I woke up the next morning feeling chipper and well rested. Not a usual thing for me. I'd never been a morning person, per se, and I scheduled all my classes at night for just that reason. Still, the thought of a world of fantastical adventure was tantalizing enough to drive me out of bed at the break of dawn.

I had one of the servants draw me a warm bath. Of course, given the technology level of this world, it took them a while to warm the water and pour it into a tub, as well as fetch some fragrant oils and soap for cleaning. Once the bath was ready, I gladly sunk into the steaming water, leaning back into the wooden tub happily. I added a nice, fresh smelling oil to the water, rubbing the water and soap along my body until I felt properly clean.

The rest of the morning went by in a breeze. I dried myself with a linen that was brought to me, and went to the great hall for a nice breakfast. It seemed like the other heroes had taken the chance to sleep a bit longer than I had, so I was eating my breakfast alone. Steadily, as the morning went by, the heroes came in one by one. They all looked just as well groomed as yesterday, so they must have also taken some time to get clean before coming. Of course they would, right? Our modern Japanese sensibilities of cleanliness were probably way better than these medieval people.

At around ten, a messenger from the king came into the hall. "Heroes," he announced, "The King would like to have an audience with the four of you." We all glanced at each other, each of us instinctively knowing. It was time. After this meeting, we'd be going out on our own to start our adventures. Eager to get things underway, we hurried out after the herald, heading for the throne room.

"My lord, the Four Holy Heroes have arrived to answer your call!" The herald bows his head, gesturing for the four of us to stand before the king. I do as instructed, entering the room. There's 12 people in here, all dressed to go on adventures of their own. Perhaps they're the help the King sent for? If we each get three, we should have no problem making it through basic fights.

"As promised," The King said, "These adventurers have all come to join the parties of the legendary heroes."

Great! I was worried I might be the odd man out here, but if the King assigned me three helpers, I should be able to make the best of this Ofuda of mine. Even still, most of the adventurers were either shooting me dirty looks or totally ignoring me. Could it really be that all of these guys had that same attitude towards me?

"Now, adventurers. Choose the hero you wish to accompany."

Oh. Of course. They got to choose who they want. I'm not the only one of the heroes who seemed surprised by that. Still, it made sense. Of course, if they don't want to work with a hero, the king isn't going to force them to.

I watched the adventurers begin to move. Already, I had an instinctual feeling of how it's going to end up. It's clear that I'm seen as the lesser of the four heroes.

And sure enough, once the dust settled and the adventurers had stopped moving, the outcome is clear. Five for Ren, four for Motoyasu, three for Itsuki. Absolutely none for me. I wanted to call out, but I grit my teeth. The look on the King's face wasn't worry, or even surprise. Just absent bemusal. Based on the looks he gave me yesterday, it was pretty clear that he didn't give a damn how I felt.

Besides, yelping out like a baby would only have made the Ofuda Hero look worse. "I hadn't expected this," said the king. I didn't believe him. The robed people at the back of the room were whispering and chuckling amongst themselves, like a bunch of assholes. They're getting off on my humiliation.

A courtier whispered something to the King. "It would seem there are rumors floating around. Apparently, of the four heroes, master Naofumi has the least knowledge of our world. According to legend, the heroes were supposed to arrive with a great deal of knowledge on our world…"
So that's how it was. He was telling me the adventurers didn't want to work with an incompetent. Motoyasu elbowed me and muttered, "Seems like someone was listening in last night, eh?" I don't find it as amusing as he seemed to. My teeth were grinding as I saw the looks of pity and amusement the other heroes were giving me.

"Naofumi," Ren said, "I'm more of a loner myself, to be honest. If any of these guys are weak, I can cut them off and send them to you." That just made me madder. The pity was one thing- the assumption that I'm desperate for his scraps was another.

None of the adventurers standing near him seemed to even budge. I glanced over at Motoyasu, who winced when he saw me looking at him. What's up with his party, anyways? All four members were pretty women. I couldn't say anything to their skill, of course, it's just a bit odd to see.

