Zarra remained outside inspecting swords. Now that I think about it, hers was kind of old and dull.
I opened the door, which hit a small bell. The ring summoned a sound from deep behind the counter curtains.
“Just a moment,” a rough voice said.
Smoker’s voice.
Well, most weaponsellers I know (from stories) are also blacksmiths, so he’d be working with fire mist all the time, which explained it.
I waited patiently, hands behind my back, wondering if the armor shop had the same bell. I deliberately avoided eye contact with the surrounding swords — the mountain of notifications from the Weaponry tab would get super annoying otherwise.
“One more second,” the voice added.
“I don’t think I’m in a hurry,” I replied. “Take your time.”
A laugh came from behind the curtain.
“Hahaha! How come you don’t know whether you’re in a hurry?”
From behind the curtains he appeared — a tall man with dark skin. He was… around 191 cm, to be precise.
…
His hair was, as you’d expect from a weapons clerk, nonexistent. However, what caught my eye was his outfit: a sleeveless top and a man-skirt that reached below his knees, both made from the same dark leather material. Out of curiosity I used Appraisal and noticed the items were made out of fire lizard skin.
Fire resistance.
Yeah… I think I met a blacksmith. No pun intended.
Appraisal also revealed he was Level 53.
Well, now I’m developing a complex, and it’s not the height anymore.
We locked eyes — my bright crimson against his dark blue.
…Is this man a hikikomori? Why is everything so dark around here?
“Welcome to the Golden Dwarf’s Weapon Store, little lady,” he said. “What brings you here?”
Little?
Excuse me?
Can he read minds? Is he attacking my vertical disability on purpose? Hey pal, I used to be taller than you!
“Ah—right,” I said, regaining focus. “A friend recommended I show you my short blades. She said you might be interested in… analyzing them. Professionally.”
“I see,” he nodded. “Let me have a look then. Name’s Durand. Dwarf master of this shop.”
“Ah, my name is Diana — wait... YOU'RE A DWARF!?”
He burst into laughter.
“Hahaha! I get that reaction from every new customer!”
“Aren’t dwarves supposed to be… you know… short?”
“Didn’t you know? There’s a saying; ‘the exception that proves the rule.’”
The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
Seriously, can he really read my mind?
Alright, whatevs.
I took the items from my pockets and handed them for inspection. Sadly, stone tools won’t get me much — even I know that — but hopefully he’d have some ideas.
“Never seen this stuff before. They’re weapons, right?”
“Yes. I could demonstrate their use, but I’d need a target if you could provide one.”
The man pointed at a piece of armor, inviting me to use the shuriken against it, so I did. I took my stance, right hand behind my back, and threw the shuriken.
It pierced the armor — probably because it was old — but still impressive.
Durand's eyebrows lifted. “Interesting,” he muttered. “A mid-range throwing weapon. Like a short knife... harder to predict and to protect against."
He picked up the kunai next, inspecting the rope loop.
"And this one seems to be an actual short knife, but rounded at the end, with a rope attached... retractable?”
With the same stance I used earlier, I demonstrated the kunai, throwing it and pulling it back smoothly.
“With chains, this thing could be seriously dangerous. Hmm.”
He hummed thoughtfully.
Silence followed as he considered something more serious.
“Does anyone else in the city know about these weapons?”
“Only Lady Knight Zarra.”
“Oh! Zarra sent you? That’s rare. She doesn’t take apprentices, from what I know.”
…And that’s where the wife title turns into apprentice.
Sigh.
One step at a time...
“Yes,” I said flatly. “So… what happens now?”
“Simple. You give me those six tools, and I offer you ten gold. That's half of the value for now — I need to confirm whether changing the material makes them as dangerous as their design suggests. All you have to do is return later and pick up the rest. You do know the way back here, right?”
“Yessir!”
I turned to leave after the successful exchange, feeling excited with actual money in my pocket. Before I reached the door, Durand stepped out from behind the counter.
A heavy hand settled gently on my shoulder. In his other hand, he held a large folded piece of white cloth.
“Hm?”
“Do me a favor and use this,” he said, his tone unusually serious.
“What’s it for?”
“It’s a weapon cloth.” His gaze shifted past me, toward the scythe resting across my back. “That thing you’re carrying—”
“Not for sale,” I interrupted immediately.
“Yeah, I figured as much.”
His expression softened into something closer to concern than business.
“But don’t walk around town showing that blade to everyone. Keep its shape between you and me, alright?”
Ah, so that was it.
He wanted to be the only one who knew of its design, and to ensure that he produced a single gold coin from his pocket and held it out.
“Consider it payment for the favor.”
"Fair."
I unfolded the cloth and carefully wrapped the scythe, hiding its silhouette beneath its bright fabric. The weapon’s intimidating curve disappeared instantly, leaving only the outline of an ordinary bundled tool.
Durand nodded, visibly satisfied.
“Good,” he said. “You’ll save us both trouble that way.”
And, judging by his tone, possibly save others trouble too.
“Perfect! Pleasure doing business, young lady!”
?(ˊ?ˋ*)? ?
Outside the shop, I immediately met Zarra’s gaze. She stood near one of the display racks, studying a weapon with surprising focus.
A Bastard Blade!?
That caught me off guard.
A Savage-class weapon in the hands of a prestigious knight?
At first glance it resembled an ordinary sword — familiar length, balanced proportions, a standard grip. But its true purpose was entirely different. The blade curved like a scythe, its thick outer spine built for bone-breaking slams. Yet as the metal drew inward, it gradually thinned until the edge became impossibly sharp.
Not elegant.
Not knightly.
Efficient.
Violent.
And ten thousand percent entertaining! I’d love to see her fight with that abomination!
However, my priorities stood elsewhere.
I cleared my throat proudly.
“Well,” I announced, “I got the money.”
Zarra turned toward me, her expression softening slightly.
“Good. Then we may proceed to my—”
“Nonono.”
I raised a finger dramatically.
“We are going to a café.”
She blinked.
“…What?”
“My treat,” I declared. “Where I come from, this is called a salary-day celebration.”
“But we do not—”
“Don’t care!”
Before she could finish, I grabbed her wrist and started pulling her down the street toward that croissant shop from earlier.
For a brief second she resisted, — then allowed herself to be dragged along, armor clinking softly with each step.
════════════════
? STATUS WINDOW ?
════════════════
Name: Zephyr Diana Von Gaahr
Race: H?um??aN?
Sex: Female
Age: 17
════════════════
Level: 5
XP: 7 / 16
════════════════
System Points: 18 ??
Dice: 0 ??
Currency: 0B; 0S; 11G; 0P ?
════════════════
