Paladin of a Fallen Order (Novel) - Chapter 18 - Mage-Tower-Crafted Armor
Chapter 18 – Mage-Tower-Crafted Armor
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Translated by Pratt
Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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Even calling it a consultation room, it was only on the level of a small warehouse attached to the Mage Tower workshop.
“…?”
As Elbridge sat in a chair waiting, Rombel brought a kettle as large as his own face and two water cups larger than his own fists.
Rombel swept the top of the table roughly with his thick arm, then handed a water cup to Elbridge.
“Take it.”
Rombel tilted the kettle to pour the liquid to the brim of Elbridge’s water cup and his own, then sat opposite the table. Smelling it, it gave off a musty smell of grass.
“Elbridge. I surely heard you were shoved into the seal.”
“I was.”
Elbridge took a sip of the tea.
Whether it was because the tea leaves were so old, it tasted like licking damp paper.
‘Well, as if a dwarf would know about tea…’
But Elbridge forced himself to sip the tea.
It was due to the hope that he might be able to get a discount on the armor.
“…But I’m released now.”
“How?”
“Well. I don’t know that well either.”
“Did someone smash the seal open?”
Elbridge shook his head.
“No. There was nothing like that. There were no traces of the seal being damaged.”
“Was it a poorly made seal from the beginning? I heard that seal was made in a rush.”
“Perhaps it was.”
A mage had also been included in the expedition to seal the Great Demon. If things had worked out without any problems, the mage would have constructed the seal.
However, because the mage meant for the sealing died in combat, things went awry.
Even the mages brought along as backups all died.
If one were to analyze it, Elbridge being shoved into the seal was half due to the mages.
Because if even a single mage had survived, there would have been no need for the paladins to clumsily construct a seal, and thus no reason for Elbridge to become the nucleus of the seal.
“But what could be done? It was the best option at the time.”
“I suppose so. But Elbridge. There is something else I am most curious about.”
“What is it?”
“…If you were released, has the Great Demon also been released along with you?”
Elbridge replied awkwardly.
“Probably?”
Rombel lamented.
“…That is the most shocking news I’ve heard lately.”
“Soon, everyone will know.”
Now it was Elbridge’s turn to ask questions.
“But Rombel, why are you here?”
Even up to two hundred years ago, Rombel was a warrior of the Order of the Steel Anvil, the religious order of the dwarfs.
Because his handiwork was good like a dwarf, he used to repair the party’s equipment whenever it broke down, but he was not a professional blacksmith like this.
“Because there is no reason to remain a warrior in a world without demons.”
“If the demons return now, will you throw away your blacksmith work and return to being a warrior?”
“…Well.”
“Why?”
“My age is almost three hundred years, you know.”
Elbridge stared at Rombel.
Instead of the young and adventurous dwarf Elbridge remembered, a middle-aged dwarf was opposite the table.
“…Actually, it’s not because of my age.”
“Then?”
“The problem is skill. Even in those days, I wasn’t an outstanding warrior.”
Unlike the speaker’s words, Rombel’s skill did not lag far behind when compared to any ordinary paladin. His skill itself.
Rombel’s greatest problem was the god he served.
As could be known from the name, the God of the Steel Anvil was not a deity who bestowed combat-related authority.
Even so, Rombel could not turn his back on the God of the Steel Anvil. Because dwarfs had a custom of naturally belonging to the Order of the Steel Anvil and serving the God of the Steel Anvil.
Since dwarfs who did not serve the God of the Steel Anvil were thoroughly rejected in dwarf society, religious freedom virtually did not exist for dwarfs.
Thanks to that closed atmosphere, the God of the Steel Anvil received support from over 99.8% of all dwarfs, stably maintaining its seats.
‘The Order of the Steel Anvil…’
At that moment, the goddess’s voice came to Elbridge’s ears.
– Elbridge. Right now is the time.
There was no detailed explanation. However, Elbridge immediately understood what the goddess’s oracle meant.
Elbridge wore a rather serious expression as he spoke.
“Rombel. You know your problem is not skill. The problem is not you, but your order.”
“…”
“I know your faith wasn’t that deep. I also remember you secretly admired the paladins of combat orders. And… if you have served the God of the Steel Anvil for nearly three hundred years, you have done more than enough.”
“Groan.”
Now was the time to subtly reveal his true mind. Elbridge casually brought up the subject.
“And these days, there is that, what is it, a conversion benefit or something, right? A dwarf who has maintained faith for three hundred years would probably receive tremendous benefits.”
– Archbishop Elbridge. Showing him the concrete conditions will surely help.
“…For example, if it’s our Order of the Rusty Shield, we will guarantee you the position of a cardinal. And if you bring in other believers, we will distribute additional benefits to you based on the performance of those believers. It’s what is called network marketing, and the earlier you join…”
Elbridge explained while forcing down the distasteful tea. It was because he believed leaving the offered tea completely untouched would not leave a good impression.
However, making Elbridge’s efforts pale in comparison, Rombel let out a deep sigh.
“It won’t do.”
“Why? It isn’t as if the God of the Steel Anvil can retaliate against you just because you turned your back on the order. That is an action strictly forbidden in the Heavenly Council.”
“The problem is that my kin will reject me, not that the deity will retaliate against me. That is legal. Since the deity is not directly retaliating.”
