Resilient Shield

Chapter 5

It was only evening Naofumi decides it was enough. He gathered the loots, potions, and herbs before herded them to the riverbank.

"Go wash yourself. Raphtalia goes here, Lucas goes there. No peeking."

The kids nodded and do as told. Naofumi waited for them to get done, before tossing them a piece of clothes each. Raphtalia got his jacket. It was clearly oversized for her. The jacket goes all the way to below her knees and her hands can't be seen. Lucas got his cape. It was reaching down his ankle, with there's a slight bulge in the back where his wings are.

"Master?"

"We're going to town."

Both kids have wide eyes as Naofumi led them away from the field that has been their home, to the town of Melcomarc. Looking around at the stores, restaurants, and inns with their brightly-lit lamps. Their mouth goes salivating when they saw a street vendor selling beef skewer.

Naofumi ushered them to walk faster.

The Apothecary was their destination. The Pharmacist look surprised but smiled benignly.

"Ah, Mr. Shield Hero," Naofumi ignored the startled look he gets from the kids. "it has been days."

"Yeah." Naofumi didn't come for chit-chat. He quickly deposited the herbs and the Medicine he made for the Pharmacist to inspect.

"They're good quality. And you did say you come up with the recipe?" Come the surprised voice. "Mr. Hero, are perhaps have some prior knowledge in medicine?"

"I have some basic education in Biology and Chemistry," Science was a mandatory subject in Elementary and Middle School, "and one of my friends was pursuing a career as a doctor." Replied Naofumi. "That, and practice make perfect."

"Did you originally pursue to be a doctor too?"

"No. A scholar." It was the closest term he can use.

"A shame then." The Pharmacist sighed. "You would've been a good one. Well, I suppose I can buy them for Sixty Silvers. Combined with the herbs... Seventy Silver."

"Deal." Naofumi knew it was a fool he didn't try to bargain a higher price, but he doesn't want to piss off neutral/decent benefactor here. Plus, he had somewhere else to be before the shops closed for the night.

.

"Brat. What are you doing...?"

And that shop is the one and only Weapon Shop he knows.

"Some change clothes for the kids and light armor. Better if it would last long since kids tend to grow fast... and something to accommodate the wings. Another change of clothes for me. And weapon. Short Sword and Dagger." Naofumi said, counting his money. "Keep it under Twenty Silver for all of it, if you could."

Erhard looks at him long and hard, before sighing. "I don't know if the country is wrong, or if you've just gone rotten. Whatever." He went and collect several short swords and leather armor. Raphtalia took them one by one to test them. She settled for a sword with a small diamond carving in the middle of the guard.

It was Lucas who made a surprising request.

"U-um... may I have a claw?" He asked. "It just..."

Naofumi thought about it, and remember how he still hasn't got the correct grip on the sword, even though he had improved. That and Kars is close to Karasu (Crow), and Crow is a kind of predator bird. "Fine. A set of a claw, Old man. Keep it under ten silver if you could." Even though he had a lot of Silvers, Naofumi still held it by a tight string.