Chapter 317: Noble Purveyor Armor Shop
Chapter 317 - Noble Purveyor Armor Shop
Translator: SFBaka
And so, we made our way to the shop introduced by brother-in-law.
"Welcome."
The one who greeted us was a man dressed as a butler. The atmosphere of the place was more like a luxury tailor shop than a power armor shop. The floor was covered by a carpet of muted colors, and you couldn't even see a single speck of dust on its surface. There were many wooden furnishings (or at least ones made from material resembling wood) inside the shop. It didn't sport many holo-displays that were a common sight in other shops.
Well, the only shops I set my foot in were things like gun shops after all. The gun shops I've visited sported lots of holo-displays showing different guns from various manufacturers. Their interiors were pretty busy, so the calm scene inside this shop made me a bit uneasy.
"Forgive me for asking, but you are a first-time customer, correct?"
"Yes. But I have a letter of introduction here."
Having said that, I operated my portable data terminal and sent the data of the letter of introduction I got from brother-in-law to the other party. The man, who seemed to be the shop clerk, confirmed the details on his own terminal.
"I see, so you were referred by someone from the house of Viscount Willrose."
After saying so, the clerk (or maybe he was actually the shop owner) glanced toward Elma. Elma met his gaze and lightly shrugged in response.
"I am well aware of your fame, Captain Hiro."
"Hm?"
"That tournament was also broadcasted here on Windas in real-time. There were even some regular customers of this shop among the participants."
"I see. Did I cause you some trouble?"
In the end, I won all the matches in that tournament in a landslide. In other words, the customers of this shop either got defeated by me or by the other participants.
"It was the result of fair matches, so I have nothing to complain about. I just purely admire your skills."
"I see. Well, I suppose that's enough pleasantries. Let's discuss business now. As you know, I'm just a crude mercenary. So I'm not good at making small talk like this."
"Understood. Please make your way inside as well, ladies."
After saying so, he led us to a consultation space in the back of the shop. Although it definitely wasn't as luxurious as the rooms in the imperial palace, it was still very high-class. The lounge of the shipyard we visited before also had a luxurious atmosphere, but the theme was a bit different. The theme used in that lounge was modern comforts, but this shop's theme was a classical antique luxury.
"Since you have come to our shop, do you already have an idea about our products?"
The man led us to us sit on comfortable sofas and sat on a chair opposite us. I shook my head in response to his question.
"No. The only ones I'm familiar with are power armors used by regular infantry. I have no idea about power armors tailored for nobles, so I'd appreciate it if you gave me an introduction to them."
"Understood."
He nodded and operated his tablet terminal. Then, a holo-display came out of the antique-style table that seemed to be made from wood. It looked like a regular wooden table, but it was equipped with a holo-display inside huh. Neat.
"What we offer here are order-made power armors. We take pride in our efforts to deliver a product that perfectly matches the needs and physiques of our customers."
"I see. But they're pretty expensive, aren't they?"
I only said that as a joke, but the other party nodded seriously.
"Of course, their prices will be on the expensive side. They won't go below 200,000 Enels."
"Hm...... Well, that's not too bad, I guess."
I sighed in relief. I was worried they'd charge something to the tune of 2 million Enels, but with 200,000 being the price, I can cram as many functions as I want without any worries. The man's eyes opened wide after hearing my words.
"To think you are able to make that much money. Well, I suppose the price isn't comparable to that of a starship's, correct?"
"Well, yeah. If you wanna completely remodel even the lowest class ship, the price will easily be ten times that or more."
"My word......"
After hearing Elma and my comments, the man couldn't hide his astonishment. The best-in-class regular power armors out on the market can generally reach up to 100,000 Enels. If you didn't mind second-hand goods, you can get one for as low as 10,000. Considering those prices, 200,000 Enels does sound comparatively expensive. If you brought out that much, you can buy two of the latest high-performance mass-produced power armors, and if you went for standard quality ones, you can get four or five. If you turned a blind eye to overall quality, you can even supply ten people with power armors easily with that much.
"That's why you don't have to worry about our budget. So I'm gonna have to ask you to provide me with the very best, alright?"
"Understood. Unexpectedly, this is turning out to be a pretty significant deal."
After saying so, the man displayed a genuinely happy smile.
"The basic functions of our products are much the same with regular power armors. In other words, they protect your body and will allow you to obtain enough strength to move around unimpeded even while wearing such heavy equipment. Depending on the requirements, we may also add a jump unit, optical camouflage function, or equip the armor with additional fixed weaponry."
The man operated his tablet terminal and showed us various power armor designs through the holo-display on the table. Every power armor model he showed us looked fairly sleeker than regular commercial power armors.
"They're all pretty slim compared to regular ones."
"Because they are made to closely fit the wearer's body. Normal commercial power armors can generally be worn by people with different physiques without much trouble, but that doesn't go for custom-made power armors like the ones we offer. In other words, they are completely tailored to their user alone."
"I see. It looks like you'd find it difficult to equip them if your physique suddenly develops drastically."
The most likely example is when one gets fatter. Well, I don't think I need to worry about that because I regularly exercise. And I'm long past my growth period, so it's not like I'm gonna get any taller.
"The bodies of nobles don't really suffer from such drastic changes, so we do not have to worry about such a thing."
"One of the benefits of enhancement treatments, I suppose......"
"......Hiro-sama, I want to undergo enhancement treatment."
Mimi looked at Elma's slim and sexy waist and muttered enviously. Mimi was constantly putting in a lot of effort when working out. At first, she wasn't strong enough to complete five reps of push-ups, but now she can do twenty easily with plenty to spare. Her overall exercise intensity now should be incomparable to when she just started out. Mimi was very serious about losing weight, but I think she's fine as is. Or rather, I'd like it if she had a bit more flesh in some places...... Ahem. Let's drop the topic of Mimi's body shape for now.
"Since they are used by nobles, they should be tuned for wielding swords, right?"
"Yes. We are constantly applying the latest technologies in order to ensure that the movements of each and every joint will not be impeded and can remain as natural as possible. So you plan on wielding swords as well, I suppose."
"Yeah, that's right. I have a combat-use power armor, but it's not suited for swinging swords around. I need one that allows precision movements."
"Certainly, regular power armors can't allow one to perform sword techniques that require fine control and precise movements. I'm sure you'll be very satisfied with our products then."
The guy was pretty confident. I wonder what I'd do if I spent so much money and still end up with something unusable.
"So, how does the order process go?"
"First, we will decide on general specifications, then we will have to take your measurements and trace your body movements."
"Trace my movements?"
"Yes. We have to trace your combat movements in advance so we can input the motion data to the armor for greater assistance. Doing so will increase the armor's overall efficiency."
"I see."
I kinda get it but don't at the same time. Well, if that will make the armor more useful, then let's do it then. Anyway, we have to decide on the specifications first.