Archer would have to admit that he was sorely tempted to suggest that they just skip the city of Aressa all together. Even after they gave things three days to blow over and let Archer's [Doppelganger Synthesis SP] recharge, it just seemed like a better idea to go anywhere else.
They weren't really hurting for resources. Archer could use his Magic to build a home wherever they wanted, they could create water out of thin air, and the dragon had so much meat on it that he doubted he would need to hunt for food for a good long time. Especially since his ever covenant [Dimensional Storage] seemed to have a time altering effect, keeping all the food inside fresh. Normally, Archer would claim that it would last all year, but with the way Fran eats...
The dragon meat was tougher than Archer would have liked, but not outside of his skill to work with… not including the [Cooking] skill.
The first thing that Archer had done with the Dragon corpse was retrieve its heart and feed some of it to Fran, to see if it would have any kind of effect… it didn't. Unless you count being delicious as an effect. It appeared that Fran's kind, or maybe people in general for this world, could taste magical energy, and just like how in his old world people were conditioned to think that fat was flavor, there was a similar instinctual liking for the taste of magical energy.
So the Dragon meat wasn't going to give Fran super powers, but it was still going to be put to use anyways. It wasn't like they could sell it anyways. Not if they wanted to avoid gathering too much attention. A twelve year old child capable of killing a few monsters was one thing, but if Fran came in with either the Dragon or Demon corpses, people would take notice, and not the good kind of notice.
But there were just too many things that one could only get inside of a city, which drew the pair out of hiding. They wanted books on Skill and maps of the region, to help plan their next moves effectively. They could also do with the ability to sell their crap. It would be nice to have the chance to buy Magic Stones. Archer didn't need high rank magic stones, as his goals were more centered around ranking up common things, like [Water Magic] and [Earth Magic], rather than learning rare skills.
Then there was the matter of analysis weapon and armor in order to steal… learn different enchantment styles that work in this world, so that Archer could create Fran some higher quality armor. And of course, spices. They had to buy spices.
It was with these goals in mind that they set off to get into the city, sneaking past the toll guards to get in. Once in, their first stop was the marketing district to sell some things for money.
This turned out to be easier than Archer thought, as after their first encounter was a very unpleasant and snobby asshole who tried to rip them off, Fran had the perfect chance to test out [Skill Taker].
([Commerce] Lv6: A skill relating to the buying and selling of items. Rarity 1)
Archer didn't mind, since at its current level, they could each use [Skill Taker] once every 3 days. If they needed it off cooldown for an emergency, he could always just level it up. This was why he also chose to steal the man's [Fashion Sense] as well. Probably a worthless skill, but hey, you never know.
He would have stolen the man's [Manners] instead, but he didn't have any.
It was a shame that the skills they stole were not shared between them, so skills Archer stole were inaccessible to Fran and vise versa. But it was an easy way for them to get common skills that weren't commonly held by Demonic Beasts.
After that encounter, it was very easy for Fran to get other shop keepers to buy some of their lower rank pelts and the weapons and armor from the goblins they had killed. Though it seemed that they lacked the money to buy anything about the D-rank. They were told to visit one of the Guilds if they wanted to sell such things, either the Adventurer's Guild, the Merchant's Guild or the Blacksmith's Guild.
None of the shopkeepers found it at all odd, doing such things with a twelve year old girl, as they believed her to simply be an apprentice of a powerful individual and just running his errands. Most were too busy being envious of her 'high quality item bag' to care about her age. Archer wondered what they would think if they knew the truth, and that it was just a normal leather pouch they were using to hide their [Dimensional Storage].
After flogging most of their G-E rank pelts and selling all the goblin's weapons, they were sitting on around 250,000 Gorudo's, the equivalent of $18,750 USD. Not a bad hull. Fran did a good job arguing up the price for many of them.
(So much.) Fran thought happily as they left the final vendor.
[I'm glad you're having fun.] Archer chuckled. The girl was treating it all like a game and was really enjoying herself, though since her face remained stoic, the merchants she was competing against were none the wiser. They didn't seem to notice the small twitching of her ears or the sparkle in her eyes. [The first thing we should do now is look to get you some proper armor.]
Fran stopped mid step, causing several people to almost bump into her in the crowded street. (But, Archer's superduper armor?)
[That is going to take some time to make. In the meantime, you need something functional. Shopping around will also give us a chance to learn more about enchanting and let you pick out a design you like.] Since they wouldn't be able to sell the Demon or Dragon items without drawing attention, Archer decided he would just use them to make Fran's equipment from now on. With how much there was, he could probably make her a set of the highest quality armor for every day of the week and still have stuff left over.
