Who made him a paladin?

Chapter 3 The Sealed Past

With three silver coins from the church subsidy tucked in his hand, Xia Nan walked with Bruce on the stone path outside the church.

The sun in West City was still dazzling, and a faint, sweet but not cloying fragrance of laurel blossoms lingered in the air, wafting towards Xia Nan's nose.

Looking around, men dressed in black fitted tuxedos, with short black capes draped over their shoulders and top hats on their heads, were entering a retro-style café facing the street. They were probably discussing business news or trivial matters of high society.

Inside the white carriage, several ladies alighted, dressed in elaborate, belted long dresses and carrying small, carved handbags.

Unlike the men, the women bowed to each other by pressing their legs together, and then walked together into the clothing store facing the street.

Faced with this languid and elegant scene, Xia Nan couldn't help but marvel.

As expected of the capital of the Pasar Empire, there was no one urinating or defecating indiscriminately on the streets.

But then again.

How should I spend these three silver coins?

Xia Nan secretly made his own plans.

Should we have a hearty meal or buy some protective gear?

According to the logistics officer when they received their subsidies, paladins who want to take on bounty missions must purchase weapons, armor, and even mounts at their own expense.

What's the difference between this and paying someone to go to work?

However, Xia Nan had considered using his "jealousy" ability to appraise or find bargain weapons and then resell them, or simply become a blacksmith and work his way up in the metal.

However, the information I remember suggests that establishing a foothold in the arms business in this era is not an easy task.

Xia Nan was just a herdsman, and in terms of blacksmithing skills, he was a person with no skills, no workshop, and no noble backing.

After all, weapons and armor are matters of life and death; who can believe that the things that herders forge can save their lives?

Selling it after finding a bargain is probably even less likely.

He can't exactly tell the buyer that the sword has a "Strength +1" attribute, can he?

This is like an ordinary person holding up a vase and telling a stranger that it is "Tang Sancai".

Xia Nan secretly made up his mind.

He must make good use of the priesthood to extract more benefits in order to quell his frustration.

Pulling himself out of his thoughts, Xia Nan turned to look at Bruce beside him. The kobold seemed to have a touch of melancholy on his face.

Xia Nan, the former shepherd boy, was not only lazy and gluttonous, but also needed to rest after only a few minutes of carrying a haystack. He even chose to be submissive when provoked by the village bully.

But today... why is he acting so out of character, launching a heavy attack on the Vatican?

With a question in his mind, Bruce asked:

"Dude, you seem a bit strange today."

"Hmm?" Xia Nan raised an eyebrow and teased, "You're not trying to say I'm weirdly cute, are you?"

"Don't give me that!" Bruce clenched his fist and gritted his teeth. "Where did you get all that strength from today?"

"And another thing! We made a deal when we came here: either we'd be chosen together, or we'd both fail. And now, not only have you stolen the show, but you've become the archbishop's chosen one!"

"And I... became the abandoned one."

Bruce's expression was extremely complex.

He wanted his brother to live well, but he was also afraid that his brother would ride a white horse, and even more afraid that his brother would ride a white horse but wouldn't let him lead the horse.

Xia Nan suddenly felt a sense of unease.

I almost forgot that I was a time traveler.

You should know that in this world, if your personality changes too quickly, others will subconsciously think that you are possessed by evil spirits or cursed.

At best, they'd be forced to bathe in the Holy Water of the Vatican; at worst, they'd become like Louis XVI.

But Xia Nan was well aware of Bruce's current pain point.

Instead of wasting so much time explaining, it would be better to shift the focus of the conflict.

"My good brother!" Xia Nan put his arm around Bruce's shoulder. "Don't worry about the details. How about this, the logistics officer told me that paladins have to handle complicated and troublesome matters, and even during their probationary period, they can easily recruit people to share some of the trivial tasks. I see you have extraordinary potential, and you're from the same hometown, so how about you become my deputy? Let's work together to make it bigger and stronger, and create new glories!"

Upon hearing this, a glimmer of light flashed in Bruce's eyes, and the gloom in his heart instantly dissipated.

Being a paladin's assistant is practically equivalent to being a half-clergyman.

For Bruce, a free farmer, this was something he could boast about when he returned to his village.

"My esteemed paladin, where shall we go next?" Bruce's eyes curved into crescents again, and he rubbed his hands together excitedly.

"Let's pick out a suitable weapon first, then have a hearty meal!"

……

In a hurry, the two arrived at the East Market in the Upper District, which specializes in selling equipment.

Xia Nan walked into a store called "Karl Equipment Shop".

