Book 1: Chapter 42: Phil and Blacksmiths

Book 1: Chapter 42: Phil and Blacksmiths

After cooking breakfast with Soph, Lone took their porcelain bathtub out from his Dimensional Storage and created hot water for them to bathe with.

A good 15 minute soak and some heavy towel usage later, and the two were now fully dried and dressed.

"So... The Adventurer's Guild?" Soph asked as they were walking down the inn's flight of stairs.

Lone shook his head. "Not yet.

Why not now? We dont really have much else to do here, Soph questioned.

Well for a start, I want to talk to the reception girl's dad if he's about. Hed be the first demi weve come across since leaving Goblin Island. Well, unless Snapper was a demi too.

Soph frowned. That frog woman was weird.

Lone chuckled. Indeed. Also, if the receptionists dad isnt around, I wanna search the city for a smithy of some sort and a library too. Maybe that girl knows if there are any and where?

Soph held her chin thoughtfully. Maybe. I wouldnt know. I get the smithy. To learn more about metals and stuff, right? Why a library though? Just to read more?

Lone nodded. Yeah. I am a historian of sorts, after all. I also want to get answers to a lot of my system-related questions; like how increasing my personal rank really works. Stat points are nice and all, but I have other stuff more important to do if just killing shit won't help me rank up at all."

"Like?" Soph cocked her head curiously.

"Like working on my Acting and Persuasion skills. I suspect they will be incredibly useful for another goal of mine," he answered.

"Another goal?" Soph was full of questions today.

"Connections. Money talks loudly, but connections can be just as vocal. Money, connections, power. These three things. They rule all sapient life. Some are more weighted than others depending on the society. In this kind of kingdom in this kind of world? My guess is that the order goes power, connections, then lastly, money. At least, that's the list of importance for me," Lone explained.

"Money isn't important?" Soph didnt seem to understand his logic.

Lone shook his head once more. "I have my Creation Magic. This is kinda linked with connections since I want to find a good, diverse blacksmith to teach me about weapon and armour forging. As a result, I'll learn more about metals like bronze, silver and gold, no doubt. With that, I could make coins very easily Id bet. Three birds, one stone."

"One... Connection to a good smith... Two... Knowledge about the metals that make money... Three... knowledge on weapon and armour forging... Huh. If they're the birds, what's the stone?" Soph inquired.

Lone laughed softly. "The stone is the fact that I get all three of those in one. Maybe the smith?"

As Soph was wrapping her head around that, the two had finished their descent and found themselves to be in the inn's reception.

Behind the desk was a disinterested-looking young man who was maybe a year or two younger than Lone himself.

He spied the two of them and raised an eyebrow. "So Grella wasn't lying. A nine-traited beastkin, and a Golden Foxkin on top of that. What's someone like you doing in a place like Milindo?"

'The girl from last night's brother? She did mention having one,' Lone thought as he wore a smile. "We're just wanderers exploring the world. Milindo happens to be a part of the world, so here we are."

"Huh. Is that so? What kind of places have you been to on your travels?" There was still a clear lack of genuine curiosity in the man's voice, but he was being polite, so Lone saw no justifiable reason to blow him off.

"We only recently started our travelling, so Milindo is the first stop on our journey. We originally lived on an island due west of Teresta. A small place with no official name," Lone claimed.

The man raised his eyebrow again before lowering it and nodding. "Okay. Well, should I tell Ma to make yous some grub? It's still a bit early, but I'm sure she wouldn't mind. It's her job, after all."

"Ah, no, thank you. We plan to eat out today. What time is dinner? We'll be sure to return for that. I want to meet your father if the opportunity should present itself," Lone explained.

The man shrugged. "Anytime between dusk and midnight is fine. Pa comes home at around that time anyway, so I'll be sure to tell him you wanted to talk."

Lone smiled and pulled a few copper coins out from his pocket before he placed them on the desk. "Thanks. You wouldn't happen to know where I could find a library? A bookstore is fine if Ranton doesn't have a library. I also want to find a good blacksmith. Obviously, one who's not a racist."

