Reality is cruel.
There are some things that can’t be opposed no matter how strong your will is.
That is what those men who were mercilessly beaten by someone with overwhelming power experienced.
"You don't have to mind it. You guys are just normal. The thing is, I'm just too strong."
Seran said that to the fallen men while clapping his hands, even though it may be the truth, it didn't comfort them at all.
And the boy who was saved stood there blankly. He muttered something, while his expression was saying that he didn't understand what just happened.
"Strong…."
Though it was simple, it was a word that accurately described Seran.
The boy wasn't even able to see Seran move; he only understood that Seran beat up those men in an instant.
"Even though he didn't look that strong….."
"I can hear you y'know and you, you tried to escape when there was an opening, didn't you."
Seran looked at the boy with a lazy expression. It seemed like he was planning to escape if Seran seemed to lose.
"Eh, well, um that's……. Thank you very much for saving me!"
Ha ha ha, he bowed his head while giving out a fake laugh. It seems like he has a pretty good personality.
"My name is Gou. I am a magic engineer."
"Magic engineer? Wasn't that a job that is specialized in making magic tools?"
Seran remembered, while tilting his head.
Normally magic tools can only be created by those who are magicians or higher, however, there are those that specialize in them and have a high skill level, are called magic engineers.
They make magic tools with great precision. In the present, among the few jobs that can make magic weapons, magic engineers together with the support of a major power are even able to revive the ancient magic weapons of the Zars Empire’s era.
"That's a job where you need to have a talent in ancient magic and blacksmithing skills comparably to veteran blacksmith right?"
"Yes, fortunately I have talent in magic, my father is also a blacksmith, so I have been helping him since I was young."
Gou says a little braggingly.
Actually being a magic engineer at this age isn't something to just brag about, it's at the level where he can be called a genius.
"Hmmm…. and, who are these guys? Why did they attack you?"
Seran looks at the surrounding men who have fallen down.
“Um well…… actually these people are so-called debt collectors……”
Gou said it embarrassedly while lowering his head.
“Debt colectors?”
In other words, he borrowed money from these guys, but it seems a little strange that the seemingly twelve year old boy Gou has a debt.
“I see, so it’s something like your parents have been drinking and gambling and such, and ended up with a large amount of debt. Thus you, their child is….”
What a pitiful guy, he’s struggling because of his parents (is what Seran is thinking) Seran looks at him with some sympathy in his eyes.
“No, I borrowed it myself so it’s my debt.”
“…. The- Then it’s something like you needed money for your sick parent’s medicine so you had no other choice, or something?”
“That is also wrong…… the boss of these people thought that I would be able to revive some magic weapons, so he made an investment. However, it was harder than I thought, so I told them it would take another ten years before it’s done. When I said that, they got mad……”
Then I was running around trying to gain some time, but they found me, Gou said.
“I see, I understand that you have a rotten personality that doesn’t fit your face.”
Well it seems like he doesn’t have any complicated circumstances, it was totally his own fault.
It was a bad idea to get involved or so Seran began to regret it, but it might’ve been a little too late for that.
“Tehe.”
Gou stuck out his tongue and lightly hit his own head.
Though it may have been a little cute, it only made Seran angrier.
“Well, there are more than enough people that fail at these kinda’ things, these guys’ boss should have learnt his lesson….. I’ll leave this all aside, so I won’t think about it about it. Well then, let’s bring you back to your home. I just have to go and greet your sister.
A ship that has set sail should at least go to its destination, by Seran.
“Umm….. My sister has been married in another town so.”
“I already thought it was something like that! God damn it!”
Seran’s angry yell resounded throughout the area.
“Wait, why didn’t you say that from the start!”
“Well you didn’t ask…. and you absolutely wouldn’t have saved me if I did…..”
“Of course I wouldn’t! As if I would save a guy for the fun of it!”
“Sorry….. But umm, shouting in such a loud voice is…”
Though this is an unpopular alley way, as expected, if they make any more of a fuss it would be bad.
“Ah damn it!”
‘I’m not doin any more of this shit’, while thinking just that, Seran began to walk off, but Gou said: “Ah, please wait~” and went after him.
“Well then, I have somewhere I need to be so.”
At the same time, at the Embassy. “Everyone please enjoy yourselves here”, Miranda said to Kail and the others before leaving.
“Are you going somewhere?”
