Chapter 136: The Principle of Having Just One Luxurious Article (1/2)
Although I spent a lot of time ordering clothes, the sun was still high up in the sky, and I had plenty of time left, so I went ahead and dropped by Tigger’s Arms Store.
“Good day.” [Ryouma]
“Oh, it’s you, Ryouma. That thing you asked for has been completed.” [Darson]
After the shopkeeper, Darson-san, said that. He went into the inner parts of the store.
After waiting for a while, he came back out with a wooden box.
“This is the completed product.” [Darson]
Inside the box was a light green shirt, pants, and a manteau. At first glance, it looked like two sets of normal clothes.
“Just as you’ve ordered, these have been made using those excessively strong threads of yours. This was actually made by an armor craftsman I’m friends with, but I checked the quality myself and I can vouch for it. It might just be a prototype, but I have full confidence in it.” [Darson]
He took out a piece of cloth and a knife from the box.
“Look at this.” [Darson]
He tried to cut the piece of cloth, but no matter how hard he tried to cut it, he couldn’t penetrate it. The cloth couldn’t be torn.
“This piece of cloth is a double-layered cloth made using those threads you brought. All these clothes were made using this, so you can expect a lot from them in regards to defending against sharp objects. They look and feel just like normal clothes, but they’re closer to chain mail in quality. If you consider these clothes as something to wear underneath another armor, their defensive prowess is really exceptional.” [Darson]
“How much does it cost to make one of these? And how many can you produce at a time?” [Ryouma]
“Let’s see… These things are really strong, so it takes a lot of time to cut the cloth. But you did bring the ingredient yourself, so it should be more affordable compared to an armor with similar material. It shouldn’t cost that much.” [Darson]
“Similar material?” [Ryouma]
“Metal Spider Thread. It’s weak to heat, so if you just warm it up a little, you can easily cut it. It’s definitely a lot easier to handle than your material. But being easy to handle is also a weak point.
To compensate for that, we usually weave it along with enchantment magic and another compatible material, turning it into a magic equipment that can resist fire and heat. Metal Spider Thread is fairly expensive by itself. And on top of that, you still need to pay for the enchantment, so it’s quite expensive. It can be considered a luxury good.” [Darson]
Considering the time it takes to make it, the cost performance seems pretty good.
I took the cloth and examined it, and it turns out the texture for the inner part was different from the exterior. It was smooth and felt good to the skin…
“Was silk used for the interior?” [Ryouma]
“Yes. Your thread had zero absorbency. The same goes for the cloths made from them. My friend probably realized that would be an issue, so he went and used silk for the inner part.” [Darson]
“I see. Thank you very much. With this, I shouldn’t have a problem even if I went inside a thicket.” [Ryouma]
“A thicket? Not even fangs or swords could penetrate your skin with those clothes on. You will still suffer from the impact, however.” [DArson]
“So, how much is it?” [Ryouma]
“5 small gold coins.” [Darson]
That is affordable. Especially, considering this was made-to-order.
“Are you sure?” [Ryouma]
“You brought the materials yourself, and while it did take a lot of effort to cut and sew the cloths, no special procedures were needed. The armor craftsman was also happy to be able to work with a rare material. Even with the long time spent making everything, 5 gold coins are plenty.” [Darson]
“I see. Thank you.” [Ryouma]
If it’s this cheap, maybe I could outfit all my employees with them. At the very least, I should outfit the guards with them. …I wonder what the duke’s family would think of these? They have guards, but the end of the year is approaching, and everyone seems to be stocking antidotes, so… I know, I’ll just ask the shopkeeper what he thinks.
“The nobles have probably already taken precautions themselves, but I don’t think they would consider it rude if you gifted them these. As for me, as long as you provide the materials and pay, I don’t mind getting them made. But if you’re going to be gifting them, then you should take a sample with you first. A normal-sized one that fits adults, that is.
You can use that to get the right measurements, then you can just send the real thing at a later date. You can bring your employees here too if you want. It’s all perfectly fine. And if you’re going to be ordering a bunch, I can give you a discount.” [Darson]
And so, I ended up ordering a sample.
“I’ll prepare the threads by tomorrow.” [Ryouma]
“Alright. I’ll contact the craftsman on my end too.” [Darson]
With this I’ve found a candidate for my gifts.
But if we’re going to be making a bunch, then I’ll need a considerable amount of threads.
…Maybe I should use this opportunity to prepare some winding machines for the sticky slimes.
Let’s go back after dropping by Serge-san’s store.