after consulting, I immediately stepped inside and prepared to call the person inside.

“Excuse me? No one is there…….”

“Whoa.”

At that moment, I could feel the presence next to me and the sound of breathing coming from me.

I immediately stopped talking and looked towards that place, and the sight of someone smoking a cigarette on a nearby street caught my eye.

“What about that? “Are you here on business?”

Older woman.

The apron she wore in front of her, as well as the tools on her waist, showed that she was a blacksmith active in the streets of this workshop.

“Are you my father-in-law?”

“I am the owner of this place.”

hehehe, a woman takes a drag from the cigarette between her fingers and exhales smoke.

Eyes, whose color was as dull as the smoke, soon began to look indifferently at me.

“Are you a thief?”

“No, that…” . “I came here through the introduction of a man named Captain Jean.”

“You came here through the introduction of another blacksmith?”

“No, to the old man whose name is Jean…” …. “First of all, here is a letter of recommendation.”

Still. The moment I felt nervous and quickly handed over what I had in my arms.

The woman who accepted it frowned as she roughly examined its contents.

“… “Someone said it was that kid.”

“Children?”

“Well, I promised something, so if he sent it, the other person should do it.”

Whoa.

She is a woman entering the building, exhaling smoke.

As she was staring blankly at that figure, she stopped in her spot and glanced back at me.

“What are you doing there? “Aren’t you coming in?”

“Yes?”

“I heard you came here to adjust the equipment. “I’ll give you some advice, so follow me.”

“Oh, yes, I’ll be right there.”

She answered in a grave voice and followed her straight into the blacksmith shop.

From noble mtl dot com

And then a piece of paper came straight onto the table that welcomed me.

“What is your name?”

She put her finger on the blank space on the document that was supposed to be her ordering contract, put her cigarette in her hand, put her pen in her hand, and quietly asked me a question.

“… “Do you mean your name?”

“Because I need it to make a contract.”

Tuk-tuk-tuk.

A woman tapping papers with her fingers and waiting for me to speak.

Feeling impatient with the action as if he was urging me on, I unconsciously tensed my neck and struggled to answer.

“My name is Woo Hyo-seong.”

“… “Alien?”

“Yes, yes. That’s right.”

“I don’t think he’s a hero, but a foreigner?”

“… “Yes, you understand.”

“I need to know. Because this is the world.”

Suddenly, she writes down the information just mentioned in the name and category of the order document.

After taking a sip of her cigarette, she exhaled the smoke and faced me again and said.

“Tachia Philoi.”

“… Yes?”

“My name. “Whether you use an honorific or informal language, that’s up to you.”

“Ah, yes. Nice to meet you. Then, Mr. Tachia…….”

“You said you came here to fit the equipment. What is your budget?”

Tachia changes the subject as soon as he is greeted.

If she had been open to talking, she would have said a few small words, but in reality, she seemed to not even consider that and wanted to move on to talking about work.

I don’t know the distance, but the pace is so fast that it’s hard to get used to it…….

No, I didn’t come here to drink tea in silence, but this might be the right thing to do.

I accepted it and thought nothing of it, and held out my bag of gold coins to her.

“Roughly, I’m trying to match the armor and weapons… …. “Is there something missing?”

”What is lacking? It is created by appropriately coordinating the budget and requirements. “If there is too much, you can filter it out, and if there is not enough and you still want to make it, you can mix in some low-quality materials.”

Tachia glances at the contents of the money bag.

As if she had roughly guessed the contents, she lifted her body from the table, gently pushing her purse towards me.

“For weapons, you can just buy whatever fits your hand and process it, so we’ll skip that for now. If you order armor to order, you have to measure the size first. Did you bring a physical examination sheet or something?”

“No, I haven’t measured it since I came to this world.”

“Then, I will measure it here, so take off your clothes and stand there.”

“Oh, yes. Clothes…Yes?’

What did you just say?

Did you say there was nothing? Did I mistakenly say to take off my clothes?

“I need to measure your size, so take off your clothes and stand there. “Didn’t you understand?”

No, I heard it clearly.

She, a woman, boldly told me, a man, to take off my clothes and stand.

“No, I understand. But that… ….”

“But what?”

Tachia demands an answer from me, who hesitates.

As I was wondering what I should say in response to calm my emotions, what immediately came to mind came out.

“Do I have to take off my underwear, too?”

A question that may be perceived as sensitive depending on what you hear.

“Do you want to take it off?”

“Oh, no.”

“Then don’t take off your underwear. “I’ll come prepared, so don’t stand out.”

“Oh, yes…” ….”

As Tacia entered the room after answering indifferently, I felt myself becoming dizzy as I recalled the conversation we had had so far.

What on earth is that sister?

He speaks harshly, but he seems to do everything he wants… Should that also be seen as being kind?