A question was thrown back at Cory from the blue-skinned Oni Orogumo looking right back at him with those yellow eyes.

“Um…. what?” Cory was a bit lost that the Oni saw himself would need to further explain.

“Ah forgive me for the question, I like to ask those who come to buy a weapon to get a better understanding of one character in my shop and it helps the person to think deeply about what weapon they can work together with as the two will be life partners and both will walk as one.”

“A weapon I will become one with.”

“That right as one, you see, I’m not like those other weapon shops that just sell a weapon so easily to any customers who enter my place like the other shops. I sell these weapons for warriors I look upon being sure they are a match with the weapon to be trusted with their lives.”

Cory entered a thinking mood looking back at the times, he would play a RPG game where it allows you to create your character. There was also the moment to pick the class one would want their character to be in the game, Cory's character was one that uses both the shield and sword.

Taking the role of the tank like that, but at times would like to pick a combat mage role using magic, but also able to fight with a weapon in hand as well.

Yet there is no way Cory is going to learn magic since it is not like those stories, he has been summoned or died to be reborn into a world. The best thing is just to go with the weapon he believes will do the most for him.

“How about a sword and shield, I think that would match better with me.” Cory makes the pick of weapons for him.

“Sword and shield you say that is your weapon to be one with you warrior.”

Orogumo takes a deep look at Cory taking his form till turning around to look at the shields first behind the Oni. he had a collection of different types of shields, and it didn’t take long for one to be picked off the wall placing a Buckler Shield on the glass counter.

The Buckler shield does provide not much cover, but in exchange for the less cover, there is the offer of both mobility and far less restriction with what possible weapon one is using.

Next came the sword moving a bit to the section of its own, using some time to find the right sword to work for Cory. Soon a sword was chosen and placed beside the shield.

An Arming sword is typically double-edged, designed in a way for both cutting and thrusting. It becomes a formidable tool in battle; the sword length and weight are meticulously created to be balanced, ensuring that a knight can wield it with one hand while the other hand holds a shield.

“Here you go human, I believe these two will work well for someone like your size and frame. A Buckler Shield and Arming sword would do nicely for the job and the Journey yourself is to walk.” Orogumo says.

“I take your word for it as you're the expert in weapons great Oni Orogumo.”

“That would be about fifty-two silver coins. My friend being the Buckler Shield is thirty silver and the Arming sword is about twenty-two silver making up that number together.”

When hearing the cost Cory does worry about it when having no such money like that on him, but quickly remembers that a certain someone has allowed their name to be used for just the help to take care of paying.

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

“Well lucky for us my good friend Arcana would cover the payment as you can put it on her tap.” Estela takes the lead of mentioning her friend and guild master's name to the blue Oni.

“You are familiar with the guild master Arcana Claw, ah then you must be Estela yes the fox beast kin, she has spoken about you when here.”

“Oh yeah, does she come around the shop often?”

“From time to time whenever the lady has the free time to come check out my weapons.”

Estela had a naughty look on her face where she was thinking of a different reason her friend would come to this shop since the blue Oni was right at the moment not wearing any shirt showing off those muscles.

“Oh no! There is no such thing as that happening here in my shop, Arcana truly does come to the shop to see any weapons that have come in. We like talking about all kinds of different weapons and their pros and cons or what is stronger than another. The two of us have become quite the good friend over the love we have for weapons.” Orogumo says giving some information about Arcana being a weapon lover that Cory learns.

“You're married huh don’t think it would be much of a problem for her.”

“Not if you're married to an Oni female, trust me my wife would be sure to make me no longer a man if I ever fooled around with another woman behind her back and would most definitely kill the women too. Plus, I love my wife a lot and the love we make, well I’ll just keep that detail to myself.”

“Understandable Arcana wouldn’t do that, not her style to mess around with someone already in a relationship not wanting to deal with the drama, anyway you will make that tab on my friend there is still one more weapon to pick out.”

Orogumo nodded his head at the yes answer while at the time Cory thought to take the chance at picking up the Buckler Shield and Arming sword. Seeing how well the two feel in his hands learning these two does make it easy to hold onto and perform a few swings with the Arming sword trying to act like an RPG character.

“What do you think they both match you very well huh,” Orogumo asked.

“Yeah, this work well, thank you for picking them out for me.”

“Great to hear, but some advice, you need to train the way your swing goes, and how you are standing shows that you have never used a weapon before. There is a training ground in the northwest of the town close to the barracks you could use to improve yourself. Just speak with the trainer who runs the ground when hired to help train newly recruited guards, but anyone else is welcome to the training ground freely.”

Cory is glad to know about a training ground here in Holsworthy, he can use it to work in getting better with the shield and sword now acquired.

“Orogumo as the shop owner, what do you think is the right-range weapon that would fit someone like me.” Estela brought the Oni back onto her as she was already looking at them.

“Well, I have two short-range weapons in the shops, one using arrows and the other being guns using bullets. I am more of a close combat fighting guy, but I’m open-minded to sell range-type weapons to those more into using.”

The Oni had bows and crossbows hung on the wall further down to the right where the guns were displayed inside the glass counter there as well.

“Guns are no stranger to me; I much rather use them more than a bow. I already have a pistol, but I wouldn’t mind holding a much bigger Gun.” Estela tells him as she stares at the Guns like a child looking at her favorite candy.

“And what the Gun your heart desires.”

“Arguebus, I would like a Gun like that in my hands.”

Orogumo and Estela share a smile at each other as the blue Oni opens the part of the glass that displays the Guns taking out one name, the Arguebus passes it to the fox female hands feeling its weight on them.

Estela didn’t waste time taking in the pleasure of checking out the Gun showing that she knows how to handle it as to being an expert welding a Gun.

“That Gun will do nicely in blowing any poor soul who dares to cross you.” The Oni is impressed with the performances the fox humanoid was doing with the Gun.

“Oh, they will if any bandit dare think about rubbing me when on the road.”

“For such a Gun, what would be its price range for such a ranged weapon.”

“Arugebus would cost about eighty-five slivers, but that will be taken care of by your friend. If she doesn’t mind covering all the payment.”

Estela takes the moment to do the math in her head of adding all three weapons together to reach the amount of what would be the big cost of them together.

“That is going to be about one hundred, fifty-seven slivers altogether,” Estela says as the two hear it.

“Whoa, it's a lot, are you sure Arcana is going to be ok with having to pay all that much for our weapons?”

“Sure, she will and if the girl is a little sore about it then, I can make it up to her with a nice wet mouth.”

Cory didn’t say a word back just stay quiet, but Orogumo, he had himself a nice laugh from the dirty half-truth joke Estela made.

“Well then new customers is that to be all or will there be anything else you both would like.”

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{The Good Empress Ale House}

Finishes with the shopping trip Estela and Cory had at the Oni weapon shop saying their goodbyes to their new friend Orogumo thanks to him helping pick out the weapon for them.

Where now these two were heading their way back to Glenda Tavern as the sun was starting to come down changing that clear blue sky to an orange lighting around sunset.

As they were getting close to the place a little distance away from the Tavern came a loud voice.

“GET OUT!”