WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Alyo

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Surviving as a Warrior in a TRPG World ◈

Chapter 38: Second Skill (2)

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"Few adventurers try to make up for their shortcomings by learning through verbal instruction... and through books? You might as well say none do."

After saying that, Ruben opened the door and left. Before long, he returned with several books and handed them to Gerik.

"A farewell gift. Read them well, then return them to my successor within five days."

"Huh?! Where are you going?!"

Ruben spoke as if he were leaving the Adventurers’ Guild, so Gerik asked in surprise.

"Yeah. I applied for a transfer to another region. Can't be helped if I want a promotion."

"That's a shame..."

"What are you talking about? That's just how this line of work goes. If fate brings us together, we'll meet again."

Ruben said he hoped Gerik would stay alive until then, grow well, and become a promising adventurer recognized by the Guild.

After thanking him once more, Gerik took the books and headed to the smithy.

"Oh! You've come at exactly the right time!"

When Gerik arrived, Grimdal welcomed him warmly as he forged a sword with a hammer in hand. Grimdal paused his work and had his apprentices bring out the armor.

Not long after they left, the apprentices returned carrying a large box and set it down between Grimdal and Gerik.

"Go on, take a look. You'll like it."

Grimdal opened the box and pulled out a suit of armor.

It was made from grayish-brown leather. If not for the coin-sized pieces of metal scattered across it, it could have passed for a high-quality leather jacket rather than armor.

As Gerik examined its appearance with interest, Grimdal untied the leather cords and buckles along the sides, allowing him to inspect the inside.

Instead of metal plates, Gerik saw a leather inner layer covered in fluffy white fur.

"Huh? Didn't you say brigandine has metal plates on the inside?"

"Of course it does! This is the liner!"

Pointing to the lining, Grimdal said it was one of the reasons the armor was so damned good.

He began undoing the buttoned sections inside the opened armor one by one. Before long, a white leather inner garment came free.

"Take this off, and it becomes an ordinary brigandine!"

Just as Grimdal said, once the inner armor was removed, large reddish-brown metal plates were packed tightly together inside. They appeared to be secured in place by the rivets on the outer layer.

"Want to touch the liner?"

When Grimdal handed him the white leather armor, Gerik took it and began feeling it over. Interestingly, the leather was remarkably stretchy and elastic, almost like latex.

The white fur on the outside also seemed to retain heat extremely well. Even though it was midwinter, Gerik felt warm almost as soon as he put it on.

'Should I use the status window?'

[Grimdal's Custom Brigandine]

『Type: Armor (Upper Body)』

『Grade: Rare』

『Effect: Weight -50%, Blunt and Slashing Defense +20%』

『Description: An exceptional brigandine made by Grimdal, blacksmith of Steelbeard's Anvil. Made from Grizzly Owl hide and Red Iron, it is light yet sturdy.』

『Note: Do you know the terror that approaches without a sound? Revere the forest after sunset. It is the ruler of the night and the king of the forest. - Old Hunter Herman -』

'Oh...?! So it wasn't just magic items that could be identified! Can the status window appraise anything with special properties?!'

Gerik was thrilled when information about the brigandine appeared in the status window despite it not being a magic item.

"Are these hides from two different magical beasts?"

The grayish-brown leather was hard and sturdy, while the white leather had strong elasticity and heat retention. Naturally, Gerik assumed they came from different magical beasts.

But Grimdal grinned at that.

"They both came from the same magical beast."

"What?! Is that even possible?!"

It was a reasonable question. The two hides had completely opposite properties.

The white leather specialized in elasticity and warmth, while the grayish-brown leather focused on durability. No matter how he looked at them, they didn't seem like hides from the same creature.

"I explained it before! The Grizzly Owl is a magical creature made by combining two animals into one, so you can get different kinds of hide from the same body!"

Only after hearing Grimdal's explanation did Gerik remember what he had been told about Grizzly Owls fifteen days ago.

"The liner is easy to remove and reattach, so you can take it off when the weather gets hot."

Grimdal also explained that the white leather inner armor offered better protection than most leather armor. If needed, Gerik could wear it by itself.

"Try it on."

At Grimdal's suggestion, Gerik put on the brigandine without complaint. Despite the armor's considerable bulk, it was surprisingly light.

"Wow... You weren't joking about the special steel and leather."

"Right? It's twice as strong as ordinary brigandine, but only half the weight. It only weighs five kilograms."

'So that's why the status window listed Weight -50% as an effect?'

As he listened to Grimdal's explanation, Gerik moved around in the armor.

Since it had been made with every ounce of a Dwarf blacksmith's skill, each joint moved incredibly smoothly. Gerik couldn't have been more satisfied.

"Try on the leggings too."

The leggings had grayish-brown Grizzly Owl leather on the outside and white leather on the inside. Since they had to be worn during summer as well, most of the white fur that provided warmth seemed to have been removed.

"Since metal can't be used on the lower body... the protection is a little lacking."

Grimdal said the weaker protection for the lower body was an unavoidable limitation of brigandine-type armor.

