Volume 1 Chapter 1 Noroa The Zero
Hello, everyone. It's a new project. It's a fantasy. I hope you like it/
――Equipment determines one's life.
――Choosing equipment is choosing one's life.
――The one who controls equipment, controls life.
Every time I hear such a common saying, I think to myself, "That's right."
"Reward? Ain't no way I'm gonna do that, yo?"
I was pushed by a man wearing shiny gold armor and fell helplessly to the ground.
The floor of the Adventurer's Guild meeting place is dirty, with someone's spit and food scraps scattered around. I don't want to sit on such a floor for even a second, but as I tried to stand up, my stomach was stepped on.
"I turned you into 'Noroa the Zero,' with zero equipment slots, my freakin' pack mule. Ain't that reward plenty, huh?"
The man in shiny gold kicks me and sneers.
This man has been my companion in work recently.
For a week, I followed him as his pack mule, was used and abused, deliberately provoked by monsters, and bullied... and this is the result.
Indeed, for someone like me without equipment - "Noroa the Zero," this is a fitting end.
"What's with that look? You mockin' me, the guy with three equipment slots?"
"...Sorry."
I'm used to being unreasonably scolded.
I don't resist it either. After all, his adventurer rank is B.
The equipment he wears with 3 slots is top-notch B-rank gear ―― Gold Sword, Gold Shield, Gold Armor.
For a G-rank adventurer like me without equipment, he is like a figure in the clouds.
So, being oppressed is inevitable.
...It's true that equipment determines one's life.
Without equipment, humans are too weak.
Without equipment, humans cannot defeat monsters.
Therefore, humans make a contract with weapons and their souls ―― to equip themselves.
The strength of the equipment directly reflects the strength of the person, and the number of equipment slots that can be contracted ―― in other words, the talent of the person.
Normal people have 1 equipment slot. Combat professionals have 2. Strong individuals have 3. Hero class has 7.
On the other hand, my equipment slot is 0. Having 0 equipment slots given by the God goes beyond being talentless, it is enough to be despised as a despicable existence.
"Well, guess I'll manage on my own from tomorrow. Ain't got no room for dead weight in the dungeon."
As I watch the man walk away laughing, I just sigh.
My emotions have long been numb, and I no longer feel regret.
This is the daily life of me ―― "Noroa the Zero."
* * *
In my daily life of being kicked around, there is one more daily routine.
That is peeking into the showcase of the weapon shop.
Being called an equipment geek since childhood, just looking at the dazzling equipment makes me happy. Humans are scary, dirty, and always do terrible things... but equipment is always noble and beautiful. All equipment is like that. Among them, the equipment displayed quietly on the outskirts of the commercial district in the weapon shop is exceptional, and I never get tired of looking at it no matter how many times I visit.
"Sigh... how nice."
Displayed in this showcase is the Adamant Armor that sparkles in blue-silver. Its equipment rank is the world's highest, A-rank. It is of the same rank as a holy sword and may even have the value of a national treasure.
The reason why there is an A-rank equipment in this town is that the shop owner apparently found it during his adventurer days. He couldn't equip it himself, but he couldn't bring himself to sell it due to its beauty, so he has been holding onto it. Surely, even if I were to get this armor, I would never be able to let go of it. That's how attractive the armor was.
Moreover, this Adamant Armor is not only beautiful. When equipped, the defense increases by 200. With my defense of 14, just by equipping it, my defense would increase more than 15 times. Truly, A-rank equipment is on a different level.
However, I probably won't be able to equip it.
Even if I put aside the fact that I don't have money.
Equipment is a contract between the soul and weapons. If the weapon doesn't recognize the owner, it won't be able to unleash its power. Even if it's armor, one won't be able to wear it. If one can't equip it, even Adamant Armor will just be a decoration.
"...Someday, I'd like to try equipping it."
Although I said that out loud, I know it's a wish that won't come true.
Because I can't equip weapons.
No matter how much I love equipment, I can only be satisfied by just looking at them. I've always been like that. No matter how much I admire them, no matter how much I want them, I always have to watch them being bought by someone else while gritting my teeth.
As I think about such things, it seems like I've immersed myself in my own world.
"Hey, could you move aside?"
The person who spoke to me was a man carrying a wooden box. I seemed to have obstructed the path without even realizing that someone was approaching.
