Setting down her forging hammer and leaving the workbench, Tsubaki looked up and caught sight of Fati leaning against the doorframe, her eyebrows twitching involuntarily.
However, the figure appearing behind Fati instantly seized her full attention.
It wasn’t because of the girl’s startling beauty, though she was indeed dazzling.
What truly caught Tsubaki’s interest was the clear and dignified aura radiating from her.
And…
the unprecedented fact that this fellow Fati actually had a companion!
In Tsubaki’s impression, Fati was a complete lone wolf.
Let alone a fixed teammate, she had never even seen him with a temporary partner or a hired Supporter.
This sudden change piqued her intense curiosity.
“And this is?” She raised an eyebrow.
“Aren’t you going to introduce her?”
A faint, barely perceptible curve of pride hooked the corner of Fati’s mouth as he introduced her: “Jeanne D’Arc, a new member of our Familia.”
Just as she thought!
Tsubaki wore an “I knew it” expression, while also understanding the purpose of Fati’s visit.
“I see.” She nodded knowingly.
“You’re here to customize weapons and armor for Miss dArc, right?
Don’t worry…
for the sake of our old friendship, I’ll give you a discount, though not a big one.”
A discount?
Fati muttered inwardly, but his face was piled with smiles.
“Then I’ll trouble you.
This is the conceptual sketch of the armament I designed for her.
Of course, you’re the professional, so please advise if anything is unreasonable.”
Tsubaki took off her gloves, accepted the notebook Fati handed over, and began flipping through it.
As she looked, she couldn’t help but click her tongue in wonder: “You drew this?
I didn’t think you had this in you.
Hmm…
the sketches are well-drawn, and the aesthetics are up to standard.
It’s much better than those crude old men in our Familia who only know how to strike iron.”
Fati smiled without a word.
Skill:
[Scholars Learning Heart]
Increases temperament.
Diligence compensates for lack of talent; effort will be rewarded.
Increases academic ability and artistic talent (Learning, Comprehension, Analysis, Calculation, Aesthetics, Imagination, Insight, Conceptualization, etc.); Refinement: used magic and techniques become more delicate, improving appearance and effects; performance and appearance of worn armaments are improved;
…With the support of the [Scholars Learning Heart] skill, combined with various illustrations of Jeanne from his memory, the conceptual sketches in Tsubaki’s hands were born.
As for whether it was reasonable as combat armament, that wasn’t his concern.
Turning a conceptual sketch into a professional design was the job of this top-tier blacksmith; Tsubaki would naturally make adjustments based on his foundation.
“Of course, don’t underestimate my aesthetics.”
Tsubaki clicked her tongue twice and handed the sketches to Jeanne D’Arc, who had been watching quietly: “Miss dArc, you take a look too.
If you’re satisfied, we’ll start work.”
Jeanne D’Arc took the parchment, her gaze falling on the hand-drawn draft designs, and was instantly captivated.
A strange sense of compatibility arose spontaneously, as if this equipment was meant to belong to her.
“No problem, this is good.”
“Then let’s get to work.” Seeing Jeanne nod, Tsubaki took out a measuring tape and began carefully measuring various parts of Jeanne’s body to collect data.
“Alright, come back in two days,” Tsubaki instructed while recording.
“After the mold is made, I’ll need you to try it on so I can make fine adjustments.
If there are no issues, we’ll finalize the template.”
“Alright, I’ll trouble you, Miss Cobrand,” Jeanne replied politely.
“It’s no trouble, I’m running a business.”
“…”
Seeing the “shady merchant” smile on Tsubaki’s face, alarm bells rang in Fati’s head.
“Don’t you dare scam me.
We can’t afford Second or Third-tier armaments.
The price for both weapon and armor must be kept within 200,000 Valis.”
Tsubaki Collbrande: “?”
200,000?
Fati’s self-righteous look left Tsubaki dumbfounded.
She had seen shameless people, but never one this shameless!
Did he really think she, a top-tier blacksmith of Orario, had no temper?
“Ha?
200,000 Valis?!” Tsubaki’s voice suddenly rose: “Who are you trying to fool!
My labor fee alone for one job is more than that!”
“But isn’t my armor something you forged?” Fati immediately countered with an innocent face.
“Back then, I got it for only 49,900 Valis!”
Despicable!
That was clearly a defective piece she made for practice using scraps, and he had just happened to pick it up at a bargain!
How could that be compared to a proper custom order?!
Tsubaki was almost driven to laughter by anger.
“Weapon and armor, nothing less than 500,000!” she said decisively.
500,000!?
Fati’s expression changed drastically.
This was [Fourth-tier Armament] for a Lv.1 Adventurer; the high price completely exceeded his psychological limit.
“Dear Miss Tsubaki~” Fati immediately switched to a fawning tone.
“Our relationship is so solid, for the sake of my face as an old acquaintance…”
“You don’t have any damn face!” Tsubaki interrupted mercilessly.
“…”
Jeanne D’Arc stood to the side helplessly, watching the two of them go back and forth, spit flying in a fierce haggling match, looking as if they might roll up their sleeves and start fighting the next second.
Finally, after half an hour of “friendly consultation” and “in-depth communication.”
In the end, Fati, who was the one asking for a favor, dejectedly lowered his head and painfully paid 499,900 Valis.
