I Became A Married Man in Another World
Chapter 53
053 A Chick Before a Cobra
The reason the Guild Master hadn’t been seen might have been because of this request from the merchant group.
At first, Juhwan had simply assumed it was a job offered to the Red Sword party, but upon listening further, he realized the role assigned to him wasn’t an escort, but a healer.
He’d have to be a fool not to notice.
This likely wasn’t a request originally intended for Red Sword. Whether the guild staff had scouted it because it was a high-paying job or for some other reason, they must have scrambled to find it specifically for Juhwan.
‘But they were certainly fast.’
It hadn’t even been ten days since he arrived, yet they’d already managed to hook a job like this. He hadn’t pegged the Master or the staff as particularly capable, but perhaps they were actually quite good at their jobs.
As the adults’ conversation stretched on, Dorothy began to wander around the office again. Children are quick to shift their moods. It seemed especially true because Oz was with her. The saying that animals are good for a child’s emotional development must be true. Watching Dorothy made him think so.
Keeping an eye on the child every so often, Juhwan turned his attention back to the guild members.
The chatterbox guild member began to explain the merchant group’s location in detail. They were currently on the move, about a day and a half’s journey from here.
It wasn’t a matter of meeting them at a specific village; it seemed Juhwan and the Red Sword party would have to catch up to them along their route.
However, even as they listened, the locations were unfamiliar to Juhwan and Riji.
The chatterbox glanced at Juhwan and nodded.
“The Red Sword party knows the geography around here well, so you can rest easy. Just follow them.”
The chatterbox then looked at the leader of Red Sword.
“Speed is a bit important this time. Once you catch up to the merchants, it won’t matter, but we can’t have the rendezvous point getting too far away. What do you want to do?”
Karin, the leader, nodded.
“We’ll rent a horse and a cart.”
The chatterbox grinned.
“Good thinking. I know you’re short on funds, but the commission for this one is quite generous. You have to spend money to make money, after all.”
“….”
Karin’s face flushed slightly. She seemed embarrassed. This chatterbox guild member really had no tact.
“And make sure you eat well this time. Even if it’s just grass porridge, you need to eat two meals a day. If you go around eating only once a day like before and end up staggering from lack of energy, it makes the Adventurer’s Guild look bad. Especially me. I’m the one who recommended you, after all.”
As the chatterbox spoke with a bright smile, Karin’s head hung even lower.
“I’m sorry.”
“Oh, it’s fine. Don’t worry about me. No need to feel sorry. I get cursed at all the time anyway. If I’m not getting it from one side, I’m getting it from the other. That’s just the life of a guild employee. So it’s fine, but I’m worried about you all. Eat well this time.”
“Yes.”
The members of the Red Sword party answered in unison.
Tactless, but perhaps a good person, Juhwan thought as he glanced at the Red Sword party. Just how little were they earning that they could only afford one meal a day while working as adventurers?
‘I must be careful not to end up in that position and let my family go hungry.’
Seriously, if Riji and Dorothy were staggering from hunger on one meal a day, he would burst into tears. Just thinking about it felt so miserable and sad that he felt a lump in his throat. A few tears actually welled up.
But it seemed the Red Sword party took his expression the wrong way. Karin raised an eyebrow and thrust her face toward Juhwan’s. Her face distorted until deep wrinkles formed across her forehead.
“What?! You think we’re a joke just because you’re some hotshot Magician? You pitying us? Laughing at us on the inside?”
Karin looked like she wanted to grab him by the collar. She probably would have if Juhwan were a bit shorter.
But for a small person to grab a giant larger than themselves is both difficult and looks ridiculous. Knowing that, she seemed to be forcing herself to hold back. Her clenched fist trembled in the air.
A sigh escaped Juhwan’s lips automatically. He sighed because the situation felt so absurd, but that also seemed to offend Karin. Her eyes narrowed so sharply the whites almost disappeared.
Just as Juhwan opened his mouth to explain that wasn’t it, Riji stepped between them, spreading her arms wide.