“What’s so bad about being rejected? It’s not like you interact much with your kin anyway… Ah, no. Has it changed a bit since two hundred years have passed?”
Rombel scratched the back of his head vigorously, then unnaturally diverted the topic.
“Anyway! The reason I can’t just cut the price of the armor at will isn’t because I’m a heartless dwarf. It’s because the price is set by the Mage Tower, not by me.”
Excessive proselytizing was bound to bring adverse effects. Elbridge cleanly gave up on proselytizing.
“Indeed, I’ve never heard a story that a stingy dwarf exists in this world. And even if I don’t get a discount, it’s not a big problem.”
“Is that so?”
“The price of mage-tower-crafted armor seemed to have become much cheaper than in the past. They said with a hundred and twenty gold coins, one could buy up to a breastplate and gauntlets? I also heard there is no need to wait for years.”
“The times have changed, you know. Hardly anyone seeks mage-tower-crafted armor now. Now, mage-tower-crafted armor is merely a collector’s item for wealthy nobles.”
“Even if so, the effort that goes into crafting mage-tower-crafted armor is the same now as it was in the past. I didn’t know it would become cheap to this extent.”
“It’s not the same.”
Rombel rested his chin on his hand, then filled Elbridge’s teacup to the brim with tea once more.
For Elbridge, it was a slightly awkward situation.
“Elbridge. You must have seen how much knights and paladins have degenerated over the past two hundred years?”
“…Of course.”
“As long as there are no demons, the degeneration of paladins and knights is inevitable. However, other parts of the world are different. Rather, as time flows, it is developing at a frighteningly rapid pace.”
“I don’t think it’s to that extent. Solenion has barely changed from two hundred years ago.”
“That’s because this place is an eastern countryside. In the central continent, things that will make you fall over in shock are happening. Would you believe it if carriages ran without horses, and people flew through the sky riding giant balloons?”
It was a preposterous story. A story even children wouldn’t believe.
“Rombel. Just because I was sealed for two hundred years doesn’t mean I’ve become an idiot.”
“It’s not a joke. The mages of the central continent have accomplished marvelous things. Now, they style themselves as magic engineers, not mages.”
Elbridge scrutinized Rombel’s expression to gauge whether that story was serious or a joke.
However, the expression of a dwarf covered in a bushy beard is not easy to grasp.
“…Let’s assume there is such a thing for now. Anyway, why that?”
“What I want to say is one thing. Unlike the regressed knights or paladins, mages have continued to develop. Thanks to that, the unit cost of mage-tower-crafted armor has also dropped significantly.”
Thinking of it that way, the pieces seemed to fit together reasonably well.
Now, Elbridge’s thoughts headed in another direction.
“Rombel. If so, would mages be able to seal the Great Demon?”
“Well. That doesn’t seem easy… I felt that the development of mages was flowing in a direction somewhat detached from combat.”
When Elbridge forced down and finished the distasteful tea this time too, Rombel checked the inside of the teapot.
“The tea is all gone. Do you want to drink mine instead?”
“No.”
“Really?”
Rombel stood up from his seat, then poured the tea contained in his teacup into the quenching water tub.
A hot anger burned within Elbridge’s chest.
‘…This bastard?’
However, Elbridge’s effort was not in vain.
“Anyway, it was good to meet you after a long time. Even if I can’t cut the price, I will use the best possible materials without sparing them.”
“Thank you, Rombel.”
“I’ll also tell the mage in charge of the enchantment to pay some attention. If they hear it is something you will use, they will do it with all their heart.”
Elbridge waved his hand in refusal.
“…Don’t say that. Because I am currently active while pretending to be my own descendant.”
“Why on earth?”
Elbridge pondered a bit.
Would the dwarf Rombel be able to understand the human behavior of hatred based on jealousy and imagination, endlessly searching for a scapegoat?
No. It did not seem like he would.
“Just, there are such circumstances.”
“Understood. Should I make the gauntlets and breastplate first?”
“Yes. Shall we measure the dimensions first?”
“I’ve confirmed it with my eyes, so measuring dimensions is unnecessary. What features should we put in?”
“Internal warping defense for the breastplate. Grip strength enhancement for the gauntlets. Is it possible?”
“Let’s see… The price is 110 gold. Because the grip strength enhancement feature is on the slightly cheaper side. I’ll have it finished within fifteen days at the latest.”
“Thank you, Rombel. See you next time.”
Elbridge stood up from his seat.
At that, Rombel asked Elbridge in a cautious voice.
“By the way, Elbridge. There is one thing I want to ask.”
“What is it?”
“…You, didn’t you use to show me proper manners every single time in the past? Saying you couldn’t treat an elder casually.”
Rombel was a young dwarf, but even in that era two hundred years ago, he was over ninety years old.
On the other hand, Elbridge had first met Rombel before he had barely even reached twenty.
“Rombel. Since your age is almost three hundred now, if we compare it to human terms, it’s about sixty, right?”
“Since a dwarf’s lifespan is roughly four hundred, and a human’s lifespan is about eighty… yes, about that.”
“My age is over two hundred years by human standards. Rombel.”
Hearing that story, Rombel wore a bizarre expression Elbridge had never seen before.