“Wh,wh,why is Acer-sama working as a storekeeper at a dwarf’s shop!”
A few days after the dwarven blacksmith had relented and accepted me as his apprentice, Airena, an elven woman who seemed to be worried about me, came to visit the store.
And this was the first thing she said when she saw me sitting at the counter, tending to the store and leisurely playing with my puzzle ring.
In case you are wondering, this puzzle ring was made by the dwarven blacksmith, or the fucking dwarf-shishou, when I asked him to make it for me.
The puzzle ring is something that can only be formed with precision, so it’s seriously amazing that fucking dwarf-shishou was able to complete it with such ease.
Not only he has no shortage of things to look up to as a teacher, but he’s also probably the best person I’ve met.
However, as far as how I’m going to call him, I had absolutely no intention of changing my mind about calling him a fucking dwarf as long as he is calling me a fucking elf.
Anyway, once I learn blacksmithing, I too will mass produce difficult puzzle rings and spread frustration in this world.
“Why, is it, it’s because they said that if I do some menial work, they will teach me about blacksmithing, and they say they’ll pay me?”
Of course, even if I worked a full day, I wouldn’t be able to pay for the inn I’m currently staying, so when Airena’s treats are gone, I’ll have to find another place to live.
However, there is probably no other inn that serves such good food, so I will need to rent a place somewhere and cook my own meals, or find a good eatery.
As I was fiddling with the clinking puzzle ring, at a certain angle, the two metal rings were loosened smoothly.
Yes, puzzle ring is a frustrating toy, but these moments are pleasurable.
I am so pleased with the pleasure that I pick up the next puzzle ring.
“That’s not the problem! You know that if the smell of iron gets on your body, the trees will be frightened and the spirits will hate you! What would happen if you were abandoned by spirits!”
At the sound of Airena’s voice, the fucking dwarf shishou who was hammering iron in the back of the room peeked out, but to my surprise, he didn’t complain about anything.
The look in her eyes is a look that says, “Ah, that’s a normal elf alright” and was convinced by that.
The rest of the time, for some reason, he seems a bit sympathetic to Airena.
Well, let’s put aside the fucking dwarf shishou and clear up Airena’s misunderstanding.
Even if I’m like this, there’s no lie in my heart that I think of spirits as my close friends.
That’s why I couldn’t ignore her misunderstanding.
“Yeah, I know, but that’s probably a mistake. Even if I smell like metal, the spirits won’t hate it. Ah, but the taste of the rice changes very subtly, so I ask the spirit of the wind to erase the smell every day.”
I don’t want others to think I have body odor in the first place, and I’ve been bathing every day ever since I came to this town, so I’m quite delicate.
If someone says I have body odor or that I stink, even I would normally feel hurt.
And as for the spirits, I had already confirmed that they do not dislike metal in any way.
There was a fire spirit in the furnace at the forge, and when I went outside, the spirit of the wind still followed me.
I think that the story about spirits hating metal was probably due to the fact that the spirits got angry at environmental pollution caused by mineral poisons.
I suspect that the elves and the others who learned about it spread the story, assuming that spirits unconditionally dislike metal.
“And if trees are afraid of metal, adventurers shouldn’t be allowed to enter the Great Pruha Forest Sea. Of course, even trees don’t like to be cut down with an axe. But trees are not that fragile to be treated so sensitively.”
If for example trees were afraid of metals, then there would still be contamination by mine poisons.
So I’m not saying it’s all a lie, but it’s not a reason for me to stop working here.
“If I put a potted plant here, maybe that child will talk to me on good terms, hey, fucking dwarf shishou. Can I put some potted plants in this store since it doesn’t have enough greenery?”
When I suddenly turn around and ask such a question, the fucking dwarf shishou snorts and disappears into the back.
That gesture probably means that I can do whatever I want.
When I looked back at her, Airena was somewhat taken aback.
Apparently, she doesn’t believe my earlier story out of the blue and is fighting with her own common sense.