Then, suddenly, a red haired woman from Motoyasu's party raised her hand. I glanced over at her. She's fairly good looking, wearing some expensive looking armor. "I'll join the Ofuda hero's party." I blinked. It's nice to hear, but still somewhat odd. Why wouldn't she have spoken up right away?

"Are you sure?" Motoyasu asked. It was somewhat offensive that he'd actually ask, but she just nodded, giving him a smile and heading over to me.

"Anyone else?" the King asked. Sure enough, nobody else offers. "Very well. Hero of the Ofuda, I will increase your funds for this month. You will receive a stipend each and every month, of course, to cover your needs. This month, Naofumi will receive 800 silver pieces, and the rest 600."
Maybe I could use that money to hire some other party members. This red-haired woman seemed alright, but there's something off about this whole situation, I could feel it. Besides, I was sure this woman would rather be helping another hero. If it came down to it, I'd rather not have pity be the only reason she was working with me. Best to get another party member and dismiss her as soon as possible, as far as I was concerned.

Four attendants stepped forward, holding sacks of coins. They handed them out to each of us. It's heavy. I pulled open the drawstring on the money sack, peering inside. Sure enough, a huge number of shiny silver coins sat inside, just waiting to be spent.

I glanced at the red-haired woman, who's giving me a smile. "Guess we should head out." I say. She nods enthusiastically. I set my jaw, for a moment. Something feels wrong. I bowed to the king, and turned on my heel. "Let's go!" I said, trying to push away the odd feeling gnawing at me. I lead her out of the castle, stepping out into the fresh air. I take a moment to just breathe it in, peering around at the surroundings. Rolling grass fields frame the cobbled road leading into town. I turn to her.

"We should introduce ourselves, right?" I decided to take the initiative and go first. "I'm Naofumi Iwatani. Obviously, you already know that. The hero of the Ofuda. It's a pleasure. And you are?"

She gives me a humble smile. "Myne Suphia, hero. It's a pleasure to work with you." I nod. Myne. At first glance, she seemwed like a cute, fragile girl, but I could tell she must have some power to her. She is an adventurer, after all.

"Alright, Ms. Myne. If you're ready to go, I think we should head out, don't you?" She gave me a playful little salute, and I had to smirk.

We headed into town. At her direction, we decided to grab some armor for me. She'd asked for equipment as well, but I had to turn her down. It was an odd request, all things considered. Cute as she may be, the armor she's wearing already looks plenty good, and the sword at her hip plenty sharp. No need to spoil her with the only money I'll be getting this month. Seeming slightly deflated, she had directed me to a specific weapons shop in town.

We'd walked through the cobbled streets slowly. In all honesty, my pace was what was slowing us down. While I'd been able to get some view of the village from the castle, it's not quite the same as actually being in the village properly. It was like being in a renaissance fair, spread across a whole city. Delicious odors waft from stone buildings with painted wooden signs, as people bustle to and fro along the street. Small stands on the sides of the street bark about their wares, waving things around and trying to entice any potential customers closer. Myne had to guide me away from some of them, warning me that they were scams. That only heightened my enthusiasm. This really is like a fantasy novel! The bustling city, filled with snake oil salesmen looking to make a quick buck. That's my kind of story.

Still, there's only so much time in the day. Myne came to a stop before a small stone building. The wooden sign hanging above the door was painted with a simple, black sword insignia. I opened the door for her, and we both entered into the shop.

It really was the classic weapons shop. Weapons and armor lined the walls, the smell of oil and steel hung thickly in the air. The shopkeep leaned on the counter with a grin. He's big and burly, with smile lines on his face. That gentle giant type of guy. "Welcome in!" He says jovially.

I looked around, wide-eyed, at the merchandise. Immediately, I gravitated for the swords. "This your first time in a weapons shop? Good choice, young man. You've come to the best of the best! Feel free to browse all you like, just put everything back where you find it."

