The blacksmith district of Orario wasn't the least bit subtle about what it was.
Even before Bell and Kaelis reached the entrance, the clanging of metal echoed through the air.
The smell was a mix of metal, coal, oil, sweat, and pride.
Bell's eyes sparkled as he looked around. "Wow… this place feels so alive."
Rows and rows of storefronts lined the streets—some large and polished with banners advertising "Master-Level Craftsmanship," others small and cramped, literally built into stone walls with smoke puffing out of cracks.
"DURABLE. RELIABLE. DWARF-MADE."
"CUTS THROUGH BOAR HIDE LIKE BUTTER."
"HALF-OFF FOR NEW ADVENTURERS! (Proof of injury required)"
"M-Master… I didn't know it was this big."
"It's like a flea market for things that can kill you."
Between the shops, narrow walkways were clogged with workers and customers.
Amazons wearing clothes so minimal it counted more as decoration than protection carried crates on their shoulders—some stacked two or three high.
Sweat glistened on their skin as they marched past.
Kaelis's eyes followed them. "Good. The perfect place to lighten our heavy coin pouch."
"Let's go."
Then he pulled Bell towards the closest shop near them.
Bell stumbled forward. "Wait—Master—!"
He dragged Bell into the first storefront they passed:
IRON SONG ARMORY–FAIR PRICES, FAIR CRAFTSMANSHIP!
A dwarf behind the counter looked up and grinned.
"Welcome, lads! Weapons on the left, armor on the right, tools in the back! If you break anything, you buy it!"
Kaelis stepped inside with the confidence of a man who had seven hundred and fifty thousand valis.
Both of them stopped within five steps
Because the first thing they saw was a price tag hanging off a simple chestplate.
Bell leaned in slowly.
"…Master… does that say… 1.2 million valis…?"
Kaelis squinted.
"…For iron?"
"R-r-r-r-regular iron?" Bell swallowed.
They continued walking further.
A pair of decent-looking vambraces: 675,000 valis.
A normal looking dagger: 350,000 valis.
A set of smithing pliers: 80,000 valis.
The various prices were so outrageous, Kaelis sweat dropped.
Then Bell froze.
Then they looked at each other in silent horror.
"…Master?" Bell whispered.
Kaelis inhaled through his nose like a man coming to terms with a tragedy.
"…Bell."
"Yes, master?"
"We can't really lighten our pouch in this place, can we?"
Bell nodded slowly. "We are… very not rich."
They both turned to the dwarf behind the counter, who gave them a friendly wave.
"See something ya like, boys?"
Kaelis raised a finger.
He wanted to point out that they might have mistakenly added another zero or two.
Then lowered it.
Maybe… just maybe, there was something special about the items that he couldn't see.
Yes, that must be it!
But… He glanced back down at the price tags one more time.
He didn't know what he expected. Maybe the price was the result of his eyes not working properly.
"Bell." He nudged Bell's arm. "Look at the prices again and tell me if they changed."
Bell did what he was told and instead of news he wanted to hear, all he got was,
"N-nothings changed, master… they still cost a soul."
"Is that right?"
Kaelis closed his before opening them.
"Have a nice day, good sir."
Then quietly turned around and walked toward the exit.
Not wanting to be left behind, Bell bowed quickly and followed.
Both walked out of the shop in total silence.
They made it five steps into the street before Kaelis muttered:
"…And here I thought we were rich. It's that girl's fault. She gassed up being the most earned rookie in Orario history so much I thought we were set. Hmph! I'll spank her next time."
"Please don't…"
Bell then turned towards his master, a devastating look on his face.
"So we… really can't afford armor, can we?"
"Not unless you want armor that protects against nothing except your sense of dignity." Kaelis sighed.
They stood there, surrounded by the noise of metalwork, contemplating the meaning of poverty.
And the dwarf inside waved at them again through the window.
"Let's go check the other shops."
Kaelis summoned a couple face masks from his storage and passed one to Bell.
"Hm? What's this for?"
