Not a barbarian warrior.

Lorena got up from her seat and went to the window of the office.

As the bright sunlight hit it, the ruby sparkled and emitted an even more intense red light.

She was lost in happy contemplation of what kind of artifact she should make with this.

“Hehe…”

Meanwhile, Dietrich continued his conversation with Eugene. Dietrich spoke about the equipment loaded in Eugene’s carriage.

“Come to think of it, wasn’t your carriage full of spoils? What do you plan to do with them?”

“I’m thinking of putting in the effort to sell them now.”

“Are you planning to dispose of everything? It will take quite some time to sell them at a good price.”

“To be honest, I’m a bit troubled as I didn’t expect to end up with so much.”

At Eugene’s words, Dietrich thought for a moment and then spoke:

“Hmm… But if you try to dispose of it all at once, you’ll have to sell at a low price. I’d like to introduce you to some good buyers, but our merchant group hasn’t established such connections yet… Let’s do this.”

“…?”

“I’ll buy all those equipment. Of course, I’ll offer you a good price.”

Dietrich’s proposal essentially meant he would put in the effort to sell them instead of Eugene. Eugene gratefully accepted his kind offer.

However, Eugene said he would hand over everything except the plate armor that was presumed to have belonged to Sir Berunte. Dietrich then asked:

“…Are you thinking of repairing and using it?”

“That’s right. When I saw it before, it seemed to fit my body type roughly.”

Dietrich shook his head at Eugene’s answer and said:

“That’s not a good idea.”

“Why not?”

“The moment you walk around wearing that, all sorts of guys will force you into duels. Saying you’re daring to pretend to be a knight without any qualifications. And among those various guys, there will likely be real knights mixed in.”

“Ah…!”

Dietrich brought up a problem Eugene had overlooked. As soon as he heard Dietrich’s words, he felt like an idiot. Why didn’t I think of this?

“I don’t recommend keeping the armor with hopes for the future either. If you’re caught by guards, you might be arrested on suspicion of possessing stolen goods.”

“Then for me to use that item without problems…”

“You’d need to awaken your Aura and have skills comparable to a knight, or at least be an apprentice knight vouched for by someone of high standing.”

“I see…”

It wasn’t for nothing that plate armor was called the exclusive property of knights. Eugene, who had no qualifications whatsoever, couldn’t wear it right away, and even just possessing it was a problem.

“Then I have no choice. I’ll hand over the full plate armor as well.”

“You’ve thought well.”

After finishing their conversation about the spoils, Dietrich asked with an expression as if he had suddenly remembered something:

“Oh, when are you thinking of leaving for Brugen?”

“I don’t plan to stay too long. If nothing comes up, I’m thinking of leaving as soon as we’re ready.”

Lorena, who had been grinning while looking at the ring by the window, turned her head sharply at Eugene’s answer.

“Eh…?”

She liked this mansion so much. If possible, she wanted to stay here a bit longer. Dietrich’s mansion was that prosperous and comfortable a place.

Meanwhile, upon hearing Eugene’s words, Dietrich smiled and said:

“So you’re thinking of staying longer if something comes up? That’s good.”

He got up from his seat and picked up an invitation from among the pile of documents. He handed it to Eugene and Lorena, saying:

“I’m planning to hold a small banquet at the mansion soon. It will be to celebrate our merchant group’s new start here in Eslan.”

The invitation was stamped with a wolf-shaped seal. Seeing that, Eugene asked:

“What did you decide for the merchant group’s name?”

“Gray Wolf.”

“Gray Wolf… The natural enemy of the Red Fox, I see.”

Dietrich nodded with the corners of his mouth raised.

The Gray Wolf, which has settled in Eslan, will someday grow its power and completely devour the Red Fox. That was the destiny given to the Gray Wolf merchant group and Dietrich.

“I’ve prepared plenty of delicious food and drinks. You must come to the banquet. I’ll be disappointed if you don’t come.”

Eugene and Lorena promised to attend as they put the invitations in their bosoms.

After finishing their conversation with Dietrich like that, the two stepped outside the mansion for the first time in a while. They conversed while walking on the road paved with flagstones.

“Eu-Eugene… Can’t we stay at the mansion a little longer…? There’s no need to leave here in such a hurry, right…?”

“People should have a conscience. We’ve already received our payment, so we can’t just keep lounging around in the mansion forever. It’s time to leave. There’s even a saying that those who don’t work shouldn’t eat.”

“I-I don’t know… such a saying…”

“It’s okay if you didn’t know. Now you do, right?”

“…!”

Angered by the curse of knowledge Eugene had imparted, Lorena repeatedly poked his shoulder.

As they walked like that, the place the two headed was a blacksmith’s shop on the edge of the city.

“What brings you here?”

Eugene put down the sack he had been carrying on his shoulder and said:

“I’d like all of this repaired.”

Inside the sack were the equipment he had worn while coming to Eslan. The blacksmith picked up the equipment from inside the sack one by one and examined them this way and that.

“Hmm… This one has loose rivets about to fall out… This one has a dented iron plate…”

Every single piece needed repairs.

In addition to that, Eugene also handed over the sword at his waist. The sword Clea had given him had nicks everywhere.

“Oof… You’ve handled it quite roughly.”

