Father-Daughter Crafting Team (3)
There were several workshops in Primordial Village. Among them, the finest dwarf workshop had grown overwhelmingly busy of late.
Even Kim Dwarf, who under ordinary circumstances would have spent at least another decade on menial chores, had been handed a hammer.
"Kim Dwarf! Stick to regular materials — leave the raid materials alone!"
"This is driving me insane. Do you hate me or something? Why are you wrecking the materials like that?! Now we have to start the whole thing over from scratch!"
Originally they had been crafting items from the byproducts of tentacle spiders, but the skill gap was simply too wide. Still, the racial aptitude of the dwarves meant even a greenhorn could manage something on the level of a decent human blacksmith.
"Welcome, Goddess Bwecktulshep. You'd like Deep One Armor forged from tentacle spider carapace, is that right?"
The workshop was so short-staffed that they had hired abandoned minions as receptionists.
We're busy, but the pay is great! Time to rake it in while we can!
The bottom-rung minions, exhausted from scarecrow grinding, threw themselves into the work. Dwarves poured out beads of sweat while the receptionists' lips went dry from dealing with customers nonstop — and it was at that very moment that the Yohan family walked into the workshop. A receptionist darted over to Sophia at once.
"Welcome, Goddess Sophia. Have you come to place a commission?"
"How did you know our goddess's name?"
Yohan was genuinely curious. They hadn't introduced themselves, yet the receptionist had recognized Sophia on sight.
Does she have a scouter stuck to her eyeballs or what?
"Ah — minions employed by the village are granted a temporary skill that lets them distinguish gods from minions."
"Ahh."
So she really did have a scouter installed.
"We're not here for a commission. We're dropping Yohan off."
"Pardon?"
The receptionist looked flustered.
"This… isn't a lost-and-found center…"
"I'll explain. I work here from time to time. They sent a letter saying they were swamped, so I came to help."
"Ah! So you're the Yohan the boss mentioned! I'll go announce you—"
"I already heard everything — just bring him in!"
Yohan's party poured inside in a noisy cluster. The receptionist made no move to stop them. She was too busy with the next customer to waste time squabbling with people who had already been invited.
"Long time no see."
"Human friend! What took you so long!"
"Kim Dwarf sent the letter late."
"Kim Dwarf, you little bastard! Send it faster next time!"
"But… the chief craftsman only told me this morning… How was I supposed to send it any sooner…"
"Tsk tsk tsk."
Yohan clicked his tongue.
"You should've read your superior's mind and sent it ahead of time. Kim Dwarf. That's why you'll never make it."
"Kh…"
"Mad Demon. Do not scold Kim Dwarf so harshly. Is he not still a follower of this lady's faith?"
"Lady Cheonsol…"
"Kim Dwarf. Have you any thought of converting from the Appsol Church to the Sophia Church?"
"Of course I should convert!"
"Kim Dwarf! We're busy!"
"Ah, yes! Sorry, I was just getting chewed out. I'll send the next letter properly!"
Yohan's mood soured.
"Mad Demon is displeased, so address the letter to Mad Demon."
Yohan's mood improved. The chief craftsman, wearing nothing but a sleeveless top that showed off every bulging muscle, bellowed at him.
"Human craftsman friend! We'll let you use the workshop — so help us out a bit!"
"That's why I came. Where do we start?"
"Let's knock out the pre-orders first. Can you make staves?"
"Nope."
"Then you'll learn. That one over there will teach you."
Yohan headed over to the dwarf the chief craftsman had pointed out. Sophia and the rest of the party found their own way to the sofas.
"Everyone looks so busy — this lady shall fetch something to drink."
— Coming into the workshop feels good. The earth energy is strong here.
— Looking at dwarves always puts me in a good mood.
Yohan confirmed that his party was settling in just fine and relaxed. The craftsman carefully shaving wood called out to him.
"Human friend! You know my name, right?"
"You're Maseonwarf, Kim Dwarf's direct senior, correct?"
"That's right! I'll teach you the attributes, so listen up!"
"Hang on a second. Can my daughter sit in too?"
Yohan gestured, and Evni came trotting over with quick little steps. Expectation shone in the tiny elf's eyes.
"That's not the same kid from last time. You've got another daughter?"
"Lan-lan-i's all grown up now. This is my second, Evni. The one on the sofa over there is the youngest, Lulu."
"Well, damn. Impressive."
Maseonwarf was sincerely envious. He was a lifelong bachelor dwarf who had never married despite being well over a hundred years old.
The moment the bachelor dwarf laid eyes on Evni, he nearly choked.
"She's an elf!"
"What? An elf?"
"An elf walked into the workshop?!"
In an instant, every dwarf hard at work snapped their attention over. The chief craftsman's neck veins bulged.
"We're busy — what the hell is this nonsense! Get back to work!"
"But boss, an elf just walked in…"
"She's the human craftsman friend's daughter! She's a half-elf!"
"Half-elves are still elves…"
"Work!"
After thoroughly dressing down the staff, the chief craftsman approached. Evni shrank her shoulders at the sight of the heavily bearded female dwarf.