"Cover your face. I refuse to be publicly recognized as 'the broke one.'"
"When you put it like that, it sounds humiliating."
Wasting no more words, Bell draped the mask over his face which somehow made him look like a lost theater actor.
Kaelis then nodded in satisfaction.
"Alright. Now we're suited up. Time to resume the hunt."
Bell exhaled. "Master… we're definitely drawing attention."
They were.
People stared.
A person wearing torn rags with a mask that screamed please mug me, and a tall man with a resting "you see nothing suspicious" face?
Yeah, that turned heads.
Kaelis ignored every stare.
"Let's go to that shop and we'll check every last one we can find till we see something good."
"…Right…"
And thus began their multi-hour odyssey through the district.
First shop:
Bell checked a set of light armor. "This one looks ni—"
"Thirty thousand for that tin foil?" Kaelis snorted. "We're not clowns."
Second stall:
A seller waved a rusty helmet. "Special discount! Smells like the original owner's fear!"
Kaelis dragged Bell away before he caught tetanus.
Third shop:
Beautiful armor. Gorgeous. Well-made.
"Well?" Bell whispered.
Kaelis checked the tag.
"…Next."
Fourth stall:
Bell picked up a dagger.
The blade fell off the handle.
He put it down gently and walked away like nothing happened.
Fifth forge:
A dwarf tried to upsell them on a sword that was VERY obviously cracked.
"It has flavor!" he insisted.
Kaelis stared in dead silence for three seconds and left.
Sixth place:
Two Amazons were having a wrestling match in the middle of the shop. Bell panicked. Kaelis watched like it was free entertainment.
Seventh stall:
Bell tried on an arm guard.
It was too big for his entire torso.
Eighth shop:
A vendor tried to flirt Kaelis into buying overpriced bracers.
Kaelis pretended to faint from boredom.
Ninth forge:
"Look, Bell! Half-off!"
"Master… that's a sign for half-off services, not equipment…"
"…Why is it in a blacksmith district?"
"Master, we're leaving."
Tenth shop:
The shopkeeper screamed at them for wearing masks.
Kaelis screamed back.
They left before someone called the security.
And so hours passed.
By the time the sun crept into late afternoon—around 3 PM—they were trekking slowly toward the final store on the block.
Bell sighed. "Master… this is the last one."
"Yea and I'm feeling drained. Let's pray it's not robbery with price tags."
They hurriedly stepped inside.
And would you look at that? It wasn't.
Not even close—It was worse.
The prices were still outrageous.
Ridiculously so.
Even Kaelis, who had the patience of someone who could actually win an argument with a god, stared at a tag long enough to reconsider his life choices.
"Nope," he declared. "I refuse. I physically refuse."
But they were here—the last shop on the list—so they looked around anyway.
Other customers watched them suspiciously.
One glance at Bell's mask and they either shuffled away or kept an eye on him like he was about to steal something.
A clerk whispered, "Sir, if you're going to rob us, please do it after my shift ends…"
Bell shrank into his mask.
Kaelis checked every rack, every shelf, every little half-hidden clearance corner.
Nothing.
Absolutely nothing within sane price range.
"…Master. What do we do now?" Bell rubbed the back of his neck.
Kaelis exhaled like he'd aged ten years.
"We leave. Before these prices give me a nosebleed."
They stepped outside, the door shutting.
Bell looked defeated. "So… no armor?"
"No armor."
"No gear?"
"No gear."
Bell's shoulder dropped.
Kaelis stretched his arms and shrugged. "Whatever. We tried. Let's hit the clothing district. Maybe the gods will pity us and drop a discount from the heavens."
Bell brightened slightly.
"Clothes are cheaper… right?"
"We'll find out," Kaelis replied, already moving.
Bell hurried after him, mask still on, praying the clothing district wouldn't hurt their wallets as much as the blacksmith one did.
And just like that, the two left the forges behind and headed toward fabric, thread—
…and hopefully not bankruptcy.
Chapter 68 end.