Because Airena, being an elf, apparently cannot see the spirits as clearly as I, a high elf, can, nor can she hear the voices of the trees as clearly.
Therefore, the knowledge given to them by their predecessors was the one they considered the truth, and they have never doubted it it until now.
Unlike the elves, the high elves, who can clearly see the spirits and hear the trees clearly, are all shut-ins with no interest in the outside world, and they do not want to share what they know with anyone but the same high elves.
So even if there is a false perception spreading among the elves, they don’t bother to correct it.
“That being said, if you’re interested, I can tell you about various things, but I’m the shopkeeper, so since you’re here, I want you to do some shopping. I recommend the Kukuri knife on the shelf there. Isn’t that amazing? It’s sad that I won’t be able to see it if you buy it, but I highly recommend it.”
For example, some elves say that fire eats the wind, and they seem to recognize that fire spirits are dangerous existence that eat wind spirits.
Of course, it’s not a surprise, but that’s not the case.
Naturally, fire spirits and wind spirits have a relationship that makes them cooperate with each other.
The spirit of the wind is an immortal being without substance, although it resides in the wind, so it does not hurt or itch when the wind is consumed by fire.
Also, fire fed on oxygen, and the wind only carried it.
And a strong fire sometimes creates wind.
Therefore, fire and wind are in a mutually cooperative relationship.
However, when fire and wind work together, the destruction that’ll occur next is tremendous.
……And.
It might be dangerous knowledge to spread it too much, but Airena is quite kind, so I think it’s okay.
“Err, is it this knife? Uwah, it’s big. …… That’s certainly a terrific masterpiece. But it was made by a dwarf, right? Won’t they get angry if Acer-sama sell it to me?”
Airena checks my recommendation, the Kukuri knife, and gulps.
Yes, it’s a very good article.
I didn’t know if they’ll get mad at me or not, and I didn’t care if they get mad at such things.
When the Fucking Dwarf-shishou first met me, he said he had nothing to sell to the fucking elves, but it feels pleasant because if I sell her their products, the sales will increase.
Even if it’s not mine, the more sales I make and the higher the amount sold when I close the shop, the more fun it is.
And if Airena is the one who buys that Kukuri knife, she could show it to me from time to time if I ask.
“Isn’t it fine if you use it carefully? If you neglect to take care of it, he’ll probably get angry. More importantly, Airena. You should bring two of your friends with you. This store is touted as the best blacksmith shop in town, but it’s definitely not the best in sales, you know”
Yes, this is a store that emphasizes blacksmithing over business, as evidenced by the fact that when I first came to the store, the fucking Dwarf shishou didn’t come out to the store for a long time.
The shitty Dwarf shishou’s skills are surely the best in town.
But as long as I work at this shop, I want it to be the blacksmith shop with the highest sales in town.
Of course, I don’t want the time I have to learn blacksmithing to be reduced, so if the sales increase, I’ll hire new people.
This way, the shitty Dwarf shishou can stay in his forge, and I am happy to make new acquaintances, so it is a win-win situation.
So with that said, as a first step, let’s start with Airena and her friends from White Lake, who seem to be the best adventurers in town, to be our customers.
After all, those two people have probably refrained from coming to this store until now because of Airena.
If this blacksmith shop becomes the favorite of the town’s best adventurers, many adventurers who are chasing after them will also come here to take a peek with interest.
“You see, things that I do not see. …… No, something that I was not trying to see, I suppose. I understand. Clerk-san, please sell me this knife. …… I’ll take good care of it.”
Airena smiles at me, and I smile back.
Then I helped her choose a belt to hang the sheath that will hold her Kukuri knife, and gave her the word-for-word instructions on how to care for it that I had been asked to share with shoppers.
The fucking dwarf shishou sneaking a peek at us from the back of the forge hasn’t said a word, so apparently, the selection of the belt and the instruction on how to care for it are no problem.
Of course, this kind of thing is not going to help the feud between the elves and dwarves in the slightest.
But a good quality weapon fell in the hands of a skilled adventurer.