Red Iron

That morning, Renato went through the procedures to raise his adventurer rank in the Adventurers' Guild hall.

Despite the receptionist's constant urging, he still read every clause carefully, one by one. Only after confirming there were no traps did he sign his name.

"Mr. Renato, here is your new badge. The guild will automatically reclaim your old one..."

He tucked a silver badge into his Bag of Holding.

The quests he had completed in Brekka Town were worth more than he had expected. Combined with his high completion rate, they had raised Renato straight to adventurer rank 3. He was now eligible to accept most of the guild commissions in the city.

Perly followed behind him, unconsciously straightening her back as though she shared in his glory.

As a rank 3 adventurer, he no longer had to crowd into the hall to choose quests. Instead, he could sit in a private tearoom and browse the commissions at his leisure:

"Hunt down the Thieves' Guild. Capture or kill its members. Additional bounties may be paid depending on the individuals involved..."

Renato had never even heard of the Thieves' Guild. The name alone sounded like trouble.

"Investigate the repeated disappearance of bodies from the Northern Cemetery and deal with whoever is responsible..."

Renato had no desire to get involved with any undead creatures for now. Besides, the city was full of temples, clerics, and priests. Could none of them handle this? Renato was no fool. There had to be something fishy about it.

"Investigate Red Iron's smuggling network. A reward of up to 100 gold coins will be paid, depending on the information provided."

Investigate smuggling? Renato raised an eyebrow and flipped through the material supplied by the guild.

"Red Iron, an underground arms dealer operating in northern neighborhoods such as Old Alley Street and Widow Street, sells weapons and metal tools in large quantities, severely disrupting the legitimate market."

"The client is the Blacksmiths' Guild, and the quest only requires information. The location is the slums, and the target is an arms smuggler..."

As he considered it, Renato glanced at the Adventurer's Guide beside him.

[Quest]

Investigate Red Iron's smuggling network in the northern neighborhoods. Payment ranges from 5 copper coins to 15 gold coins, depending on the information provided.

[Quest description]

The filthy streets and alleys are not only a source of chaos, but also home to countless impoverished people. In the shadow of the law, evil quietly grows. Smuggling has seeped deep into this city's veins, and Red Iron conducts dealings that cannot bear the light of day. As a keen investigator, you must not only follow hidden clues and trails, but also beware of blades that may flash from the darkness at any moment.

Quest reward: 500 experience points.

Just as I thought. Those 100 gold coins were nothing but an empty promise, Renato grumbled inwardly.

Five hundred experience points was not much, but it also suggested that the quest's difficulty should be limited. Besides, he was only investigating. He might not need to clash with the other party at all.

Buying a few things and handing them over counts as investigating too. They'd be "seized" contraband, after all. Renato had never been one to stick rigidly to the rules.

"Have you picked one?" Perly was munching on a piece of white bread, with a pot of floral tea on the table in front of her.

The food in the tearoom was free, so there was no reason not to eat it. Renato took a piece too and explained to Perly:

"We'll take this investigation quest and test the waters first."

Perly wiped her hands, took the parchment, and carefully read the quest description.

"Red Iron? I think I've heard of him. He sells tools, but his pots and spoons are so expensive that hardly anyone buys them."

Perly looked thoughtful as she recalled it, then said helplessly:

"I wanted to buy a pot before. Cooking for myself would save some money. But then I thought about it-a pot would be heavy to carry, and ingredients aren't cheap either. I might as well keep gnawing on black bread..."

"Let's talk on the way." Renato stood and put the two remaining pieces of white bread into his Bag of Holding. "You used to live around Old Alley Street. Tell me what it's like."

"How should I put it... Lots of people live there, and food is cheap. Black bread costs one copper a pound... I don't think there's anything else special about it. It's just an ordinary neighborhood."

"Which gang controls Old Alley Street?" Renato decided that asking directly would be more efficient. "Who's the local boss running protection there?"

Although he had never had dealings with these gangs while in Fried City, plenty of adventurers in Brekka Town had once belonged to urban gangs. Through them, Renato had picked up some of the basics.

Perly shook her head, confusion showing in her dark eyes.

It seemed he could not count on her. He would have to ask around himself.

