Background Relies on Hmm Hmm Hmm

Goblin Slayer hasn't appeared yet, and with such a large group, that Receptionist Miss should be reassured enough not to bother calling him in for help. But if Goblin Slayer doesn't show up...

Though it's hard to tell if that thief was being vague or genuinely couldn't remember clearly, Lin Yun recalled it right—there were at least twenty or more goblins, including a Goblin Priest and one giant goblin. According to the description, it's some kind of goblin variant, not as strong as a Big Goblin, but still taller than a normal human and packing decent strength—a real pain to deal with.

With this party heading over now... it feels pretty hopeless.

But no matter what, for now he can only take it one step at a time. Maybe that thief can replicate Goblin Slayer's methods and pull off a decisive kill on that giant goblin.

Besides, Lin Yun has his own trump card.

The backstory he wrote, over ten thousand words' worth, is a real treat. Lin Yun was confident that even most veterans wouldn't catch this Easter egg, and some might even miss it because of their past experience clouding their judgment. Only those obsessive-compulsive types would have the patience and mood to write something like that.

As Lin Yun followed them, mulling things over, he soon trailed this small party into a weapon shop. The owner was a middle-aged dwarf, but compared to the young man beside him, he didn't seem all that short—maybe that's why he hired the guy as his employee.

The dwarf had a face full of stereotypical beard, but his head was already showing signs of a receding hairline—not a good look.

"Kid, I get the feeling you're thinking something bad." True to dwarf nature, huh? Dwarf templates come with a bonus to Perception, and this one keenly sensed Lin Yun's less-than-pure thoughts.

"No, I was just thinking that using these to kill goblins seems a bit wasteful." Lin Yun pretended to examine the swords and blades around him as he spoke.

"...True." The Dwarf Blacksmith looked at Lin Yun's face, hidden behind the helmet, and paused before saying, "I won't say my weapons cut through goblins like chopping melons and veggies. You're all Porcelain-ranked adventurers, newbies, right? Let me give you some advice: if you're really going after goblins, it's best to prep more weapons. Not that I'm trying to drum up business—a few blades, no magic gear, won't make me much. Goblins aren't strong in other ways, but there's a ton of them. After you hack one down, the blood on your blade will make it dull. Their bones aren't that hard, but one slip and it'll go blunt. No time to slowly sharpen, so having a few spare weapons is more practical." The Dwarf Blacksmith was clearly a helpful sort, seeing their Porcelain badges and sharing some experience.

Lin Yun knew this wasn't exaggerated at all. Even in this fantasy world, ordinary steel-forged weapons couldn't compare to those from his modern era. Just look at those so-called forging competitions—there was an episode where they made Scottish claymores, and a new sword struggled to cut through a dead pig, bending or snapping on the first swing. Let alone hacking through several goblins.

In that regard, Lin Yun had an edge. His Lantern Staff was a blunt weapon, so even if it hit blood, it wouldn't degrade as easily—it was already blunt to begin with. He hadn't planned on killing goblins before coming here; he just thought the Lantern Staff could double as a walking stick for hiking or whatever. At least it didn't look like a weapon, right?

"I see, thank you so much, Brother Gran." The Young Warrior, after hearing the Dwarf Blacksmith's words, said excitedly to the thief.

On the way here, that thief had been chattering nonstop, spouting off knowledge to watch out for during adventures. Lin Yun caught that some of it was from Dungeons & Dragons, some from Goblin Slayer, and maybe bits from other novels, anime, or manga—basically making the newbies think this thief was an all-knowing, all-seeing veteran adventurer.

It worked well to bring the group closer, except for Lin Yun, who stayed silent. At the same time, the thief solidified his role as the leader, even the cold-looking Female Mage—who seemed proud from her earlier demeanor—acknowledged it.

"Of course." Hearing the Young Warrior's thanks, the thief named Gran put on a bashful smile, but his smug look gave him away. Still, Lin Yun, with his sharp perception, could sense the thief occasionally watching him.