"Huh? Oh, sorry."
Reflexively apologizing while nodding, I yielded the path, and the man carrying the wooden box hurriedly carried it into the weapon shop. Did he some weapons from the dungeon?
New weapons. Even if I can't get them, I'm interested.
After the merchant left the shop, I entered in his place.
"...Welcome."
The shopkeeper, Mr. Yabuki, muttered while inspecting the contents of the wooden box. As a former B-rank adventurer, his robust physique exuded an intimidating presence. The fact that this shop doesn't have many customers is probably partly due to Mr. Yabuki's appearance.
"Oh, um, is this something you bought today?"
"Hm? Well... Oh, it's 'Noroa the Zero.'"
Upon seeing my face, Mr. Yabuki made a grim expression.
Well, that's to be expected. Mr. Yabuki knows that I don't have money and can't equip weapons. A customer who lingers in the shop without intending to buy anything. If he could be more friendly, he'd practically be a saint. However, Mr. Yabuki, though aloof, doesn't treat me rudely, which I appreciate.
"Mr. Yabuki, have you received any good equipment?"
"Well, I haven't appraised it properly yet, but... this one seems to be at least a B-rank. Its attack power should exceed 100."
What Mr. Yabuki took out of the box was a silver sword. The extremely thin blade that seems capable of cutting even steel, the intricate magic (majutsu) pattern engraved on the blade, the simple yet elegant handle decoration... My eyes were involuntarily drawn to it.
"Wow... it's cute."
"C-Cute? Hey... don't get your face so close."
"Huh...? Oh, sorry!"
Before I knew it, the blade and my eyes were almost touching. I quickly moved my face away.
"Geez, your obsession with equipment is as strong as ever..."
"Haha... sorry."
I tend to forget myself when looking at equipment.
Especially high-rank equipment, they're so amazing. It makes me feel kind of excited, and sometimes I even think about marrying such equipment in the future. However, for now, I'm not considering marrying any equipment other than Adamant Armor.
Anyway, for my brain, equipment is like an attractive opposite sex. That's why when I see someone else equipped with it, I feel like I've been cuckolded.
For a while after that, I watched Mr. Yabuki examine the weapons with a magnifying glass-like appraisal equipment. It might have been difficult for Mr. Yabuki, but he didn't say anything. Maybe he also wanted someone to talk to since there were hardly any customers.
'Hey, you there...'
"Hm?"
Casually peering into the wooden box, I heard a faint voice.
I looked in the direction of the voice, but there was no one there. It sounded like a girl's voice, and it didn't seem like Mr. Yabuki was speaking. Well, even Mr. Yabuki might occasionally speak in a lively voice.
'Oh... I guess, I have to be equipped... it's tough just to speak... time to sleep, time to sleep.'
"W-What?"
The voice came again, but there was nothing around.
Well, there was one thing... a palm-sized doll trapped in a birdcage.
It was a cute doll of a black-haired girl, and for some reason, it felt like her red eyes were looking at me. Although it felt out of place among the other weapons, being in a weapon shop, it must be some kind of accessory equipment.
I was strangely drawn to that doll, but it couldn't possibly be the one speaking. I no longer heard any voices, so it must have been my imagination.
I stopped worrying about it and turned my gaze back to Mr. Yabuki.
There was something I really wanted to ask Mr. Yabuki.
"Um... are there any 'cursed equipment' in here?"
Mr. Yabuki looked at me in silence, with a face that seemed to say, "Again?" For Mr. Yabuki, who disliked cursed equipment, that question was like a taboo. Still, I couldn't help but ask.
"Well, they do show up occasionally, but they're not common. Adventurers aren't foolish enough to mess with equipment carelessly."
"...I see."
For adventurers whose strength is determined by their equipment, cursed equipment that forces itself onto them upon touch is a real nightmare. Cursed equipment pushes aside other equipment and occupies one equipment slot on its own.
And there is no way to remove cursed equipment.
Once one equips it, they have to keep wearing it until they die, paying the "price" attached to the cursed equipment...
