Goblin Slayer hadn't appeared yet. With such a large group of people, the receptionist was probably reassured, and wouldn't go out of her way to call Goblin Slayer over to help. And without Goblin Slayer...
Whether the Thief had been speaking vaguely or genuinely couldn't remember, Lin Yun couldn't say. But if he remembered correctly, there were at least twenty goblins, along with a Goblin Priest and a giant goblin. According to what they'd heard, it was some kind of goblin mutation. It wasn't as big as a Big Goblin, but it was taller than an ordinary human, and strong too. It would be very troublesome to deal with.
With this party heading out now... It gave him a sense of despair.
Still, for the time being, they could only take things one step at a time. Perhaps the Thief could copy Goblin Slayer's methods and land a decisive blow on that giant goblin.
Besides, Lin Yun had his own trump card.
He had written a backstory so long that ten thousand words wouldn't be enough to describe it. It was a lot of fun. Lin Yun was sure that most veterans wouldn't notice this little Easter egg. Some might even be so influenced by their past experience that they'd miss it altogether. Only those obsessive types would have the patience and inclination to write something like that.
As Lin Yun followed them, lost in thought, he soon arrived with the party at a weapon shop. The owner was a middle-aged Dwarf, though beside the young man next to him, he didn't seem all that short. Lin Yun wondered if that was why he'd hired the young man as an employee.
The man had the thick beard typical of a Dwarf, but he was already starting to go bald on top. Not a good sign.
"Kid, I get the feeling you're thinking something unkind." Were Dwarves not just like that? Their template gave them a bonus to Perception, and this Dwarf had keenly sensed that Lin Yun was thinking something unkind.
"No, I was just thinking that using these to kill goblins seems like a bit of a waste." Lin Yun pretended to examine the swords around him as he spoke.
"...That's true." The Dwarf blacksmith glanced at Lin Yun, whose face was hidden behind his helmet, and fell silent for a moment. Then he said, "I won't pretend that the weapons I make can chop goblins like vegetables. You're all Porcelain Adventurers, so you're beginners, right? Let me give you some advice. If you're going to fight goblins, it's best to bring extra weapons. It's not that I want more business for my shop. With just a few weapons, and none of them magic items, I wouldn't make much money anyway. Goblins may not be strong in other ways, but there are a lot of them. Once you've cut down a goblin, its blood gets on your weapon and makes it dull. Their bones aren't all that hard, but it only takes one careless strike to dull a blade. You won't have time to keep sharpening it, so bringing a few extra weapons is the sensible thing to do." The Dwarf blacksmith was clearly a very warmhearted person. Seeing that everyone wore Porcelain Adventurer badges, he shared a few tips with them.
Lin Yun knew the man wasn't exaggerating at all. This was a fantasy world, but weapons forged from ordinary steel still weren't as good as modern ones. Just look at those sword-forging competitions: one season had an episode about making Scottish claymores, and the new sword could barely cut into a dead pig. It was normal for one to bend or break after a single swing, let alone after cutting through several goblins.
In that respect, Lin Yun had a considerable advantage. The Lantern Staff in his hand was a blunt weapon, so even if he hit something bloody, it wouldn't be damaged so easily. It was blunt to begin with, after all. Before coming here, Lin Yun hadn't thought about killing goblins or anything like that. He'd simply thought the Lantern Staff could double as a walking stick, useful for climbing mountains and other things. At least it didn't look like a weapon, right?
"I see. Thank you so much, Brother Gran." After hearing the Dwarf blacksmith's advice, the young warrior turned to the Thief with an excited expression.
On the way here, the Thief had been chattering away, sharing all kinds of knowledge about what to watch out for while adventuring. Lin Yun had picked up on some things from Dungeons & Dragons, some from Goblin Slayer, and maybe a few from other novels, anime, or manga. All in all, he was making the newbies think he was a veteran Adventurer who knew everything there was to know.
It had done a good job of bringing everyone closer together, with the exception of Lin Yun, who'd remained silent the whole time. It had also helped the Thief establish himself as their leader. Even the Female Mage, who seemed cool and aloof but was clearly extremely proud, judging by her behavior just moments ago, seemed to accept that.
"Of course." The Thief named Gran gave an embarrassed smile at the young warrior's thanks, but his smug expression said it all. Lin Yun's astonishing Perception also let him sense that the Thief kept glancing his way from time to time.
