Chapter 11: The fat aristocrat goes shopping

After sleeping soundly until after noon, Mitrof joined Grace.

As they walked through the city, Mitrof observed his surroundings with great interest. The crowds of people made him feel like he was constantly on the verge of colliding with someone.

“Isn’t this the city where you live?—Is it really that exciting?”

“I haven’t really been outside much—I couldn’t leave the noble district.”

The city, built on top of the labyrinth, was divided into several districts. The area furthest from the labyrinth, also known as the noble district, was where the wealthy lived.

Having lived in the noble district, and in fact, lackedmostly within a mansion, Mitrof was taken aback by the bustling energy of the commercial district and the crowded streets.

“Don’t get lost now.”

Grace chuckled at Mitrof, who was unsteady on his feet.

“Grace, you came from the forest, right?—you seem quite accustomed to the city.”

“I’ve been coming in and out of here for a long time—I was in charge of selling the game and buying the goods.”

Grace walked with confidence, seamlessly weaving through the crowd.

Mitrof struggled to keep up, following closely behind her.

“We can stock up on consumables for the labyrinth at the guild—today, let’s get your armor and my arrows—oh, and speaking of which, what about your sword maintenance?”

“Ah, yes, that’s necessary too.”

Until now, the rapier had not been used much. Even maintenance simply involves oiling and polishing.

However, over the past few days, it has been used to cut and stab monsters and deflect iron weapons wielded by goblins. There was a sense of unease regarding any chips or loose fittings. It would be best to have a skilled craftsman take care of it.

“In that case, let’s head to the blacksmith district—there are many dwarves in that area.”

“Is it true that dwarves are the best when it comes to iron?”

“Well, they may be rough, silent, and stubborn, but they have great skill in forging iron.”

There was a rumor in the books that elves and dwarves were not on good terms.

Mitrof was tempted to ask how this was really the case but kept quiet.

As they got further away from the main street, the number of people gradually decreased.

When they entered the blacksmith district, they could easily tell who were adventurers just by walking along the streets, and Mitrof finally felt relieved.

There were sword and weapon shops lining the street, and although they could just enter any of them to look at the merchandise, deciding which one to enter was a dilemma.

He decided to go to the nearest shop. Grace called out, “Hey, this one!” from behind, but Mitrof didn’t pay attention.

The shop looked more splendid than those around it. A doorman stood at the entrance, and as Mitrof approached, he opened the door.

As soon as he entered, a man approached him.

“How can I help you today?”

“I want to see armor and also have my sword taken care of.”

“Understood—then you’ve come to the right place—as for the armor, would your servant be the one to take care of it?”

“No, I will.”

“…Huh?”

With a dumbfounded expression, Mitrof returned the same look.

The employee quickly looked Mitrof up and down. Mitrof understood the meaning and movement of the employee’s gaze.

That’s right, he had come in his work clothes today.

This shop was more for nobles buying eye-catching armor. Mitrof’s appearance as an adventurer, but his behavior like a seasoned noble, seemed to confuse people.

Mitrof scratched his nose, realizing his mistake.

“…Actually, I just remembered something—I’ll come back later.”

He said this and quickly left the store.

Grace was waiting nearby.

“Habits are scary—I still felt like a noble.”

“Well, I suppose it couldn’t be helped—I was scared because you went into such a shop without hesitation.”

“From now on, I have to remember to live on my own money.”

Nobles don’t care much about money. Their focus is more on personal appearance, dressing up, and increasing their value.

Being the third son, Mitrof did not have the freedom to spend money as he pleased according to those values.

However, as a nobleman, he still had a lack of financial resources, and compared to the commoners, he undoubtedly consumed expensive things without hesitation—especially when it came to food.

“Grace, can you choose a shop for me?—I don’t know the market price.”

“Very well.”

Nodding, Grace selected a certain shop.