CH 134

Ch. 134: The Tour of Gungard

I decided to take a tour of Gungard.

The Dwarves carved a massive hole inside the side of a mountain and built this city inside of it…….and though the origins of this city are outrageous, the city itself looks pretty normal. I would think that there would be many issues trying to live inside a mountain, but the Dwarves have managed to push through with their craftsmanship and unified efforts.

……….so, when we first entered, we were surprised to see that the entire ceiling was made of stone, but now that we are walking around the city, other than the fact that the people walking around were Dwarves, it felt no different from any other city.

Henry: “Oh～ ummm….apparently, there’s not really any tourist spots, so……what should we do?”

I just decided on this on a whim, but I couldn’t think of any destinations to head to and scratched my cheek in the awkwardness.

……….right now, my party is currently destroying the Golem population nearby in order to accumulate money.

But in our hurry, we ventured out 5 days in a row, and as a result, everyone except me were out of commission from fatigue.

I can’t say it’s because they’re out of shape. It’s the one-full-month, one-rest-day frontline expectations that are absurd. ………but to be fair, only me and a few others were able to do that.

AーAnyways, they were fighting in unfamiliar territory on unfamiliar expeditions non-stop. If someone makes a critical error due to fatigue, there’s no taking that back, and thus, we decided to rest today.

On the other hand, I had plenty of energy, so I came out to explore the city.

“Oye, you there. Aren’t you the Savior of this City? Here, have one of these.”

Henry: “Oh! Thank you very much.” One of the men at the food stands called out to me and shoved a shish-kabob into my hand.

We no longer received the crazed, feverish welcome we saw at the beginning, but we still get a few people calling out to us and gave us some gifts. It’s embarrassing but also difficult to turn down people when they’re trying to give you things for free.

I smiled awkwardly, and took a big bite out of the large meat on the stick, and the juice from the meat filled my mouth.

Henry: “Oh, hot-hot-hot.”

Since the meat was fresh off the fire, I almost burned my mouth.

Henry: “(huff, huff)”

I blow out air as I juggle the meat inside my mouth and finally chew it down.

Henry: “Oh～～～ it’s really good.”

“I’m glad. You want a drink with that? I’ll have to charge you for the drink though.”

Henry: “Yes, thank you!”

Looking at the menu posted outside the food stand, I pass 20 zeniths to the man.

“Thank you for the order!”

He took the payment energetically and swiftly filled a wooden mug with ale.

I swallowed in anticipation right before I chugged it down.

It’s still before noon, and I feel a pang of guilt for drinking at this time of day, but if I look around, there are plenty of Dwarves drinking ale as they would water. This city has that kind of culture…….or so I tried to convince myself as I chugged down a quarter of the mug.

Henry: “ahh……..this is really good too.”

“Yup, our ale is one of our most popular items.”

The taste of the ale is much heavier than the Flowtier Ale. With a deep and complex flavor, it hits your stomach with a punch.

Some say that ale is just liquid bread, but this drink proves that point well.

And of course, it goes extremely well with the meat. The meat’s hardy seasoning complements the ale’s strong flavor, and you can easily drink down a mug of ale with one shish-kabob.

Henry: “Thank you for the meal. It was delicious.”

“Yeah, glad you enjoyed it. Is our Savior on a break today? I heard rumors that you were trying to earn money to pay Gordon’s fees.”

Henry: “.........yes, but you don’t have to address me as Savior. It’s pretty embarrassing. But yes, we’ll be going on expeditions with breaks in between. If we go out continuously, we’ll eventually tire out.”

In the 3 major nations, it’s part of the tradition to anyone who has accomplished a huge feat or saved your city from danger as “Savior”..........but I’ll let it go for the first or second time, but I couldn’t bear being told so every single day.

There’s only one person I can think of that deserves that title. ……..and that person is pretty oblivious, and maybe that’s why they don’t mind being called that.

“Hmmm, I see. Well, there’s not much to see here, but take your time.”

Henry: “Yes, thank you so much.”

I wave my hand as I depart from the food stand.

Now then, what should I do next……

<<<<>>>>

I wavered slightly as I continued down the path.

I then finally started seeing where all the workshops and smithy’s were lined up in the streets.

From each of the workshops, smoke billowed and rolled up to the sky. Since the environment is inside a mountain, you would think the air quality would instantly start degrading, but they must have some secret gadget that made it alright.

Hmm…….let me think. Since I’m here, maybe they’ll be selling some stuff around here? I could use another life for day-to-day living. The Nyoiten Spear can be shaped into a knife, but I would appreciate the sensation of a different blade in my hands.

Henry: “Hmmmmmm….”

As I walked while pondering…….oh, I didn’t even have to look that far.

I entered a different street, and I saw some younger workers who were probably helpers of those workshops. There were both Dwarven boys and girls there, and they set out merchandise on blankets in front of the stores. It was quite the sight to see.

“Oh, hey mister. I haven’t seen you before, but you from the outside?” Being lost in the sea of products all around me, a human girl came up and spoke to me as she peered up at me.

………she’s about 12 or 13? It’s rare to see humans in a Dwarven city.

