The Merchant and the Blacksmith (Part 2)
“You crazy bastard!”
The thug yanked his arm, but naturally, it didn’t budge an inch.
Dalen tightened his grip slightly and spoke, “I’m asking you a question. How much for that wrist of yours?”
“You, you…”
The thug was flustered. It felt like an orc had grabbed his wrist.
A seasoned mercenary would have sensed the difference in skill and backed off by now.
“Screw the wrist! I’ll gut you instead!”
Unfortunately, this thug was just a local hoodlum, living off bravado and stubbornness.
With a swift motion, he dropped his dagger, caught it with his other hand, and lunged at Dalen’s stomach.
For a thug, his knife skills were impressive. In fact, he was quite notorious in the local gang.
In his experience, no matter how strong someone was, a blade leveled the playing field.
Dalen, in his loose clothes and unarmed, seemed like easy prey to the thug’s short-lived experience.
But when Dalen caught the dagger with his bare hand, the thug’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“With… bare hands?”
Without a glove, Dalen’s hand firmly gripped the blade, refusing to let go.
It was a perfect blend of superhuman strength, heightened skill, and the mastery of combat that had surpassed its limits.
“S-sorry…”
The thug looked up at Dalen, trembling. Dalen chuckled. This guy was apologizing now, after trying to stab him?
He said, “One silver coin for each wrist. How about it?”
“N-no! No—Aaaagh!”
Crunch!
With a light squeeze, the bones in the thug’s wrist crumbled. Even on Earth, such a complex fracture would be hard to treat.
With that thought, Dalen didn’t hesitate to crush the thug’s other wrist as well.
Crunch!
“Aaagh! Aaaagh!”
Clang!
Dalen tossed the dagger onto the street and gave the writhing thug a nudge with his foot.
Then he crouched down in front of the thug sprawled on the ground. He spoke.
“Hey.”
“Hic. Ugh.”
The thug, his face a mess of tears and snot, looked up.
Fear seemed to outweigh the pain, as he couldn’t even scream, only letting out pitiful whimpers.
Dalen curled his lips into a small smile and whispered, “Get lost by the count of three. One.”
“Hic, if Telia Trading Company or Brother Vankal hears about this, you’re dead!”
“Two.”
“Aaaagh!”
The thug screamed and ran off. Dalen watched him go, then stood up and stretched. Vankal? That name sounded familiar.
He shrugged it off and turned around to see Penny helping the blacksmith to his feet. The blacksmith spoke.
“Hey, what did you just do?”
“Just taught a lesson to a punk who thinks it’s okay to stab people.”
Dalen’s nonchalant attitude left the blacksmith momentarily speechless, perhaps a bit shocked.
Seeing his expression, Dalen realized his mistake.
‘This guy’s going through a rough patch right now.’
Laveron was one of the top NPCs Dalen was considering recruiting. But this blacksmith wasn’t destined to shine until later in the game.
Eventually, he’d become a formidable figure who could smash a demon’s head with a hammer, but for now, he was at rock bottom.
Dalen scratched his head and added, “I didn’t kill him. He threatened me with a knife while I was unarmed. If the guards come, I’ll just claim self-defense. It shouldn’t affect your business.”
“It’s not that…”
Laveron trailed off, then let out a deep sigh.
“I’m sorry. But since you saved me and my niece, would you like to come in for a beer and a chat?”
Dalen stopped scratching his head.
Beer?
That sounded good.
“I’m sorry. I should have thanked you first. Lately, I’ve been overwhelmed with so many problems.”
The blacksmith said as he brought over a large mug of beer.
“I’m Laveron Ahakim. This is my niece, Penny. I care for her like a daughter.”
“Hmm.”
Dalen nodded while tilting his beer mug.
Laveron’s beer was famous in the game for its taste.
So much so that by the mid-game, there was always a tavern attached to his forge.
Heroes from all over the world would unanimously praise it as a masterpiece.
Tasting it firsthand, it was indeed exceptional.
“That thug was sent by a creditor. Like any business owner, I had some debts.”
Thud.
Dalen set his mug down with a clink. He wiped the foam from his lips and asked, “Some?”
”…It was originally just a little.”
