If a Hero party intended to conquer a Labyrinth, besides the necessary recovery potions and Return Crystals used for emergencies, selecting a set of satisfactory weapons and armor at a department store was an indispensable step.
As for armor, it wasn’t an issue for either Gray or Katy.
The former had long since grown accustomed to his set of lightweight soft leather armor.
Moreover, as a dodge-focused Warrior, heavy armor would only get in his way.
The latter had the Saint outfit gifted by the Lothric Church, which possessed defensive power and a mana supply that far exceeded the vast majority of mage robes.
As for weapons, those were of the utmost importance.
The weapon Gray had found most comfortable to use in the past was an enchanted longblade given to him by his Captain during his time with the Dawn Blade.
Unfortunately, that blade had been lost in the depths of the thirteenth dungeon.
During the attempt to conquer it, they had been forced to activate their Return Crystals for an emergency teleportation to escape Noctiluca’s insane mechanics.
He had never been able to find it again afterward; he suspected that bastard Noctiluca had taken it as a souvenir.
Since then, he had been using a mass-produced longblade issued by the Association.
While it was serviceable, it ultimately couldn’t handle the violent Lightning Element mana within his body.
Now, however, since he had a large sum of activity funds “borrowed” from the Church…
“Then of course, it’s time for a consumer upgrade!”
Standing before the most prestigious weapon workshop in Knox City, Gray pushed open the heavy oak door without hesitation.
A unique scent mixed with metal, quenching oil, and aged wood shavings rushed toward him — the scent of pure violence.
Speaking of which, this shop was originally named the “Halfman Workshop.”
However, because these fellows always liked to place stilt-like devices on the counter so they could look customers in the eye, the name eventually evolved into the Dwarf or Short-person Workshop.
Still, there was no helping it.
Who told the Dwarves to always be the target of Human ridicule?
A Hero might never have seen a real Dwarf, but they would certainly know a Dwarf joke or two.
For instance, the true meaning of “seeking a short end” was “to go find a dwarf to broaden your horizons.”
“Pick whatever you like, Ms. Katy. I’m paying,” Gray said, waving the gold card issued by the Church with the air of a nouveau riche.
Standing beside him, the blonde girl’s eyes sparkled as she looked at the dazzling array of weapon racks.
However… was it his imagination, or did her gaze keep lingering on two-handed heavy weapons like greatswords and giant hammers?
Gray shook his head, brushing the illusion aside.
The combat intensity of conquering the Third Labyrinth was not something ordinary mass-produced weapons could withstand.
To be responsible for Katy and his other teammates, it was best to be one thousand percent serious while choosing.
Under the enthusiastic guidance of the clerk, Gray was quickly drawn to a tachi that was pitch-black and ancient in design.
Its blade was slightly longer than a standard tachi, and both the ebony scabbard and hilt were engraved with flowing gold lightning patterns.
When Gray gripped the hilt and pulled it out just one inch, the slender blade actually emitted a faint, crisp hum, as if it were in resonance with the Lightning Element in his body.
His fingertips even felt a numbing sensation of static electricity.
To him, a tachi represented romance, especially a workshop weapon that was clearly crafted by a top-tier artisan.
As for the price?
That was something for the Bishops of the Church to worry about.
A commoner like himself, who had once spent a fortune on Indulgences, only needed to swipe the card.
Meanwhile, Katy circled the shop several times before finally picking up a weapon with a unique structure from the Magic Warrior section.
To be precise, it was a fusion of a sword and a gun, silver-white in color with smooth, elegant lines.
The main body followed the structure of an alchemical firearm, yet a sword blade was ingeniously integrated above it.
The crossguard was even embedded with a light gemstone the size of a pigeon egg that emitted a soft white glow.
“Little girl, this… this isn’t something a Priest should use. This Saintly Gold Sword-Gun requires at least two large men just to lift it!”
The bearded owner had been keeping an eye on this little Priest who was around the same age as his daughter.
Seeing Katy’s choice, he couldn’t help but speak up.
“The scriptures and staves are over there. We just received some white oak staves that have excellent conductivity for the Light element.”
“No, I want this one.”
Katy couldn’t bear to part with the strange weapon, her eyes glued to it.
It could act as a staff for long-range spells and a weapon for close-quarters self-defense.
Furthermore, it offered both long and short weapon options for melee combat.
Katy had always been unable to refuse multi-functional items — much like how her body wash could simultaneously serve as shampoo, facial cleanser, body lotion, and rice-mixing sauce, totaling twenty-nine different functions.
Looking at the little girl whose arms were barely as thick as the gun’s grip, the owner scratched his beard awkwardly and turned a pleading gaze toward Gray, who had brought her there.