I nodded. Of course. I'm not a thief, and I doubt trying to steal from a guy who looked like that would be a good idea anyways. Hero or not, I'm level one. Surely, this guy could beat the stuffing out of me if he wanted to. I jerked my thumb at Myne. "She chose, not me."
He glanced over at her. "Well, thank you, miss! I think I remember seeing your face in here, before. Where did you meet this strangely dressed fellow, anyways?"
I chuckled at that. Of course, these clothes that would be totally normal in my world would look odd to him. She scoffed, sounding slightly offended on my behalf. "Not just any oddly dressed fellow. I'm sure you must know who that is."

I glanced over at him. His eyes traced my body, finding the ofuda on my back, and then went wide. "No way… he's one of the heroes?" His hand came to his chin, stroking it thoughtfully. "Y'know, for a hero, you kinda look… scrawny."

Damn, that hurt! What a way to greet a new customer! "Sheesh, and here I was thinking I'd be a repeat customer…"

The man walked over me, clapping my shoulder. I almost fell over, he put so much force into it. "Listen here, kid. In clothes like that, even a normal adventurer could mop the floor with you. There's lots of people out there who don't like you especially. You need to get some good equipment."

I winced. Of course. Yet another wonderful perk of being the ofuda hero. People would be gunning for me just because of that. "Well, that's why we're here. I need some new armor, and a good weapon." I gesture to Myne. "As you can see, my friend here is already well outfitted, so we won't need anything for her at the moment. My budget is…" I think about it in my head. If the money works like a tabletop game, silver pieces are probably worth a hundred copper. Essentially, what I've got with me are like ten thousand yen coins. Of course, it probably doesn't translate exactly like that, but it gives me a sense. "Let's say 500 silver."

The guy's eyes widen. Myne's do, too. Did I do something wrong? If what I've got really is worth about 10000 yen per coin, 300 silver should be plenty for inns and food for the next month. "Kid," He said, "I like you. What's your name, anyways?"

Oh, right. If I was going to be a regular, he should know my name. That's a classic trope for the nice shopkeep. "Naofumi. Naofumi Iwatani." He nodded.

"Naofumi. I'll remember that name." He glanced over my shoulder, at Myne. "Don't worry, little lady," He said, "I won't break the bank." I glance back at her, only to see her face slipping out of a death glare. Is she really that mad about how much money I'm spending? Or is it because she wanted me to spend some on her? Weird… maybe she's just a penny pincher. Whatever. It's my money, anyways.

"First thing's first, what sort of weapon do you like?" I shrugged. I had no clue what sort of weapon I liked! It's not like I ever did any martial arts when I was a kid or anything.

He nodded. "No clue, right? Let's start with a sword, then. Easy enough for a beginner to understand, and if we get it with a blood clean coating, you won't even need to maintain it." Interesting…

"Blood clean? Mind explaining that for a beginner?" The shopkeep grabbed a nice, shiny shortsword from one of the racks.

"'Course." He swung the sword, testing the balance. "Basically, it's a coating you put on the metal while you're forging the weapon. It makes blood and gore just slide right off! That way, you won't have to wipe it off after every battle. It also makes it a bit easier to cut through flesh, though it's not a huge advantage."

I nodded. It's some sort of potion, then. Forging was always one of my favorite things in video games. What's cooler than making your own weapons, after all? He pointed to the swords on the wall. "There's all sorts of different materials you can get for a sword. Iron, magic iron, steel, magic steel, silver iron… there's niche materials, too. For example, a purely silver sword might not be as good as iron in most cases, but if you need to go up against a lycanthrope, it'll be super effective."

I nodded, almost wishing I was taking notes. Presumably the better the ore, the stronger the sword would be, in most cases. But better swords would also be more expensive, of course. You'd need to find a balance between budget and power. It really was just like a video game! You might want to splurge on the best item right at the start, but then you wouldn't be able to get medicines and armor, which would make your overpowered sword totally ineffective. Perhaps these weapons have rarities, just like my Ofuda?

