The next morning, sunlight streamed through the lattice windows of the guest room at the Lord's Manor and spilled across the floor. Barin sat up in bed, and the headache from his hangover made him rub his temples. The strong aroma of last night's liquor seemed to linger in his nose—Arda's distilled liquor was far stronger and more enticing than he had imagined.
Before long, a servant came to knock on the door and respectfully informed him that Paul was waiting in the study. Barin straightened his dwarf clan attire, took a deep breath, and suppressed the tension and calculations in his heart before following the servant through the corridors of the Lord's Manor. Along the way, the stone pillars and murals hanging on the walls made him unable to resist taking discreet looks around.
When he entered the study, Paul was seated behind the desk, reading through some documents. Seeing Barin enter, he set down his pen and raised a hand with a smile. "Have a seat. Did you find last night's wine agreeable? You seemed quite drunk. I hope it didn't affect you too much this morning."
Barin sat down in the chair across from the desk, a slightly awkward smile appearing on his face. "Thank you for your hospitality, Marquis. The wine here... is indeed the strongest I've ever had. I was discourteous last night."
After a brief pause, he stopped beating around the bush and stated his ostensible purpose directly. "Marquis, I've come here at the Iron Hammer Clan's behest because I have a request to make. The Iron Hammer Clan is interested in opening trade with Arda, and they would like me to first inspect the economic conditions of human society and see what possibilities for cooperation there might be between us. I hope you