Chapter 28: I’ve Shown Everything There Is To Show (2)

It was common knowledge that locks didn’t open without their specific keys, especially the lock designed by Volkanus, which had two locking mechanisms. It shouldn’t have opened with something as simple as a wire.

Click. Clunk!

But it opened. A lock made by Volkanus, a master-level blacksmith, had been undone by just a single piece of wire.

Ultima clicked his tongue.

“It’s clearly a lock designed to counter wire-picking, and you still opened it in 10 seconds. If you decided to become a thief, you’d be the greatest on the continent, my lord,” Ultima said.

Hans, looking dumbfounded, picked up the fallen lock with both hands.

“Were locks always this easy to open?”

Ignoring Hans, who was struggling to process this, Keter and Ultima entered the bow storage room.

“

Oh!

Truly magnificent! This... this is a horn bow made from the horns of a Minotaur!?”

Ultima couldn’t hold back his admiration as he saw the neatly arranged bows. Even Keter could see that all the bows in this room were of excellent quality, far superior to the ones Volkanus had previously shown in an attempt to deceive him.

“May I touch this?”

“I’ll allow you to touch just one.”

It was unclear why Keter, and not the actual creator, was giving permission, but Ultima, after looking around, picked up the bow that caught his eye the most.

“

Ohhh! Oh-ho!

This elasticity, this shine! It’s far superior to the bows crafted by the Empire’s finest artisans!”

Ultima was both a merchant and a warrior. Thanks to that, his eye for assessing the value of weapons and armor was unrivaled in the Lillian Kingdom. A bow wasn’t his main weapon, but recognizing its worth was not difficult for him.

It’s second-hand, but it’s practically brand new. I could easily sell it for one hundred gold at the very least.

Considering that hunting bows for civilians typically cost one silver, this was a huge price difference. Plus, there weren’t just one or two of these bows—there were hundreds. Depending on whether the bow was made from wood or metal, the price could climb even higher. Ultima estimated the total value of the bows in the storage could reach at least ten thousand gold.

After finishing his calculations, Ultima took a deep breath. Beyond the money, there was the additional benefit of the reputation that came with selling Sefira’s bows. The Sefira family had run their own forge for hundreds of years and had never once sold their bows to outsiders. Being the first merchant to distribute Sefira’s bows would carry significant prestige.

Ultima, after placing the bow back in its place, looked at Keter with a serious expression.

“If I can buy these Sefira bows, I’m willing to cover all additional expenses.”

By “additional expenses,” Ultima meant the transportation and escort fees. Typically, the seller and buyer split these costs, adjusting the ratio as needed. But in this case, Ultima was offering to bear the full amount.

Hans, who had joined them at some point, tried to speak up again, but Keter silenced him by covering Hans’ mouth with his hand.

“There are more bow storage rooms like this one. Some are slightly lower quality, and some are purely decorative. If you’re willing to purchase those as well, Sefira can provide personnel support for the transport,” Keter said.

“Bows from Sefira, even old or failed pieces, will still have reliable performance. They also have artistic value, which nobles will like. I’m willing to purchase everything,” Ultima replied.

“This is why I like you. You’re lightning-fast when it comes to cost-benefit calculations.”

“

Haha

, thank you for the compliment.”

The two got along as if they’d been close friends for years, when it was just an hour ago that they tried to kill each other at the main entrance.

Then, a booming voice rang out from the entrance.

“Who dares to sell my bows without permission?!”

The three of them turned to see Volkanus standing at the doorway, gripping his hammer with both hands, his face flushed red with fury.

* * *

Volkanus had spent nearly two hundred years solely crafting bows, as he had a deep pride in the superiority of bows over other weapons. Except for his early days learning metallurgy, he never once made any weapon besides a bow. But after meeting Keter, everything changed.

He began to craft daggers, believing that archers now needed to seriously consider close combat.

“This one dulls too easily.”

Snap!

“And this one is unnecessarily heavy.”

Crack!

Since dawn, Volkanus had been making and destroying daggers over and over. Wiping the sweat from his forehead for the first time at noon, he said to his assistant, “I’m going to clear my head for a bit. Melt down all the failures.”

What exactly is the perfect dagger for an archer?

Volkanus tried to figure it out by crafting them himself, but he couldn’t quite get the feel of it, which gave him a headache.

“If I make the blade thin for sharpness, it breaks and dulls too easily. An ideal dagger shouldn’t lose its edge so easily... but if I make the blade thicker, the weight balance is thrown off. And if I try to balance it by making the handle heavier, it’ll become as heavy as a longsword.”

Daggers being prone to damage and breaking was normal. After all, they were designed to kill unarmored humans or animals. They weren’t meant for defense, and attempting to block an attack with the blade could cause it to break easily due to its thinness.

However, Volkanus wasn’t one to be bound by conventional thinking. He believed that it was possible to create a dagger that retained its characteristics while also being durable. The only issue was figuring out how to make it.

The real solution was using expensive minerals. There was a mineral that fit all the necessary conditions, but the problem was that it was absurdly expensive, so using it was realistically impossible. Since the Sefira family’s finances were not in good shape, he was trying to compensate for the lack of quality materials with his skill.

Knock, knock.

While deep in thought, his assistant blacksmith came to see him.

“What? Keter went to the bow storage with an outsider?”

Already frustrated by his own struggles, Volkanus became irritated. Even though Keter was an exceptional individual, going to the bow storage without his permission was unacceptable. And bringing an outsider made it even worse.

