I Regressed to My Ruined Family – 34

 #I returned, and my family was ruined (35)

After a two-week journey, he finally arrived in Greston. Ethan nodded as he looked at the large outer walls.

“It’s quite big.”

It was one of the cities belonging to the Count of Halayim, and it was three times larger than Poert.

The captain of the guards conducting the inspection at the gate widened his eyes as soon as he saw the identity card Ethan handed him.

There was only one family in this world that used a golden pattern symbolizing a burning flame as their emblem.

The Ardan Duke!

At least in the Kingdom of Haiden, there was no one crazy enough to imitate the emblem of the Ardan Duke.

The emblem was so intricately engraved that it was impossible to forge, and the guard captain hurriedly bowed his head.

“…I have the honor of meeting a distinguished guest!”

This was a family that had earned the title of guardian of the kingdom from the previous king. Naturally, they were distinguished guests who deserved the highest courtesy.

“Don’t tell the lord of the castle. I want to come and go quietly.”

“Yes, I will.”

“And I’d like to get a robe.”

“Yes.”

The captain of the guards hurriedly called a soldier. Soon, a black robe of decent quality appeared.

“Thank you.”

Ethan greeted him and handed him a letter.

“This is…”

“Please send this to the Baron of Karagas.”

“Yes! I will send it as quickly as possible via carrier pigeon.”

Carrier pigeon.

Using trained birds to deliver letters to different regions was naturally much faster than sending a messenger.

Ethan nodded and asked a question.

“Is there a blacksmith’s shop run by dwarves in this city?”

“Yes, there is. Are you looking to place an order?”

“Yes.”

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At those words, the captain of the guard narrowed his eyes as if in deep thought.

“Is there a problem?”

“Well… Dwarves usually try to rip off people who visit them for the first time. There’s a soldier who knows the area well. Would you like me to send someone with you?” Eye-ripping.

This could be an interesting sight.

Ethan nodded.

“Thank you.”

“Please wait a moment.”

Soon, a guard came running over.

“Your Highness! May I show you the way?”

“Yes, please.”

Not only were they searched in an instant, but they were also assigned a guide.

Ethan, dressed in a black robe, followed the guard’s instructions.

After walking for about twenty minutes.

[Production Area]

As soon as he entered, he was greeted by the smell of iron.

And Ethan.

Just as he had expected, he witnessed a strange sight as soon as he entered the production area.

“Ah, pick and choose. Take a look at these dwarf-made weapons! They’re cheap!”

“Cheap, high quality, and sturdy! Come to the blacksmith’s forge, certified by the Adventurers’ Guild!”

The dwarves began to approach the people who had entered the area one by one.

The soldier who saw the dwarves frowned and whispered quietly.

“Be careful. There are no beggars in the world as vicious as those guys. If you get dragged away by them on the street, you’ll probably get beaten up.”

“Is that behavior really that bad?”

“It’s just everyday life around here. Do you see those shabby blacksmith shops over there?”

As the soldier said, the street was filled with shabby blacksmith shops.

“The dwarves who make things in the blacksmith shops at the entrance of the manufacturing district are practically useless. Of course, they are a little more skilled than human blacksmiths like us, but when you see the prices they charge, it’s much better to just hire a human.”

“…I see.”

Ethan quietly clicked his tongue.

A dwarf who uses polite language to attract customers with such a gentle expression?

He had never seen anything like this before.

“Hey! Did you break your armor again? What kind of sword master are you? What’s the point of being a master if you keep breaking your weapons?”

“Production costs? I don’t need that. Just bring me more beer. Then it’s free!”

“Pour it! Drink! Drink up! Hahahaha!”

In all his life, he had never met a single dwarf who had spoken to him with respect.

They were creatures known for spouting thick dialogue mixed with casual language and profanity.

“The world has truly gone mad.”

Otherwise, there was no way to explain the scene before him.

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Fortunately, no dwarves approached Ethan to solicit business.

It was because of the soldier standing next to him.

A soldier would know everything about this place.

It was a much better choice to approach people who didn’t know anything about this place rather than someone who was accompanied by a soldier.

That was why the dwarves didn’t approach him.

Ethan and the soldier avoided the dwarves on the outskirts and entered the inner part of the manufacturing area.

If there were shabby smithies on the outskirts, the inside was completely different. There were rows of smithies that looked neat just by looking at them.

Among them, there was a smithy where the most people were gathered.

[Flame Hammer Blacksmith]

Judging by the line, it seemed like it would take almost a whole day to get inside.

“How about that one?”

“That is one of the high-end blacksmiths mainly used by nobles and knights. It is the most prestigious one. Would you like to go there?”

“Sure.”

“Please wait a moment.”

The soldier ran off.

A moment later.

A dwarf who appeared to be an apprentice rushed over to Ethan.

“Phew. Phew. Are you by any chance… the Grand Duke of the Ardan family?”

“Yes, I am.”

“I’m truly sorry, but may I see your identity card?”

“Here you go.”

The dwarf bowed his head respectfully after seeing the identity badge.

“This way, please.”

Ethan nodded and motioned to the soldier to leave.

“Thank you for your hard work!”

As the soldier left the main road,

Ethan followed the dwarf apprentice toward the front of the line.

