Shall I do it?
After that conversation with Violet, we parted ways. She had more to do in Ehrenberg. I didn't know the city very well, so I let her be. There were probably things I didn't know about.
Leaving the blacksmith to his work, I decided to take a break. It was going to take a while.
“What should I do…”
Personally, my only hobby was browsing the forums.
Life in this medieval world was basically boring. That's why I spent all day on the forums, chatting away, when I was living as a beggar.
So, as usual, I logged onto the forum. It was still very active.
There were people from all walks of life on the forum, and many of them had jobs that didn't involve face-to-face interaction. For example, wizards, and, well, beggars.
You might think beggars interact with people a lot, and you’d be half right. We meet a lot of people, but we don't really connect with them emotionally. We only speak for the sake of survival.
“...I used to spend a lot of time on the forum back then.”
Really, back then, I spent all day on the forum except when I was begging. I didn't have any money, so there was nothing else to do.
With that thought, I made a post on the forum. Unlike the forums in my original world, the forums in this world allowed for conversations on any topic. So, I wrote casually.
[Author: ReallyDirtPoor]
[Title: Are there still a lot of beggars in Lukphelton these days?]
[Content: Just curious lol]
As soon as I posted it, comments started pouring in. It was a bit embarrassing to say it myself, but I was quite well-known on the forum. That's probably why I got so many comments.
I checked the comments.
L: Yeah, there are still a lot.
L: There are always beggars where there are people.
ㄴ: True.
L: The richer the neighborhood, the more beggars there are.
ㄴ: But if it's a really rich neighborhood, there are no beggars lol.
ㄴ: True lol.
L: I doubt there are any in Lukphelton District 1.
ㄴ: They get caught right away there.
ㄴ: True.
ㄴ: Isn't it impossible for beggars to even get into Lukphelton District 1 in the first place?
ㄴ: If you're begging in Lukphelton District 1, it's a gimmick lol.
“...They still exist.”
I knew they would, but… They were still there. I felt a strange pang of… not sympathy, exactly, when I thought about how many people must have gone through the same thing I did.
If they wanted to escape being a beggar, they could just get a job. Of course, I was too lazy for that and just kept begging.
Thinking these thoughts, I moved on to the next post. I didn't want to hog the limelight; if I posted too much, the other forum users might get annoyed.
I wasn't the type to care much about what other people thought, but I used the forums a lot, so I tried not to draw too much attention to myself.
[Author: DieIllegally]
[Title: The battlefield is so boring these days lol]
[Content: Why aren't they fighting????? It would be more fun if they fought.]
L: This guy's a traitor.
ㄴ: Traitor (not my country)
ㄴ: LOL
ㄴ: But he's right, who cares if this world burns lol.
L: War is best when there's no fighting in the first place.
ㄴ: No way, watching movies is the most fun when there's fighting.
ㄴ: You haven't seen a movie in over a year, what are you talking about lol.
ㄴ: True lol.
ㄴ: He talks like he just saw a movie.
L: You don't always have to fight in a war.
ㄴ DieIllegally: But it's more fun when you do.
ㄴ: That's how the little guys get killed.
ㄴ DieIllegally: That's true.
If I remembered correctly, this person was a great mage.
And they loved war this much?
Silvia would have a thing or two to say about that.
As I thought that, I added my own comment.
L ReallyDirtPoor: What do you do in the war then?
A reply came instantly.
ㄴ DieIllegally: It's not that important, but…
ㄴ DieIllegally: I'm just testing out magic.
ㄴ ReallyDirtPoor: Oh, I see.
Testing out magic was fun. The more you used magic, the more proficient you became. I had used magic many times myself while traveling. It was even better if the opponent was strong.
Thinking about it like that, I could understand why this person would say such a thing. Perhaps mages had a way of understanding each other.
"I should look around a bit."
I felt strange just sitting around browsing the forum when I had come all the way to Ehrenberg. So, I decided to look around a bit.
