Construction Lv.2
Capable of crafting anything at a DIY level. With enough time, I can even build a small shed.
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…I feel like someone just insulted me somehow. Anyway, moving on.
Like I said, I'm currently heading toward my home near East Street, walking with the help of my staff (which I pulled out of the shadows).
My body feels heavy, and I'm honestly exhausted. But since I told Lefiya I'd be opening the shop today, I couldn't just crash at the Hermes Familia's nearby home, I had to make it back.
By "shop." I mean The Lost Child of the Abyss: Jack-of-All-Trades, the one I told Bell about earlier. Even now that I'm an adventurer, I still open the shop every three days or so.
That said, it's not like I'm overwhelmingly busy (though occasionally it gets insanely hectic). I run the place while working as an adventurer, listening to stories from other adventurers and townspeople alike. I guess it's kind of like how Hermes-sama enjoys traveling, it's just part of who I am.
As the sun began to rise, I pushed my tired body forward. Missing out on the stories people had to share would be a far greater loss than a little fatigue.
….
"Huh?"
Just as my house came into view, I noticed a familiar figure standing out front. I forced my aching body to pick up the pace.
"What are you doing here so early, Boss?"
Standing there was the foreman from the Goibniu Familia. He'd been a regular customer of mine for about a year, always showing up whenever something came up.
"Oh, you're back… Wait, are you alright?!"
"Yeah, I might look rough, but the bleeding stopped. A potion or two, and I'll be good as new."
"Still, you look pretty bad… Well, whatever. I was waiting for you."
"Again?"
"Yeah, sorry. Again."
"Well, come on in."
I unlocked the door and let him inside.
"DAMN IT ALL!! We poured our blood, sweat, and tears into forging that Urga, and she went and shattered it like it was nothing! That damn Amazon of Mass Destruction, she's gonna payyyyy!!"
I covered my ears at the booming outburst and gave the foreman a look of sympathy. Yep, here we go again. He always came by when Tiona Hiryute, also known as the Amazon of Mass Destruction, broke another weapon.
And not just any weapon, Tiona's a first-class adventurer from the Loki Familia. Her weapons are top-tier in both craftsmanship and durability.
But none of that matters to her. She just smashes them like it's nothing. And this time, it was a custom-made, one-of-a-kind weapon made specifically for her. Leave it to a first-class adventurer to defy all expectations.
After venting his frustrations, the foreman let out a long sigh.
"Sorry about that. Just had to let it out."
"No worries. So, how did it break this time?"
"Apparently… it melted."
"Melted, huh? We used heat-resistant materials, so maybe… some kind of strong acid?"
"Seems that way."
"Then we'll need to…"
Of course, the foreman doesn't just come here to complain. He wants to know how to improve the next weapon so Tiona doesn't break it again, though yes, he does always start by venting.
Thanks to my travels around the world, I've picked up plenty of knowledge you won't find in Orario. This shop is all about using that knowledge to help those in need.
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Hidden Skill
Advising Lv.4
Able to provide advice from unique perspectives based on travel experience and non-professional viewpoints.
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We spent about an hour discussing ideas for improvement.
"Sorry for bothering you so early. I've got to head back to another sleepless shift."
"No problem. I learned a lot too."
"If you ever need help with weapons, let me know. I'll cut you a deal."
"Thanks. I'll take you up on that."
With that, he left.
Afterward, I had a slightly later breakfast than usual (normally around 5 a.m.), downed five or six potions I'd been saving up for, changed clothes, and set out the shop's sign.
Now then… what kind of stories will I hear today?
"So, you see, my husband…"
"Haha, that sounds rough…"
"Then a monster came barreling in from behind…"
"Oh? And then what happened?"
"Whew, time for lunch."
This morning's visitors included one person who stopped by for a chat, and a group of second-tier adventurers. The chat ended on a hilarious note, and the adventurers, veterans, no doubt, had some really insightful stories.
"Speaking of which… Lefiya's late."
Lefiya from the Loki Familia is a regular here. She often shares stories from her expeditions and talks about her familia. Sometimes she even opens up about her personal worries. She was my very first customer.
Usually, she shows up around 9 a.m. and stays until nightfall, but today, she hadn't come yet.
Knock knock.
"Huh? Speak of the devil?"
I walked over and opened the door, just as I suspected, it was Lefiya.
"Sorry, I'm a bit late."
"No worries, it's not like you work here. Still, you're usually on time. Something happened?"
"Not really… Just a slight hangover…"
"Hmm? What was that?"
"Nothing! More importantly, have you eaten yet?"
"Not yet."
"Then I'll whip something up real quick!"
She headed straight for the kitchen. I flipped the sign to"on break" and followed her. She was already pulling ingredients from the fridge.
"I've said this before, but you don't have to cook every time, you know."
"I want to. I enjoy it."
The usual back-and-forth. I tried to stop her at first, but she's surprisingly stubborn. Eventually, I gave up… especially since her cooking is way better than mine.
I waited in the living room while the delicious smells began to waft in.
"All done!"
"Ah, thanks."
I headed to the kitchen to at least carry the food out, but just then…
"Wah!"
"Lefiya!"
She stumbled, and I quickly caught her, and the food too.
"Thanks…"
"You really are a klutz, so stop overdoing it."
"I am not a klutz!"
She blushed and pouted. I thought she looked adorable as I carried the food to the table.
It looked delicious, as always.
"Alright, let's dig in."
"Mm-hmm!"
We ate together, chatting about her latest expedition. Apparently, they didn't make it to a new floor this time, they had to retreat after encountering a new type of monster.
