Ch.61The Artisan of the Wilderness

The place where Sae-rin was guided to was a guest annex where visitors stayed. Therefore, the furniture was arranged to fit the build of adult humans. It was the dwarves’ way of being considerate, but for Sae-rin, it was unnecessary consideration.

Her build was small. In fact, furniture made for dwarves would have been more comfortable for her to use. Sae-rin had to be guided to yet another room.

The first day passed like that.

Sae-rin wasn’t the only guest staying at the annex. Wealthy merchants, nobles from foreign countries, skilled adventurers—people of considerable status each occupied their own room.

They interacted with one another. Using their respective statuses, they sought advantages and discussed the future. A small political arena had formed. Sae-rin had intended not to participate, but she couldn’t avoid it.

The various topics they brought up were proving very helpful for her mission.

“Lord Sae-rin, have you heard the news? They say the Magic Tower has brought in a very precious treasure.”

She was with them up to that point. She could easily guess what treasure the foreign noble was referring to. Sae-rin nodded.

“There was quite a commotion because of that treasure. I hear they need the help of dwarf craftsmen, but even I’m not exactly sure what that means…”

Most of the people staying at the annex had approached Sae-rin at least once to strike up a conversation. There wasn’t anyone who wasn’t attracted to the beautiful knight girl. With her background and appearance, neither lacking in any way, they simply tried their luck.

Sae-rin used them. She ended conversations when uninteresting topics were mentioned, but listened attentively when matters related to the Magic Tower were brought up. Rumors spread quickly. The girl knight was interested in topics related to the Magic Tower.

People moved to converse with Sae-rin.

Sae-rin strolled alone through the garden. Without having to move herself, information rolled in on its own. All thanks to her appearance.

‘I know I’m beautiful, but…’

Though she disliked the lewd gazes directed at her sister’s body, she needed to use this appearance now. Sae-rin gently lowered her eyes and brushed her hair back. She could hear those watching her from hiding places swallowing hard.

Currently, Sae-rin’s status was simply that of a guest. Her range of activities was limited, making information gathering difficult. But that problem had been solved. As diverse as the statuses of those staying here were, their ranges of activity were equally varied.

There wasn’t much Sae-rin herself could do at the moment. She had to wait for men enchanted by her beauty to bring information to her. Like an angler who had cast a line.

So Sae-rin decided to go out. She left quietly without informing others. She only needed to let the soldiers guarding the main gate know.

They say the mind follows the body. It was difficult to focus on the mission. Her gaze and heart moved outward. The girl who had left the royal palace wandered through the craftsmen’s district.

It was a mysterious place. Everything in the Imperial streets was large. Everything was too big for the small girl’s build, and most things were out of reach. But this place was different.

The view was comfortable. Everything was low, and close enough to touch if she reached out. Even the chairs at the half-open street food stalls were comfortable to sit on. In the Empire, her feet wouldn’t have reached the ground.

Moreover, she didn’t have to tilt her head up to converse with others. She hadn’t realized how comfortable it was to talk while making eye contact with others.

Sae-rin was at eye level with the dwarves.

‘They don’t even treat me like a child…’

Was it consideration for tourists? The dwarves treated Sae-rin as an adult, offering her alcohol and tobacco. Perhaps they couldn’t guess her age because of the difference in races.

Sae-rin herself found it difficult to guess the dwarves’ ages.

Sae-rin sincerely considered immigration. What would she do after achieving her revenge? If her body wouldn’t grow, living here didn’t seem like a bad idea. Of course, the choice would be her sister’s.

Clang-! Clang-!

Wherever she went, the sound of metal being hammered resonated softly. Not only that, but the sounds of hammering and sawing were endless. Dwarves are a race with exceptionally skilled hands. They say they were born with the temperament of craftsmen, blessed by the world.

“Hmm…”

The temperature around was hot. The metallic sounds grew louder, and conversations bordering on shouts erupted from all directions. While wandering aimlessly, she had arrived at a place where dwarf craftsmen’s workshops were gathered.

Sae-rin walked slowly, smelling the scent of iron.

It was bustling. Dwarves who appeared to be craftsmen were running busily here and there. In the snippets of conversation she caught, there were mentions of the royal palace and the Magic Tower.

Sae-rin briefly stopped someone who was rushing by.

