334 Shopping
I never hid my face to the kids. Their reactions are quite novel.
There's not a hint of prejudice nor preconception in their expressions.
Had this been the main street, every single person there would have curiously stared at me like I was a rare animal.
Yet the faces of those kids as I left the hideout were sparkling, almost as if they were looking at their favorite tokusatsu hero.
(Is it just me? Well whatever. I gotta go to the main street.)
I ruminated as I walked through the slum. How far should I go to find a weapon store.
(Welp, guess I just gotta ask directions.)
I'm not going to gramps' smithy. 'White Fang' might be visiting there today.
It'd be awkward if we met again the very next day after going our separate ways.
Hence, I went in the opposite direction. After a bit, I went out of the slum and found myself on an unfamiliar street.
Lots of armored men are walking around, giving off that kind of vibe.
This area must be where weapon and armor stores mainly are.
Many merchant-looking people are pitching their products in front of their stores.
(Don't think there's any difference where I shop at. I'm taking my chance with that loudest man.)
In front of a store with a huge signboard written with 'new products arrival!', a timid-looking man with droopy eyes was making a sales pitch with a hoarse voice.
I found the gap interesting and decided to call out to this young man.
"Excuse me. I'm looking for bows. For hunting. I'd like to buy a lot of arrows too if possible. May I take a look here?"
"Ah, yes! By all means! We stock only the very best, they will surely last you a long time! Please, come on in!"
He responded nicely. That's a good sign.
I had a good premonition about it as I entered the store.
<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka .com >
And it's truly a weapon store inside. Fantasy. There's swords, shields, armors displayed, reflecting dazzling lights.
"Even our cheapest bow is made with high quality materials. As such, the price matches its quality. However, we guarantee their user friendliness and durability. I'm confident in saying you will get more value from how long they last you."
The young man claimed his goods' quality full of confidence.
He swiftly lined up multiple bows. I couldn't tell what's the difference between them.
"This one is made with flexible bird bone and meticulously braided facegrass fiber to raise its accuracy. Power, range, handling and durability. All of them is first rate. I recommend this one most among all our bows. We even offer a warranty service for maintenance and damage to extend its life! And the price is right too! This is...!"
"Stop right there! Mind taking it down a notch, mr. shopkeeper?"
I stopped the young man when he started to resemble a certain TV telemarketer.
"Give me your cheapest bows, six of them. And plenty of arrows. All the better if you can give me some discounts."
As I had no idea about the market price, I took out all the money I had in magic bag.
The young man sent a doubtful glance at me when he saw the amount. He should, I'm wearing my hood deep after all.
He must be suspecting why would somebody want so many arrows.
(I never counted how much cash I had left, guess it's plenty still?)
I'm still not going to count this money. I have no fixation to it.
I don't really care how much this shopping is gonna cost me. I can always earn more.
(Wonder if there's some handy bands of bandits nearby. I mean getting rid of them makes for a better world and public safety right?)
I don't know how my train of thoughts got to be like that myself.
It's likely because I've been polluted by this world where lives are cheaply priced and laws are loosely enforced.
That thinking is just too much.
"The cheapest bows would be this one, carefully crafted with hard yet supple wood. The string is made with specter vine. How would you like the arrowheads be?"
"Hmmm... give me the simplest and cheapest ones. We're not going to hunt a big game anyway."
As the kids would need practice, I'd be buying lots of arrows to account for damaged ones. I'm exchanging all this money into 'experience'.
There's no point to being stingy if it leads to those kids failing to become good hunters. I can always earn myself until they get good.
"Then would you like the popular arrows here? They're made with the hardest wood in the kingdom, capable of enduring multiple uses. Would it be acceptable?"
"No, just give me all the ordinary arrows you have. Go with that please."
Arrows aren't disposable. You want to reuse them when you can. Thus, the idea of sturdy arrows is not bad in itself cost-wise.
However, for now I want to prioritize having as many as possible, thus picking the cheapest one. Also the price difference becomes absurd when you're buying plenty.
I'm sure they'll eventually be able to kill prey in one shot once they get good. They can start thinking about purchasing higher quality arrows then. That's for the kids to decide on their own. Not mine, not now.
The shopkeeper asked how would I like the arrows transported due to the amount, and gave me quivers when I told him about my magic bag.
He must be under the impression that I'm some sort of 'rich guy' that's gonna become a loyal customer. I'm honestly thankful for these quivers.
I've taken a liking on this young man shopkeeper, I'm gonna consult him in the future when I need to.
Thus I left the store.
The shopkeeper saw me off outside.
"Thank you very much for your patronage! We hope to see you again!"
That voice gathered many passerby's lines of sight.
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