Henry: “Yeah, I came here from a different town to earn some money.”

“I see, I see. Mister, you must be quite strong then. If you came here to earn some cash, you’re hunting Higher-Tier Golems, right?”

Henry: “That’s about right.”

With the Hanuman incident, our faces and names were quite well known, but that doesn’t mean that every person here knows about us.

I laughed awkwardly to let the question pass.

Henry: “........so, did you have something you want from me?” “Well, if you’re going to shop here, do you want a guide? You’re at the Gungard Workshop District, the Blue Sky Market. All the products you see here range from things the Smith Masters made to things their apprentices and even trainees made. It’s all mixed up together, so if you don’t have a guide helping you, you might get ripped off～.” Wait, wait, wait.

Henry: “But if you do that, wouldn’t the workshop owner lose face selling poor products….?” “The products sold have appropriate price tags, but this place is to help train your ability to distinguish the quality of products too. See?” And the girl pointed at a sign post.

……..and just like she said, the exact same thing the girl explained was written plainly on the notice board. For instance, if you purchase a poor quality product, that is your own responsibility.

“But maybe it’s not fair to enforce that on visitors from the outside. It’ll be heart-breaking if you do fall into a bad deal………..so that’s why, with a little fee, yours truly, Miss Narcia, will help guide you through the marketplace. I’ve been living here since I was little, so I have some confidence in being able to tell apart the good from the bad.”

She’s a little arrogant as any other child, and I feel myself smile a little.

And I may not be as good as a craftsman, but I think I can distinguish the quality of a weapon pretty well……..but I guess this is fine. The way she addressed herself caught my attention.

Henry: “Narcia, huh? Fine, here’s your payment. When we’re done, I’ll pay the other half.”

Narcia: “Whoa?! 500 zeniths?! …….ummm, you understand that I’m not going to help you find treasure here.”

Henry: “Don’t worry about it and keep it.”

Narcia: “.......he he he, Mister, would you like me to hold your bags?” Henry: “I don’t have any luggage like that……” I wave my hand to dismiss her offer. Besides, even if I was carrying something, I’m not going to make a small child carry it.

Narcia; “Hmmmm, then…….oh, mister? I know the Varsaldi Empire is very lax in that area, but the Dwarven City is self-governing, so you can’t buy a child like me. You know that?” Henry: “LIKE I WOULD!!”

I immediately address this severe misunderstanding.

Henry: “Like I told you before, I came here to earn some money. I’ve been lucky and earned more than I expected lately, so I’m just sharing some of that wealth.”

Narcia: “Hmmm, hearing someone be so successful makes me full of jealousy, but Miss Narcia is an intelligent and mature maiden. She will not let such small things get in the way of her business and will promptly continue making her customer feel at ease. Well done.”

Is…….she Cyril’s relative or something?

……but she’s pretty good at gauging the social distance with her conversation. She’s adjusting her wording judging by my reaction, and she’s making sure to not brazenly cross lines that would put me off, and she’s able to gracefully joke with me right up to that line.

She might be quite the intelligent child.

………..correction. She’s different from Cyril. Cyril doesn’t think this deeply.

Narcia: “Now then, mister. What is it you’re looking for today?” I told Narcia that I was looking for a knife, and she immediately guided me to a store.

…….and well, it’s probably a store that she has close ties to, but I don’t think she would be foolish enough to take me to a poor quality store off the bat, so I followed her without a word.

“Hey, it’s Narcia. You caught another tourist?” Narcia: “What do you mean caught? I did no such thing and explained everything to him!”

“Right, right. Uhhh, you a human adventurer? Welcome.” She had a casual conversation with one of the store’s underlings and pointed to the store’s merchandise.

Narcia: “Hmmmm, mister. That one looks elaborate, but Iwan made it, so I wouldn’t recommend it. Otherwise, there’s no other bad choices.”

Iwan: “Hey, why you….” The boy seemed a little taken back, but he must know that his skill level still isn’t up to par. He wasn’t able to retort anything beyond that.

Henry: “Do you mind if I test the blade?” Iwan: “You can use the discarded wood pieces here.”

Henry: “Thanks.” I took 3 knives that caught my eye and pick up a wooden block with test cuts all over it and make a mark.

One, two, and three……there.

Henry: “This one. ………..oh, it’s quite cheap.” I chose the 2nd one and was shocked when I saw the low price tag.

Iwan: “.........he picked the Master’s handiwork on the first try. Mister, you must be quite the Adventurer.”

Henry: “Somewhat. But do you make any profits with a price like this? Isn’t this Adamantite?” It looks plain and is heavier than it looks, but it’s quite durable. It’s edges are very sharp, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it was sold at 3 times the price they have here.

Iwan: “Oh, I guess even an Adventurer of your level didn’t recognize. That is a test product trying to see if you can retain the durability of Adamantite while turning it into a cheaper metal alloy. I can’t tell you the alloy metal ratio though.”

Henry: “It’s cheap because it’s a test product……..are you sure about this knife then?” Iwan: “We’ve tested the durability of the metal thoroughly. But making this alloy is SUPER cumbersome, so we’re not going to make any others.” Then I guess it’s fine.

