Everyone hates me in this new world and they will pay for it

"Sigh…" the girl huffed. "Fine, fine, I'll take care of him," she said, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms. She made no attempt to hide that she hated the idea.

Nyra broke into a warm smile.

"Thank you, Shapira. You were my last hope," she said, holding her sister's hand.

"Just go back to your post, Nyra. You draw too much attention here," Shapira said, nodding her head toward the stares coming from all directions.

Nyra turned slowly, observing all the glances, and realized she was the center of attention. She took a deep breath and said:

"Alright, I'm leaving. But first, Arthur," she said, taking a few steps in his direction.

Nyra slyly handed him a pouch full of coins and smiled.

"This should be enough for you to survive for a while. The rest is up to you, hero. We will meet again, I'm sure of it. For now, so long, kid."

Arthur's feelings were a mixture of gratitude and affection. As sad as he was, he still had faith in some people in this world. And he hadn't forgotten his goal: to get stronger.

"Thank you, Nyra. I'll never be able to repay such kindness. And yes, we will meet again, and I hope it's as allies," he replied, opening his arms, waiting for Nyra.

Without a second thought, Nyra hugged the hero, looking him in the eyes and exclaiming:

"We definitely will. Goodbye, Arthur," she replied, turning her back and heading on her way through the alleys of the slum.

Arthur watched the girl disappear and turned to speak with Shapira.

"Well, you're Shapira, right? I'm Arthur. Thank you for taking me in," he said with a gentle voice.

"Let's go inside, kid. We need to talk about your stay," she replied in a dry tone.

Arthur nodded and entered the dwelling.

The house was a bit larger than the boy had expected. The floor, made of wooden planks, creaked as he walked. The furniture, made of wood and rusted steel, was worn by time and humidity. There were old, simple dishes, and rugs that had lost their color over time. Mold spotted several walls. However, it was far from uninhabitable. It was certainly much more pleasant and welcoming than the rest of the slum. Shapira gave him a brief tour of the residence, leading the boy through the main rooms and finishing by showing him his bedroom. Inside, there was a single bed with an old mattress and a headboard made of old wood, as well as a window without glass, covered by a floral sheet.

"This is your room, kid. And I'm telling you right now, nothing here is free. Get used to it," she said, lightly knocking on the door. "Two gold coins for the stay, and two more silver per meal. It's a fair price."

Arthur nodded, a bit awkwardly, and replied.

"That's fine, thank you. I don't want to be a burden… I'll find a way to get the money. I promise."

"I need your help. Is the economy in this world based on coins? Could you explain it to me?" Arthur asked, smiling, still confused by the new world.

"You really were just summoned, weren't you? Alright, let's start from the beginning," she replied.

Shapira leaned against the wall and began to explain the basics of this world's economy.

There were three types of coins: bronze, silver, and gold. One gold coin was worth 100 bronze and 10 silver. Common foods were bought with bronze coins, while rare spices cost silver.

Items were even more expensive, depending on their rarity. She mentioned there were five categories: Common, Rare, Epic, Legendary, and Sacred.

Arthur, listening intently, immediately remembered the equipment Sireon had mentioned earlier.

'I bet those are worth a fortune…' he thought.

He felt a bit down realizing he hadn't received anything. Perhaps if he had something, he could sell it and live comfortably for a while.

But he shook his head and sighed. "Now's not the time to think about that…"

Shapira continued, explaining that simple jobs like collecting scrap, helping at the market, or working in the fields usually paid around 10 silver coins a day. It wasn't much, but it was a start.

Arthur seemed to understand his current situation a little better. His sorrows still gnawed at him, but there was no time to lose. After all, time was now money.

"I understand a little better now… well, I guess I'll go look for a temporary job," the boy exclaimed, trying to sound cheerful.

"I don't think you'll get any job right now, kid. Your name is on everyone's lips. They all know you're a hero with no magic who tried to assassinate another hero. I doubt they'd accept you for any position," Shapira replied thoughtfully.

Arthur felt hopeless about what to do now. His torments grew, but he knew he needed money and to level up.

"I know!" Shapira exclaimed, her tone confident and smiling. "You can hunt monsters and sell them. After all, you are a hero, aren't you?"

This was the best news Arthur could have received. The boy could kill two birds with one stone. He could level up by defeating enemies and still earn some money from their hides and dropped items.

"That's perfect, Shapira! Great idea," Arthur said, excited. "But right now, I don't have a sword."

"Alright, my sister gave you some money, right?" Shapira asked.

Arthur remembered and immediately took out the pouch he was given. Inside were 10 silver coins, 2 gold coins, and a few bronze ones.

"That definitely won't be enough. Let's go to Plan B then. Follow me," she said, walking towards the back of the house.

The boy wasted no time and followed her outside.

Arriving in the backyard, the scene was one of what appeared to be total disorder. There was a pile of vertical lockers scattered about, each with several padlocks, along with a heap of metal scrap. A table was covered with a dirty tarp. Shapira removed the tarp, revealing a makeshift crafting bench, with tools and metal parts spread across it. She took a key and opened one of the vertical lockers, displaying an old uchigatana—a long, curved sword. It was an antique, but valuable. It probably just needed some repairs to be ready for use.

"Is that an uchigatana? It's beautiful," Arthur asked. His eyes shone, marveling at the find.

"Well, looks like someone here likes swords. Yes, it is. It belonged to my late grandfather," she replied, stroking the sword.

"I like them a lot. I'd say I'm passionate about them. Your grandfather had a truly fine uchigatana."

Shapira smiled and nodded.

"He was passionate about this sword. A shame that… Never mind. Let's take care of it," she said, looking for the whetstone and oil.

Arthur sensed there was more to this story, but he decided not to ask. It seemed to be a sensitive topic for the girl, and she showed no desire to talk about it.

Shapira placed the sword on the table, along with a pot full of oil and a whetstone.

Arthur watched, realizing that sword care was similar to in his world. The boy was thrilled. Besides being passionate about swords, he had always wanted to use a Japanese blade, and he always preferred longer swords.

With a tired sigh, she took the old uchigatana. She slowly began to clean the blade with a dry cloth, removing the dust and grime accumulated over time.

As the layer of dirt disappeared, the true beauty of the sword was revealed. Various Japanese designs engraved on the blade emerged, like dragons and ancient etchings, making it unique and very beautiful. Its black-colored base also began to show its color, displaying a metallic symbol, likely a family crest.

Arthur watched, hypnotized. This wasn't just a weapon; it was a work of art. Something very beautiful and unique. He could feel the years of intense training from its former owner, as well as his expressed care for the weapon. Nyra's grandfather certainly had great affection for it.

But something intrigued Arthur.

Why was such a valuable piece left in a forgotten locker? Why hadn't the sisters kept it in a more dignified and appropriate place?

Arthur pushed the thought aside. After all, it wasn't his business.