“Juhwan isn’t that kind of person. He doesn’t mock others. Don’t judge him based on your own assumptions.”
Riji’s back was pressed against Juhwan’s stomach. She was trembling slightly. Of course, he couldn’t feel the shivering through her clothes, but he could see her shaking right in front of him.
Even if it was woman to woman, this was likely her first time getting into a confrontation.
Riji wasn’t the type for it. She was gentle and tried her best not to cross anyone. She had probably never raised her voice at anyone in her life.
‘And yet, for my sake…’
Her hair, her hands—on closer inspection, her whole body was shaking. She seemed incredibly nervous. She looked like a newborn chick shivering in the face of danger.
Even so, she was trying to fight for him. This was likely the most courageous moment of Riji’s life.
‘She’s so cute.’
He was grateful. He was moved. This time, he really felt like he might cry.
Karin, now even angrier than before, curled her lip and shouted.
“What does a woman who only hides behind a man and gets protected know?! I bet you’ve never even held a sword!”
“Y-You don’t h-have to know how to f-fight.”
Ah, she tripped over her words. Riji’s tongue seemed to have tied itself in knots from the sheer intensity of her emotions. Riji paused for a moment, then took a deep breath.
“I don’t know how to fight, but I help in other ways! Knowing how to fight isn’t the only way to be helpful!”
Things were getting a bit awkward. Juhwan had missed his chance to step in.
Riji was fighting for him, but in truth, Juhwan wasn’t angry at all, nor did he care about Karin’s words.
Back on Earth, there were occasionally middle or high school students who would challenge him as a test of courage. It was the classic case of a pup not knowing to fear the tiger, and Karin’s aggression reminded him exactly of those kids.
He felt bad for Karin, but no adult gets truly angry at a child. He realized that, as she said, he might actually be looking down on the Red Sword party in his heart. To him, Karin just looked like an immature child picking a fight for no reason.
“….”
After exchanging a few more words with Riji, Karin, unable to control her temper, raised her fist.
“That’s enough.”
Along with his words, Juhwan’s thick arm shot forward. He lightly caught Karin’s raised wrist in the air. Though thick for a woman’s, her wrist looked as slender as a child’s in Juhwan’s grip.
Karin strained to pull her hand away, but he didn’t budge.
‘It’s useless.’
Juhwan murmured to himself. No matter how much she struggled, she couldn’t escape his grasp.
It wasn’t just because she was a woman. It might have been his imagination, but Juhwan’s strength felt even greater since coming to this world. Rather than feeling like he’d gotten stronger, it felt as though other objects and people had become lighter and weaker.
He had always been skilled at fighting. Even if his opponent were a man rather than a woman, it would be difficult to beat the current Juhwan with bare hands.
“Stop it. I don’t intend to interfere with a verbal argument, but I can’t allow anything beyond that.”
“…You! You…!”
Karin’s lip quivered.
Only then did the other members of the Red Sword party step in to hold Karin back, bowing their heads to Juhwan and Riji.
“We’re sorry.”
“Please forgive us.”
The chatterbox guild member shouted at the other adventurers who were watching the spectacle to get back to work.
Then, he looked at Karin with a somewhat cold expression.
“You of Red Sword are the guides. Do not act on your emotions. This is strictly business.”
“We’re sorry.”
“Our apologies.”
The other two members of Red Sword bowed deeply to the chatterbox. Karin bit her lip and lowered her head slightly. Standing at a bit of an angle toward Juhwan and Riji, she spoke.
“…I’m sorry.”
“…I-I’m sorry for shouting, too.”
Riji offered a small apology, and amidst the lingering awkwardness, the chatterbox continued his explanation.
Dorothy was standing a short distance away. When Juhwan reached out his arm, she scurried over and hugged him, asking in a low voice.
“Did you make up?”
“…Yes.”
“Good boy.”
Dorothy giggled and patted Juhwan’s head. Then she patted Riji’s head as well.
Riji leaned her stiffened body slightly against Juhwan and let out a small breath. If she was going to be that nervous, she didn’t have to fight.