Old Alley Street lived up to its name. The entire street was as narrow as an alley.

The street was astonishingly cramped, too narrow for even a single carriage to pass through. The timber-framed houses on either side jutted outward on each successive floor, nearly touching one another, leaving little sunlight to reach the street below.

A foul stench assaulted his nose, and Renato covered his mouth and nose. Upstairs in the distance, a woman opened a window and dumped sewage and rubbish straight down, trading curses with the pedestrians she splashed.

The road was packed, but they encountered none of the trouble he had imagined. No slum dweller wanted to approach a warrior wearing scale armor with a greatsword on his back, and the crowd parted before Renato on its own.

He did not even need to ask anyone. Renato and Perly stood out in the slums, and three men followed them without making the slightest effort to conceal themselves.

Renato deliberately turned into a quiet alley. The three men followed him in, wearing cotton clothes and shortswords at their waists, but no armor.

After both sides sized each other up for a moment, Renato spoke first:

"What business do you gentlemen have following us? Take a good look before you do anything. Life isn't easy for any of us, and it'd be a shame if blood were spilled."

The men did not look at Renato, despite the hint of menace in his voice. Instead, they stared nervously at Perly behind him.

The three stopped at the alley entrance, neither answering nor coming farther in. At first, Renato thought they meant to block the exit so the two of them could not escape. But after a closer look at their cringing expressions, that did not seem right.

After a brief, hushed discussion, the bald man leading the three stepped forward and warned:

"This is Iron Fist Gang territory. You and your witch had better watch yourselves." He added, "Don't go throwing magic around! We know how to deal with wizards!"

Having delivered their threats, the three turned to leave. Renato sighed inwardly:

He had not expected prejudice against spellcasters to run so deep here. Three grown men feared little Perly like the plague, ruining his plan to strike up a friendly conversation.

Given that, Renato could not be bothered to beat around the bush either. He said plainly:

"Gentlemen, I'm not here to cause trouble. I heard there are weapons for sale around here at reasonable prices. Could you point me in the right direction?"

Red Iron was not nearly as well hidden as Renato had expected. He found him in a shabby wooden house at the end of Old Alley Street.

More precisely, he was a dwarf with fiery red hair styled into a mohawk.

Pots, bowls, and other kitchenware sat on wooden shelves inside, apparently merchandise for sale. The dwarf himself lay on a wooden recliner, reeking of alcohol.

When Renato entered, Red Iron cracked his eyes open and muttered a few curses in Dwarvish. Renato did not catch the words, but he could more or less guess their meaning.

"Five silver for a large iron pot. One silver for anything else. Pick what you want, then pay."

His Common was impeccable, but the prices were utterly beyond what anyone would pay. He probably could not sell a single item. Presumably, that was why he felt so secure.

"Did you make all these yourself?" The iron pot before him had carefully varied thicknesses. At a glance, it was clearly hand-forged rather than cast.

"What else? You think some human smith from the guild made them?" The dwarf glanced at Perly, who was looking around, and narrowed his eyes. "Witch, don't touch things, and don't fiddle with any of your magical nonsense in here."

Perly sheepishly withdrew her hand and put a soup ladle back where it belonged.

"I won't waste your time. I'm sure you can tell I'm an adventurer."

The dwarf nodded. Even without a close inspection, he could tell that the sword on Renato's back was well crafted.

"I heard you have equipment for sale. What have you got, and what are your prices?"

Rather than answer, the dwarf rose from his recliner and muttered to himself:

"Those Iron Fist Gang bastards bring just anyone to my door..."

"I know what you're here for. Forget it. All I sell here are these pots and pans."

"How about we talk? There's no need to refuse so outright." Renato folded his arms across his chest. The dwarf was not much of an actor; his refusal was too deliberate. "You don't need to test us either. As adventurers, gold coins are all we care about."

"I like people who know the rules." The dwarf grinned and held out a hand. "Kadra Copper."

"Renato." He stepped forward and clasped the dwarf's hand. Kadera's palm was broad and thick, his grip powerful.

After a silent contest of strength, they released their grips at the same time. Renato's palm ached slightly, but his expression remained unchanged:

"Well? Can we talk now?"

"Not here," Kadera said meaningfully. "And not with me."