Tsubaki put down her smithing hammer and stepped away from the workbench. She looked up and saw Ronan leaning against the doorframe, which made her raise an eyebrow. But the figure who appeared behind Ronan immediately caught her eye.
It was not only because the girl was very beautiful, though that was certainly part of it. What really caught Tsubaki's interest was the strong presence she gave off.
And also the surprising fact that Ronan actually had a companion.
As far as Tsubaki could remember, Ronan always worked alone. He never had fixed teammates, temporary partners, or even hired supporters.
That alone made her very curious.
"Who is this?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "Aren't you going to introduce her?"
A small, proud smile appeared on Ronan's face. He gestured toward the girl.
"Jeanne d'Arc, the newest member of my Familia."
Just as I thought.
Tsubaki made a knowing face. At the same time, she immediately understood why Ronan had come.
"I see." She nodded. "You're here to order custom weapons and armor for Jeanne, right? Don't worry. Since we're old friends, I'll give you a discount. It won't be much, though."
A discount?
Ronan grumbled inwardly, but he kept a smile on his face.
"Then I'll leave it to you. This is the design I made for her equipment. Of course, you're the professional. If anything doesn't work in real combat, just adjust it."
Tsubaki pulled off her gloves, took the notebook Ronan handed her, and started flipping through it.
The more she looked, the more surprised she became.
"You drew this? I didn't know you had this in you. Hmm... the sketches are good. Your taste is pretty good. Better than those old men in my Familia who only know how to hit iron."
Ronan smiled and said nothing.
With the help of 『Sharp Mind』 and his memories of Jeanne's various designs, Ronan had been able to draw the sketches now in Tsubaki's hands.
As for whether the equipment was truly practical in combat, that was not his problem. Turning sketches into a proper combat-ready design was the work of a first-rate blacksmith. Tsubaki would naturally make the necessary adjustments based on his ideas.
"Of course. Don't underestimate my taste."
Tsubaki clicked her tongue twice. Then she handed the sketches to Jeanne, who had been quietly watching from the side.
"Jeanne, take a look. If you're happy with it, we'll get started."
Jeanne took the parchment. Her eyes fell on the hand-drawn design, and she was immediately drawn in.
A strange feeling of familiarity rose in her heart. It felt as though this equipment had been made for her from the start.
"No problem. I like it," she said with a nod.
"Then let's begin."
Seeing Jeanne agree, Tsubaki took out a measuring tape and started carefully measuring every part of her body to collect the numbers.
"Alright, come back in a few days," Tsubaki said while writing everything down. "Once the first version is ready, you'll need to try it on so I can make the final adjustments. If everything looks good, we'll lock in the shape."
"Understood. Thank you for your hard work, Tsubaki," Jeanne replied politely.
"It's nothing. It's just business." Tsubaki waved her hand, then looked at Ronan with a playful smile. "If someone wants to hand me money, I'm not going to refuse. Right, Ronan?"
"..."
Seeing the smile on Tsubaki's face, Ronan immediately felt danger creeping up on him.
"Don't try to overcharge me. We can't afford first-rate gear. The weapon and armor together need to stay under 200,000 Valis."
Tsubaki Collbrande blinked.
200,000?
She was stunned by the confidence on Ronan's face. She had seen shameless people before, but never one this shameless. Did he really think a first-rate blacksmith would have no temper?
"What? 200,000 Valis?!" Tsubaki's voice rose on the spot. "Are you joking? My labor fee alone is more than that!"
"But didn't you make my armor too?" Ronan immediately argued back, looking completely innocent. "Back then, I got it for only 49,900 Valis."
Despicable. That was obviously a leftover practice piece, and he just happened to buy it cheap. How could he compare that to a real custom order?
Tsubaki was so annoyed that she almost laughed.
"For the weapon and armor, the total is 500,000. Not one coin less," she said firmly.
500,000?
Ronan's face changed on the spot. This kind of custom gear for a Level 1 adventurer was far more expensive than he had expected.
"Dear Tsubaki..." Ronan immediately switched to a flattering tone. "We're such good friends. For the sake of our friendship..."
"Your friendship gets you no discount here," Tsubaki cut him off mercilessly.
"..."
Jeanne stood to the side, feeling awkward. She could only watch helplessly as the two of them argued back and forth so fiercely. At one point, it looked like they might start fighting for real.
In the end, after half an hour of "friendly" negotiation and a long back-and-forth, Ronan, the one asking for the favor, finally lowered his head in defeat and painfully agreed to pay 499,900 Valis.