Breakdown:
*Weapon: 299,900 (Custom Flag-Spear + One-handed Ceremonial Sword)
*Armor: 200,000 (Plate Armor Set: Circlet, Gorget, Gauntlets, Greaves, Waist Armor)
Plus three self-selected training weapons as a bonus.
It could be said to be “full of sincerity.”
In Tsubaki’s words, since she had to ensure combat strength while also accounting for the aesthetic effects in Fati’s design, the technical difficulty surged and the process became tedious—so naturally, the price had to increase!
“Pay up.” Tsubaki held out her palm in front of Fati.
Fati slowly pulled out his wallet, slowly counted the money, and slowly held the money bag…
suspended above Tsubaki’s palm, hesitating to let go.
“Tsk tsk, look at that pained expression,” Tsubaki teased.
“As an Adventurer, being this stingy won’t do.”
She reached out to take the money bag from Fati’s hand, but it didn’t budge when she pulled.
“?”
Tsubaki’s mouth twitched.
Seeing Fati’s reluctant gaze as if his flesh were being cut, she snorted coldly and suddenly exerted force to snatch the money bag away!
“Hmph, a mere 500,000, who are you putting on a show for?
Miser…” she grumbled while quickly counting the money.
“…”
A mere 500,000?
Fati roared internally.
As expected of a top-tier blacksmith of Orario, it’s easy to talk when it’s not your money!
“Hiss…
do you know how important Valis is to me!
This is my blood and sweat…”
Fati was just about to start his “chanting” when he was impatiently interrupted by Tsubaki: “Fine, fine, you should be laughing in secret that you can get me to work for this little money.
You’re getting a bargain and still acting like a victim.”
The chanting stopped abruptly, and Fati could only offer a sheepish smile: “Sigh, then you must put in a lot of heart, Tsubaki.”
“Do you even know who I am?
Do you need to tell me that?” Tsubaki rolled her eyes and pointed to a wooden barrel by the door: “Pick the training weapons yourself.
Once you’re done, leave quickly, don’t delay my work!”
“…”
Why did these words sound a bit familiar?
Seeing that Tsubaki had already quickly immersed herself in her work, it wasn’t good for him to say more.
At this time, Jeanne gently pulled his sleeve and gestured with her eyes.
Fati nodded.
With the mindset of not letting a bargain go to waste, Fati took an Ironwood Gryphon Sword, and Jeanne chose a long spear.
Then, considering the change in combat style, Fati added an Ironwood Long Staff to practice staff techniques.
Having secured the freebies, the two prepared to take their leave.
“Then Jeanne’s armor is in your hands; I’ll come back in a few days.
Oh, and my armor…”
“I haven’t forgotten, just come pick it up in a few days.” Tsubaki didn’t even look up.
“OK!”
Before leaving, Jeanne bowed solemnly to Tsubaki.
Her elegant and proper manner made Tsubaki grumble inwardly: What kind of dog-shit luck did Fati have to recruit a partner like Jeanne?
…After finishing the main business, it was still early.
After discussing with Jeanne, Fati decided to head straight to the open-air market in the Sixth District.
The Sixth District, the commercial heart of Orario.
This area is filled with trading zones, large warehouses, and merchant houses, serving as the city’s primary window for external trade.
Foreign merchant Guilds, traveling merchants, and noble procurement representatives can be seen everywhere.
However, because of its unique nature, it is a melting pot of all sorts of people, making the environment relatively complex and chaotic.
As such, it is a key surveillance zone for the Gendarmerie, who maintain order in the city.
Walking through the bustling and vibrant streets, feeling an atmosphere completely different from the [Retailer] district, Jeanne dArc marveled from the bottom of her heart, “It’s so lively!
Compared to the orderly nature of the [Retailer] district, this place has more…
life to it.”
The streets of the Free Market were clean and tidy, and the layout of the marketplace was busy but not chaotic.
Neat buildings lined both sides of the road, with stalls and shops arranged in an orderly fashion.
Vendors and shop assistants enthusiastically called out to passing customers, their cries rising and falling in an endless chorus.
With the mindset of’since I’m already here,’ Fati also wanted to take the opportunity to browse around and see if there were any novel snacks he could try.
“Hmm?” While accompanying Jeanne dArc on a leisurely stroll through the market’s snack street, Fati noticed a crowd suddenly gathering ahead and looked over curiously.
“You there, stop right where you are!”
In the distance, a panicked figure was trying to bolt through the dense crowd, but he had clearly overestimated his own agility.
In such a crowded market, how could one simply accelerate at will?
Sure enough, before he could even take a few steps, he was knocked to the ground by a sharp flying side-kick from an agile red-haired girl behind him, who then proceeded to pin him down firmly!
“What happened?” Jeanne dArc, who was picking out oranges, noticed Fati’s unusual reaction and followed his gaze.
Fati felt a bit absurd at the moment; what was he seeing?
“This…
Orario has ‘zero-yuan purchases’ too?
I’ve really seen it all now,” he couldn’t help but complain.
Jeanne dArc didn’t understand the meaning of “zero-yuan purchase”; her attention was completely captured by the heroic red-haired woman, and she whispered in surprise:
“Is that…
the Astrea Familia?”
It might not seem tempting right nobut who knows what the future holds?
“And If you’re enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!”