Chapter 15: Explorer

Gerhard listened to Jocel's dejected report with pleasure.

"What are you looking so gloomy about? You've come that far, and you've found it.."

"Ha, but the merchants don't know..."

Gerhard continued his explanation, smiling and thinking that this beloved disciple only has a knight's point of view.

"First of all, her name is Clarissa, but there's a good chance it's a mistake. Don't expect these knighthood idiots to have a decent memory, it's useless."

"Huh……"

For the time being, Jocel is also responsible for supervising them. I couldn't say yes, so I had no choice but to muddy my words.

"And they are probably operating outside the city walls, not setting up store. It's no wonder the merchants don't know about them.”

"Hmm," Jocel groaned. It is true that he only approached merchants with reasonable storefronts. This was the reason why Gerhard said he had a narrow perspective. If he wanted to gather a wide range of information, he should have asked peddlers, but he had never even thought of that.

“The man who looked like the blacksmith seemed to be around 20 years old. After all, that man probably lives outside the city walls.”

"Does age have anything to do with it?"

"He has been an apprentice to a blacksmith in the guild of the trade union system for several years. At 20 years old, he could handle simple jobs as a craftsman. Becoming a master is out of the question. However, the man is making swords as he pleases. If that is the case, it is reasonable to assume that he is outside the union."

"Is it possible to acquire such skills at such a young age?"

“I guess it depends on how good or bad your character is, but if you had been trained as a gifted blacksmith one-on-one from an early age, maybe."

Jocel was not quite sure if that was how it was supposed to be. He could not understand why there were people outside the city walls who were better than those inside.

This is a world where 90% of the population is said to be peasants, and there are far more people living outside the city walls than inside them. Naturally, there are also many merchants and craftsmen who deal with them.

However, the facilities of such a workshop were all a collection of pieces of equipment, and could not possibly be as well equipped as a forge in a fortified city. That was common sense to him.

There must have been many problems with the trade union system, but outside it was a lawless area where a man who held a hammer yesterday and today could call himself a blacksmith.

"Fumu, if you understand that much, the story is quick. After this, I'll go outside and ask questions."

“You mean the master himself?　Leave such trivial matters to me. It is not worth bothering you, Master.”

"No. You have a bad habit of looking down on outsiders. Especially this time, if you make the blacksmith feel uncomfortable, everything will be ruined. What kind of a man would think that if you’re in the custody of the count's family, he would just go along with it?”

"that is……"

Jocel couldn't answer.

I didn't want to deny that there was such a thing, but I thought it was outrageous that the order should be like that, and that it would be outrageous to confirm to the taste of a blacksmith, but it seems that that is not what my teacher is looking for.

"If so, at least allow me to accompany you as your escort. I will not interfere."

"Escort?"

He turned his emotionless eyes on Jocel. Gerhard's face had been stripped of its usual gentle old man air and was filled with a ghastly mood. A chill ran down Jocel's spine, even though summer had just begun.

I had forgotten. I had forgotten that my teacher was a man who had devoted his life to the sword, albeit in a special way.

“No, my apologies. ......"

I could no longer say that I would force myself to follow him in this situation. I don't have the energy or the recklessness to do so.

Gerhard regained his usual relaxed atmosphere and smiled.

"Well, you haven't found the blacksmith yet, but I'll give you this."

Saying that, Gerhard handed out five gold coins.

"Master..."

"You can stay with your family for the time being. You may be busy once we find the blacksmith."

Jocel quickly put the gold coin in his pocket and bowed deeply.

It was a feeling of gratitude towards his teacher, a hope that he would find the blacksmith, and a way to hide the slack-jawed grin on his face from the extra income.

Gerhard saw through all of Joscel's sentiments, but he only smiled and said nothing. He knew very well that Jocel did not like money so much as he liked to use it to make his family happy.

The next day, Gerhard changed into light brown, plain clothes and left the citadel with only one donkey. To the untrained eye, it would have looked like a merchant family's retiree taking it easy on his travels.

The gatekeeper noticed Gerhard and tried to call out to him, but Gerhard put the tip of his finger to his lips and showed him a smile.

"Ha, ha..."

The old man seemed to be playing some kind of mischief again, so the gatekeeper pretended not to have seen anything. At least it was not him who would suffer the damage.

Gerhard was not trying to bring anyone down. He was just genuinely enjoying the trip.

If possible, I would like my beloved disciple to know that the world is not just inside the castle walls, but it seems that it would be quite difficult if the environment in which he was born and raised is different.

First, he went to a farming village to ask if there were any skilled blacksmiths around, but he did not have any useful information.

Gerhard could only smile wryly at this, as he was told, quite honestly, that if he lived in the citadel, he should ask a blacksmith who was a member of a guild to help him.

Well, I can only say that I agree.

Go to the next farming village. No harvest.

He goes to fishing villages. They would ask a moguri blacksmith for a harpoon harpooner or a fish hook, but when asked if he was skilled, they would twist their necks.

He visited a group of mercenaries who looked like bandits, but again to no avail. They thought that they could just pick up weapons on the battlefield or blackmail merchants to steal them, and they did not even take good care of them.

He went around some more farming villages and then reached a lumberjack settlement.

The men were at work, so I spoke to the women who were meeting at the well.

They seemed wary of the old man's unfamiliar face, but when I handed out a small piece of leftover items from the store, they immediately became more open-mouthed.

By the way, a small piece is a half-end or surplus of the cut cloth. The women were pleased with the brand-new cloth, even though it was small, and it wasn't so expensive as to be suspicious.

When I asked if there were any good blacksmiths around here, they didn't seem to know either.

The older woman seemed to think it was a pity that she didn't know anything while receiving the souvenir, so she recalled it.

“Come to think of it, my husband really liked the ax he bought recently…”

Then, a voice continued to say, "Me too, this one too." It seems that they bought in bulk in the village.

"Could you please tell me the merchant who sold you that axe!?"

Gerhard leaned forward and asked. He was aware that he seemed a little excited.

"We didn't make the deal, you know..."

"I think she's probably called Clarissa or something like that."

"Uh, I've never heard of it..."

"I hear she's a peddler with a nice ass."

Just as I was about to give up, one woman clapped her hands and burst into laughter.

"Oh no, grandpa, that's not Clarissa, it's  Claudia!"

The women around me were laughing while saying what was going on.

"Oh, is that so? Well, as I get older, I become more forgetful, and I can't compete with you young people."

A burst of laughter occurs.

Gerhard clenched his fist in his heart. He finally grabbed the tail of the mysterious blacksmith. The women seem to have opened their hearts to Gerhard, and it looks like he will be able to extract more information.

Although we do not know his address, he is said to show up in this village once a month to sell axes and take orders for repairs.

"So, Claudia-san, she seems to have recently caught a good man."

"Hey, there's a man who likes that butt every night. Her butt is already drooping..."

"Her husband is still munching on her every night, isn't he?"

Again, they laughed hysterically. At times like this, the man is uncomfortable because he cannot keep up with the women's sense of humour.

It could be Claudia's recently attached lover, or the swordsmith her husband is looking for. We have new information. It is important to know these relationships in advance.

As it was, Gerhard was starting to feel like leaving early.

In the end, we spent an hour talking about nothing, not knowing when to get out of the conversation. The second half had nothing to do with blacksmithing anymore, and Gerhard's face was gaunt and thin with fatigue as he arrived home after being told of the next possible date for Claudia's visit.

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