Meanwhile, back inside the game, Arthur walked throughout the city following the coin that Merry had given him to find her. He hadn’t seen the woman in a week or more. He still didn’t forget about that odd-looking Armory she had and the way it moved around in a carriage.
‘That is one of the weirdest places I have ever visited. But, she does sell a lot of good stuff.’ He thought to himself as he looked down at his coin and then followed the direction it led him to.
A few minutes later, Arthur found himself in a completely uncharted territory of the city he had never visited before. It had the same ominous, dark vibes he found the last time. Looking around him, Arthur simply followed his coin without exploring too much.
‘She’s always moving in the most horrifying areas of the city.’ Arthur sighed as he rubbed the back of his head. “She should be somewhere around here.”
“Who are you searching for?”
Suddenly, Arthur heard a voice speaking behind him, which sent chills down his spine. Immediately, his instincts kicked in as he jumped away and flipped around pulling his sword out.
‘Someone snuck behind me?!’ He clenched his teeth as he looked up quickly, only for him to be stunned.
“Ooo, a slightly faster reaction right there. Nice, you have grown stronger, kid.” Merry said as she crossed her arms with a cheeky grin.
“What the hell?!” Arthur blinked in confusion. “So, it was you, Merry! This is the second time you do this to me!” He yelled.
Arthur had completely forgotten that the woman could do that and easily sneak behind him even though his senses were scanning the area. It almost gave him a heart attack.
“Hahaha, what can I do when you are clearly looking lost? You better keep yourself more alert, kid. Anyone could’ve…” Then, she made a gesture with her hand aimed at her neck as if she was cutting it off. “They will end it pretty quickly.”
Arthur felt a chill run down his spine imagining what she said. She wasn’t lying, Arthur would’ve been easily killed if she decided to attack him. Her ability to avoid his detection is horrifying.
“Thank you for reminding me. Next time I come to you, you won’t get me.” Arthur said with a loud sigh. “Anyway, it’s nice seeing you again.”
“Nice seeing you too. You came to visit me way sooner than I expected.” Merry said as she turned around and started walking. “Follow me. My carriage is around the corner.”
Arthur nodded his head and walked after her. Taking the turn, he saw the large carriage parked in a dark corner away from potential stalkers. Its dark colors made it blend with the surroundings. Even the Lizards pulling it were black in color.
‘As ominous as ever.’ He mused.
“So, what brought you here today? If you’re looking for your armor, it will still take more time to fix it but good news… I found the material needed to fix it, it will just take some time.” She said.
“Hmm, that is fine. That’s not what I mainly came here for.” Arthur replied. “I’ve actually been looking for something else.”
“Oh? What is it? Wait, don’t tell me. Let’s get inside first.” After saying that, Merry walked to her carriage and then activated the odd mechanism Arthur saw last time where it suddenly transformed into a big shop.
Watching it happen again in front of him still felt completely new. The magic of engineering such a thing was ridiculous.
Then, Merry opened the door and stepped inside, followed by Arthur. The interior was still as messy as ever with all the weapons and pieces of armor riddling the place.
Taking her spot behind her counter, she asked. “So, what is it that you want?”
“Actually, my current sword is really damaged and it won’t last long. I’m looking for a good sword to replace it.” He said.
“A good sword?” She asked. “Show me your current sword.”
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Arthur nodded, pulled his Sanguine Blade out, and put it on the table. Merry then picked it up, pulled it out of its sheath, and then inspected it thoroughly.
“An interesting piece…” She said.”
“Really?”
“Not the best weapon there is. But, it’s definetly very interesting. The design alone is quite intriguing, rarely did I see it before.” She said.
The sanguine blade’s color and design were all in the theme of Arthur’s class, ‘Blood Monarch’. It had elements normal swords didn’t have which gave Arthur an advantage since his sword was quite powerful even for a starter item.
“The cracks have spread quite a lot,” Merry said as she traced her fingers across the blade. “It would’ve broken into pieces if you used it once more.”
“Wait, one more time?” Arthur blinked. He didn’t expect the number of uses left for it to be that low even though the cracks looked really bad.
“Yes, just one more good hit and it would’ve broken into pieces. Took you so long to think of changing it.” Merry said.
“Sigh… I know I took my time. But, that sword has been with me for a long time. I couldn’t find it within me to throw it away.” He said. At this point, Arthur couldn’t imagine not using the Sanguine Blade in every fight. It was more than just a weapon to him.
But, everything must always come to an end and this sword had clearly reached its limit a very long time ago. It was time to make the hard choice and put it to rest.
Merry watched the slightly sour expression on Arthur’s face and could only exhale a small breath. ‘This kid had already bonded with his sword.’
In her entire life, rarely did Merry see talented kids see their swords as their companions rather than mere weapons. This level of maturity Arthur was showing was very rare.
“In any case, do you want a sword of the same style as this one?” She asked as she put it down and stared at Arthur.
“Hm? Oh, yes. I need it to be the exact same, or at least very close to this.” He said.
“That is… Wait here, this might be a little tricky.” She said as she turned around and walked to the piles of weapons she had in store. “I think I have one particular sword that would fit you perfectly, I just need to find it.”
“Yeah, yeah, take your time. I’m not in a hurry.” Arthur said as he crossed his arms. ‘I hope it will be as good as Sanguine. I don’t want it to just be stronger, it has to feel right in my hand.’
Arthur knew that the only sword that he would ever accept was a sword that would fit in his hand like a puzzle. If it didn’t feel right then it was definitely not the one he needed, even if he had to remain without a sword, it had to be the right one.
‘I really wish she had the perfect one for me. Searching around will take too much ti-‘
Then, as if his mind was suddenly dragged out of its place, Arthur’s eyes moved to the side, locking on something in the corner.
A//N: Don’t forget to give the book some golden tickets for good luck! :3