Chapter 42: Lagrite (2)

"At this age, an Inquisitor..."

"Hamaal."

"Yes."

"Refrain from unnecessary talk."

The dwarf, Hamaal, nodded and pulled the corners of his mouth like a flounder, shrugging his shoulders.

"Still, impressive. But why would such talent come to the Empire..."

"What? What's wrong with the Empire?"

"To be honest, it's the least preferred posting, isn't it?"

"Are you really going to quit? I brought this kid under my watch."

"Come on, would kids come even if Phiri says so? No one in their right mind would leave Haisen for the Empire. Are you crazy...?"

Hamaal, who had been looking at me, read the atmosphere and closed his mouth.

Even if they look close, there is a difference in status. Thinking about how others treat Phiri, he had crossed the line.

I wondered if he was angry because his last words could have been an attack on me.

In any case, in such situations, the lowest-ranking person should act as a lubricant.

"I wasn't entirely against the idea of the Empire, but Deputy Commander, you sincerely persuaded me to come."

"Is that so?"

Hamaal's eyes widened as he greeted my words. Gratitude was evident in his brightened eyes.

Hamaal then praised Phiri, saying, "As expected of Phiri. For such talent to come to the Empire because of Phiri..."

"Enough, you brat. We're late."

"Come on, why? You know how much I think of Phiri."

Phiri snorted at the obvious flattery, but the atmosphere had become much more relaxed.

By the way, Inquisitors are given personal equipment.

Usually, they are given money to buy it themselves, but since they are under the Duke's direct command, they seem to be taken care of a bit more.

"Enough. Get to work."

"Yes. Then I'll take you downstairs."

"Hmm, I'll go first."

Phiri turned around abruptly. It was a different door leading to the basement, not the one we came in through.

"Where are you going?"

"To play."

Knowing what he meant, Phiri's personality was such that he was asking me to ask again.

I sighed inwardly.

"Tell me, I need to find you when you're done."

"Figure it out yourself."

Phiri, with a playful smile, turned his body halfway and left through the door.

He must be pretty bored.

Wherever he goes, it won't take long... at least not too long. I have the wind.

I turned my attention to Hamaal, ignoring it.

"Let's go downstairs."

* * *

The other basement was Hamaal's workshop, three times larger than the sales area upstairs.

It was a space for working on various things besides jewels and living quarters.

It was a small house designed to accommodate the dwarves' preference for underground spaces.

In a fantasy-based game, dwarves and elves, among other races, are naturally present.

However, they are a minority and hard to encounter.

After the founding emperor, the Empire gradually expanded its territory, and in the process, the lands of other races gradually disappeared.

The elves in the southwestern forests of the continent fled deeper into the forests to escape the Empire's reach.

The dwarves who settled near the northeastern mountains also retreated deep into the mountains.

'Of course, they were captured and made into slaves.'

Moreover, since all non-human slaves are officially managed by the Empire, it must have been hell for the other races.

That's why, after the appearance of demon worshippers, the other races began to harass the Empire from various directions.

Even though they didn't ally with the demon worshippers, it was quite annoying from a player's perspective.

"Thanks earlier."

Hamaal stroked his beard and took a deep breath. He was the one who would make my equipment.

I smiled.

"How stubborn can you be? Actually, I came to the Empire because I wanted to."

At the playful backtalk, Hamaal chuckled.

Then he looked at me and made a circular motion with his right hand next to his forehead.

"Are you sick? Why did you come to the Empire?"

I felt it earlier, but dwarves are dwarves. They are a race that must say what they want to say.

They say everything, good or bad.

At least, Hamaal, being part of Haisen's intelligence agency, must have been mindful of Phiri.

Compared to the dwarves in the game, he is quite human-like.

Dwarves wouldn't work under humans even if they died.

I wonder what his story is, but he might have been patched to be human.

"Usually, you grow in difficult places. I like this job and want to rise high."

"How old are you?"

"Sixteen."

"You're not like your age. When I was your age, I wanted to play all day."

I wanted to say that to survive in this harsh world, there's no choice, but I just smiled.

"But seeing how you get along with Phiri, you must be the Duke's favorite, right?"

Can I answer this? I chose to just keep smiling.

Hamaal sighed.

"Ugh. Being cautious is good, but you can tell me."

Silence implies consent, but saying it is another matter.

I just kept my mouth shut.

"Alright, alright."

"Please understand."

"Come here."

Hamaal grumbled and turned his back. In the workshop set up on one side, he roughly sized me up with his eyes.

After a moment, he clapped his hands.

"I know your size. I'll make it to fit you now, so come back if you grow later."

Without using a measuring tape, he definitely seemed like a dwarf.

"What weapons do you use?"

"Sword, dagger, and stiletto."

"Classic."