(...Nn.) Fran replied with a nod. She didn't like it, but she was willing to accept it for now, and so they moved around the merchants' district, looking for blacksmithing stores.
It probably would have gone faster, if Archer hadn't been so snobby about the topic of equipment. He dismissed entire stores after a mere glance through the window as being worthless, saying that their materials was too poor quality, or their enchantments too weak. Some stores didn't even have real weapons in the windows, just decorative pieces, and Archer would glare and contemplate setting the entire place on fire.
But they eventually found a place where the quality was what Archer would call 'acceptable' for his Master's temporary equipment.
Surprisingly it wasn't a very well kept shop. The building looked a little rundown and the displays in the windows weren't so much displays as just mounds of equipment that seemed to be stacked there to keep out prying eyes, rather than to display the person's wares. But even this barricade was made of some good quality items. Archer read the items with a glance and found them to be made by a dwarf by the name of Gallus, someone with [Magic Blacksmith] level 7.
[Looks like we've got a hit.] Archer said as he copied everything he could see into his Unlimited Blade Works. [Let's see what they have inside.]
"Nn." Fran said, heading toward the door. But before she could enter, the door burst open and three large individuals, dressed in dented full plate armor, were thrown out into the streets, landing in a pile.
Then, out of the shop came a man no taller than Fran herself, dressed in the heavy leather protective equipment of a smith and with a pipe sticking out the corner of his mouth. "Next time I tell you to get the hell out of my store, do it!" The dwarf growled at the group.
Name: Gallus
Age: 82
Race: Dwarf
Job: Magic Blacksmith
Status: Normal
Level: 33/99
HP: 260, MP: 273, STR: 152, END: 100, AGI: 56, INT: 120, MGC: 148, DEX: 95
Skills: Dismantling: Lv2, Fire Resistance: Lv7, Blacksmithing: LvMax, Magic Blacksmithing: Lv7 Smithing Magic: Lv9, Appraisal: Lv7, Mining: Lv3, Sewing: Lv5, Hammer Techniques: Lv2, Hammer Arts: Lv7, Poison Resistance: Lv2, Leatherworking: Lv4, Fire Magic: Lv9, Dedication: Lv6, Discernment: Lv9, Vigor Manipulation
Unique Skills: Blessing of the God of Fire
Extra Skills: God's Eye
Titles: Wandering Master Smith, Honorary Blacksmith of the Kuranzeru Kingdom, Lord of Blacksmithing
Equipment: Magic Steel Blacksmithing Hammer, Leather Clothes of the Fire Lizard, Sandals of the Phoenix Tree, Stamina Recovery Bracelet
The man was the same level as Fran was, and wasn't weak. If it weren't for the +50 in all stats given by Archer's [Wielder Stats Up (Intermediate)] skill, they would be about equal when it came to total stats. And he didn't skip out on skills as well, with high level [Fire Magic] and [Hammer Arts].
He was pretty strong… for someone's grandpa.
"How… how dare you treat us like this!? We are part of the City Knights!" One of the men who was thrown out shouted in indignation. Despite his claim of being a knight, and him being level 25, his stats were really low, barely more than a third of the old man's.
Gallus took his pipe from his mouth and gave off of puff of smoke. "I don't give a shit who you think you are. I only sell my equipment to real fighters. Not toy soldiers like you. Now scram, before I decide to get really violent." He said, lifting up his hammer, which started to glow with magical energy.
The 'knights' took the hint and started to scramble to get away.
As they left, all eyes were on the dwarf. Hungry and jealous eyes from the other merchants. "*Sigh* I guess I've been here too long. Better think about moving again." The old dwarf said, running his hand through his beard. He was turning to go back inside when he spotted Fran standing their, watching him with her blank stare.
The Dwarf froze, staring back at her with wide eyes. If his pipe had still been in his mouth, it would have fallen to the ground as his jaw dropped open. Then he started to laugh and held open the door. "Come on in little lady! Feel free to take a look around!"
"Nn." Fran said, walking inside before the man closed the door behind them. As she and Archer looked around, Fran trying to find something that she like the look of and Archer copying everything in sight, Fran made a little small talk. "Throw out weakling city knights: Ok?"
"It's fine. They can boast all they want about their station, the King has his eye on me. If they actually tried to retaliate against me, it would probably be treated like an act of treason." The man said with a shrug. "I only give equipment to people who can make good use of it. That's my rule."
