Silence fell over the hall for a moment.
The other two Dwarves stared at Colin and Kase, their eyes filled with disbelief.
They knew about most of the world's monsters.
Among the many low-level monsters, the Winter Wolf wasn't considered particularly strong.
The difficulty, however, lay in their pack-hunting habits and intelligence that surpassed a wild beast's. This made them notoriously difficult to kill, certainly more so than other monsters of the same level.
After all, killing one Winter Wolf meant facing an entire Wolf Pack, perhaps one consisting entirely of Winter Wolves.
The Plate Armor Dwarf sniffed and said, "You killed a Winter Wolf? And without any Armor?"
"Should I pull the Wolf Claws out of my bag?"
"Fine, then. Pull them out and let me see."
"Langgrin!" the black-haired Dwarf sitting in the seat of honor called out.
The Plate Armor Dwarf, now identified as Langgrin, grumbled something and fell silent.
Donkexes spoke up. "So what do you want to learn, human boy?"
"Between Armor and Defense Magic, which is better for survival? For someone at my current level."
"Armor, of course. There aren't many reliable low-level Defense Magic spells."
"Then I'll learn how to use Armor."
Colin thought about the Leather Armor he had at home.
He didn't even know how to properly wear it yet. Learning how to fight in Armor from the Dwarf before him seemed like a pretty good option.
After all, with the two spells he already knew, he wasn't lacking for offensive Magic. The most important thing now was to stay alive.
Donkexes said, "I can see the Arcane Radiance on you. Why not study Magic? Generally speaking, wearing Armor will severely impact the success rate of your Casting.
"You'll need far more talent than others, or you'll have to put in much more effort, just to achieve the same results as other Mages. This could very well affect your future."
"If I go out into the wilds and get shot dead in a ditch by a goblin, I won't have a future either, will I?" Colin said.
Donkexes's beard twitched.
'Was he smiling?' Colin couldn't see the Dwarf's lips, hidden as they were by his beard.
"I have to admit, you're a reasonably clever human. I've met plenty of fools who died young from betting their own lives," Donkexes said, then asked, "And what about this Half-Orc?"
"I'm not learning any of that useless junk from you," Kase said.
"Well, that's just perfect," Langgrin immediately shot back.
While Kase and the Dwarf bickered, Colin handed the Frost Star Grass to Donkexes, who was in charge of medicinal herbs.
The black-haired Dwarf asked, "What do you plan to do with the Winter Wolf's claws and teeth? Don't tell me you threw them away like trash."
"Sell them, of course," Colin said.
"If you're willing to give us the materials for free, we can craft two Magic Items for you. Of course, if you'll pardon my saying so, any leftover materials will naturally be ours to keep."
'Magic Items?'
Hearing those words, Colin instantly perked up.
Even Kase, who had been quite hostile toward the Dwarves, immediately looked at his companion.
Magic Items were extremely rare in this world. Even the cheapest sold for the high price of dozens, sometimes hundreds, of Gold Coins. Finding a seller willing to part with one was difficult enough, let alone having to compete with other bidders.
'And I can get something like that just for some Winter Wolf claws and teeth?'
'Those materials are worth a dozen Gold Coins at most. The values aren't even remotely equal.'
"Are you trying to trick us?" Kase was instantly on guard.
"You have a witness, don't you? As long as the gang is watching, it's not like we can run off," the black-haired Dwarf said.
Colin thought it over carefully.
The gangs were the richest faction in the slums, and they did indeed control the vast majority of its people. Only a few powerful Adventurers could afford to ignore them.
At the same time, many of those powerful Adventurers would accept employment from the gangs and work as their muscle.
'Even if this group of Dwarves can handle the gang's thugs, can they deal with High-tier Adventurers?'
After thinking it through, Colin said, "You have to at least give us a time limit."
"Within two months."
"Deal." Colin took the Winter Wolf claws and teeth from his herb pouch and placed them on the table as well.
