--- Kain City in front of Leasdas Inn ---

"Hey, Taka, where is Minna?"

"She hasn't come yet."

"That's right, She might need to sort her things first."

"Oh, yeah, Cress, it seems the city is livelier than last night."

"Hmm? Well, of course. The criminal rate is higher at night than day. They put more guards at the wall and gate to prevent someone to come in or out illegally."

Seems like the reason is about safety. But, don't they have that detector to check our crime before going in the city?

"But, don't everyone got checked for their crime at gate?"

"Don't you know, Taka? Those crime are registered to the wrist-card if they got caught by the guards, and the king or anyone with the appropriate authority approve it."

Huh? So if the criminal able to shake off the guards and run away, that criminal won't have a crime registered into his wrist-card. In other word, even if someone has no criminal record, that someone still might have done some crime.

"What is it, Taka? Do you hate it when the city lively?"

"Huh? Ah, no, I don't mean it like that. I mean, the test day is getting closer, I thought it should be livelier than what we saw last night."

Kain city is actually a bit busier than Daren Village, but isn't the test something important?

"Hmm. that's right, but most of the test taker usually come about 1 day before the test. It's to save expense, the cost for inn and food in the city is higher than in the village after all. Not everyone has spare money, you know."

*door open

"Uncle Taka, Cress-san, I'm ready to go!"

Minna suddenly come and cut our conversation.

"Well, since Minna already here, let's go."

--- Kain City's Merchant Guild ---

The guild is a 3-story building built using stone, even the first room is spacious, it looks about 20 m x 30 m. But, some corners of the room is used to stack some goods which make the room less spacious. On the right is the receptionist, and on the left are some table-chair set.

I got a little spaced out at first, but Cress move casually to the receptionist desk right away.

"Taka? Hey, Taka?"

"Huh? Ah, yeah? What is it?"

"You were the one gathered the herbs, you should come with me."

"Alright."

"Oh, and Minna, you can wait for us at any table over there."

"Alright~"

Then I follow Cress to the receptionist desk, while Minna goes and sit at a table.

"Excuse me, we want to sell some herbs."

"Oh, Cress, been a while, huh?"

The receptionist looks a little bit fat and not that tall, but he looks serious and dilligent, he was writing something before Cress called him.

"What are you talking about, Horii. I was here about last month, right?"

"So, did you say herbs? How many do you bring now? 5 pieces?"

Then Cress put the sack he hold onto the desk.

"Hmm? What is it?"

"Heheheh..."

"Don't tell me. . ."

*open

"Uwooh, is it all herbs!?"

"Of course, I've got aswhagandha and chives here. So, what do you think Horii?"

"Hmph, you shouldn't be able to gather this much, it might be that man behind you who gathered this all, right?"

"Hahaha, you really know me don't you. So, how much will I get for this all?"

"Wait, let me calculate, first."

. . . . .

"It's about 120 silver and 30 bronze."

"Huh? That much!? For these herbs?"

"Tch, I don't want to give this much for you, you know. But, you come at the right time."

"The right time?"

"Don't act ignorant like that! I know you already predicted it all along."

"Hoh, I do thought herbs will have a increased price because the battle on the north pass, but it exceed my expectation."

"This city is the closer to the camp, so we are the first supply point for them, lately the medic are in need for more ashwagandha or other healing herbs and they are willing to pay a little more for those herbs. Well, there is also that, these kind of herbs are quite hard to plant and find in the wild, and we are also nearing the test day right now."

"Well, it seem I can find a new hat with the extra money."

"Are you still wearing that old straw hat? Why don't you change job and become a farmer instead?"

"Your joke are not funny, Horii."

"Hahaha.... Oh, here is your money."

"Thanks for the money."

"Is there anything else you want to sell here?"

"This time around I come here to escort Minna, that little lady, over there. So I have nothing else."

"Is that so? Well, if you don't have anymore business with me, then, off you go."

"You are still harsh as always don't you. Ah, that's right, Taka. Don't you plan to sell that talon and animal skin you have?"

Talon and animal skin? That's right, I show them when we got inspected on the gate.

"Huh? Ah, no, they are an important items for me. They are not for sell."

"Really? Well, it's yours after all. Then, we should go to buy some items to help Minna for the test."

"Minna, let's go. We are leaving."

"Hmph. You took your time."

--- Kain City's Market Area ---

The market area is an open space with a lot of stalls and shops, there are so many items being shown off, from some food, clothes, cooking utensils, even weapons.

"So, for the test, we should buy . . . "

"Ah, father already prepared most of them. So, right now I only need some gloves and knife."

"Is that so? Well, if those the only ones left, then we can buy it using the money from the herbs."

Then we bought the gloves and knife. The gloves are 50 silver and the knife is 15 silver. It seems the quality of the items we bought are about the medium one, which is why it's a little expensive.

"Cress-san, can we bought some of those meat skewer over there?"

"Hmm? Oh, that's right we should get something to eat, let's buy some then."

As for the meat skewer, it's 1 silver and 20 bronze each.