[Hmm, so being a Blacksmith of his level made him something of a big shot then.] Archer thought. His equipment was impressive… but not THAT impressive. The old dwarf was no Masamune. Perhaps Archer's time around other Servants had warped his judgment a bit, but he felt like a lot of the gear in there was just unimaginative.
"So, what can I help you with?" Gallus asked cheerfully.
"Need armor. Old set: damaged." Fran said curtly.
"Damaged huh? Is that broken or simply damaged? If you have it with you, I could take a look at it. See if it isn't beyond my [Smithing Magic] to repair." Gallus offered. Fran nodded and brought out the Wyvern armor. "Yikes. You won't kidding about it being damaged."
The dwarf said as he took the light armor and started to inspect it.
"Yeah, this is definitely damaged beyond repair." He said before hmming to himself. "It isn't a pretty thing, but it sure is interesting. I don't see any of the normal techniques on display and there isn't any trace of magic, but it is a solid piece of work with no neglected spots. The way it connects the segments in order to protect against piercing damage while maintaining flexibility… I didn't consider a style like this. It's like a mixture between light and heavy armored styles. Something like a jack of plate type set up, only with long heavy leather and more tightly packed together. It might have been as good as some sets made from C-rank materials, despite being made from a D-rank Lesser Wyvern, if they just used some elemental coatings. Where'd you get it?"
"Teacher made it to me." Fran said proudly.
"You're teacher, is it? Any chance I can meet this guy? I'd like to ask him about his methods. Even if I am a blacksmith, I work in leathers as well." Gallus asked Fran as he put down the leather.
Fran's excitement faded a bit at the man's request. "Teacher doesn't meet with others… Elusive."
"Oh… is that so." Gallus said, though he didn't sound all that disappointed. He was even smiling as he looked at Fran… or rather, right past her, to the sword on her back. "Tell me, your teacher, he wouldn't happen to be that Intelligent Weapon you've got on your back, would he?"
[He knows.] Archer mumbled in annoyance. It appeared the 5 Self-evolution Points he spent getting [Appraisal Blocker] in preparation for entering the town were a total waste. The first person they came across who had [Appraisal] had a supporting Extra Skill to go with it; [God's Eye].
"...Intelligent Weapon?" Fran said, tilting her head in an attempt to feign ignorance. Not that it worked. Despite her almost always expressionless face, Fran was a terrible liar. Besides, the man already knew what was up.
"I can't see everything, but my God's Eye lets me see past enough of our Anti Appraisal skill to know that your sword is no ordinary magic weapon. No ordinary weapon has an A+ magic conductivity." Gallus said with a cheeky smile.
[...So, you've found me out then.] Archer whispered into the man's mind.
"Ooh? You really can talk? You really are intelligent! Incredible, incredible...!" The man shouted, far too enthuseastically for Archer's liking.
[Yes, I am intelligent, and I choose my wielder. So if you have dreams of obtaining me, forget them.] Archer said, attempting to intimidate the man. Though Gallus was too excited to even notice.
"Intelligent Weapons are real! I heard the stories but I never thought that they were actually real!" Gallus said as he bounded up and down like a kid in a candy store. Though he stopped after seeing how Fran's ears were flattening and how she was clutching Archer to her chest. "Oops, sorry. I guess I got too excited. I just never seen a real Intelligent weapon before."
He looked closer at Archer, his eyes shining.
"I can't even tell what kind of alloy you are made of, but it doesn't appear to be inferior to the legendary Orichalcum. You really are at the pinnacle of Magic Swords. I dare say, depending on what those skills you have hidden are, you might even reach the boundaries of a Godblade."
[...You are a strange man.]
"Godblade?" Fran asked, tilting her head.
"Oh, have you never heard of the Godblades?" Gallus asked Fran who just shook her head. "Well, Godblade is a name given to the weapons and tools forged by one of the Divine Blacksmiths which exceed the bounds of worldly logic. They are weapons that stand head and shoulders above all others and could be used to bring entire nations to their knees. They are the most powerful item"
"Wow." Fran said, impressed by the man's passion. Archer wasn't so much. If the man was saying that Archer's capabilities as a blade were approaching that of these 'Godblades' then it was likely that the Godblades were Noble Phantasms.
Yes, Noble Phantasms were awe inspiring to see for your first few hundred, but Archer had seen so many of them that they lost a bit of their awe value to him.
