Chapter 151: Into the Fog

Lutz combined the remaining soup from last night with some meat and reheated it. It was a hearty chicken and garlic soup; it couldn’t be anything but delicious. It made for a cheerful breakfast.

“Mmm, delicious,” 

He chewed on the chicken thoughtfully and nodded in satisfaction, washing it down with some watered-down wine. This amount wouldn’t get him drunk; it provided just the right amount of energy to his body.

It was the perfect breakfast. The only regret was that he was eating alone, but he didn’t want to wake his wife, who was still recovering from the hangover she had last night. She needed rest.

“Good morning.” 

Claudia descended from the third floor, placing her hands on the wall as she made her way down. She looked pale, her hair disheveled. Lutz couldn’t help but interpret her disheveled appearance positively.

“Good morning, Claudia. Do you want some food? I just reheated it a moment ago, so you can eat right away.”

Claudia cast a brief, sleepy glance at the table.

“Yeah, I think I can eat. Thanks, Lutz-kun. You don’t have to get up. Even a drunkard can handle this much.”

With that, she staggered downstairs to the first floor, then returned, still unsteady on her feet. She looked shaky, but her mind seemed clear.

“I drank too much and exposed myself in an unseemly manner.”

“Today, you should rest all day. You don’t have any important plans, do you?”

Even if she had happy news to share, Claudia wouldn’t have drunk so heavily the day before. Lutz had confidence in her and trusted her implicitly.

“Well, I don’t have any particular plans. I was thinking of taking a walk around the market.”

“Is there something you want to buy at the market?”

“No, not really. I’m just going for a stroll. I want to see how the market is doing, if there’s any activity, what kind of goods are available, and if there are any interesting rumors. Just things like that.”

“I see…”

Lutz had spent much more time in his blacksmith’s workshop than out in the city. He hadn’t paid much attention to the city’s happenings. If Claudia and Ricardo hadn’t told him about the attack on the knights, he might not have known about it.

“In that case, I’ll go check out the market today. I’ll buy some bread on my way back.”

“Are you sure about this? Don’t forget that Ricardo-san has his request pending.”

Lutz hesitated for a moment, struggling to find the right words. However, he quickly decided that there was no need to hide anything from Claudia and smiled gently.

“To be honest, I can’t envision what kind of sword to forge. I’m in the mood for a little change of pace, and I feel like taking a walk.”

With that in mind, Claudia nodded slightly. No matter how skilled one may be, the struggles of an artist are never-ending. In fact, if they were to stop struggling, it might mean their growth has come to a halt.

Claudia had seen many people within the same guild who had become fixated on preserving their master’s position. In light of these stories, it was likely that Lutz’s inner turmoil was a necessary part of his journey. The only regret was that she couldn’t offer any assistance herself.

“Sounds like a good idea to have a change of pace. Besides, Ricardo-san doesn’t have a deadline for his request, and I don’t think he’s in a hurry.”

The sword Ricardo usually used was a reward bestowed by the Count for monster subjugations, and it was made by Gerhardt. It was not an ordinary sword by any means. 

Although Lutz had seen it before which can be described as a true masterpiece. It’s not common for adventurers to possess such remarkable blades. Ricardo’s quest for a second katana is driven by a somewhat trivial and, in other words, inconsequential preference – he simply wants to have matching katanas if he’s going to carry two. It’s a level of concern similar to being bothered by a single book on a shelf being slightly taller than the others, and it’s really not that different.

Looking into Claudia’s face, which seemed to have relieved some of her anxiety, Lutz gently smiled.

“Yeah, I guess I can make him wait a little. I’ll have to make something good in return.”

Market days were not rare occurrences for Lutz, but he had never before observed the market itself. He usually had a specific purpose, bought what he needed, and quickly returned home.

This time, however, he strolled slowly without any particular goal in mind, just observing the market. There were various shops, such as butchers, greengrocers, secondhand clothing stores, and haberdasheries. It was no wonder they said you could find everything you needed here. The bakeries were a bit farther away, as they specialized in their own craft.

As he reached the edge of the main road, Lutz found a store that seemed to cater to adventurers, selling various types of weapons. He was curious about what they had and had a somewhat mischievous thought in his mind—what could they possibly have that surpassed his own creations?

“Hello, welcome!”

Thinking that Lutz was a man with no money, the middle-aged shopkeeper greeted him with a tired voice. He seemed to be a retired adventurer, with the typical build of someone who had wielded a sword all their life, and his eyes were clouded with a lack of hope for the future.

Lutz quickly regretted coming here as he glanced over the merchandise. It was worse than he had imagined.

The metal helmets had rust on them, and leather armor had holes chewed through by insects and was covered in mold. A little care could make them look better, but it seemed the shopkeeper was reluctant even to put in that much effort.

…This was a waste of time. No, he couldn’t stop thinking like that.

For adventurers with no money, this shop was a necessity. And adventurers without money were the ones wearing these sorts of things. That was the reality. Lutz nodded slightly, changing his perspective a bit, realizing that even just changing his viewpoint could be a valuable lesson.

“Decide whether you’re buying or not,” the shopkeeper glared at him impatiently. As Lutz was about to step away from the shop, one short sword caught his eye.

It had a black sheath, or more accurately, it wasn’t a short sword but a dagger.

“Shopkeeper, what about that…?”

When Lutz pointed at the dagger, the shopkeeper grinned, his cheeks twitching.

“Whoa there, buddy, do you understand the value of that? It’s a masterpiece I just got this morning. It’s the only real thing in this godforsaken store. Don’t touch it; if you want to see the blade, I’ll draw it for you.”

“I can tell without seeing the blade.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I’m the one who forged that dagger.”

“Huh?” 

The shopkeeper responded with a voice that didn’t sound very convinced.

“If you’re the smith, let me give you some advice. How about adding some decoration to the scabbard and handle? It looks way too plain compared to the quality of the blade.”

“Hmm, you might have a point…”

“In this world, they don’t say looks are everything, but a little consideration to make it more appealing to others wouldn’t hurt.”

Lutz wanted to explain that he didn’t have any connections with skilled decorators and that he couldn’t afford them even if he did. However, he realized that it was irrelevant to the customer.

“More importantly, who brought this dagger here? What’s the source?”

In response, the shopkeeper shot Lutz a contemptuous look. He let out a foul breath and spoke in an annoyed tone.

“There’s no way I can tell you that. You don’t know anything about adventurers’ code of honor, do you?”

“That dagger might belong to a murderer.”

“I’m a killer too. Aren’t you one too?”

Lutz couldn’t argue with the shopkeeper’s words. He had killed many people before, all in self-defense. He had never done anything against his principles, but it didn’t mean that those he killed would necessarily agree.

As Lutz was about to leave, trying to avoid any further argument, a voice called out to his back.

“He was a Knight. I don’t know why, but he looked scared. Maybe he just wanted to get rid of the dagger, not for the money but for some other reason.”

“Shopkeeper, is it okay to disregard the adventurer’s code of honor?”

“It’s fine; he wasn’t an adventurer.”

With a laugh, the shopkeeper received a deep bow from Lutz.

A few days later, another knight was killed. Nothing was stolen.

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