"All right, all right... I apologize."
Zeliel cleared his throat. "I promise I'll try not to say things based on stereotypes anymore."
"Ah... anyway, I thought about it for a long time back then."
Brock sighed again.
"In the end, it took a great deal of resolve before I finally left my old tribe with Barrett."
"The days that followed were an entirely different life for me."
"No more dwarven tribes that were all the same... villages, towns, trade routes, the Adventurers' Association, the Mages' Guild... I saw all those things for the first time."
"Barrett was a restless man. He didn't like staying in one place for too long."
"So I followed him through all sorts of places, seeing customs and ways of life I'd never encountered in the tribe."
"Barrett taught me a great deal about making magical equipment... under his guidance, my skills grew more and more polished."
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"At first, I could only help process materials and make a few accessories. Later, I gradually became able to finish individual components."
"Eventually, Barrett would even hand customers' requests straight to me, letting me figure things out and make wands or other items on my own."
"I improved so quickly that even Barrett was a little surprised... he said he'd been right about me all along."
"Those really were good days."
At this point, Brock's beard lifted, and a nostalgic look came over his face.
"Whenever we passed through a village or town, we'd stay for a little while and make magical equipment that amazed the local craftsmen, then head to the next place amid their praise."
"Everyone who looked down on me because of my height ended up won over by my skills... I can still remember the disbelief on their faces."
"Barrett and I met outside