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The long voyage was coming to an end. Accompanied by the chilly wind, we arrived at the Karma Empire’s Port.

The Karma Empire’s Port looked no different than when we left. The cold that had suffocated this land still lingered, and the frozen ground showed no signs of melting.

“Disembark!”

At the captain’s command, workers donned in thick winter clothes began to move busily. Traders and onlookers crowded near the dock, eager to find the special materials from Monster Island that arrived every six months.

I started to descend from the ship, leading my Nightmare along with other adventurers. I left a light farewell behind and absorbed the sight of those drifting away.

Although they were my comrades during our time as pioneers on Monster Island, the moment we arrived here, they returned to their roles as adventurers.

Thus, the parting felt light.

Brrrr—

“Hmm…”

I glanced around. The unusual appearance of my Nightmare was drawing the attention of many. Some showed mere curiosity, while others exhibited a look of greed.

I pulled on the reins of my Nightmare and headed toward the crowd. The massive form of my Nightmare seemed to instill a sense of intimidation in the people, parting them like the Red Sea, and the sound of its hooves slowly echoed away.

The streets of the capital lacked the vibrancy I had once known. The faces of the people walking by were filled with worries and concerns rather than smiles, and I could not see the children playing outside as usual.

An unending winter, the frozen earth, the missing smiles of the residents—the lifeless street. Everything suggested the lingering wrath of Kashpa, which I had heard about from a young sailor long ago.

I tilted my head. The dragons I knew were beings at the apex of existence, capable of demolishing castles with just a light breath. A creature like that, Kashpa was no exception.

So why had Kashpa not moved directly, only summoning endless winter instead?

A small question morphed into a bigger one. I had not thought much about it before, but now that I vaguely understood the essence of dragons, my interest was piqued.

Brrrr—

“Ah, got it. I’m going.”

I must have lingered on my thoughts for too long. My Nightmare nudged me to hurry. I led it to find a suitable inn and secured a room.

“Oh my…”

The innkeeper, seeing my Nightmare, let out an exclamation. From the way he hesitated to reach out, it seemed he was intimidated by its size.

“Do we… do we need to take off the armor too?”

The innkeeper’s gaze darted between the Nightmare’s feet and its head. He must have mistaken the white crystal stone affixed to its body for some kind of special armor. It did resemble one after all—although it was actually part of its body.

“No, just lay down plenty of soft bedding on the floor, and please feed it fresh meat.”

“Meat?”

“It’s of Hairan lineage.”

“Oh, I see…!”

The innkeeper nodded with a small exclamation, as if his confusion about my Nightmare’s massive size had been cleared.

Brrrr—

“Just wait patiently over there.”

My Nightmare grumbled about not wanting to go, but when I frowned at it with a stern expression, it lowered its head and slowly followed the innkeeper.

A mountain of tasks lay ahead of me. First, I needed to report the quest completion at the Adventurer’s Guild for my base reward. Next on the agenda was to process the monster byproducts I had brought along for additional compensation.

I also felt the need to sort through the gifts that the other members had given me. Sighing, I trudged up to my room with a large bag slung over my shoulder.

*

The materials I had brought back from Monster Island were being traded at exceptionally high prices. With outstanding quality as materials and rarity—since they couldn’t be found here—many nobles were making lofty offers.

The bundle of blue bird feathers I carried sold for four hundred gold coins. The feathers’ unique property of changing colors depending on the angle of view, along with their weak chill, appeared to fascinate a noble.

Typically, materials sold to nobles were processed into ordinary attire and decorations rather than equipment. It’s said that nobles take pride in wearing unique clothing made from rare and expensive materials, setting them apart from others.

I looked at the bulging pouch in a daze. After selling everything but the materials I intended to use, I had amassed nearly two thousand gold coins.

While contemplating what to do with such a fortune, I thought of my family back in my hometown. Having stolen my mother’s emergency fund when I left home, it seemed the time had come to account for that.

I found a safe about the size of my head and filled it with around five hundred gold coins.

The shipping of my items was conducted in a manner similar to when I had written a letter before. I went to the Adventurer’s Guild, engaged an adventurer, and simply handed over the items along with the address I provided.

However, this time it wasn’t just a regular letter. I had to ship a safe filled with five hundred gold coins, so I had to be cautious in selecting the adventurer.

The request I made was formally posted on the adventurer board. Many people came to me due to the high reward offered, but everyone had untrustworthy looks on their faces.

Among them, a familiar opponent approached me. A man with an exotic face and dark skin tone, wearing a turban even outside the desert—Kashin.

“Well…”

“Fancy seeing you again?”

At this point, I began to wonder if he was becoming my stalker. What were the odds of running into the same person everywhere in this vast world?

I sat across from Kashin at the inn’s first-floor restaurant.

