I walked out of the guild and walked down the path that the staff told me to take.
　The dwarven blacksmith's workshop is apparently about a 15-minute walk away.

　The name of the workshop is called Dargos Blacksmith Shop.
　I wonder if it's a cool way to say Atelier Dargos.
　It seems to be simply because his master's surname is Dargos, so he named his workshop Dargos Kaji-ten. If it were to be called in Japan, it would be like Noguchi Kaji-ten in Japan.
　No, there was no blacksmith shop in the local area, and I can't really imagine what form the blacksmith was doing business in.

　I've said dwarf blacksmiths many times, but the dwarf race itself is not a rare race or anything. It's a race that can be seen rather often out there.
　The last time I had the house repaired and renovated, there were a number of dwarf-like craftsmen mixed in, and I often see them in Elishe.
　It is said that there are quite a few dwarves who are also blacksmiths.
　Compared to modern Japan, ironware is more valuable, and blacksmiths seem to be in demand. It is not the kind of thing that can be thrown away. When the wrinkles are worn out, you want to use it for a long time, and you will sharpen and use the knife again and again.

　Now, what exactly are the dwarves?
　They are often seen in games and fairy tales, so I had ignored them, but like the elves, the Turks and the Canaanites, they are a race from another world - a race of people.
　To put it simply, they are 'short, dexterous, hairy men'.
　I've never seen them, but there must be women as well, but there are a large percentage of males. Maybe there is a culture in which female dwarves don't go out, or don't go out in public, or something like that. Or it could be that they look like old men and can't tell them apart.
　Of course there are young ones, too. There should be. But they are basically hairy and look old.
　It's not a problem to say they are mostly old men.

　It is said that dwarves often use their natural dexterity to find a vocation in crafting. It is also said that many dwarves work as miners in mines. The short stature of the dwarves makes them easier to get into small holes and more powerful.

　That's why dwarves are naturally gifted as blacksmiths.
　The master of the Dargos blacksmith, for whom I received a letter of introduction, is said to be the most skilled among such dwarves.

　A master craftsman of the dwarves.
　I'm not sure if that's enough to make me want to prostrate myself.
　The knife I sold to the Meeker Trading Company was not one that I could investigate by myself and I heard that I asked my master to investigate.
　It would be interesting to know how much the master dwarf craftsman was able to find out about that knife.

　We walked down the main street in Luklaera. It's almost nine o'clock in the morning. People are working at that time. There are not many people on the street.
　In the first place, Luclaera is not a very large city.
　No, it seems to be a fairly large city by otherworldly standards, but to me, a modern Japanese, it's just the countryside.
　If it's about the size of Elishe, there are a lot of people and it has a city feel to it.

　Along the way, I think about it.
　This time, the sale of that rumnee-like coin has given me a lot of financial leeway.
　But I want to pool some money for doing business in this world, and I also want to keep some money for Netoque.
　However, since I came all the way to make a weapon, I feel like I want to spend it with a certain amount of gusto.
　At any rate, the reason I became a little rich this time is that I just happened to be lucky.
　By chance, I got the magic map, by chance, I cleared it, and by chance, the reward became money.
　In other words, this money is a stirrup. I don't think there's any need to spend it carefully for the rest of my life. Business at Elishee is doing alright, too.

　Well, that also depends on the amount of money the blacksmith offers.
　By nature, weapons and armor are not cheap.
　There are ready-made products, but there are also many custom-made products in the industry, and the price of metals is higher than on earth due to the level of civilization. Marina's broken mithril armor cost about 1.5 million yen in total (although the only thing broken was the chest armor, so it shouldn't cost that much to repair it).
　A high price - for example, if it was at the level of 3 million yen for a single swing of a one-handed sword, that's probably only the bare minimum you'd need to buy.

　Now, the item I'm planning to have made by the dwarven blacksmith this time is--

　The matching one-handed swords of the knights for a number of people.
　Elepippi's main armament.
　Armor.
　Weapons for Etowah.
　This is the lineup.

　First, the knights' matching swords.
　This is inevitably meant to be a formality, but of course it has a practical aspect as well.
　First of all, as of now, we don't have that many weapons.
　Or rather, not at all.
　Shero-san and Rebecca-san seem to have a variety of weapons due to their professions, but I only have a magic sword and a knife, and Marina only has a big halberd. Deanna has a mail-ordered crossbow, but she rarely carries it around.
　We simply don't have enough of them.

　And the weapons I currently have are just not good enough or easy to handle.
　Even my magic sword is more than 120 centimeters long, and even Marina's halberd is about two meters long.
　It's too big to carry such a large item for self-defense in the city of Elishe, and even if it were to happen, it would be difficult to use it. If you are driving a car in the city, it is better to use a small car that has good maneuverability than a large car, and there is a right place for the right person.

