Reincarnated as a Mob in an Otome Game, but the Characters Were Worse Than I Expected, So I Crushed Them All and Destroyed the Story [Dropped] - Chapter 05: Mob Buys His First Piece of Gear

Chapter 05: Mob Buys His First Piece of Gear

“Here you go, kid. It’s yours now. Normally, it’d be 3,000G, but I’ll give you a special discount—2,700G.”

“Really? That’s okay?”

“Yeah. You’re one of the most interesting customers I’ve ever had.”

The shopkeeper flashed me a wide grin.

That discount was a huge help.

Another thing that never happened in the game.

In MagiRom, transactions were just cold, mechanical exchanges—strictly business.

But here, it actually felt like a real interaction.

Satisfied, I nodded and handed over the money.

“Thanks for your purchase. You know, this is actually the first time I’ve ever sold this thing. Guess I messed up when I stocked it…”

“A-Ahaha… I think it looks pretty cool, though!”

Judging by his reaction, this gear wasn’t popular in this world either.

That was… kind of heartbreaking.

Then again, I never bought this piece of equipment in the game either, so I had no right to judge.

After thanking the shopkeeper, I left the store.

Once I was in an empty alley, I clenched my fist, barely holding back the urge to shout in excitement.

(Alright…! First hurdle—cleared!)

I stared at the tattered piece of clothing in my arms.

Its name?

[Coward’s Cloak]

A piece of gear so blatantly insulting that it felt like a direct challenge to anyone who bought it.

On top of that, its stats were garbage, which meant almost no one ever bothered to use it.

Ugly design.

Terrible defense.

Moderately expensive.

And to top it all off, the name itself was insulting.

With that many reasons stacked against it, it was no surprise that it never sold.

But for me, right now, it was exactly what I needed.

The Coward’s Cloak had an incredibly simple effect—In exchange for having basically zero durability, it guaranteed a successful escape from battle.

At first glance, it sounded insanely useful.

But for some reason, there were major restrictions on how and when the effect actually triggered.

There were two main conditions for activating its effect.

First—just like a true coward, you had to constantly run away from battles.

Second—either the total level of your entire party had to be 150 or lower, or you had to be completely alone, as if the game was mocking you for not recruiting any love interests.

The problem?

Playing solo in MagiRom was basically a nightmare challenge run.

And the total level restriction?

Haralua was a mid-game town, usually visited either at the end of the early game or the start of the mid-game.

Right before reaching Haralua, you had to fight a fairly tough mid-boss.

Most players would naturally grind levels to beat it, and since the game allowed up to eight party members, their combined level would easily exceed 150.

Which meant…

The Coward’s Cloak was actually a hardcore player’s item—just activating its effect was proof that you were doing some serious challenge runs.

Without its guaranteed escape effect, it was nothing but a paper-thin, utterly useless piece of gear.

And since it was classified as armor, which was supposed to provide defense, it was no wonder almost no one ever bought it.

But for me?

Right now?

I didn’t need to fight any mid-boss.

And unfortunately for me… I had no party members—just a party of one.

As for the level requirement… since I didn’t have levels in the first place, I wasn’t sure if the effect would technically work.

But as long as I stayed alone, I should be able to flee from any encounter, no matter what.

(I never once used this thing in the game… but now, it’s my lifeline. I’m counting on you, buddy.)

As soon as I put on the Coward’s Cloak, it began to shrink—adjusting perfectly to my small, child-sized body.

It made sense.

In the game, characters with completely different heights and builds could all wear the same gear without issue.

I had to give MagiRom’s world-building some credit for staying consistent.

(Alright… There’s still one more thing I need to prepare… but I’m out of time for today.)

I looked up at the sky.

The sun was already starting to set, painting the horizon in shades of red and orange.

The other thing I needed to prepare required me to go outside the town.

And there was no way I could do that this late in the day.

Besides… I hadn’t eaten since morning, and now my stomach was practically screaming at me.

I must’ve gotten too caught up in everything.

“Time to head home…”

Hunger gnawed at me, and my legs ached from walking all over town.

But the plan was off to a good start.

And that small sense of progress made my steps feel just a little lighter.

◇◆◇

“I’m home!”

“Welcome back, Ed.”

Before stepping inside, I washed my hands at the well outside.

As soon as I entered the house, Mom greeted me with a warm smile.

A delicious aroma filled the air—she must have been in the middle of making dinner.

“You were out playing for quite a while. Are you okay?”

“Yep! I walked all around town!”

“I see. Just remember not to go into the back alleys, okay? It’s dangerous there. But you’re a smart boy, so I’m sure you’ll be fine.”

I had no intention of wandering into any sketchy back alleys filled with thugs.

But I was planning to leave town to fight monsters.

Not exactly what she’d want to hear…

But technically, I wasn’t breaking my promise.

So, it was totally fine.

For now, I had my Coward’s Cloak tucked under my regular clothes.

And I planned to keep it that way from now on.

“Dinner will be ready soon, so wait just a little bit. Your father’s home too.”

“Okay! Got it!”

I walked over to the dining table and climbed onto my chair.

It was just high enough to make getting up there a struggle, but I refused to ask for help.

Something about it just felt… embarrassing.

So I pulled myself up on my own.

“Hey, Ed! Out having fun today?”

“Yeah, Dad! I walked around town!”

“Hahaha! That’s the way! Kids should be free to explore. Don’t worry about money—just focus on eating plenty, playing plenty, and sleeping plenty!”

In this world, it wasn’t uncommon for kids to work and help support their families, but it wasn’t exactly the norm either.

Luckily, my parents didn’t expect me to work, which meant I didn’t have to worry about juggling a job while saving up for Freesia Academy’s entrance fee.

That alone was a huge relief.

Honestly, though… the fact that they let me—a four-year-old—wander around freely all day was questionable.

Call it laissez-faire parenting or free-range child-rearing, but either way, I wasn’t complaining.

After all, I wasn’t really a normal kid.

“Are you going out to play again tomorrow?”

“Yep! I’m going out again!”

“Gahaha! Maybe I didn’t even need to buy that book! Think I should take it instead? Maybe I’ll get your mom to teach me how to read it.”

“Wha—!? N-No way! That’s mine!”

“Haha! Just kidding! Reading books is important, but so is playing outside. Just do what feels right for you.”

Phew… That was close.

That book might still come in handy, so I couldn’t let him take it.

And more importantly—don’t try to use a book as an excuse to get all cozy with Mom!

Meanwhile, I was literally a lifelong virgin in my past life…

Man, I was so jealous.

“Fufu, what are you two talking about?”

Mom walked in, smiling as she glanced between us.

“Just talking about how excited I am for Ed’s future!”

“Honestly, that’s all you ever talk about. Since when did you become such a doting father?”

“Oh, like you’re any different?”

“Fufu, well… that’s just how mothers are.”

Mom and Dad laughed together, looking genuinely happy.

It felt a little embarrassing knowing that I was the topic of conversation…

But at the same time, it made me happy, too.

I couldn’t back out of my plan to leave town tomorrow.

But I would make sure I was as prepared as possible before going.

The last thing I ever wanted was to make these two sad.

I may have been a human from Earth in my past life…

But now, in this world—

I was Edward.