"What did you do this time, Lynn?"
The question came from a girl with short, blondish-brown hair that matched her tanned skin. She was a little smaller than Lynn, and likely a bit younger too—but her presence was intimidating, especially as she casually carried a large weapon wrapped in cloth with one hand. A weapon taller than she was.
"Shouldn't I be getting some gratitude first before the questions start?"
Lynn's usual cheeky demeanor remained, though a hint of cheerfulness—or rather, amusement—laced her voice as she answered.
Arezu, standing beside her, could at least pick up on that much as he watched her banter with the girl holding the massive halberd-axe.
"But first, allow me to officially introduce you to your important client..." Lynn said, gesturing dramatically. "She's Mr. Broody's apprentice, unfortunately also his daughter, and the one who crafted your weapon. She's also a "special" friend of mine—Beatrix."
Cheerful and playful as the introduction was, one detail stood out to Arezu.
That thought didn't go unnoticed—not by Lynn, who could easily read the meaning behind Arezu's expression.
"You're being rude to me again, Mr. Arezu!"
Setting aside Lynn's complaint—and her own protest about how she'd been introduced—Beatrix turned to Arezu and offered her own greeting.
"I might consider us friends, but don't ever think I'm anything like Lynn."
"Now you're being rude to me too, Beatrix!"
"Thanks for the heads-up, Ms. Beatrix."
"And what's that supposed to mean, Mr. Arezu?!"
It means she's not as unreasonable as you, Arezu thought. But thankfully, he didn't need to say it out loud.
Aside from his growing interest in seeing the new halberd-axe Beatrix had made for him, one other thing kept tugging at Arezu's thoughts: Beatrix wasn't a dwarf demi-human like her father, Broc. She was clearly human.
As if accustomed to that questioning look, Beatrix answered preemptively.
"If you're wondering... It's because my mother's human, and my father's a dwarf."
The union between a human and demi-human intrigued Arezu, and he would've liked to ask more about it. But Beatrix returned to her earlier question.
"So, what did you do this time, Lynn? My old man's pretty mad. Or frustrated."
"And I told you—I deserve some thanks first. After all, Mr. Broody's probably back to crafting on his own accord now, right?"
Beatrix couldn't argue with that. Her father had, in fact, returned to work, currently forging another enchanted halberd-axe—his pride wounded by the destruction of the last weapon, the one Arezu broke.
To give Arezu a bit of background, Lynn added an explanation.
Though the old dwarf blacksmith, Broc, was renowned throughout the capital of the Eileen Kingdom for his craftsmanship, he had long since stopped creating weapons and enchanted gear—except under rare circumstances.
"I've already reached the pinnacle of my skill and crafted my masterpiece. There's nothing more for me to learn."
Beatrix imitated her father's grumpy tone and gestures perfectly, drawing laughter from both Arezu and Lynn.
Setting the topic of her father aside, Beatrix turned to Arezu—not to give him his weapon yet, but to address another matter.
"So you're the rumored Arezu, huh?"
Whatever rumor she meant, Arezu didn't get the chance to ask. The challenge for the Dungeon Conqueror title was about to begin.
"You two, hurry up and get here!"
At Sylvia's call, Beatrix finally handed the crafted weapon to Arezu.
Arezu and Lynn stepped into the center of the wide, open training field, leaving Beatrix in the stands.
To Arezu's surprise, the challenge involved Lynn as well. But what really caught him off guard was that she brought a chair and a small table with her.
As Arezu took his place beside Sylvia, Lynn set up the table behind them, pulled out some snacks and refreshments from her enchanted bag, and sat down as if preparing for a tea party.
"Just how rude can you be, Lynn?" Sylvia muttered, echoing what everyone—including Arezu—was thinking.
"Hmm?... Is there a problem, Ms. Sylvia?" Lynn replied innocently, sipping her tea.
"I'll have you know I'm strictly following the rules you set for this challenge."
According to Sylvia's rules, Arezu wouldn't be fighting alone—which conflicted with Lynn's original plan. Instead, both Lynn and Arezu would be up against groups of veteran Iron-rank adventurers, one team at a time.
Though Lynn was complying, her attitude clearly showed how little she liked Sylvia's interference. And she wasn't done.
"Besides, you don't need to worry—" she said, flashing her arrogant grin. Arezu already knew she was about to stir trouble.
"—because none of them will even reach me, let alone defeat Mr. Arezu."
That definitely pissed them off, Arezu thought, glancing at the irritated stares directed not only at Lynn, but at him too.
Trying to ignore his own irritation, Arezu unwrapped the cloth covering his weapon—not just to examine it, but to display it for all to see.
A 180 cm gray halberd with a blackened front axe blade and a rear scythe blade.
He spun it in his hands, testing its balance.
Swung it with both hands, feeling its weight.
Then he took his stance—and with it, revealed his true strength.
At least to those experienced enough to recognize it.
As their opponents' faces shifted from confidence to intimidation, Lynn let out a gleeful cheer.
"Let's show these ungrateful adventurers who they're messing with!... Punish them all, Mr. Arezu!"