Finding a Smith
The weapon shop came into view.
Same place I'd been before. Same windows full of reworked swords I couldn't afford.
I stopped outside.
Last time I was here, I'd been eyeing that short sword. Twenty-five thousand valis. The cheapest thing on the rack. Already used. Already repaired.
That plan was dead now.
Literally snapped in half during that War Shadow fight.
I wasn't here to buy.
I was here to extract information.
And I knew exactly how to do it.
I adjusted the pouch at my side and stepped inside.
The shop looked the same.
Rows of weapons on the walls. Reworked. Resold. Priced for people who could afford second-hand quality.
That same bulky dwarf stood behind the counter.
He looked up when I entered.
Recognized me.
His eyes flicked to my empty hands, then back to my face. A smirk tugged at his beard.
"Back again?" He leaned forward on the counter. "Still broke?"
I ignored that. Walked straight to the display near the front.
Picked the most expensive-looking sword on the rack—the one with the ornate crossguard and blade polished so clean it caught the light like new.
Lifted it. Tested the weight.
"This one seems fine," I said.
The dwarf's smirk widened into a full grin. "Oh? Fine, is it?"
"Yeah."
"Well then." He spread his arms. "Buy it."
I turned it over in my hands. Inspected the blade like I knew what I was looking at.
"How much?"
"Four hundred and fifty thousand valis."
My heart stopped.
…What?
That wasn't a sword. That was a down payment on a small house.
I'd picked this to irritate him. Not to look like a complete idiot who didn't know weapon prices.
Too late. Had to commit.
I stared at him.
"…What?"
"Four hundred and fifty thousand valis," he repeated slowly. "You poor or just deaf?"
I set the sword down carefully.
"That's… a lot."
"It's reworked mithril," the dwarf said, crossing his arms. "Quality that doesn't break when a Minotaur breathes on it."
He didn't let me respond.
"This blade saves your ass when you're staring down something with claws longer than your arm. So tell me—your life's not worth four hundred and fifty thousand?"
"I mean—it's just—"
"Just what?" He leaned forward, grin widening. "Too expensive? You think materials grow on trees? You think we pull swords out of rivers and slap price tags on them?"
I opened my mouth.
"Let me guess." He didn't wait. "You were gonna haggle. Walk in here, fondle my best merchandise, then lowball me like I'm running a charity for broke adventurers."
"I wasn't—"
"You absolutely were." He jabbed a finger at me. "I've seen your type. Window shoppers. The kind of brat who walks into the dungeon with a dull blade held together by hope and calls it 'character building.'"
My eye twitched.
"Listen here, boy." The dwarf planted both hands on the counter. "You want to survive? You pay for quality. You want to play hero on a budget? Go to the Guild for their free handouts and stop wasting my time."
"Sir, please—"
A calmer voice cut in.
"There's another option."
A man stepped out from the back—human, mid-thirties, tired eyes, practiced patience.
He glanced at the dwarf, then at me.
"My nephew," he said. "He's a smith. Custom work. Not famous yet, but good. Helps us with repairs."
I kept my face neutral.
"A smith?"
He nodded. "Honest. Fair prices."
The dwarf grunted and crossed his arms.
"What, Gabi? Redirecting another customer to your nep—" He glanced at me. One quick scan. "Fine. Dump the broke kid on your nephew."
He let out a sigh, then focused on me.
"Can you give me directions?" I asked. "I'm new around here."
He smiled and grabbed a scrap of parchment, sketching quick directions.
"West main. Near the old waterway. Follow the smoke."
He slid it across the counter.
"Tell him I sent you."
I took it.
"Thanks."
I turned and walked out without looking back.
"Don't come back unless you've got real money!" the dwarf shouted after me.
Outside, Orario kept moving.
But the parchment in my pocket felt heavier than the valis at my side.
A name. A direction. A way forward.
I unfolded it once.
West main.
Not far.
I started walking.
Mission Status
Information acquired: ✓ Smith lead obtained: ✓
Sword touched: 450,000 valis (≈408,000 valis over budget)
Dignity lost: Priceless Dwarf respect earned: 0/100
Assessment: Got what I came for. Only cost me my pride.
Next Objective: Find Gabi's nephew
Secondary Objective: Never return to that shop
Tertiary Objective: Pretend this went exactly as planned