After thinking for a while, I returned to the weapon store that I couldn't afford before.
"Excuse me."
"What, you again? If you don't want to buy something then get lost."
"No, today I've come to buy something and I have the money."
"Ho...?"
"I'm looking for something around 50 silver."
"That's an impressive change from yesterday."
"That's just how things happened to work out."
I went closer to the rude dwarf shopkeeper.
He had the face of a stubborn old guy, but was only about one meter tall. About the same height as that friendly goblin.
"You know how to use a sword?"
"No way."
"Then what can you use?"
"Actually, I wanted to ask you what weapon would be good for a beginner."
"...you want something small for self-protection, then?"
"Yes, more or less."
"OK. Wait here for a minute."
He went to a room behind the counter, probably to look through his inventory.
After a few minutes, he returned with a sword.
"This should do."
"...rather normal, isn't it?"
"That's because it's a normal short sword."
"I see."
(It's called a "short" sword, but it's actually about 80 cm long.)
I had no experience with anything bigger than a kitchen knife, and to a standard corporate wage slave like me, it looked more than dangerous enough.
He handed it to me.
(What am I supposed to do with this? It's kind of scary.)
"Is this made of iron? Steel?"
"Iron? What's that?"
"It's a kind of metal..."
"This is made with Dennis ore from a Dwarvish mine, and I smithed it myself."
"...I see."
(Huh? What kind of mineral is that?)
(Eh, whatever it's made of, it's still a sword.)
"How much is this?"
"20 silver."
(That's cheaper than I expected.)
Most of the price tags I'd seen for similar items had higher prices.
(He must put the fancier stuff out front, but it seems like he has good taste.)
"...something wrong?"
"Eh?"
"I understand. 15 silver, then."
"...OK."
(Nice, I brought the price down!)
My sophisticated negotiation technique was basically the same as saying the wrong price by mistake.
"I'll buy it now, then."
"Do you want a belt and scabbard for an extra silver?"
"Ah, yes."
With that, my search for a weapon was done. I paid with some silver coins and took the sword. I put the belt on, and the sword in the scabbard on that. As I started to leave, the sword was surprisingly heavy, so I stumbled slightly.
"...it doesn't really suit you."
"Yes, I know."
(There's no way I can actually use this thing effectively.)
(But still, it's probably better to have this than nothing. There's some deterrence value in just having a weapon.)
"Thanks. I'll be leaving, then."
"Bring it back here if you chip it, and I'll fix it for one silver."
"Ah, OK."
(Apparently I'll need money for maintenance, too. And it's kind of expensive.)
(If I think about it , then it does that make sense? No, it's just a solid piece of metal. When I think about it that way, maybe I paid too much for this sword. Anyway, I'll try not to have to use it. I don't know how to use it properly, so I'd probably nick it immediately.)
°°°
(Now that I've bought a sword, armor is next. I'm wearing the same clothes as the regular townspeople - not very adventurer-like.)
I decided to at least get some kind of leather armor. I at least wanted to have the right clothes.
(Have a nice cover, even if what's inside is bad. That's the strength of the women I've known.)
As I was thinking that, I arrived at an armor store. The shopkeeper there was another dwarf.
I headed straight for him, and said, "Excuse me, I'm looking to buy armor and footwear and a shield, a complete set."
"...complete set?"
"Yes, a complete set. Something appropriate for an adventurer."
"...what's your budget?"
"Around 20 silver."
"OK."
(The dwarf here is straightforward, too.)
After those few words, he headed to the room behind the counter. After several minutes, he returned carrying several things with both hands.
"How about these?"
"Oh, wow."
It really was a complete set: armor, boots, shield, and something like trousers. The shield was bigger than I expected.
"For what it's worth, they're new. You can see that they're undamaged."
"Indeed."
(I'd thought he was going to warn me that they were secondhand, but apparently not. It seems that 20 gold for a set of armor is about at the boundary between new and used items.)
"Well?"
"I'll take them."
"OK."
I decided to buy them immediately. Not having any way to verify how good the armor was, all I could do is trust in his recommendation.
(I believe in you, Mr. Dwarf!)
Our conversation had been very short, but then, I didn't really want to have a long conversation with a grumpy-looking dwarf. A swift, efficient transaction was fine with me.
I only tried the armor on after buying it, and it turned out that adjustment was unnecessary. Apparently my measurements were fairly typical.
"Bye, then."
"Come back if you get hit. Depending on the condition, I can repair your armor."
"I understand."
I left the armor store, with the dwarf there seeing me off.
°°°
I finally had a complete set of equipment: leather armor, leather boots, a leather shield, and a sword made out of some metal. I felt a petty sense of satisfaction.
(Now what?)
(Uh-oh, now I kind of feel like going off on an adventure.)
As I walked along the main street, in my heart I was jumping.
(Age has nothing to do with excitement! I can just be a middle-aged warrior.)
I still had 77 silver remaining. The inn was one silver and some copper, so I could afford lodging and food for three months easily.
All thanks to that goblin.
(I wonder if they managed to escape safely...)
When I looked up at the sky emotionally, it had turned red. With the sun setting, I felt a sense of satisfaction with my day.
(I guess I'll get some dinner.)
I wandered around, a little unsteady from my new equipment, and found a restaurant that looked good. I ordered their recommended meat dish and beer. When my drink arrived, I did a one-man toast.
Of course, I went to a different restaurant than the day before. I didn't want to have stuff thrown at me again. The food was so-so, and so was the beer. It wasn't a bad dinner.
After eating, I headed back to my inn and slept.