◆ Royal Capital of Kashiram – Weapon Shop – Black Gold Blade ◆
The shopkeeper, rubbing his hands together and bowing repeatedly, made it clear that being the son of the president was a tremendous asset for the Matere Trading Company. Formas, feeling a sense of superiority, acted quite haughty, casually spinning a gun on his thumb even inside the store.
“Are you selling well? If your sales aren’t increasing or if you’re running a deficit… you understand, right?”
“Yes! Absolutely! As you can see, it’s quite popular!”
“Hmm… Oh? That customer over there just left without buying anything?”
“Yikes! P-Please wait!”
As Formas exaggeratedly pointed out the hasty customer leaving, the shopkeeper nearly stumbled while chasing after him. The adventurer, whose shoulder was grabbed by the shopkeeper, turned around with a look of genuine annoyance.
“What is it?”
“Um, that halberd over there is highly recommended!”
“Well, I just stopped by out of curiosity…”
“Don’t say that! I can offer you a great deal…”
“Hold on a second, old man. Hey, buddy.”
When Formas interrupted, the adventurer’s expression twisted further in suspicion. It was likely that he was leaving because Formas had shown up.
“That spear has a chipped blade, you know?”
“…What?”
“Look at the tip. If even a small part of a spear is chipped, its lifespan diminishes rapidly. It may not be obvious at first glance, but it affects the balance of the entire weapon. Haven’t you ever felt a chill while fighting monsters recently?”
“Now that you mention it…”
“That’s the cause. The percentage of adventurers who continue using a broken weapon without realizing it and end up dead is around 40%. That’s why capable ones frequently replace their weapons or buy something of good quality all at once. I remember struggling to become A-Rank myself…”
“That card… Are you A-Rank?! This suddenly seems credible!”
“I’m not kidding. You should replace it immediately, for your own safety.”
“Got it! I’ll take your advice!”
Kurinka and Hans stood there, mouths agape. I probably looked the same way. This was what it meant to be at a loss for words. Not only was that adventurer caught up in the weapon discussion, but so was the girl adventurer, making it all the more outrageous.
What surprised me the most was that Formas had used his Adventurer Card at a time like this. Could it be that he became A-Rank just for this? How ridiculous; this felt like cheating.
“That’s a complete scam… Lua-chan, you can’t fall for something like that.”
“But if you didn’t know, you might believe it…”
“While it’s true that using a nearly broken weapon can be life-threatening, saying that his weapon is one of those is nonsense. He probably hasn’t had it for long. Sure, anyone could feel a chill while fighting monsters. Stirring up anxiety to boost sales… He’s certainly well-educated in that regard.”
Hans let out a laugh, having moved past anger and into disbelief. In the background, Formas was already charming the girl adventurer. As much as I wanted to enjoy the moment, we had business with him. No, not with him, but…
“Hey, Formas!”
“Whoa!”
I shouted right into his ear from behind, and only then did he finally notice us. His flustered reaction was a stark contrast to the cool demeanor he had just been putting on in front of the girls.
“W-Who was that…? And Roel, you’re here too? You’ve really grown bold to yell at me like that, huh?”
“I should correct you, it’s Kurinka,” I thought, but there was no need to inform him. Kurinka, who had previously suffered at Formas’s hands, now regarded him with a cold gaze. It was the same look she had given me when I made that stew the other day. How could a single comment hurt me so deeply?
“Formas, do you know her?”
“Uh, yeah… kinda…”
“Yelling at someone from such a close distance is quite rude, you know. By the way, Formas, why don’t you check this girl’s weapon too?”
“Yeah, yeah! I’m curious about how terrible it is!”
What is this flow? The girls and other adventurers had already sided with Formas. In the past, I would have felt sad enough to cry, but now I had Kurinka. Even if the whole world turned against me, as long as I had her, I’d be fine. I could handle anything.
“Here you go.”
“Huh? Why do I have to… What is this?”
“W-What is it?”
Formas’s incredulous voice and Hans’s strained tone made it clear who understood Disballade better. Yet Hans stubbornly refused to show any further interest in my weapon, desperately crossing his arms in restraint.
“Ugh… What an ugly weapon. I don’t know which amateur forged this, but it’s terrible. There are always those blacksmiths who try to be clever with incomprehensible designs, sacrificing practicality for aesthetics. They probably think they’re creating art. You should never rely on blacksmiths like that.”
“Wow… that’s awful. I think I’ll steer clear of blacksmiths…”
I could tell what Hans’s expression was like without even looking. Perhaps Kurinka’s earlier comment had struck a chord; his mouth was now a tight line, red as a boiled octopus.
I was furious at Formas, and at the people around us. They believed such nonsense without even trying to verify it themselves. It was the same with Disballade; it was all a bunch of lies. Believing one lie led to another, creating a web of deceit. This entire weapon shop, no, the Matere Trading Company itself was just like that.
I hadn’t even had a weapon forged by Hans yet, nor had I seen one, but at least I understood that his passion for crafting weapons was extraordinary. If he could create something good, I would wholeheartedly support him. But how could I shatter this space built on lies?
