The next day. Samija and I were heading into town. I was wondering if I should bring my spear for protection, but I haven't tried it yet, so I left it behind. We'll have to do it tomorrow. .......

　This time I arrived at the city without incident. The guard at the entrance is Marius again today.
　He is holding a short spear in his hand, but he is wearing a longsword on his waist, which is his "personal item" that he brought by mistake.
"Oh, you're a little early this time.
"Yeah, we're stocking up.
"I see. Is the selection still the same?
Yes, today it's the same as before.
Oh, yeah? You have longswords, right? I'll tell my guys.
We do. Thank you very much.
Oh, and, uh...
Can I help you?
No, no, no. You'll find out when you get to free market.
......? Okay, okay. Okay, bye.
Oh.
　Mr. Marius was a bit sloppy, but the purpose of the day was to sell stuff and buy salt and stuff. We headed for the free market.
　I'm the only one with the goods today, so I'm going to the sales area by myself first. I'll ask Samija to buy something while I'm there.

　I pay as usual, pick up the sales table, and head for the space. The man at the reception desk seemed to be getting to know me a little better, and he was more friendly than ever today.
　The same space as before was occupied, so I set up my stand at a slightly different location and started preparing to open the store. There was no weaver in sight today. Maybe we came early this time, and the day didn't work out, or maybe they won't be coming for a while. ....... It's a little lonely when you don't know anyone.

　Today's items were the same as the last time, so we made preparations quickly, and we were ready to open the store. Of course, in a free market, there is no opening time, so the completion of preparations equals the opening.

　As I waited until just before noon, the vendor who bought the longsword from me last time came.
He said, "Hey, how are you doing?
　She calls out to me in a casual way, and I respond in the same way.
"Oh, no, not today.
"Not even one?
Not one.
Okay, longsword, I'll buy what I have.
"What? Are you sure?
Yeah. I think the last one I brought with me was a hit at a dealer's. I've been asked to get some more bottles.
If I had known that, I would have made ten more bottles at night and brought them with me.
"You're a pushy craftsman, man.
You know, when you've been banging on the iron for a week straight, sometimes you just want to see the silver.
I see. I see.
　Then we both laugh. The peddler really did buy all four bottles for me. That's almost enough for today.
　I also brought some "luxury models" today, but they are not selling because no one is interested in them. However, that's not going to last forever, so I'll have to give up on it at some point, and the next time a peddler comes, I'll leave it to him.

　Just as I was thinking about this, Samija came back from her purchase. Today I got salt for salting the venison and food stalls for lunch. The street food is exactly as it is described, with slices of grilled venison on top of hard-baked bread and sweet and spicy sauce on top of it. It is neither a pizza nor a hamburger, but it is so delicious that it is my go-to food when I come here. Inside the walls, there are some troublesome rules and regulations, so you have to buy each one separately, but this is a free market outside the walls, so there are no rules and regulations, so you can enjoy such dishes.

　So after filling their bellies and selling a few knives to Ichigen, it came.

　There is a woman who at first glance looks like a child, but who is quite bodied and wanders about looking for something. Seeing this, Samija whispered to me.
It's a dwarf. That's unusual.
"Not many?
I don't see many around here. I once guided a man who came to the forest to the road, but that was it.
Is that so?
　So you've been able to see something rare. I'm glad to hear it. And dwarves. That sounds familiar. There they are: ....... At this rate there'll be elves too. I'll ask Samija if she's ever seen one.

　When the dwarf woman saw the knife left on the table, she rushed towards me. Looking at her face, I could see that her nose was a little round. The rest of her face was almost the same as that of a human. However, its arms and legs are very sturdy. They are not as strong as the bodybuilders of the previous world, but they look like they have been working out hard at the gym.


"Oh, um!
Yes. What can I do for you?
　I was a little overwhelmed by the woman who started talking so quickly.
"Are you the one who made the knife for the Guardsman?
"Yes, I did. ......
　Samija shifted her position slightly. I'm sure it's nothing, but I'm kind of glad that she's trying to do her job as a guard. The woman continues without seeming to notice me.
"Is this the same knife as the one used by the guards?
Yes, it is.
May I see it?
Yes, please.
　The woman pulls the knife out of its sheath and looks closely at the blade and handle. After a while, she said.
Can you show me the best product here?
"Yes, well, that's fine.
　The best product: ....... The knife I'm looking at now is as good as any blacksmith's, but if he looks at it and says, "Show me more," he must be sure it's there. I was going to sell it at some point, and I don't mind showing it off.
　I took the "high-end model" longsword off my waist and handed it to the woman. She took it with an air of reverence and gently pulled it from its scabbard. The blade that came out was quite well made, even if I had to put some effort into it. Even a very skilled blacksmith would not be able to make a sword like this. If I were to sell it, I wouldn't complain even if I had to charge ten times the price of the "ordinary model.

　The woman continued to observe the longsword more carefully than she had with the knife. She watched it for so long that she even had time to sell a knife to another man who was curious about what she was doing. In the meantime, the woman continued to look at the sword intently.

　Then, just as she was about to give it back, she said
Thank you very much. I will return it.
　She sheathed the longsword and returned it to me.
"Thank you very much.
　And just as I took it, the woman moved. Samija reacts by pulling my body backward while she steps forward.

　However, the posture she took was not an attack on me, but a figure with legs bent, hands on the ground, and head bowed - on her knees.
　Is there such a thing as getting down on the ground in this world? In the midst of the free market, the woman is still on her knees, shouting.
Please make me your disciple!
　For a while, all I could do was stare blankly at her.