Chapter 255: What the Dwarf Sees
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 255: What the Dwarf Sees
"So, what's your business?"
The dwarf ignored the barbarian. Rem, surprisingly, didn't fly into a rage, letting the slight slide without a second thought. Though the dwarf’s words sounded harsh, there was no real malice behind them.
Encrid chimed in at the right moment.
"If you have a good sword already made, I'd like to buy it."
Encrid didn't beat around the bush. Frankly, he was starting to find her quite amusing.
Does she know how to fight? Probably not.
That was his assessment after observing her posture, hand movements, positioning, and behavior.
"Is that so?"
The dwarf wasn't difficult. She simply scanned Encrid from head to toe. It was a well-known fact that dwarves—or rather, her kind—did not care for human appearance. Yet, her gaze lingered on Encrid's face, refusing to budge.
Watching from behind, Krais thought, No way. Her too? Don't tell me she's fallen for the Boss.
A faint sense of unease crept over him. As everyone knew, dwarves did not judge humans by their looks, whether beautiful or ugly. Instead, they were said to look at one's refined inner self. They judged a person's character by observing their eyes, attitude, and habits. Because of this, they had few outward preconceptions and even fewer prejudices.
Having wandered the continent for a long time, the dwarf knew how to discern a person's disposition just by looking at how they opened their eyes and spoke. Though it wasn't a spell, a combination of her innate dwarven abilities and experience allowed her to see a glimpse of Encrid's inner self.
And it was truly vast, whole, and beautiful.
Metallurgy refers to the extraction and refining of ore. Blacksmithing is the craft of heating and hammering metal to forge tools. Her eyes were forged from long years of shaping and refining stone, iron, and all kinds of materials.
In her eyes, Encrid was a stone. But he was no ordinary stone. Absolutely not.
What is this?
It was a stone that, despite being chipped and worn down repeatedly, never shattered, never decayed, and never grew old. He was incomprehensible—a human, an ore, unlike any she had ever encountered.
Naturally, she was fascinated. At the same time, it stirred something within her. Mystery, rarity, and novelty were always bound to pique a dwarf's curiosity.
"Hey, I won't kill you, so fix up my axe."
The insolent barbarian spoke up from the side. He swaggered forward, abruptly thrusting out an axe that seemed to harbor a strange power.
Didn't this bastard just say he was going to kill me a moment ago?
She judged that he wasn't serious. A dwarf's unique insight could easily tell whether words held truth. Still, she thought he was a strange fellow. He didn't mean it, yet she could sense that he would swing that axe the moment things went sideways.
The dwarf's eyes scanned him as well.
And what is this one?
He looked like a self-combusting stone. A dawn that burned everything around it. To avoid being consumed by his side, one had to be just as solid, or someone had to block and endure those flames.
And who was blocking it? Needless to say.
It was the stone that neither burned nor decayed. The stone with black hair and blue eyes.
The dwarf's gaze swept over the rest of them. Every single human standing beside him was bizarre in their own right.
One human looked like Truesilver infused with divinity, hammered and refined for tens of thousands of hours. Another was Dark Iron, honed and sharpened into a single lethal blade. And then there was Ash Gold, a metal so rare it would barely show itself even after burning tens of thousands of stones.
Ash Gold—a precious metal she herself had only caught a glimpse of once in her life. No, Truesilver, Dark Iron, and Ash Gold were all exceptionally rare metals.
To think of such things the moment I lay eyes on them... Who on earth are these guys?
A dwarf's eyes do not waver. Their resolve is firm and unyielding, so they are never easily shaken. They even possessed an immunity that protected them from most mind-altering magic.
The dwarf looked at each of their faces. The most peculiar among them was the plain stone. A stone that chipped but never decayed, grew old but never shattered. That stone blocked the flames, enveloped the Truesilver, pushed back the darkness of the Dark Iron, and embraced even the Ash Gold.
She took in the sight of these individuals, each standing tall with their own distinct nature. It was incredibly fascinating. Driven by curiosity, the dwarf asked, "What is your name?"
Encrid figured her age was far greater than she looked. There was a certain weight in her tone.
"Encrid."
"Right. Let me see your hand."
When Encrid obediently offered his hand, the dwarf meticulously examined his calluses and knuckles.
"A real mixed bag."
She's not wrong, Encrid thought.
The skills he had mastered were exactly like that. He had crammed every single technique he could learn into his body. Sensory Technique, Beast's Heart, Heart of Monstrous Strength, Isolation Technique, and even the swordsmanship derived from Jeong-Jung-Hwan-Kwae-Yu.
Come to think of it, he had tasted a bit of every style. Lately, he had been engrossed in the Soft Sword and obsessed with physical conditioning. Even putting aside his mastery of Will, the sheer number of techniques he had drilled into his body was immense.
"Mhm, good. I happen to have a decent sword on hand, so I'll touch it up and give it to you. And you? I think I just need to adjust your axe's handle and balance. And why are you carrying that around? The iron is good; I'll melt it down and remake it for you. Uh, well, you probably don't need anything... and out of the rest, ah, yes, you. Gray one, what do you need?"
