"Wow! What a huge building!"

Four days had passed since they left Pearlcity.

Tie, who had stuck her head out of the carriage window, quickly pulled it back inside.

"Grandpa! There are so many very big buildings there!"

Nordix laughed.

Just as Tie said, they were already approaching the Popullos Weapons District.

"But why are black clouds rising there?"

At Tie’s question, he smiled calmly.

"Because the Popullos Weapons District has an enormous smelting furnace called the Furnace of Origin."

"Furnace...?"

"A smelting furnace, little one. Say it: smelt ing fur nace."

"Smelt! ing! fur! nace!"

Bale clicked his tongue and turned away.

Tie puffed up her cheeks and pushed her lips forward.

"...Tie also, when five years old, speak properly."

Mocking a child because of pronunciation. Bale was a real bully.

"But what does a smelting furnace do?"

Tie turned back to Nordix.

Unlike Bale, Nordix did not correct her pronunciation.

He began to explain gently.

"Simply put, it is a place where weapons are created."

"Weapons?"

"Yes. Basto’s war hammer was also forged in the forges of that furnace."

Tie’s lips slowly parted.

Basto’s war hammer was truly enormous and impressive.

It was twice as long as Tie’s height, and its heavy, solid head looked especially imposing.

But recently the hammer’s durability had decreased, so it could no longer be used.

"If take to smelting furnace, hammer can be repaired?"

"Yes."

Basto answered.

He stuck ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) one arm out of the carriage and looked toward the weapons district visible through the haze.

"But I do not plan to stay here long. If we are lucky, after the repair we may leave already this evening."

"I see...."

It had taken them four whole days to reach the weapons district.

And now they might have to leave already this evening.

Tie felt a little sad.

But Basto continued.

"I want to leave early because of the master of the forges. It is better not to get involved with him too deeply."

Tie’s eyes widened.

"So if you meet the master of the forges, do not look at him, do not talk to him, and do not meet his eyes. It is better to stay away from him entirely, Tie."

Tie involuntarily opened her eyes wide.

All this time she had never seen Basto dislike or avoid someone without reason.

"Master of the forges...?"

The name sounded cute.

Why did Basto dislike him?

But soon Tie learned the reason.

"What? Two months?!"

Weapons District. Guest house.

Hearing the words of Basto, who had returned from the forge, Bale jumped up.

Basto sighed.

"Yes. It seems we managed to ruin the master of the forges’ mood again...."

"We are not waiting. Absolutely not waiting. We are already in a hurry to find the little one’s father, and now they want us to stay here for two months?"

Basto shook his head.

"I also know two months is too much. So I said I could not wait that long and asked for the war hammer back. But..."

Nordix clicked his tongue knowingly.

"He said he would not tolerate some mediocre blacksmith repairing a weapon created by him and took it."

"He took what?"

"...My weapon. He took the war hammer."

"What?!"

Silence fell over the room.

Tie did not understand anything and looked at the squad members with eyes asking for an explanation.

Noticing her gaze, Enzo came closer.

"The master of the weapons district is a person even the Emperor cannot do anything about."

Tie’s lips parted.

The Emperor was like a king.

Was the master of the forges really that powerful?

"The master of the forges is the chief administrator of the weapons district. He is also the head of all the blacksmiths working here. He has... how should I say... a very strong personality, so he is difficult to deal with. When he becomes stubborn like now, it is almost impossible to stop him."

An image of the master of the forges appeared in Tie’s mind.

A huge man standing before a blazing furnace.

Fierce eyebrows.

A stern face.

"S, scary."

Enzo nodded.

"Yes, quite scary."

"Tomorrow I will try to speak with the master of the forges myself."

At that moment Nordix spoke.

"You could say we know each other a little. And today perhaps we can start by looking around the Weapon Pavilion."

Enzo’s face immediately brightened.

"Great idea! I actually wanted to choose a sword for myself."

Then he turned to Tie.

"The weapons district is divided into two parts, squad leader. The smelting sector, where the Furnace of Origin is located, and the exhibition sector, where the Weapon Pavilion stands."

Tie nodded energetically.

In the smelting sector they make and repair weapons...

"The exhibition sector is where weapons are displayed and sold. Over there."

Enzo pointed toward the window.

Seeing the enormous building outside, Tie opened her eyes wide.

"That is the Weapon Pavilion. Every weapon in the Empire... no, on the entire continent passes through it at least once. That is how enormous the Popullos Weapons District is."

Now Tie began to understand why the head of this district was called the master of the forges.

The Popullos Weapons District really resembled a gigantic factory.

Iron fences surrounded the entire district in several layers.

Sand and metal parts were scattered across the ground.

"Does the squad leader also want to see the Weapon Pavilion?"

"Yes!"

Tie nodded quickly.

Everyone was going to look at weapons.

She could not stay alone in the room.

"The little one is going too?"

Bale looked displeased.

"Maybe you stay with me in the room? You have nothing to buy anyway."

Tie immediately ran up to Bale.

"No! Tie also want buy weapon!"

"What?"

"Well... um...!"

But no matter how hard she tried to think of what weapon to buy, nothing came to mind.

After all, she had only lied because she wanted to see the Weapon Pavilion.

"Tie... uh...!"

"Let us all go together."

At that moment Basto stepped in like a savior.

Tie’s face immediately brightened.

"If they do not return the war hammer, I will have to look for a new weapon. And your sword, Bale, has also become quite dull. Maybe it is time to buy a new one."

Bale frowned.

Apparently Basto’s words made sense, so he found nothing to argue with.

Then Basto looked at Nordix.

"Nordix, it would also be good for you to carry at least one weapon for self defense." 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

Until now the only things Nordix had carried were a personal flask, simple medicines, and a telescope.

He had never been a fighter.

But in a mercenary squad even non combat members usually carried at least one weapon.

"And finally Tie."

Hearing her name, Tie opened her eyes wide.

"Just in case, we should see if there is a weapon you can use easily."

"Are you crazy? What weapon for the little one. She will just hurt herself."

"For example, a small dart capsule with poison that shoots a paralytic toxin if you simply throw it at the target."

Tie’s mouth opened.

"P, p, poison dart...!"

But despite the frightening name, the others remained silent.

After a moment Bale muttered,

"Not bad."

Tie flinched and looked at him.

Bale stroked his chin and thought.

"If you think about it, it makes sense. At four years old you can already start using such darts."