Chapter 83: Repairs

The second day.

I looked at the bustling street before me and forcefully sniffed my nose.

The warm morning breeze brushed across my cheeks, dispersing that sweet, fragrant herbal scent from my body.

Behind me, the wooden sign read "Green Grass Crucible" as the shop's name.

During the mission, the deformed palm bone (condensation of undead aura) I'd obtained from the cemetery had just been sold to Miss Edwina.

The purchase price of 20 gold coins had far exceeded expectations.

According to that shop owner with smooth, long curly hair and gentle personality, the quality of my palm bone was quite good, and its size was above average.

If I considered consigning it in the store and waited to meet a customer in urgent need, after negotiation the price might even double.

But since when I'd chopped this bone from the skeleton frame, the halfling had said he didn't recommend I have much contact with that type of people.

I took his advice and sold it directly to the herb shop.

After all, he was one blessed by the goddess of fortune and a bard who'd traveled the continent for a long time. Listening to some of his words wouldn't hurt me.

My right hand moved down, feeling the bulging sensation of the coin pouch at my waist.

My gaze was slightly hazy as I pondered inwardly.

The spoils from the cemetery skeletons sold for 20 gold;

The coin pouch I'd looted from Ingram had about 12 gold and change.

Even adding the bounty for a few goblins during the journey (supplemented by Jeff), and the labor fee waived at the blacksmith shop.

My profit in monetary terms from this mission was at most sixty or seventy gold.

On the surface, compared to the gains from my previous two missions, it seemed much less.

But in my view, this week or so, the actual gains I'd obtained were far more than before.

Gold coins were only the most insignificant small part of it.

Through an ordinary escort mission, I'd gotten to know Alton, who seemed to be a "god's chosen," and perhaps even connected somewhat with the goddess of fortune 【Tymora】.

I'd also opened up the map a bit, staying a few days in Karanfor near River Valley Town.

And most critically, I'd obtained the consumable item 【Fate Coin】 that could perfectly trigger 【Iron Bones】's damage immunity effect, as well as the 【Light-Bathed One】 specialty.

I still wasn't clear about magical item prices in this world, but without even thinking, an epic-level pink item like this definitely wasn't something my hundred-plus gold coins of net worth could buy.

And "specialties" that could bring permanent bonuses to the body—their value couldn't be simply measured in gold coins.

Although the process had some twists and turns, overall, I couldn't be more satisfied with this mission's gains.

"Mm, spoils handled. Next then..."

I stood by the roadside, looking left and right to discern direction, then walked eastward.

Still needed to make a trip to the blacksmith shop.

......

......

"What, broken again!?"

Barn blew his reddish-brown beard braid inherited from his dwarven bloodline, a trace of surprise showing on his rough, large face.

"Hey, had a little incident during the mission."

I laughed and brushed it off, changing the subject as I handed the broken chain mail to him.

"Thanks to this equipment of yours, I didn't suffer any serious injuries."

Hearing this, Barn's face immediately showed a gratified expression.

Taking the chain mail shirt with both hands, his gaze examined the melted marks on its surface.

"Good grief, you walked through a fire with this thing."

Sighing, he looked up at me again.

Although relieved inwardly that the person was fine despite the armor being damaged.

But this frequency of him ruining a piece of armor every few days, and finely crafted medium armor at that—in his view it was somewhat exaggerated.

If he didn't have sufficient confidence in the quality of equipment his forge produced, he'd even suspect some problem with the blacksmith shop's quality control.

"With your rate of one piece every seven or eight days, you're even saving on maintenance fees. Just buy new ones directly."

Barn carefully examined the chain mail in his hands, joking casually.

"This is me patronizing your business." I smiled and rubbed my head. "How about it, can you fix it?"

Normally, for this kind of "battle-worn" damaged equipment, according to what was recorded in the 【Adventurer's Handbook】, I should sell it to the neighboring "Hickory Furnace."

They gave higher recovery prices for secondhand equipment.

But after all, when I'd bought it I'd spent a full 50 gold, so I was somewhat reluctant inwardly.

So I came to "Rockhammer" to see if it could be repaired. If possible, maybe I could save some money.

As if remembering something, I supplemented to Barn before me:

"If it really won't work, or if it'll affect the equipment quality, forget it."

"I'll just buy a new set."

Saving money was one thing, but if the armor after repairs had far inferior defensive performance than before.

Then these dozens of gold coins weren't necessary to save.

Regarding this, Barn just shook his head thoughtfully and placed the chain mail on the front desk's table surface.

"The surface damage looks somewhat serious, but the internal structure is fairly intact. Overall it hasn't been too greatly affected."

"Just need to replace the melted chain links and it'll be fine. The defensive strength won't decrease by much either."

"Can be fixed."

Hearing him say this, I couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, asking again in a somewhat tentative tone:

"Then may I ask if it's repaired, about... how many gold coins?"

A completely new chain mail shirt was only 50 gold. If it cost over 40 gold in repair fees, I might as well just buy a new set.

"Not much, just takes a bit of time. 10 gold will do."

Saying this, Barn's expression suddenly paused for a moment, both eyes looking at me in front of the counter as he spoke:

"But this time, I won't charge you."

"Huh?"

Involuntarily stunned, my pitch-black eyes were full of confusion.

I saw Barn extend his hand, pointing behind me.

There, a half-finished prosthetic limb with dark brown oak as the main material, with light metal embedded at key points, lay quietly on the workbench.

"Jeff and I are also old acquaintances. When we were young, we often drank together."

"Originally thought it was just an ordinary caravan mission. Didn't expect to encounter this kind of thing..."

"Jeff told me the specifics. Without you, he wouldn't have made it back."

Barn picked up the chain mail shirt and placed it on the wooden rack behind.

"These 10 gold, consider them thanks for letting me still have familiar people to drink with when I go to Nyum in the future."

"Tsk tsk, retired, so enviable."

An old friend of many years retiring from this line relatively safely and returning to family.

Made this man built larger than a bear goblin show a moved expression on his face.

"Oh right, almost forgot."

"The arm shield you custom-ordered here last week is already finished."

"What do you say, want to take it now?"