Are dwarves naturally this talkative?
Yet, within that torrent of words, her unique dwarven insight shone through. If Frok read talent, the dwarf possessed incredible insight. She recognized what the party needed at a single glance. Her nickname for Ragna was odd, but she was a dwarf; everyone let it slide.
"A sword that is long, thick, and well-balanced," Ragna replied. He only said what he needed to say. Since his purpose was clear, he didn't care about anything else.
It had been the same when the Black Sword Bandits guy showed up. He had ignored him because it didn't matter. Instead, Sachsen had moved. Rem was his usual self. Audin merely offered a gentle smile.
The dwarf nodded. "Got it."
Thus, she agreed to touch up Encrid's sword and the fire axe, and even melt down the halberd used by the Centaur Leader to remake it. On top of that, she would personally prepare a sword for Ragna.
Encrid had heard that dwarves were difficult artisans, but seeing how she was anything but, he realized rumors were not to be trusted.
"Hey, you said even a single dagger would be wasted on me?" Krais spoke up from behind.
"Well, you're just too far below standard. It feels like a waste to give you something I made. Just grab any random thing made by humans over there and wear it."
"Wow, talk about discrimination," Krais muttered. He looked genuinely hurt. He was a guy who had never shown any attachment to weapons, so why was he suddenly looking for a dagger?
"Should I buy you one?" Encrid asked.
"No, it's fine."
"Then why are you so hung up on it?"
"It's just been a very long time since I was rejected."
"Rejected?"
"I'll tell you later."
As Krais spoke, the dwarf let out a smirk. Cute kid, her expression seemed to say.
"But to do all of this, you'll have to wait about a week. Maybe sooner," the dwarf said.
Encrid looked around the smithy. Everyone who had been hammering iron had stopped, warily watching them. There were two artisans, metalware lined up along one wall, and a forge whose blazing fire pushed back the cold. Though they hadn't been inside long, the sweltering heat made him feel like he was about to sweat.
"Give them a few silver coins. We should pay for using their smithy."
At the dwarf's repeated instruction, Krais handed over a few silver coins. Watching this, Encrid added a few more. Since they were asking for a favor, there was no such thing as a set price. Encrid never spared silver coins when it came to things like this. Krais didn't think much of it either. With the Krona the Boss had earned during this excursion, they wouldn't be short on funds for a while.
The man who appeared to be the owner of the smithy read the room and nodded. "Please, use it as much as you like."
"And for my fee... you, Big-Eyes. Give me that pouch of gems in your breast pocket."
The dwarf once again demonstrated her insight by casually guessing Krais's nickname.
"You want this?" Krais had been carrying a few precious gems in his pocket, unable to leave them behind.
"Yeah. Hey, I'm giving you a discount here."
The dwarf spoke in a casual, cheap tone. Her manner of speech bounced all over the place, which also seemed to hint at her true age.
"Give it to her," Encrid said.
Krais made a crying face but nodded. As he handed over the gem pouch, he paused and asked, "But how did you know I had this?"
"What do you take a dwarf's sense of smell for? You reek of expensive stones."
Can dwarves really smell things like that?
It didn't matter. Encrid let it slide. In any case, they would have to stay here for about a week.
They returned to the market. The heat from the smithy had warmed them up, keeping the cold at bay for a moment. Soon after, the chilly air seeped back into their bodies, but Rem still wore a grin.
"I've decided to fall in love with this stone."
It was thanks to the heating stone in his pocket. He was, after all, a guy who absolutely detested the cold. Ragna walked in silence, not even glancing at his surroundings.
"Do you need a decent sword? All of a sudden?" Encrid asked, curious.
"Yes, I do."
Encrid wondered why, but he didn't press further. Of course, it was because of Encrid. What had that night of stimulation left them with? Motivation and the desire for growth. Though they hadn't achieved it yet, knowing they could brought a rush of ecstasy. Ragna enjoyed that as well. It was an emotion and an experience he had never felt before. What used to be boring because he already knew he could achieve it had now become the exact opposite.
Thus, he needed a good sword. One that fit his hand and body perfectly. He figured a dwarf's craftsmanship would deliver just that.
They continued to look around the market. Though smaller than Border Guard, this place was quite bustling. It was developing into a trading territory connecting to the East. Krais chatted with a few merchants along the way. Some of them spoke to him comfortably, as if they had already become acquainted.
Among those walking around, some recognized Encrid and offered a military salute. They were soldiers who had witnessed him swing his sword and pursue the Centaur Leader. There were quite a few patrolling soldiers focusing on internal security, patrolling in groups of three or four.
They bought and ate some white bread, as well as some bread studded with raisins. It was while they were wandering the market like this that a young-faced woman blocked their path.
"They said I... I just had to deliver a message. Just a message."
Her hands trembled violently from sheer nervousness.
"What message?" Krais asked gently, trying to ease her tension.
"That the Black Sword won't let this slide."