"Oh yeah, the foreman stopped by this morning."
"…I'm really sorry about that."
Knowing full well about his rants, Lefiya bowed her head in apology.
Then the conversation turned to my own adventures. Compared to her stories, mine felt kind of dull, but…
"You reached the 6th floor in just half a month?! That's amazing!"
"Well, a lot happened…"
I guess my pace had been faster than I thought, she seemed genuinely impressed. She even apologized again about the Minotaur incident and yesterday's events. I told her it was fine, after all, it had been a valuable learning experience. …Not that I had no lingering feelings about it.
Still, it had been a really pleasant lunch.
…..
After that, the afternoon shift began. It wasn't much different from the morning, except that Lefiya was now helping out.
Two or three groups of customers came by, and I heard all sorts of stories.
Then, around 5 p.m., a guest I'd secretly been waiting for arrived.
"Hey, mind if I drop in?"
"Welcome, Mr. Smith."
Smith Armstrong, a blacksmith from the Hephaestus Familia, and one of my regulars.
Lefiya brought out some tea. Honestly, women who are considerate like that are always popular. As I thanked her silently, I noticed Smith seemed more upbeat than usual.
"Something good happened?"
"You bet!"
Smith, normally soft-spoken, raised his voice with excitement, surprising both Lefiya and me.
"I finally made it to Level 2!"
"Whoa!"
"Really?!"
We were stunned.
Smith had joined the Hephaestus Familia four years ago and had been working steadily ever since. Now, his hard work has finally paid off.
"Congratulations!"
"Thanks. I owe it to you two."
He often came by to ask for advice, what kind of weapons to make, how to break through slumps, how to sell his gear.
But still…
"That's kind of a shame."
"Huh? Why's that?"
"Well, I was actually planning to ask you to make me some armor…"
That's right, I'd been about to request new armor from him. Bell's been leveling up at an insane pace. At this rate, he'll reach the 7th floor in less than a month. Since we're in a party together, I have to keep up.
That means my current gear is becoming a bit of a liability. I'd hoped to commission Smith, since we're acquainted, but…
"I can't ask a newly promoted Level 2 to make armor for a Level 1 like me…"
"I'll take the job."
Smith accepted without hesitation.
"Wait, are you sure?"
"I insist. Like I said, I owe you two. Let me return the favor."
He was already wearing the serious expression of a dedicated craftsman.
"Alright, I'll leave it to you."
"Great. Mind if I take your measurements now?"
"I'll grab the measuring tape!"
Lefiya went to fetch it, and we began taking my measurements and estimating the armor design.
"Oh right, what about the materials? I can prepare them on my end if needed."
"No, I've already got it prepared. Just give me a moment."
Saying that, I stepped into the bedroom and pulled a safe out from the shadows. My skill really came in handy when it came to storing valuables like this. Opening the safe, I took out a single piece of metal.
It was adamantite, an ultra-hard metal harvested from the Dungeon. I'd received it as a thank-you gift from the foreman after helping him out with something before. He had some left over and passed it on to me.
I headed to the lounge and showed the metal to Smith.
"Adamantite, huh… The quality's decent. I'm surprised you managed to get your hands on this."
"I got it from a blacksmith friend of mine a while back. I always planned to use it for making armor."
"I see… Any other requests?"
"Well, if I start listing them, it'll never end. So, just make sure it doesn't restrict my movement. Oh, and I'd like it in black."
"Black again? You really like black, don't you, Toki?"
"Can you blame me? It's basically my signature color."
"Haha, fair enough. Sounds like we're going with light armor again, huh?"
"I'll leave the details to you."
"Got it. I'll get it done as fast as I can."
"Yes, thank you."
With that, Smith took the metal and headed out.
"Thanks again for everything."
"Don't mention it. I couldn't just let a girl walk home alone late at night."
"I am a Level 4 adventurer, you know."
"Yeah, but you're not exactly great at close combat, are you?"
It was 10 p.m. The shop was closed, we'd had dinner, and now I was walking Lefiya back to her home, another part of my daily routine when the store was open.
We walked side by side through the sparsely lit streets. I couldn't count how many times I'd wished this peaceful moment would last forever.
But that wasn't something I was allowed to wish for.
Lefiya was a second-tier adventurer of the Loki Familia. I was just a low-tier adventurer from the Hermes Familia. The gap between us was too wide.
She once asked me if I wanted to join the Loki Familia.
But I turned her down.
I owed too much to Hermes-sama for taking me in, and more than that, it wasn't just Lefiya I liked, I genuinely liked everyone in the Hermes Familia.
Since then, Lefiya had never brought it up again. But somehow, we ended up spending more time together.
Maybe this kind of relationship was best after all. Even if we were to marry, she's an elf and I'm human. Different races, different lifespans… too many complications.
More than friends, not quite lovers. If only things could stay like this forever…
"Oh, we're here."
"Ah…"
We arrived at Loki Familia's home. The two guards on duty were clearly used to this by now, they waited patiently for Lefiya.
"Well, see you."
"Yeah, see you tomorrow."
She said goodbye and disappeared into the building.
"Alright, time to head home."
I turned back and retraced my steps. I had to be up early tomorrow, the Dungeon awaited.
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Notes: Finally, we have the debut of an original character. I wasn't planning to introduce one, but the story kind of demanded it. As for the name: "Smith" obviously comes from "blacksmith." and the family name is inspired by Major Armstrong from Fullmetal Alchemist. I picture him as the gentle, refined type.
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