We finally arrived at Targashar. Seeing the city’s silhouette rising from the horizon, a massive silhouette of stone and timber against the sky, I felt a sense of relaxation wash over me without even realizing I had been so tense. The constant, nagging risk of an ambush was gone, at least for now. Of course, that also meant there were no more opportunities to acquire bandit slaves or loot on the open road. I had acted recklessly during our encounter with Selbert’s crew—and I had to admit, I enjoyed it to some extent—but that had been an inevitable situation born of necessity. I wasn't an idiot who would throw himself into meaningless danger without a clear objective, but the security of the city walls was a welcome change of pace.

  As we drew closer to the city entrance, the scale of the place became apparent. A massive queue of merchant caravans, weary travelers on foot, and heavily laden wagons stretched back from the gatehouse. The city guards, clad in the tabards of the Targonia Kingdom, stood in front of the massive arched entrance, methodically checking everyone’s intelligence cards and inspecting their belongings. The process was not fast at all. Watching the guards meticulously cross-reference names and job titles, I realized we would be waiting here for a considerable amount of time.

  I had a long list of things to accomplish once we successfully passed through those gates. Aside from the grim business of dealing with the bandits and selling off their scavenged equipment, I needed to find a decent place to stay, gather concrete information about the local dungeons, and ideally purchase some new equipment. I wanted to replace my current gear—the items I had spent my precious system points on—with physical equipment bought with coin, thereby freeing up my points for more stats and skills. While we sat in the stagnant heat of the queue, I decided it would be wise to get Copez’s professional opinion on the city’s trade.

  “Hey, Copez! Is there any truly high-quality equipment to be found in Targashar?” I asked, leaning against the side of the carriage.

  “Of course,” Copez replied, not taking his eyes off the slow-moving line ahead. “Because there is no other city of this size in the surrounding frontier, Targashar is the main hub for arms and armor. You can find good-quality steel swords and even specialized armors made from high-level dungeon materials if you know where to look.”

  “Steel?” I repeated. I had been thinking in terms of fantasy tropes, where steel was often just the baseline. “Is steel actually considered high-quality here? And are such things expensive?”

  Steel equipment didn't sound particularly impressive to me initially, but I reminded myself that in a world without modern industrial manufacturing, producing high-grade steel from raw iron was likely a difficult and labor-intensive process.

  “Not quite baseline,” Copez explained, turning his head slightly. “Steel equipment is something not every commoner or low-level guard can afford. Its value differs significantly depending on the item—a breastplate requires much more refining and material than a simple dagger, for instance. A full suit of steel plate armor would cost a small fortune compared to a one-handed sword.”

  He paused, then began to provide a more detailed breakdown of the local economy for someone looking to enter the adventuring life.

  “New dungeon raiders or explorers generally start with the basics: copper or even hardened wooden equipment. Such things will cost you anywhere from ten to fifty silver coins. As they gain experience and survive their first few delves, they move up to iron and leather gear, which usually costs between fifty silver and two gold coins. But you have to understand, Han—delving deep into a dungeon is not something every person is capable of achieving.”

  According to his analysis, the cost of gear was almost entirely dictated by the difficulty of acquiring the raw materials.

  “Some people possess jobs that are naturally fit for dungeon raids, while others with unsuitable jobs find themselves stagnant, unable to push past the first few floors. For those rare few who can delve deeper, they can earn substantial sums and eventually afford the better stuff: steel and gear forged from unique dungeon drops.”

  It seemed that certain monsters within the dungeons dropped materials—hides, carapaces, or strange ores—that could be used by skilled smiths to create equipment that surpassed standard metal.

  “Steel equipment prices vary wildly,” Copez continued. “A simple steel dagger might run you around two gold coins, but a two-handed greatsword or a suit of full plate armor—which requires vast amounts of refined steel and perhaps some dungeon-reinforced joints—could cost anywhere from ten to thirty gold coins.”

  Is that it? I thought, doing the math in my head. Based on his numbers, I could probably replace my current iron and leather gear with steel for approximately six gold coins. Of course, I’ll need more if I want to upgrade the quality later, but that’s a solid goal for now.

  “Is there nothing better than steel or dungeon-drop equipment?” I asked, curious about the absolute peak of this world’s craftsmanship.

  “Yes, there is,” Copez said, his voice taking on a hushed, almost reverent tone. “There is mithril and orichalcum. But such things are vanishingly rare. Even high-ranked adventurers—the kind people tell legends about—rarely possess more than a single piece of mithril gear. And then there is adamantite. One can only dream of even seeing a blade of adamantite. In our kingdom, it is said that only the most elite of the Royal Guards are permitted to draw such weapons from the King's personal treasury.”

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  As I had hoped, he confirmed the existence of materials that far surpassed normal metallurgy.

  “You won’t find any of that in Targashar, of course,” he added with a dry chuckle. “Targashar is a city of labor and frontier trade; it has nothing that special. You’d need to visit the capital if you wanted to even glimpse mithril or orichalcum, and even then, they only appear at auctions for astronomical prices that would make a wealthy merchant faint.”

