6: Chapter 6 Consumption and Dinner

A dwarf stood on a wooden step, hammering the curved shoulder of a steel breastplate with a small hammer.

With each strike, sparks flew, and the sound of metal rang out through the shop.

"How much for a steel breastplate?" Richard asked casually, wanting to get an idea of the local prices.

The dwarf stopped his work and glanced up at him. "Four hundred and twenty gold coins. No haggling."

"What about a full suit of plate armor?"

Richard looked at a full suit of plate armor standing on a wooden mannequin. It was complete from spaulders to sabatons, with overlapping plates at the joints and an imposing hydra emblem engraved on the chest.

"Fifteen hundred gold coins for the cheapest one, with a two-month waiting list—if you have the money and the patience."

The dwarf snorted and continued, "But if you want something better, like enchanted full plate, only Master Blacksmith Caloni in this city can make it. It starts at three thousand gold coins, with a six-month wait."

Richard grimaced and calmly looked away.

Fine, I'm broke. The ideal warrior gear will have to wait.

After careful selection and the aid of Appraisal, he finally chose a set of hardened leather armor.

It included a breastplate, greaves, leg guards, and a pair of soak-hardened leather boots.

All the leather had been specially treated; it was nearly as hard as bronze but only one-third the weight, and the joints were softened so as not to restrict movement.

The whole set cost ten gold coins.

He changed into the leather armor on the spot, testing his shoulders and knees; it fit well and didn't hinder his movement.

Then, he spent another five gold coins on a battle-axe as a secondary weapon.

It was a short-handled, single-edged axe with a moderately wide blade, capable of both cleaving and parrying, which would come in handy in tight spaces where a halberd would be difficult to maneuver.

As for the pickaxe, Richard cheekily asked the dwarf if he could buy it back.

The dwarf glanced at it, gave him four silver coins, and tossed it into a pile of scrap metal in the corner waiting to be smelted.

Next, Richard took out the few pieces of ore he had looted from the Kobold.

However, seeing the dwarf's expression, as if he wanted to curse, Richard gave a silly smile and simply gifted the ore fragments to the dwarf.

The next destination was a clothing store.

Richard bought two sets of cotton-linen blend undergarments, a pair of sturdy trousers, a pair of wool socks, a belt, and two pairs of underwear, costing a total of one gold coin and five silver coins.

The feeling of wearing clean underwear for the first time since transmigrating was more moving than leveling up.

Then came the general store: a cowhide backpack, a wool bedroll, bandages, styptic herbs, a flint, a waterskin, and a small bag of salt, which cost three gold coins in total.

Richard stood on the side of the street, repacking everything into his backpack, and mentally calculated his expenses for the day.

The armor cost 10 gold coins, the battle-axe cost 5 gold coins, the clothing and adventure supplies cost 4.5 gold coins, and he earned 4 silver coins from selling the pickaxe.

In total, he had 27 gold coins and 9 silver coins remaining, enough to live and adventure for a while.

He tucked the coin pouch tightly into his chest, shouldered his halberd, and headed toward the inn district with his new backpack.

The Rose Inn was located in an alley near the Storm Temple district. It was a three-story structure made of stone and wood, with pots of red geraniums on the windowsills, looking cozy under the warm light of oil lamps.

The inn wasn't luxurious, but it was clean, which was absolute heaven for someone who had just been traveling, sleeping rough, and was covered in blood and the stench of goblins.

Richard pushed open the wooden door and walked into the lobby.

The first floor of the inn was a restaurant, with various people sitting at a dozen tables.

Several merchants were whispering to each other, and a half-elf bard was playing the lute in the corner. He played passably, with no one applauding but no one telling him to be quiet either.

The fire in the fireplace was burning brightly, and the air was filled with the savory aroma of roasted meat and the sweet scent of fermenting ale.

Richard sat by the window and ordered a quite luxurious dinner: roasted lamb chops with rosemary potatoes, a large bowl of clam chowder, half a roasted sea bass, two slices of black bread with butter, and a medium mug of ale.

When the landlady recommended it, saying, "Guest, today's ale is on special," Richard immediately decided to have a mug to try it.

Soon, the dishes were served.

The fat on the roasted lamb chops sizzled under his knife and fork. The lamb was cooked medium-rare; when sliced, it was pink inside, with juices mingling with the aroma of rosemary.

The clam chowder was based on heavy cream, the clam meat was very chewy, and finely chopped parsley floated on the surface.

The skin of the sea bass was roasted to a crisp; with a poke of his knife, the tender white fish meat separated like garlic cloves.

The ale was smooth going down, with a hint of refreshing crispness in the slightly bitter aftertaste.

Richard ate until his mouth was oily and he was quite satisfied. Learning to enjoy good food—this was what a happy life was all about!

After finishing, he paid two silver coins for the meal, bathwater, and laundry service.

The bathwater was brought into the room by the staff, one bucket at a time, and Richard soaked himself in the hot water, scrubbing twice.

The water from the first wash turned grayish-brown, but it finally became clear on the second.

He changed into his new clothes, placed the hardened leather armor on the chair by the bed, leaned his halberd against the wall at the head of the bed, and put the battle-axe within reach on his pillow.

The inn's accommodation fee was very affordable, costing only seven copper coins a night. If staying long-term, there was a discount, requiring only five copper coins.

Richard lay on the bed, staring at the wooden beams on the ceiling.

Although his body was very tired, his mind was still racing.

The main goal right now was definitely to level up as quickly as possible; otherwise, he wouldn't feel any sense of security in this dangerous otherworld.

Richard thought to himself: "I can try taking on some low-difficulty monster-clearing quests to kill more monsters and accumulate experience points."

There was no shortage of trouble to solve around Blackwater City.

Goblin tribes in the forest, caravan escort missions, murloc raiders on the coast, and monsters popping up from the sewers from time to time—these were all sources of experience and wealth.

Besides that, Richard was also pondering a more interesting question.

Could he multiclass into other professions?

The adventure panel had given him the designation of a warrior, but that didn't mean he could only be a warrior.

If he acquired content from other professions, such as learning a zero-level cantrip, would that count as crossing the threshold into becoming a mage, allowing him to become a noble spellcaster?

In the original owner's memories, magic was something very, very far removed from the lives of ordinary people.

There were several types of spellcasters in this world: mages who needed study and research, sorcerers who relied on bloodline awakening, clerics who received gifts by believing in gods, and some unorthodox paths like warlocks and druids.

Coming to such a magical world, who wouldn't want to possess powerful spells?

Richard turned over, wrapped himself tightly in the quilt, and closed his eyes.

He thought to himself: "Forget it, no use overthinking it. Tomorrow, I'll go to the Adventurers Guild first to see if there are any suitable commission quests."

"And that shitty mine-clearing quest—I definitely need to file a complaint against the quest issuer."

"There was a damn Kobold Warlock there; how could that possibly be a beginner-level quest!"

From outside the window came the deep, lingering sound of a bell from the direction of the harbor.

As he thought, Richard's breathing gradually became steady, leaving only the faint crackling of the fireplace embers and the distant, indistinct sound of waves in the room.