"Enough with the chatter. I'm busy. Tell me what you need, and I'll see if I can get it done." The Dwarf blacksmith spoke impatiently, his eyes half-lidded.
"Ah, right. We'd like three short swords and a shield, then two daggers and a suit of chainmail." The Thief gave him an ingratiating smile, bending forward slightly as he spoke to the Dwarf blacksmith in a deferential manner.
It was clear that he knew how to talk to people who were rather short. Being too condescending would only annoy them.
On the way here, they'd apparently had another chance to reconsider. Three short swords still seemed like too few, and without a shield, it would be easy to make a mistake. The young warrior had initially objected, saying that a brave warrior like him would never use something as cowardly as a shield. When he said it, he'd even glanced at Lin Yun.
Lin Yun had really wanted to smack him on the head with the Lantern Staff.
"Hmm. The short swords and daggers are ready-made. I'd have to adjust the straps on the shield a bit, but the chainmail could be a problem. If you're not in a hurry, it'll be fine. If you are, then there's nothing I can do." The Dwarf blacksmith frowned slightly as he spoke.
"Huh? Why?" The young warrior furrowed his brows. "We're in a hurry. There are girls in that village waiting for us to rescue them. Can't you rush the order for us?"
"It's not that I don't want to help. It's just that chainmail has to be adjusted to fit the person wearing it, and the chainmail I make is all the same size. You're all so small that you can't wear it as is. But chainmail is all linked together, so adjusting it has to be done carefully and thoroughly. Otherwise, it wouldn't just damage my reputation. If something went wrong while you were using it, that would be bad." The Dwarf blacksmith spread his hands helplessly.
Unlike in games, where you could just put on whatever equipment you picked up, things were different in reality. It had to fit the person wearing it. And if the Goddess Priestess were to wear chainmail, one made to fit an ordinary person wouldn't just be unsuitable—it would be like a child wearing an adult's clothes. Armor could be made smaller, but not larger. Well, technically it could, but that wasn't very common.
At least smaller sizes could be altered. Larger ones generally had to be custom-made. After all, this was for combat. The consequences of ill-fitting armor were no joke.
Chainmail was made of small iron rings linked together to form a long garment with a hood, worn over clothes. All the weight rested on the shoulders. It could protect against sharp weapons like swords, knives, spears, and lances, and its main purpose was to defend against bows and crossbows. That was why even a frail young woman and Priest like the Goddess Priestess could wear it.
"Can't you just cut off the excess?" Even the Thief was starting to get frustrated.
"I'll help. That'll speed things up." Lin Yun suddenly stepped forward and spoke.
"Hey, kid, are you here to cause trouble?" The Dwarf blacksmith looked at Lin Yun unhappily. Then, all at once, his half-lidded eyes flew open, and he stared at Lin Yun in astonishment.
At some point, Lin Yun had taken out something like a badge. It bore the mark of a hammer, with flames in the background.
"This is..." The Dwarf blacksmith spoke in disbelief.
"I once studied smithing under a Clan Craftsman. I know a little about forging, and I received a Clan Craftsman Badge." Lin Yun's voice sounded muffled, but behind his helmet, he was grinning like a pig.
According to the backstory Lin Yun had written, Silent had once apprenticed under a Dwarf Clan Craftsman and learned smithing. That was why Lin Yun was proficient with a blacksmith's tools. He hadn't expected to find this badge on him as well. It was a Clan Craftsman Badge, something that usually took at least a decade—or even a century—to earn, and only Dwarves were supposed to qualify for it. Yet here it was in Lin Yun's hands.
It wasn't that members of other races couldn't earn one. It was just that smithing required talent, and Dwarves were naturally the most gifted at it. The time required was another issue, as was the cost of all the materials involved. That made it extremely difficult for anyone who wasn't a Dwarf to become a Clan Craftsman. Yet Lin Yun had a badge. How could the Dwarf blacksmith not be astonished?
To Dwarves, blacksmiths fell into three ranks: blacksmiths of other races, Dwarf blacksmiths, and Clan Craftsmen. To Dwarves, for whom forging was the highest calling, Clan Craftsmen ranked just below the heads of Dwarf clans and the high priests. Of course, that was only in terms of prestige, and they held no specific authority. But even that was more than enough.
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