Nateaser: Reborn As My Love Interest

Dio - Chapter Forty Six

"This feels amazing."

Fang seemed satisfied, but I couldn't complain either. Well, I expected no less. Gomel was a dwarf after all, he spent the last few days working in his shop, making our armor. As his guests, we also got a tour from him, and exploring the abandoned capital of Baran was quite an adventure.

"What do you think, Dio?" The wolfman asked. He was clad in chainmail, his shoulders reinforced with a light pauldron, and his joints, shins, and forearms protected by extra plating. "It's so easy to move in this... Yet it feels like it's firmly held together."

"So you won't lose it this time?" I laughed. He tried to check himself in the reflection on the water tank, turning left and right, he examined every angle. "Looks like a decent piece of armor so it would be a shame... Sir Gomel did not disappoint. I also got a nice buckler."

"Don't mention it, I had that for a while." The dwarf smiled. He looked satisfied as we brandished our new gear. "It was made for a noble's kid, but before I delivered it, the Gates shut down..."

"Are you sure we can have all these?" Fang asked in disbelief.

"We had a deal, and some fine meals..." He hollered, spanking his sprawling belly. "I'd love to meet this young wizard, the food he cooked was amazing. I couldn't get myself anything like this in a decade... Reminds me of the dishes I ate in the royal court."

"Funny you should mention, because he escorted a Nordhaben royalty when we met..." I noted. This time not even Fang complained about giving away secrets, busy with his set of armor. I got a chainmail too, it was ultra-light. "He's in Nateaser, a small village next to the old capital in Cranta Proper. I'm sure their chieftain would welcome you with open arms. A man of such talent..."

"Hmm, I'll have to consider that..." He pondered.

The gear he made us wasn't ornate, nor made large-scale battles either. If anything, they were simple, sturdy, and light, exactly what we needed, with well over a thousand miles ahead of us. It felt like I didn't even wear anything, but it was more than enough to protect me from smaller critters. If I were to encounter wolves now, I'd have better chances to survive. I was already a lot more confident, exploring the city.

That blue-haired devil broke my old buckler too. I wondered what she could do against the new one made of iron. It was barely heavier but much more sturdy, and to top it all off, I was gifted a dagger. I couldn't even hope for anything more, the others got some nice gear too.

"I'd encourage you to go there," I told the dwarf. "I bet their settlement will grow, and you will never run out of buyers. They had some sort of inventor with them, and a lot more going on."

"Oh, and they welcome humans too," Fang added. "She went back to Nordhaben, but I'd love to get a rematch with that paladin now."

"Damn, you said it." I laughed. "We didn't stand a chance against her, fighting tooth and nails. She was with the wizard who made the food."

"With these excellent swords, I could overpower her falchion." The beastmen slashed into the air. He got a pair of short blades from Gomel, complete with a round shield he could carry on his back. He couldn't be happier than this. "I would make her run for her money..."

"If she's well rested, she'd take on all three of us and still win, armor or not..." The ogre noted. I would have loved to disagree, but he was right. We all fought at a disadvantage, and without rest, but she never faltered. What was she up to now? "But I could protect us a little better now, thanks to you, Sir Blacksmith."

Bastion was out of luck, no chainmail would fit him. The arm guards had to be personally made too. He got a nice helmet though, and a heavy, reinforced shield. It was huge, he could stop a rushing bull with it, and as a bonus, he got a hefty cast-iron mace.