Chapter 30: Violet. – 2
Volcan stared gloomily at the pile of scrap that used to be a training dummy.
Sure, I had accidentally destroyed it, but did he really have to look that dejected?
Was that really just “a little” too much force?
The thing had been completely reduced to nothing.
He sighed heavily.
Still, he was part of the Adventurer’s Guild.
He wouldn’t hold it against me, right?
A high-ranked adventurer like Volcan wouldn’t be that petty.
Then again…
That thing was pretty expensive.
And technically, he was the one who forced this test on me.
I had done nothing wrong!
“Haa… The guild leader is going to chew me out again.”
“Well, it can’t be helped.”
“…The guy who broke it says that so shamelessly…”
Volcan sighed again, exasperated.
Then, as if shaking off his frustration, he turned to me.
“But seriously, kid… you really are an expert-level archer.”
“Is that so?”
“But there’s one issue. That violet lightning of yours—it’s way too flashy.”
I silently nodded.
It wasn’t great for stealth.
But for long-range interception?
There was nothing better.
“This time, attack me.”
“With everything I’ve got?”
“…Why do you look so excited all of a sudden? No, that last attack is off-limits.”
“Tch.”
“Did you just click your tongue at me?”
“Nope. Fine, I’ll try a sneak attack.”
I erased my presence and melted into the shadows.
Volcan watched with a look of admiration.
It’s broad daylight, so this isn’t ideal…
Even so, Thief’s Pinnacle completely concealed my position.
Volcan closed his eyes, standing still.
Hoo…
I sank deeper into the darkness.
To be honest, I wasn’t confident I could land a clean hit on Volcan.
My archery still isn’t good enough for that.
I focused.
Thief’s Pinnacle granted me near-supernatural dexterity.
Even the sound of the bowstring being drawn was completely silent.
I took aim.
Whoosh!
A nearly inaudible sound as the arrow sliced through the air.
Aimed straight for Volcan’s head.
“Not bad, kid.”
As expected, it was useless.
Tch, a miss.
“No… ‘not bad’ isn’t quite enough.”
Volcan looked impressed.
“Erme told me you were at least a Rank 3 Archer, so I had some expectations—”
“And?”
“You exceeded them. If you keep this up, I’d trust you to cover my back one day.”
“Not really interested in that.”
“Heh. Yeah, you don’t exactly seem like the social type.”
This old man…
I shot Volcan a dull look, but he just grinned.
“Alright, let’s pick out a bow. I’ll get you something you’ll like.”
“What kind?”
“A longbow.”
“A longbow, huh?”
“When you attacked, I noticed something. That violet arrow of yours was powerful, but your silent shots lacked force. You’re too quiet—so you should make up for it with a stronger hit.”
Erme nodded in agreement with Volcan’s reasoning.
She also seemed to think a longbow would be a better fit for me.
Well, I might as well trust the experts.
Even Thief’s Pinnacle seemed to agree.
A longbow was probably the right choice.
“Alright, let’s go pick one—”
“Wait a second!”
“Hm? What is it? If you’ve got something to say, say it quick.”
At Volcan’s words, Erme pulled out a cloth bundle.
At first glance, it looked like nothing special.
Just an ordinary piece of fabric.
But something’s off.
My instincts told me.
That cloth was definitely not ordinary.
Volcan narrowed his eyes, staring at the cloth bundle.
“This is…?”
“When Yuseong and I first arrived at The Cradle, we were ambushed by Seed Gatherers. We found this there.”
“…Tch. So those bastards are still lurking around?”
Volcan’s face twisted in irritation.
Ah, right—Erme had mentioned that someone would eventually explain the nails.
Was that supposed to be Volcan?
Well, if it was him, then I could probably trust what he had to say.
From what I had observed so far, he was one of the more reliable people around here.
“So, what exactly is it?”
“You should see for yourself.”
Erme unfolded the cloth.
Revealing.
A nail of unknown origin.
Just looking at it gave off an eerie feeling.
Volcan stared at it, his expression unreadable.
“You said Seed Gatherers, right?”
“Yes. The guild involved with scavengers. The one we fought was a Level 2 mage named Han Ul.”
Erme’s voice trembled slightly as she spoke.
Why is she so shaken?
Volcan was frowning, but…
He’s releasing his aura.
Aura?
I hadn’t noticed any particular movement from him.
Then again.
…It’s not that I can’t feel it.
Subconsciously, my own aura was pushing back against Volcan’s.
Erme had been trembling at first, but now she seemed fine.
She must have known how to use aura as well.
Is aura really that common?
What nonsense!
Only an extremely small number of people can wield aura!
The fact that you’re using it right now is completely abnormal!
Rishiel practically screamed in my head.
…She probably had a point.
One of us was a Sword King, a top-tier adventurer.
One of us was a monster who could challenge that level.
And then there was me.
The guy exploiting the system.
Looking at it that way, wielding aura didn’t seem like such a big deal.
While I was lost in thought, Volcan closed his eyes.
Then, he looked at both me and Erme.
“As a member of the Adventurer’s Guild, I want to thank you. I had no idea those bastards were still around.”
He smirked coldly and extended his hand to me.
“Show this to the workshop master. He’ll personally recommend the best bow and arrows for you.”
I had expected Volcan to guide me himself.
But given the circumstances, I decided to just accept it.
“In addition, I’ll cover up to 100 arrows for you.”
Tap, tap.
Erme nudged me and silently demanded that I nod.
So, I quickly nodded.
