Chapter 76: From Preparation To Departure - Part 2

"There's only a week left before the departure for the Annual Caravan Quest. Therefore, we need to start preparing now, Mr. Arezu." So she wasn't actually mad, just overreacting earlier, Arezu thought as he walked beside Lynn through the bustling streets of the capital. Following their discussion at the Adventurers' Guild hall, Lynn and Arezu were now on a task to prepare everything they would need for the Annual Caravan Quest, which was expected to last more than two months. Their first stop? "We're here to take your money! So hand it over!" Lynn's dramatic entrance didn't fail to attract the attention of everyone inside the weapon shop they had just entered—both customers and staff. It also didn't fail to earn a broody remark from the shop's owner, who was seated behind the counter. "How dare you threaten me, you impudent girl," said the old dwarf blacksmith, Broc. Can't you come here without making a scene? Arezu grumbled internally, feeling embarrassed by the questioning looks from all the customers. Lynn, on the other hand, ignored the stares and walked confidently toward the counter, dragging Arezu by the sleeve of his coat. She promptly pulled out two familiar twin swords from her enchanted bag and placed them in front of Broc. "Like we promised, we're returning the items we borrowed," she said, proud and confident. Although she was indeed returning what they borrowed, Arezu had a different concern upon seeing the twin swords. "Shouldn't we be returning those to Alex instead?" he asked, still feeling guilty about what had happened to Alex. "He can get them back once he recovers, Mr. Arezu." Though there were questionable things about what Lynn said, Arezu found her words oddly comforting—different from her usual audacity. However, Lynn's next words, along with the next item she produced from her enchanted bag, quickly overshadowed that glimpse of thoughtfulness. "And we're pawning this as well," she said, placing a black robe on top of the counter—the same hooded robe Alex had worn while acting as the so-called Man-Hunter. "Lynn—" Arezu paused, facepalming himself not just to restrain his irritation but also to calm his anxiety. "—Why do you have that robe?" Amid the commotion when Alex was apprehended during the bounty-hunting quest, Lynn had taken the opportunity to recover the twin swords and the hooded robe while everyone else was focused on Alex. "Recover? You mean steal, right?" Arezu didn't bother masking his word, even if it might trigger another one of Lynn's tantrums. And it did—just a light one. "Rude!" Lynn pouted, just like she had earlier at the guild. Then she gave her reason for taking Alex's hooded robe, which was actually a dungeon artifact. "This is simply Alex's payment for wasting my puddings and cakes, Mr. Arezu." "That's just too much, Lynn. Wasn't the reward from the bounty-hunting quest enough?" "Why are you questioning me when everything I'm doing is for your sake? For our sake!" "You don't have to. Just return it to Ms. Liz and Hannah—" "There you go mentioning Hannah again—" Growing tired of their bickering, Broc began appraising the robe. After a while, he finally interrupted their back-and-forth to get their attention. "I don't know what kind of troublesome business this is—and don't even try to explain and drag me into it—but I'm not buying this dungeon artifact." —"Huh?"— To clarify, Broc gave a brief explanation—directed only to Arezu, as he was sure Lynn already knew exactly why he couldn't buy the robe but had tried to pawn it anyway. Dungeon Artifacts and Ancient Relics are required to be registered at a guild or similar establishment upon discovery. It's not only about ownership—it's the law in the Eileen Kingdom. Selling a registered dungeon artifact without the proper documentation is illegal. "You can't fool me, impudent girl. Even if you removed the marking enchantment, I still recognize this dungeon artifact from the records. I even remember the noble baron family that owns it." "Tsk!..." That single response from Lynn confirmed everything Broc had said. "Oi, are you seriously trying to do something illegal?" "It's not illegal if no one knows about it, Mr. Arezu." "Lynn!" Arezu at least tried to reason with her, giving a lecture that went on for quite some time. Whether Lynn actually listened was uncertain, as she just kept pouting the whole time. With the matter of the hooded robe settled—and Lynn putting aside her plan to secretly tease Arezu by pawning the robe just to get more of his attention—the conversation shifted to the real reason they had come to Broc's weapon shop. "Can you get Beatrix, Mr. Broody?" Lynn asked, not even trying to be polite to the shop owner. It wasn't that he was exactly complying, but Broc went to the back room and soon returned with Beatrix—along with another enchanted halberd-axe he had made for Arezu to test. Fulfilling their deal with Broc, which had allowed them to borrow the twin swords, Arezu tested the enchanted weapon—only to destroy it again due to his dungeon-like ability to devour anything infused with Mana. As Broc walked away disheartened by yet another failure to craft an enchanted weapon Arezu could use—and annoyed at Lynn laughing at the result—Beatrix took over the conversation. "Now tell me what the two of you want," she said, getting straight to the point. Arezu wasn't sure either—until Lynn finally revealed her reason. "I want you to make a reserve halberd-axe for Mr. Arezu. Something he can use for the Annual Caravan Quest." "Reserve—" Beatrix paused, then glared at Arezu before continuing, "—I'm telling you, Arezu. If you break the weapon I made by misusing it, I'll use the next one I make to chop off your head." Despite the threat, Beatrix agreed to craft a reserve halberd-axe for Arezu. The only thing left to discuss was payment. What remained of their 20 large gold coins deposit wouldn't be enough for the new weapon. Hearing this, Lynn made a proposal— "How about taking this robe as collateral?" —which Arezu immediately rejected. "Just tell us how much we're short. I'll try to gather the rest." "There's no need for payment right now. But I do have a deal I'd like to offer," Beatrix said, and then explained what she meant. Recalling their conversation the other day about the Annual Caravan Quest, Beatrix had figured out that she and Lynn would likely end up in the same group—assuming she chose one without Sylvia. So her offer was: "Make me a temporary member of your party, and pay me with the equivalent value of the monster materials we could loot during the Annual Caravan Quest."