“I wonder what there is to see…”
I flipped my robe back on and started walking down the street I passed numerous magic tool shops. I glanced into each one as I went.
But—
‘..Nothing good.’
There was nothing good for my level.
If I wanted a magic tool that was right for me, I would have to have it custom-made.
Of course, that would cost an astronomical amount of money.
Still, it was fun to look at the magic tools. I could figure out how they were made and how to destroy them with mana.
For me, it was like getting free knowledge.
I hated studying, but I didn't hate it enough to avoid a situation where knowledge was being practically handed to me.
So I continued to wander the streets, acquiring knowledge about magic tools. Then, I saw a very shabby-looking place.
‘..Usually, these kinds of places are where the masters are.’
Hidden places were often where you found the true experts.
So I cautiously approached the stall. There were many magic tools on display.
Despite the stall’s shabby appearance, there were a lot of magic tools.
‘Couldn't they at least tidy up a bit?’
I mean, these people were trying to make a living selling magic tools, right? Wouldn't they lose business if their stall looked like this?
Thinking these thoughts, I spoke to the old man tending the stall.
“Do you have any good items?”
“Do they look like it?”
The old man replied curtly.
To be honest… no, they didn't.
But just in case, I asked again.
“I think you might have something.”
“I don't. Go away.”
“Oh.”
The old man closed his eyes after saying that.
How strange.
Was this really how you treated customers?
“Well, it's no wonder your wares are all mass-produced junk… Farewell.”
I turned to leave. I thought I heard him cursing under his breath, but… it must have been my imagination.
I went back to the inn. I had seen all there was to see. There was no need to waste any more time.
*
A few days passed.
“Here it is.”
The master blacksmith handed me my finished wand. It was exactly the way I wanted it. Exactly as I had requested.
In the shape of a wolf.
A wolf's head adorned the tip of the wand. To be more precise, it looked like a wolf baring its fangs.
I thought it looked pretty good.
“Why did you want it like that? The design is awful.”
“It’s called style.”
“What’s… Never mind. Just go.”
The blacksmith waved his hand dismissively.
Violet, who was standing next to me, received her dagger and began swinging it around. It looked very sharp.
I wasn’t sure if it could actually pierce an ogre’s hide.
It was probably enchanted to channel mana effectively, rather than being physically sharp.
With that thought, we left the blacksmith and hired a carriage.
“Let’s take this one.”
“Yes, sir.”
We boarded the carriage Violet had chosen and set off for Baruk.
Clip-clop, clip-clop.
As we listened to the sound of the horses' hooves, we made small talk. We used magic to block out the sound so that the coachman wouldn't overhear us.
“Ahahaha… That’s hilarious. The Banshee did that?”
“Yes. I've never seen a Banshee do that before… It teased me and ran away.”
I didn't know if that Banshee was alive or dead. It was probably dead, though.
I had dropped a Holy Tsar Bomba on the Cliffs of Illusion, after all.
It was probably dead.
By the way, there was something that bothered me.
‘..They use such a dangerous place as a hunting ground?’
It seemed like a place where even a strong person could easily get hurt, but they were using it as a hunting ground.
They were certainly bold. Or maybe they had a way to deal with any problems that might arise there. It was probably the latter.
As I was thinking about this, I noticed a group of bandits in the distance. I was using a spell to enhance my vision so I could enjoy the scenery, so I could see them clearly.
[Dark Spear]
I took care of the bandits from afar with a single, remote attack.
They were clearly lying in wait for us.
A short while later, we arrived at the spot where the bandits had been.
“...Huh?”
The coachman looked confused.
I would have to scold him later.
To think that he would try something like this with a mage.
Looking at the dead bandits, I saw a few who looked strong. They must have thought they could handle a mage. Killing a mage and stealing their possessions would have been quite a haul.
“Shall I handle this?”
“Uh… I’ll do it. I’m the one who brought them here.”
Violet volunteered to take care of it. I was sure she would handle it well.
I closed my eyes, thinking I could just take a nap until it was over.
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