BULG BULG!
KWANG!
“Grrr…!”
The dwarf, Brondin, slammed his mug down with such force that the table nearly shattered.
Beer splashed into the air from the remnants in his mug.
The refreshing taste of a cold beer after a hard day’s work was beyond words.
Especially for him, who had been sweating profusely in a hot place, a cool beer felt no different from a precious elixir.
Although he had never actually tasted an elixir.
With a sigh, he brushed off the beer foam stuck in his beard, letting go of the burdens of his hard daily life.
Finally, Brondin lifted his mug and chugged down the remaining beer in one go.
“Phew, can’t hold it in anymore…!”
Still unsatisfied, he pulled out a bottle of beer from his treasured magical fridge, which is Treasure No. 3, and only then did he let out a contented sigh.
For the record, Treasure No. 1 is the furnace, and Treasure No. 2 is the hammer.
“This is how alcohol should be. What’s with all these fruity flavors and grassy bits mixed in…?”
Eh, tsk tsk.
Brondin clicked his tongue, thinking he just couldn’t understand those fancy-loving folks.
SQUEAK!
“Oh, Master! You’re here! Thanks for your hard work!”
As he was cursing the elves just like any other day, someone entered the workshop, opening the door.
A young man, his sweaty torso exposed, greeted Brondin cheerfully, calling him “Master.”
Unlike Brondin’s short stature, the youth’s arms and legs were long and lanky.
“Master, please! I only taught you a bit because I didn’t like how you handled that hammer!”
Even saying that, Brondin didn’t show any sign that he minded.
“Hahaha! That’s right! I shouldn’t call myself your disciple with such mediocre skills!”
“Hmph. You at least know that. Still, you’re pretty tough for a human, so if you keep it up, you might be able to keep up with a dwarf.”
His words were blunt but filled with a subtle warmth.
Dwarves were not particularly keen on taking other races as apprentices.
It’s only their special sturdy muscles and resilient skin that allow them to endure the heat and hardship of the forge for long, something other races simply couldn’t manage.
Humans were a bit better off, but still.
The young man, laughing heartily at Brondin, set down a box he had tucked under his arm.
“By the way, Master, what’s this?”
“Hmm? Didn’t I mention it last time?”
“I don’t remember.”
“It’s the Dragon Orb.”
Brondin carefully opened the lid of the box.
His usual rough demeanor gave way to a cautious touch.
Inside the box lay a golden gem.
Brondin and the young man marveled simultaneously at the golden glow seeping through the fine cloth.
“Whoa…!”
“The Dragon Orb…!”
Brondin reached out to touch the Dragon Orb with trembling hands but quickly withdrew them, fearing it might shatter.
He looked down at it with awe-filled eyes.
“I never thought I’d see the day I’d hold this…”
“Is it your first time, Master?”
“Pfft! Do you think something like this can just be obtained on a whim?”
Brondin shouted.
The Dragon Orb.
It was the name of an extremely rare gem found near dragon lairs.
It doesn’t break easily under normal impacts and had been exposed to dragon mana for decades—if not centuries—resulting in immense mana sensitivity and absorption.
Moreover, each orb has another unique trait!
Depending on which dragon influenced it, the colors vary.
An orb found near a red dragon’s lair is red; one found near a blue dragon’s lair would be blue… and so on.
Thus, it was clear that the golden Dragon Orb they were staring at had been influenced by a Gold Dragon.
Its qualities satisfied the aesthetic senses of those who beheld it.
Countless people desired a Dragon Orb.
The supply simply could not keep up with the demand.
Since these orbs are found near dragon lairs, that means one would have to venture into the dragon’s territory.
There’s no way a dragon would welcome someone stepping into its territory—so entering a dragon’s domain is practically a suicide mission.
Even if one somehow succeeded in stepping foot into the territory, there was no guarantee they would find a Dragon Orb.
So, the lack of supply made prices skyrocket absurdly.
“I didn’t have the money to buy one, and even if I did, with my old skills, I knew I would only ruin the orb. So I gave up.”
He particularly regretted missing a red Dragon Orb.
It was of superb quality, causing every dwarf with an artisan spirit to yearn for it.
Brondin recalled the vivid red hue, licking his lips, when he suddenly narrowed his eyes.
“But…you seem a bit familiar?”
Gulp.
“H-Hahaha! That’s impossible!”
At Brondin’s remark, the young man flinched.
“I-I couldn’t believe the ‘Dragon Orb’ was right in front of me, that’s all.”
“Hmm… Fair enough.”
Brondin nodded at the young man’s words.
The young man sighed inwardly, but Brondin’s gaze had already shifted back to the orb, missing the action entirely.
“By the way, Master, what do you plan to make with it?”
