The One Who Rose and the One Who Descended
The market master of Baldrek gestured outward, and his ever-proper secretary brought forth a large shield, placing it upon the table.
Elbridge examined every inch of the shield.
The shape of the arm strap on the inside, the simple patterns on the outside. It was unmistakably the shield of the former High Paladin, Leonhardt.
Elbridge asked in a slightly stiff voice.
"Market Master Baldrek. Why is Sir Leonhardt's shield here?"
The Red Mountains had been closed off even in the distant past, rarely accepting outsiders.
What possible reason could there be for the shield of Leonhardt, who had been the High Paladin of the Rusty Shield Order, to be stored in this place?
Yet Market Master Baldrek's answer was rather mundane.
"Sir Leonhardt came all the way to the front of the Red Mountains and requested repairs from the previous market master. The human blacksmiths had given up on repairing it, apparently. Well, it only makes sense. How could human blacksmiths possibly repair a shield made by a dwarf using alloys from the Red Mountains?"
Elbridge felt a little embarrassed.
So this had been made by a dwarf.
"Ah, I see."
But Market Master Baldrek's story did not end there.
"We repaired it diligently and waited to charge the fee, but several years passed without Sir Leonhardt ever returning. In the end, the previous market master made inquiries about his whereabouts and only then learned that Sir Leonhardt had ascended to godhood."
"···."
Leonhardt had been a bachelor who never married.
When a client like that ascends, how exactly should the transaction be concluded?
"With no other choice, we contacted the Rusty Shield Order. They replied that they would come to retrieve the shield as soon as the payment was prepared. Not long after that, I assumed the position of market master. While organizing the items in the first-grade vault, I discovered this shield."
Elbridge could guess the rest of the story without hearing it.
"We tried contacting the Rusty Shield Order again, but the order had collapsed···. No. It wasn't easy to reach them. And so this shield has remained stored in the mountain city of Varkuntol until now."
A debtor with no family had vanished, and the order he belonged to had gone bankrupt.
If the debtor had simply died, they could have sold the shield to recover the repair costs. But since the debtor had become a god, disposing of the shield felt awkward.
That was the two-hundred-year history of this problematic inventory.
Elbridge spoke in a slightly smaller voice.
"Even now, the order's financial situation is not comfortable. However, our influence is recovering rapidly, so if you could give us a little more time···."
"I didn't bring this up to demand repayment of the debt."
"Pardon? Then why did you mention it?"
"···Why? You asked why the shield was here, Sir Elbridge."
"Ah, yes. I did."
Market Master Baldrek tapped the shield lightly and laughed.
"In any case, Sir Elbridge, you may take this shield along with the reward for the request. We will not charge for the repairs."
Elbridge's eyes sparkled.
Leonhardt's shield was an item that many had coveted even in the past.
Some desired it because it had belonged to Leonhardt, considered one of the greatest paladins of his time. But far more people wanted it for practical reasons.
"Are you truly certain this is acceptable?"
"Like the other dwarves, I dislike being in anyone's debt. A single item from the vault cannot fully cover the value of this request, so I am simply adding the shield to balance the scales."
Rombel, who had been listening, nodded, as did the market master's secretary.
However, Marcus showed a slightly different reaction.
"Market Master. By any chance, could I receive one more item as well? I fought alongside Sir Elbridge, after all."
The market master's expression immediately turned businesslike.
"If we are being coldly objective, your contributions did not quite reach that level, Mister Marcus."
"···I was only asking just in case."
Elbridge smiled faintly, then slipped his left arm into the shield's arm strap.
The balance was excellent, and the weight felt just right.
"Excuse me for a moment."
Elbridge struck the wall with the shield.
Even though it was not a shield enchanted by a mage, its shock absorption was astonishingly effective.
But the true value of this shield lay elsewhere. It had never been pierced. Not even once.
Of course, that did not mean the shield perfectly protected its user.
When it received excessively powerful impacts, Leonhardt's left arm or left shoulder had broken several times, and the shield itself had been dented on more than one occasion.
Yet as far as Elbridge knew, this shield had never been penetrated. Not a single time.
"I will put it to good use."
"Now that the item has returned to its rightful owner, my heart can finally be at ease. If you ever need repairs, please come back to the mountain city. And—"
Market Master Baldrek looked around at Elbridge's party and said.