Grabbing his hammer, both his tool and weapon, Volkanus rushed to the storage room. He assumed they wouldn’t be able to enter because of the lock, but knowing Keter, he was likely the type to break it, so he hurried.

Volkanus was partly right. The lock had been opened, but it wasn’t broken. Even worse, it looked like the lock had been opened with a key.

How in the world did he do that?

Every lock used by the Sefira family was handcrafted by Volkanus himself. They were not only incredibly sturdy but also designed with complex internal structures that made it impossible to unlock without the specific key. But that wasn’t the worst part. The conversation coming from inside the storage was enough to make Volkanus see red. Keter was talking about selling the bows—

all

of them, not just one or two.

Keter, you’ve not just lost your mind, you’ve completely gone insane.

The bows of Sefira were Volkanus’ pride and the Sefira family’s blessing. No one outside of the Sefira family was ever supposed to wield them. Gripping his hammer so tightly that the veins on his forearms bulged, he stormed into the storage.

“Who gave you the right to sell

my

bows?!” he shouted.

At Volkanus’ booming voice, Hans shrank back, and Ultima wore an awkward expression. Keter, on the other hand, casually picked at his ear with his pinky.

“Did you have a bucket of coal for breakfast or something? Why is your voice so loud?”

“Keter, you brat! Just because I approved of you doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want in my forge! Get out of my storage now!”

Enraged, Volkanus thrust the head of his hammer forward. But instead of leaving, Keter raised three fingers.

“There are three reasons why you must sell these bows, Grandpa Midget.”

“What nonsense are you going to spout now with that mouth of yours? I’m not falling for it. Get out!”

“First!”

No matter what Volkanus said, Keter calmly folded one finger and continued his speech.

“Bows are incredibly high-maintenance weapons. Do you have any idea how much money and manpower it takes to maintain and repair them? These bows you’ve stashed away, claiming to treasure them, guzzle money like water!”

“You and your filthy mouth!”

“Grandpa Midget, stop resorting to violence, and let’s have a civilized conversation like the intellectuals we are. And let’s be honest, these bows aren’t even spares, are they?”

“You’re the one who uses violence...

Ugh!

Fine, I admit it. The spare bows are elsewhere. But if we sell these, Sefira’s military strength will be exposed!”

Volkanus set down his hammer and logically explained why selling the bows was out of the question, which Hans nodded in agreement. The reason Sefira never sold its bows was to prevent enemies from analyzing and exploiting them.

But Keter just scoffed.

“Techniques? What techniques? Are you talking about bow-making techniques?”

“These bows were specially crafted for Sefira’s unique technique, Zodiac Archery. This means that a skilled person could deduce our archery technique just by examining the bows.”

“Like how you can tell if someone’s technique is based on speed or strength from the shape of the blade?”

“Exactly!”

“If that were true, then all swordsmen should walk around hiding their swords. And our Sefira archers would have to wrap their bows in cloth so no one could see them. But that’s not the case, is it?”

Volkanus realized he’d made a mistake. Keter had baited him into agreeing, and now he was in trouble.

“It’s possible that someone could infer Sefira’s techniques from our bows. But so what? Are we some sort of secretive family? Our techniques are already widely known, and anything that could be revealed probably already has. What exactly are we hiding?”

“

Ugh...

Fine. I’ll admit that.”

Dwarves had a strong sense of pride, but they weren’t irrationally stubborn. As such, Volkanus acknowledged his loss. But Keter had mentioned three reasons. That meant Volkanus still had two chances left.

“But let me ask, why is this outsider listening in on our conversation? Why hasn’t he left yet?”

As Volkanus pointed his hammer toward Ultima, Ultima respectfully bowed and introduced himself.

“It’s an honor to finally meet Master Volkanus, the legendary blacksmith. I am Ultima from the Ultima Merchant Company.”

“Hmph. I have no interest in nobodies like you, so get out. This is none of your business,” Volkanus replied.

His point was valid; an outsider had no place in a discussion about the family. However, Keter stepped in.

“Ultima can stay and listen. That’s why I brought him here.”

“What good could possibly come from revealing family matters to an outsider?!” Volkanus yelled, his voice booming.

Keter matched his volume, refusing to back down.

“Ultima is not just some outsider! He is a comrade who has fought alongside us—someone who shares our destiny!”

“What?”

“You may not pay attention to the outside world, but all the merchants have turned their backs on the Sefira family. No one wants to do business with us anymore. The only one still willing to take the risk and do business with our family is Ultima here!”

Volkanus hesitated at Keter’s passionate argument. Even though he was a blacksmith who didn’t care about worldly affairs, he knew basic business ethics.

Glancing at Ultima, Volkanus calmly said, “I apologize for calling you a nobody. I didn’t realize who you were.”

“It’s alright. I also...”

Then, Keter interrupted Ultima and said, “He cares more about the wellbeing of Sefira than anyone else.”

Volkanus glanced at Ultima, seeming slightly touched. In this situation, Ultima could not do anything but smile awkwardly and nod in agreement.

“Yes, that’s right. Lord Keter is absolutely correct.”

“...Fine. Ultima, you are permitted to stay.”

“Thank you.”

“But that’s that.”

Volkanus then glared at Keter again.

“Let’s hear it, Keter. Give me the second and third reasons why I should sell these bows to Ultima.”

“Well, you see...”

Keter placed a hand on Ultima’s shoulder. Instinctively, Ultima turned to look at Keter’s face, only to see Keter smiling warmly.

“This friend here will explain it.”

“...!?”

Ultima’s eyes widened in shock at Keter’s statement—something they had neither discussed nor planned.