"Taka, don't you want to buy a weapon?"

"Huh?"

"Well, it seems you don't have any weapon right now, right? Don't you need one if you want to travel alone?"

"Ah, well, a weapon can be useful in many ways after all."

But, I don't think I can use any weapon at all. Even if I have a weapon, it's not like I will use it immediately.

"Then, let's buy a weapon for you."

"Eh?"

"A weapon for uncle Taka? Does uncle Taka plans to beat many monsters!?"

"Ah, no."

"Then, let's buy a weapon for uncle Taka!"

--- Kain City's Friz Weapon Shop ---

There are so many weapon and armor in this shop, there are knife, dagger, sword, axe, spear, bow, leather armor, plate mail, shield, even battle-gloves.

"Oh, Taka? Fancy meeting you here."

The one greeting me is Graim from silver sky group, from the looks of it his arm is already treated by expert.

"Ah, Graim, is your arm fine?"

"I already able to move it freely, though it's still hurt a little. Anyway, are you looking for a weapon?"

"Huh? ah, yeah, Cress and Minna told me to get a weapon."

"Of course! Uncle Taka is planning to beat some monsters out there! That's why he needs a weapon!"

"Hoh? Really!? What are you planning to fight?"

"Well, well, we should talk about it after we bought the weapon, right? So, Taka, what is your favorite weapon?"

Huh? Favorite weapon? I have never hold something to beat others my whole life, and was asked about my favorite weapon? Damn, what should I say at this kind of time. It might be weird if I say that I don't have any favorite weapon.

"Its' . . . It's . a knife."

Well, I have never hold a weapon in my life, a knife should be the right answer right now.

"Huh? A knife?"

"As I thought, Uncle Taka is weird..!"

"Hahaha, you really are unique Taka."

Eh? Is knife a wrong choice here?

"Well, why don't you look at some swords first?"

Graim offered me to choose a sword as my weapon, and show me the way to the sword stands.

"Here, choose and try to hold one."

"Taka, are you really using a knife to fight?"

"Well, I only have learned how to wield a knife before, so I thougt it should be the best fit for me."

Yup, I remembered learning how to use knife because I live alone with my grandpa, which is why I learn how to cook to lighten his burden. I'm not lying...

"Hoh, really? A fighting-style using knife is really rare. Well, I have never see someone use knife as their main weapon, even those I know are using knife as a throwing knife not for close-combat. Where did you learn it?"

"Huh? Well, I learned it because of my grandpa."

"Is he a master of knife-style?"

"Ah, well . . "

"What is he like?"

"He . . already passed away."

"Well, I'm sorry to nag you about this then."

"Don't be, I like it when he got brought up in a conversation, it just make me remember him once again."

"Huh?"

"You know, once he passed away, I became confused and lost, he is my guardian and the one making a way for me after all. I wander around and thought what the best thing I should do after that, but, after some time I realize. It's not about what I thought the best for me, I was just a little child I don't have that much experience to find out the best way I should take, but it's about what my grandpa want, what was the last conversation I have with him, the last advice he gave me, the last meal I have with him, then I thought what do I looks like from his perspective, what do I lack from his opinion, and what does he wants me to be. And I come to a conclusion, that I still need to get better overall, and I should strive to be something which can surprise him."

"Graim-san, here is the shield you are asking for."

A man in about his 20's come out from the back room holding a medium-sized shield which looks sturdy and cut my story.

"Oh, so this is the toughest one you have?"

Even Graim-san doesn't really care about my story, huh. Seems he likes that shield rather than my story.

"Ah, yes, the toughest one for the medium-sized one."

"Loun, you guys able to upgrade the shield to be even more sturdy, right?"

"Well, we can, but, are you sure you want to? It will be even heavier than this."

Since I've been brought here, might as well try to wield one, then I move closer and choose a weird-looking somewhat thin short-sword, hoping that it's not that heavy. But.... Damn, this sword is really heavy, I can only lift it for a bit. Well, I won't be buying it, I should just leave it.

"Graim-san, I should go back to Cress and Minna, they might already bored waiting."

"Alright, sorry for holding you for no reason."

"Ah, it's fine."

"Graim-san, who is that man?"

"Huh? That man? He is Taka, though I don't know for sure who he is."

Then I walk to Cress and Minna.

"Hey, Taka, we have chose a knife for you."

"Uncle Taka, here. It's this one."

The knife is a simple knife, the blade is 18 cm in length and 4 cm in width, and the handle is made of wood. Well, it's not like I have any preferences nor I have use a knife other than for cooking, any knife should be fine for me.

"Oh, thank you for choosing it. It looks like a great knife."

"Ehem.. Minna is the one choosing it you know!!"

"Then, let's check it out and go have dinner."

The knife is 30 silver and 70 bronze. It's really expensive, it's 2 times than the knife we bought before, I should just bought a knife from the previous place if I know about the price.

After buying the knife we go and have dinner at Arme diner, then we go back to the Leasdas inn and end our day.