Chapter 90

#Episode 90: The Tin Knight and the City of Struggle (9)

[“Did the ‘Tin Knight’ just cheer for a hidden combat event disguised as a junk shop?”]

Unlike Dorothea and Adelheid, Franka hadn’t actually heard the Tin Knight’s crazy ramblings firsthand.

But people have this instinctive ability to sense danger.

Seeing the suspiciously glowing blue eyes of the Tin Knight, Franka let out a scream.

“Wait! Why? I did everything you asked! I paid the bounty, took all your blame! And now you want to kill me!? You wicked witch!!”

“I won’t deny being wicked or a witch, but I really don’t want to hear that from you.”

Dorothea couldn’t believe her ears. What kind of face did the woman who tried to assassinate her on their first meeting have to speak like that?

With a swift swing of her staff, Dorothea knocked the Tin Knight on the back of the head and said, “…Hey, you short on cash? Did I take too much from you?”

Franka’s face turned bright red at that pitying look and tone.

“Do you think I’m holed up here to make money!? The cash I handed over is nothing compared to my wealth!”

“Then why are you here acting like this?”

“Whose fault do you think this is…!”

Franka clenched her teeth in frustration but didn’t dare lash out at Dorothea.

Having sworn a blood oath, she was unable to act against the party unless they attacked first. The moment she broke that oath, Franka Aglaia would become Franka Froglaia.

Besides, even without the oath, it was questionable whether she had a chance of winning.

Not a single one of the golden-winged monkeys she adored so much was left around her.

“Alright, fine. What’s the point of talking anyway?”

With a small sigh of complaint, Franka raised her chin arrogantly.

It wasn’t exactly the best customer service attitude, but it somehow suited her.

“So, unless you’re here for clean-up, what do you want?”

It was a blatant change of topic, but Dorothea didn’t bother prying any further.

They weren’t close enough to chit-chat about personal troubles.

“What else would I be doing at a weapon shop other than looking at weapons?”

“Your staff… isn’t it?”

“Of course not. I’ll make what I use myself.”

“Then it’s that Magical Automaton and the little one, right?”

Franka briefly stared at the Tin Knight before pulling a shield from the wall display.

“Why not use this?”

The Tin Knight, Dorothea, and Adel all looked at the shield.

The shield was… stunning.

First off, it was golden rather than a typical metallic color, and its surface was intricately embossed with incredibly detailed patterns, with gems embedded here and there.

There was no doubt it looked more like a decorative piece to hang on a wall than anything meant for battle, which made Dorothea frown.

“Is this a direct attempt to mess with us?”

“Hmph. I just thought it was the most suitable recommendation. If you don’t like it, don’t buy it.”

Just then, as Dorothea was about to respond, the Tin Knight picked up the shield.

The Tin Knight knocked on the shield’s surface with his fist.

Despite its appearance suggesting it would be soft, the shield neither changed shape nor picked up even a small scratch.

He attached it to his arm and channeled his magical power.

As the Tin Knight infused the shield with his power, the gems on it greedily absorbed it.

When the Tin Knight pulled out the magical power that had penetrated the gems, it burst forth into the air, trembling the atmosphere.

[“The ‘Tin Knight’ marvels at how this shield has decent defense, but it also possesses an external hard drive function!”]

[“The ‘Tin Knight’ is thrilled at the possibility of storing lots of magical energy and releasing it all at once for some fun!”]

“Hmmm.”

Dorothea’s eyes lit up.

She noticed that even having infused only one of the three large jewels embedded in the shield, a considerable amount of the Tin Knight’s magical power drained away.

If hypothetically he stuffed the shield to the brim with his power, it seemed he could store nearly as much as the Tin Knight’s own magical energy.

“Seems like you did give me a proper recommendation despite appearances. What about swords?”

“Just grab any one of those over there. As long as it’s one-handed, anything you pick will work just fine. No point in recommending, really.”

Upon hearing Franka’s words, the Tin Knight began examining the displayed swords closely.

Just then, Adel, who was about to inspect a sword next to him, said, “You shouldn’t be looking over there.”

“Pardon?”

Adel tilted her head in confusion.

Franka pointed to the opposite side of the shop.

It was a display of two-handed swords. They were quite large and heavy.

“Pick one from over there.”

“Uh, but… I’ve never handled anything other than a one-handed sword.”

“That’s wrong. This one’s for you. My aesthetic sense insists so.”

Adel’s expression turned into one of disbelief.

