Chapter 64: Beautiful and I Hate It

When I entered the reception room, I was surprised to find a young woman there.

She has light wavy hair that reaches her back, and a face that exudes intelligence. Her breasts are ample and her ass is voluptuous. She is a dainty flower that does not look out of place in a dingy blacksmith’s workshop.

Oliver suspected that the story about the count’s family being in charge was a lie after all.

It would be a considerable age to become a blacksmith who can be recognized by aristocrats. She was too young to be his wife. Or did he use his power to get his hands on her?

…… Oh my, that’s unforgivable!

And Oliver was burning with anger and jealousy at someone whose name and face he didn’t know.

“My name is Claudia, wife of Count Zander’s swordsmith, Lutz.”

The woman straightened her back and greeted him. Oliver was somewhat overwhelmed by her graceful gesture.

…… not good, I’d like to regain the initiative with a bang somewhere.

This is my home, Oliver began to burn with rivalry.

“Please take this as a greeting for our new home.”

Saying that, Claudia took out two bottles from a large leather bag.

“Is this white thing salt? And what is this black thing?”

“It’s “kosho kosho,” or “ground pepper.”

“What!?”

Ignoring courtesy, Oliver opened the bottle on the spot and smelled it. A strange pungent smell, definitely pepper.

Spices are not only for use by the nobility, but can also be used by the common people if they are a little taller. However, they are still expensive.

If you are told to enjoy a jar full of the stuff, you will drool before you even taste it.

In particular, craftsmen who usually sweat a lot prefer strong flavors. Even without meat, it goes well with vegetable soup. This souvenir had a firm grip on Oliver’s heart.

Two bottles would probably cost about a gold coin.

……This consideration, this financial strength. Is that, by any chance, a real blacksmith in residence?

The balance of faith and doubt swung violently in Oliver’s mind.

“He may not be a member of the trade association, but as a fellow blacksmith, he may be able to help you in any way he can. We look forward to working with you then.”

“About that,…..”

Oliver said with a bit of disdain.

“If it’s a greeting, the person himself should come. What kind of an idea is it to send a proxy?”

Claudia was smiling thinly, as if she could see through Oliver’s feelings of wanting to be a little higher up. She looked at him so coldly that it seemed as if her previous attitude had all been an act.

“My husband, Lutz, has been granted a knighthood by the Count. If you wish to make a formal address, it would make sense for you to go to him.”

“Hmm…”

She’s a nasty woman who takes the authority of the tiger and just smacks him around. I feel that she is not just being sneaky about the authority of the Count, but also has the swagger to take advantage of anything that can be taken advantage of.

She’s the kind of woman who will respond accordingly if you’re polite, but if you’re hostile, she’ll smash you with every weapon she has at her disposal.

At the same time, Oliver was a little excited to see Claudia’s cold eyes on him. He was over fifty years old, and he was opening a new door inside of himself.

…… You’re the first woman I’ve ever wanted to step on.

Claudia, unable to read Oliver’s glittering expression, decided that this was the end.

“Then, I have to go around greeting others.”

And he floated on his hips.

I feel like I’m forgetting something important….

Oliver’s thoughts were frantic as he tried to figure out what he had forgotten. If he missed this opportunity, he would not be able to get it back, it seemed that important.

An offer of a mistress contract?

No, that’s fine, but it’s not.

If Claudia is really the wife of the blacksmith, she must have important information.

“Ah……”

Before I knew it, Claudia was carrying a leather bag on her back and was putting her hand on the door.

“Wait a minute!”

Oliver was sliding and hanging on to Claudia’s leg.

“Hee! What is it?

Claudia unintentionally pulled out a dagger love letter from her pocket and clutched it. With this positioning, she could stab Oliver’s head or back as she pleased.

Oliver, however, did not flinch in fear, but rather exclaimed with fiery eyes.

“That’s it, that’s it! Isn’t that what you call a katana!?”

“Katana……?”

“I’m looking for a Katana! If you know anything, tell me!”

“I understand, I understand, so please take your feet off!”

“Eh, do you really know!?”

“I said get the hell off me!”

Claudia raised her left leg and kicked Oliver in the face, and finally calmed him down.

They were seated across the table again. The only difference from the beginning was the shoe prints on Oliver’s face.