“I tried to swing it carefully though…”

Due to having fought so many battles on the way to Eslan, it was in poor condition despite swinging the sword with care. The blacksmith said fortunately it wasn’t beyond repair, and that it would be fine after sufficient polishing.

“Then how much will it cost for all of this?”

“Just give me three silver coins.”

“Hmm…”

Three silver coins just for sharpening a sword and hammering a few times? It would have been a shocking amount in the past.

But Eugene was different now. His pockets were well-stocked with gold and silver coins. He was no longer someone who would be surprised by a few silver coins.

However, he had no intention of paying the price the blacksmith had quoted as is. He couldn’t easily let go of money he had worked hard to earn.

“That’s too expensive. How about two silver coins?”

“…No, even if it’s expensive, that’s too much. How can you try to cut more than 30% right off the bat?”

“Then two silver coins and twenty copper coins.”

“Oh come on…”

After a long bout of haggling, the blacksmith finally lowered the price. Eugene paid two silver coins and sixty copper coins.

“…Come back tomorrow afternoon to pick them up.”

“Thank you. I’ll leave it to you then.”

Saying that, Eugene came out of the blacksmith’s shop with Lorena. She, who had quietly watched him haggle, opened her mouth:

“Y-You have so much money… Cheapskate.”

“Lorena, I just made a rational purchase.”

“Miser…”

“…I didn’t force him, and he agreed too. Right?”

“Penny-pincher…”

“…Urgh.”

Since it wasn’t exactly wrong, Eugene couldn’t refute any further. Thus, he headed towards the city square while being thoroughly teased by Lorena.

Eslan’s square wasn’t much different from Carlisle’s.

If there was one difference to point out, it was that the merchants here were much more aggressive than those in Carlisle.

They zealously solicited customers by raising their voices in front of their stalls to draw people in.

With many people coming and going in the square, the market was crowded. Amidst the crowd, Lorena unconsciously held Eugene’s hand tightly.

Then Eugene firmly grasped her hand and pulled her towards himself.

“Ah…”

Lorena felt her heart pounding greatly for a moment. Lately, this had been happening often for no reason. She really couldn’t understand why. She even thought she might have caught some disease.

She hurriedly flipped the hood attached to her robe over her head. For some reason, her face seemed to have turned red. It would be embarrassing if Eugene noticed.

“Why the hood all of a sudden?”

Eugene couldn’t understand why she was putting on her hood. Sure, he was a black-haired barbarian, so it wasn’t great to receive stares from people around, but Lorena didn’t particularly have such a reason, did she?

“J-Just because. The sunlight seems a bit harsh…”

“Is that so…?”

Eugene, who didn’t think much of it, continued to move through the crowd with Lorena.

They looked around for materials needed for artifact creation, but there were only unsatisfactory things.

After a few hours passed like that, she opened her mouth with a tired look:

“I don’t think they have it here. Oh, I guess we’ll have to go to the Alchemy Guild…”

“Then let’s move.”

The two, who had barely escaped the market, continued walking while asking directions from people around.

Shortly after, Lorena entered the Alchemy Guild and said with astonishment:

“Heck…! Wh-What did you say?”

“130g of orpiment, 100g of mercury, 200g of quartz, 100g of lead, all together for one gold coin and eighty-five silver coins.”

“E-Expensive!”

“The price won’t change even if you say that.”

The employee who gave the price responded with an indifferent expression.

Lorena, seemingly forgetting how she had teased Eugene earlier, boldly shouted:

“Gi-Give me a discount…!”

“Customer. Our guild has adopted a fixed price system. Moreover, I’m just a mere employee, so I don’t have the authority to give discounts.”

“Th-Then tell the owner here to come out…! I need to see that face… Wh-What kind of price is this…”

Lorena stomped her feet in anger. Eugene, who was watching this scene, quietly smiled. How should he tease her later? Troublesome customer? Spendthrift?

“Y-You swindler… How can you ask for nearly two gold coins…!”

She slammed the table in front of the employee, and still not satisfied, she tried to take out her staff from her bosom.

Only then did Eugene hurriedly try to stop Lorena. She said while struggling:

“The things I asked for, normally all together wouldn’t even cost eighty silver coins…!”

“Still, you can’t use your staff…!”

Lorena, who had struggled a lot in Eugene’s arms, seemed to have lost her strength at some point and slumped down with a tearful face.

The market didn’t have what she wanted, and the Alchemy Guild was selling at too high a price.

It seemed she would have to postpone making artifacts for later.

As she came out of the store, she moved her steps with Eugene. As she was walking dejectedly without energy, a boy appeared in front of her and spoke:

“The Alchemy Guild here always sells at ridiculous prices. Of course, the quality is guaranteed as it bears the guild’s name, but it’s too expensive even considering that. Seeing you come out empty-handed, I guess you couldn’t buy anything?”

Lorena nodded as if enchanted by the boy’s words.

“What kind of items were you looking for? Want to tell me?”

“Orpiment, quartz, mercury, lead….”

“Ah, I might be able to get those. Follow me.”

The boy, wearing a shabby black robe, smiled brightly and led the way. He gestured for the two people standing blankly to hurry and follow him.

Eugene and Lorena were quite suspicious of the suddenly appeared boy, but thinking they had nothing to lose, they docilely followed behind the boy.