The Witcher: Astartes Of The Bear School

Chapter 40: Full Set Of Armor

A day passed quickly, and Lan found little to entertain himself in the city. The things he was interested in were always priced beyond his expectations, like a shop selling talismans. Inside, there were talismans to ward off bad luck and even talismans to cure hiccups, but they charged even for just trying them out.

Moreover, Lan felt that these items were likely just tricks conjured up by the mages to fool people. There was also a medical clinic that sold magical potions, claiming they could significantly improve relationships between couples, helping women win back their husbands' hearts.

All these shops were run by mages. Naturally, their prices matched this perception.

Aside from the most enticing magical wonders, Gors Velen held little appeal for Lan. After all, in his world, a large shopping mall during the holidays would easily have more than five or six thousand visitors.

The fish market on Winding Street was bustling, filled with catches from all over Velen, and the strong smell of fish attracted all nearby cats. These furry creatures, sensing chaos energy, tended to shy away from witchers. Yet just standing outside and observing lifted Lan's spirits significantly.

After indulging in good food and drink, it was time to retrieve his armor. He tightened the sword belt around his waist, feeling a twinge of excitement at the prospect of acquiring new gear. He had never fully donned the complete set of advanced Bear School armor, and he anticipated the comforting sense of security it would provide when the armor pressed against his body.

With armor thick enough to withstand monster attacks, his capacity for future battles would undoubtedly increase dramatically.

"Ding-a-ling!" The bell at the blacksmith shop rang, announcing a customer's arrival. As Lan stepped back inside, he noticed that Fergus and Yoana were the only ones present.

"Don't look so surprised; master will take a break after finishing his work, and he's not particularly keen on meeting a customer with a free voucher," Fergus said, crossing his arms while perched on a stool behind the counter.

This position made his head level with Yoana's. Together, they slammed a stack of iron onto the counter. These were the repaired pieces of armor.

Lan's hand reached into the main piece of the chain mail, rubbing and feeling the steel's texture.

"I can't feel the deep gash in the abdomen anymore. Impressive craftsmanship."

"Of course!" Fergus puffed out his chest proudly. "This is the work of Master Tor!" 

Lan nodded slightly, becoming completely immersed in the solid feel of the steel.

With Yoana's help, he removed his cotton armor outer layer. He donned the armor in layers, starting with the chain mail, then the plates for vital protection, and finally, the leather armor for his groin and knees. When he pulled the cotton outer layer back on, Lan felt as though he had significantly upgraded his defense.

He raised his arms. The steel beneath the cotton armor rubbed against each other, producing a series of soft "clinks." As he flexed his muscles, they bulged and swelled, filling the armor.

"Creak, creak—" The joints of the armor groaned under the pressure, but the structure remained intact. The swelling muscles pushing against the steel gave Lan a thrilling sense of strength in combat! It was heavy but felt secure and powerful.

In short—he felt great.

Apart from piercing attacks, once the full set of armor was on, Lan's resistance to slashing and cutting damage was on a completely different level. The significance of good armor lay precisely in this—higher tolerance for mistakes.

"Wow—great craftsmanship!" Lan marveled as he relaxed.

While he was at ease, Yoana and Fergus exchanged glances, both swallowing hard. The dwarf and the human girl looked at each other, their eyes wide with disbelief. They had never seen anyone adapt to wearing armor so seamlessly.

Both had worked in Master Tor's shop and had dealt with many customers, but typically, when ordinary people donned armor, the sudden increase in weight would cause them to struggle with balance. They would wobble while walking, swing swords awkwardly, and some even ended up pulling a muscle just from turning around.

But what had just happened?! The bulging muscles were stretching the armor's joints to the point of creaking? Could he really tear the armor?!

"Ah, I'm a Bear School witcher; our strength is just a bit greater." As if sensing their astonishment, Lan continued to flex and adapt to the armor while explaining.

The two nodded dumbly. So "a bit greater" meant this kind of strength; all those books he read were not in vain.

Wait! Fergus shook his head, snapping back to reality. They shouldn't dwell on such matters. As Lan began to experiment with jumping and sudden stops, Fergus leaned in closer to him, speaking candidly.

"Cough, cough, sir. You noticed the unusual interactions between Yoana and me yesterday, right?"

Lan hadn't expected him to be so straightforward. He turned to look at Yoana. The human girl was intentionally sweeping the floor.

"What are you looking at her for? Look at me. I'll just be upfront with you. Yoana is the second-best smith in this shop. But since she's human, and a woman, it makes things a bit inconvenient for her. So, we have a mutually beneficial arrangement; she learns the craft, and I have the status."

Fergus scratched his chin and continued, "Yesterday, when you came in and we saw this armor, she lost her composure."

"I heard you caught the perpetrator who desecrated Melitele and got that free voucher. You're a good person. So, I wanted to see if you could keep this between us and not tell master. You're different from others; you wear that armor into battle, so you'll likely come back many times. The only master armorer in Velen is right here, so I need to be clear with you."

After a long monologue, Fergus seemed relaxed but was clearly anxious as he watched the young man. Yoana wore a similar expression. In the slightly tense atmosphere, Lan smiled.

"Just as you said, Fergus. We have no conflicts of interest; I won't disclose your business to your master. After all… you two are friends, right?"

Fergus felt the promise lifted a weight from his shoulders. Good people can always earn trust from others.

"Ha! Yeah, Yoana and I are good friends who get along very well. To be honest, if she weren't so thin and tall, and if she had an attractive beard, I'd think about marrying her."

"Fergus!" Yoana exclaimed in exasperation. It wasn't embarrassment; it was the kind of weariness that comes from dealing with something repeatedly.

"Ha ha!" Lan laughed at the dwarf's bluntness and taste. "Then it's even more unnecessary for me to ruin the friendship between two people helping each other."

The three had become friends, and Fergus emphasized that when Lan returned for repairs, he would offer him the best discounts and even invite him for a drink at the Silver Heron.

As Lan prepared to leave, the dwarf insisted on giving him something to take along. After a bit of looking around, Yoana pulled out a stack of cards and handed them to Lan.

"Gwent cards, monster deck." The blonde girl smiled as she offered them to Lan. "These come from the dwarves' homeland, Mahakam. They say they're quite popular right now."

"Goodbye, Lan."

The girl and the dwarf escorted him to the city gate, with the dwarf grinning broadly and the girl smiling brightly. "Goodbye" was not just a perfunctory farewell; they sincerely hoped to see him again.

Lan felt the same way. He tucked the stack of Gwent cards into his pocket.

"Goodbye, friends."

***

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