A saintess? She's just a bad woman.

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So, do you want to go?

Violet finally realized that Saint Karina was inviting her on a date.

"Um... I think so."

Vera hesitated for only a moment before agreeing.

She wanted to go. That was her truest thought.

Violet had virtually no friends. The village children had probably been warned by their parents not to upset her. So when the children played with her, there was no friendly atmosphere; it was more like flattery towards someone of higher status.

So, Violet immediately started dressing up. She changed into several light and casual outfits, which she brought from her hometown. They weren't exactly unfashionable, just rather simple.

This made Saint Karina realize that perhaps Vera also needed to buy some clothes.

Of course, she didn't think Vera's outfit was bad. It's just that Vera's clothes were a bit too revealing, which wasn't very girly.

Anyway, with spatial magic, Saint Karina can fit as much luggage as she wants. Okay, let's add the option to buy clothes after weapons and armor.

With that thought in mind, Saint Karina added buying clothes to her list of must-do items for the next step of her plan.

"Lina, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

Because Vera was changing clothes, Saint Karina kept her back to her and looked out the window, waiting for Vera to finish changing and say that she could look out before she would switch from looking at the street scene to looking at Vera.

Changing clothes took quite a while, and the rustling sound of the clothes was agonizing. Not being able to eat it now was causing Saint Karina considerable discomfort.

"It's alright, it's my pleasure to wait for the beautiful girl to change. You look very pretty in this outfit, Violet."

Santa Karina behaved very gentlemanly and showed no impatience despite the long wait.

She also complimented Vera on her outfit, saying it was a plus that could win a girl's favor.

"Really? I think it's a bit too ordinary."

Violet lacked confidence.

"How could you be ordinary? Violet, you're always all about hard armor and longswords. It was only after you changed into casual clothes that I realized you're actually quite petite, just like any ordinary girl, which easily evokes a protective instinct in people."

And you smell wonderful, a truly lovely scent. No matter how much effort those ladies put into applying perfume, it can't compare to your fragrance.

Saint Karina understands girls' hearts very well, especially those like Violet who are relatively easy to understand.

"It's all about the atmosphere. When a girl's aura changes, her friends can recognize her talent."

Saint Karina once again erected the protective shield of her friends. This was a habit she had when talking to Violet; to maintain distance between them and have a suitable excuse, she had to use her friends as a shield whenever she was about to cross the line.

Violet's outfit was eye-catching enough, though it was far from fashionable. But Saint Karina knew that Violet had put in a lot of effort to dress up and wanted her praise.

Violet is very beautiful, but she usually exudes a more resilient and spirited aura. Today, dressed casually, she looks like a delicate and ordinary girl.

Thus, Saint Karina, through Vera's efforts, saw that her persistence was having an effect. The shield of friendship cannot last forever; one day, it will be removed.

Vera also had genuine feelings for Saint Karina, and once this was confirmed, Saint Karina felt at ease.

She had been trying very hard to impress him, and she hadn't been this tolerant of anyone except Ernest VII. Now, her efforts were paying off. She had gradually won him over through their subtle interactions.

Of course, their initial encounter, marked by a heroine rescuing a damsel in distress, was also a very important and eye-catching opening.

Saving someone's life may not necessarily earn you a promise of marriage, but it will certainly leave a deep impression.

The rest depends on the personality of the person being rescued, and how hard the rescuer tries and how they find a breakthrough.

Since it's something she's determined to do, Saint Karina will strive to do her best. And if you were to ask Saint Karina if she dislikes Violet, Saint Karina would definitely answer that she doesn't.

...If you don't dislike it, then you must like it, right?

If asked whether she had the same obsession with Violet as she had with Ernest VII, Saint Karina's answer would be no. Perhaps, she didn't like Violet that much anyway.

Or perhaps, it's simply a problem with Saint Karina herself. The wound in her heart, which she usually conceals, isn't unhealed or completely gone. In any case, to be cautious, Saint Karina decided to continue keeping her distance from Vera for now.

With friends as the core element, let's take an important first step!

Taking Vera's hand, Saint Karina planned to take her out to the street.

"Let's go. Although it's still early, time waits for no one. I want to visit a few more places with Verdot."

Saint Karina smiled and extended a hand to Violet.

The sight of that fair hand made Vera momentarily lose her composure, for she remembered the help Saint Karina had once given her.

"Okay. Let's go."

So, Violet placed her hand in Saint Karina's hand, and their hands overlapped.

333. On a date

They were holding each other's hands firmly, and the atmosphere between them was quite pleasant.

The usually reserved Vera was surprisingly enthusiastic today.

Our first stop today is the armor and weapons shop in this trading city called Lanos.

Of course, there's more than just a home, but if you're going to go, go buy the best.

It wasn't about saving money; it was about wanting to buy more beautiful, higher-quality armor and short swords. The sign above the door read "Jel's Weapon Shop," and Jel must be the owner's name.

Human forging techniques are indeed impressive, but they still can't compare to those of dwarves.

"Welcome, two guests."

A young girl greeted Vera and Saint Karina.

Using this term to address a mature adult woman is probably inappropriate, but the dwarf girls are just too small.

Its height is roughly at the waist of Saint Karina and Violet, similar to that of a human child around twelve years old.

Their breasts were also rather underdeveloped, barely better than flat-chested. However, due to their blacksmithing and love of drinking, the dwarf men had unusually strong muscles, even better than many human men who didn't pay attention to physical exercise.

The store is very spacious, with many kinds of weapons displayed on one side and a large amount of armor on the other. There are many different styles of armor.