“Well… I’m not sure.”
“Huh? You didn’t buy it because you had some plans?”
“No…”
Brondin fiddled with his bushy beard.
“I thought I might not get another chance for years, so I bought it. But now I’m broke for a while.”
In other words, it was an impulse buy.
Though he wouldn’t regret it since it was a dream gem for an artisan, he would still need to tighten his belt for some time.
He closed the box lid again.
“You, go to the mountain tomorrow.”
“Huh? The mountain?”
“Yeah. Bring me some tools.”
It’s impossible to process a Dragon Orb with ordinary tools.
Even if he had no immediate plans, it would be wise to prepare ahead of time to work on it eventually.
The young man made a face at the sudden mountain trip that was now set in stone.
However, the Master’s words were absolute.
“…Understood.”
Thus, he could only reluctantly accept the Master’s orders while grimacing.
*
In the city at the foothills where the Great Mountain Range genuinely begins.
Baltora.
We arrived there.
“Whoa…”
Da-eun let out a low gasp as she entered through the walls, which showed signs of both intricacy and sturdiness.
“Dwarves everywhere you look. Oh? Humans?”
She tilted her head in confusion.
“Isn’t this a city for dwarves?”
“Yeah, Baltora.”
“Then why are there so many humans? Sure, there are more dwarves, but still…”
“Is it a problem if humans are here?”
“You know that’s not what I meant!”
Da-eun barely managed to avoid becoming a race-discrimination suspect.
“Baltora is a city of dwarves, but it isn’t their homeland. Their true homeland is the Great Mountain Range over there.”
Baltora was built solely for trade, so it wouldn’t be strange to have other races around.
Well, except for elves, who are generally on bad terms with dwarves.
Dwarves are excellent craftsmen.
Even with the same sword, if it has the prefix ‘made by a dwarf,’ the price can soar by two or three times, so their skills are recognized by all races.
Even the elves who are often at odds with them acknowledge the quality of items made by dwarves.
From tiny accessories to weapons and armor, even buildings, dwarves have a natural talent for crafting.
However, they did have a flaw.
“The dwarves can’t use magic very well.”
So while they can create sturdy items and buildings, they can’t inscribe them with magical runes.
If they had been able to wield magic, there might not be a trace of the elf race left in this Ardina Continent since the First Racial War.
The only exception is earth attribute magic, but even then, it would be hard to call it an extraordinary skill.
Could they create magical tools?
The answer is naturally no.
Creating magical tools requires both craftsmanship and exceptional magical skills.
Having understood this, Da-eun clapped her hands.
“Aha! The dwarves create the molds to hold the magic, and then the humans imbue them with magic!”
“Correct.”
That’s why there are quite a few humans residing in Baltora.
There are also those here to buy useful goods and others for trade.
“Kana knows a lot… You must have studied hard! How impressive!”
“Uh, not exactly.”
“Huh?”
I hadn’t studied at all or even sought to know these things.
All this information came from Garid’s stories.
‘Kana, what do you say we take a trip together once Grasis settles down?’
‘A trip?’
‘That’s right! We’ll travel all over the continent. Visit the Holy Kingdom, the Great Forest of Nadilon, and even Baltora… By that time, we might be able to go to the Empire’s capital too! Doesn’t it sound exciting?’
‘… Do we have to? I prefer staying home more.’
‘… If you’re excited, at least change your expression while saying it.’
…something like that.
Even though he droned on about things I didn’t want to know, I ended up accumulating quite a bit of knowledge.
Especially because Garid had actually visited Baltora himself, giving me a more vivid account.
Anyway, I needed to find a decent item now…
Heat radiated from the elongated buildings.
I felt the heat warming my face as I looked around.
Naturally, I had no idea where any craftsmen were, so I had no choice but to check each one.
There was one craftsman I wanted to find, but I didn’t know his name or what he looked like, so I gave up early.
“Excuse me, can I act separately for a moment?”
“That’s not a problem, but… what’s going on?”
“Since we’ve come all this way, I’d like to visit the temple to see if there are any rooms for us to stay. I’ll be at the temple, so take your time with your business.”
“Whoa… Is it too much trouble for us to stay at the temple again?”
“Hehe, no way. They’d actually appreciate it!”
Selin said she would go ahead and disappeared.
After hearing her intentions through Da-eun, I calmly nodded.
There’s no reason to stop her from waiting at the temple if she’s not planning to cause any trouble.
“Shall we take a look around first?”
“What do you mean ‘look around’?”
I grabbed Da-eun, who was lighting up with interest.
“We need to work.”
“W-Work? What work?”
“Finding a skilled craftsman.”
I then dragged her along toward the nearest forge.
“NOOOOOO!”
Ignoring Da-eun’s elongated scream.
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