Huh, now that I look closely, there’s a lot of fun items around here.

Narcia: “Mister, is that it? You got the knife you were looking for.” Henry: “I’d like to look around a little more….hmmmm, let’s see. I should buy some gifts for my other Party members. Can you introduce me to those stores?” Narcia: “Of course. Just leave it to me.” As I let Narcia guide me through the market, I walk through the Blue Sky Market.

There are other shops besides Smithy’s, and they’re selling cloth-based items, wooden crafts, food and alcohol………so you can find just about anything. They told me that there’s really not a tourist spot, but this was worth the time to see.

So, I bought Jend a practice Kroseid Spellcall Stone, Teo ー a set of nice looking arrowheads, Ferris ー a sharpening stone…….and basically, gifts that can’t go wrong.

……..but I think about what to get Cyril and pause.

Narcia: “Mister, what are you going to do about the last gift for your human friend?” Henry: “Hmmmー, yeah…..let me think…….” I could pick something just like I did with the others, but I feel like that’s a bit boring.

Henry: “........well, it doesn’t have to be for Adventurers, but is there an Accessory store around?”

Narcia: “Oh, oh. ……….is it your girlfriend?” Henry: “Yeah.”

It’s a little embarrassing so I turn away as I answer. Narcia laughed and waved her hand, “This way” as she walked without hesitation to the next store.

Narcia: “Well now, that’s so nice～ I wish I had someone like that～”

Henry: “Yeah? …..do you have anyone in mind? I guess finding other human beings in this city is pretty tough.” Narcia: “Yeah～ but there are many Adventurers that pass by looking for weapons and armor, so once I’m a little older, I’ll catch one. Mister, you were just 5 years too fast!”

Henry: “Yeah, yeah.” I answer her banter casually.

Henry: “Oh, but where are we going? We seemed to have exited the Blue Sky Market.”

Narcia: “Ohh, we’re going to a clothing store I have ties to. The most famous craftsman is the Hero of Legend, Gordon, but when it comes to cloth products, my Master is one step above.”

…………it doesn’t seem like she’s trying to exaggerate.

Henry: “But I don’t think I’ll be able to afford the merchandise of your Master.”

Narcia: “No worries. The apprentices’ skill level is very high, and with a word from me, you might get a good price.”

Then I guess it’s okay.

………as we talk, we arrive at the workshop. That’s fine butーー

“Thank you very much. ………oh?”

And as someone was exiting the workshop, I recognized her. She was holding a package very carefully andーー

Henry: “Ricotta?” Ricotta; “Why, it’s Sir Henry. What a coincidence.” She bowed elegantly even with the package in her arms. It was Mr. Gordon’s maid, and someone who’s been taking care of us ー Ricotta. Narcia: “Oh, mister, you know Miss Ricotta?” Henry: “Yeah, my Party’s been staying with Mr. Gordon.”

Narcia: “.........then, mister, you must be the rumored Party that defeated the Highest-Tier!! I was giving a tour to someone amazing～”

And Narcia applauded as she yelled quietly in surprise.

Ricotta: “Judging from your conversation, Narcia, you have been giving Sir Henry a tour of the Blue Sky Market?”

Henry: “Yeah, she talked me into it, and it ended up this way. We’re here because….well, I wanted to get Cyril a gift. What about you, Ricotta?” Ricotta: “I was here to pick up materials we custom ordered for Lady Cyril’s armor.”

Now that I recall, Cyril will upgrade the clothes she’s wearing, but she wanted to get a brand new cloak.

……and this also proved Narcia’s previous comment. If Mr. Gordon is asking for materials, the Master here must be quite the skilled craftsman.

Henry: “I see. Then, can you wait here for me? If you’re going back to the Mansion, I can carry the luggage for you.” Ricotta: “Oh, I can’t have you doing such things. Besides, this isn’t that heavy.” Henry: “........sorry, to be frank, I don’t know if I can return straight to Mr. Gordon’s place from here, so I want you to wait if that’s okay.” Ricotta: “......oh, yes.” I was a little too excited about exploring a brand new city and got myself lost as I walked everywhere. I think I’ll be okay regardless but having a guide would be very helpful at the moment.

And with Narcia’s guide, I entered the workshop.

They recommended many kinds of items, but in the end, I chose a light-colored scarf and left the store.

I parted with Narcia here. I paid her the rest of her dues, and with a huge smile, she waved us goodbye.

Henry: “But that Narcia was a good girl.”

Ricotta: “Yes, I’m very good friends with her.” Henry: “Oh, that makes sense. You’re the same race and both women. In this city, it would be a rare friend to have.” Ricotta nods with a yes.

Ricotta: “She’s also an exclusive employee just like me. …….oh, but…..it’s sad, but she doesn’t quite understand the charm of Dwarven men. I think they’re wonderful. Especially the beard. ………oh, but my heart is set on my Master alone!”

Henry: “OーOkay….”

Narcia seems to be growing up healthy and well.

………..and I hope she’s not too heavily influenced by her peer here and grow up to a live a happy life.