Episode 8.6

Lecan was shocked to find his body aching all over and feeling very languid when he woke up the next day. But when he thinks about it, he did go through a series of battle in which he couldn't afford to lose focus at all on Golbul Dungeon's lower stratum, and the battle against Great Ogre in the lowest floor was absolutely one where he mustered up his everything to overcome.

In consideration of his body's demand for rest, that day Lecan spent all day napping besides for breakfast and light dinner. He was told to get out of his room on noon, but he paid an additional day for his room. Chaney's subordinate dropped by to deliver potions' money in the evening. He stowed it inside <Storage> without counting.

The morning after, he thought his body would have gotten better by then, but instead it felt even heavier than yesterday. He paid the room for this day as well and spent all day sleeping.

By third day, his body could finally move even though it still felt sluggish. Rather, despite the sluggishness, he felt overflowing life force welling up from deep within his body.

Lecan spent this day strolling in downtown. He sat down in an open space and spaced out while gazing at every person who came and went.

He took a look at weapon and armor stores.

He also visited the store where he got rebuked by the storekeeper for appraising the weapons there last time. A customer was asking about swords displayed in the shopwindow, the storekeeper courteously gave a detailed explanation to him. Since Lecan has seen many swords in his life, he thinks himself as a competent sword connoisseur even without the use of Appraisal. He thought the storekeeper was mostly right in his explanation.

However, Lecan found that the sword he appraised back then had a lower valuation on durability than he thought it had. Though it's better than the storekeeper telling it higher than the real value, Lecan was curious about the reason for the imprecise valuation.

"Ain't ya the guy who was appraising my stuff openly back then."

"Yea."

The shopkeeper gazed at Lecan from top to bottom.

"You must be quite a skilled adventurer eh."

"Yea."

"However, yer' an amateur with <Appraisal> aintcha?"

"Yea."

"Hold still fer' a bit."

The storekeeper brought back a sword from the store's back.

"Try appraising this."

Lecan did as he was told.

It's an ordinary steel sword. It's not a defective good but neither is it anything of note in particular.

"Then try to appraise only the grip."

Appraising while concentrating on the grip, Lecan found out that its grip had loosened up, the sword was about to slip out of its handle.

"OK now try appraising this sword as a whole once again."

After doing that, he found the Durability value had been greatly lowered.

"Seems ya got it huh. Next, these two."

The storekeeper brought two swords.

"Try appraising only these two swords' Durability values."

One of the sword has a sharp thin tip. The other one has a thick blade and a dull tip.

Looking at the Durability values, the one with a thin tip is higher.

"Next try appraising their durability against side impacts."

Lecan appraised while being surprised to find that was possible. Appraisal result, the swords' Durability values have been reversed.

"Ya gotta be fully aware of what ya wanna appraise. Doing it haphazardly will only get ya Durability for general usage of that sword and how much it's been used. But there's so many ways ya could use a sword. And that's something unique with every customer. Us storekeepers gotta explain a sword's performance while keeping in mind how that customer gonna use that sword."

The storekeeper put away the swords Lecan appraised back in the store.

"A well-experienced appraiser ya see, will appraise each sword from all angles and conditions before putting out a comprehensive assessment."

"I see."

"But a true master appraiser appraises a sword in one glance. Besides, you've gotta got the insight to fathom what kind of appraisal ya need just by looking at a sword."

"Storekeeper, so you can use <Appraisal> too."

"Heck naw. I woulda use <Appraisal> to put food on the table if I could do that. That line of work is far more profitable 'fter all. But, it don't matter whether ya run an appraisal shop or a weapon shop, ya still hafta work your way up. Yer' gonna find yerself in a world of hurt if ya think talent alone will get you by in this world."

"Got it. That was very educational."

Lecan turned his back on the storekeeper after saying that.

He was going to leave the store just like that, but he changed his mind and turned around.

"Shopkeeper."

"What."

"Show me the best sword you got in this store."

"Best swooord? Well I don't mind just showin' ya. What type of sword yer' using?"

"A versatile long sword. I do slashes and blows with it. Also sweeping slashes with slanted blade. Also to guard side attacks at times. And to cut rocks and iron."

"Cutting rocks and irooon? We don't have that kinda crazy sword, but hold on fer' a bit."

Lecan immediately knew the sword the storekeeper brought back after a moment was not an ordinary sword.

"It got no graces cuz it ain't no dungeon item tho'. It's a sword smithed by a master blacksmith called Rusk who's kicked the bucket already. Ya ain't gonna find 'nuther sword this balanced. This thing can do everything ya asked fer'. Complete with thrustin'."

Lecan stared hard at the sword. Stared hard at its workmanship as well. It's a good sword, he thought.

It looks quite similar to his broken sword.

More than 20 swords reside in Lecan's <Storage>, but every one of them are special like being made from rare materials or possessing special ability, none is an ordinary sword like this one. His trusty sword was the best sword there was for an ordinary sword, all the more with <Self-Restoration> it had, hence he didn't find any value in other ordinary swords of inferior quality.

This one doesn't have a Grace indeed. Curiously enough, he knew even without appraising the sword.

"How much."

"Six gold coins."

"Bought."

"Eh?"

Lecan fetched six gold coins, put them on the counter, took the sword off the dumbfounded shopkeeper, and put it on his waist before leaving the store.

Once he was in his inn room after a meal, he tried appraising the sword he just bought.

<TLN: If you're reading this novel at any other site than Sousetsuka.com you might be reading an unedited, uncorrected version of the novel.>

<Name: Sword of Rusk>

<Type: Sword>

<Offense: A bit high>

<Sharpness: A bit good>

<Durability: Perfect>

Surprisingly enough, results of appraisal were mostly similar to his trusty sword's except for the lack of <Self-Restoration>. Lecan had an unbelievably good luck for having bought this sword for merely six gold coins.

However, since it doesn't have <Self-Restoration>, he will need to do regular maintenances on it, over time its durability will degrade regardless and eventually break. With how Lecan fights his battle, it's simply an unavoidable eventuality.

This sword's Durability value is <Perfect>, but that's in regard to this sword itself, the material it's made from cannot escape its limit.

Lecan has a need for a new sword.

A special sword made from special materials that can withstand Lecan's way of wielding it. He needs a sturdy weapon that can withstand a swing with all his might put while being reinforced by <Guardian Gem of Zana>.

Just where can he get his hand on a sword like that.