LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 25
Knock, knock.
“Hey, Aren, you awake?”
Yeriell’s voice jolted me back to reality from outside the door.
“Ugh.”
I felt surprisingly refreshed, like I had just taken a deep slumber — perhaps I slept too well?
Oh well, Yeriell’s waiting outside, and I shouldn’t be dawdling.
I got out of bed, stretched my stiff neck, and opened the door.
“Aren! Did you sleep well? I knocked because it’s time for breakfast, but I should have let you snooze a little longer…”
“It’s fine. I slept enough. How about Lumia?”
“She’s on the 1st floor. Let’s go eat.”
As we descended, we found Lumia sitting at the table, staring into space.
“Lumia, did you rest well?”
“Yep. I ordered breakfast.”
Thanking her, we chatted about trivial things for a while. After the delicious meal was served and devoured, I finally spoke up.
“It feels a bit early since we just had dinner, but should we check out a few shops?”
“Sure! The Great Labyrinth will open soon, and we should start preparing. It’s always a mess trying to get in on the day itself.”
“I agree.”
We hastily donned our gear and stepped out of the inn. My current outfit consisted of flimsy hard leather armor and tight greaves.
And the only weapon I had was the Barak in the scabbard given to me by the Knights, along with Ivelyn’s high-nox earrings.
‘A Barak is enough for a weapon, but the armor is lacking.’
Although I had worn them until now, the greaves were uncomfortable and the armor was insufficient, except for the chest area.
First priority is definitely upgrading my gear.
…But honestly, the only places I’ve been in Zone 4 are a few magical item shops, the library, the inn, and the adventurers’ guild. Where should we go?
I asked the others, “Does anyone know a blacksmith or armory?”
Lumia shook her head, but Yeriell raised her hand with a smile.
“That’s me! I know a blacksmith who supplies the Knights, and the owner also runs an armory next door.”
“Really? What a relief! If none of us knew a place, we’d probably waste the day wandering around Zone 4.”
Phew. It makes me wonder how things would have turned out if I hadn’t met Yeriell on the 3rd floor.
I might not have escaped the labyrinth at all, or even if I had, with no connections to Ivelyn and a lack of funds, I might be sitting on the streets.
That Isaac guy is doing just fine while I’m running around without a clue… Ugh, let’s stop there. No need to worry about things that didn’t happen.
I should just express my gratitude to Yeriell. I can’t even imagine how much it helps to have someone by my side like that.
“Yeriell, thank you always.”
“Uh, huh? Hehe. Me too!”
“Cheh.”
Lumia clicked her tongue softly and tugged at my sleeve.
“Thank you too, Lumia.”
“Ugh… okay.”
[Chaos says the conversation is tickling.]
Amid the cheerful atmosphere, we hopped on a carriage and headed to the armory Yeriell mentioned.
*
“Hey? Is that you, Yeriell?”
“Huuton, hello!”
“Yeah. It’s been a while, Yeriell. Why did you come here instead of having the Knights send someone for you?”
Inside the armory, a bald, muscular giant greeted us.
Oh wait, he’s actually talking to Yeriell.
Listening to his words, he seems more like the owner than just a worker or apprentice. Is he just hanging around here for a bit?
“Hehe, it’s not that I came directly from the Knights. I wanted to personally get some gear.”
Huuton scratched his head, puzzled.
“Gear? What kind of gear? Wait, don’t tell me… you actually went into the labyrinth?”
“Eek! You recognized me? Yes! I went all the way to the 3rd floor!”
“What?! I’m shocked you even entered the labyrinth as a coward, but did you really say you made it to the 3rd floor on your first go?”
“Yeah. It just kind of happened…”
I explained how Derik, a skilled lower-level adventurer, urged me to try going to the 2nd floor, and somehow ended up at the 3rd floor.
Huuton slapped his forehead in realization.
“You’ve been through a lot. It sounds like you had a rough initiation. By the way, Yeriell, judging by your level, you don’t seem to need any gear at the moment.”
“Yes, actually, it’s for Aren over here who needs some gear.”
Upon hearing that, Huuton finally glanced at me and Lumia.
“Oh! This kid’s quite the looker. He’ll be breaking hearts in no time. Are you in the same party as Yeriell?”
“Yep. It’s the three of us — me, Yeriell, and Lumia, all in a fixed party.”
“That’s not all! Aren is actually my sister’s apprentice!”
Huuton looked at me with sparkling eyes, as if he just heard that Ivelyn finally took on an apprentice.
“So, you’re Ivelyn’s apprentice? You must be more talented than you appear.”
“Hmph.”
Feeling a bit shy, I just cleared my throat.
“Uh, by the way, excuse me for saying this on our first meeting, but you’re Alar, right? I remember reading about that curse in a book. Yeriell, are you okay?”
“Oh, come on! Thanks to Aren, I’m perfectly fine! So please stop looking at Lumia with those suspicious eyes!”
“Sure. If Yeriell’s okay, then I’m sorry. You said her name is Lumia? My bad; I apologize.”
Lumia seemed fine with it, waving her hand dismissively.
“You’ve had it rough too. Anyway, Aren? You wanted to get some gear?”
“Yes. I figured I’d need to reinforce my equipment before heading into the labyrinth.”
“Good call. With that setup, you’d get wiped out pretty easily in the labyrinth. You came to the right place. Even if Yeriell is with you, I’ll still charge you for the gear, remember that.”
Nodding in agreement, I answered back when Huuton asked.