Well, if it was a seasoned warrior saying so, that could be different, but the Franka she knew was a wizard. An Alchemist at that.

It was hard to imagine someone who had never touched a sword in their life suddenly claiming that she knew best about Adel’s weapon, leaving even the kind-hearted Adel flustered.

“Um, excuse me, Sir Knight.”

She looked at the Tin Knight with pleading eyes, but he gave a surprisingly supportive reply.

[“The ‘Tin Knight’ suggests that Adel has strong arms for her size, so it won’t be bad for her to use that!”]

[“The ‘Tin Knight’ states that having an attacker focused on dealing damage isn’t bad for party balance considering he’s more on the tank side!”]

“Is that so…?”

After hesitating for a moment, Adel nodded.

At least when it came to battle-related matters, the Tin Knight didn’t speak nonsense. (Crazy ramblings, occasionally yes.)

Adel picked up a two-handed sword that seemed the most manageable, which was slightly smaller than her height. Despite its hefty appearance, it did not prove difficult to swing.

Seeing the sword Adel chose, Dorothea asked, “Does that have any special function?”

“The sword itself doesn’t really have any magical gimmicks. If I had to say, the weight balance is good. Oh, but the sheath is enchanted.”

Franka presented what she called the sheath, a small badge-like object.

After attaching one badge diagonally to both Adel’s shoulder and waist, and placing the great sword against it, the sword formed a connection, hovering behind Adel as if held by an unseen hand.

From the side, it appeared as if the sword was floating behind her back.

Dorothea muttered in disbelief, “That’s not alchemy; it’s more like a rune magic. Isn’t that a bit too tactless?”

“Shut up. When it comes to putting a great sword in a sheath, it either looks bad or usability plummets. Besides, most of these items weren’t even made by me, I’m just mediating. I can’t repair worn-out armor; you’ll have to go somewhere else for that.”

“How can you speak so confidently about what’s right and wrong when you didn’t even make them?”

After a brief standoff, the Tin Knight finally finished picking out a few new swords, and Dorothea inquired about the prices of the equipment.

Franka flashed a sly smile and presented the bill.

“Roughly this amount.”

The price written there was enough to build a decent-sized building in the city without any jokes included.

Only then did the party realize why Franka had reacted sharply while still being oddly courteous in introducing the equipment.

It was clearly a wicked scheme, assuming they wouldn’t be able to buy anything anyway, simply to toy with them.

Franka gave a light snort before continuing her remark.

“Hmph. If you’re desperate, I can make a small exception. But only if you help my little ones—”

“Here, the payment.”

“…Huh?”

Dorothea interrupted her midway and plopped the amount stated on the bill onto the table.

She turned on her heels and exited the shop.

Franka stood there dumbfounded, her expression a mix of confusion as if she couldn’t process what had just happened.

***

“Is it alright if we just walk away? That person seemed to have something to ask you.”

“Forget it. We’re not in a position to be asking favors from each other.”

Dorothea cut Adel off decisively.

“The only reason I spared that individual back then was that it seemed to work in my favor. If that person doesn’t confess, we’d end up taking the rap for everything that happened in that city. That’s all. There’s no need to flush my face with embarrassment, but I won’t be sharing any laughs either.”

[“The ‘Tin Knight’ wonders if she hasn’t been getting along well with Gale!”]

[“The ‘Tin Knight’ claims it’s the industry standard for rivals to get close after fighting!”]

“Not interested.”

[“The ‘Tin Knight’ suggests that even if you struggle not to get involved, you’re bound to end up entangled in some way, so it’s better just to dive in!”]

Just as the Tin Knight kept trying to persuade her, Dorothea was about to lose her patience when—

“L-Lady! There you are! I’ve been looking for you!”

A man rushed out anxiously and collapsed in front of the party.

Putting aside his face or name, it wasn’t hard to guess his identity just from the title of “Lady.”

In this city, those who would call Dorothea that were none other than the Iron Spike Mercenary Group.

The man shouted, “Lady Sophia is in danger! A strange man in green clothes has been picking a fight with her. He’s exceptionally skilled…! You need to come quickly!”

“Wait a moment. Picking a fight? Why?”

“I-I don’t know! He was talking about some promise and adventures, but I couldn’t understand anything!”

The gazes of the trio met in a moment of silence.

Dorothea rubbed her temples and sighed.

For some reason, she felt like she already knew who that man was.

The Tin Knight exclaimed excitedly.

[“The ‘Tin Knight’ laments he may not like fighting, but for his comrades, he has no choice!”]