"To a Blacksmith like me, the Godblades are a miracle existence, and the Divine Blacksmiths who made them are individuals to be admired." Gallus said, looking up at the sky with half clouded eyes "Every Blacksmith dreams of becoming a Divine Blacksmith, but there has only ever been five of them in all of history. Five Blacksmiths, and twenty-six Godblades."
[...So, could we talk business?]
"Huh? Oh, right. What do you need?"
Gallus had sold them a set of armor for really cheap. Party because he like them, and partly because the individual who had commissioned the creation of the armor, a halfling woman, had died in battle, and he couldn't find anyone else the armor would even fit. It seemed that less than 5% of fighters were female, and even fewer of them were halflings or children.
It still cost them 100,000 Gorudo's, but that was the price of quality, and Archer didn't regret it. They could farm up that much money in a day or two out in the wilds anyways, if they tried.
The Blacksmith had been surprised when they had asked for Magic Stones, and more surprised still when they asked for the scrap stones over the higher quality ones.
He ended up selling them a small barrel containing about 200 G-rank stones for 10,000. He said that they were worthless for enchanting and that he only had them to act as cheap disposable fuel for his blacksmithing equipment. He would buy the things in mass from the Blacksmith's Guild, and two barrels were about the same price as a single D-rank Magic Stone, depending on what type of Demonic Beast it was and how the market was doing.
Still, the stones served Archer's purpose, as a majority of the scrapped stones were Rock Worm stones.
According to the [Demonic Beast Knowledge] skill, Rock Worms were an extremely common G-rank Demonic Beast that was considered even weaker than a goblin. They were nothing more than pests who ruined farmers' crops. There corpses were too brittle after they dried to be used in any kind of crafting, their meat smelled and tasted like shit, and their stones were considered to be useless. G-rank Adventurers would normally be hired in order to kill them in mass, and they would just burn the bodies and sell the magic stones that remained.
However, they had exactly what Archer was looking for. After absorbing the Demon's Magic Stone, his [Earth Magic] skill had reached level 7, and he had hoped that constantly absorbing the Rock Worm's level 2 [Earth Magic] would put him over the edge. And he was not left disappointed.
([Earth Magic] has reached the max level. [Mountain Magic] Lv1, [Sandstorm Magic] Lv1, and [Lava Magic] Lv1 have been unlocked. Fran has gained the Earth Mage title.)
"So, you're telling me that you can become more powerful by absorbing Magic Stones?" Gallus asked as he and Archer waited for Fran to change into her new armor.
[That's correct.] Archer replied as he rested himself inside of the barrel, slowly absorbing the stones. It was only about 100 points for the entire bucket sized barrel, since many of the stones were worth even less than a goblin's, but Archer wouldn't complain. It was still more cost effective than buying higher rank stones.
He had grown to like the obsessive... I mean passionate blacksmith a little. Enough to make idle and vague talk about his abilities. Not enough for the man to become dangerous, but enough to make him satisfied.
Besides, the feel of slowly absorbing the stones was relaxing, and he was in the mood to talk.
"Amazing." Gallus said. "You… you wouldn't by any chance have been created by a Divine Blacksmith, would you? I only ask because you seem to powerful to be an ordinary sword. Not on the level of a Godblade, but still powerful."
[I have no idea who created this body. My own soul prevents me from looking into this sword's history. It might have been a Divine Blacksmith, it might not have. I don't really care either way.] Archer admitted.
"Don't care!?" The dwarf shouted incredulously. "What do you mean you don't care!? You are an Intelligent Weapon! A thing of myth! Aren't you even the least bit curious about your origins, your purpose!?"
[...Not really. Are you curious about the things your parents did to make you?] Archer said in a teasing tone, causing the old man to splutter.
"Oh god… I'm going to need a stronger drink tonight to get that thought out of my head." The man groaned with a small shudder. "Are you seriously not curious at all?"
[If I was, then I would have to search all over the world for this 'legendary blacksmith', or the God that is responsible for my being here, and ask them why. And I think I can guess what the answer would be.] Archer said, shifting himself around so that he could better absorb the stones. ['Because I was bored.' Artists and Gods are like that. They only do things because they are bored, horny, or want to exact some kind of vague vengeance on one and other.]
"You really don't understand an artists heart at all." Gallus mumbled, his shoulders falling. "Fine, you don't care about finding your maker. Then what do you want? Do you have any kind of dream of your own?"