The feeling of being protected by the fragile Riji and Dorothy felt strange and unfamiliar.
Suddenly, Karin’s wrist caught his eye. There were red marks where he had held her. He didn’t think he’d gripped that hard; he’d have to be more careful with his strength in the future.
After that, they left the guild and headed toward the market alley. They were with the Red Sword party. The awkwardness was stifling. It seemed everyone felt it. Not a single person spoke.
However, there were many things they needed to buy immediately.
The working conditions for the merchant group included two meals a day, but apparently, the food was often tasteless or poor.
He’d heard that sometimes the promised meals weren’t even provided, so they had to make at least some preparations. Furthermore, with a child in tow…
Aside from food, there were many other things to buy. Spare clothes, gloves, hats, boots, as well as water bottles, towels, rope—the list went on.
They had a fair amount of supplies in the wagon, but the items adventurers needed were different.
While a gloomy atmosphere drifted between the adults, only Dorothy was happy. Once they returned to the market, the child dashed around like a fish in water. Her eyes sparkled.
“Let’s go to the weapon street next. Even if you don’t buy anything right now, it’s important to go often and familiarize yourself with things. You won’t be able to choose properly if you’re trying to buy in a hurry when you actually need it.”
Marie of Red Sword showed off her sword.
“Besides, there are people on the weapon street who do maintenance. You should maintain your own weapons whenever you have time, but occasionally you need professional care. Otherwise, they won’t last long before you have to throw them away.”
The weapon street was also connected to the plaza, like the food street. While many people laid out their goods on the street in the food section, they were few and far between here.
There were customers who looked like adventurers scattered throughout the street and shops. It wasn’t silent, but the entire street had a quiet atmosphere.
Even Dorothy became well-behaved. Children are sensitive to the surrounding atmosphere.
Juhwan walked slowly down the street, carrying the child.
Perhaps she was tired, as Dorothy began to doze off. When Riji walked beside them and patted the child’s bottom a few times, Dorothy soon leaned her head against his chest and fell fast asleep.
The sound of striking iron echoed from somewhere among the shops.
From another direction came a rasping sound, like metal being ground.
Turning his head, he saw an old man sitting in a recessed corner between shops, steadily sharpening a blade. That man was likely the one who maintained weapons.
The man sat at a device where a wheel turned when he stepped on a foot pedal. Every time the man pumped the pedal, a round whetstone spun along with the front wheel, sharpening the blade.
Whether he lacked a shop or chose to work outside, the man sat quietly sharpening blades, his small collection of belongings acting as a meager shield against the cold wind.
Marie of Red Sword approached him and held out her sword.
“Hello. I’d like you to take a look at this today.”
The man set aside his work, took Marie’s sword, and glanced at the others. Looking at the swords at Karin’s and Jessie’s waists, the man spoke.
“I told you before, you can’t keep doing this. If you’re adventurers, spend money on your weapons. Don’t be stingy.”
The man sighed, then examined Marie’s sword closely.
“This is…”
The man sighed again.
“This was a cheap sword to begin with. Taking turns to maintain something like this one by one… you’re really going to die someday. I’ll sharpen it this time, but buy a decent sword, even if it’s only slightly better.”
Marie smiled awkwardly and introduced Juhwan and Riji.
“This is a new party that just joined the guild. The leader is a Magician, but he uses weapons too, so please take care of him.”
The man looked Juhwan up and down before eyeing the axe at his waist.
“Let me see that.”
When Juhwan handed over the axe, the man inspected it closely and then looked up at Juhwan’s face.
“It’s well-maintained. But the recent sharpening isn’t very good. Looks like a novice did the edge.”
Juhwan laughed awkwardly. He was talking about the part Juhwan had sharpened himself in the mountains. He’d thought it was decent for a first try, but it seemed it was poor in the eyes of a professional.
After examining the axe a bit more, the man continued.
“Besides, it won’t last long. It looks fine on the outside, but it’ll snap before long. It’s just a guess, but I think your strength is too much for this axe.”