"Um…"
"Is being an elf a problem?"
Yohan stepped forward to shield his daughter. Evni gazed up at her father's solid back and felt a swell of emotion.
"Dwarves and elves have never gotten along — that's true. It's a racial instinct, so there's not much to be done about…"
The chief craftsman, mid-explanation of why elves were detested, felt something indescribable from Evni. An instinctive aversion was there — and yet she also felt familiar. It wasn't simply because she was the daughter of a craftsman the chief acknowledged.
"Does this one… have good hands?"
"Yes…"
Evni stepped forward to protect her father. Yohan was deeply moved by his timid daughter's bold action.
Evni. You've grown!
"So that's why she felt familiar! Good hands, and the human friend's daughter on top of that — of course she belongs here! Can you make staves?"
"Boss!"
"What? We're ridiculously busy, so we might as well borrow an elf's hands. And she's his daughter, for crying out loud."
Maseonwarf looked at Yohan and nodded in understanding.
"Fair enough. Kid. Want to make staves with your dad?"
"Yes…!"
"Human friend! Is it okay if she works?"
"That'd be perfect. Evni. Looks like we're in luck."
"Mm…!"
Father and daughter sat side by side for the crash course on staff crafting attributes. Watching Maseonwarf's demonstration, they quickly got a feel for it.
One demonstration, then straight into practice. Yohan and Evni carefully carved branches of Yggdrasil wood.
Maseonwarf marveled at the rhythm the father-daughter pair fell into.
Their coordination rivals craftsmen who've been making things together for decades!
The bachelor dwarf found himself daydreaming about getting married, having a kid, and smithing side by side. Suddenly, he really wanted to get married.
"Done! Evni! High five!"
"Hehe…"
Slap.
The father-daughter pair who had finished the staff slapped their hands together. Maseonwarf appraised the staff and nearly jumped out of his seat.
"A rare item right out of the gate?"
"What? Let me see that."
The chief craftsman abandoned whatever she had been working on and came running. The dwarf craftsman working alongside her grumbled under his breath.
"Man. I know this is a speciesist thing to say, but elves really do make the best staves. Spirit power settled into it so naturally. Who was this originally going to?"
"A Lizardman mage."
"Wouldn't this suit that Druid Elf better? With spirit power like this, a druid would lose their mind over it."
"True. The queue order isn't that far apart anyway — I'll call them over. Hey! Kim Dwarf!"
"Yes!"
Kim Dwarf, stuck on odd jobs, sent a completion letter to the customer.
"Human craftsman friend. And half-elf apprentice."
"Half-elf apprentice?"
"She's an elf, but with skill like this, we can make her an honorary apprentice. Once she's grown, I'll call her a full craftsman."
"Waaah…"
"Will you keep making staves for us?"
"Yes…"
Praised and glowing, Evni threw herself into making more staves with pure delight. Yohan could feel the spirit power pouring generously into every touch of her hands.
It's not a skill effect. Her Spiritkin talent must be letting it settle in naturally.
After they finished a few more staves, Kim Dwarf shouted.
"Master Yohan! The customer has arrived!"
"A craftsman greets the customer in person. Go on out. Ah — and take our half-elf apprentice with you."
"Yes…"
Stepping outside, Yohan was startled by the party that had come to collect the staff.
"Lady Dohoyo? Evrande? Evril?"
I never expected to run into Dohoyo's party here. Judging by their wide, round eyes, they hadn't expected us either.
Evrande with her eyes that big was genuinely beautiful. Evril was still adorable as ever. The male elf giving Evril a piggyback ride, though — I did not like him one bit.
"The Druid Elf ranked number one in the raid rankings?"
"…"
A handsome elf, as elves tended to be, looked down at me. Evril, perched on his shoulders, stretched both arms out toward me, desperate to be held.
"…So you're that mad human."
"Yeah. I'm Evrande's fiancé and Evril's dad. I'd appreciate it if you put my daughter down."
I hadn't liked this male elf since I first saw him on video. No man on earth would be happy about some freeloader living with his woman and his daughter.
"I refuse."
Even the way he talked rubbed me the wrong way. We were locked in a fierce staring contest when Ebria started thumping the male elf in the side.
"Oh, come on, big brother! Your brother-in-law is asking for his daughter — why are you saying no?! Evril wants to go to Daddy too! If you don't hand her over, Evril's gonna pout!"
"What? Really? Evril! Does Uncle suck?"
"Hmph!"
"Uwaaah…"
The male elf descended into flustered chaos. What the hell was this performance?
"Uncle! I want to go to Daddy!"
"Uh, uh. Right. Of course you do. Mad human…"
"Big Brother. It's not 'mad human' — it's Mad Demon."
"My apologies. You there, Mad Demon…"
"We're about to be family — what's with the cold 'Mad Demon'?! Call him brother-in-law!"
"…Brother-in-law. Please, just take Evril…"
"Uh, sure."
I took Evril from the male elf, who was practically begging with a miserable face. My hostility vanished without a trace.
This elf was Evrande and Ebria's older brother? Watching him get scolded by his little sisters, I felt a strange, inexplicable sense of kinship take root.