Chapter 19

An amateur tries their hand at leather.

It's not easy. Leather is very different from materials like hemp or cotton. Matthew knows that just because one can sew or dye fabric, it doesn't mean they can immediately apply those skills to leather.

But at the same time, Matthew knows about Jill's extraordinary skills. Whether it's a dress or a hat, he has always felt that Jill has a sure talent for bringing unconventional ideas to life. Matthew is confident that trying to work with leather will not end in vain.

So the problem lies elsewhere.

Leather craftsmen tend to be stubborn.

Especially the leather craftsmen Matthew knows are particularly stubborn.

"Teach you leatherwork when you're not even my apprentice? Come on, that's a tough joke."

"Well, I knew Garda would say that. I'm not in a hurry, so please think about it."

Matthew was treating his old acquaintance, Garda, to drinks at the restaurant 'Rocinante.'

Garda is a sturdy man with chestnut hair.

His skin is tanned and healthy, and his arms are as thick as logs.

But Matthew knows that this man, who seems to be the epitome of boldness, is actually very meticulous in his work. The bags Garda makes are of high quality and have excellent designs. Many wealthy people use them, and there are even rumors that orders come directly from the capital.

"Are you busy?"

"Busy. I don't have time to kill."

"But you still came to the drink invitation, didn't you?"

"I have some leeway. I need to take a break from work to clear my head."

"Garda, you've been given another impossible task, haven't you?"

"It's a terrible situation. Do you want to hear about it?"

Matthew, sensing a long story, placed an order.

He needed alcohol.

"Laurent, add some wine. Do you have any snacks?"

The restaurant owner brought the food in just a few minutes.

It seemed he had already prepared it, sensing that an order was coming.

"It's a roasted venison. I got some good cuts."

A wooden plate with boldly grilled meat and a large bottle of wine were placed on the table where Matthew and Garda were sitting.

"Got it... but didn't I bring it?"

"You would have let it go to waste if you were alone. I cooked it properly, so eat it."

The meat was brought by Garda.

Leather craftsmen often have good relationships with hunters and tanners.

When buying tanned leather, they often take leftover meat as well.

The venison was fragrantly grilled and lacked the gamey smell typical of hunting meat.

This was proof that the preparation and cooking were done perfectly.

Garda, who seemed bold, was actually very meticulous in his work.

The craftsmen and cooks in Shelland were surprisingly often such people.

"Will you make the usual dish? Should I?"

"I'm on a break from peppe. I'll ask you if my work goes well."

Peppe is Garda's favorite dish.

It is also a standard noodle dish served in various restaurants in this town.

"You like it too. Your diet is unbalanced."

"I don't plan to live long. Besides, I don't eat it every day."

"Alright. Let's do it."

Red wine was poured into the ceramic glasses.

◆

In the end, that night, they didn't get to talk about their troubles. Garda, who seemed to be under a lot of stress, drank heavily and got drunk. Matthew, following his pace, ended up getting drunk as well, and both of them were completely out of it.

The next day, Matthew, worried, decided to check on Garda at his workshop.

Garda's workshop is located in the outskirts of the craftsmen's district, which is itself off the main street. The inside is narrow and looks cluttered at first glance. However, the tools are neatly organized on shelves, and there is nothing on the workbench. It reflects Garda's personality well.

"…that's the situation."

"I see. They want you to make armor for horses by the deadline."

Finally, Matthew was able to hear the content of Garda's troubles.

"You should just refuse. Since you're independent, you need to know when to back down or you'll suffer."

"But how can I back down when I'm being looked down on! I can't forgive that!"

Garda's trouble.

It was an unreasonable request from the commander of the knights.

Apparently, a royal knight recently visited the town of Shelland. The royal family has successfully suppressed all the frequent rebellions, but they have not been able to track down the key figures behind the rebellions.

However, they recently received information that important figures of the rebellion were hiding in the country and traveling. They asked for cooperation from this town as well.

The knight chasing the rebels was apparently the epitome of arrogance. He directly said, "I am a glorious knight who has received the royal command," not metaphorically but literally.

Furthermore, he sneered at the Silver Scales Knights, who protect Shelland, calling them a bunch of dirty country knights. He said the name "Silver Scales" was a waste and that they were more like reptiles.

The commander of the knights was angry.

However, it was also true that he had been neglecting horse armor. With the recent peace in wars with foreign countries, there were no more battles where horses charged in formation, so the budget for horses had been cut.