That's why adventurers take great care not to touch cursed equipment. Even if they find something that looks like equipment, they never touch it until it's appraised. Some cursed equipment can activate just by touching it with gloves or gauntlets, so they wrap it in cloth or put it in a box when transporting it. They take meticulous precautions to avoid cursed equipment at all costs. Even if cursed equipment enters the market, the rule is to dispose of it immediately upon discovery; selling or equipping it intentionally is illegal.
"Sigh..."
Mr. Yabuki sighed and stopped working to look at me.
"I don't know why you're looking for cursed equipment. But, never get involved with cursed equipment, got it?"
Mr. Yabuki's expression was dead serious.
"Because it's illegal, right?"
"That's part of it, but not the only reason. I've seen many adventurers ruin themselves because of cursed equipment. Cursed equipment... touching it and losing your sanity is the better outcome compared to instantly dying upon touch."
"Instantly dying upon touch..."
I involuntarily swallowed my saliva.
"I'm not trying to scare you. I'm just stating the facts. Cursed equipment is really that dangerous."
"I see."
I slumped my shoulders.
...Even I understand that cursed equipment is dangerous. Whether one is a noble or a commoner in this world, everyone knows it from a young age.
Still, I――
"You don't seem like the type to give up easily."
Mr. Yabuki scratched his head.
"By the way, have you ever been to the Eastern Dungeon?"
"Uh, well..."
The Eastern Dungeon is a newly discovered dungeon in the eastern forest. Currently, adventurers from this town are challenging it eagerly. I just went there with the flashy guy, but only as a pack mule.
I couldn't understand why he suddenly brought up the Eastern Dungeon. It was so unexpected that I couldn't give a proper response.
"I heard this at the tavern. It seems there's cursed equipment in the treasure chest at the deepest part of the Eastern Dungeon."
"Huh?"
"There's still cursed equipment in the dungeon? If you really want it, you should try challenging it. Without any equipment, I think it's impossible for you even after hundreds of years."
"...Why are you telling me this?"
"With 0 equipment slots, you wouldn't be able to equip it even if you touched it. And even if I didn't tell you, you would have heard it from someone else soon."
Mr. Yabuki said bluntly. It might have been just a whim for him, but for me, it was like receiving good news.
"I'll give it a try!"
"If it gets dangerous, run away immediately."
"Yes... thank you...!"
"Don't thank me for something like this."
With Mr. Yabuki's slightly embarrassed voice behind me, I dashed off.
There might be a chance to obtain cursed equipment. Just that tiny hope made my steps lighter.
I know cursed equipment is dangerous.
Still, I want my own equipment.
I've never told anyone, but I'm definitely not a "Noroa the Zero."
I do have equipment slots.
And also, the number of my equipment slots is――.
――9999.
Among humans, it's said that the highest number of slots is 7, so my number was way beyond common sense.
Naturally, no one believed it, and eventually it became known as having 0 equipment slots.
Besides, it was true that I couldn't equip normal weapons.
Now, I imagine my status in my head.
Noroa Rator Adventurer Lv.10
HP: 74
MP: 15
Attack: 12
Defense: 14
Speed: 17
Magic: 17
Luck: 11
Equipment Slots = 9999
- Weapon
None
- Armor
None
- Accessories
1: ■■■■[Curse] (Equipment Slots = 9999)
This is my status.
Setting aside opinions that I'm too weak for an adventurer, the issue lies with the '■■■■[Curse]' accessory in my equipment slots.
Here are the details.
- ■■■■[Curse]
...Details unknown.
Rank: ? ? ?
Type: Accessory
Effect: Equip Love Curse (Equipment Slots = 9999)
Cost: Can only equip cursed items.
Since I can remember, I've been wearing this mysterious cursed accessory. The reason I've never equipped anything before is because of this cursed item.
Due to this item, I can't equip normal weapons.
But in exchange... I can equip cursed items as much as I want.
――Little ××× can become stronger than anyone in this world. Surely, even more than me.
――So please... search for cursed items.
――And when we meet again someday... please, help me?
I remember being told that by someone long ago, whose face and voice I've forgotten. Becoming stronger than anyone in the world... those words alone were my driving force and only hope.
If I can obtain the cursed item, maybe something will change.
If equipment determines life, then maybe this crappy life of mine will improve a bit. Even if equipping it leads to my downfall... there's no further to fall anyway.
So, I have no choice but to equip it.
With these thoughts in mind, I begin preparing for dungeon conquest.
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