  This realization gave me a clear sense of the world’s hierarchy. I finally knew the "ceiling" of equipment quality and had a rough idea of how to acquire it if I could amass enough wealth.

  Wow. I have to get my hands on equipment like that eventually, I thought, already feeling a phantom weight of mithril in my hand. Adamantite might be a distant dream for now, but with my potential and the system points, nothing is truly impossible.

  “Thank you, Copez. That really helped me organize my thoughts,” I said, genuinely appreciative of the lesson.

  “You are welcome,” he replied. “As you can see, we have nothing but time while we wait in this line, and it’s good to have some company to pass the hours. But tell me—what exactly do you plan on doing the moment we get through those gates?”

  This was the first time Copez had asked me a question born of genuine curiosity rather than business necessity. It felt as though he had finally started to warm up to me after our shared trials on the road.

  “At first, I need to find a place to stay—a decent inn that won’t rob me blind,” I explained. “Then I’ll be scouting the local weapon and armor shops to get a feel for the actual market prices. My goal is to head into the dungeon as soon as possible to make money and increase my strength. I need to calculate exactly how many coins I’ll need for each upgrade to my kit. Those are my primary focuses.”

  “Good. You have a logical mind,” Copez nodded approvingly. “It is a fine thing to have a clear goal. But since you don't know much about the wider world, you likely don't know much about urban trade either, right? Allow me to give you a few pointers to keep in mind.”

  He was being surprisingly friendly, offering advice I hadn't even asked for.

  “I’d value your opinion as a merchant,” I said, nodding for him to continue.

  “Well then. I won’t give you my real trade secrets, obviously,” he teased. “But consider this: even after selling your loot and the bandits, you won't have an infinite supply of gold. I suggest you look for a modest inn—one that costs around a silver coin a night. Don’t go for the high-end places just because you have a few gold pieces in your pouch. Check multiple shops to compare prices for the same items before you buy anything. And most importantly, do not spend every coin you have the moment you see something you want. This world is harsh, Han. You never know when an unexpected disaster will strike. Always keep some spare money for emergencies.”

  Though his advice was simple, they were the kind of foundational rules that were easy to ignore in the excitement of a new city.

  “Thank you very much,” I said. “Even though we’ve only really traded some hunting materials, you’re helping me more than I expected.”

  “You should thank old Tariq for that,” Copez said, gesturing toward the back of the caravan. “He seemed very attached to you, and he and I have a long history together. Besides, you literally saved our lives during that bandit attack. The least I can do is give you some advice so you don't get swindled on your first day.”

  He gestured with his chin toward the bound bandits in the back of Malikstein’s wagon. I looked at them and felt a pang of guilt thinking about Grandpa Tariq. He had been genuinely worried about me, even asking his old friend to look out for me.

  So Grandpa was that concerned? I really need to take care of myself so I don't let his kindness go to waste.

  It was strange to me how Grandpa and I had become so attached in such a short time, but there was an undeniable bond there. Perhaps I had a grandfather in my forgotten past whom I had been close to, and Tariq filled that void.

  Time crawled by as we talked about the various districts of the city. Nearly two hours later, it was finally our turn to enter. The guards were thorough; they checked our intelligence cards and poked through our belongings with bored but practiced efficiency. When they saw the bound captives, their eyes sharpened. We explained the skirmish on the road in detail. The guards were clearly interested, taking extensive notes and asking for a blow-by-blow account of the fight. Fortunately, we didn't encounter any bureaucratic hurdles, and we were permitted to pass through the massive stone archway.

  As we moved into the city streets, Malikstein—the merchant from the other caravan—approached me with a puzzled, almost suspicious expression.

  “I have to ask,” Malikstein began, looking me up and down. “After seeing you fight, I expected you to be a Swordmaster or at least a very high-level combatant. But back at the gate... I saw your card. Were you really just a 'Villager'?”

  He had clearly been paying attention during the guard's inspection. I noticed several other people nearby looking at me with the same perplexed expressions. It made sense; I had moved with a speed and precision that was completely at odds with the most basic job in the world. Only Copez remained unfazed, as he had known my status from the beginning.

  “Yes, I was a villager,” I said, trying to downplay the situation. “But I’m not as strong as you think. It was really a team effort; your guards held the bandits’ attention, which gave me the chance to land some lucky strikes. I’m actually here specifically to change my job to something more suitable for the dungeons.”

  I tried to dismiss his suspicion and steer the conversation toward the Future, but Malikstein didn't look convinced at all.

  “It is still strange,” he muttered. “I can’t imagine how powerful you’ll be once you actually have a combat-related job. Regardless, it is my good fortune to be acquainted with someone of your caliber.”

  Despite his lingering doubts, he was wise enough not to pursue the matter further.

  “Haha, thank you,” I replied, keeping my tone light.

  We navigated the cobblestone streets toward the City Guard building. My immediate goal was to turn in the bandits and check for any outstanding bounties. I hoped our first real payday in Targashar would be a substantial one.

  [Edited]