But horses are still important for transportation and communication, and even mages ride horses. Horses should not be neglected. Therefore, the commander of the knights reflected and decided to equip the knights with new horse armor.

"Whether to forgive or not is the problem of the insulted knights. There are many types of reptiles, like alligators and Komodo dragons, which are strong."

"You're too dry about it."

"You're too wet about it."

"Shut up, that's just my nature... Anyway, the royal knight is coming again."

"Again? What do you mean?"

"He's coming for an inspection. They're probably preparing for another rebellion suppression."

An inspection is a ceremony where the upper echelons of the military or knights inspect the formation of the knights and soldiers. They check if discipline has slackened, if corruption is rampant, or if they have weakened due to the lack of war. If the weapons and horses are not properly equipped, it is a problem.

The Silver Scales Knights, who protect Shelland, are not weak. They quickly suppress any bandits and maintain peace. However, there is a high possibility that the royal knight will give a bad impression to the upper echelons, and the commander of the knights is worried.

"So you're making horse armor."

"Actually, I'm also making other things for the blacksmith, but that's going smoothly."

"By the way... will the king come to the inspection?"

"No, I haven't heard that. Besides, the king hasn't left the capital in years."

"...That's true."

Matthew sighed in relief.

"Well, that's the commander's job. I, at least, have been asked to prepare at least the chanfron. That's the difficult part."

The chanfron is the helmet for a horse.

Incidentally, the chest plate for a horse is called a peytral, and the part that protects the buttocks is called a crupper.

"So you've been asked to make the chanfron and peytral... actually, you have a prototype."

Garda said this and opened a large safe in the workshop.

He then placed the contents on an empty table.

"Oh... this is amazing."

The three-dimensional form that fits snugly on the horse's head.

A deep, rich caramel color. Although it lacks the glossy finish of a bag or wallet due to the hardening process with beeswax, it is beautiful enough as armor.

However, it is much harder than ordinary leather products.

It has a solid texture that suggests it cannot be pierced by a mediocre blade.

"It's cowhide. I had a friend of my master tan the skin from the back to the waist of a blue-horned cow. But from there, I did almost everything myself."

"Truly, Garda. If you can make something like this, the commander of the knights will certainly ask you to do it."

"Stop flattering me."

But Garda couldn't hide his joy.

He scratched his cheek, looking embarrassed.

"But, isn't it not made of iron?"

"There was a time when iron was the norm, but it's hard to enchant metal. If the enemy has mages, you use materials like leather, silk, or wool, which are of biological origin."

"Enchantments?"

"Yes. They say it's more terrifying than arrows. Of course, if there were creatures with iron bodies, that would be a different story."

"Who knows? The world is vast."

"Please spare me. If such a thing existed, it would be the end of my business. Besides, it's summer. It would be cruel to the horses to put metal plates on them when it's getting hot."

"You are kinder than most people in that regard."

"Shut up, don't tease me."

Garda turned away and grumbled in response to Matthew's words.

"Anyway, I read my master's notebook and disassembled old horse armor to get this far. I even tested it with arrows. It should be fine as a practical item."

"Then what's the problem? If you can make something this good..."

"The emblem. The armor must have the emblem of the knight order."

"Can't you just sew a tag or use carving?"

Carving is a technique of engraving patterns into leather.

It is characterized by its ability to create three-dimensional designs.

However, Garda shook his head.

"If you carve the armor, it will become thinner in that area, which is not good. It's fine to engrave something you want to keep, but armor is meant to be used and damaged, not cherished."

"Then, a tag?"

"I suggested that too. It would look better... but it was rejected."

Garda sighed, looking bitter.

"Why?"

"There's a possibility that it could be cut out and stolen."

"That's too much to worry about."

"Apparently, it happened before. Someone was accused of violating the service regulations because their emblem was cut out. The person who cut it out even sneered, 'I'm glad I wasn't a spy for the enemy army.' So they want it done with a branding iron."

"Brand that intricate emblem with a branding iron!?"

The emblem of the Silver Scales Knights is a knight riding a dragon, carrying a shield and a spear.

Moreover, the shield has a shell, which represents the town of Shelland.

It is an extremely complicated design with an emblem within an emblem.

"That's unreasonable. How many detailed molds do you think you need...? Oh, no, should it be larger?"

"Even a large mold would be unreasonable to prepare."

"Should I heat the tip of an iron pen and draw the emblem by hand?"

"That might be the best solution. But it