The attendants who saw this widened their eyes. They were the ones who had been waiting in line since early morning instead of the nobles and knights.

“Who is he?”

“Even the third son of the Kimiron family couldn’t get in that easily.”

Dwarves were stubborn people. Moreover, they were a race thoroughly brainwashed by capitalism.

No matter how close they were, if their status and wealth were not proven, they would never be allowed to go to the front of the line.

If such a dwarf was showing extreme politeness and escorting someone into the smithy, then who could that be?

He must be a big shot.

Gulp.

The attendants swallowed hard.

A figure dressed in a black robe advanced forward. No one dared to stand in his way.

The line parted like a tidal wave.

Ethan entered the smithy with his apprentice.

“Go to the second floor.”

“Yes.”

Ethan immediately went up to the second floor of the smithy. There was a dwarf sitting there.

He looked at the nameplate on the desk.

[Greston Blacksmith Guild External Director Popolens]

A guild and a social director.

Seeing a dwarf with such a title attached to him, he couldn’t quite get used to it.

It still looks strange to me.

Soon, the dwarf smiled broadly and greeted him.

“Oh, hello! Please come in! Did someone refer you to our shop?”

“Chechemo.”

“Chechemo… I see. What are you here to make?”

“A broadsword.”

“What metal will you be using?”

Ethan took out Nefrión.

The blacksmith’s eyes lit up when he saw the metal. Even though he had handled countless metals, this was the first time he had ever seen one like this.

Still, he had a rough idea of how to handle it.

“This metal has very high mana and attribute affinity, doesn’t it? It probably won’t melt at normal temperatures… I’ll have to use a magic melting agent and high-temperature compression techniques at the same time.”

If you can think of how to handle a metal as soon as you see it, you must be skilled.

“How much will it cost?”

“Hmm. Those techniques are quite expensive… I’ll need at least two hundred platinum coins.”

“Two hundred?”

He must be thinking that he’ll get away with it if he doesn’t charge too much.

This was just profiteering.

The cost of the process that dwarf mentioned earlier was definitely less than ten platinum coins.

“Things have really changed. Weren’t dwarves supposed to first check the qualifications of the client before starting production?”

“That’s how it was when our ancestors lived in caves. Things are completely different now. We live in a world where you need money to live in a nice house, drink good beer, and eat good food, so we had no choice but to change.”

The dwarf took off his round glasses and wiped them quickly, glancing at the man in the robe.

Not only did the apprentice push aside all the other customers who had reservations, but he also put him first in line.

“He must be a very wealthy person. Hehe…”

He was probably in his early twenties, so he must be the son of a noble family. If he were such a person, he would gladly pay even if he was overcharged because of his pride. However, things did not go as Poporen had expected.

The man in the robe stopped talking, as if he was thinking about something.

If that customer left, he could lose a big customer. Popolence hurriedly continued.

“If you feel that the price is too high, we can offer a discount depending on your status.”

“What are the conditions?”

“Please take a look.”

Poporen handed him a piece of paper. Ethan smiled when he saw the title.

[Discount Benefits Based on Status]

[30% discount for children of counts]

[25% discount for children of viscounts]

[10% discount for children of barons]

“Why are you offering this?”

“If we give you a discount now, we will also benefit in the future. It’s a benefit for the future.”

“I don’t have any children who are above the rank of baron.”

“People of that rank usually visit blacksmiths in large cities or the capital. Are you perhaps the child of someone above the rank of baron?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Then I can give you an even bigger discount. Hehe. Are you perhaps…?”

Ethan showed him his identity card.

At that moment, Poporen’s eyes widened.

‘Oh my god!

The son of Duke Ardan!

It was the appearance of a figure he never could have imagined.

“Could it be… the Grand Duke?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll give it to you for free!”

“Is that okay?”

At those words, a colleague flashed through Poporen’s mind.

Williams.

He was a dwarf who had similar skills to him, but he supplied weapons to the royal family.

Every time he contacted him, how much his pride was hurt by the fact that he was only supplying goods to the sons of nobles!

Money was enough to live on, but his shattered pride could never be restored.

“But if it’s the Ardan family?”

They were a family of great heroes, equal to the royal family and even considered a step above the commoners.

If only he could make a greatsword for the Grand Duke!

“I’ll show that William what’s what!”

His decision was made in an instant.

“Yes! I’ll do it for free! In return… Hehe, if you let me engrave the mark of our Forge of Flaming Hammers on the hilt, it would be an honor.”

“Sure.”

It was just a mark.

It wouldn’t matter when using the sword, so it didn’t matter.

Ethan nodded readily.

“Thank you! Since we’re at it, I’ll also make a set of armor that the Grand Prince can use! That’s also free!”

At that moment.

Ethan felt something strange. According to the soldier, dwarves had become greedy and miserly due to capitalism.

He had said he would engrave a mark on the hilt of the broadsword, so what about a set of armor?

Of course, he wouldn’t just give it to him.

He asked casually.

“Are you going to engrave a mark on the armor too?”

“Ah, that…”

“Where and how big are you planning to engrave it?”

“That… around the armor, something like this…”

The dwarf raised both hands and made a large circle.

That was no different from saying he wanted to use the armor for promotional purposes.

“Just make the greatsword properly.”

“Ah…”

Poporen’s face fell.