"Instead, take these. They're not much, but they'll help."

Grimdal took out a pair of reddish greaves and handed them to Gerik. They couldn't protect the backs of his calves, but they would be better than nothing.

"And this is the helmet."

Lastly, Grimdal handed Gerik a cervelliere-style helmet that protected his head and cheeks.

The face protection was somewhat lacking, but he said it couldn't be helped. Adventurers needed to maintain a clear field of view at all times.

"It's fine. I like it."

Gerik agreed that vision was important, so he didn't complain even though the helmet seemed a little lacking in protection.

Once Grimdal saw that Gerik accepted it, he relaxed and brought out two longswords.

"They don't look very different from the old one...?"

Perhaps because Lugos's longsword had been forged at Steelbeard's Anvil, the specially made longswords didn't look much different from the old one.

"Pick one up. You'll know the difference."

Gerik gripped one of the longswords and lifted it. To his surprise, it felt about half as heavy as before.

"It's lighter, but much sturdier and sharper! It'll go well with your Slash skill."

Gerik planned to make up for the reduced attack power from its weight with Slash and Charge anyway, so it wasn't a penalty at all.

Satisfied, Gerik thanked Grimdal and was about to leave when Grimdal called out to him.

"...?"

Gerik turned around in confusion and saw Grimdal laying out additional items.

A shortsword, gauntlets, bracers, and leather boots. Finely crafted equipment made from Grizzly Owl hide lay before Gerik.

"I had some leather and steel left over, so I made these. Take them too."

Seemingly embarrassed to show kindness, Grimdal deliberately used an indifferent tone as he offered the items to Gerik. Startled, Gerik carefully examined them one by one.

'This fit...!'

The moment he put on the Grizzly Owl hide gauntlets, the leather clung snugly to his hands. The leather boots were the same.

Special steel had even been fitted around the soles and insteps to protect vulnerable areas.

"Thank you so much...!!"

"If you're thankful, don't die. Stay alive and come by often, so you can make me plenty of money."

Grimdal said he had made them from leftovers, but Gerik knew perfectly well that the Dwarf had shown him tremendous generosity.

Thanking him once again for his kindness, Gerik left the smithy and headed to the Adventurers’ Guild for the first time in a while.

'The line is especially long today.'

Gerik stood in line wearing the high-quality equipment he had just bought.

Perhaps because of that, unlike usual, the low-rank adventurers gathered on the first floor of the Adventurers’ Guild began turning their attention toward him.

"Whew! Where's this rich young master from? That gear looks incredible."

A low-rank adventurer Gerik had never seen before approached and began looking him up and down, appraising his equipment. The man's attitude was clearly filled with mockery and hostility.

"..."

Gerik had every reason to be annoyed, but the thick smell of alcohol and the man's slurred speech told him he was completely drunk.

Not wanting to pick a fight with a drunken lout for no reason, Gerik ignored the provocation.

But Gerik's indifferent response seemed to irritate the adventurer even more, and the man spoke in an even more provocative tone.

"People who don't know a damn thing always think wearing expensive gear will make them the best... right?"

Tap! Tap...!!

Perhaps thinking Gerik was an easy target because he stood in line silently despite being provoked, the man began tapping Gerik's helmet.

Then his hand lowered and touched Gerik's cheek once, then again.

"You bastard..."

Gerik finally snapped. Grabbing the sword at his waist, he leaped backward and quickly used Slash.

Shkraaak!!

His sword shot out at a terrifying speed, the sound of tearing air spreading through the hall. Brown hair scattered everywhere.

"Next is your neck."

Gerik tapped the back of his blade against the neck of the adventurer, whose hair had been sliced away from half his head, threatening him.

The drunk adventurer seemed to have sobered up from Gerik's vicious attack. He swallowed hard and began trembling with a tense expression.

Then, looking frightened, he slowly backed away from Gerik.

'...Did I go full edgelord and overreact?'

Gerik regretted acting so rashly in the heat of the moment. Still, he hid his true feelings as best he could and stood there with an indifferent expression.

'Well... judging by the age of this reincarnated body, I'm right at the age for an edgelord phase.'

Murmur, murmur...

When the young-looking adventurer displayed such frightening swordsmanship, the adventurers on the first floor began whispering about Gerik among themselves.

Even so, Gerik kept up an indifferent act and quietly waited in line for his turn.

"Gerik, it's been a while since you stood in line."

"Yes. I think I've rested enough, so I'm planning to start working again."

Normally, the receptionist would have warned the two for causing a disturbance in the Adventurers’ Guild or called guards to throw them out. But perhaps because she had seen Gerik every day and spoken with him for fifteen days, the receptionist seemed to think well of Gerik's character and didn't make an issue of what had happened.

"You wish to accept the Goblin Extermination commission for the outskirts of the Demonwild Forest. Confirmed."

In her usual businesslike tone, the receptionist accepted the mission Gerik wanted and explained the relevant details. After hearing everything, Gerik gave a brief farewell and left the Guild.

'I've finally come to the Demonwild Forest.'

Footnotes:

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