“Yes, it’s something that has to do with the next city chief we just talked about. I know someone that is a good candidate, so I am going to tell him about this.
“Hmm, what kind of a person?”
Kail nonchalantely asked.
“A skilled person even among those of the blacksmith guild, he is probably the number one blacksmith of Karan. He is stubborn and easily misunderstood, but he is someone that is good at caring for others, so he is respected by many. However, he is a person that doesn’t talk a lot. He probably doesn’t talk when he doesn’t want to.”
Miranda fluently explained.
“I see, he sounds like a good person.”
‘For Jirgs that is’, Kail added in his mind.
If it’s someone popular in Karan, then it would be hard to reject, furthermore, if he’s someone that doesn’t have an interest in political relations, then he probably is someone that isn’t linked with a particular faction.
In others words, very easy to control; they probably found the perfect person to be their puppet.
“Oh, is it alright if I come with you?”
“Eh? Well that’s, I don’t mind… but why?”
Kail felt that he isn’t welcome from the weird atmosphere.
“….. I wanted to meet with him because you said that he was a skilled blacksmith. Is there a problem with that?”
In the first place their objective for coming to Karan was because they wanted to find a skilled blacksmith that could process the magic metal, Mithril, which they have obtained.
“He is a difficult to please person…. also.”
She glimpsed at Urza.
“He is a dwarf named Gazas.”
TL note: She says ‘Gazas-san’ which can’t really be translated into English. Do you guys want me to keep the suffixes if they are used? Or should I just make a note once and leave them out?
The moment she heard Dwarf, Urza’s face stiffened a little.
“Well Gazas-san doesn’t have any particular hatred towards Elves; I think there won’t be any problem as long as Urza doesn’t mind.”
“Hmm.”
Kail thinks for a little while.
It might be better not to take her with us, but we’re going to meet the person who might make Urza and our equipment, so it would probably be better to tell him upfront that we have an Elf in our party.
“….. If it’s about me then I don’t mind, I also said it earlier, but I don’t consciously discriminate. As long as the other side doesn’t start.”
Urza says, a little displeased.
“Well if Urza doesn’t mind then I won’t either….”
‘I hope he isn’t an opinionated person’, Kail answered, thinking that at the same time.
“Well then, I shall prepare some guards, so please do wait for a moment.”
Saying that, Miranda left the room, when she did, Lize began to softly speak to Kail.
“Isn’t it strange that she wants to give us guards, I wonder if there is any danger?”
Someone who is an ambassador might need some personal protection, but having them inside the town might be a little excessive.
“It might be that she’s just being considerate for us… but as long as she doesn’t explain, we won’t know.”
‘Guess I’ll nonchalantly ask about it later’, Kail thought.
“So, why are you here?”
“Well, for me it’s more like; why have all of you guys come here?”
Seran and Kail said to each other after suddenly meeting up in front of Garas’s house.
“Well, I got a little involved with this guy. I was planning to part with him, but he just kept insisting on thanking me, so here I am, drinking tea.”
Seran said, while looking at Gou.
“And, what about you guys?’
“Miranda-san came here because of her work and we’re just tagging along. It seems like the dwarf called Gazas who lives here is a skilled blacksmith. Although he has a stubborn personality, it seems like he’ll at least talk with the ambassador of Jirgs. If it goes well, then we could ask him to create a Mithril sword. We might be able to make a sword that will fit you.”
“Ah… we do have the materials, so we also had the option to just have someone make it.”
‘I didn’t think of that’, Seran said.
If you think about it Miranda is someone that can be called one of Karan’s leaders, it would be an excellent idea to rely on her if we wanted to find something.
However, the thought of using connections didn’t enter Seran’s mind at all, so the one that was trying to use them is Kail.
“What… so you actually thought about me. I thought it was just Lize and Urza.”
A great feeling of uselessness washed over Seran’s whole body.
He was thinking that because Kail has a great goal, he should at least take care of his own problems himself.
“Isn’t that obvious, to me your an irreplaceable friend and comrade.”
Just what are you saying, Kail said while smiling.
TN note: Kail follows up with this as a response to Seran’s first remark.
“Since I’ll keep overworking you in the future, isn’t it obvious that I would cherish you.”
‘And you’re nothing more than that’, Kail added with a serious face.
“Ah, rather than some cheap sweet words, it’s better to just tell the truth straight out. That’s the kinda guy you are.”
Seran was patting his chest as if he was relieved.