　So, it is called a one-handed sword.
　In fact, Elishe is a safe place.
　In my case, I was attacked by a thief once, so I'm a little nervous, but still, halberd is an exaggeration. A one-handed sword would be sufficient for the need.
　Of course, you'll have to train it to handle it properly, but, well, that shouldn't be a problem since it has a vocation correction.

　I say ......, but more than half the time it's "matching knight swords for everyone! I just want to huff and puff.
　It's a doozy!

　Elepippi's main armament is a one-handed sword and shield.
　Since the one-handed sword is related to making a matching knight's unit, it may be enough to prepare a shield for it. However, the problem is that the matching one-handed sword is for self-defense, or rather, it's not designed to be used to deal with magical beasts.
　That would mean I'd have to make a rugged one-handed sword that could fight monsters and monsters, but that would be a waste of time.
　So, should I just have Elepippi's one-handed sword made tougher?
　It's called the special version.
　Yeah. We'll do that.

　Elepippi's shield is a decent-sized one we use in training.
　The shield we use in training was handmade by Mr. Shero, and maybe it's because he's a big guy, or maybe it's just standard mercenary stuff, but it's a good size. It's different from the so-called small shields - bucklers and such - in that it's a size that can completely hide the upper half of your body.
　So I think I'll have one made in that size.
　I'd like to use mithril because it's big, but it's probably too light for me.
　Looking at the mithril refinement scene at the guild earlier, it seems like it would be easy to make something like a shield without any trouble. That's because it's a board from the start.

　Armor.
　I was originally thinking of getting armor as soon as possible.
　The fight with the bear the other day was one thing, but we're currently too defenseless. Marina is the only one equipped with armor, and the rest of us are wearing E Nuno Fuku.
　It's a good idea to have at least some armor, or else it will be tough to get out of trouble in the future.
　I think it would be better to get proper armor, but full plate mails (with mithril, since steel ones look heavy) are too expensive. I looked at it when I bought Marina's armor, and that's about $3 million.
　On a more realistic line, a scale mail or something like that would be fine. Scale means scales, the kind of thing that looks like a piece of iron laminated together like scales, and it would be easier to move around than plate, or sheet metal, armor, and it's both heavier and more affordable.
　Or even leather armor.
　I had the privilege of wearing a rider's jacket once, and it was a rugged piece of armor. If so, the leather armor of the realm would be a great protection. Well, from the looks of it, metal armor looks cooler, and if you're going to order it from a blacksmith in the first place, there's nothing but metal.
　However, it's also stiff to equip it on a regular basis.
　It would be fine to just prepare it and only equip it for training or actual battles.
　But let's just equip Marina and Elepippi with stiff equipment. They're knights.

　The rest is Etoi's equipment.
　On the way to the carriage, Etoi said he wanted to join the knightly corps. I agreed to it.
　But Etoi is still a child, and he can't be a hard-core fighter. Even his vocation is not a combat type.
　But it seems that he is light and fast in terms of his race. Furthermore, he's also smart.
　Since Etoi himself seems to be interested in being a military strategist or general staff member, shall we make him learn the art of warfare and only use weapons for self-defense?　Go to Japan and buy a book on Sun Tzu or something. No, I can't do that. I can't read Japanese. ......
　I've been thinking about this for a while now. You can even use your foot speed to your advantage.
　The problem is that I can't think of a situation where I'd need my repulsive skills. Well, it's a good idea to keep a lot of skills on hand, isn't it?
　Anyway, let's keep the weapons simple.

　...... Yeah.
　That's quite a few.
　I'm going to have to get a few more one-handed swords for my new team members, and I can't even imagine how much money it will cost.

　I also want to ask my master to do something for me personally.

　Whatever the case, I'm looking forward to it, but at the same time I'm scared.
　I'm going to ask the fantasy-obsessed dwarf race to strike a sword for me.


　◇◆◆◆◇


　The Dargos Blacksmith Shop, aka Dwarven Blacksmith Shop, was larger than I had imagined. No, it was more like a shop, a workshop or a factory.
　There was a stream flowing right beside it, and white smoke or steam was wafting up from three chimneys.

It's here. There's a sign up here. ...... or whatever it says.

　I don't know what it says, as I can't read otherworldly characters, but there are five signs placed in front of the shop.
　The brushstrokes are rough, as if they were written roughly. Moreover, they don't seem to have been written recently, so they are faded and have an indescribable feel to them.
　...... Hmmm. This atmosphere.
　I had a bad feeling about this.
　I had a bad feeling about this. ...... is a good example of a citizen's movement.

　......, but don't be too quick to make a mistake.
　After all, it's a different world quality. It's different from Japan, you know.
　I'm sure it will be okay. I can only think that it will be fine.
　It's just that they have a particular sense of beauty and values that are unique to dwarves. We'll be fine.