"Here. Try it." He extended the magic iron sword to me. I reached out to grab it, but suddenly recoiled as I felt a shock go through my body. The sword clattered to the floor and I stumbled back, clutching my hand.

"What the hell? Trying to prank me with a curse or-" I'm interrupted as a pop-up comes up in my vision.

Warning: A weapon besides the Legendary Weapon was held, violating the Legendary Weapon's contract.

Both Myne and the shopkeeper were staring at me, wide-eyed. The shopkeep gingerly picked up the sword, as if worried he'd be shocked too, but found that he was totally capable of grabbing the sword without any trouble. "What the hell? This thing isn't cursed. Naofumi, are you okay?"

I nodded, biting my lip and shaking my hand. That hurt. Lesson learned. No weapons other than the Ofuda. "Apparently, I can't use any weapons other than the Ofuda. It… violates the contract, I guess." The shopkeep sighed.

"Alright. You nearly gave me a heart attack, there! If I got caught selling cursed merchandise, my rep would be destroyed! Don't scare me like that, kid!" I rolled my eyes. Truly a merchant. Even when one of his customers was hurting, he was concerned with his reputation. I had to respect that dedication to the craft. I open the help tab.

Legendary heroes are only permitted to wield their intended weapon, when intending to fight. Any other weapon will be forcefully repelled from the hero's hand.

"Right. So, I'll only be needing armor. Let's put all the money into some good stuff. If I'm only allowed to use the Ofuda, I might as well have good protection."

The shopkeeper nodded slowly, but he had a gleam in his eye. "I wonder what sort of magic that is… would you mind letting me see that Ofuda of yours?" I nodded, grabbing the Ofuda off my back and offering it to him. He reached out to grab it, but when he tried to take it, it wouldn't leave my hand. I wasn't even trying to grip it at all! He stepped back, murmuring something to himself and sending a ball of light at the ofuda, only for it to bounce right off.

"Damn! That legendary weapon sure is something. It won't even let me use an appraisal spell. I did get one thing, though." He tapped the jewel at the top of the staff, jutting out above the ofuda. "This jewel, here? It's got a ton of magical power."
I nodded. I'd figured that much out just from the help tabs. That jewel is where the monsters you defeated were absorbed to unlock new weapon forms. It must have had some legendary music imbued into it.

"Well, let's get you something good. For 500… I could get you some good chain mail, or we could make something custom. Full plate is right out. It's too restrictive for adventuring, and takes too long to put on and take off."

The idea of a custom made suit was extremely enticing indeed. Custom armor made just for me? It's perfect! "Let's do something custom. Can it be enchanted?" He gives me a grin.

"Naturally, boy. I'm no wizard, but I can do some good enchantments." I shot him a grin right back. This was sounding better and better. Once more, Myne had that jealous look on her face. Seemed like she might be the materialistic type. Everyone's got their vices, but still… It was really throwing me off.

"Well, kid, I'll need to get some measurements. We can decide on the design and enchantments together, or I can whip something up myself." I nodded.

"I trust your taste, big guy," I told him, "But I want it to be strong. Let's keep it to 400 silver, and then I'll get a cheap piece of armor for about 100 silver to hold me over, if you have one."

"I've got just the thing." He grabs a chainmail shirt from the armor side of the store, showing it to me. I had to stop and stare at it for a moment, holding the heavy piece of armor in my hands. It was like real knight armor, straight out of a renaissance fair, and I would be wearing it soon enough! It was enough to leave me totally giddy.

I turned to face Myne, grabbing my pouch and pulling out one hundred silver coins. "While I get measured," I began, handing her the coins, "Take these and buy any supplies you think we may need on our expeditions. Potions, rations, whatever." She nodded, taking the money and turning on her heel to leave the store.

I turned back to the shopkeep. "Well?" I said, spreading my arms. "Let's get this order finalized!"