A New Family Member
On our way to Ariel Square by carriage.
Doloris's definition of "it won't take long"...
...was absurdly optimized for this fantasy world.
I had braced myself for about an hour, but instead, I spent three and a half hours suffering from severe motion sickness.
I felt like I was going to die. This was brutal.
"Hey, are you okay?"
"No."
Ruby asked, seeing my pale face.
"Hehe, so you can't handle carriages."
She grinned, showing her small, sharp teeth as if she had just discovered my fatal weakness.
This little brat... But since it really was my weakness, I had nothing to say.
I never wanted to ride a carriage again.
Should I build some kind of vehicle?
I was lost in thought, wondering if the manual of the Fire Descendant contained blueprints for a car, when—
Knock, knock.
Someone tapped on the carriage window.
We had arrived at the city entrance before I knew it. Through the glass, I saw a soldier clad in armor.
His armor bore the emblem of a golden lion. It looked like a checkpoint.
A classic fantasy world scene.
Seeing it in person made my heart flutter a bit.
"Identification, plea—"
The soldier cut himself off.
He must have locked eyes with Doloris inside.
"Your Grace."
"Hello."
Doloris offered a gentle smile.
The soldier quickly straightened his posture and gave a respectful salute.
"Confirmed. You may pass."
Placing his fist over his chest, the soldier saluted.
"Glory to the Empire."
Doloris gave a slight nod in return.
"Glory."
That was incredibly fast.
The salute was perfectly sharp. Doloris was definitely a big deal.
Then again, it would be stranger if people didn't recognize a High Ranker who ruled the 5th Floor.
Once again, it hit me just how massive it was that Doloris had taken me in.
Though it also meant I was just that valuable to her.
The carriage rolled on for a bit longer before stopping at the entrance of a vast square.
"Let's get off here."
Doloris stepped out first.
Ruby followed, and I was the last to step down.
"..."
What was this?
The ground beneath my feet was stone—paving slabs.
A neat, alternating pattern of white and gray tiles. Having stood on unpaved dirt roads just three and a half hours ago, the contrast was stark.
And when I looked up...
"Wow."
There were people everywhere.
Soldiers in armor, mages draped in robes.
Merchants' carts piled high with goods, shouting street vendors, the aroma of roasting meat.
Everything flooded my eyes and nose all at once.
"Ariel Square. Permanent population of 200,000, and up to 300,000 including visitors?"
"Oppa, close your mouth. You look like a total country bumpkin."
Ah, right.
This is practically on par with Shibuya.
Ruby seemed unfazed, calmly walking while holding onto the hem of Doloris's skirt.
She must come here often.
But I was genuinely amazed.
Places like this were rare even in my old world. Actually, they didn't exist at all.
If there are 300,000 people... this place must be massive.
Doloris turned back to look at me as she walked.
"We're heading to the weapon district. Follow me."
I nodded and followed behind them.
Just then.
"Ruby."
Doloris stopped and looked down at Ruby with a smile.
"Shall we hold hands?"
Ruby's eyes widened.
"...Okay."
Her small hand reached up and grasped Doloris's.
As soon as she held it, Ruby's eyes grew even wider.
"It's warm..."
"Yes, it is, isn't it?"
Doloris gently wrapped her hand around Ruby's.
Then she looked back at me.
"I couldn't hold her hand before."
"..."
"My hands were so cold that it would startle her."
The Nine Yin Severing Meridians.
Doloris's hands used to be cold enough to form frost.
Even with gloves on, the freezing cold would have seeped through.
"But now, it's fine."
No wonder I had never seen Ruby hold Doloris's hand when they walked.
She had always clung to her skirt instead.
Doloris slightly raised her gloved hand.
"Thanks to you."
"...It was nothing."
Ruby squeezed Doloris's hand tightly with both of hers, as if afraid to let go.
Then.
Sway.
Doloris's other hand gestured toward me.
"..."
Sway.
Once more.
"...Me?"
"You might get lost in this crowd."
"..."
"Hand."
Resistance was futile. Especially in front of Doloris.
I carefully took her hand.
It was a small hand, but because mine was even smaller, it felt quite large.
And it was warm.
Even though she was wearing gloves and I couldn't feel her bare skin, it was definitely warm.
I feel pretty proud of myself, honestly.
I briefly felt the urge to squeeze it playfully, but I held back.
Ruby on her left, me on her right.
The three of us walked through the crowd.
"..."
I started to feel eyes on us.
At first, I thought I was imagining things. With so many people around, eye contact was bound to happen.
But no. They were definitely staring at us.
More specifically, at Doloris.
A passing merchant turned his head, and two men standing in front of a street stall whispered to each other.
A woman in a robe recognized Doloris and nudged her companion's elbow.
"...Isn't that the Duchess?"
"Huh? You're right."
Indeed, it probably wasn't common for a noble, let alone a Duchess, to stroll through the streets like this.
At least, according to my shallow web novel knowledge.
Nobles either never stepped out of their carriages or traveled with a massive entourage of guards.
Yet she was walking around without a single guard...
Ah, wait. She doesn't need guards.
I didn't know exactly how strong she was, but she was a High Ranker.
"Ruby, want to try that?"
"Yes."
The person in question didn't seem to care at all.
About any of it.
Doloris bought chicken skewers for Ruby and me.
Red sauce got smudged around Ruby's mouth.
And when we turned a corner into a certain alleyway...
Clang. Clang. Clang.
The rhythmic sound of metal being struck echoed.
Coming from various directions, each with its own distinct tempo.
"The weapon district."
Doloris said in a low voice.
This place seemed to be the street of blacksmiths.
But one thing struck me as odd.
