Chapter 25: Protect the Blacksmith’s Workshop, Part 1

The blacksmith workshop run by Shifa’s father was thick with a heavy, oppressive atmosphere.

“W-we’ve been deceived…”

One of the craftsmen muttered, head bowed in despair.

At once, another artisan’s voice cracked sharply through the gloom.

“I told you! I said we shouldn’t have dealt with such a shady merchant!”

“B-but… the terms were too good to pass up…”

“‘Too good’ only matters if you actually get paid! He never intended to pay us from the start!”

“Ugh…”

Even Shifa’s father, who had been smiling so cheerfully just moments ago, now looked pale as he faced the accusing stares of his workers.

“What are we going to do…?”

A craftsman pointed to the completed swords laid out before them. A quick glance told me there were easily a hundred of them.

Swords like these were never cheap. If even half of them had sold safely, it would have been a substantial profit.

Of course, making them had already cost a fortune. Considering the talk of debts earlier, if the workshop was already struggling financially, this was a devastating blow.

“G-give me the contract! Bring the contract! We’ll take this to the Merchant Guild—”

“Because he wasn’t even affiliated with the Merchant Guild! Bringing a contract won’t get you anywhere!”

…I suddenly felt like I’d stumbled into a disaster waiting to happen.

But still, I couldn’t understand who would do something like this, or why. These swords were brand new, sitting right here. There seemed to be no conceivable profit in sabotaging them.

“Oi, oi… things sure are lively in here.”

A mocking voice came from behind. Turning around, I saw a burly, bald man stride into the workshop without a shred of hesitation.

The noisy chatter within the workshop fell silent, replaced by tense, palpable anxiety.

“W-what do you want? Wasn’t our arrangement three days from now?”

Shifa’s father’s voice cracked as he asked. The bald man twisted a cruel smile.

“Oh, I just wanted to double-check, that’s all. Make sure you’re ready, y’know?”

“I-I told you, the money will be coming in soon…”

It seemed clear that Shifa’s father owed this bald man a debt.

“Haha, that’s exactly why I’m worried. Just making sure you haven’t skipped town on me, for example.”

“Wh-what…?”

Something seemed to click in Shifa’s father’s mind.

“C-could it be… you’re behind this…!?”

“Now now, what are you talking about? No idea what you mean. But tell me, do you actually have the money ready?”

The bald man feigned ignorance, a deliberate act. If Shifa’s father was correct, this meant the man had gone out of his way to make sure the debt couldn’t be repaid. But why?

“Papa, there’s no need to worry about the debt.”

Shifa, who had been quietly observing the situation, finally spoke.

“…Shifa?”

“We defeated the named boss in the Volcanic Area. So we’ll be receiving a sizable reward. We can use that money to cover it.”

“Wha—!”

The craftsmen erupted in cheers.

“As expected of the young lady!”

“To think she’d clear the Volcanic Area!”

Yet her father frowned at the suggestion.

“W-wait. I can’t ask my daughter to pay… and besides…”

He trailed off, uncertain. The bald man, wearing a sadistic grin, spoke the reason aloud.

“The deadline’s three days away, right? I can’t wait any longer than that. Think the reward will actually arrive in time?”

“….”

Shifa’s brow furrowed, unusual for her. It seemed that the reward would take a little time before being received.

“And if you can’t pay by then?”

“The collateral is this workshop. Meaning… it’ll be closed down.”

“…!”

Her father pleaded desperately.

“P-please, just give me a little more time! I promise we can repay it! This workshop has been in our family since my grandfather’s day! I can’t let it end on my watch!”

“Hah, I couldn’t care less about your excuses. We’ve extended before, but this time… I won’t wait.”

The bald man dismissed him mercilessly. Clearly, he had orchestrated this situation behind the scenes to ensure the debt wouldn’t be repaid. He wasn’t going to budge.

But still… was the workshop really worth all this trouble? It was old, and I couldn’t imagine it held such immense value.

After the bald man left, the workshop sank back into an oppressive silence. The contrast with just a few minutes ago was unbearable.

Shifa approached me, her expression apologetic.

“Sorry, Geo… for all this.”

“It’s okay. Don’t worry about it. Just tell me if there’s anything I can do—I’ll do anything!”

“Thanks… I appreciate it.”

At that point, any thought of a date was long gone. I left Shifa’s house quickly, my mind racing.

Walking home, I tried to think of a solution. But no good ideas came to mind.

“Wait… maybe I should ask Lilcarlia.”

She might have some advice, some clever way out of this mess. Ideally, I would speak with her immediately, but I had no idea where she was.

“Ah… maybe the Merchant Guild would know?”

So, I went to the Merchant Guild where Lilcarlia was registered.

The building was far larger than the Adventurer’s Guild, bustling constantly with people. Inside, it was as noisy as a marketplace.

“Excuse me, I’d like to see Lilcarlia-san.”

“Lilcarlia? I’m afraid we don’t know where she is.”

“Really?”

“She’s a mercurial merchant. Even we can’t track her whereabouts. Of course, she has registered bases, but you can’t expect to find her there.”

“I see…”

I reluctantly turned to leave, when suddenly—

“Geo-san! What brings you here?”

“Lilcarlia-san! Thank goodness! I’ve been looking for you!”

I quickly explained the situation. Lilcarlia listened, nodding in her usual calm manner.

“I see… so that’s what’s going on.”

“Yes. I was hoping you might have a way to help.”

“Hmmm… well, unless you have proof that the lender actually did this, taking legal action will be difficult.”

“I see…”

That was expected. I reached into my pocket and placed something in front of her.

“This is… w-what, a gold ore?”