kscans

Chapter 219 - # The Artisans 5. The Armorer (Part 2)

"...You want me to get you some armor that fits the boy?"

"Slightly different. We'll provide the material. We want you to tailor it into armor that fits him."

The old man's eyebrow twitched when he heard "provide the material." The clothes the boy in front of him was wearing, at least the trousers and jacket, were clearly made from magical beast materials. In that case, the "material" to be provided for the armor would also be from a magical beast. A custom order using magical beast materials... it was a request that even an armorer rarely encountered. It was no wonder he was intrigued.

"What's the material... no... Before that, what kind of armor are you looking for?"

"...Huh? ...What kind...?"

The old man glanced from Yuri to Kudol and judged that the boy likely didn't know much about armor. He began to explain in a way that was easy to understand. He might be gruff, but he seemed to be kind at heart.

"Armor is broadly divided into heavy armor and light armor. The heavy kind... heavy plate, we call it... is mostly made of metal. It's probably not suited for a boy like you to wear. The lighter kind, light armor, is typically leather armor, but there are a few types of that, too. Roughly speaking, you can either focus on hard protection, or on something light and easy to move in."

"I see..."

Yuri thought it over. Which type should he choose?

As someone whose creed was to treasure his life, he wanted something that would maximize his defense. However, Yuri's current fighting style was based on pre-emptive strikes with Stealth and long-range attacks, or avoiding encounters altogether using Perception. In short, he did not anticipate engaging in close-quarters brawls.

(...Well, my Tyrantbot wool shirt has high blade resistance...)

His main concern was preparation against magical attacks. He had been told that Rigbear hide possessed anti-magic properties, so he had thought to have it processed into armor to deal with that. From that perspective, armor that covered his entire body might be better, but if it hindered his movement as the old man said, that would be counterproductive. In the first place...

(...I shouldn't build my strategy around the assumption that I'll take a hit, whether it's magical or physical.)

He would have to consider how much area the Rigbear's anti-magic properties could cover, but if his primary strategy was stealth and evasion, then something that was easy to move in would be better.

The shopkeeper nodded at Yuri's answer, thinking it was a reasonable decision for a child. If he had wanted to get into a slugfest, he had been prepared to give the boy a half-hour lecture. ...Well... he was rather stunned when the material brought out for the job turned out to be, of all things, Rigbear hide.

The old man, whose name was apparently Baldo, had initially intended to make leather armor, but since there was more material than expected and Yuri was small, he began to consider a long-sleeved jacket. In other words, a leather jacket. However, unlike a typical leather jacket, this one would be made from a pelt with the fur left on. This was apparently because the Rigbear's hair was greatly involved in its anti-magic properties. Even for Baldo, who had been in this business for a long time, it was a type of armor he had rarely made, and the reason for that was...

"There's a good amount of it... and it's been tanned beautifully."

Indeed. To make a jacket, it was essential that the hide be tanned softly, and the hide Yuri had brought was excellent in this regard. ...Or rather, finishing a pelt to be this soft while leaving the fur on was something that couldn't be done through normal procedures.

"...Well, I'll stop asking questions. The boss in the back is glaring at me."

"Haha... That's helpful."

Baldo breezily decided to ignore it, as if to say leather processing was not his domain. His job began with processing the pelt.

"About that..."

Baldo tilted his head at Yuri's request to see just a little bit of the production process.