Episode 111

He was a man who acknowledged my relationship with Alicia without caring about my position.

I truly wanted to do anything I could for him.

Whether my wish had worked or not, Lord Goral began to speak.

“Actually, I wanted to consult you about my son. As I mentioned before, I’ve entrusted my son with managing a portion of my lands.”

“Is that so?”

“It seems monsters have appeared nearby. A dungeon was found, and they’ve asked me to arrange skilled blacksmiths. They’ve asked for a few smiths to be supported if possible, and I was thinking of Faik as one of them.”

The word ‘monsters’ made me recall the Horned Dragon battle.

All I could do was pray that as little damage as possible had occurred.

This was Lord Goral’s request. Of course I wanted to go immediately, but something was bothering me.

The shop.

We’d been receiving many requests, partly because of the Bertie incident.

Those requests were for custom orders. Thanks to the achievement of having made an S-rank sword, we were drawing more attention than even when we first opened.

It was fortunate that we hadn’t accepted them yet, so temporarily declining them would be easy.

But these were customers who had taken an interest in us.

I wanted to properly explain the reason for declining so they’d remain long-term customers.

“Understood. However, if it’s to be right away, there’s the shop to consider. There are various custom order discussions, so would it be possible to properly explain to the customers and have some time to decline?”

If not, it would become an issue of trust and could end up affecting the shop’s reputation.

It might be a bit rude to partially refuse Lord Goral’s request in that way.

But Lord Goral nodded without a single displeased expression.

“I understand. Including all that, would about a week be enough?”

“Yes. That will be fine.”

Regarding the custom orders, we’d complete the first few we accepted, decline those not yet taken, and explain the reasons for declining.

With Refy and the others helping, a week should be plenty.

“In that case, I’ll inform them that you’ll depart next week.”

“Understood.”

“I’m sorry for making you deal with my errands.”

“Not at all. I’m actually glad you consulted me.”

I felt like my distance with Lord Goral had lessened.

Besides, marrying into Alicia’s family means I’m part of this household too.

It was only natural to work for the prosperity of the family.

“Once everything is over, you should take some time to relax. The sea is nearby there; you could even enjoy a swim.”

“The sea?”

“Yes. The fish and such are fresh. I plan to have Alicia accompany you, so you two should go together.”

“Alicia as well?”

I was surprised by the unexpected name.

When it came to smithing, Alicia didn’t need to be there. I had felt a bit sad at the thought of being apart for a while, but that feeling eased somewhat.

“For guidance and other matters. I thought it would be better for her to go together. Besides, if I separated her from you she might complain to me.”

Lord Goral said that in a slightly joking tone and then stood up.

“I also have some business to attend to and will be going out. That concludes our discussion. Sorry for calling you in so early.”

“No, it’s fine. Well then, excuse me.”

I bowed my head and left Lord Goral’s room.

I was heading to the shop with Alicia.

“By the way, Alicia, did you know monsters appeared on your brother’s land?”

“Yeah. Father told me to go with Faik to resolve it.”

“Is that so. Sorry for making you come along too, Alicia.”

“Not at all. Besides, we’ve been told we can play after everything is done. I’m looking forward to it.”

Alicia smiled happily.

Hearing words like monsters and dungeon made me uneasy, but Alicia’s words eased that worry.

That made me naturally curious about Alicia’s brother.

“What kind of person is your brother?”

When I asked, Alicia pouted.

“He treats me like a child.”

I gave a wry smile at Alicia’s tone.

She didn’t seem to dislike him, so I figured he probably wasn’t a bad person.

I wondered if he resembled Lord Goral, or if he was the more refreshing type.

Thinking about that, I made my way to the shop.