Aren't blacksmiths mostly extinct?
"Humans are different."
"They've always been around. It's just... after the Tower appeared, the gap became too wide, and they were left behind."
"Many humans still do it for a living, but the quality you can expect is only around the level of standard military gear."
So that's all it is.
The sound of the hammers was actually quite pleasant. Am I cut out to be a blacksmith?
Realizing this was what I'd be doing from now on, a chuckle escaped my lips.
Yeah, a man's got to use his body. Who needs a white-collar job?
I'll be soaking in hot lava while you guys...
As I stood there dazed for a moment...
Doloris smiled warmly and stroked my hair.
"I should have brought you here sooner."
"...Pardon?"
"Your expression has noticeably brightened."
Haha.
No way.
She must have mistaken my dumbfounded chuckle for a happy smile.
We walked deeper into the weapon district.
Among the shops lining both sides, one stood out in particular.
A building with a glowing sign. It was quite large.
And I don't mean that metaphorically; it was literally glowing.
Blue lights wrapped around the gold-trimmed letters.
It looked to be about four stories tall.
Aegir.
Surprisingly.
I could read the letters on the sign, but I didn't know what they meant.
"It means 'Noble Flame.'"
"Apparently, it's an ancient language."
It does look pretty cool.
I didn't know double-paned glass existed in medieval times, but looking through the large glass window...
...every single piece of equipment on display was sparkling.
There were quite a few customers inside as well.
I figured we would naturally go there. It suited Doloris.
But she walked right past it without even a glance.
"...?"
Passing Aegir, we turned down another alley to the opposite side.
Right where the street narrowed and the glowing signs vanished.
Doloris stopped in front of a shop.
"We're here."
It was shabby.
The sign was nothing more than letters carved into a wooden plank.
Through the window, I could see worn-out gear. Comparing it to the shop we just passed would be an insult to the latter.
Whoa, actually, this is more my style.
You know how it goes. Finding a hidden masterpiece in a run-down place.
I loved that kind of trope.
*Could Doloris have planned this? As expected of her keen senses...*
"Lionel?"
"Yes?"
"Not that one."
"...Huh?"
Doloris tilted her head slightly and pointed across the street.
"Over there."
Across the street stood a relatively decent-looking shop.
Its sign was properly hung, the sound of hammering echoed from within, and it was of a moderate size.
It looked completely ordinary.
"..."
There was no hidden masterpiece trope here.
We walked right inside.
*Chime.*
The bell on the door rang.
"Welcome..."
The man raising his head from behind the counter cut himself off.
He was a middle-aged man with a very impressive mustache. His apron was stained with soot.
"...Duchess!"
"It's been a while, Henrik."
Doloris greeted him naturally.
The man named Henrik hesitated for a moment before bowing respectfully.
"There are so many other places, yet you always..."
"I find it comfortable here."
Meanwhile, a woman emerged from the back.
She was a middle-aged woman around Henrik's age, holding something wrapped in cloth.
"Duchess..."
She bowed as well.
"Oh, Lady Ruby is here too?"
Her face lit up the moment she saw Ruby.
When the little girl gave a polite nod, the woman pulled a piece of candy from under the counter and slipped it into Ruby's hand.
"Thank you..."
"Oh, don't mention it."
They really did come here often.
I could tell by how naturally Ruby accepted the candy.
Then, the woman's gaze shifted to me.
"Oh, and who is this little gentleman?"
"A new family member. He'll be staying with us from now on."
Doloris replied calmly, but...
A new family member.
The phrasing sounded so nice that I felt a warm swell of emotion.
"I'm Lionel."
The woman scanned me from head to toe, her eyes widening.
"My goodness, what a handsome boy."
Another piece of candy appeared from beneath the counter.
"I'm fine, thank you."
I had to manage my blood sugar early, after all.
In the end, the rejected candy was sucked straight into Ruby's pocket.
"Has everything been alright?"
"Always... thanks to you supplying us with such great goods..."
Supply.
It seemed Doloris was pulling some strings in their supply chain.
Was she sourcing equipment from the Tower? Like from the 5th Floor or something.
I wasn't entirely sure.
Doloris chuckled softly and patted both my head and Ruby's.
"The hammer I bought last time. I need something better than that. Do you have one?"
Henrik's eyes widened slightly.
So she really did buy it here.
No wonder. It was strange for a shop of this size to carry such a monstrous hammer, but it made sense if she was involved in their supply.
"Something better than that?"
"Yes."
Doloris pointed at me.
"This child will be using it."
"Ah, so that's why you wanted the weight reduction magic..."
The man named Henrik placed a hand on his chin, seemingly lost in thought.
I figured it was best to speak up now.
To clarify that it wasn't for combat, but for forging.
"I need a forging hammer."
"Ah, right. For forging."
Doloris stroked my hair.
"Ah... so it was for forging."
Henrik let out a hollow chuckle.
I could understand why he laughed.
"Yes, we have various forging hammers. However..."
Henrik suddenly walked around the counter and headed toward the back.
He threw open an iron door that had caught my eye earlier.
A small cloud of dust kicked up.
Inside, a vast array of hammers hung on the walls.
The walls were covered with them, all of different sizes and shapes.
"Since almost no one looks for forging hammers these days, we have plenty of stock, as you can see..."
Henrik scratched his head.
"But they're not very organized. It'll take some time to sort through them and check their condition."
Then, he looked down at me for a moment and added:
"And if I may offer a brief piece of advice..."
"Go ahead."
"It's best to hold a forging hammer yourself to see how it feels."
Hearing this, Doloris smiled softly.
"Could you give me some time?"
With eyes shining brightly, Henrik...
...looked at me.