Her anxious gaze swept over them. As she finished speaking, her legs shook. It was painfully obvious how terrified she was.
"It's alright. It's okay."
Krais comforted her and asked a few questions. She explained that someone had approached her, tossed her two silver coins, and told her to run this errand. Her younger sibling was sick, so she desperately needed those coins. Krais even asked for her name before handing her three more silver coins. While one should save Krona when possible, it must be spent when the situation calls for it.
"If anything happens around here in the future, I'd appreciate it if you let me know."
He reassured her with his signature smile and sent her on her way. Krais let out a long sigh, glanced down the alleyway where the woman had disappeared, and said, "It doesn't look like they have any intention of giving up. Shouldn't we do something about this?"
Encrid replied without missing a beat. "Think about it."
"...Pardon?"
"I don't know, so you think about it."
Encrid spoke as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. In some ways, Krais felt that the Boss had definitely changed. Did he always delegate work this well? I'm pretty sure he used to phrase it more like a request.
His attitude had shifted. But as the leader responsible for the unit, this was the correct approach.
"If they attack, we just split all their heads open."
"They'll probably just send some trivial assassins."
"I ask the God of War, may I send these insidious souls to your side?"
"I am Teresa the Wanderer. I'll cut down any bandit."
Rem, Sachsen, Audin, and Teresa spoke in turn. Encrid's gaze turned to Dunchabel.
"What's this debt about?"
"At the end, I borrowed and spent about fifteen gold coins."
"Why?" Krais asked.
"To have fun."
Spending fifteen gold coins just to have fun? Did she buy a male prostitute in the capital? Or did she chug a ton of expensive alcohol?
"All of it?"
"Ah, I spent about two coins and gave the rest away."
"To whom?" Krais's tone grew blunt at her reckless spending, but Dunchabel didn't care. To a beastman, manners simply meant not stealing another's meat.
"To passing kids, or monasteries raising children."
She had truly spent the borrowed gold coins on a whim. Dunchabel had simply done as she pleased since she was going to die anyway. Of course, seeing the abandoned children had reminded her of her own plight, evoking a sense of empathy, but she didn't bother explaining all that.
Krais was utterly dumbfounded. "You borrowed gold coins from bandits and thought they'd just let it go?"
"Well, uh, I guess so."
This woman isn't normal either.
Afterward, Encrid's party continued through the market. This place had a subtly different atmosphere compared to Border Guard. Both the goods on sale and the people were different. Some of the gazes in the crowd locked onto Encrid. They were a group with appearances and traits that stood out wherever they went. It would have been stranger if they didn't draw attention.
Yet, no one in Encrid's party cared about the stares from the merchants, patrolling soldiers, peddlers, or the thugs who looked similar to the guy they had beaten up earlier.
"Is that fur?"
They were all individuals who only cared about whatever caught their own eyes. Rem's gaze lingered on the fur. Encrid's gaze settled on the leather pants a peddler had laid out on the ground. Audin bought a small wooden doll from a young sculptor that looked like a carved rabbit.
As they were browsing, three thugs approached them.
Are they going to pull the same stunt as that idiot from earlier?
Krais's eyes gleamed with amusement. He was curious to see what these fearless idiots would do. But things did not go as he expected.
They threw themselves flat!
The thugs prostrated themselves on the street right in front of Encrid, showing complete disregard for the filth getting on their clothes.
"That guy wasn't one of ours! He was some drifter who's been sponging off the territory for about six months. His name was Bento!"
When Encrid looked at them with a questioning gaze, the thug quickly explained. He was referring to the guy who had attacked them at the tavern earlier.
"Hans didn't know anything, so, uh, if you could forgive us... yes, yes. I'll punish him on your behalf, Sir Knight."
His words were disorganized, but he seemed to have some sense of loyalty. Encrid nodded. It seemed the man who had attacked him while drugged and hypnotized was Hans.
"Do whatever you want. And I'm not one yet."
"...Eh?"
Encrid said as he brushed past them. He headed straight toward the leather pants he had taken a liking to. Rem also grabbed the fur.
"Big-Eyes, give me a few gold coins here!"
"Don't just buy it without haggling!" Krais shouted as he ran over.
Watching them blankly, Audin spoke to the leader of the thugs. "He means he hasn't become a knight yet, brother thug."
As he spoke, his bear-like hand patted the thug's right shoulder. Teresa patted the other shoulder and said, "If you pull any tricks, you'll die."
It was a brief warning, but delivered by Teresa, it sounded like an absolute promise of death.
While Krais bargained and the others bought what they wanted, Ragna said he would head back first, but Encrid told him to stay put because he didn't want to bother looking for him again. Seeing this, Rem chimed in, leading to a brief commotion between him and Ragna.
Dunchabel demanded something similar to the pants Encrid bought, but since the merchant said there were no identical ones, she bought the closest match. Naturally, Krais stepped in to haggle and paid a reasonable price for everything.
After tearing through the market like that, they returned to find a balding man standing in front of their lodging.