Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix

Rain felt like sighing… that sure was a big name for a party of beginners. Still, it made sense, given that all the members were fifteen and below. Putting that aside, it seemed that Branden was either making too much out of the mission or he wanted to hear from them directly about the mission before spreading the information. They didn't leave any details behind, so perhaps he was going too far.

"Okay, where does he live?" Rain asked, thinking that having a free and luxurious lunch wouldn't be so bad; the location would also make the others behave without him telling them to do so.

Rain could have asked Lotto that, but he decided to be more cautious with his actions. In any case, it seemed that Branded lived in the area West of the castle, and his house was the one that had the emblem of a dire wolf on the gate. Quite the emblem.

"... How can I help you?" Lotto asked when Rain arrived at his shop.

"I am looking for suited weapons for someone of my size and a weapon for someone who fights using their arms and legs to attack; what do you recommend?" Rain asked after he approached and then put a letter with the contents of the mission on the counter, and Lotto quickly grabbed it.

"What is your budget?" Lotto asked.

While it was a bit too soon to act like he was being watched, Rain decided that it was better to get used to acting like that to avoid suspicions. In any case, Rain had five gold coins saved up until now; only half of that he got working in the capital so far, and he wanted to buy some things for his family.

Considering how the relationship of his previous one ended, Rain felt like sighing since he had become too attached to his new one. Regardless, he decided to use two gold coins and see what he could get.

As one would expect, Lotto showed Rain Iron Claws, Bracers, and Forearm Guards. Their quality was good, but the materials were not so good. Still, that was probably what two gold coins could help him with.

"I take it that you know what each one is suited for?" Lotto asked.

"The claws are to focus on offense, the bracers are to make sure that I won't lose my arms if I am too clumsy, and the forearm guards are to not decrease my speed, but they will require some mastery to use them properly," Rain replied.

"Right, if you use your legs to fight as well, you should use the same type of gear in place of boots, but it would slow you down considering your size and current strength," Lotto said. "I would advise you to focus on attacking with punches alone for a few years and use your legs for evasive maneuvers."

That was Rain's original idea, but he changed it because he knew that kicks could be three times stronger than punches. He liked the idea of taking down enemies as fast as possible, and kicks would help him with that.

In the end, Rain tested all of the weapons, and while he had a tendency to be pretty offensive when it came to fighting, he decided to get the forearm guards. Against most monsters, he won't have much of a hard time attacking them without risking losing his fingers. Still, he will need a lot of experience to parry swords and spears… he had the feeling that he would eventually have to pull that off.

"If you bring some materials, then I can make better versions of your weapon at a lower cost," Lotto said once Rain made his choice.

"I will keep that in mind," Rain said once he stored away the forearm guards.

Rain left the shop to avoid suspicions while he wondered how he should train with his new toys. The forearm guards protected his fists when they were closed, and since he was a kid, they almost reached his elbow as well. When he put them together, they looked like a shield… it wasn't exactly heavy, but it sure would work well with the earth rings that he used to make his running harder.

"Maybe I should keep weights with me all the time… I seriously need to build my strength since my punches are nowhere as powerful as my earth magic," Rain thought. "... I guess I should start now. There is no time like today, or so they say."

Rain looked for an alley and then made some earth rings and equipped them under his pants. Just keeping the ones in his legs would do for now since he had to get used to them slowly.

In any case, Rain stored his forearm guards in his shirt since he knew that he had to keep them with him all the time. His weapon had to become a part of him, not just an accessory that he used now and then.

Before long, Rain was back in the organization again, and much to his surprise, he found Jori, Reca, Liss, Asche, and Terra in front of the place while wearing some fancy clothes and looking nervous as hell. It was two hours too early for the appointment as well.

"Rain, were you informed as well of the invitation? You should dress up as well… we don't want to embarrass Lord Branden by looking like country bumpkins," Jori said.

"You guys are embarrassing him in another way," Rain thought. "I don't like to buy clothes that I will only use a few times, so I am going like this. I don't mind if I am stopped at the Gates of his house since you all can give an accurate report of the mission."

Rain looked a Villager C with his current attire, but he liked it quite a lot since he didn't look suspicious in the least. He didn't feel like dressing up to meet a man either.