As Kurinka said, Hans’s strength wasn’t meant for violence. But he wasn’t using it. The key was Tatarka; if she returned, Hans would surely find motivation.
“Kurinka, about Formas…”
“Ah, wait a moment. This way, this way…”
Just as I was about to speak, Kurinka covered my mouth and pulled me further away from Hans. Given the situation, I might have been about to say something insensitive again.
“If your father found out you were with someone like him, it would be a disaster. Especially Hans; he might go crazy and bring a weapon from the workshop to kill him. So I’ll subtly ask about it.”
Right, Kurinka was definitely onto something. I thought it might be a bit too much, but it was better not to ask at all. Glancing at Hans, who was watching us curiously as we whispered, I reconsidered my thoughts.
“Formas, is it just the two of you today?”
“Huh? What’s it to you?”
“Well, just wondering. During the A-Rank Promotion Exam, there were three of us.”
“Alright, everyone! How about we go out for drinks on me today? I’ll treat you all and listen to your stories!”
“Really? Awesome!”
No way, I was ignored and they were getting excited on their own. This isn’t awesome at all. I shouldn’t think like that. I shouldn’t, but the feeling of being out of place was frustrating.
Almost all the adventurers in the shop were captivated by Formas, and whatever we said here would make us the villains.
“Shopkeeper, this is how you sell things.”
“Y-Yes… I’ll take that into consideration!”
No one noticed Formas whispering to the shopkeeper, who hadn’t stopped bowing since Formas arrived.
In a fit of anger, I grabbed Formas’s shoulder, and he clicked his tongue in annoyance before grabbing my earlobe hard.
“I don’t know what your deal is, but you must have business with that guy, right? If that’s the case, head over to the Matere Trading Company’s Kashiram Factory. I got bored and tossed him there since he hasn’t been listening lately. Well, even if you go, you’ll probably just get turned away at the gate. See ya, you little lesbian brat.”
Formas’s spiteful whisper clung to the back of my mind like a stubborn shadow. I wanted nothing more than to kick him hard as he walked away, having captured the hearts of so many Adventurers. Bored, tossed aside. If I was this angry, I couldn’t even imagine what my father, Hans, would think if he heard it. Thankfully, it seemed like only we could hear it.
The reason Formas spoke so quietly was that he didn’t want those people to overhear. He didn’t want to ruin the image he had carefully crafted. That was all there was to it.
“Tch, they’re all a bunch of worthless scum.”
“Hans, please wait!”
“What? I’m not selling any weapons.”
“Just let me say one thing. I don’t think running away will solve anything, Hans. If you truly love being a blacksmith and have a passion for weapons, you can’t let people like that defeat you. You need to fight back! As long as you keep making great things, you’ll definitely win. So…”
“Shut up!”
“We’ll definitely bring someone that you’ll like, Hans! So promise me you’ll fight when we do!”
Hans paused for a moment, but then he kicked the door of the Weapon Shop and stormed out. The shopkeeper behind us let out a short, triumphant laugh.
Kurinka was right; if he was frustrated, he should fight. Hans was acting childish. Throwing a tantrum wouldn’t solve anything, yet he stubbornly refused to move forward. At this point, I had no choice but to bring Tatarka back, no matter what.
“Kurinka, let’s go get Tatarka. Formas said he was at the factory, right?”
“Yeah… and the way he said ‘tossed’ bothers me…”
“Ah, the factory, huh? Poor thing… Kukukuku…”
My anger exploded at the shopkeeper’s laughter. I grabbed him by the collar and slammed him against the wall, causing him to scream. He wasn’t Hans, but really, everyone was the same.
“W-What are you doing, you rude girl! Hey!”
“…Hey, old man, do you have a problem?”
A large man who had taken Combo appeared, snapping his fingers in intimidation. I was starting to regain my composure, but I wondered if Kurinka would stop me. She looked anxious, watching me closely, but it seemed she had no intention of intervening. So I could do as I pleased.
The way he called me “girl” was already infuriating. Sure, I might look like a child to someone so big, but still.
“Hey, where’s the factory?”
“Y-You little… let go of my hand… Gaaahhh!”
“You’re too loud, so shut up. Now, where’s the factory?”
“N-No, please!”
I grabbed the fist of the large man who had clutched my shoulder and twisted it. He let out a scream as he fell to the floor, rolling in agony. I thought I might have gone too far, but I couldn’t stop.
“Um, Lua-chan, maybe it’s time to calm down…”
“Where’s the factory?”
“I-It’s in the western Bunawool Mountains… there should be a sign along the mountain path… P-Please help me…”
“Ugh… my arm… it hurts… uaaahhh…”
The shopkeeper was crying while the large man writhed on the floor, both of them in a state of utter despair. I had definitely gone too far; at this rate, I could end up with a bounty on my head. I felt bad for Hans, who had held back, and this was ruining everything. Kurinka urged me to leave while these people were too frightened and flustered to react.
Of course, it goes without saying that I got scolded like never before afterward. In fact, I almost cried.