Hamaal slowly nodded, then rummaged through a box and threw me a sword hilt.

Literally. No blade, just the hilt.

But strangely, even with just the hilt, it felt like it fit my hand perfectly.

I was impressed by his keen eye.

"Show me your sword skills once."

The space was ample. The center of Hamaal's house was as big as a tennis court.

Without a word, I swung the sword, or rather, the hilt.

Over the past three years, I had developed my sword skills based on the Moon Shadow style and the mysterious wind.

The sword was as cold as the moon and moved between softness and speed like the wind.

How much time had passed?

Maybe because the hilt Hamaal gave me fit well, I could concentrate quite a bit even without a blade.

"That's enough. I don't know how to use a sword, but your sword skills were quite beautiful."

Could he see the blade just from the hilt's movements?

I couldn't be sure if he really saw it, but that's why he was here.

"Thank you."

I could feel the sincerity in his words, so I bowed slightly.

This was the first time I held a sword in this world, but I took it quite seriously.

At first, it was to survive, but now it has changed.

The talent this body gives makes the sword I create feel beautiful.

The dagger and stiletto techniques were quickly finished.

"Lagrite is a pretty relaxing place. When I'm done, I'll come find you, so take it easy."

"By the way, how long will it take to make?"

"Hmm. I have to make clothes too, so I'll have to see."

"You're making clothes too?"

I thought he would only make weapons. Surprised, I looked at him, and Hamaal chuckled.

"You don't know what kind of equipment an intelligence agent gets. Wait and see. You'll be surprised."

"Thank you."

If a dwarf says so, I was a bit excited. I turned to leave but paused.

There was something I wanted to ask before leaving.

"By the way, do you know where Phiri went?"

Hamaal showed a mischievous smile.

"I have an idea, but I'm not sure if I should tell you."

Well, I got the same treatment I gave earlier. Would it have been different if I had told him?

Tsk, I clicked my tongue, and Hamaal chuckled.

"Find him. He said he's playing, so he must be somewhere having fun."

* * *

I left Hamaal's disguise workshop and climbed to the top of the tallest building nearby.

I closed my eyes and focused on the wind.

A gentle breeze began to sweep over the nearby buildings and people, centered on me.

Even with my eyes closed, it felt like I could see the structure of the nearby buildings and the people moving around.

Now, the words of people with a similar build to Phiri were reaching me.

The sounds were not clear but blurry, but I could roughly understand what they were saying if I concentrated.

I stumbled over the words in the blurry sounds but, unfortunately, couldn't find Phiri's.

'Where did he go?'

What is Phiri doing for fun?

He was active, but I had never seen him play when we were together. It was all just verbal banter.

Hmm. A tavern? Or a restaurant?

Since he loves eating, it's possible. Suddenly, I remembered that Lagrite had a casino.

It was called a casino, but it had a structure similar to modern casinos and was a place that sucked players' money.

I had lost a lot of money there and won big a few times.

'Probably at the casino.'

I asked a passerby for directions and headed straight for the casino.

Near the casino, I could tell Phiri was there by the wind, but...

I hesitated to go in.

-Another drink here! Hurry up!

It was because Phiri was in the upper floor of the casino, enjoying a card game.

Gambling in Falhol is mostly a game of pure skill.

This is because in larger places, they use magic cards.

The magic prevents any interference with the cards, and they shuffle and deal the cards themselves, leaving no room for sleight of hand.

'Should I wait outside a bit?'

I didn't want to interrupt Phiri's fun, and I didn't want to go inside.

Once I go in, he'll definitely make me try it.

I'm already tired, and I don't want to do anything exhausting in a casino.

I even have to use my brain.

'I should have booked a place to stay earlier.'

It's awkward for me to book a room first.

There might be a place run by the intelligence agency or one that Phiri has already picked out.

And it would be a hassle to look for him later if we miss each other.

There was a nearby cafe, but it didn't seem like a place to relax comfortably.

The noblewomen and noble daughters were chatting with high-pitched laughter.

I had no choice but to move to a place where no one would bother me and lie down on the roof.

I had nothing to do and wanted to lie down for a while.

Since the wind supports my body, it feels more comfortable than a regular bed, so there was no problem.

Lying in the warm sunlight, I was about to doze off when, about an hour later, I heard Phiri's voice calling me.

Of course, he didn't come all the way to me.

"Kalin, I know you're nearby. Come on, hurry up."

He had briefly left the casino and called me from a nearby alley.

I hurriedly went down, and Phiri smiled like a troublemaker.

"Sure enough. I knew you wouldn't come in when you arrived."

"Why did you call me?"

"You have the wind, right? Can't you read the card faces with it? By feeling?"

Oh.

It was a method I hadn't thought of. The wind isn't affected by magic swords.

"Maybe?"

"Try gambling once."