What's it say?

　I still can't read this one, I turned around and asked. I thought it would be Rebecca or Deanna who would answer, but Marina raised her hand first.

I can read, Marina!　I learned with Orica.

　Indeed, Marina was studying with Orica at night. Perhaps it's because she never had the opportunity to study to begin with, but she also seems to enjoy learning how to write.

Oh, is that so?　Okay, then.

Yes, sir!　It's a great way to get a good idea of what you're looking for. We can repair your tools. We have a pickaxe, shovel and hoe. ......

　What, totally normal: ....... But then I found out there's more.

This one is a bit more difficult. Well, let's see: ...... 'Ko, koku eikoku kuzu sei tsujutsu danko no danko' and 'jumin shikidotai' ......

　It wasn't normal!


　◇◆◆◆◇


　Apparently, they are campaigning against the national steel mill.
　As a modern Japanese who gets wrapped up in the long game, I'm not very good at this kind of thing. It looks tedious: .......
　But I just came here as a guest, so it doesn't matter.

　It's a good idea to be able to have a good idea of what you're looking for.
　Oh, I guess she wants me to praise her for being able to read the sign. He's like a dog.

'Good. Marina's reliable. Can you read this much already?

Heh, actually, it was a close call.

　I stick out my tongue.
　Well, it was definitely a bit one-sided.
　But I don't know if it's because of Orica's teaching methods, or whether she was able to read to some extent because it was her native language to begin with, but it's good to know that she's able to read. And not being able to read is a hindrance to life.

　As I was feeling somewhat hobbled, Deanna interrupted me.

'Wow, I can read too!　Marina hasn't read the book properly yet. Against National Waste Steel Mills! It says 'residents' rage zone'.

'Deanna really isn't very mature, is she?'

Gone.

　It's not Garn. He knows Deanna can read.
　Did this guy want to be praised too? Or did he just want to put the cha-cha in?　Unlike the dog-like Marina, Deanna is hard to understand. She also has an air of unworldliness about her.


　Anyway, aside from that, is it the 'national steel mill is resolutely opposed'?
　Wasn't there originally talk of Luklaera being a state-run steel manufacturing town? Does that mean they are opposed to it now?
　The fact that it's written as a zone of rage for residents means that all local residents are opposed to it, right? Is it a pollution problem?
　Well, I'm just a customer of the blacksmith shop. Does it matter?

　I entered the store.
　Though it is called a shop, there are only a few tools in the shop. It's not just a matter of time before you get to the point where you'll be able to get a new one.

　The red-faced dwarves wielding a hammer can be seen in the back.
　The coals are burning with a roaring sound.
　The sound of water popping, men's angry voices, and evaporated sweat turning into steam and burning (...).

　It's like a scene with an amazing amount of heat.
　A number of men are working in the dimly lit workshop.
　Sparks are flying and the sound of hammering iron can be heard.

　Most of the workers seem to be dwarves, but there are humans in the workshop.
　Perhaps they are all apprentices.
　Even the blacksmiths in Elishe had about five apprentices, and if it was a real dwarven blacksmith, it might be natural for them to be on this scale.
　There's about 20 of them, that's about the size of a small business.

''Welcome!　Repair?　Is this a new production?

　A young man, a human being who appears to be one of my apprentices, comes out of the store to greet me, wiping sweat off his face.
　He's sweating profusely. The heat is unbelievable, isn't it? I feel like I'm going to suffer from heat stroke.

Yes. I'm new. I have a lot of requests.

Newcomers. What kind of products would you like me to make for you? You can ask me for anything steel.

Well, I mainly want you to hit me with your sword, okay?

Yes, a sword. What kind of sword would you like?　Are you the employer yourself?

'Yes. Yes, but .......

　It is a pattern that the story will go on without regard to the master or others if I order this.
　The thing which is not so bad should be made even if I ask for it normally, but because I had the letter of introduction written. If possible, I'd like to have master to type it.
　A dwarf master is a bit, well, pretty scary.

'Actually, I'd like ...... master to type for you.

Yes, sir. Weapons are often shot by the master, and our students are produced under his supervision, so there's no need to worry about it.

　Hmmm. I wonder if they refused to be familiar with it.
　Maybe there are a lot of customers who are selfish enough to want their masters to hit them.
　I thought you said it was normal to say that the master often plays, but I thought you said you don't play to new customers. Does that mean it's actually not true?

I have a letter of introduction for you, please give it to your master.

　Either way, I need a next step.
　With that in mind, I handed him a letter of introduction written by an old man from Meeker Trading Company.
　The young man didn't say a word, but opened it on his own and checked the contents. Well, it's not like it's a letter, so it's natural to check.
　Anyway, this is how the master himself will appear.
　After all, it's no good if he's just a greeter.