"We'd like to see the short sword first. Take us to see it over there."

She was paid on commission, so she readily took the two of them there.

The short swords, ranging from low to high price and whether they were enchanted or not, were displayed in a dazzling array on the weapon racks on and below the walls.

The cheapest sword was a very ordinary steel dagger, without any iron, because the shop owner, Jer, believed that using such poor forging materials would tarnish his business's reputation. Steel was the bare minimum he could accept.

After all, if it were an iron sword, it would not only rust but also break easily.

The dwarves could not tolerate forging such low-quality weapons themselves. Only human weapon merchants would make iron swords to pass off as newcomers.

"So, is there anything you like?"

Saint Karina had warned Vera beforehand not to choose the cheaper short swords. Even if they were made of fine steel, they were still very sharp when first used, without any enchantments or magical materials added during forging. These short swords were only meant to be used as consumables.

The difference between a sword like the Hero's Sword, which requires almost no maintenance and is practically indistinguishable from the first use, is like heaven and earth.

The dwarf shop assistant didn't rush them; she watched them quietly as they made their selections, maintaining a professional smile.

This is her professional ethics: avoid overly pushing sales. She only provides enthusiastic answers when customers ask her questions.

"Hmm... I'm watching."

Violet was clearly visiting the weapon shop for the first time, and was dazzled by the dazzling array of items, carefully selecting what she had.

"Um, may I pick it up and try it out?"

After watching for a while, Violet seemed to like a few of them and wanted to try them out.

She asked the dwarf shop assistant next to her, and there was no racial discrimination. The assistant was very polite and well-mannered, and did not take things without permission.

"Yes, miss, you are welcome to try, as long as you don't damage our property or take it outside."

The dwarf shop assistant continued to answer Violet's questions with a professional and sweet smile.

She made some space, giving Vera room to swing her sword.

"Hmm... I'll give it a try..."

Vera first picked out the one she liked, and then reached out to take the short sword in her hand.

It had a cool, icy touch, unlike the feeling of the Hero's Sword. It was as if her sword was alive, possessing a will to inherit its power, while this sword was merely a lifeless object.

Even though the sword was exquisite, with beautiful patterns and a health bar, after a few swings, Violet shook her head.

It's far too bad... She wouldn't even look at a weapon of this quality.

After that, she picked up several more, each one more expensive, with increasing enchantments and effects, making the dwarf shopkeeper grin from ear to ear.

This means her salary will increase. The dwarf shop assistant receives a commission for every weapon sold at the sales counter.

Although she treats all guests equally, she secretly favors those who are truly exceptional.

These are customers who are willing to spend a lot of money to buy expensive enchanted weapons.

Such a weapon costs at least ten times more than a regular weapon, and the price will continue to rise depending on the enchantment effect and the quantity.

"This one won't work...this one won't work either..."

The short swords in their hands were forged not only by the boss, Jel, but also by many other dwarven blacksmiths.

That's obvious. A weapon shop this big can't possibly have only one blacksmith. That would exhaust the blacksmith to death.

Furthermore, if too many are forged, the blacksmith's energy will wane, resulting in inferior products being produced. This is unacceptable to dwarves who consider weapons as vital as "life."

Fatigue driving will kill the driver, fatigue forging will not kill the blacksmith, but it will kill the person using the weapon.

Therefore, each short sword that Vera picked up had a different weight and center of gravity. Also, some short swords were straight, while others were slightly curved.

This is probably due to the different philosophies of blacksmiths. Different blacksmiths have their own aesthetic sense regarding the shape, which is also what they believe is the most suitable state for the weapon.

"Sir, haven't you found anything you like?"

Seeing Vera's furrowed brows, the observant young girl asked.

"Um……"

Vera nodded.

"I'm very good at explaining. These weapons are all very good, well-crafted. By the way, look at this sword of mine, touch it, and you'll understand."

So the young girl carefully reached out and touched the guest's sword.

She's not worried about being framed, like a customer falsely accusing her of breaking someone's sword. There's a recording crystal here, just like a security camera, that can record what happened, so she doesn't have to fear being extorted.

She was cautious because some guests' weapons might be poisoned or have other problems. She was afraid of cutting her finger and causing an irreversible situation.

The hero's sword was drawn from its sheath and handed to the dwarf shopkeeper. She touched the sword and felt its texture.

"This is... a living weapon?"

Her expression showed a hint of surprise.

"Although it cannot reach the level of a talking divine sword, a sword has its own will and is still a rare weapon."

Do you sell this kind here?

"Sir, you must be joking. How could we possibly sell such a weapon? The weapons in our shop are nowhere near the level of yours, and we're afraid that will disappoint you."

The young female shop assistant shared the same disappointment.

She thought it was a big order, but judging from the other party's attitude, this short sword deal is definitely off today.

However, she still maintained her professional ethics and continued to inform them:

"Your weapon can probably only be found on the black market or at auctions in the capital. Having grown up in Lanos, I've never seen such a fine weapon before."

"That's it..."

There was a hint of disappointment in Violet's tone.

"Then let's take a look at the armor."

Anyway, she didn't necessarily need to buy a short sword.

If her important partner—her sword—had to be used as a consumable item, Violet would rather not use it at all.

She's a bit stubborn on this point and won't compromise.

"Okay, sir, this way please."

Hearing that there was still business to be done, the dwarf shopkeeper immediately led Vera and Saint Karina to another area.

The variety of protective gear here is equally extensive, ranging from robes and leather armor to chainmail and full-body armor, whether for specific body parts or the entire body.