Just then, Penny came from the kitchen with a beer mug and sat down. Seeing how much Dalen had drunk, she looked a bit taken aback.
”…Would you like mine too?”
“Not a fan of alcohol?”
“Not really.”
“I won’t say no.”
As Dalen quickly emptied his mug and started on the new one, Laveron began to share his story.
His shop was in a decent location on the blacksmith street. Naturally, the land was expensive.
So when he first opened the shop, he took on a bit of debt.
Just a bit.
Until the original creditor sold the debt to Telia Trading Company.
“When I heard the creditor had changed, I was nervous at first, but they seemed quite reasonable. They offered to lower the interest rate and asked if I wanted to borrow more. They even offered to sell me the equipment I needed for the forge at a low price. That’s how the debt started to grow.”
It’s always easier to spend money than to earn it. As he spent money on various necessities, the debt snowballed.
When he finally came to his senses, Laveron found himself with nearly ten times the original debt.
Realizing the situation too late, he declared one day that he wouldn’t borrow any more money.
And the trading company immediately changed their attitude.
“They started increasing the interest rate. Eventually, they demanded more than what I was paying the original creditor. And then, customers started dwindling, and only strange materials were being delivered to my shop.”
Later, he found out it was all the trading company’s doing.
Knowing the truth, Laveron was furious, but there was nothing he could do.
He was already buried under a mountain of debt.
”…The company made me an offer.”
Sniff.
Perhaps due to the alcohol, Laveron swallowed his tears.
Dalen, who was about to reach for his fourth mug after finishing his third, paused at the sound of his tearful voice.
But only for a moment. He still asked out of courtesy.
“What kind of offer?”
“They wanted me to close my shop and join their workshop. They said if I worked for five years, they’d consider the debt paid. But you know, once a local blacksmith like me closes shop, it’s over. Even if I pay off the debt in five years, I’d just end up getting kicked out of someone else’s forge.”
True, even experienced newcomers have age limits.
Dalen set his half-empty mug down. The refreshing, tangy aftertaste lingered in his throat.
The conversation seemed sufficient for now.
“I’m such an ungrateful fool. Here I am, whining to the person who saved me from losing my wrist…”
“How much?”
”…What?”
Dalen repeated, “I asked how much the debt is.”
Laveron looked bewildered, then shook his head as he realized Dalen’s intent.
“Listen, this isn’t an amount an individual can handle. Even in the Silver District, not many can easily deal with such a sum.”
So how much is it?
As Dalen silently tapped his fingers on the table, Laveron sighed deeply and confessed.
“Twenty-five, no, with this month’s interest, twenty-six florins.”
“I’ll pay it off for you.”
Screech.
Dalen stood up.
He thought to himself, it was an impulsive decision, but a good one.
His superhuman physique and inheritor options had already changed many things.
The lowly street monster that should have been a boss was put out of its misery early.
The butcher Delric Valentino, who led the Frogman army, became a cold corpse discarded in the sewers.
‘Penny would have died in the sewers too, at the hands of Delric Valentino’s Frogmen. There’s a reason I never saw her in hundreds of playthroughs.’
The future was already starting to change.
Dalen had no intention of stopping that flow.
In fact, he planned to change it even faster.
A world heading towards destruction.
With enough power and potential, there was no reason not to change that fate.
It was a path for the residents of this world, and for Dalen himself.
“How exactly do you plan to repay it? No matter how skilled a warrior you are, where do you intend to find that much gold?”
Lebeon asked, his tone filled with disbelief, as he watched the man finish the remaining half of his drink.
Dalen chuckled softly. “Don’t worry, I’ve got my ways.”
The Lebeon he remembered was a far cry from the man before him now. Once a beggar, crushed by the loss of his only nephew and buried under insurmountable debt, he had been cast out onto the streets. Yet, he had overcome even the despair that was palpable through the monitor, eventually becoming one of the continent’s finest blacksmiths.
“Come on, tell me what this plan of yours is.”
“That’s not something you need to worry about. Just make me some armor when I clear your debt. A sword and shield too.”
Dalen was thinking of giving him a bit of a head start. If a legendary craftsman who had climbed out of life’s deepest valleys could get a fresh start, who knew how high he could rise?