‘Hey, you brought the girl, you deal with her!’
Based on her clothes, this girl was clearly someone important within the Church.
If she couldn’t hold it and crushed her foot, his shop wouldn’t be able to afford the compensation!
Just as Gray was about to advise her otherwise, a sharp whistling sound suddenly pierced the air, creating a powerful gust of wind that ruffled the owner’s beard.
Under the jaw-dropping gazes of the shop owner and the other customers, the girl, who stood under 5 feet 3 inches tall, was brandishing the unique weapon made of Saintly Gold with incredible ferocity.
“Look, Mr. Gray, this is really easy to use!”
Sensing Gray’s gaze, the girl rested the butt of the gun on the ground and waved at him with one hand.
Half of the astonished gazes from the customers immediately shifted to him, likely marveling at how capable he must be to keep such a freakishly strong girl by his side.
Seeing the pure joy in the girl’s eyes, as if she had just received a beloved toy, a certain string in Gray’s heart was gently plucked.
He mimicked the “overbearing CEO” smile he had seen in the romance novels Eve loved to read, gave the shopkeeper a doting look, and said, “Let’s go with her choice.”
In any case, they were only going to the Third Labyrinth to give Ms. Katy a taste of Nightlight-class difficulty.
No matter how talented a Priest she was, she couldn’t possibly use that thing to skewer the Great Demon guarding the depths to death, right?
One had to remember that, unlike Noctiluca, the Greed Demon guarding the Third Labyrinth was exceptionally cunning.
To this day, he had never revealed his True Name to any Hero.
If a Demon’s True Name became known, their power would be weakened.
This was a small bit of trivia known only to Heroes qualified to face a Great Demon.
Speaking of which, Gray remembered the first time he met Noctiluca.
Without a word of greeting, she had introduced herself first:
“I am the 13th Calamity Pillar, Noctiluca!”
Her personality was so straightforward that she didn’t seem like the notoriously treacherous Demon Race at all.
Instead, she seemed like an idiot in the late stages of chuunibyou.
“Let’s go. It’s time to report to the Association.”
Gray slung his newly purchased katana over his back, trying not to think about the Demon who made his fists itch.
The two walked out of the weapon shop one after the other.
The afternoon sun was perfect, painting the streets of Knox City in a warm, golden hue.
Adventurers returning with full hauls mingled with hurried citizens, creating a vibrant tableau.
Katy held the sword-gun that was half a head taller than her, yet she didn’t seem to struggle at all while walking.
She was like a kitten that had gotten a new toy, occasionally stroking the cool metal patterns of the gun barrel with her finger, her lips curling up irrepressibly.
Walking beside her and seeing her like this, Gray couldn’t help but smile.
He suddenly felt that perhaps this challenge to the Third Labyrinth wouldn’t be as heavy and desperate as he had initially imagined.
At the very least, he had a companion who could lighten the atmosphere.
“Mr. Gray, if we successfully conquer the Third Labyrinth, does that mean you won’t need to party with your old teammates anymore?”
Gray shook his head.
“Just as a Hero carrying a Return Crystal who suffers a fatal wound in a Labyrinth is only stripped of their equipment and sent back to the entrance, a Demon will not truly die within a Labyrinth either.”
Katy nodded as if realizing something.
Although she was a Calamity Pillar, she had never been successfully conquered by Humans, so she truly didn’t know what would happen if her health bar was emptied inside a Labyrinth.
‘Sigh, it’s all because Gray was too much of a noob; he couldn’t even force me to use my full strength for a satisfying fight.’
“Then since Demons don’t die in the Labyrinth, how is Mr. Gray’s team going to kill Ma — I mean, kill the boss of the Third Labyrinth?”
She had almost forgotten that the bastard Mammon hadn’t revealed his True Name to Humans yet.
She had nearly sold him out.
“Eve hasn’t told me yet. It’s likely for the sake of keeping the plan secret.”
Seeing Gray shake his head, Katy didn’t press further.
On second thought, why should she help Mammon keep his secret?
That horse-headed demon was trying to stab her to death last time!
And he even mocked her for being a “traitor who spreads her legs for humans”!
If she didn’t take revenge for this, would she still be a Hu — no, a Calamity Pillar?
No, she had to find an opportunity to reveal his True Name to Gray!
But she couldn’t be too direct, or her true identity would be suspected.
After all, a True Name was as important to a Demon as browser history was to an otaku.
‘Hehe, Mammon, you just wait.’
Katy looked at the shining sword-gun in her arms, her lips curving into a “kindly” arc.
‘I, Noctiluca, have come to kill you, Old Von!’