#450 Commissioning the Dwarves

My relationship with the dwarves goes back a long time.

We first got acquainted through the magic steamboat I wanted to build.

Since then, I’ve always relied on them whenever I needed to make a delicate metal mechanism.

Dwarves are said to be a sub-race of demons.

However, their physical characteristics bear no resemblance to their ancestors; they are short and stout.

It seems their lifestyle has influenced them extensively. In the dwarven empire that stretches beneath the earth’s surface, holes are still being dug in all directions to mine ore, further expanding their territory.

This narration is about me visiting them at the Underground Dwarven Empire.

***

“Welcome, Lord Saint! We are thrilled to have you here with us,” says Pops Edward, the supposed king of his race, welcoming me with open arms.

I feel intimidated on the inside by being welcomed by the ruler himself.

“Um... you don’t have to go this far to welcome me.”

“Nonsense! You’re a VIP here at our empire, Lord Saint! We will treat you with the utmost hospitalityyyy!”

But why...?

I don’t remember commissioning them a grand project!

“Now, Lord Saint. What will today’s order be?” asks the king of the dwarves in a flirtatious manner.

Oh yeah, Edward may be a king in terms of his position, but he prefers people to call him Pops instead.

Maybe it’s his occupational fixation?

“...Yes, actually, I do want you to make something.”

“Let’s hear it! You can leave all the crafting to us! We’re not like those elves kneading dirt, after all!”

“...”

Their rivalry with the elves is as fierce as ever.

Is this like, interracial rivalry? Or just a personal grudge?

“So, what do you want us to make? It must be something beyond our imaginations, I reckon!”

“I want you to make me a ring.”

“Pardon?”

When I told him my request, the sparkle in Pops’ eyes vanished.

“A ring... I see...”

Why does he look so disappointed, like a kid who received an encyclopedia for their birthday?

“Oh, no, no. A ring would be all right. Hmm... But wait. A ring? Quite the mundane item for someone like you, Lord Saint.”

“Please conceal your disappointment a little in front of your client.”

Apparently, he had a hunch that I would commission something outlandish and bizarre, something he had never seen before.

Contrary to this, a ring seemed to be far too ordinary.

“...Well, rings are the most common order we receive.”

“Is that so?”

“We receive orders from the demons almost daily as rings are small and cheap. It’s also the perfect job for novices to start on.”

No wonder he felt so let down by my unoriginal and unexciting request.

“But please don’t get the wrong idea! An order from a VIP is still an order! No matter how uninspiring it is, we will finish it with utmost sincerity and devotion!”

You lost all sincerity when you said ‘uninspiring,’ though...

I thought I should just ask someone else, but I decided to tell him more about my order.

“I actually want two rings, one for me and one for my wife.”

“A ring as a gift for your wife?”

Is there something odd about that?

“No, I just thought it would be an unusual use for a ring.”

What? Unusual?

In this world?!

Okay, wedding rings may not be the norm here, but isn’t it normal for a man to give a woman a gift?

And isn’t a ring one of the basics?!

“They’re usually for personal use. To win battles, our clients demand the utmost tune-up.”

What do the people of this world do with rings?!

The culture gap is becoming clearer and clearer!

“Oh well. I brought the materials with me. Here you go.”

“Eek! Mana metal?!”

Pops stopped breathing for a moment when he saw the mana metal ingot on the desk.

“...Is this all right with you?”

“Y-Yes! I, Pops Edward of the Underground Dwarven Empire, won’t go into multiple cardiac arrests so easily!”

Any normal living being would’ve kicked the bucket after the first time, though.

We cannot ask Sensei to come all the way here, so I’m counting on you not to go into cardiac arrest, Pops!

“A small amount of mana metal to make a ring won’t scare me. Don’t look down on the chief dwarf!”

It’s also abnormal to die just by looking at a lump of metal if you ask me...

Maybe mana metal has a unique effect against dwarves, similar to a silver bullet killing a werewolf?

“Let’s get down to business, shall we? Before we start making the ring, let’s hear your order in detail.”

Oh.

Like what kind of ring do I want it to be?

And then, based on the answers, the craftsman will create a product that satisfies their client. That’s pretty straightforward.

“Since we already have the material ready... We need to measure the finger size of the person who will wear it.”

“Don’t worry. I’ve prepared that too.”

I tell him the circumference of Platy’s finger and mine.

“Copy that. Then let’s decide on the rings’ design.”

“Yes!”

That’s what I’ve been waiting for!

The dwarves have been researching for hundreds of years to develop artistic designs that I can never think of!

Please share your wisdom with me!

“Let me show you a sample.”

“Oh!”

Pops Edward orders a young man, perhaps his subordinate or apprentice, to bring a thin, flat wooden box.

Inside it are many rings.

“Oh, wow!”

Each of the rings has a unique shape.

“This box is the pride of the Underground Dwarven Empire and contains samples of masterpiece rings designed by our craftsmen. Clients can choose any design they like from among them.”

I see.

As the rings are mere samples, they are made of brass. They are not expensive, but they all have first-class designs.

The fine engravings and even their shapes are so original...

Actually...

After looking at this myriad of sample rings...

“Aren’t they a little too... gaudy?”

“Huh?”

That’s right.

Their exquisite design has made them look rather extravagant, like something a queen named Elizabeth, Ekaterina, Elichka, or some other would wear.

These rings would look no different from brass knuckles if you wore one on four fingers.

“A wedding ring is for everyday use. I prefer something simpler so that it doesn’t get in the way of the various daily tasks.”

“What’s the point of having such a simple design???”

Uh... Well...

For example, how am I supposed to go about my daily life if I wear this ring covering my knuckle joint?

“Hmph, you’re conceited about your own skill once again.”

“Who’s there?!”

I turn around to see a beauty with long and pointy ears standing at the entrance.

Her physical features are definitely an elf’s.

It’s Aileron!

Why is she here?

“I heard you were going to the dwarves, so I followed you, saint. I knew this was going to happen!”

“Ugh!”

Edward flinches as Aileron points at him.

Just another day for their competitive spirits to clash, huh?

“The saint inspired me to pursue the beauty of nature! Don’t think he’d be fooled by your deliberate artificial beauty, you dwarves!”

“D-Does that mean Lord Saint doesn’t like our rings...?”

“The beauty that remains after all the waste has been removed... Such is the beauty of nature! It is leagues apart from your over-the-top style! You cannot satisfy him with such things!”

Er, I actually like fancy things too.

This conversation might go into a more tangled course the more they debate on art.