WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Alyo
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◈ Surviving as a Warrior in a TRPG World ◈
Chapter 71: The Return (5)
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Gerik already had a means of recovery in the form of the Cure Serious Wounds spell, which he could use through the ring Skyler's Quintet.
However, it came with the fatal restriction of only being usable once a week.
That was why Gerik thought healing potions could serve as backup for Cure Serious Wounds, or as a useful emergency measure while it was on cooldown.
'There is a penalty where they become less effective with repeated use... but carrying one or two of each and using them only in an emergency should be fine.'
Having decided that, Gerik decided to buy two healing potions of each type. It was a considerable sum, just short of four gold coins. Still, he had nearly seven gold coins from the beak's sale left for this transaction.
"...Is there anything else you need?"
Seeing Gerik selecting items, the mage gently encouraged him to make further exchanges. Perhaps the mage was badly in need of cash, or perhaps they simply wanted to sell more goods.
'Hmm... Nothing really stands out...'
But nothing especially appealed to Gerik.
It was only a magic workshop in a small town, after all. There were no eye-catching treasures, and every item seemed to have something slightly wrong with it.
Even so, Gerik went around the workshop, picking things up and examining them through his status window just in case.
As expected, most were defective or simply failed to meet his standards.
The only things that looked remotely useful were a waterskin that refilled with one liter of water over two days and a lamp that illuminated the surrounding area for an hour once a day.
The problem was the price. Despite their flaws, they each cost an absurd eighty silver coins.
'...So there was a reason these fairly useful things were left gathering dust on the shelves.'
In the end, Gerik selected items worth just under five gold coins. The mage looked bitterly disappointed. They clearly wanted to sell him more, apparently short on spare cash.
"Are you sure there isn't anything else you need? Hmm?"
Gerik calmly shook his head at the persistently clinging mage.
"Nothing else catches my eye. The healing potions aren't bad, but stocking too many of them creates problems of its own."
In truth, healing potions came in glass bottles, making careful handling essential.
Had Gerik not watched Minos's potions shatter under a Grizzly Owl's attack just recently?
'Two or so of each type is the limit. They're glass bottles, so carrying too many would only make them a pain to manage. And if they broke, that would be a loss too.'
At Gerik's firm response, the mage smacked their lips in disappointment. Then, as though suddenly remembering something, they told Gerik to wait and hurried up to the second floor.
When the mage returned, they were carrying an elegant box.
Upon opening it, several finely cut gemstones came into view. Rubies, sapphires, amethysts, and even emeralds.
"The truth is, I'm in a bit of a financial bind. I'll let these go cheaply, so could we work something out?"
The mage said they had bought the gems from adventurers with the intention of imbuing them with magic and selling them as artifacts.
Then they named their prices. Forty silver coins for an amethyst, one gold coin for a sapphire, two for an emerald, and three for a ruby. Gerik let out a hollow laugh at the offer.
'This person... Who are they trying to fleece?'
Every price was outrageous. Still, out of consideration for Grimdal, who had introduced him, Gerik could not openly show his displeasure. He pretended to appraise each gem while bringing up his status window.
'Well... They're just ordinary gems.'
Most of the gemstones he checked through the status window were nothing more than ordinary items. Gerik was idly turning an amethyst over when he brought up its status window.
[Amethyst of ?? ??]
『Type: ??? (Damaged)』
『Grade: ???』
『Effect: ???』
At the unexpected information, Gerik froze with the amethyst in his hand.
'Wait... This... Could it be...?!'
His enhanced intelligence naturally drew up a memory from the past. The mage Owen, whom he had killed in the Sewer.
And the emerald Owen had possessed, a component of Skyler's Quintet.
'Could this damaged magic amethyst be another component of Skyler's Quintet?'
It was not an unreasonable guess. Skyler's Quintet itself, as well as its emerald component, had been found near Stonecreek.
Thinking the possibility was high, Gerik decided to work the mage over with carrot and stick. He spoke as if nothing were amiss.
"Honestly, it's far too expensive. What assets would a low-rank adventurer like me have to buy something like this?"
Perhaps because his act was so convincing, the mage did not seem to notice anything strange.
"Could we not work something out?"
As the mage looked at him with a face full of regret, Gerik inwardly rejoiced that his bluff had worked and answered casually.
"Whew... I normally wouldn't do this, but Grimdal introduced us, and you seem to be tight on funds... I'll take this amethyst as well, so we can make it five gold coins."
Then, to remove any lingering suspicion, Gerik added as if he were doing the mage a favor.
"If you're really short on gold, you can give me however much you can right now and write me a promissory note for the rest."
"...Really!?"
"Yes. As an adventurer, I'll be coming here often to buy potions anyway."
Gerik went on to say that the remaining balance did not necessarily have to be paid in cash.
Since carrying a large number of potions at once would be burdensome anyway, he suggested that he could stop by whenever he ran low on healing potions and collect a few at a time. Alternatively, the mage could give him a discount when useful artifacts came in.