Finally, Langgrin hopped off his chair, walked up behind Colin, and tugged on the corner of his clothes. "Let's go."
Kase pulled out a chair and sat down at the table. "I'll wait for you right here, just to make sure these shorties don't try any tricks."
The burly man from the Hundred Eyes Gang remained standing to the side, not saying a word.
"Try not to cause any trouble."
With that, Colin turned and followed the Dwarf.
They walked through several more crooked, winding corridors.
The two of them arrived at a well-equipped training ground.
"Where did you get all this stuff? Aren't you short on money?" Colin asked, surveying the area. The Dwarf's earlier attitude made him feel no need to be overly polite.
"Private sponsorship," Langgrin bellowed. "Now let's get started. Show me what this human hero is made of! What kind of Armor do you have?"
"Ordinary Leather Armor, the kind village Guards wear."
Langgrin turned, walked to a corner, and brought out a suit of Cotton Armor and a suit of Leather Armor.
Both sets of Armor were human-sized and very old; they looked like they'd seen many years of use.
"First, never wear any Armor directly over your clothes. It's best to wear Cotton Armor or Armed Clothing as padding underneath to keep it from chafing your skin raw."
"Second, understand your Armor. Know which parts to take a hit on when facing a threat."
"Third, understand your enemy's Armor. Know their weak points and the best way to deal with different types of armor."
The Dwarf rattled on, his serious and diligent manner a stark contrast to his earlier harsh and irritable demeanor. He seemed like a completely different person.
Not wanting to dwell on it, Colin carefully committed the Dwarf's words to memory.
When he finished, Langgrin tossed the Cotton Armor and Leather Armor to him. "Now for practice. Put them on."
Colin caught the Armor.
After a moment's hesitation, he clumsily began to put on the Cotton Armor.
The Cotton Armor was thick and had almost no give. Once it was on, he could feel his arm movements were slightly restricted. He had to tie the laces on both sides of his torso to make the Armor fit snugly.
After struggling into it, Colin picked up the Leather Armor.
Langgrin, who was standing to the side, immediately interrupted. "First, you need to check the condition of the Armor, especially the leather straps. Believe me, you won't be happy if a strap breaks in the middle of a fight.
"If there are cracks on the straps, or on the Armor itself, that means it needs maintenance..."
The Dwarf went on to explain many other things.
As he put on the Armor, Colin committed everything the Dwarf said to memory.
The first thing he noticed after putting it on was the weight.
This suit of Armor weighed a dozen or so pounds. The weight was distributed across his limbs and shoulders, making him feel as if he had sandbags tied to his arms and legs and was wearing a weighted vest.
The next thing he noticed was the strange smell of the leather itself.
It was a mix of grease, damp earth, and mildew—a thoroughly unpleasant odor.
Finally, there was a stuffy, suffocating feeling, like wearing a raincoat on a hot day.
"How does it feel?"
"Not very comfortable," Colin said, moving his arms a bit.
"It's not supposed to be comfortable," Langgrin said. "None of you human whelps know how to wear Armor, do you? Even my son wears it better than you!"
With that, he walked over and loosened a few of the straps on Colin's Armor.
"Squat, swing your arms, take deep breaths... Don't let the Armor restrict these movements. And don't let it creak when you move. Being quiet is one of the few advantages Leather Armor has left."
Colin moved around a bit.
Only after confirming that none of the problems the Dwarf had mentioned were occurring did he stop moving.
"Seriously, how on earth did you kill a Winter Wolf?" Langgrin started muttering again. "With just a sword?"
"Pure luck. The beast stepped into one of our traps."
This honest answer made Langgrin pause for a moment.
"Luck is an undeniable part of battle. The Deity of War doesn't alter the outcome just because the loser was unlucky," he said. "That means you truly are a formidable man for having hunted a Winter Wolf."
'This Dwarf is so contrary,' Colin thought. 'I have no idea what goes on in their heads.'
"Alright, now for the main event." Langgrin's expression turned serious. "Which is, how to use your Armor when facing an attack."