"Mr. Nanno, right? May I have a moment of your time?"
Nano, a dwarf species, turned to look at the voice and saw a man standing there as if he had appeared out of the dark shadows.
He was about 170 cm tall, slender, and wore very ordinary clothes. He carried a leather bag on his shoulder.
Overall, a race (human) with few features approached him.
If I had to say more, I would say that his threadbare eyes and his smelly smile are a little memorable.
Nanno stared at the human with a stinky look on his face.
He didn't mind and slid over to sit next to Nano.
Since the restaurant was almost exclusively frequented by dwarves, the chairs and counter tables were generally small and it seemed difficult to sit down.
I am Hisomi, a peddler of weapons and armor. Please come in."
...... tsk."
Nano clicks his tongue in a bad mood.
(What a troublesome guy to get involved with. ......)
Nano spat out in his chest.
90% of the racial (human) kingdom are farmers, and the remaining 10% will be slaves, adventurers, and merchants.
Excluding farmers, merchants are the second most common job taken by Humans, after adventurers.
Compared to becoming an adventurer, becoming a merchant does not require much skill or strength, so the hurdle is low, and many human beings aspire to become merchants.
However, there are many dangers such as bandits, night robbers, and monsters once you leave your village or country. If you have an escort, it will cost you a lot of money and you may not be able to make a profit. In addition, as a human, you may be looked down upon by other species, and you may end up in the red.
As a result, human traders were at a disadvantage compared to traders of other species.
Among such human traders, "dwarf products" are the most popular.
Dwarf products are of high quality, and the Dwarf Kingdom has less discrimination against humans than against other races.
...... Of course, this is not to say that there is zero discrimination, and there are some extremists, but basically, many Dwarfs are "going their own way".
They are too busy mastering their chosen profession (craftsman, adventurer, cook, brewer, etc.) to voluntarily deal with other species.
It's more like "I'm not interested" than "I don't look down on humans.
...... "The opposite of love is indifference," as they say, and from the perspective of the humans, indifference may be more gratifying than harsh discrimination.
There are not many purposes for which this kind of race (human) peddler calls out to you. There are two main purposes.
One is for those who are trying to make contacts with craftsmen in order to obtain more brand-name, high-quality dwarven-made products.
The other is those who try to sell their wares to the dwarves.
Hissomi, a narrow-eyed racial merchant, continues his story with a stinky smile.
As a peddler, I usually deal in dwarven products and other things, but this time I have brought the goods that Nanno-sama is looking for.
Tsk!"
Nanno clicked his tongue again in a grumpy manner.
In the past, when I was a blacksmith & adventurer, these people would call on me. It was a well-known local story that Nanno's goal was to create "legendary weapons," so he told me, "These are the legendary weapons and materials you are looking for! They would try to sell me junk.
Nanno has worked in a blacksmith shop for many years and is even seriously studying magic weapons for his future.
His dwarven temperament makes him as deep as the experts.
However, Nanno, who is labeled as an eccentric, seems to be underestimated, and there have been more than a few con artists and merchants who have tried to make a buck by cheating Nanno.
It seems that this time was no exception.
He stares at me intimidatingly, and briefly refuses.
I don't want it, get lost.
I am not so sure. I'm sure it's something that will please Master Nanno.
I said I don't want it! Shall I make it impossible for you to smile that smirk ever again? Yeah?
......?
The fine merchant is threatened and pales.
Nanno himself is a former "Horde Gathering" and is around level 300.
It is normally easy to drive away a human merchant with just a sense of intimidation, but this time he is strangely insistent.
Oh, please calm down, NANO-sama. I have prepared something that really pleases you, NANO-sama. ......
The merchant, who calls himself Hisomi, looks blue and glances at a book from the leather bag on his shoulder.
Nano's irritated and intimidated demeanor instantly changes to astonishment.
He gulped and motioned with his hand for the book to be put away.
A dwarf species that was partially near them sensed the swarthy air and said, 'What is it? A fight?" Nanno, however, was unconcerned and nudged the merchant with his chin as he placed the liquor bill on the counter table.
The two left the store, receiving strange glances at their backs from some dwarven species.
Their next stop - Nano's home.
Nanno lived in a middle-class apartment complex for singles, despite the fact that he had enough money to live on for the rest of his life.
He rents it because the blacksmith shop where he currently works is just a stone's throw from here, and it is easy to get to.
The room is for single male dwarves, so the ceiling is low and the furniture is a bit small and inconvenient for other species.
Nevertheless, the racial (human) merchant Hisomi does not mind, and he silently follows Nano into the room with a smirk of triumph and a stinky smile.
After locking the door firmly, Nanno moves into the living room and asks him about the book he just read.
He finally manages to squeeze his voice out of the bar, his throat twitching from the tension, while fishing his eyes out in an intimidating manner.
...... Are you out of your mind? I can't believe you'd let that thing peek out in front of that many people."
I am sure that you are pleased, Mr. Nanno. I can't believe you didn't capture me and turn me over to the soldiers. ............ or are you still interested in me? I've been working on a book about this 'forbidden sword making' project."
What is the Forbidden Sword?
It is a cursed weapon with a powerful force that is rarely unearthed from ruins.
Although called "swords," they basically refer to weapons in general.
Basically, it is a cursed weapon that can shave off the user's life span, make the user seek the living blood of others, or corrode the user's spirit and make the user go insane.
Some fairy tale heroes are said to have been able to use the "forbidden sword" with great mental strength, but it is generally regarded as a dangerous item.
Therefore, it was called "forbidden sword," "cursed weapon," or "evil sword.
Under the Six Nations Agreement, "forbidden swords" were also treated as dangerous goods, and it was required by law to be reported immediately upon discovery. Intentional violations could even result in the death penalty.
The book that deals with such "forbidden swords" - as one would expect from what Nanno is saying - is a book that describes the "manufacture of forbidden swords.
There are forbidden items that can be heavily punished simply by possessing them silently after obtaining them from dungeons or ruins.
The "Forbidden Sword Manufacturing" book in the possession of the human trader HISOMI would be a felony without question just for having it.
However, Nano did not report him and brought him silently into his home.
A good one-dwarf species should have seized him and turned him in to the security soldiers right now. ......
Nano didn't move and questioned hissomi.
'Where did you get such a dangerous object? Are they real?"
............"
Hisomi's smile deepened at Nano's question, like a gambler who has won a bet.