I had no idea if I was relieved or frustrated after I dropped off Cily at her shop again.
We hadn’t even talked about prices and she still managed to kick me out of her shop as she got to work.
In the end she took both massive bones and some malazite I had from Silvia together with the Borearade leather I got.
I turned to the armorer’s and browsed a few shops.
A lot of them were specialized, unlike the game and you could see vastly different styles from what I knew.
I mean none of those shops even existed in Frontier Hunter at all and in-game you simply went to the one smithy and with full UI to choose what you wanted to craft.
Still, there were lots of shops with armorers, blacksmiths and leather workers.
Some shops had open work areas where dozens of people were working.
The roads here were as full as the market’s, if not worse.
Some hunters stumbled around already, while others went in and out of all the shops.
A hunter bumped into me, “Oi!
Bitch you better watch where you step!” He reeked of spirits and his leather armor was barely holding together.
“What ya lookin so dumb for?” He growled at me and my nose wrinkled.
I stepped aside and as I wanted to pass, fully intending to ignore him, he snapped.
“Ya listening?!
Bet ya run back to ya mommas tit now!” He cackled and I felt his hand on my shoulder.
His face leered at me lecherous, hand squeezing my shoulder harder.
He was done for.
I grabbed it and before he knew what was happening, I threw him over my shoulder.
His body crashed into the road’s cobblestone with a painful thud.
‘Fuck,’ was all I thought as I realized he was out cold already.
A few hunters stared at me, but lost interest after one glance at the drunkard.
One of his friends came up and dragged him away glaring at me as if it was my fault his friend was such an asshole.
I stopped at a bigger leather worker’s.
A woman in her twenties sat at a work bench and was cutting very thick monster leather.
She didn’t look up, fully immersed in her work and her black hair fell into her face.
For a few minutes, I simply waited and watched her work.
Her slender fingers straightened out another big piece of leather and she began working on it with a weird looking knife.
It was actually interesting to watch her work.
Sure I’d rather had watched Cily make my bow, but the woman’s enthusiasm had to be respected.
She leaned down, eyes in line with her work and I saw her eyes as they met mine.
They shone like fire opals, almost sparkling.
She got off chair and began to round me, inspecting every inch of my armor.
My eyes followed her and I leaned a bit away when she got even closer.
“Ummm hello?” I asked and got fully ignored by her.
She grabbed my elbow and took a close look at my bracers, “that color!
The stitching!
This is one of Zenon’s works isn’t it?!
The way the reinforced steel is almost seamlessly integrated into the armor!” She got even closer, her fingers running along the belts of my armor.
Too close!
I took a step back, feeling uncomfortable, “could you please not?” Her eyes finally moved to my face and she moved a little aside.
“Oh, sorry.
I didn’t mean to bother you,” she began in a bubbly voice, “but you have to take better care of your armor.
Haven’t you treated the leather after fighting in the cold?” “Huh?” I looked bewildered at her,” how do you know?” “I’m a professional leather worker.
Of course I see it immediately when someone should take better care of their armor,” she told me with a wide happy smile.
“I can serve it for you!
Will take only a few minutes.” My eyes turned down at my cuirass and the leather belts and straps.
It wasn’t the look of someone cute at all.
I checked my bracers and asked, “is it really that bad?” She nodded with a serious look on her face, “if you don’t get it fixed, it could tear in a few years.” “Years?!” I face palmed.
I literally face palmed.
“Then it’s not an issue.
I can just do it later, no?” My eyes moved around her shop, “but do you have armor sets for fights in the snow?” “Whaaaaat?” She drawled out the words as if I had personally offended her, “you have to maintain it!
It’s one of Zenons works and it would be too sad if it broke!” “Fine..” I sighed and began unstrapping all the belts and straps of my cuirass, “how long will it take?” I removed my bracers too and was glad I had my usual under armor clothes on, wearing a bandeau and a leather vest.
I wasn’t overly self conscious, but it was always pretty fresh in Marx.
She took it out of my hands and was in her own world already, but mumbled, “will take a few minutes.
Mountain and winter armors are order only though.” I continued to watch her, especially since she was working on my armor.
She was fast.
So fast I could barely follow what she did to the belts she inspected.
“Done,” she said and she held out my cuirass and bracers.
“Now what was it you were looking for?” I let out a long breath, “my group will fight a Rabbilving soon, so I was looking for something warm.” I shuddered at the thought of having to suffer even one more second freezing.
Hot drinks kept it out of the bones, but having something warm would be a big improvement.
And of course I could take it with me, even if it wouldn’t be used in Meldari, since it was a volcanic area.
A good huntress plans for her future and won’t freeze to death!
“Hmmm…” She fell into thought, eyes moving along rows of leathers and furs, “you got any materials?” “Only Boreagard hides, its poison sac and bones.” Her eyes turned to me, checking my trained build, “forget the bones and hide.
You need something else.” She pulled out a fur, “this is Blurlil fur.
It will keep you warm, even if you went into actual arctic fights.
It’s my last piece and from the old world though.” I touched the dense black fur and it was incredibly soft.
“And that’s enough for a full armor?
How much does it cost?” Sure it was the whole back of the beast, but it didn’t look like it was actually enough for a full armor set.
“Ah,” she gasped as if realizing herself, “but I can make you a coat and some few fur applications for your current cuirass.” Then she pondered, before pointing at me with a wide grin, “and for pay?
Let’s say 45,000 and you part with your Boreagard hides.
Deal?” She laughed, truly happy with her idea.
“Sounds good,” I told her.
The offer seemed fair to me and Blurlil fur was pretty rare.
It actually felt like a good deal.
“Your armor will be done in two or three days, okay?” She explained.
“Payment is due when you’ll retrieve the parts, like anywhere else.
We usually deliver, too, but currently can’t, due to me attending the shop alone,” came her happy voice.
She then finally introduced herself, “I’m Lifra by the way and this is my shop.” My eyes went wide.
This woman had to be in her early twenties and already had her own shop.
Lifra pushed some stray hair out of her face.
“I’m Aria,” I said with a wave of my hand.
“What do I owe you for maintenance?” “5,000 Zenny,” she replied and started to work again.
My armor is still nearby on a workbench.
I paid and with a, “See you in three days then,” and left her shop.
I strolled for a while, but nothing struck my fancy.
So I turned back towards the guild, this time faster, as I remembered the routes the bow maker Cily chose.
‘Maybe I should ask Dana for one of her overcoats when going out again,’ I thought and shivered a little.
Evenings in Marx somehow could get a bit cold, even with the town being underground.
As I came closer to the guild, I suddenly smelled something great and made one last stop.
It was a small food stall mounted onto a cart and it made me almost forget how fresh it was outside.
This world had ramen stalls!
It was like a revelation to me, but it made sense.
The game had ramen, so the world had to have them too.
The ramen stall even was red with the typical franchise logo of one of the game’s collaborations!
‘What the hell is wrong with this world?!’ I internally screamed.