[What… do I want?] Archer said, his voice trailing off. He didn't respond for so long, that Gallus wondered if he had somehow fallen asleep. [I don't know. It's been so long since I have had any control over my own life… I'm not sure what I want. I've simply been enjoying being Fran's weapon and watching her grow. I didn't really think about making goals for myself.] Archer paused, thinking for a while longer. [I am a Servant. Merely a weapon for my Master, to help fulfill their heart's desire. That is simply how it has been.]
"Ah… well… as long as you're happy. I didn't mean to be imposing my own values on you." Gallus said nervously. "I suppose I'm just a little crazy about Godblades, ever since I had the chance to see one."
[Really, you've seen a Godblade?] Archer said, a little curious. [What were its stats like?]
"Well, I couldn't see everything, not even with my [God's Eye] but it was called the Flame Sword, Ignis. It had an attack of 1800 and a Magical Power Conductivity of SS. It had the skills Flame Magic Bestowal and God Flame Bestowal, as well as several others I couldn't identify." Gallus explained.
[Hmm. Not bad.] Was Archer's only response. With its high Magical Power Conductivity, it seemed to be around an E or D-rank Noble Phantasm. Though depending on the actual effects of its skills, it could be much stronger. [Perhaps I'll get the chance to see one someday.]
"Archer, I'm done." Fran said as she came out from the changing room, showing off her new clothes for Archer.
[They look good on you.] Archer said, as an almost programmed response.
After all, Fran was a girl, and could possibly exact vengeance if not complimented on her dress. This was something that every man should know.
And Fran did look nice in the armor, as it appeared that Gallus had put a lot more thought into how it turned out looking that Archer had. She almost looked like a ballerina in that dress, except for the combat boots and with a metal breastplate attached at the front. In the end, Archer was simply more interested in the defensive properties of the equipment, and in that regard, the clothes passed his inspection.
They would do… for the time being. They still weren't up to Archer's standards. Barely an upgrade to the Wyvern Leathers he had given her before.
Fran and Archer thanked the old man before leaving the shop and heading on their way.
[Now we just need to buy some books, maps and spices, and we will be done.] Archer said, going over the mental shopping list. There weren't that many things that they would need, and after they gathered them, they could move on to another town, away from the site of the dungeon incident, where there sudden appearance would be less likely noticed.
That had been Archer's plan. But plans tend to change, as Fran stopped walk.
Archer followed her gaze and saw that she was looking at the Adventurer's Guild, her body language portraying an almost longing to go.
[...You want to join the Adventurer's Guild?] Archer asked her.
"...Nn." Fran responded. (Mother and father were Adventurers.)
[…] It was a bad idea. There was a chance that someone in the Adventuring group from before had gotten a look at Fran in the dungeon. And it was entire possible that they would want to know about what had happened. Going in there would only draw attention to the girl, and she was not yet strong enough that she could withstand that kind of attention. Even coming into the town at all was risky… But Archer could feel how much Fran really wanted to go.
Did it really matter where they want? A girl like Fran, strong as she was and with the Chaos Goddess's favor, couldn't help but to draw attention. Even their Appraisal Block didn't so much protect them from this as it did show that they had something to hide.
What difference did it make whether they were here, or somewhere else?
[If you want, then go ahead.] Archer said, hoping he wasn't making a bad choice.
"Nn!"
Name: Remodeled Breastplate of the Flame Bull | DEF: 88 | Durability: 330/330 | Effect: Fire Resistance ↑ Low
Name: Remodeled Gauntlet of the Paralysis Clawed Cat | DEF: 39 | Durability: 160/160 | Effect: Impact Resistance ↑ Low, Paralysis Resistance ↑ Low
Name: Boots of the Poison Wyrm | DEF: 52 | Durability: 200/200 | Effect: Poison Resistance ↑ Low
Name: Mithril Earring of the Cat Tribe | DEF: 10 | Durability: 100/100 | Effect: Magic Resistance ↑ Low
Archer has not yet absorbed the Moonlight Dragon's magic stone. I'm saving it for equipment, since absorbing it wouldn't get him the Extra or Innate skills anyways. The only things he would get out of it are [Automatic HP Recovery](unless since they got so much Healing Magic), [Ice Magic] (Which they will get once they max out Water Magic), and [Moonlight Magic](...admittedly good.)
And 3000 Magic Stone Points. But that could be gotten in other ways, like simply buying them.
Unique Skill is different that Extra skill.
Unique is a skill gifted by a god.
Extra is a skill inherent to the individuals soul. (like the Unlimited Blade Works)
Innate skills are things like the ability to fly because you physically have wings.