"Everyone, follow me. We are going to the first-grade vault."
The first-grade vault contained a wide variety of items: weapons, armor, crafts, precious metals, and even raw mineral ores.
However, the absolute number of items was not large.
After all, only about one item worthy of being added to the first-grade vault was produced every few years.
After careful deliberation, each of the three chose one item.
The things here cannot be obtained outside the mountain city. It is right to choose what I need most.
Elbridge selected a Fauld and Tasset to protect his thighs.
Because they were not particularly eye-catching pieces of equipment, many people overlooked their importance.
Yet in Elbridge's experience, far more paladins died from damage to the femoral artery in their thighs than from having their hearts pierced. In terms of practicality, these pieces might even surpass a cuirass.
And there was one decisive reason why Elbridge had chosen the fauld and tasset.
"Those are masterpieces by Varnok, the craftsman who created Sir Leonhardt's shield."
It was Market Master Baldrek's explanation that the same artisan who had made Leonhardt's shield had also created these pieces.
The moment he heard that, a collecting impulse Elbridge had never felt before quietly raised its head in his chest.
Rombel gave a simple assessment of Elbridge's choice.
"A practical selection. As expected, your eye is excellent."
Next, Rombel chose a chainmail to wear beneath a cuirass and evaluated his own pick.
"Decent chainmail is common enough, but you won't find one with this level of perfection anywhere else. Every single ring was crafted with utmost care. And this weight···. It's as light as an ordinary leather armor. I don't even recognize the material. A truly remarkable piece."
Finally, Marcus chose a flashy sword. The patterns engraved on the blade and hilt were so intricate that they were difficult to make out even when squinting.
Rombel, however, harshly criticized Marcus's choice.
"···Marcus. That is the lowest-grade item in this entire vault. Wouldn't you like to choose something else while you still can?"
Of course, since it was stored in the first-grade vault, the sword Marcus had chosen was undoubtedly an excellent famous blade.
But Rombel's assessment was that its creator had prioritized aesthetics over practicality.
Marcus answered confidently.
"You two can't even brag about your items anywhere, can you?"
"···Brag?"
"Obviously you should pick the coolest and most brag-worthy thing."
"Marcus. Do you wear armor just to show it off and choose swords for the same reason?"
"Not entirely, but it's still important. Knights and paladins might not understand, but among mercenaries, we subtly judge each other's rank by looking at their equipment. Besides, when I sell it later, this sword will fetch the highest price."
Since ancient times, swords had symbolized lofty authority and tradition. There was hardly a renowned family that did not pass down at least one famous blade as a family heirloom. Naturally, its trading value was bound to be the highest.
A sword this ornate would be worth even more.
"How envious will those who have ignored me until now become when they see this sword?"
"Have you never heard the stories of people who obtained something beyond their station and ended up swept up in disaster?"
Marcus gave a sly grin.
"Anyway, I plan to stick close to Sir Elbridge for the time being. Who could possibly harm me while I'm by his side?"
"You're planning to follow Elbridge for the rest of your life?"
"When I retire, I'll sell this sword and buy myself a grand mansion. It may not be the best item in the vault, but it is definitely the one that will make my life the happiest."
Since it was simply a difference in criteria rather than an incorrect statement, neither Rombel nor Elbridge could argue against Marcus's choice.
The three decided to leave the dwarven city without lingering.
The funerals for the dwarves who had died in the recent battle were still underway, yet a great number of dwarves followed to see Elbridge's party off.
The path leading out of the mountain city through the valley.
Market Master Baldrek walked at the front of Elbridge's party, while a great crowd of dwarves followed behind them.
This was both to bid them farewell and a consideration meant to ease any anxiety Elbridge's group might feel.
Fortunately, the valley of the Red Mountains remained completely still.
At last, the three and the dwarves emerged from the valley.
Elbridge looked back at the dwarves who had come to see them off.
···.
Had this incident never occurred, more than half of them would never have taken a single step outside the Red Mountains.
But now the dwarves had stepped, if only a few paces, beyond the mountain city and the Red Mountains themselves.
They say well begun is half done.
From now on, the dwarves would advance into the world, one step at a time.
Conversely, it was possible that non-dwarven races might enter the mountain city and settle there.
When that era arrived, what kind of lives would the dwarves lead?
