The next morning, I walked through the town.
It was lively as always. Merchants were shouting about fresh bread. Kids were running around. Adventurers were laughing loudly in front of the guild.
Nothing changed.
But for me, everything felt different.
I stopped in front of a small clothing shop.
It wasn't big. Just a simple wooden building with a faded sign hanging above the door. The windows showed a few clothes on display. Nothing fancy. Just enough for townspeople and adventurers to buy what they needed.
I stared at the door for a few seconds.
When I was ten… I tried to steal from here.
I got caught.
And beaten badly.
"…I hope he doesn't recognize me," I muttered.
I slowly stepped inside.
The shop smelled like cloth and wood. Inside, wooden shelves were lined neatly with folded clothes. Plain cotton shirts in white, brown, and gray. Simple pants made for daily work. Thick jackets for travelers.
On the right side were adventurer sets — light leather armor, durable tunics, reinforced pants with extra stitching near the knees.
At the back were robes — simple mage robes in dark blue, black, and dark green.
"Good morning, young man!"
I stiffened.
The owner stood behind the counter. He looked older now, with more wrinkles and a bit of gray in his hair, but his eyes were sharp.
"What are you looking for?" he asked with a friendly smile.
"Ah… I'm looking for adventurer clothes. Something for hunting too. And… if possible, a robe."
"Ooh?" His eyes widened slightly. "You're adventuring at such a young age? That's incredible. You probably have a talent huh. And you look strong too."
Strong…
If only you knew what I went through to become like this.
The Seven. The pain. The price. The nights I thought I would die.
Power is never free, if you want power you must pay.
"I'm just a normal adventurer," I said calmly.
He chuckled. "Humble too, I see. That's good. Come here, I'll show you some proper sets."
He walked toward another shelf and gestured for me to follow.
"These are our best sellers," he said, pointing at a few sets.
There were dark brown leather tunics with shoulder guards. Light black hunting outfits with flexible fabric for easy movement. Reinforced gloves. Thick boots with metal lining at the toe.
"This one," he said, holding a dark green set, "is good for forest hunting. Blends well with trees."
"And this black one?" I asked.
"Stronger material. A bit expensive, but it won't tear easily. Many adventurers like it."
"Does it restrict movement?"
He shook his head. "Not at all. Try lifting your arm."
I did. It felt light.
"See? Flexible."
He then pointed to a simple dark robe. "This robe is plain, but the cloth is durable. Good for travel. Not flashy."
Not flashy is good.
I stepped closer and touched the fabric.
It felt firm. Not cheap.
…This is different from the robe the Seven gave me.
That one feels almost alive.
This one feels… normal.
Normal is good.
"Hm…" the owner suddenly squinted at me. "I feel like I've seen you before. Where was that again…?"
My heart stopped.
W-what? He remembers?
I stayed still.
After a few seconds, he waved his hand. "Ah, forget it. Maybe you just look like someone else."
I quietly exhaled.
"Sorry, old man memory," he laughed.
"It's fine," I said quickly.
A while later, I picked two sets — the dark green hunting clothes and the black reinforced adventurer set. I also chose a simple dark robe.
"Ohh, you have a nice eye," he said. "Those will last you years if you take care of them."
"How much for all of these?" I asked.
"That would be two gold coins and twenty silver coins."
"T-that's expensive."
"Of course!" he laughed loudly. "The material used to it was top notch. I don't sell cheap cloth that tears after one monster bite."
"…Can you lower it a little?" I tried.
He crossed his arms. "Hmm. Are you good at hunting?"
"I think so."
"Then bring me monster hides next time. Good quality ones. I'll give you a discount."
"…Deal."
He smiled. "But for today, full price."
"…Alright."
I took out the coins from my pouch and handed them over.
There goes all my gold.
I'm glad I can make potions. I'll just make more and sell them again.
He carefully wrapped the clothes and handed them to me.
"Thank you," I said.
"Work hard, young adventurer," he replied. "And don't die too early. don't forget the task i gave to you."
I gave a small smile. "I'll try."
"Come back again next time. We still have a lot here."
"I will."
With the clothes in my arms, I stepped outside.
As I walked down the street, a strong smell suddenly reached me.
Grilled meat.
Fresh fish.
Warm bread.
Sweet fruits.
My stomach reacted immediately.
"…I can already smell it from here," I muttered.
I followed the scent and saw a small line of food stalls along the street. Smoke rose from a grill. A man was pulling bread out of a clay oven. Fruits were displayed neatly in wooden baskets.
"Hey, young man! Looking for freshly baked bread?" a middle-aged man called out with a wide smile.
Before I could answer, another voice shouted. "We have grilled meat here! Still warm and juicy!"
"And fresh fruits!" a woman added. "Harvested this morning from the village!"
I walked first to the man selling bread.
Golden brown loaves were stacked neatly. Some had honey glazed on top, shining under the sunlight.
"Uh… excuse me. How much for these?" I asked, pointing at the bread with honey.
"That one is one silver coin," he answered. Then he leaned closer. "How about you buy three? I'll give it to you for two silver."
Three for two…
"…Then I'll take it."
I handed him the coins.
"Good choice!" he said happily as he wrapped the bread in paper.
"Thank you."
"Thank you young man! Come again!"
I nodded and moved to the woman selling grilled meat and fish. The smell was even stronger here. Fat dripped from the meat onto the fire, making a sizzling sound.
"This grilled boar meat is high quality, you know," she said proudly. "Caught by a skilled hunter. Want to try? I'll give you a discount."
"How much for this?" I asked, pointing at a thick piece of meat on a stick.
"That's two silver, but for you I'll give it for one silver."
"…Alright. Thank you."
I gave her the coin and she handed me the meat, still warm.
"Enjoy!" she said.
I also bought five different fruits from the fruit seller — red apples, yellow pears, a bunch of grapes, and two fruits I didn't even know the name of.
"You're my first customer today," she said cheerfully. "I'll give you a small discount."
"Thank you," I said again.
With all the food in my hands, I found an empty bench by the street and sat down.
The town was noisy, but in a good way.
I picked up one of the honey breads first.
I took a bite.
"…Mm."
The outside was slightly crispy, but the inside was soft and warm. The honey on top melted in my mouth.
"This bread is good… sweet too."
I've eaten bread before. Hard bread. Cold bread. Sometimes almost spoiled bread.
But this…
"I've never tried something this good," I whispered.
Next, I took a bite of the grilled boar meat.
Juice filled my mouth instantly. The meat was tender, slightly salty, with a smoky flavor from the fire.
"…This grilled meat is good too."
I didn't realize I was smiling.
Then I started eating the fruits one by one.
The apple was crisp and refreshing.
The pear was sweet and soft.
The grapes burst with juice when I bit them.
"Even the fruits are amazing…"
Before I knew it, everything was gone.
I leaned back on the bench, feeling full.
"…This is nice," I said quietly, looking at the busy street.
Maybe… living like this isn't so bad.