Novel:
Author: Karumi Ayumu
Chapter 10 — The Hero Goes to an Equipment Shop
Ending his battle with his small-fry opponents, the hero returned to the north gate, waving at the gatekeeper and greeting him.
"Gordon, I'm hooome!"
"Oh, Hero, you really did come back right away… Huh, oi! Aren't you covered with gashes all over?!"
The hero smiled, but his pace was unsteady and staggering. "No, well, once I started chasing those amoebas I just couldn't stop. I want to recover now so please tell me the nearest inn… Cough—"
The hero vomited blood!
"Use our barracks! Oi, medic! Medic!"
The hero received treatment from the medic.
"It'll take some time for your strength to recover, so try not to fight anymore today, alright?"
"No."
"Please rest! Alright?!"
"Yes. Though I wanted to level up more… It's such a pain to actually sleep and recover in the inn until tomorrow, isn't it?"
Gordon was at his wits' end watching the hero.
"He's certainly more promising now than before he left….. Just what tragedies happened in that short time?"
"That reminds me, Gordon. These things came out once I defeated the amoebas." The hero brought out the junk he'd picked up from the monsters' remains.
"Is that the belongings of the people eaten by the demons? If it's alright with you, I'll buy them, though I won't pay too much."
"Alright."
The hero received 40 gold.
"Excuse me, I'd like to get my equipment ready so would you tell me where the equipment store is? I'd like to have some medicinal plants."
"That's right nearby. The store used to deal with travelers in the beginning, but it's in decline now so only our troops are using it these days. I'll take you there, I think I can get the prices down a little for you."
"Alright, thank you, Gordon."
The hero headed towards the equipment shop.
"Welcome."
"Hey, old man. Brought you a customer."
"A new recruit?"
"No, he's not a soldier. He's the great Hero our country summoned."
"Oh yes, that's a rumor lately."
"Hello, I'm Hero Yuuto."
"So wouldn't you give him a little extra service? I think he's gonna become a regular from now on. As you can see, his wounds aren't gonna stop anytime soon, unlike ours."
"Hm? What is it?" Covered in wounds, the hero looked blank.
"Hahaha, indeed. It's no use if my inventory goes to waste, so I'll make it cheaper."
"Thank you, old man. Well then, Hero, I'm going to get back to work so please take your time shopping. When you have to sleep, please use our barracks, you can freely use the room we carried you into."
"Thank you for everything, Gordon."
Gordon bid farewell to the hero. The hero began talking to the shopkeeper.
"Well then, I'd like to get some medicinal plants right away. How much is one?"
"Medicinal plants? Can you make the ointment by yourself?"
"Are medicinal plants just the raw ingredients?"
"They're difficult to use if you don't process them in a way you can use right away. How have you been curing your wounds until now?"
"I ate the medicinal plants."
"You ate them?! You didn't chew them up, make them into mash and put them on your wounds?"
"Ah, I should've done that. They were certainly difficult to use."
The storeowner was greatly perplexed.
"Look, this is the ointment."
The shopkeeper showed the hero some ointment in a wooden container but it was a syrupy, yellow ointment. Upon looking closer, the hero realized that it had two layers: the inner part of the box was ceramic, while the outer was wood. It must've been devised that way so the ceramic wouldn't break from a crash.
"It's 50 gold including the container. If you bring your own, it's 30 gold; I'll fill it all up for you."
"Well then, this one please. I'm supposed to use it little by little on all my wounds, right? Not just use it all up in one go."
"Of course. Don't eat it, no matter what. Once it goes stale and turns black, throw it away. Don't be stingy there."
The hero bought the ointment.
"Understood. However…"
"What?"
"I'm not used to shopping, so this is rather difficult, isn't it?"
"This is also my first time having a customer like this……"
But the hero's shopping would go on! Sure enough, that's the shopkeeper's fate!"
"Goddess, what are you saying?"
An angel asked that to the goddess, who was sitting in the heavens talking to herself.
"No, it's nothing. I was just gazing at a peculiar animal on the lower world."
"I see. Thank you very much for working so hard."
Sorry for disappearing for a few weeks, had a bit of trouble there but I’ll hopefully return to posting one chapter a week from now on~ Hope you guys enjoy!