Chapter 82

I continue exploring. This area seemed to be on the outskirts, with few passersby. But there were a number of small shops and diners here as well. A corner for little-known establishments. I decided to enter the first one that caught my eye.

It was a store for magic tools. I could see that they had the security contraptions as well as other things that were a complete mystery to me. They even had something similar to Daniela’s barrier tools behind a glass case.

“Let’s see…what, fifty gold pieces…?”

That was the cost of just one of the barrier tools. And Daniela had four of them. Two hundred gold pieces… You could also say two wyverns. You could buy my equipment three times over and still receive change. It was something we used a lot, and perhaps it was actually cheap considering what it did, but that was a lot more than I was expecting. It wasn’t something I could easily buy. My equipment had originally cost 400 gold pieces, with the price only collapsing thanks to Matsumoto’s efforts.

“She must have worked really hard to get these…”

The road to amassing two hundred gold pieces would have been long. I had really just been lucky. It was a good reminder of just what she was capable of. Especially considering that she herself had said that she ‘had fought very little.’ I was catching up to her in terms of level and status, but the skill to make that much money up until now was worthy of a genius. The skill to do that with lower stats and minimum combat. I couldn’t stop being impressed by it. Funny how just looking at some barrier tools made me consider all of this.

Hmm. I made a short tour of the store, but I really didn’t know how any of these things worked. I went around nodding while thinking, ‘You, strange guy. What are you even supposed to do?’ I quickly realized that there was no point in being there, and so I left. I would have to come back with Daniela when we visit the Tree Stump Arbor. Look forward to it, strange guy.

“Uhh…I’m exhausted. My feet hurt.”

I was thinking about returning soon, but I couldn’t even remember how I got here. And so I used Presence Detection. This told me that there was a crowd of people gathered quite far away. That must be the main street. There was another mass of people gathered in a district a little further from the main street. Some kind of commercial facility? It piqued my curiosity, so I decided to walk there.

But my feet were really killing me. It was very much that feeling you have when you are trying to go home after a long night shift, and your bike has a flat tire, so you rub your tired eyes as you walk home, all the while bumping into people who are on their way to work. I started looking for a place to rest, and since there was a park nearby, I headed straight for it.

“Ahhh…damn it…”

I thought it had only been my feet, but sitting down on the bench revealed that my entire body was overwhelmed with fatigue. I needed shoes that were easier to walk in, like sneakers… These leather shoes were made from the assault kobold, and were better than the average shoes around here. But it wasn’t the same.

“And it’s not like they make me fast like the assault kobold…”

I wasn’t really sure, as these were my first monster shoes, but I wondered if it would change anything if I had some magic flow into them. Then I realized that I had never poured any magic into my armor or clothes either. I did check the magical enchantments they had… Well, as I was currently wearing the wind dragon trousers, I decided to try it out.

“Ah, hmm?”

A short burst of wind spun around my legs and rose into the sky before it vanished. My body suddenly felt lighter.

“I’ll try to run then…”

After checking to see that no one was watching, I started to jog lightly. My body felt surprisingly light, the feeling of fatigue from before was completely gone. Are you kidding me? The difference was massive. Though, the soles of my feet still hurt.

“Talk about sitting on a gold mine.”

Ignorance really was a crime. I was the idiot who had bought expensive gear without making the most of it. Was there anyone so stupid and sad? I’m truly a lost cause.

Still, if this was the result of doing it on just my trousers, what kind of madness would ensue if I poured magic into the poncho and waist mantle too? Wearing the ice dragon light armor would increase the weight, but the possible effects were almost frightening to consider.

And these leather shoes from the assault kobold. What would happen if I poured magic into these? I think back to that time that I fought against him. When he had used all of his power, he had practically disappeared. It was likely that I may be able to do something similar depending on how much magic I sent into them. A rookie Adventurer would probably not be able to see me.

I was still at the Crystal rank at the time, and my eyes couldn’t follow him. A huge part of why I was able to beat him, was that I relied on intuition. Even now, I was not confident I would be able to beat him if we could face off again…

No, that’s not good. Thinking about it is making me feel depressed. I should just try pouring magic into them for now.

“Hmm…ah…huh…!?”

The moment the magic began to flow, I felt the sensation of something flowing back into me.

And it didn’t stop. The leather shoes sucked my magic and in turn, leaked out a pitch black miasma. It was a…grudge?

All I felt was the continuous emotion of hate towards the one called Asagi Kamiyashiro.

“Shi-shit…!”

Frantically, my hands reached down to remove the shoes, and my hands came in contact with the dark miasma. It tangles and wraps around my fingers, clasping my hand. It envelopes it and takes shape like a glove. The nails are abnormally long, like claws.

“You, damn it!”

It was the assault kobold’s hand. Even in this state, he was trying to get me.

I tear the stuff off of my hands and grab the shoe. The magic continues to be drawn from me, but I ignore it as I tear the shoes off of my foot.

“Damn…what the…!”

Was there anything more ridiculous than I guy fighting with his shoes in the park on an afternoon? Shit. The shoes on the ground were still unleashing the dark miasma. They looked like they might just start moving on their own at any moment.

I thought it would never disappear, but it started to thin after five minutes and was completely gone after ten. However, I no longer felt like touching them, much less wear them.

I took off the cloth wrappings from around my feet, which were substitutes for socks. To my shock, both of my feet had markings as if they had been gripped by something. It was chilling, but the reason for it was obvious. These extreme mutated monsters were a threat even after death… I was now glad that my dragon armor was from younger dragons. Thanks, Matsumoto. You truly are a Hero.

“Still, these feet and shoes…what am I going to do…”

I was hated by these shoes that were in front of me. And now there were markings on my feet as if I had been cursed. …Was I cursed? Was I going to be alright?

“Shit! This is from the assault kobold too!”

I frantically tear off the necklace I had been wearing in a misguided attempt at being fashionable. This was also a product of the kobold. And this sword that hung at my belt as well. This was terrible…I couldn’t keep anything besides my clothes and light armor. I would be unarmed.

“Ahhh…shoe store…and a weapon store…”

I never would have thought that a weapon made by a blacksmith who was associated with the guild would end up cursing me… This was dreadful. It was cursed, right? Definitely. Ahh, there was no point in thinking about it now. I just need something to wear, so I would have to return to the inn for now. I’ll discuss it with Daniela, then buy some new shoes.

I really could not have predicted this…if I had done this during combat, I would have died.

My ignorance saved me.

I encased the sword, shoes, and necklace in ice and carried them with me. At first, I wondered if it wouldn’t suck the magic from the ice, but it seemed to be fine, as long as I didn’t touch it directly. I took the now somewhat safe cargo with me and used Presence Detection to navigate my way back to the main street. Many eyes gave me suspicious stares as I quickly made my way back to the Leaves in Sunlight Inn.