Chapter 32 - The Two as Seen by the Weapon Shop Owner
Author’s Note: A request was made to see how the two looked from an outsider’s perspective, so here’s a brief account. It's short.
The flow of customers had just stopped. As the shopkeeper, Flores, was contemplating whether it was time for the afternoon break, tugging at his white beard, the doorbell rang with a soft chime.
The door opened more slowly than usual and came to a stop.
Then, an unmistakably out-of-place woman entered the weapon shop. Behind her, a tall man with black hair, who had been holding the door, followed her in.
It was rare to see anyone so courteous as to stop the old oak door and let the woman go through first. One of them must have been of noble rank.
Flores wanted to shout, "Don’t make the weapon shop your date spot just out of curiosity."
"Welcome."
Despite his inner thoughts, Flores greeted them in a routine manner as the owner of the shop.
Both customers returned the greeting politely.
To his surprise, the man was someone who had visited before—he was a perfect example of a handsome man, as far as a woman was concerned. His black hair and golden eyes reminded one of the black panthers that roamed the southern grasslands.
However, if Flores had to say something, it would be that if the man had that much height, he should trade his longsword for a greatsword and put on a bit more muscle.
The woman probably had simply followed the man.
Her bright red hair was striking, and although her face and makeup were decent, her light blue jacket and dark blue skirt gave off a refreshing vibe.
She had an eye-catching, pleasant figure. From Flores’ point of view, her back profile, in particular, had a nice line.
The two of them moved around the store as if inspecting it.
As the woman happily moved her green eyes around, the man instantly checked the safety of the floor and his surroundings.
His overprotectiveness was so obvious that Flores couldn’t help but smile to himself.
It was exactly the work of a knight protecting his princess.
After a while, the two of them approached Flores, and he assumed it was the man who was making a purchase.
However, it was the red-haired woman who lightly bowed and spoke to him.
"Sorry to bother you when you’re busy. I’m looking for a dagger that can have magic enchantment imbued. Something with a detachable design, and reasonably priced—could you show me something like that?"
"O-oh, sure. I’ll bring them right over."
Her polite words and manner made Flores’ voice falter.
The most common customers in this weapon shop were adventurers, both men and women, who often spoke roughly and had a laid-back attitude.
A type like this woman was quite rare.
When Flores laid three types of daggers on the table, the woman’s green eyes lit up, and she leaned forward slightly, staring at them intently.
For some reason, he was reminded of the time he gave his pet cat a toy for the first time.
"Please take it out of the sheath and check it."
When Flores said this, the woman reached out to touch it, but then hesitated.
She quietly glanced sideways, and Flores wondered what was going on, only to see the tall man looking at her with a deeply worried expression.
He couldn’t help but find it amusing. It wasn’t as if the woman were a child—she was hardly likely to cut herself with a dagger still in its sheath. It seemed like a noblewoman sneaking out or perhaps just playing around. He was clearly being very overprotective.
Despite that, the woman slowly extended her hand, and began checking each dagger one by one.
Although they were cheap daggers, she handled them as if they were precious treasures. Flores watched her with a sense of wonder.
"Do you know where the iron used in this one is from?"
The woman suddenly asked an unexpected question.
Discussions about weapons were typically interesting to Flores, as the owner of a weapon shop. However, the woman’s detailed questions about materials and disassembly were clearly not something a typical noblewoman would ask.
Upon closer inspection, her nails were short and a little rough.
Flores remembered her mentioning magic enchantments, and so he decided to ask.
"Could you be a mage? Or perhaps an alchemist?"
"No, I’m a magic toolmaker."
The woman answered with a smile, and for some reason, the man behind her also seemed to smile a little.
Magic toolmakers were considered a step below a mage or an alchemist, but it seemed to be something these two were proud of. Their smiles were genuine and pleasant.
"Then, could you get two of this, with the same design? And could you add a new handle, guard, and sheath for each?"
"Yeah, I can do that."
The dagger the woman had selected after careful consideration was the shortest one with a red handle.
She only chose cheap, unmarked daggers.
The man seemed to be recommending more expensive options, but the woman stubbornly refused to listen.
"There's a dagger that can be enchanted and has a handle secured with screws. Would you like to see that?"
When Flores suggested this, the woman expressed interest, so he brought out three from the back.
Once again, the woman began her questions, and Flores patiently answered, explaining the materials and the screws.
When he finished answering all her questions, the woman looked at him with a bright, satisfied smile.
"Please add two of these, and two each of the screws, handles, guards, and sheaths."
It wasn’t a particularly large purchase, but for some reason, Flores felt oddly satisfied.
Then, it suddenly dawned on him.
Throughout the whole time the woman was asking questions, she had been looking at him with an expression as if he were a respected mentor or master. Once he became aware of it, he felt strangely self-conscious.
The man paid for the items, his face beaming with joy.
Flores thought it was the first time he’d ever seen a man look so happy while paying for the weapons his girl had chosen.
He couldn’t help but wonder what kind of enchantments would be placed on them, and who would be using them. If the chance arose, he would ask the woman next time.
"Thank you very much."
"We'll be back again."
After exchanging the standard farewells, the two of them left the shop.
Just as when they entered, the man opened and held the door for the woman. This time, it looked endearing.
Though he didn’t know the nature of their relationship, the shopkeeper, Flores, had one peculiar, undeniable certainty.
That handsome man would eventually end up being bossed around by that woman.
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