And the escape that utilized exquisite timing!
– Look here, how can you just leave like this?
– Why not. I thought the farewell party was pretty much over.
– That… You have to pay for the drinking tab.
– What did you say? Was I supposed to pay for that?
Weed sent the whisper with a tone that said that was ridiculous. It was a bewildering moment for Herman. Weed spoke again.
– You should have told me sooner, sir. If you had done so I would have paid before I left.
– Ahem. How about returning even now and paying. The drinking tab… let’s see, it should be a little over 3,500 gold.
For them to have drunk over 3,000 gold of beer, it was something impossible if not for the Dwarves’ stupidly enormous drinking ability.
– I have already left for the road, so how can I return.
– Even so…
– How about we do it like this. Please pay for it for now, Grandpa Herman. Next time I’ll repay you.
– Sh-should we do that.
– Yes.
– Looks like we’ll have to do that then. Alright. Later on you have to repay me for sure.
– Don’t worry. Who am I? Hahaha!
– Ha, haha.
* * *
Weed came out of Kuruso Kingdom and arrived at Iron Hand Village to turn in the quest.
As a Sculptor, when he left the kingdom he was required to offer 1 sculpture, so he took out the parrot sculpture that he usually carved and had kept with him.
Compared to the Sculptor Weed’s fame, it was a truly small item!
Although the sculpture would stay in Kuruso as something Weed had made, he had no interest in that kind of honor.
“Did you hear? The Resurrection Church has finally captured even the Phenomph Region.”
“Huh. That’s really terrible.”
“Who can stop them? If this keeps up, even capturing the Versailles Continent is not far in the future.”
Weed also heard the conversation of the Dwarves in Iron Hand Village.
The powerful Resurrection Army that Daymond led was menacing the Versailles Continent.
Earlier they had avoided a monster swarm invasion, drought, and a flood, but Daymond’s invasion this time was becoming the greatest crisis of the Versailles Continent.
The Dwarves whispered.
“They say that the kingdoms have decided to make their move.”
“They’re going to form a league and block the Resurrection Army.”
“They must be fretting ‘cause the Army is gonna cross over to their land too.”
“There’s no need for other words, ‘cause they’ve hung a 60 thousand gold bounty on Day’s head.”
This talk was a topic in the Dark Gamer guild too.
60 thousand gold was an enormous sum. It was enough to get people aiming for a quick fortune and encouraged Daymond’s assassination.
However, it was difficult to sneak through by routing the Demonic Spirts’ attention, and there was also a lot of talk about waiting because of predictions that Daymond’s bounty would increasingly rise.
‘To get a somewhat stable income, chaos that’s too drastic isn’t good…”
Weed entered the Sculpting Guild.
No matter what crisis troubled the continent, the Sculptor Guild was still the same.
“What a waste of materials. How many times do I have to say that this isn’t how you carve for you to understand!”
“You’re the shame of the Dwarves, the shame!”
The Dwarves who were sorrowfully learning the Sculpting Skill while being scolded by the instructor!
They recognized Weed’s face as he opened the door and came inside.
“He’s the Dwarf who left after taking the request that time.”
“Are you talking about the request to find the trail of Kendellev?”
“He’s the Dwarf who boldly accepted the request that no one could solve and left.”
“Tsk tsk. Looks like that Dwarf also finally came back to give up after trying and trying.”
The Dwarves were secretly gleeful.
When Weed received the request they had worried that he might possibly succeed, but at the sight of him returning covered with dust and without any energy like that, they figured that he had failed.
Although the discovery of Kendellev’s sculptures had already circulated through Royal Road broadcasts, by the look of it these Dwarves were completely in the dark.
Weed walked towards the Instructor.
“I have come to report the result of the quest.”
Sculpting Instructor Jorbid politely asked.
“You went through a lot. Was our Dwarf Sculptor’s legend the truth?”
“It was. There was a Sculptor in the Dwarf race, and his sculptures were beautiful.”
“Indeed! I believed that it was true. Can you show me Kendellev’s trail?”
“Of course.”
Weed opened his rucksack and stuck in his hands. After rummaging through the items in the rucksack, he grabbed something. Then, he pulled out something enclosed in his two hands.
“Here, this is Kendellev’s sculpture.”
As Weed parted his two hands, a confined bird made of water flew out.
The bird sang out with a bright voice as it went around and around the Sculptor Guild.
“Ah! This is the sculpture that our ancestor made!”
The Sculpting Instructor Jorbid could not hold back his deep emotion.
The comical sculpture in the shape of a sparrow flew in between the Dwarves.
The Dwarves had on a shocked expression that looked like they had seen a new world. Their jaws didn’t drop this much even when they were guzzling down beer.
“To say this is a sculpture! How is this a sculpture?”
“Isn’t this an item made by a genie or magic!”
“Sculptures have to be carved to be made, this is a fraud.”
Meanwhile, it was difficult for the Dwarves to accept this new sculpture.
From the stereotypes they possessed, they could not be convinced that the bird made of water that was flying around was a sculpture!
Weed shook his head.
‘It’ll be difficult for them to achieve lifelong Sculpting Skills with thoughts like those.’
Sculpting was a three-dimensional art.
If it was something a Sculptor made, and was visible or if the idea could be grasped, anything could become a new attempt.
‘I don’t know why they think they just have to carve only wood or stone.’
As if Weed couldn’t remember himself looking down on the Sculpting profession until not too long ago, he maintained a dignified expression.
The Dwarf instructor grabbed his hand.
“Thank you. Now, no matter what race, they won’t be able to look down on us Dwarves when it comes to Sculpting.”
Ding!
- You have completed Sculpting Instructor Jorbid’s request.
The legendary Dwarf Sculptor Kendellev’s sculptures were in Kuruso.
After finding out about his sculptures, Humans and Elves that are wise craftsmen will no longer be able to criticize the Dwarven Artists.
- Fame has gone up by 130.
– Evaluation of you in the Sculptor Guild has improved.
– In racial prestige, respect toward Dwarves has increased by 3.
– Friendship with Thor Kingdom Dwarves has increased by 82.
Dwarves will throw aside the pickaxes to help you in your work.
– Level has gone up.
– Level has gone up.
The Sculpting instructor held out a pair of black gloves.
Honestly, Weed was more expectant of the reward item than the levels or fame.
‘That’s the reason why Thor Kingdom quests are good.’
Through quests from the Elves, for the most part friendship or affinity with spirits increased. In the case of the Humans, you could obtain fame, a reward, or a special status or profession.
With the Dwarves, especially Thor Kingdom’s case, through quests they gave you good items; it matched Weed’s tastes perfectly.
“This is a glove I’d like you to use. Though it’s not Kendellev-nim, the Dwarf who wore this glove was extremely outstanding.”
“Thank you very much.”
- You have acquired the reward item from the request.
Gloves that delicately gleamed with a black luster.
“Identify!”
Skilled Producer’s Glove:
Durability 45/45. Defense 13.
Gloves that were personally made and used by Thor Kingdom’s Seventh Blacksmith, Spindal.
Even while doing Blacksmith work he had adventures, so in order to make the gloves perfectly comfortable while catching Orcs, he made them through a lot of trial and error.
Although they were produced for Blacksmiths to use, they can be utilized in a wide variety of uses.
Requirement: Intermediate Handicraft and over. Level 150.
Option: When equipped, Blacksmithing skill +1.
Sculpting skill +1.
Effect of Handicraft skill +5%.
Attack increased by 7%.
When using long-range weapons, casting speed is improved.