　The young man changed his face and said, "Please wait a minute! I said and went back inside the workshop, and a few moments later, a crazy dwarf came out.
　Muscular. Sharp eyes. He looks more like a warrior of the past than a blacksmith.
　There are scars of burns in many places on his body. It's natural for a profession that deals with fire.
　The beard and hair on his head are white, and he may be older than I had imagined.

　He was very powerful. So this is the master.
　He seems to be very strict. It is hard work for a disciple under such a person. If it were me, I would be able to run away in three days.

　The master glared at us with his eyes and glared at us unceremoniously.
　It was as if he was assessing his customers.

I'm sorry, my boy," he said. I'm Dargos," he said. "I'm Dargos," he said, "I just gave up the position of master not long ago to my son, and now I'm a retired man.

　Wow. Very low and austere voice.
　It's like an earth tremor.

　It seems that the current master is his son, and the young man just now is his son's apprentice. I hadn't expected him to be retired.

I heard about it. I've heard that you want me to use a sword, but I've decided not to use it anymore. I'm sorry that you took the trouble to come here.

　It's not in the sense that you don't want to be seen at first sight, but you don't strike the weapon itself.

'Is that so? Well, may I ask why?

Did you see the sign out front?

Yeah, well,

　You'll see.

The quality of the iron has been declining ever since we started using new iron manufacturing methods decades ago. The quality of the iron is dropping, though I hear the quantity is incomparable to the old days. The quantity of iron is not as high as it used to be, but the only old-fashioned iron is in small factories, and the blacksmiths are fighting over it. ...... So I've stopped shooting weapons. Especially for swords, you need a lot of good steel. The price is inevitably high.

　He seems to have been the epicenter of the residents' rage zone.
　So, in short, the country has begun to do this in quantity rather than quality? No, he says it's been going on for decades, so it must have been a prescribed route from the beginning.
　I'm sure the country will be able to make good iron as the technology of iron manufacturing improves, but, well, it's just a hair's breadth away from the medieval level. Maybe it's not going to be easy to get it to the point where the dwarf dads are satisfied with it.

　Hmmm .......
　I didn't think it mattered because I was a customer, but it did matter a lot.
　I'm not sure that's what dwarves are supposed to do, but I'm sure it's not like that.
　Well, it's a world where they have a vocation and their jobs are specialized. I guess a blacksmith is a blacksmith.

How about getting a used sword or something like that to be used as material at ......?

　I'll try to come up with an alternative.
　A blacksmith could do it.
　I'm sure he could recycle old iron using a technique called "grated iron" or something like that. And if you're making a sword out of a sword, there's plenty of room for that.

Hmmm ....... It's not impossible to do that, though: ....... Swords are meant to be struck while listening to the voice of iron. You can't make a tool, and it's not something you can compromise on. And if the sword is good enough to be used as a material, it's better to strike it again.

　I see, it might be so.
　When you go to a second-hand tool shop, they sell a lot of used swords, and you think it's because they're cheap, but that kind of thing might be 'poor quality' iron in the eyes of the master.

It's not just a matter of time before you'll be able to get your hands on one.　Actually, that's what I brought to that store. What did you find out?

　When I asked him that, the grand master puffed his face.

'Oh!'　Oh, yeah, that's a good one. You know, I got the gist of it. You'd carve it out of a board, shape it and then harden it. But the problem was the steel. There's no way they could have something like that in the imperial capital. If so, it would be another country. ...... Hey, where did that stuff come from?

　Japan.
　I can't say that. But I've figured out how to make it: ....... I'm proud of you.
　And it's about right.

I'd be happy to stay on the job a little longer if we had that iron. It's nothing compared to the scrap iron that the steel mills here make.

　It's stainless steel, made in Japan.
　But I guess that means that stainless steel can be struck the same way as steel.
　In general, though, stainless steel is not a material that a private blacksmith would use for forging. No, I haven't tried it yet, so maybe it's on the level of something I'd like to try, or maybe it's a cakewalk with the super skills of a dwarf master.
　Hmm, I should have brought some stainless steel material with me.

'So you're saying that if you have a good material, you're not afraid to strike a sword ......?

Yeah, that's right. Yeah, that's right, if you have good steel. I really like blacksmithing too.

'I see. In that case - unfortunately, I don't have the same material as that knife, but I did get some steel (hagane) through a little route. Could you strike the sword with this?

　I took the sled out of my inventory beforehand and threw it in my bag.
　He takes it out and lays it out in front of the grand master's eyes with a rumble.
　The grand master looks at him.

　Yasugi-hagane, Japan's pride and joy, is a steel for blades.
　It is the blue paper No.2.