#451 Land of the Lustrous

I want to give Platy a ring, but my plan is slowly being enshrouded by dark clouds.

“A-Are we dwarves not qualified to make Lord Saint’s rings?!”

“That’s right! That’s what you get for being too proud of your skills!”

They’re getting themselves worked up, but I’m personally not against the dwarves’ creations or anything.

I just think the rings are inconveniently designed for daily wear.

“Heh... At the end of the day, granting the saint’s wish lies in the hands of Aileron, the artisan of integrated natural beauty!”

And when did this elf start giving herself such an ostentatious title?

“Can you work with metal?”

“Uh, no?”

You see that?

This is why I didn’t ask the elves in the first place!

The elves, who by nature pride themselves on being forest people, have many restrictions to live in the forest.

Living away from their home is normally forbidden, and so is sleeping and waking under a roof.

It is also forbidden to use or make metal tools because they consider the act disgraceful.

Though I suppose elves who have left the forest no longer restrict themselves to these rules.

So, Aileron, how about you give advice on how to create a simple but elegant ring?”

“Huh? Does that mean I have to collaborate with this elf?!”

Why not?

You’re always at each other’s necks; this is an excellent opportunity for you to work together and get along.

“Ngh... If Lord Saint says so...”

“Okay, I’ll cooperate with you for the saint’s sake. The project’s theme will be all about harmony.”

“As in, sublime harmony?”

“Again, that’s over the top.”

Although I feel somewhat uneasy, we should be able to get more appropriate-looking rings for the wedding with Aileron’s help.

...

But I think I’ll keep supervising them.

“The elf and I shall concentrate on the design. What will be your jewel of choice then, Lord Saint?”

“Jewel?”

“To adorn the rings.”

Ahh, that.

I guess I should add a jewel to the ring to make it a little classier.

“What do you think would be great?”

A birthstone would be the best choice for an engagement ring, but I don’t know Platy’s birth month...

I mean, does this world even follow some kind of calendar?

“How about we look at the real thing instead of pondering it?”

“We can? How?”

“Of course. We have a designated room for clients who want jewels in their accessories. Maybe you’ll find what you’re looking for there, Lord Saint.”

As expected of the world’s largest metal tool production base.

Even their customer service is nothing short of amazing.

“Sounds interesting. I’ll come with.”

“And why would an elf like you be interested in jewels?” asks Pops Edward, suspicious of Aileron.

I think I know why.

Aileron is probably driven right now not by her racial instincts nor the spirit of a potter but rather by something from her past.

Yes, the time when she was still a bandit.

***

“This is the pride of the Underground Dwarven Empire, the jewel showroom Moon Garden!”

“Oh wow.”

Display cases are lined up everywhere, and within them are countless rows of sparkly stones.

“How many of these are there?”

“I’ve lost count. Their influx and efflux have always been at an all-time high. But I’m certain there’s always at least five hundred.”

“Five hundred?!”

Damn.

I wonder how much they’re worth as assets?

I shudder to think that I’ve come to the wrong place.

I’m but a timid commoner at heart!

Meanwhile, there’s Aileron.

“...Tsk. They’ve stationed guards every ten paces. Their security’s tight, alright.”

Don’t let your old blood boil.

“So this is where I choose the jewel for our wedding rings?”

“Indeed. I think the finest jewel suits you best, Lord Saint.”

Only my wife’s ring will have one.

I may be commissioning a pair, but hers is the more important one!

“Our luxury jewels are displayed further ahead.”

“Wait!”

Where are you taking me?

You can’t just take me to the most expensive section!

And don’t take Aileron with us!

If you let her near anything too expensive, it might trigger her bad blood even more!

“All the jewels in these cases are special. They each have their own names. For example, the largest diamond here is known as Comerica Star. The world’s largest sapphire over here is called Sindh Star. The ruby Swallow Blood is named after its blood-red color. There are many others such as Queen of Blood’s Tears, Gigant Star, Diamond Jaws, Mermaid Tears, Maiden Tears, Destiny Stone, Earthly Star, Posy Posifite, Manly Tears, Love Intelligence Star, Posy Poppy Peropero, etc.”

That’s a lot of stars and tears.

Is this how they name their stones?

But I can tell that all of the jewels are ridiculously expensive.

Wait a minute.

When did things escalate from me giving Platy a wedding ring to getting her an ultra-premium accessory?

Isn’t that what it means when you put a first-class stone on a ring?!

Waittt!

I want something more...reserved!

“For Lord Saint, I recommend you this one!”

He’s giving me his top recommendation?!

Why are you so determined to accomplish my request, Pops?!

“I think Broken Diamond is the most suitable jewel for you, Lord Saint!”

Like I said, that won’t be on my ring.

But hmm, this jewel...

It looks high-class indeed.

I can even feel a breathtaking and solemn aura emanating from it.

“Broken Diamond has a unique history, actually.”

“Huh.”

As one would expect of such a super-premium stone, it has a history.

“It was originally unearthed in a mining site in the Human Kingdom, but an ingenious man who wanted to make a fortune made off with it without permission. The soldiers who caught up with the man killed him and retrieved the jewel.”

“Huh?”

“Later, it was set into the hilt of a treasured sword, and a priest cast a spell on it so that it could kill more enemies.”

“A spell?!”

What is this dwarf talking about out of the blue?!

“The atrocious spell was more powerful than expected, and the hero with the treasured sword went insane and fought till he died. The sword was then treated as war spoils by the enemy camp. Unfortunately, it eventually broke, so only the jewel was extracted.”

“Time out!!!”

“After that, anyone who possessed this jewel suffered mentally, went berserk, and met a tragic end.  Since then, it has been passed on from person to person until it reached us.”

So, it’s basically a cursed jewel!

And that, too, the kind that brings misfortune to its owner!

I’ve heard rumors about it, but I never thought I’d see it in another world!

No, before that...

Why would you recommend such an item to your client?!

Did you hear my order right?

I want a wedding ring!

Who in their right mind would choose a cursed gemstone for a wedding ring?!

“You haven’t been making much sense this whole time, saint.”

Aileron tried to stealthily steal some of the jewels but failed.

She gave up and joined our conversation instead.

“I feel there’s a discrepancy between your understanding of jewels and ours. Maybe it’d be better to start from the beginning and explain what they are.”