Ding-dong—Ding-dong—

The smell of tung oil mixed with iron filings hit me.

Xia Nan looked around and saw various weapons clearly marked on the wooden shelves.

Broadsword: 2 gold coins, 5 silver coins.

Double-edged battle axe, 3 gold coins.

A spiked mace costs 1 gold coin and 8 silver coins.

Take the double-edged battle axe for example; that's equivalent to two months' salary for a city guard.

Such an exorbitant price truly puts people in a dilemma.

Just as Xia Nan turned to leave, the short, stout boss Karl came up to her with a big smile, wiping the sweat off his body with a towel.

"Oh, praise be to the great god of forging," Karl said, pointing to the weapons rack. "What would you two like? A blade to sever an orc's neck, or a hammer to smash a goblin's head?"

"Boss," Xia Nan's gaze swept past the expensive battle axe and met Karl's, "I'm a little short on cash right now. Do you have any suitable weapons priced around 2 silver coins?"

"Hmm... my dear friend."

Karl didn't neglect Xia Nan because she had no money. He simply turned around, his steps swaying like a round little wine barrel, and waved for the two to follow.

"As a warrior, don't let a few stinking dollars break your back, but I do have a brilliant idea."

He arrived at a small room, and with a little effort, grabbed the edge of a large wooden crate. His short legs kicked wildly in mid-air, trying to find a foothold. Then, he tumbled into the pile of clutter and began rummaging through it.

"Look at this! A steel flail!" Karl poked his head out of the box, holding up the wooden club to show it off. "Only 2 silver coins!"

Looking at the flail, Xia Nan's lips twitched slightly.

This thing is okay for threshing wheat, but using it as a weapon for a paladin is a bit beneath its dignity.

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck Xia Nan.

Recalling the plots of online novels I read in my previous life, the protagonists always managed to find ancient artifacts in piles of junk.

Could it be my turn today?

Turning around, Xia Nan silently activated the "Jealousy" spell and began to scan the various pieces of equipment in the room.

Since it's not at a booth, things here are definitely cheaper; maybe I can find a bargain?

But no matter how hard they searched, all they found were very ordinary equipment, not even as good as the flail used for cutting grass.

Just as he was feeling disheartened and shutting down his skills, a blinding dark red light flashed from a wooden barrel piled with scrap iron in the corner.

It exploded?

Xia Nan calmed himself down and casually walked towards the waste bin, carefully rummaging through the rusty chains and broken horseshoes.

Soon, he grasped a cold metal hilt and pulled it out forcefully.

It was a broad, heavy sword, its surface covered with dried mud and mottled rust.

Most fatally, the blade broke off right in the middle, leaving the edge riddled with jagged nicks.

As the broken sword was drawn, the red light became even more dazzling, and a semi-transparent attribute panel appeared in mid-air.

Name: Ktugya Ashes (Fragmented)

Quality: Red Legend

Attributes: None.

Additional skills: None.

Repair Requirements: 50 Fine Iron Ore, 30 Corundum Ore, 10 Crimson Ore, 1 Dwarven Forging Scroll (Fine).

Note: The flames of the Old Gods burned out at dawn, their embers forever sealing the shadows of the abyss—the great knight of doom, Ertheus.

Xia Nan was very puzzled.

It shows as a legendary weapon even though its attributes and additional skills are not visible.

Does it only show up after the repair is complete?

Xia Nan gently stroked the rough blade, then flicked his wrist and swung the heavy sword with a "whoosh".

The weight of nearly 30 pounds caused his wrist muscles to feel slightly sore.

Looking at the notes, Xia Nan was very curious about what the previous owner had gone through. As her thoughts raced, a phrase she knew well from her past life slipped out—

"The day the broken sword is reforged, the day the knight returns?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Karl's eyes widened, and he stopped climbing out of the box.

Despite his short stature, he harbored a deep-seated dream of becoming a knight, but his short stature shattered that dream.

From Xia Nan's words, he could vaguely hear a knight's tragic and noble vow.

"My God, I can hardly believe my ears!" Karl's voice trembled with excitement. "Sir, your soul is as pure as the snowmelt from Mount Moradin! You remind me of the knights in the bards' tales who, for their faith, fearlessly charged towards dragons!"

Karl's eyes were slightly moist. After climbing out of the box, he patted his chest.

"This nameless broken sword, Karl sells it to you today for one silver coin! May the god of forging forever bless your noble and selfless path of revival!"

Xia Nan was somewhat surprised; he hadn't expected that Karl would misunderstand his unintentional words.

But then Carl began to talk at length about his dream.

"...My spear has been dulled by the heavy rain."