“What specifically do you need? A weapon? Armor? I think it’s best to at least change your chest armor.”
“I need a full exchange of my armor.”
“With the labyrinth opening in a few days, I can’t do any heavy armor reservations, but let’s take your measurements.”
Huuton then started moving around, measuring me.
“Now we can get the estimate; how much can you spend?”
Even though I had 5 gold coins, I should be reasonable for future needs too.
“Up to 1 gold coin.”
After a short wait, he returned with leather boots, greaves, and hard leather armor.
“Here they are — leather gear that fits your measurements. Made from Savage Boar leather, they’ll be leagues better than those pathetic rags you’re wearing. Try them on.”
I quickly stripped off my old armor and switched into what Huuton handed me.
…Oh. The first thought that struck me as soon as I put them on was ‘comfortable.’
Even though they’re technically the same type of leather and hard leather armor, the difference in fit was staggering. The boots were no different.
“I can’t even compare these. I don’t think I can go back to my old backup gear. By the way, how much will this all cost?”
“I’m glad you like them. About the price—before we get to that…”
Before we get to that?
“Kid, looking at that scabbard on your waist and your well-formed physique, you obviously seem like a swordsman. Are you really thinking of entering the labyrinth without a helmet?”
…Oh snap! Of course, the helmet! It’s the essential fantasy gear, and I had completely forgotten about it since the past few weeks without one.
No matter how much I’m playing a tank dodging or countering attacks, that’s a foolish mistake.
If I face stronger enemies or get caught off guard by an unavoidable attack…
The difference between having a helmet and not could be the difference between life and death.
“No! For a warrior standing on the front lines, I think a helmet is essential. If I were to get knocked out with a fatal blow, it’d put the rest of my party at risk too.”
…But.
“I had just been fighting until now without one, and I guess I overlooked it subconsciously. That’s my fault.”
Upon hearing my response, the armory owner pretended to kick something in a funny manner.
“Good thing you’re not one of those newbies who complain about a helmet being cumbersome and uncomfortable or say ‘who cares about being hit.’”
Indeed, since I hadn’t had a helmet since the 3rd floor, I might feel awkward putting one on for the first time.
But looking at it from the perspective of needing to stand on the front lines, it’s not a choice — it’s a necessity.
“Hey, are there any helmets that make front visibility easy?”
Of course, I shouldn’t do something foolish like sacrificing efficiency against chaos just for head protection.
I needed to avoid any kind of helmet that would severely limit my view or restrict my neck mobility.
Things like the highly regarded Great Helm or Bascinet come to mind.
‘If I can’t dodge attacks I could normally see coming, that defeats the purpose entirely.’
The armory owner seemed to think for a moment after hearing my question, then brought over two types of helmets for me.
“This Barbuta and this Kettle Hat fit your criteria fairly well. Now, take a good look and choose.”
Starting with the Barbuta, this one was a closed helmet that covered the entire head with a T-shaped hole for vision.
Putting it on gave a sense of stability, but it felt a bit constricting despite leaves my eyes, nose, and mouth exposed.
The Kettle Hat, on the other hand… well, when I just picked it up and looked at it, I felt a bit lukewarm.
‘Doesn’t this look like a pot if I just slapped a handle on the side and opened it up?’
But once I tried it on, my preference shifted decisively.
Unlike the Barbuta, it felt lighter and less stifling with practically no limitations to my vision whatsoever.
The protection may be slightly lower by comparison, but it perfectly fit the conditions I was looking for.
After some consideration, I picked up the Kettle Hat and told the owner, “I’ll take this one.”
“A Kettle Hat? That’s a good choice. It protects your head and is relatively light, while the brim effectively blocks downward slashes, making it handy in close combat.”
He stroked his chin as he continued, “Alright, then it’s time to settle up.”
“Since it’s my first purchase and considering Yeriell and Ivelyn, I’ll give you the best deal. All for just 70 silver coins. These are all gear that easily exceed 1 gold coin!”
Judging by his expression, he was serious. After I paid him, I had about 4 gold coins and 40 silver coins left.
“Thank you.”
“Next time you need gear, do come again.”
“And most importantly, do your best to ensure Yeriell doesn’t get hurt. I can’t believe that little kid who used to be so small is now going into the labyrinth…”
“Don’t worry; I’ll protect her!”
“Ugh, I can hear you! What are you two whispering like that for? It’s embarrassing to talk so seriously in front of everyone!”
With Yeriell’s cheeks turning red in irritation, we left the armory while laughing heartily.
“Let’s check around for a general store nearby before we catch the carriage. It’s starting to get a bit dark.”
Luckily, it didn’t take long to find a large general store not too far away.
From the guild training, I recalled hearing that the 1st floor might be dark, so I decided to grab some torches first.
With a bit of surplus cash, I also gathered various supplies, including blankets, sleeping bags, ropes, flint stones, and two bottles of basic healing potions.
“Potions are a bit pricey, you know? All together will be just 12 silver coins.”
Seeing Yeriell and Lumia not saying anything, it looked like the prices were reasonable. I paid right away.
‘I’ll just buy food in a day or two.’
Happily, I took the carriage back to the inn.
Lying down on the bed, I closed my eyes.
‘The Isaac problem has been cleared up, and the gear is ready. Now all that’s left is to dive back into the labyrinth in a few days.’
Let’s not get overly confident just because I’ve escaped the 3rd floor before.
As I thought that, I drifted off to sleep.
*
Two swift days passed, and as soon as the guild training ended, the entrance to the Great Labyrinth began to open!