“Where are you hurrying to?”

“Hmm? Well, obviously because a summons came down… Wait, you’re not one of our kind. Human?”

Sae-rin nodded and looked around. Not just the dwarf in front of her, but other dwarves were also moving busily. They were taking work tools out of workshops or loading various materials onto carts—all preparing to leave this place.

Sae-rin asked.

“A summons from the royal palace?”

“That’s right.”

“Everyone here?”

“Not everyone. Only those who are qualified.”

“And the reason for the summons?”

“That’s a secret. There was a clause saying not to disclose it.”

The summons itself wasn’t a secret, but the reason for it was.

‘It must be for repairing the power engine…’

Seeing how they were gathering craftsmen like this, it seems the repair of the power engine hasn’t been successful. The dwarves who were being summoned also didn’t seem to know why they had to go.

That’s when something caught Sae-rin’s eye. A signboard.

[Dim Lantern]

She recalled what Black Light, the dwarf she had parted with yesterday, had said. If anything related to swords came up, come find the Dim Lantern. Perhaps he too had received the royal summons.

Sae-rin followed the faintly connected relationship and headed there.

The Dim Lantern was a small forge. But it had everything it needed. A furnace to emit hot flames, hammers and tongs needed for anvil work—the tools gleamed with oil, suggesting they had been maintained recently.

“Oh, you are…?”

Black Light was there too. He also seemed to have received the royal summons, as he was packing a large bag.

“Hello, Mr. Black.”

“Hey! This is a pleasant surprise! I didn’t expect you to visit so soon…!”

He welcomed her more warmly than expected. Black Light even tossed aside the bag he was packing, went inside the workshop, and brought out tea and snacks. Since he brought them out so hastily without giving her a chance to decline, Sae-rin had no choice but to sit down.

“So! What brings you here? If it’s about a sword, you’ve come to the right place!”

“It seems you’ve received a summons from the royal palace…”

Sae-rin said this while picking up a snack to eat. Then her eyes widened. The texture of the snack crumbling in her mouth was exquisite, and the sweet aroma that melted in enhanced the depth of the butter’s flavor.

‘Delicious…’

Her short legs swung back and forth.

“Ah, I did receive a summons. But it’s not mandatory. If it’s for you who saved my life, I can refuse the royal summons.”

Sae-rin looked at Black Light while munching on the snack. The sincerity in his eyes was intense. It wasn’t a lie. He truly seemed ready to refuse the royal summons if she asked.

She had only shown a small kindness, just offering a bottle of water. Yet it had returned to her in a greater way. The bond formed yesterday was a key that would make her mission easier.

“No, it’s a royal summons, you should go. Isn’t it a good opportunity as a craftsman?”

The dwarf craftsmen on the streets had said as much. That this opportunity shouldn’t be missed. From a craftsman’s standpoint, a royal summons seemed like a good opportunity.

But she couldn’t divulge details about this mission to others.

“I would be satisfied just to hear what happened there. I was curious about what’s going on since craftsmen are being summoned en masse.”

“Hmm… I won’t be able to tell you in detail. Is that okay?”

Sae-rin nodded. She didn’t need to know the details. Just whether the summoned craftsmen were progressing successfully or failing. That fact alone would suffice.

“That’s enough.”

“Well… if you insist… Alright. But isn’t that too small a favor compared to what I received? Tell me something else you want. Right. I have a pretty good sword, how about that…?”

She was indeed interested in swords. Sae-rin looked at the weapons displayed inside the workshop and asked.

“That sword… was it used by someone?”

“No! All the weapons I handle are new. You can rest assured.”

“Ah…”

Sae-rin sighed with disappointment. If it was a new sword, she didn’t need it. What she needed was a sword old enough to contain someone else’s memories.

“If it’s new, then I’m fine.”

“Hmm…? Well, if that’s okay…”

Black Light tilted his head. He had made a big decision to give away the best sword he had made. But she refused because it was new. She didn’t seem to find it burdensome either. What a peculiar human.

***

A day passed. As dawn broke, the dwarf craftsmen who had been summoned to the royal palace returned to the streets. Without exception, their expressions were gloomy. One didn’t need to ask to know. There was no craftsman who could fix the power engine.

Sae-rin sat by the window of the annex, watching the craftsmen return. Her short legs swung excitedly.