I Became a Foreign Worker Loved by Transcendents

After encountering the Death Knight that day, I started living with more passion than ever before.

No matter how chaotic the world and life seemed, realizing there were those who valued such existence made a difference.

He might have spared me, thinking I might become an ally in the future, but I didn’t need to worry about that for the time being.

So, pushing aside the gloom for a moment, I resolved to live as well as possible for now.

“That being said, where should I acquire my equipment?”

Thanks to Vivian, I had accumulated more money than expected.

Feeling it was time to leave my job as a porter behind, I spent some time exploring the workshop district for the necessary gear before officially signing up as an adventurer.

The workshops were abundant, lining each street since the area was near where adventurers commonly settled.

Considering the world’s turmoil, I figured there would always be a demand for equipment, making it easy to find upon arrival.

However, securing equipment wasn’t as simple as choosing one good weapon and being finished with it.

In a game, I would select a weapon that matched my level and budget, but this was the real world.

In games, you could defeat an enemy with a single hit as long as you survived, but in reality, if you couldn’t withstand an attack, you’d fall without a chance to retaliate.

Even with creatures as weak as goblins, if they gained a dominant position, they could kill even an adult man without resistance, so if I were to invest in something, it should be armor rather than a weapon.

Naturally, each role required specific types of armor, so I had to consider which kind to choose.

Magic was clearly not an option for me, and using a bow demanded a high level of skill that wouldn’t come easily…

That left me with the role of the vanguard, directly engaging enemies and absorbing hits.

Even with my training as a porter, my physical aptitude barely reached the upper ranks of C-rank, which was below the B-rank typically recommended for a main tanker.

Donning heavy armor would deplete my stamina, and holding a shield to absorb the enemy’s blows directly was out of the question for me now.

Therefore, assuming a vanguard position that mainly required light armor seemed most suitable for me at the moment.

“To purchase light armor for the optimal position… This will cost quite a bit.”

After all, materials that were both light and durable tend to be more expensive than those used to make heavy armor.

If I neglected my armor, I could fall prey to unexpected attacks.

Ultimately, this might be the cost of harboring the excessive ambition to become an adventurer while being a foreign worker. I scoffed at the thought, albeit briefly.

-Crash!

Just then, a commotion on the path I was traversing caught my attention.

The first thing I noticed was a group of boisterous men who had toppled a shop’s sign.

They held equipment in their hands and were in a heated dispute with the shopkeeper.

“Damn, your business practices are terrible!”

“I put my trust in you because you’re supposed to be a skilled craftsman, but what’s this!? Why haven’t you properly fixed this dent?”

The men pointed at the imperfection on the armor and berated the craftsman.

It seemed as though they had complaints about the work they had requested, but from where I stood, it looked like a minor issue.

Certainly, a scratch on a car might cost hundreds to repair, but wasn’t armor, by design, expected to sustain damage? Such slight imperfections should be inconsequential, right?

“Ah, I left that part untouched because meddling with it could compromise the overall balance of the equipment. It has been repaired to the point where it poses no functional problems as it is…”

“So you’re saying you can’t fix it?”

“You think it’s all fine as long as the equipment is usable?! It should look good, too, no matter what!”

“Calm down. I did my best to meet your demands, but it’s difficult if you behave like this now…”

“The trouble is with us, not you! Do you think it’s fair to take the money without fixing even one thing like this?”

“If you can’t properly complete even one request, you should give the money back, shouldn’t you?!”

…I got the gist of it.

These guys were causing a scene, trying to somehow compensate for their loss.

It was quite unpleasant to watch, but ironically, I was just a foreign worker without any significant ability to help.

If I intervened, I would only increase the number of victims, so the best I could do was call the guards.

“If you don’t want to give the money back, let’s take this to court!”

“Get ready to close your business and eat prison food!!”

But what bothered me was that these guys were escalating their bad behavior.

Usually, even ruffians know to fear public authority, but if they cause a ruckus in the middle of the street like this, do they have some kind of backup?

“Hey there, what are you doing right now?!”

That bold attitude made me hesitate whether to report them or not.

Someone else, who had been watching the situation like me, soon barged in where they were.

An old man with a bald head and a face full of wrinkles.

He seemed unstable as he leaned on his cane, but his angry face clearly expressed his fury towards them.

“These brats with hardly any blood in their heads… How dare you make a scene here?! Get back to your homes right now!”

“Ha, just some old geezer coming in.”

“Mind your own business and get out of here. You’re stinking up the place with your nosiness.”

Despite the old man’s scolding, the men spoke back in a mocking tone.

“Those insolent fools, making a ruckus in the street and showing no respect…”

“Respect? Why should I respect you when you’re not even my family?”

“You think you’re something special just because you’ve clung to life until now, old man. Nowadays, young people detest loud old folks who think they deserve respect just because they’re old.”

“It’s those ill-tempered young people like you who end up growing to be like me!”

-Whoosh!

The old man swung his cane threateningly.

Startled by his aggressive gesture, the men stepped back, then began to snicker, viewing him as a joke.

“Oh, oh wow. An old man on his last legs still has some fight in him?”

“Seriously, even when you talk nicely, this old fart is annoying.”

-Swish.