“Gou-kun, could Gazas-san be in?”
It seemed like Miranda was acquainted with Gou as she asked him.
“Ah? …… Ah, yes, I think he’s in, but what kind of business might you have today….”
At that moment, the door was violently opened.
“Shut up! The hell you making a ruckus in front of another man’s house for!”
What appeared was a dwarf with a short, but well built physique, from a human perspective he seemed like a forty year old stubborn dwarf.
“Oh Gou, so you’re…… ah.”
When Gazas saw Miranda’s face, his eyes lightly flashed with surprise. He tried to say something, but before he could, Miranda began to talk to him first.
“Hello Gazas-san. Today I have come as the ambassador of the kingdom of Jirgs in order to talk to you about something important.”
After Gazas saw Miranda and Kail’s party with the guards behind them, he clicked his tong.
“Would it be a bother for us to come inside?”
“Hmph….. If yer alright with a messy house, then do whatever.”
After saying that, Gazas turned around and went inside. Miranda ordered the soldiers to guard the perimeter and followed after him.
Just as Gazas said the inside of the house was a mess, it was truly what could be called a manly manor. While raising her eyebrows to the surroundings, Miranda immediately cut to the chase.
“Are you serious? You want me to be the city chief!?”
What kinda stupid nonsense are you spouting, Garas said, objecting to the request.
“Yes, you have more than enough popularity, qualifications, and ability.”
“Don’t go spouting nonsense! I don’t have any interest in something like that!”
“By all means please accept! Please…… please become a strength of Jirgs. Also, it shall be for the sake of Karan too….. We want the many problems surrounding Karan to be solved.”
“That’s why I’m saying it’s alright, as long as you guys just do it yourselves! I’m a blacksmith! I ain’t planning to do anything else!”
“Please do something about it!”
The conversation between the two sides had two complete opposites of each other.
While watching the two of them argue back and forth, Gou quietly began to talk to Kail and his party who were put aside.
“They’re probably going to continue for a while, so let us go to another place.”
Leaving the two behind, Kail and his party were taken to an underground room that felt like a workshop.
There were many tools and makeshift magic tools lying around. On the desk, there was a large amount of paper with something written on it.
“I apologize for how it is, the other rooms are messy and this one is the only one that will fit this many people……”
Gou said with a wry smile, while preparing tea for everyone.
“Seriously, Dwarfs just have to be stubborn.”
While thinking back about the arguing that was going on, Urza said that without thinking and was then poked by Lize’s elbow. Urza then looked at Gou with a sorry expression, but he was smiling.
“Haha, father is known for being stubborn and it’s also the truth.”
I don’t mind, Gou said, while laughing. Urza then apologized to him.
“I- I apologize…. however, your father is a dwarf, so you are?”
Among those of Humanity, different races aren’t able to have children with each other, however, ‘Humans and Elves’ and ‘Humans and Dwarves’ are an exception, thus they are able to have children with each other.
For this reason, though not many, there are interracial marriages.
The children born from them are Half-Elves and Half-Dwarves, they possess both racial traits when they are born, however, no matter how you look at it Gou looks like a pure human.
“Ah, my sister and I are the children of mom’s last marriage. Our mother passed away two years ago, one year ago, when my sister got married, our house just became the way it is now……. so did everyone come from Jirgs?”
“Ah, So thats why….!?”
I have something to discuss with Gazas-san, Kail said, but when a certain something came into his view, his whole thought process stopped.
It was spread on the desk and it seemed like it was something like a blueprint, the thing that was drawn on it stirred Kail’s memories.
Once in the midst of the fierce battle, he remembered the silvery white figure that ran through the battlefield. A majestic figure that was a reassuring ally for Humanity.
“Ah, that’s the blueprint of the magic weapon of the ancient magic kingdom that I am trying to revive.”
Gou, who had noticed what he was looking at, began to explain, but as if it was blown away, Kail turned around and looked at Gou.
“I see! So it’s you! So you are the one who made it!”
“Eh?….. Ah, could it be that you have an interest in reviving magic weapons? Then I know a good investment that…… Gue!?”
“If it’s gold I’ll pay! No matter how much! That’s why, please revive it! Mass produce it!”
As if he had forgotten himself Kail grabbed both of Gou’s shoulders and shook him.
“Th- Thank you for your business?”
Gou somehow replied after being shaken up. As if they were taken aback, Lize and the others just watched them.