"Hah. Look, demi, do you even have the Metalworking skill or the Blacksmithing one? I wont ask for Armoursmithing but you need at least something of value beyond money. Do you have either one of those skills? Even just beginner rank?" the clerk asked mockingly.

"No, but I do have the Logging and Woodworking skills. Shipbuilding and Masonry too. Im good with my hands and crafting in general. so I'm sure some of that is transfer-"

"See? You've got no skills but you come in here demanding Master Seloph teaches you herself? Fuck off. You're not welcome here. Neither you nor your master," the man rudely said as he interrupted Lone.

Another customer chuckled. A Golden Foxkin slave and a crippled master. Now Ive seen everything.

A second nodded. Considering his looks, hed make a good sex slave for those lonely widows you see in the noble district.

Better them than being wasted on such a beauty like that cripple there. I wonder who she is? Ive never heard of a blind noblewoman in Milindo. A commoner, maybe? the last customer in the shop questioned.

Lone felt himself being taken over by his quickly-building rage. He did manage to reign it in though since he knew he couldn't afford to lash out here for this blatantly unfair treatment.

What rude fucks. Were literally standing right here. I should toss a Lightning Bolt or two their way That would be immature though, he sighed in his mind.

"Fine. I'm sorry to have wasted your time," he said as he bowed his head lightly and then walked out of the shop with Soph in tow.

Silently and secretly, the pitch-black orb that Lone kept in his front-right trouser pocket pulsed excitedly before it settled down again.

"This is the demi-run smithy?" Lone asked himself. Honestly? Looks like a mini fort. I expected worse for the slums. Soph, can you feel anyone inside?"

She nodded her head with hints of uncertainty in her expression. "I think so? There are two people in there. Both of them are really short. They're only slightly taller than the goblins, but one of them doesn't feel like a child, so maybe they're demis?"

"Huh... A short demi race? Do they look like humans?" Lone questioned.

Soph nodded once again. "Yup."

"Maybe some sort of gnome or dwarf? I guess there's only one way to find out." Lone raised his fist and knocked on the metal door a few times.

"Ah, fer fook's sake..."

The sound of locks being opened filled Lone's ears before the big metal door slowly swung open and a beard-covered face angrily frowned towards him.

"Ah fookin' teld ye. Ah'll nae make any fookin' arms or armour fae ah prick wae ah stick so far up 'is own arse at ah can see the blasted thing pokin' oot o 'is mouth!" the man screamed, phlegm flying everywhere.

A few seconds of silence passed as Lone and this short man with ginger scruffy hair and a well-braided beard stared at one another.

"A dwarf?" Lone muttered.

The man half Lone's height only scowled even fiercer. "Ye'r naw at arsewipe fae afore. Who the fook're ye?"

"Um..." Lone was incredibly shocked. 'Okay. So accents are obviously a thing here, but really? This guy is more Scottish than even I am... What the fuck...'

"Ah asked ye who ye were, laddie. Ye gonna tell us? If naw, then get tae fook. Ah've work tae do." The apparent dwarf started closing the door, but Lone caught it.

"Sorry. I was just a bit shocked. I've never met a demi like you before. My name's Lone, and this is Soph. I want to learn how to forge weapons, armour, everything metal, really. So, if you'd have me, I'd like to become your apprentice. I've got plenty of coin if that's an issue," Lone said quickly.

One of the man's caterpillar-like eyebrows shot up. "Apprentice?"

"Yes, apprentice. I heard that you were a great and very versatile smith, and, I mean, were both demis. Gotta stick together in this shithole, right?" Lone honestly replied.

"... An ye've got coin?" the apparent dwarf asked.

Lone nodded. "Yes, lots. I'll pay you whatever your rates are, and I promise to take your teachings very seriously."

The bearded man let go of the door and wore a toothy grin. "In 'at case, come on in. Let's talk over a mug ah mead or two. Ah'm Grimsley, the best fookin smith yell find ootside o ah krieg fae several kingdoms over."