Chapter 51: Polite Refusal 2

Realizing he’d spoken too much, Barn clamped his mouth shut.

Faced with my, Xia Nan’s, question about the price, his face, thick with hair from his dwarven blood, first showed a hint of hesitation.

Then, with polite restraint, he subtly shifted his gaze from me to the full-body heavy plate armor at the back of the rack, marked with a “1500 gold” price tag.

He spoke slowly:

“My suggestion is to process this scale simply, keeping it intact as the main material, and craft a temporary arm shield.”

“That way, you can use it now for emergencies, and later, when you have the means, it’ll be easy to remove the scale for a higher-grade piece of equipment.”

“What do you think?”

Barn was tactful.

I understood his meaning.

In short—four words:

No money, don’t try.

Being a reasonable person, I didn’t take offense at his carefully worded advice or feel slighted enough to start a fight.

Objectively, my current savings, while a fortune for ordinary folk in this world, might cover years of expenses.

But in the adventuring trade, with its supernatural forces, it was only enough for a few potions.

It wasn’t a total loss.

At least Barn’s reaction told me that magical equipment like my [Deadline] ring or [Qingsong] sword, green quality or above, was in the same price bracket as the 1500-gold plate armor—or even higher.

“Then let’s go with a temporary arm shield, keeping the main material intact.”

“Uh… how much will it cost?”

After that exchange, my confidence in my once-impressive savings wavered.

Even my tone softened.

Fortunately, for standard, non-enchanted gear, the price was within a low-tier adventurer’s budget.

Barn studied the serpent scale, considering costs as he spoke:

“Even if it’s temporary, I won’t use cheap secondary materials. Combat gear needs guaranteed strength.”

“The scale’s unique shape and the custom work mean no existing molds, so labor costs will be a bit higher.”

“Total cost—”

“35 gold, with a small discount.”

I sighed in relief.

Slightly pricier than expected, but within my acceptable range.

I nodded, paid the deposit, and agreed.

Barn, ever professional, discussed the arm shield’s details with me and measured my arm’s dimensions.

Perhaps feeling his earlier comment about magical equipment was a misstep, especially since I’d just spent nearly 100 gold in his shop,

the “Rockhammer” owner, renowned in the [Adventurer’s Handbook], hesitated while measuring my arm.

He spoke slowly:

“I’ve got a shipment heading to Karanfor soon. It’s a four- or five-day round trip from River Valley Town.”

“The caravan’s resting in town and recruiting escorts.”

“If you’ve got time, help out, and I can cut some labor costs and give you another discount.”

“When you return, the arm shield should be ready. How about it?”

I didn’t agree.

In my view, as a bottom-tier adventurer without even a professional level,

I should be grinding goblins and taking classic errand missions like this.

But having just returned from the Mist Forest, barely eating a proper hot meal, rushing into another mission felt too hasty.

My last task was supposed to be a simple herb-gathering trip in the outskirts, yet I got dragged by the half-elf’s team deep into the forest for days, nearly losing my life.

Taking on a caravan escort now—what if I ran into something else?

Having escaped the “996” grind of my previous life, I’d come to this world.

Couldn’t I enjoy a few days of rest!?

Besides, I was still waiting for Hai’an’s letter.

At least until I knew when the combat skill mentor he was arranging would be available or could come to River Valley Town,

I planned to hold off on further decisions.

In the meantime, I figured I could try practicing the two “suspected” combat skills I had.

If I actually managed to learn a move or two, combined with the legitimate skill taught by the professional and my already maxed [Whirlwind Slash]…

I’d meet the three conditions to become a professional!

With that in mind, I declined Barn’s offer.

He wasn’t upset, just smiled and patted my shoulder, saying:

“No worries. The caravan’s staying in town for a while.”

“If you change your mind, come find me.”

…

Wearing my new chainmail shirt, I walked out of the blacksmith shop, my two swords on my back.

With that, the spoils from this mission were mostly dealt with.

The [Iron Sinews, Steel Bones] feat and 3 Constitution points were invaluable hidden boosts.

In terms of gear, the [Qingsong] wooden sword, with its damage bonuses against undead and snake/scorpion creatures, and the sturdy chainmail significantly elevated my combat ability.

My once-empty purse, after the blacksmith shop spree, still held over 140 gold—a fortune.

Even if I ate and slept all day, doing nothing, I could live comfortably at the inn for half a year.

Standing on the street, I felt the weight lift from my mind, my backpack—now free of most spoils—light as well.

A whole day’s work was finally done.

“I’ll rest a few days.”

I thought to myself.

If possible, I could look for places selling incendiary bombs or similar throwables.

The oil-and-dust bomb Wood threw at the scorpion swarm during the mission stuck in my memory.

Such items could prove highly effective in future adventures.

I’d practice the two combat skills and keep up with [Whirlwind Slash]. Though it was maxed, who knew if this world had breakthroughs or advancements?

More practice couldn’t hurt.

As for supplies, there was no rush—I could stock up before the next mission.

The sky darkened.

Purple-red dusk clouds mingled with the rising smoke from the town’s chimneys.

I let out a long breath.

“Dinner… mushroom soup again.”

“Not gonna lie, it’s pretty damn good.”

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