Chapter 9 – Preparing to Enter the Labyrinth

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The next day.

With Atty wearing her new hat, I took her to a specialty store for ranged weapons.

Inside the shop, various bows and firearms were on display.

“What kind of weapon do you prefer?”

“Each has its own strengths and weaknesses, so it’s hard to say… but for now, I’d like this one.”

The weapon Atty selected was a sniper rifle.

It cost 50,000 Rob.

Considering that most regular bows were priced well over 150,000 Rob, it was relatively affordable.

“You can pick something more expensive if you want.”

Even after buying the hat, my funds had only taken a slight hit—barely noticeable at all.

I still had nearly 1,000,000 Rob, so spending a bit more was no problem.

But it seemed Atty had her own reasons for this choice.

“Sure, the lower price is one reason, but more than that, I need sheer firepower right now. Special bows like magic bows do pack more punch than regular firearms… but that’s just too extreme.”

I glanced at the magic bow displayed in the most prominent spot.

It supposedly had the effect of turning arrows into explosive charges when fired, boasting that it could effortlessly snap a tree about 50cm thick.

The price? 6,800,000 Rob.

Far too expensive.

That was out of the question.

By the way, I had wondered if magic guns existed since there were magic bows.

Apparently, they do.

However, they’re even pricier than magic bows.

At least, this shop didn’t carry any.

While inexpensive models of guns are cheaper than bows, the trend reverses at the highest price tier.

Maybe magic guns are harder to manufacture or something, but the world is a mystery.

“The advantage of firearms is that even the cheaper ones offer decent firepower and penetration. Ammunition costs add up, but as long as you don’t waste shots, the cost-effectiveness is undeniable. The drawbacks are the noise and the fact that aiming is far more difficult than with a bow… though you can attach sound-dampening parts, and personally, aiming isn’t much of an issue for me.”

Now that I think about it, Atty is unusually chatty today.

Was she always this talkative?

Maybe she’s the type who dives fully into whatever interests her.

Bows and guns seem to be her passion.

Though I’d love to see her take an interest in accessories or fashionable clothes—more girly stuff—I suppose I must respect her tastes.

In any case, I decided to buy the items she wanted, along with the necessary accessories.

“Let’s get the sniper rifle, the required supplies, and that sound-dampening attachment.”

“A-Are you sure?”

“Yeah, it’s fine.”

“Th-Thank you! I promise I’ll be of great use!”

Yes, I’m counting on that.

So, in the end, here’s what we bought:

Sniper Rifle – 50,000 Rob

Ammunition (Box of 20 rounds) – 1,000 Rob × 20 boxes = 20,000 Rob

Belt with ammo pouches – 20,000 Rob

Leather gloves with grip support – 10,000 Rob

Sound-dampening attachment – 80,000 Rob

Total: 180,000 Rob.

By the way, the sound-dampening attachment (apparently called a silencer) was more expensive than the gun itself.

Isn’t it odd for an accessory to cost more than the main weapon…?

Well, I already agreed to buy it, so there’s no point in complaining now.

I’ll just consider it an investment in Atty’s future.

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After that, we continued shopping for armor and finally finished our preparations.

Atty donned leather boots, a sleek silk outfit that allowed free movement, a vest with small storage pockets, and leather gloves.

She strapped ammunition pouches around her waist and secured the sniper rifle on her back.

Perhaps thanks to her past labyrinth experience, she looked oddly at home in the gear.

She certainly gave off the air of a seasoned explorer.

As for me, I kept things as simple as possible.

I bought the cheapest cross-shaped short spear at the weapon shop for 20,000 Rob.

At the armor store, I purchased a breastplate, shin guards, and elbow guards for 30,000 Rob.

The reason I only bought these three pieces instead of a full set was that I managed to negotiate a discount by buying a tattered suit of armor—originally priced at 50,000 Rob—piece by piece.

Oh, and I also picked up boots that were advertised as being fatigue-resistant for 20,000 Rob.

“—Since Harold-sama is the master, get him better equipment! I’m fine with the bare minimum!”

Seeing me in extremely shabby gear, Ati looked quite flustered.

So I briefly explained my reasoning:

“—Given our limited budget, it’s most efficient to prioritize equipping Ati, who has experience in the labyrinth.
—Don’t worry, I don’t plan to stick with this gear forever.
—When we have more money, I’ll upgrade everything properly.”

After a moment of hesitation, Ati said,

“…Understood. Then, promise me that you’ll buy better equipment once we have enough funds. I’ll do my best.”

In the end, she accepted. I have high expectations and I’m glad she’ll try hard, but I hope she doesn’t overdo it.

Well, anyway… it’s undeniable that my equipment is rather meager. However, my only trump card—the one thing I, as a weak fighter, can rely on—can only be used as a one-shot. Moreover, with such flimsy durability, it would break the moment I use it. So, when it comes to weapons, frankly, cheap ones are acceptable. After all, using them would leave me battered, and besides, they’re too flashy to employ in a cramped labyrinth.

If I ever do use them, it would only be in an extremely dire situation.

However, although I tried to curb unnecessary spending, my funds still dropped considerably. Not a single piece of equipment has any special effects, yet I’ve spent a total of 500,000 Rob. I hope to recoup my investment soon.

When I looked up at the sky, the sun was still high. It was clear that it wasn’t yet past noon. Ati and I discussed it and agreed that, since we still had some leeway, we should enter the labyrinth today.