“So I’ll ask you again, Claudia… Is it true that you know katanas?”

“I know nothing, but my husband was the one who struck the blade presented to the coalition at the peace talks.”

Claudia said with half troublesomeness and half pride. I produced Lutz, and he is in love with me,” she said, as if it were written on her face.

“So, so, so! What kind of shape is a Katana!?”

“The beauty of a katana is not something that can be conveyed with words. I have brought one with me, would you like to see it?”

“You have one!?”

Oliver was intensely excited. The problem that had been bothering him for so long was about to be solved. It was like something that had been stuck in his throat had just fallen out, and he felt at ease.

……As expected, I am loved by the goddess of fortune, and if she were in front of me, I’d give her my ass.

Claudia took out something that looked like a Katana from a leather bag. The scabbard, handle, and tsuba all have different shapes.

“Let me see that!”

I reached out my hand, but Claudia evaded me.

“Hmm, no Oliver-san. This is a commodity and must not be touched.”

If you hand over goods to an untrustworthy person, you may not get them back. In the worst case, they may even turn on you and extort you, asking you to lower the price if you want it back.

I have succumbed to such behavior of a customer, and I have run away. I never wanted to experience such humiliation again.

In the end, the hesitation of saying something like this would only make everyone unhappy.

“… OK, I’ll buy it. How much?”

“At about ten gold coins.”

“That’s expensive! What guarantee is there that this thing is really a Katana!?”

It’s not impossible to pay, but it’s not an amount you can easily afford. It is a bit daunting to think of how many pieces of weaponry I would have to sell to earn ten gold coins.

If it’s real, it’s worth the gold. However, if they got a fake, they would not be able to recover for the time being. I couldn’t rule out the possibility that this was just a roundabout scam to get me to buy a counterfeit.

“Guarantee?”

Claudia looked like she had heard a badly made joke.

“I think it is the job of an expert blacksmith to be a good judge of arms and to put a price on them. You say you want a guarantee of where and by whom. Would you like me to have a nearby competitor take a look?”

It’s a slightly provocative statement. It seems that she still holds a grudge over the fact that she was grabbed by her leg.

“…I understand, then at least show me the blade. It would be a shame if I bought it and pulled it out and it was covered in red rust and corrosion.”

“Well then, pardon me…”

Claudia stood up and drew the sword after getting far enough away from Oliver. It was meant as a courtesy that she meant no harm, but it was frustrating for Oliver, who was in the mood for a closer look.

Single-edged and slightly warped. The blade shines beautifully in white silver, and the wavy pattern is also interesting.

As soon as I saw it, my intuition told me that this guy was real.

“I’ll buy it. Let me buy it! But ten gold coins is too much. Can’t you give me a little discount as a housewarming gift?”

“There are plenty of other people who want Katanas.”

It was Claudia who did not lose her bullish stance. I don’t know to what extent the demand for Katana is growing, but judging by Oliver’s reaction, I was confident that he would buy this one.

For Oliver, it was within the budget he had envisioned.

I can do it, if I want to. However, he was conflicted about whether he could really do so.

This is a real katana, is it worth ten gold coins, for that matter? Even though a certain degree of discernment is an essential skill for a blacksmith, it is a bit hard to ask him to take responsibility for even the first piece of equipment he sees.

No warranty, no certificate of authenticity, no letter of introduction. A weapon brought to you by a strange and suspicious woman, but if you let this one go, you won’t get it twice.

……What should I do, what should I do?

I can meet the expectations of Lawrence-san, who has become my guardian. Thinking of this, I finally made up my mind.

“All right, I’ll get it.”

“Oh, are you really sure? Ten gold coins is a lot of money.”

“Oliver the man, will not run and hide!”

Gold coins are slammed on the table with a bang.

The sword is carefully placed with a “kotori”..

And at the same time, a hand reaches out.

“Thank you for everything. I hope we can continue to have a good relationship.”

Claudia, who quickly put away the gold coins, showed a charming smile, and quickly left without any directions, assuming that it was unnecessary to stay long.

“This is a katana, huh…”

Left alone in the reception room, Oliver looked at the blade of the sword and muttered absentmindedly.

The gold coins were gone from his pocket and the sword was in his hand. Despite all the evidence that this was real, Oliver still felt as if he were in a dream.

Previous chapter | TOC | Next chapter