“And take this as well.”
“……Holy shit.”
The moment Volcan handed me something, Erme completely dropped her usual speech.
That’s rare.
She never spoke informally.
“Ahem, thank you. Not that I was expecting a reward, but—”
“Oh? Want me to take it back?”
“Whoa there! No way! The great Sword King gave me this, I’ll accept it gratefully!”
“Good. At least you’re honest.”
With that, Volcan disappeared.
Literally.
I blinked once.
And he was gone.
No traces of magic, no lingering mana.
Which meant.
He actually ran out of here on foot.
That old man’s a real monster.
I shook my head and looked down at what Volcan had left me.
“100 arrows, huh?”
That was about three full quivers.
If he placed a limit on it, that probably meant…
These arrows are insanely expensive.
Since arrows were small, modifying them likely took a lot of work.
Well, whatever.
In a good mood, I headed off to do some shopping.
Returning to the workshop, I found the place packed with adventurers.
I pulled my hood down low and headed toward the counter.
“How can I help you?”
“I was told to show this.”
I handed over the emblem Volcan had given me.
The staff member’s eyes widened in shock.
Immediately, they straightened up and greeted me with a respectful tone.
“We’ve confirmed your First-Class Recommendation Letter. What would you like to look at?”
“I was told I could buy a bow and 100 arrows.”
“100 arrows?”
The employee’s eyes widened again.
Erme quickly stepped in, showing the proof from Volcan.
“Oh, so you’re with the Sword King. Understood. I’ll assist you in purchasing a sword, a bow, and 100 arrows.”
With that, the staff member led us upstairs.
Unlike the crowded first floor, the second floor was quiet.
But nearly every adventurer up here was wearing insanely expensive gear.
I must have been staring a little too much.
Because Erme leaned in and whispered to me.
“The second floor is only for real adventurers.”
“Real adventurers?”
“Yeah. These are the ones the Adventurer’s Guild actually invests in. Unlike those who could turn into scavengers at any moment, these people receive careful support. And now that we’re here… that includes us too.”
Erme smiled brightly.
Then, she tugged at my arm.
“Come on, that one looks nice! Want to check it out?”
She pulled me toward a sleek, black-glossed bow.
“This is a bow used by Rank 3 Specialist Archers. It has a strong draw weight, so you need a lot of strength to—”
She glanced at me.
With my strength, I’d probably be fine.
“Can I try drawing it?”
“Of course.”
The employee nodded politely.
I picked up the bow and pulled the string.
Creaaaaak.
It was tough.
But not impossible.
About twice as hard as my old bow.
This bow was powerful, but silencing it completely would be difficult.
Still, I could minimize the noise.
It felt right.
I nodded in satisfaction, and the staff member smiled brightly.
“Then shall we check out the arrows?”
“What type are you looking for?”
“Do you have arrows that pair well with a longbow?”
“We have enchanted arrows as well.”
“Magical arrows… Hmm, I don’t think Yuseong needs those. He’d benefit more from high-quality metal arrows.”
“Then how about Moonsilver arrows?”
“Wait, you actually have those?”
“We have about ten. We also have Radiant Stone arrows… and—”
“What about Starmetal arrows? Even just a few?”
“We have some. In that case…”
Erme and the staff got deep into conversation.
I couldn’t fully keep up, but Thief’s Pinnacle helped me piece things together.
Radiant Stone absorbs light, making it excellent for stealth and assassinations.
Moonsilver possesses a purifying power that cleanses evil.
Starmetal is an ultra-rare material infused with starlight.
It’s ten times stronger than regular steel and has extreme elasticity.
The price, however, is over 100 times that of normal metal.
Because Starmetal is so rarely produced, its value is astronomical.
Thanks to selling out Volcan, I ended up with some ridiculously expensive arrows.
“70 Radiant Stone arrows, 10 Moonsilver arrows, and 20 Starmetal arrows. That will be 30 gold coins.”
I groaned internally.
That’s an absurd amount of money.
And that was just for the arrows.
When I asked about the bow’s price, the employee gave me a polite, yet unsettling, smile.
“The bow costs 50 gold coins.”
“…Weapons for adventurers are insanely expensive.”
“Well, at this level, it’s comparable to Champion’s Sword.
Which meant I had just spent 50 gold in an instant.
My earnings from the last labyrinth run almost disappeared in one go.
Meeting Volcan had truly been a blessing.
After purchasing the bow and arrows, Erme also bought a sword.
A backup weapon, she claimed—
But it looked incredibly refined and well-crafted.
“It’s just a spare, but it’s the best sword I can use right now.”
She mentioned that it suited her better than Champion’s Sword.
With our shopping complete, we headed back to the inn.
I lounged on the inn’s bed, completely relaxed.
For the first time in a while, I was getting proper rest.
A well-deserved, sweet break.
I woke up lazily the next morning.
I had a delicious breakfast, then wandered around town with Erme in the afternoon.
…Now that I think about it, Erme’s been paying for everything.
From an outsider’s perspective, did I look like some freeloading kept man?
Is this… the life of a kept man?
Realizing this made me feel a little guilty.
But at the same time.
It felt… really…
Good.
Honestly, I wouldn’t mind playing the role of a kept man for ten years or so.
Okay, maybe not.
Erme was investing in me, after all.
After a full day of relaxing, Sunday arrived.
Today, our party—including Rozanté—was supposed to enter the labyrinth again.
But then.
“The labyrinth is closed?”
Apparently, something major had happened.