Chapter 2-4 : They Call Me Scrap Iron Lady (part 1)
The next morning, I walked around the village with Nyat after breakfast.
We visited the equipment shops starting from the closest one to the inn.
「Excuse me, can I buy scrap iron?」(Kako)
「Scrap iron? We have a lot, but… It’s as worthless as trash, you know?」(clerk)
「I know. Can you sell it to me?」(Kako)
「I can sell you cheaply if you want, but why do you need scrap iron?」(clerk)
The clerk looked at me with a confused face.
It seems that not many people want to buy scrap iron.
「I need it for personal use. Please sell me all you have.」(Kako)
「Uhh… I don’t understand what you mean, but, alright.」(clerk)
The clerk scratched his head. He went to the back room and returned with three wooden boxes full of scrap iron.
「How much is it?」(Kako)
「Three copper coins. Is this all you want?」(clerk)
「No. I want to buy all the spears made by apprentices too.」(Kako)
This shop sells weapons, but mostly spears, so I decided to buy all the ones that were made by apprentices. They’re cheap anyway.
「A, All of them!?」(clerk)
The clerk opened his eyes wide. He looked so surprised.
He probably thought I was insane.
「Yup! ーAh, hold on. Do you know the senior apprentices who work at the same workshop as a young female apprentice named Sheila?」(Kako)
「Sheila? …Ah, that tomboyish girl, huh? Yeah, I sell some of her seniors’ spears here.」(clerk)
「So, they sell their products here too, huh? I take back my words. I want to buy all the spears made by apprentices except the ones they made.」(Kako)
「Alright, but do you have a problem with them? Their products are not that bad.」(clerk)
Saying that, the clerk turned his face toward the spears on one of the barrels lined along the wall.
I focused on the marks engraved on the tips of the handles.
I will remember those marks and I swear I will never buy anything with those marks.
「I hate those guys! They bully Sheila!」(Kako)
「I see. I don’t like those guys either. Please wait, I’ll gather all the spears you want to buy.」(clerk)
The clerk gathered all the spears made by apprentices on the counter excluding the ones made by the bullies and counted the total price.
I put the spears and the scrap iron in my magic bag as soon as I paid for them.
From there, I went to the next shop and did the same, buying scrap iron and apprentice-made products.
I wanted to visit all the shops in this village and keep shopping but I couldn’t since the capacity of my magic bag was limited. However, I think I have visited most of the shops here.
After walking around the village, I returned to the inn and began another experiment to level up my skills and make some top-quality items from today’s hunting results.
◆◆◆
「Ah, there she is! Sheila~!」(Kako)
After enjoying the synthesis festival in my room, I went to the workshop where Sheila works.
By the way, I found out where she works from the clerk at one of the shops I visited today.
「Kako!? What are you doing here?」(Sheila)
She seemed surprised by my sudden visit.
「I’ve got something I want to give you.」(Kako)
「You have something for me? What is it?」(Sheila)
「I brought you this.」(Kako)
I took out a wooden box full of iron ore from my magic bag and presented it to Sheila.
「Ah, I see. So you don’t need it after all, huh? But, I’m sorry, I already spent the money you gave me.」(Sheila)
「What are you talking about? Look closely. It’s not the iron ores you sold me yesterday.」(Kako)
「Hm?」(Sheila)
It seems that she thought that it was the box of iron ores and scrap iron I bought from her yesterday, but when she realized that it wasn’t, she opened her eyes and mouth wide.
「Wh… What the hell is this!?」(Sheila)
「Umm, iron ores?」(Kako)
「I know! But… That’s not what I’m asking! I’m talking about the quality of these iron ores! I’ve never seen high-quality iron ores like this!」(Sheila)
「Is that so? This is the top-quality iron ores, by the way.」(Kako)
「T, T, T-Top quality!!??」(Sheila)
Sheila held her head with both hands and shouted.
「Whoa… I never thought someone like you would shout loudly like that.」(Kako)
「Well, you need to be loud if you work in a noisy environment like a blacksmith workshop. No, no. That’s not what we’re talking about now! What on earth are you thinking giving me these top-quality iron ores!? Do you know how expensive they are!?」(Sheila)
「I know they’re expensive, but I want to give them to you since we are friends!」(Kako)
「Huuuhh!?」(Sheila)
I smiled at her as I talked, but she replied to me with an even more surprised face.
「I would be lying if I said that it didn’t make me happy, but… Are you serious!? In the first place, where did you get them? I don’t think the shops or even the miners in this village would sell such precious iron ores to a girl.」(Sheila)
「W, Well… Actually, I bought them from… Another town! Yes, that’s right! I bought them from another town before I came to this village!」(Kako)
Of course, I lied.
There was no way I would tell her that I got them from combining scrap iron worth hundreds of wooden boxes with my Synthesis Skill.
「I see… But, why would you buy iron ores? You’re not a blacksmith, are you?」(Sheila)
「That’s… I, It’s not important, is it? Anyway, I want to give them to you, and I want you to take them.」(Kako)
「I appreciate it, but… Why? You gain nothing if you give them to me.」(Sheila)
It’s true that I gain nothing from it, but I don’t act solely on the basis of profit or loss.
Sheila is a good girl, and I want to help her. But… She is kinda stubborn. I’m afraid she will refuse if I keep saying that I give these iron ores to her because I just want to help her as a friend.
Hmm… I think I should come up with another reason…
「That’s not true. I’m doing this not only because I want to help you as a friend, but also to satisfy my curiosity.」(Kako)
「Satisfy your curiosity? What do you mean?」(Sheila)
「Sheila, you must be a very talented apprentice. If not, your seniors wouldn’t have been wary of you and played a dirty trick on you. I’m curious what kind of product someone talented like you would make with the best materials. Say, Sheila, don’t you want to put all your efforts into making an ultimate product with these top-quality iron ores?」(Kako)
「That’s…」(Sheila)
After I asked her that, she swallowed her saliva as she looked at the top-quality iron ores in the wooden box in front of her.
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