“Are you an adventurer this time?”

I asked with a hint of skepticism, to which Kashin gave a slight smile and continued.

“Being an adventurer is more convenient than being a foreigner.”

“Hmm… Why would someone with a Silver Grade badge take on a delivery request?”

“You seem quite curious. It’s simply that I happened to see the board when I had some personal business in the Aben Kingdom.”

If he had received a Silver Grade badge from the Swordsmanship Guild, his skills were undoubtedly solid. Plus, considering his royal status, it was likely he wouldn’t covet the goods being shipped.

I crossed my arms and regarded Kashin. He seemed a bit dubious, but under the current circumstances, he was probably the most reliable person available.

“Alright, Kashin. I’ll entrust you with the task.”

“Is it something important?”

“To some extent.”

I handed Kashin the leather pouch containing the reward and the safe. He glanced at the paper with the address, frowned, and muttered quietly.

“Aben Kingdom… Hans Village Chief’s Place? That’s an unusual village name, and Emily’s house?”

“Thank you for your help.”

“I’ll do my best.”

Kashin said this before exiting the inn.

Peering outside, I noticed he was walking with the subordinates he had been with earlier. They must have been waiting outside while he accepted the request.

“Hmm…”

I was uncertain if he would arrive properly, but I felt like a weight had been lifted from my heart. I prayed that the safe would arrive safely in my hometown and turned away.

The time spent on Monster Island had taken a toll on my gear. With frequent encounters against strong monsters, even my ogre-hide armor was barely holding up.

Torn and stitched in several places, it had come to the point where it could only be called ragged.

It seemed it was about time to change my equipment. I took the remaining money and materials and headed out into the street.

The cold winter wind had frozen this land, but today, in such frigid weather, there was a place where warmth blazed.

Clang—!

The cheerful sound of metal ringing filled the air; it was the blacksmith shop.

Amid the sounds of clanging metal and the intense heat, I moved forward. The place was the same blacksmith shop I had visited before.

Upon entering, I was greeted by a familiar face. The last time I had seen him, he was drunk and passed out, but now he was looking around the shop with a keen glint in his eyes.

“Hello.”

“Hm…?”

The blacksmith turned at my greeting, tilting his head as he looked at me, as if trying to dredge up a vague memory.

“Ah, ahhhh!”

As if he finally recognized me, the blacksmith nodded and exclaimed loudly.

I smiled lightly and nodded back.

“Have you been doing well?”

“Oh, it has been a long time. So, Mister Wizard, did I hand over the sword to you?”

“Yes, you gave it to me on the evening we promised.”

“Phew, what a relief. It’s a problem if I drink too much… I was worried I might have lost your item or something.”

I tilted my head. It seemed the blacksmith did not remember our promise from that time.

“Uh, do you need anything in particular?”

“Yes. I’d like to purchase some armor.”

“Hmm. Armor, you say…”

The blacksmith looked me over, letting out a faint groan.

“Is it something you need right now?”

“Is there anything available that I can wear right away?”

“There are, but they’re all too large for you to wear.”

“Then I guess I’ll have to go for custom-made gear. Do you know how much it would cost to make a full plate?”

“Hmm, what kind of mineral will be used?”

“If it’s made entirely of Krodyium.”

The blacksmith gave a short grunt at my question and examined me from top to bottom.

“Four thousand.”

“Eh…?”

“Since your build is smaller than others, the estimate is a bit lower.”

Recalling the weight I felt in my pocket, I awkwardly smiled. I wanted to buy a marvelous armor like Celyon, but it seemed out of my reach for now.

“Then I’d like to get gauntlets and boots made separately. What’s the price?”

“It varies depending on the minerals used.”

“I want it made from Krodyium.”

“Are you planning to make everything from Krodyium?”

“Yes. Please use this for the inner leather lining.”

I pulled out the skin of a Crystal Stone Wyvern and handed it over. It was an item the other members had given me as a parting gift.

“This is some leather I’ve never seen before… Strong yet light…”

“So what’s the price?”

“Combined, it’ll be eight hundred.”

The blacksmith quoted the price and pulled out an order form. When I nodded, he seemed ready to fill it out.

“Please take care of it again this time.”

As I handed over the money, the blacksmith grabbed a measuring tape and began to measure my body. The size of my feet, the length from my ankle to my knee, and even each finger was taken down on paper.

“Do you have a desired design? I’ll do my best to create it.”

“Um, I don’t have any specific preferences…”

“Then I’ll manage it myself.”

“How long will the work take?”

“Let’s see…”

The blacksmith took out a small notebook to check and soon nodded his head.

“It’ll take about eleven days.”

Eleven days, I could take on some suitable quests at the Adventurer’s Guild while waiting.

I paid and exited the blacksmith shop.

 

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