If a handful of gold could secure that future, it would be a bargain like no other.
“If you clear my debt, that’s the least I can do. But…”
Dalen grinned. “I’ll be counting on it.”
Before leaving, he picked up a hand axe displayed in the shop and tucked it into his belt. “Consider this an advance. Thanks for the beer.”
Thud.
As Dalen left, the shop was filled only with the floating dust illuminated by the crimson twilight.
Just then, Penny emerged from the kitchen with another mug of beer, her eyes wide with surprise.
“Huh? Where’s Mr. Dalen?”
”…Penny, who exactly is that man?”
Penny scratched her neck awkwardly. “Well… we might need to start by figuring out if he’s even human.”
Leaving the blacksmith’s, Dalen headed straight for the merchant guild. For those who make money, there’s no such thing as day or night. The guild was bustling with people as usual.
“Do you know where Volkmar Gallios is? I was told to mention his name if needed.”
When he asked at the guild counter, the staff member tilted their head in confusion.
“Sorry, but who are you to be looking for Master Gallios?”
“Dalen,” he replied, showing his mercenary badge. The staff member jumped to their feet upon seeing the silver badge.
“Ah, you’re Mr. Dalen! Master Gallios mentioned about a week ago that if you came looking for him, we should bring you to him without question.”
What? He went that far?
He had come because he was told to find him at the guild if necessary, but he thought it was just a polite gesture. Given the social gap between a guild master and a silver-badged mercenary, he hadn’t expected much.
Dalen had come without high expectations, thinking he could just find him through Sienna if the guild didn’t help. The staff’s sudden change in attitude was a bit surprising.
“They say you’re the warrior who split a goblin in two with your bare hands. It’s an honor to meet you. This way, please. I’ll take you to the Gallios guild branch.”
The staff member eagerly led him out of the guild building. Dalen couldn’t help but be impressed by the level of service where big money was involved, even if it included a bit of flattery.
“I heard about the goblin attack. You saved everyone when the guild was in danger, like the god of battle the Northerners worship…”
“By the way, does the Gallios guild have a branch here?”
“Oh, Master Gallios recently established a new branch. Rumor has it he’s planning to expand his business in Falcion…”
This isn’t just good service; I think I’ve run into a chatterbox.
Fortunately, the talkative staff member was not only good at talking but also competent. Before long, they arrived at a four-story brick building.
“This is the new branch building purchased by the Gallios guild. It was an honor to guide you.”
“Thanks for the help.”
He flicked a silver coin to the staff member, who bowed deeply in gratitude. Ignoring the staff’s continued thanks, Dalen entered the building.
Bang! Bang!
Clang, thud!
As soon as he stepped inside, he was hit by a wave of heat and noise.
“Hey! New goods coming in! Move all the stuff over there!”
“Separate the tanned leather, you idiot! Redo it immediately!”
“Watch the hooks! Master Gallios said safety first, no matter what!”
People were bustling about, carrying wooden crates, baskets, leather bundles, and equipment. Even after sunset, the busy branch building was proof that the rumors of Gallios expanding his business were true.
Dalen watched the workers with his hands in his pockets. It wasn’t hard to spot the guild master among them.
Like the others, he was running around, giving orders while moving goods.
“Two more carts’ worth for today! Let’s keep it up! Could you move this over there? And…”
“Long time no see, Master.”
At Dalen’s greeting, the guild master blinked in surprise, then broke into a wide smile.
“Dalen? What brings the great warrior of the North here? I had a good dream last night, and now I know why. It was a sign I’d meet you!”
Watching Gallios welcome him with open arms, Dalen chuckled quietly. The man sure knew how to flatter.
Wiping the sweat streaming down his face with his sleeve, Gallios spoke.
“So, what brings the warrior who split a goblin in two to see me?”
“I need some money.”
Gallios froze mid-swipe. He quickly composed himself and asked, “I must have misheard you because I’ve been working too hard. Could you repeat that?”
Seeing the slight panic in his expression, Dalen grinned.
With one hand in his pocket and the other resting on the axe at his waist, he said, “I asked for some money. A handful of gold would do. A pouch would be even better.”