It was impossible to know at present.
However, Elbridge hoped that a second God of the Steel Anvil would not be born.
While they had stayed in the mountain city of Varkuntol, every trace of the remaining summer had vanished, giving way to full autumn.
The wildflowers that had bloomed in full during summer now swayed in the autumn wind with slightly faded colors, and the moist earth characteristic of summer had shed its moisture and grown softer.
Along with spring, it was the most pleasant time for walking.
Since the entire party had gained significant rewards in the Red Mountains, the three walked leisurely, as if they were on a picnic.
As Elbridge walked, he whispered to his goddess.
"Goddess. There is something I wish to ask."
Ask me anything, Elbridge. Your goddess is prepared to answer whatever you wish, for the sake of the most splendid paladin in the world···.
For the past few days, the Goddess of the Rusty Shield had been in an exceptionally good mood, practically floating on air.
Until the beginning of this year she had been a pitiful deity with not a single believer, yet now, not even a full year later, she stood on the verge of entering the assembly.
There was only one thing the Goddess of the Rusty Shield cared about at the moment.
Would she receive one seat, or two?
Compared to not long ago, it was an incredibly happy dilemma.
Elbridge asked.
"How is Sir Leonhardt faring these days? Is he by your side, Goddess? Or is he serving you?"
The Goddess of the Rusty Shield hesitated for a moment.
Elbridge. Your goddess wishes with all her heart to tell her one and only paladin everything. However, not all matters of the heavens can be revealed upon the earth. This is a decision made by the august Lord God himself···.
People on the ground often prided themselves on knowing everything that happened in the heavens. The names of countless gods, the matters decided in the Heavenly Assembly, the distribution of seats, and even the rumors about the personalities of the gods that spread in secret.
In reality, however, not much information about the heavens was known. To be precise, only a few pieces of information were reliably known, while the rest should be considered strictly confidential.
"Could you at least tell me Sir Leonhardt's divine name?"
I cannot tell you that.
The goddess hesitated for a moment before adding one more thing.
However, Elbridge. His circumstances may be a little different from what you imagine. For now, I will leave it at that.
Elbridge did not press further. The Goddess of the Rusty Shield had likely done her best to give him as much information as she could.
Elbridge fiddled with the shield's grip as he asked.
"Could you tell me how ascension is accomplished? Or what kind of person is able to ascend?"
This was a question about the former High Paladin Leonhardt, and it was also a question for Rombel.
The most important thing is to achieve a feat great enough to reach the heavens. But a feat is not everything.
"Then what else is required?"
First, the consent of the gods is necessary. To rise newly to the heavens, one must obtain the agreement of more than half the seats. And gaining that consent is becoming increasingly difficult.
"Why is that?"
It is because of territorialism. Just like the humans on the ground, the older gods often say things like, 'When I was on the ground, something like that was nothing special.' There are also many gods who do not look favorably upon earthly beings ascending to the heavens. After all, a new god is a potential rival···.
"···."
There are many other requirements as well. But such things cannot be disclosed upon the earth, so if the time ever comes for you, Elbridge, you will naturally come to know them.
"Understood, Goddess."
Elbridge had many things he wanted to know about the former High Paladin Leonhardt.
Although they were not related by blood, Elbridge had regarded Leonhardt as a father.
It was not simply a matter of personal affection.
In Elbridge's opinion, Leonhardt had fundamentally been a different kind of person.
As if he belonged to neither the heavens nor the earth.
Rombel asked Elbridge.
"Elbridge. Why do you look so serious?"
"I was wondering if there might be some way to obtain information about Sir Leonhardt."
"How about praying to the Goddess of the Rusty Shield for an oracle? You are a paladin, but you are also an archbishop now, so your prayers should reach the heavens."
When Elbridge shook his head, Rombel shrugged.
"Well, information about the heavens is difficult to obtain even through oracles. But it's not as if there are no methods at all."
"There is a method?"
"If the gods of the heavens cannot tell you information about the heavens, then shouldn't you simply obtain information about the heavens from someone on the ground?"
How many people could access news of the heavens more easily than Elbridge?
When Elbridge stared at Rombel, the dwarf lowered his voice and said.
"I told you, didn't I? I am going to meet the master of the Central Magic Tower to find a way to ascend."