The man mentioned that such things occasionally happened to exceptionally strong adventurers and leaned forward. Pointing to a shop a short distance away, the man said,
“Go to that shop. They have many weapons suitable for those who fight with raw strength. It’s better to buy even a plain axe from that shop. It’ll suit you.”
“Most newcomers get shop recommendations from this mister. The guild also sends people to him when they ask about weapons. You can trust his eyes.”
Jessie added with a smile.
“Thank you. I’ll check that shop out. Also, would there happen to be a place that sells a small knife that looks like this?”
Juhwan drew a crescent-shaped blade on the ground. It had a hole in the handle. It was a weapon called a Karambit, which he’d seen someone use back when he was getting into fights all the time. It was a small knife, and since it was used by hooking a finger through it, it would be easy for a woman to use.
At Juhwan’s question, the man glanced at Riji.
“Is it for the lady there?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Hmm. I’ve never seen a weapon like that. Where is it from?”
“…It’s used in a region far from here. It’s a weapon from where I used to live.”
“I see. You probably won’t find it in the shops here. But there’s someone who can make it if you commission it.”
The man looked up at Juhwan.
“It’ll cost you. Are you still interested?”
“Yes. She doesn’t know martial arts, so she can’t use standard weapons.”
Riji, who had been listening quietly, tugged on Juhwan’s sleeve. She whispered in a small voice.
“Juhwan, I don’t need a weapon like that. If I really need one, I can just use a knife.”
She seemed burdened by the thought of him spending money on her. But this was the one thing he couldn’t compromise on. Juhwan took Riji’s hand.
“Riji, standard knives or weapons won’t do. You have to use a weapon that fits your size and ability. For a woman who doesn’t know how to fight at all, like you, a normal weapon is especially useless. You’d be taken down before you could even get into a stance.”
“But I’m in charge of management.”
“You never know what might happen. I’m not asking you to fight, but you still need a way to protect yourself. If you can hold out for a short time—a very short time—I can help you. You need a way to buy that time.”
Truly, that was all he needed. Just a few dozen seconds before he could help. Since he could also use Healing Magic, as long as she could endure for that brief moment, he could handle the rest.
When he said that, Riji lowered her head slightly with a subtle expression, looking both troubled and pleased.
The man watched the exchange between Juhwan and Riji, then turned his gaze to Red Sword.
“Listen. I told you kids too, but those swords are too big for women to use. This man is right. It’s important to use a weapon that fits your size and ability. Think about it.”
“….”
Red Sword said nothing.
Juhwan and Riji headed first to the weapon shop that sold axes.
They also sold weapons like hammers there. Well, he didn’t need anything that heavy.
He used axes, but to be honest, it was more comfortable to fight bare-handed while using fire. He had his own established fighting style, after all.
‘Still, I can’t exactly fight bare-handed when the opponent has a weapon.’
After hearing the prices, Juhwan simply bought two ordinary axes.
One axe cost 4 lina.
But other weapons…
A large, cool-looking hammer was 25 lina, and a fairly high-quality sword was 30 lina. Even a cheap sword was 7 lina. Weapons were much more expensive than he’d thought.
Until he had more money, ordinary axes would have to suffice.
Honestly, he thought even the axes were expensive. It might be better to just think of ways to fight with his body.
After that, following the Red Sword party’s advice, he bought some oil for weapon maintenance and a box to store the weapons in.
*
The shop that did custom weapon manufacturing was located quite far from the plaza.
It was a shop run by a middle-aged man and a boy who appeared to be his son and apprentice.
There weren’t many weapons in the shop. The owner said he mostly made and sold them himself.
When Juhwan explained the shape of the Karambit, the shop owner showed great interest. He said he’d never seen a knife of that shape before.
“How much would it cost to make?”
“Let’s see.”
The man pondered for a long time, then suggested that if Juhwan allowed him to make and sell the same item in the future, he would make one prototype for him.
Juhwan negotiated to receive a few finished products in addition to the prototype.
Since the concept of patent rights likely wasn’t widespread in this era, he figured that would be fair enough.