Annoyed, one of the ruffians drew a sword from his waist.

The shine and menacing aura of the sword’s blade indicated it was no ordinary weapon.

“Hey, hey, wait. Are you sure? If you draw your sword here, the guards will really come…”

“Ha-ha! What’s there to be afraid of? We’ve got a hero backing us; they’ll take care of it even if something big happens!”

Ah, so that was it. These guys were acting up because they were relying on a hero’s backing.

It was annoying, but ironically, that was the reality where it actually worked.

“Hey, old man. Do you know what this sword reveals? It’s an Aura~”

Aura Blade.

The elderly man, apparently unthreatened, stared at them, holding his cane. But knowing what it meant, I couldn’t help but feel terrified.

Aura was a technique where mana was concentrated to enhance the properties of a tool.

Even a normal sword, when infused with an aura, could cut through steel and split rocks. However, wielding it required the ability to manipulate mana and skill, which must be honed.

One could also employ tools, but ‘magical tools’ that induced aura had astronomical costs.

Just the sword in his hand, judging by its value, would require most of the money I had to acquire such a precious item.

But to use such an absurd weapon on the street was reckless, even for a group of heroes.

“…Did he produce aura with just the weapon, without any magic power?”

“Haha! It’s too late for regrets now! Since I’ve drawn the sword, I must see blood from this side!”

I had no way to stop it.

With no other choice but to watch from afar, the old man sighed deeply and began to slowly raise the cane he was holding.

He swung it precisely at the moment the sword swung at him.

Perfectly accurate, without missing even an inch, the cane touched the aura.

-Kwa-chang!!

With that light strike, the Aura Blade shattered into pieces.

As the fragments rained down, my mouth dropped open in astonishment.

Damn, what was that?

An Aura Blade that could cut through steel had just shattered like glass?

“Uh…?”

The men was just as perplexed.

But the old man, as if offering no quarter, simply raised his cane again.

“These young people these days think they are something special just because they have fancy equipment, even going into debt for it.”

“Ah, wait a minute! Do you have any idea how expensive this is…”

“Hak!!!”

-Kwang!

Once more, the man was struck squarely on the head by the swiftly swung cane.

With that blow, the man began to tremble violently on the ground, eyes rolling back.

He foamed at the mouth as if in post-mortem rigidity.

“Uh, egh, gurgle…”

“Hey, hey, what’s wrong with you? Come on, snap out of it!”

Another man, shocked by the destruction of the Aura Blade, shifted his gaze between the blade and the old man.

The old man, seeing the confused man, clicked his tongue in disdain and aimed his cane at the armor on the ground.

“As the saying goes, empty vessels make the most noise. Those with nothing to boast about always pick on the weak to feel superior.”

-Kwang!

With another swing of his cane, the metal armor spectacularly shattered to pieces.

The armor must have cost a fortune, much like the Aura Blade, but it seemed as fragile as paper against the old man’s strength.

“Expensive or not, do you think the world will cater to you just because you flaunt your fancy equipment? Whether you’re a hero or whatever, get lost! No craftsman on this street will sell to senseless fools like you!”

“This… this crazy old man… Damn it, just you wait! I won’t let this go!”

Furious, but with their weapon destroyed and their comrade down, the man opted to retreat, dragging his injured comrade behind, thereby concluding the street disturbance.

“Sigh, thank you again, sir.“

“Don’t mention it. This is all I can do now, anyway…”

The old man patted his shoulder, acknowledging the craftsman’s appreciation.

He had succeeded in dispersing those men, yet his expression remained stern and dissatisfied.

“Damn those guards, too lenient with anyone claiming to be a hero. They don’t lift a finger against such idiots. What is this world coming to… Huh?”

His gaze landed on me as he murmured his discontent.

As I braced myself, recalling what he had just done, he lifted his cane again and started yelling in my direction.

“What about you? Done watching? Or are you here to cause trouble too?!”

“No, no, of course not! I was just captivated by your bold actions, sir. Haha!”

I wouldn’t dare start a conflict.

Having witnessed his effortless destruction of an Aura Blade, it would be madness to provoke him.

“Well, to be honest, I had thought about intervening, but as someone just starting as an adventurer, I probably would have been more of a hindrance… So, I’m thankful you stepped in, sir.”

“Hmm, is that so?”

Did my honesty strike a chord with him?

The old man paused, lowering the cane he had been ready to brandish, and began to stroke his beard.

“Well, okay. As long as you’re not here to cause trouble, it’s good to be understanding. Though you say you’re weak, the fact that you didn’t think highly of those people speaks well of you. A commendable young man, rare these days.”

“Ha ha, thank you for seeing me in a good light.”

Good, as long as I didn’t cause any trouble, I wouldn’t get my head cracked.

Moreover, since he viewed me positively, it seemed safe to engage more boldly in conversation here.

“By the way, sir? Actually, I came here to get some equipment. Do you know this street well? I’d appreciate some advice if you don’t mind…”

“Ho ho! Nobody knows this neighborhood better than I do! There’s a bench over there; let’s grab a cup of tea and chat!”

Indeed, as long as we could communicate, it was possible to befriend anyone.

Reminded of this fact, I followed the old man to the bench with a much lighter heart.