Ch#48
* * *
"Wow! It's a super big building!"
It had been four days since leaving Pearl City.
Tiye quickly pulled her head back inside from peering out the carriage window.
"Grandpa! There are sooo many super big buildings!"
Nordix burst into hearty laughter.
As Tiye said, they had now arrived near the Populosa Armory district.
"But why is that black smoke coming out?"
He gave a gentle smile at Tiye's follow-up question.
"It's because there's a massive furnace called the Primordial Furnace in the Populosa Armory district."
"Yong-gang-no......?"
"Furnace, kiddo. Fur-nace. Fur, nace."
"Fur! Nace! No!"
Veil turned her head away with a tsk.
Tiye pouted, her lips forming a perfect 'oo' shape.
"......Tiye can pronounce it perfectly once she's five."
Teasing a child over pronunciation—Veil really was a little rascal.
"But what's a yong-gang-no for?"
Anyway, Tiye turned back to Nordix.
Unlike Veil, Nordix didn't correct her pronunciation.
Instead, he began explaining warmly.
"Simply put, it's where they make weapons."
"Weapons?"
"That's right. Basto's War Hammer was made in the forge there too."
Tiye's mouth fell open wide.
Basto's War Hammer was an amazing, cool hammer.
It was twice her height, with a super heavy, sturdy head.
But lately, its durability had dropped, so he couldn't use it anymore.
"If we take it to the yong-gang-no, can we fix the hammer?"
"Yeah."
Basto, who answered, had one arm out the window, staring at the Armory district beyond the haze.
"But I don't plan to take too long. If it's quick, we might just get it serviced and leave by tonight."
"I see......"
They'd rushed here nonstop for four days.
It felt a bit disappointing to leave the same night.
But Basto continued.
"The reason we're leaving early is because of the Factory Chief. Nothing good comes from getting too involved with him."
Tiye's eyes widened.
"So if you run into the Factory Chief, don't look at him, don't talk to him, don't even make eye contact. Best to stay far away, Tiye."
Tiye's eyes widened without realizing it.
She'd never once seen Basto dislike or avoid someone without reason.
"Gong-jang-jang......?"
The name sounded cute, so why did he hate him?
But Tiye would soon find out the reason.
* * *
"What? Two months?!"
Armory district, visitor lodging.
Veil jumped up at Basto's words after returning from the forge.
Basto sighed.
"Yeah. Who knows what got on the Factory Chief's nerves this time......"
"Can't wait. Absolutely can't. We're in a rush to find the kiddo's dad—stuck here for two months?!"
Basto shook his head.
"I know. Two months is impossible. So I told him that, and asked for the War Hammer back instead...... But......"
Nordix clucked his tongue knowingly.
"He said he couldn't bear to see a weapon he made repaired by some inferior blacksmith and took it away."
"Took what?"
"......My weapon. He took the War Hammer."
"What?!"
Silence fell over the lodging.
Tiye looked at the group members with eager eyes, wondering what happened.
Feeling her gaze, Enzo came over to Tiye.
"The Factory Chief of the Armory district is someone even the Emperor can't touch."
Tiye's mouth dropped open.
The Emperor—that's the king, right?
Was the Factory Chief really that incredible?
"He's the top boss of the entire Armory district. Leader of all the blacksmiths here. How should I put it—he's got his own world, so everyone finds him hard to deal with. Especially when he acts unreasonably like this, it's tough to stop him."
An image of the Factory Chief formed in Tiye's mind.
A giant standing tall before a blazing furnace.
Fierce eyebrows and a scary expression......
"Scawy."
Enzo nodded.
"Scary, for sure."
"I'll meet the Factory Chief myself around tomorrow."
Then Nordix stepped in.
"I can say we have some acquaintance. How about touring the Armory Hall first today?"
Enzo's face brightened.
"Sounds good! I've been looking for a sword to use going forward anyway."
He turned to Tiye.
"The Armory district is divided into two main areas, Unit Leader. The forge area with the Primordial Furnace and the exhibition area with the Armory Hall."
Tiye nodded vigorously.
The forge area had the furnace, so that's for making and fixing weapons......
"The exhibition area displays and sells finished weapons. Over there."
Enzo pointed out the window.
Tiye's eyes went wide at the massive building outside.
"That's the Armory Hall. Every weapon in the Empire—no, the continent—passes through there at some point. The Populosa Armory district is that huge."
Tiye finally understood why the head was called 'Factory Chief.'
The Populosa Armory district itself was like one massive factory.
Layer upon layer of iron fences surrounding the whole area.
Sand and metal scraps rolling on the ground.
"Does the Unit Leader want to tour the Armory Hall too?"
"Yes!"
Tiye nodded quickly.
She couldn't stay cooped up in the lodging while everyone else went to see weapons.
"Kiddo's going too?"
But Veil seemed dissatisfied.
"Just stay here with me? You don't need to buy any weapons anyway."
In her panic, Tiye rushed to Veil.
"No, Tiye has a weapon to buy too!"
"What."
"So, gotta buy......!"
But no matter how hard she thought, nothing came to mind.
It was because saying she needed a weapon was a lie just to go see the Armory Hall.
"Tiye has...... Uh, umm......!"
"Let's all go together."
At that moment, Basto stepped in like a savior.
Tiye gazed at Basto with a beaming face.
"In case we can't get the War Hammer back, we should look for a new one. And Veil, your sword's edge is pretty dull too. Better to buy a new one now, right?"
Veil furrowed her brow.
She seemed to find Basto's logic sound and couldn't argue.
Basto then looked at Nordix.
"Nordix, wouldn't it be better for you to carry a self-defense weapon too?"
Until now, Nordix's luggage was just a personal water bottle, basic medicine, and a telescope.
He wasn't a combatant to begin with.
But as mercenaries, even non-combatants should carry a weapon.
"And finally, Tiye."
Tiye's eyes widened as her name came from Basto's mouth.
"Just in case, it might be good to check if there's an easy-to-use weapon for you."
"You're crazy? What weapon for a kiddo. If she swings it around and gets hurt......"
"Like a small poison needle bomb that shoots paralyzing poison when thrown at a target."
Tiye's mouth gaped open.
"Poi, poi, poison needle bomb......!"
But despite the fearsome name, the others stayed quiet.
Soon Veil broke the silence, muttering,
"That's good?"
Tiye startled and looked at Veil.
Veil was stroking her chin, mulling it over.
"Hearing it, it makes sense. At four, it's about time to try poison needle bombs."