Details:
Weapon: 299,900, Custom Flag Spear + One-handed Ceremonial Sword
Armor: 200,000, Plate Armor Set: Circlet, Neck Guard, Gauntlets, Greaves, Waist Armor
Also included: three training weapons of their choice.
It was honestly a very good deal.
In Tsubaki's words, she had to make sure the equipment was strong enough for real combat while still matching the elegance of Ronan's design. That meant more work, more steps, and naturally a higher price.
"Pay up." Tsubaki stretched out her hand toward Ronan.
Ronan slowly took out his wallet. He slowly counted the money. He slowly lifted the money bag and held it over Tsubaki's palm, refusing to let go.
"Wow, look how much it hurts you to pay," Tsubaki teased. "As an adventurer, you shouldn't be this stingy."
She reached out and tried to take the bag from his hand, but it did not move.
Tsubaki's mouth twitched. She looked at Ronan's face. He looked like he was suffering just from paying. Then she snorted and yanked the bag away with a burst of force.
"Hmph. It's only 500,000. Who are you trying to impress? Miser..." she muttered while quickly counting the money.
Only 500,000?
Ronan screamed inwardly. As expected of a first-rate blacksmith in Orario. To her, 500,000 really was nothing.
"Ugh... do you even know how important Valis is to me? This is my blood and sweat..."
Ronan had just started complaining when Tsubaki impatiently cut him off.
"Enough, enough. You should be happy you can get me to work at this price. Don't complain after getting a good deal."
Ronan stopped and could only force out a smile.
"Fine. You'd better put your heart into it, Tsubaki."
"Do you know who you're talking to? You don't need to tell me that." Tsubaki rolled her eyes. Then she pointed toward a wooden barrel near the door. "Pick your training weapons. Once you're done, get out. Don't get in the way of my work."
"..."
Why did that sound so familiar?
Seeing that Tsubaki had already gone back to work, Ronan did not bother saying anything else.
At that moment, Jeanne gently tugged on his sleeve and signaled him with her eyes.
Ronan nodded.
Figuring he should take whatever he could get for free, Ronan picked an Ironwood Gryphon Sword. Jeanne chose a spear. Then, thinking that his own fighting style might shift later, Ronan also picked an Ironwood Long Staff to practice staff techniques.
With the free extras secured, the two of them prepared to leave.
"Then I'll leave Jeanne's armor to you. I'll come back in a few days. Oh, and my armor..."
"I didn't forget. Just come pick it up in a few days." Tsubaki did not even look up.
"Okay!"
Before leaving, Jeanne gave Tsubaki a polite bow. The way she carried herself made Tsubaki think to herself, How did Ronan even manage to recruit someone like her?
...
After finishing their main business, it was still early.
After discussing it a little, Ronan and Jeanne decided to head straight to the Free Market in the 6th District.
The 6th District was one of Orario's main trade areas.
It was full of trading areas, large warehouses, and merchant houses. It was also the city's main gateway for outside trade. Foreign merchant groups, traveling traders, and noble buyers could be seen everywhere. But because of that, all kinds of people gathered there, and the area was fairly chaotic. It was one of the places most heavily watched by the Ganesha Familia, who maintained public order in the city.
Walking through the lively, crowded streets, Jeanne felt a very different atmosphere from the retail district. She said honestly,
"It's so lively. Compared to the order in the other districts, this place feels more... alive."
The streets of the Free Market were clean and orderly, and the layout was busy without feeling messy. Buildings lined both sides of the road, while stalls and shops were neatly arranged. Peddlers and shop clerks shouted enthusiastically to attract customers.
Since they were already there, Ronan wanted to look around and see whether there were any new snacks worth trying.
"Hmm?"
As he slowly walked with Jeanne along the snack street, Ronan noticed a crowd forming ahead. Curious, he looked over.
"Hey, you! Stop right there!"
In the distance, a panicked figure was trying to force his way through the packed crowd. Unfortunately, he had clearly overestimated his own speed.
In a market this crowded, how could anyone just run whenever they wanted?
Before he could get very far, a red-haired girl leaped out from behind. With a quick side kick, she slammed him hard to the ground and pinned him there on the spot.
"What happened?" Jeanne asked, noticing Ronan's reaction while she was picking out oranges. She followed his gaze.
Ronan found the whole scene a little ridiculous. What exactly was he looking at?
"Wait... Orario has thieves too? Looks like you really can find anything here."
Jeanne did not understand what "thieves" meant. Her attention was completely caught by the brave red-haired woman instead. She whispered in surprise,
"Is that... the Astraea Familia?"