"Alright, enough chit-chat. I'm busy. Tell me what you need, and I'll see if I can handle it." The Dwarf Blacksmith said impatiently, half-squinting.

"Ah, right. In that case, we'll take three short swords, one shield, two daggers, and one chainmail." The thief put on a flattering smile, slightly bowing as he spoke respectfully to the Dwarf Blacksmith.

Clearly, this guy knew how to talk to shorter folks—looking down on them would only cause annoyance.

On the way here, he might've reconsidered and realized three short swords were too few, and without a shield, mistakes were easy. The Young Warrior had initially objected, claiming a brave warrior like him wouldn't use a coward's tool like a shield. While saying this, he even glanced at Lin Yun.

It made Lin Yun want to smack him over the head with the Lantern Staff.

"Hmm. Short swords and daggers are ready-made. The shield needs a handle adjustment, but the chainmail's a bit tricky. If you're not in a hurry, it's doable. If you are, then no can do." The Dwarf Blacksmith frowned slightly.

"Why's that?" The Young Warrior frowned. "We're in a rush. The village girls are waiting for us to save them. Can't you speed it up?"

"It's not that I don't want to help. Chainmail needs to be adjusted to fit the wearer's size. Mine are all made to a standard template. With your scrawny builds, you can't wear something that big. But chainmail's all linked together—adjusting it requires careful, precise work. Otherwise, it's not just about ruining my reputation; if something goes wrong while you're using it, that'd be bad." The Dwarf Blacksmith shrugged helplessly.

Unlike in games, where you can just equip gear directly, reality's different. Sizes vary per person. If the Goddess Priestess were to wear chainmail, the standard template wouldn't just be ill-fitting—it'd be like a kid wearing an adult's clothes. Armor like that can only be sized down, not up. Well, technically there are exceptions, but they're rare.

At least smaller sizes can be adjusted; larger ones mostly need custom orders. This is combat—if the armor doesn't fit, the consequences aren't a joke.

Chainmail is made of small iron rings linked together, forming a long coat with a hood, worn over undergarments. All the weight rests on the shoulders, effectively protecting against slashes from swords, spears, and other blades, and it's mainly for defense against bows and crossbows. So even a Priest like the Goddess Priestess, a frail woman, could use it.

"Can't you just cut off the extra parts?" Even the thief was getting frustrated.

"I'll help out. That'll speed things up." Lin Yun suddenly stepped forward.

"Hey, kid, are you here to mess around?" The Dwarf Blacksmith looked at Lin Yun with dissatisfaction. But then, his half-closed eyes suddenly snapped open in surprise.

Because at some point, Lin Yun had pulled out a badge-like item with a hammer emblem on a flame-patterned background.

"This is..." The Dwarf Blacksmith said in disbelief.

"I once studied forging under a clan craftsman. I know a bit of the trade and earned the Clan Craftsman Badge." Lin Yun's voice was muffled, but behind his helmet, his face was almost splitting from a grin.

In the backstory Lin Yun had written, Silent once apprenticed under a dwarf clan craftsman to learn forging, so Lin Yun was proficient with blacksmith tools. He hadn't expected to find this badge on him—it was proof of a clan craftsman, something that usually took decades or even centuries and required being a dwarf to earn. Yet here it was in Lin Yun's hands.

Not that other races couldn't get it, but forging required talent, and dwarves were naturally the best at it. Then there was the time investment and material costs involved. So non-dwarf clan craftsmen were extremely rare. That's why this Dwarf Blacksmith was so shocked.

To dwarves, blacksmiths were ranked into three tiers: other-race smiths, dwarf smiths, and clan craftsmen. For dwarves, who saw forging as the highest calling, a clan craftsman's status was just slightly below that of a dwarf clan chief or high priest—at least in terms of prestige, not actual authority. But even that was enough.