"If you come into a lump sum in the meantime, you can repay me right away."
The terms were so favorable to the mage that they immediately brightened.
"I'd be more grateful than you know! Fine, you've been so accommodating that I can't simply sit by either! From now on, I'll discount the healing potions I sell you by five silver coins each!"
"That is generous of you. Then it's settled."
The mage was delighted that the deal with Gerik had concluded so well.
Apparently in a very good mood, the mage even threw in a small box for safely storing healing potions as a bonus.
"Then I'll see you next time."
"Come again! And don't forget to bring good goods straight here, like you did today!"
Gerik smiled as he parted ways with the mage, doing his best to calm his racing heart over the gemstone and act as though nothing had happened.
'Could it really be a component...?'
Gerik practically rushed back to the inn. The moment he entered his room, he carefully fitted the gem he had bought at the workshop into Skyler's Quintet.
Click!
"Just as I thought!!"
It truly was a component of the ring. Gerik felt his fist clench in delight. He hurriedly brought up his status window to inspect its effects.
[Skyler's Quintet]
『Type: Ring (Damaged)』
『Grade: ???』
『Effects』
* Guardian Barrier (3rd Circle/Passive, once per day. Wards off physical attacks in an emergency)
* Serious Wounds
* Invisibility (3rd Circle/Active, once per day. Lasts 30 minutes. Cancelled by vigorous movement)
* ???, ???
『Note: Want to become a great thief who can plunder even a dragon's lair? Just cover yourself from head to toe in items that can deceive even a dragon. That's all. The Great Thief Skyler.』
"Gah...!!"
Gerik nearly let out a shout when he saw the description in the status window. He swallowed back the sound and desperately reined in his excitement.
The sight of Invisibility written in the status window made Gerik tremble. It was a spell with limitless applications.
"Invisibility...!!"
Without hesitation, Gerik recited, "Invisibility." It was the same method he had used to activate Cure Serious Wounds.
Whoosh...!!
Sure enough, the moment he spoke the incantation, his body gradually turned transparent and vanished. He could clearly feel his arms and legs moving, yet his eyes could not see anything at all.
Thrilled by the strange sensation, Gerik darted around the room.
'I need to find out exactly where the line is for the penalty of it being cancelled by vigorous movement.'
He began changing his movements one by one to gauge the limit of the penalty.
'There is no problem with light walking or a small jump.'
Then Gerik gradually made his movements more vigorous, jumping in place and swinging his arms widely.
Ping...!!
When Gerik vigorously attempted a jumping jack, the Invisibility was cancelled with a sound like shattering glass. Thanks to that, Gerik gained a rough understanding of the penalty.
'So that's roughly how it works.'
Gerik had a general idea now. Still, since one could never be too careful, he decided to use Invisibility every day and determine the exact boundary of the penalty.
As Gerik recovered from his exhaustion and rested deeply, several days passed in a flash. Once he realized the day of his appointment with Ilvern had arrived, he headed for the guild where they were to meet.
'Nothing has changed.'
Near the Adventurers’ Guild, Gerik looked over the heavily guarded scene before him and muttered inwardly. Just then, a group of adventurers marched up in front of the guild with displeased expressions.
"Hey! When is this going to end? The goods for our commission are rotting!"
When the adventurers roughly protested to the guards, a knight in gleaming armor emerged from the guild. Having apparently heard the commotion, the knight glared murderously at them and shouted.
"Do you dare interfere with the official business of the kingdom and the temple! Will you not withdraw at once!"
"..."
Naturally, the mostly low-rank adventurers could not even answer beneath the knight's fierce intimidation. They meekly backed away.
'I should keep my head down.'
Watching the scene, Gerik quietly waited off to one side, unwilling to get caught up in trouble by needlessly stepping in.
"Gerik!"
After some time had passed, Gerik heard a familiar voice calling to him. He turned his head and finally saw Ilvern at the meeting place.
Given the situation, Ilvern seemed determined not to be looked down upon. Instead of the worn plate armor Gerik had seen before, Ilvern was properly outfitted in fine armor bearing the Ashburn family's crest prominently.
"You're finally here!"
Gerik greeted Ilvern with a half-joking smile. Ilvern smiled back and gestured to him.
Then Ilvern noticed that none of the equipment Gerik usually wore was in sight and looked puzzled.
"By the way... Why are you dressed so comfortably today?"
Gerik explained that his equipment had suffered extensive damage during the recent journey and was currently being repaired.
"True, that was an obvious question."
It was such an obvious fact that Ilvern understood as soon as Gerik explained it, nodding as though convinced.
After making light small talk with Gerik, Ilvern took out fine parchment bearing the family's seal and approached the knight blocking the guild entrance.
"...And you would be?"
Perhaps because Ilvern looked like a knight from head to toe, the knight treated Ilvern with courtesy, completely unlike the adventurers from earlier.
Ilvern introduced himself and handed over a document.
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