As they headed out, one could notice at a glance that the fields were filled with adventurers training. During our walk, once we were at the entrance of the commercial district, I remembered a conversation between Gell's father and my uncle. After a few seconds surrounded by a somewhat awkward silence, I decided to take the initiative in the conversation. Gell was usually quite sociable, but when he decided to be quiet, that vow would remain until someone pulled him out of his bubble:
"By the way, is your father still working on that project he was talking about with my uncle?". I would like to be more specific, but I could barely distinguish the words; they were speaking very low.
Gell brought his hand to his chin, as if he were struggling to remember. Or perhaps he simply had his head in the clouds, thinking of Aoi.
"Which one are you talking about? You know my father is always up to his teeth in work; remembering each one is an impossible task... I remember he was forging some gauntlets, but nothing else," he commented.
I nodded. "Yeah, my uncle's gauntlets already look very worn out; I wondered how he did his job in the guard with them. He needs a replacement urgently," I explained.
Gell scratched the back of his neck and scanned the streets with his gaze. I suppose searching for Aoi. "Yeah, he locked himself in his workshop a week ago; I guess he wants to finish as soon as possible. Lately, he has been buying a lot of black and white steel alloys; it wouldn't surprise me if he spends the rest of the year working," he stated.
As we moved forward and our talk extended, I occasionally watched the surroundings in search of Aoi. Although there were many people walking the village streets, none looked like her.
"That's a relief, by the way... Where has that dwarf gotten to?" I questioned. Aoi was nowhere to be found, not in her favorite restaurant in the district, nor in the clothing stores, not even in the church in the center of the city.
"Well, if she isn't at the temple, most likely she's at her grandfather's house. Some meeting of nobles, I assume," he added. He crossed his arms and stopped to think. "But, thinking about it, has any important noble arrived? As far as I remember...".
I decided to interrupt. "I heard that a couple of nobles from the Qin Empire and the children of an archduke from the Acadian Empire arrived. It must be that," I responded abruptly.
I took the opportunity to search the area, in case there was hope of seeing her, stopping in my tracks upon seeing an armory which I didn't hesitate to approach. "With how erratic she is, one could forget she is a noble; I wonder how she manages to behave during those meetings," I commented while observing the weapons in the display cases.
Gell began scratching his head; he seemed somewhat uncomfortable with the topic we were touching upon. "You know that technically you are also a noble, right? And you don't behave like one either".
While I tried to think of a response, I managed to see a shelf full of daggers out of the corner of my eye. I had lost the only one I had a couple of days ago, because of Aoi. So I decided to go in to see them more closely.
We took it as if it were part of our path, even though we knew full well that she wasn't going to be anywhere in the village for the rest of the day. Generally, if we couldn't find her, we could assume that due to her blue blood, responsibilities, and occupation, we wouldn't find her in public places.
"Well, my mother was a noble, but my uncles say I shouldn't worry about those things," I explained while exploring the shop. The receptionist showed a forced smile at all times. We observed the options displayed on the shelf, and Gell commented on a couple of unintelligible things about the quality of the lamination and the metal, or something like that.
"You know, I think your mother's family thinks you're dead; it's strange that a noble isn't called to those meetings".
We took a simple-looking but high-quality long dagger. Gell tried to explain to me the reason for that, but I didn't understand even half of what he said.
"From what I know, Uncle Yamato takes care of those things. Besides, it's not like I don't attend at all; I meet with the head of the clan at least once a year. After all, he is my uncle".
We placed the dagger on the counter; the receptionist exhibited that very disturbing smile. "A white steel dagger? That would be five gold pieces". I checked my purse, but Gell stopped me and handed over the gold pieces himself.
"Even so, that destiny will catch up with you at some point, you know?" He handed me the dagger. "Until then, let this commoner pamper you for a while".
"You know you're not just any commoner. Do you still refuse to forge?" I questioned while securing the dagger on my belt.
Gell shook his head. "I hate it, I don't care how much the old man insists. That's not what my brother would have wanted," he explained.
I looked away; that bitter memory still haunted us. "You know they only want what's best for you".
Gell denied it. "It's my life, they can't tell me what to do with it. I suppose you think the same about your responsibilities as a noble," he commented while observing me, showing a seriousness uncharacteristic of him.
"I try not to think much about them. I used to be interested in them, but since Mom died , I lost all interest in that clan," I commented with monotony.
Gell gave me a pat on the back. "Yeah, that's for the best. Let's avoid touching on those topics," he exclaimed in a cheerful tone.
I sighed. "Yeah, you're right," I agreed.
We could hear a commotion coming from the commercial district. Gell managed to hear the passersby talking about the blacksmiths' sector.
"I think my father is making a scene again. See you tomorrow," Gell exclaimed before running off.
"Well... tomorrow then?" I started to say, but the sun was about to set.