Though the weapon shop’s storefront didn’t scream prosperity, the sheer quantity of clothes Lena brought over proved Master Dwayne’s household was undeniably wealthy.

From my observations of hunters’ lives in the settlement these past few days, most lived modestly. Even Kadin—who prided himself on his appearance and loved flirting—owned few outfits. The fact that Lena had so many clothes as a child meant Master Dwayne’s business must’ve already thrived when she was born.

“Most of these were hand-me-downs from Ilya and me after we outgrew them,” Lem said nostalgically, watching his sister sort through the old garments. “But there’s plenty, and many are stitched from Corpse Eater hide—tough as nails.”

Yulia curiously joined me, rummaging through the pile. I quickly picked three sets: sturdy trousers and thick tunics. I vetoed every frilly dress Lem recommended. He looked disappointed, but I didn’t care.

Since I now had a child’s body—barely four or five years old—I figured modesty wasn’t a big deal. I started stripping right there to try on Lena’s old clothes.

But Elaina and Lena immediately rushed over, shielding me with their bodies like human screens to block the men’s view. Miss Aileen even scolded me.

*What’s the big deal? This body’s nothing to be shy about.* I almost argued back, but… this world probably had its share of perverts. I swallowed my protest and apologized.

Yulia, however, bounced with excitement when I changed. She clung to Miss Aileen, begging for practical clothes like mine. When she tried mimicking me and stripping down, Miss Aileen sharply stopped her. Still, she finally relented, promising to sew Yulia proper gear later—no more ridiculous gowns.

*Wait—Miss Aileen sews? Lem’s skilled too. Does the Magic Academy teach tailoring?*

*Nah. Focus.* I turned to Master Dwayne. “I need weapons for hunting rabbits and deer.”

“I thought you’d ask for a Corpse Eater spear,” he chuckled.

*Yeah, right. Like I’d fight monsters at this size.* I followed him to the main hall.

“These daggers are carved from adult horn-rabbit antlers,” he said, holding one up. “Handy for skinning game—or even cooking and sewing, ladies.” The merchant in him instantly targeted Yulia and Miss Aileen.

“How much?” I asked.

“Two silver each,” Lem blurted before his father could speak.

“You brat! That’s old pricing. Three silvers now!”

“I’ll take five for one gold,” I said, ignoring him and testing the blade’s weight.

“Same offer for me,” Miss Aileen added.

“Ugh… Lena, tally this!” Master Dwayne grumbled. *Having Lem around really does force discounts.*

From what I’d seen, this region used *Numa gold coins*—the highest denomination I knew. For silver, they mostly used *Gulenna silvers* (minted by the Austrian Kingdom) and *Trini silvers* (the purest, from the dwarf realm). One gold roughly equaled five to six Trini silvers.

But here, “silver” meant Gulenna coins. Though their exchange rate with gold fluctuated, they dominated local trade: one gold currently bought ten Gulenna silvers.

Beneath silver were copper coins—mostly *Goss Empire coppers*, pegged to Trini silvers at a steady 1:10 ratio. Since one gold equaled ten Gulenna silvers, we’d haggled hard on those daggers.

While I shopped, the weapon forge finished Miss Aileen’s custom Magic Tools and armor. She took Yulia to inspect them. Alone again, I bought a bearhide hunter’s cloak, a Corpse Eater-hide belt, a satchel, and other gear.

Then I spotted it: a massive blade taller than me. Memories of hunting in the forest with a ghoul-bone club flooded back. I lifted the bone blade. “What’s this?”

“Ah, for butchering long-horned Corpse Eaters and big game. Interested?”

I nodded, swinging it experimentally. The blade glowed faintly azure—unnatural for bone.

Its weight matched my own. Human-me would struggle, but Ghoul Transformation would handle it easily.

“This is premium gear,” Master Dwayne said. “Azure iron-forged. For today’s haul? Four gold.”

*Same price as a whole Corpse Eater corpse?*

“Durable?”

“I’d trust it under a ghoul’s foot and never doubt it’d snap.”

I clenched my teeth and bought it despite Lem’s protests. *My money, my choice.*

Total at Master Dwayne’s: ten gold. I’d broken one Firebear Crystal, but the three I’d hidden left me with two to sell. With other materials, I’d net twenty-plus gold—plenty left over.

As I asked Lem to settle the bill, Master Dwayne suddenly perked up. “Leaving one Firebear Crystal behind? How about a magic tool made from it?”