SSS-Ranked Trash Hero: I Was Scammed Into Being Summoned-Chapter 9: Shopping and Economics

The Adventurer’s Guild had an equipment shop. Hiroshi stood at the counter while Quartermaster Garren spread out a catalog.

Prices everywhere. Price tags on the walls, prices in the catalog, prices in Hiroshi’s head doing terrible math.

He had 21.25 gold. Twenty from the stipend, one and a quarter from the quest.

The others had over a hundred each.

"Adventures!" Garren greeted them. The guy was huge, Level 45, retired from adventuring after losing an arm. "Here for dungeon prep?"

"Yeah!" Kenji was already eyeing a steel sword on the wall. "We need good gear!"

Garren nodded and started listing prices. "Iron sword, basic model for fifteen gold. Leather armor, twenty gold. Health potions, minor grade, one gold each."

Hiroshi’s mental calculator was already screaming.

"Steel sword, Higher grade, forty-five gold. Steel armor, reinforced, eighty gold. Major health potions, eight gold each."

Kenji picked up the steel sword. "This feels amazing! I’ll take it!"

Forty-five gold payment done.

"Do you stock advanced grimoires?" Aria asked. "Frost formations specifically."

"Got one. Ninety gold. Popular with ice mages."

"I’ll take it."

Marcus was looking at blessed equipment. "The church smith next door has better holy gear," Garren told him.

"Thank you."

Hiroshi looked at the basic iron sword. Fifteen gold. That left him with six and a quarter.

The basic leather armor was twenty.

He couldn’t afford both.

Garren noticed him staring at prices. "Young man, what’s your budget?"

"Around twenty gold."

Garren’s expression shifted with Sympathy and Pity. "Ah. That’s... tight for dungeon work."

"I know."

"Tell you what. Let me show you the clearance section."

The clearance section was in the back corner. Used equipment, damaged goods, estate sales.

Garren was being diplomatic. "Used equipment, estate sales. Functional but compromised."

Estate sales.

That meant dead people’s stuff.

Hiroshi looked through the options. A chipped iron sword for ten gold. Damaged leather armor for eight, three visible holes in the chest, shoulder, and side. A dented helmet for five.

The math still didn’t work. Standard iron sword was fifteen. Armor was eight. Twenty-three total. He was short two gold.

"The armor’s got holes," Garren said, "but the leather’s still good. Previous owner was... well, he doesn’t need it anymore."

Hiroshi examined the holes.

"Martin Graves," Garren continued. "He was Level 8 when he went on a dungeon exploration three years ago. He died at the hands of goblins."

"What dungeon?" He asked.

"Goblin Warren."

Hiroshi’s blood went cold.

Goblin Warren. That’s the dungeon they were training for.

"Armor survived better than he did," Garren said matter-of-factly. "Still functional. Eight gold, fair price."

Hiroshi stared at the holes. These were where Martin got stabbed. He was buying a dead man’s armor. A dead man who died in the same dungeon Hiroshi was heading to.

But eight gold was all he could afford.

"I’ll take it," he said. "And the standard iron sword."

"Sword’s fifteen. Armor’s eight. That’s twenty-three."

"I have 21.25."

Garren sighed. "Call it twenty-one. Newbies discount."

Hiroshi paid. Twenty-one gold for damaged armor with holes and a basic iron sword. He had 0.25 gold left.

A quarter of a single gold coin.

"Buy at least one healing potion," Garren said.

"Potions are one gold."

"I got some close to their label date, still good."

Hiroshi bought one near gone bad potion.

He picked up the armor. The holes were visible even in dim light. Three punctures. Chest, shoulder, side.

This was where Martin Graves died.

The others were finishing their shopping when Hiroshi returned to the main area.

Kenji had his steel sword and a full steel breastplate. Probably dropped 100 gold total. He looked ready for war.

Aria had her grimoire, reinforced robes.

Marcus came back from the church smith with a blessed shield and holy symbols. Ninety-five gold, probably.

They looked ready for adventure.

Hiroshi looked ready for a mugging.

Kenji noticed immediately. "Dude, your armor has holes."

"It was in my budget."

Kenji stared. "Budget? Isn’t your stipend..." He paused, doing the math. "Wait, you only get twenty gold?"

"Eighty percent reduction," Aria said. "We discussed this."

"I know, but.." Kenji looked upset. "That’s not enough for decent gear!"

"The holes..." Marcus was staring at the armor. "Someone was hurt wearing this."

"Previous owner doesn’t need it anymore!" Hiroshi said, forcing cheerfulness.

Awkward silence.

Aria examined the armor closely. "Those are penetration marks. Spear or javelin, roughly two centimeters diameter." 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

"Someone died in that armor," Kenji said quietly.

"Well, yeah, but..."

Kenji pulled out his gold pouch. "Here. Take thirty gold. Buy actual armor."

Panic shot through Hiroshi’s chest. "No! I can’t..."

"Come on, we’re a party. I’ve got extra."

"I’m fine! Really! This works!"

The refusal was automatic. He couldn’t accept charity. He couldn’t. If he did, he’d be admitting he couldn’t do this. He’d be admitting he was useless.

He couldn’t admit that.

"You’re NOT fine!" Kenji said. "You’re wearing dead guy armor!"

"It’s functional! That’s what matters!"

Kenji looked ready to argue more, but Hiroshi turned away. "I appreciate it, but I’m good. Really."

Marcus looked pained. "Brother Hiroshi..."

"I’m fine."

Nobody pushed further. But they were all thinking it. He could see it in their faces.

They left the guild together.

That evening, the others went to a tavern to celebrate their new equipment. Hiroshi declined. Too tired, he said.

Really, he just wanted to be alone.

He tried on the armor in the empty quarters. It fit reasonably well. Martin must’ve been a similar build.

He looked at himself in the mirror. The holes were visible even when worn.

Chest hole, right side. Would’ve pierced a lung.

Shoulder hole, clean through. Arm mobility compromised if hit there.

He took the armor off and examined the interior. There was a sewn-in label.

"Property of Martin Graves, Adventurer Guild #4782"

He set the armor aside. Opened his Status Window.

Level: 1

XP: 12/100

Gold: 0.75

Equipment: Damaged Leather Armor (Martin Graves, KIA 1247), Iron Sword (Standard)

Divine Blessing: None

He stared at the equipment line. Then closed the window.

The others came back later, cheerful and half-drunk. Kenji brought him food from the tavern.

"You missed a good time!"

"Sorry. Was organizing equipment."

"We brought you food!"

"Thanks, guys."

You’re very kind to the dead man walking.

He ate the food. Smiled and nodded at their stories. Laughed when appropriate. Eventually went to bed.

Wait... aren’t they supposed to have only a hundred gold each? Then how are they spending more than that? Where did the extra gold come from? Was there something I wasn’t aware of?