In the city of Stromhall, the search was still ongoing. Several soldiers were still patrolling, but their number was no longer as many as on the first day. Crowne could even walk casually in front of them.
No one suspected that Crowne was the person who had injured the noble children.
"They say Lord Orion’s son’s illness relapsed again. He went berserk and killed two servants. Shouldn’t Lord Lucien and Lord Darius be suspicious of Lord Orion’s son? Isn’t it strange that he’s the only one unharmed during that attack?" whispered one soldier.
His companion quickly covered his mouth. "Shut your mouth! Do you want all of us to be executed? Lord Orion is a Marquess. We could be sentenced to death for daring to accuse his family of murder." The soldier looked around cautiously before continuing. "Even if it’s true, no one would dare to touch him. That would be the same as declaring war on Lord Orion. That’s suicide."
The first soldier frowned. "But isn’t Lord Sorbet a Duke? He shouldn’t be afraid, especially since his child suffered the worst. If I were him, the first person I’d suspect would be Lord Orion’s son." ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹·𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗲·𝗻𝗲𝘁
His companion sighed. "Things aren’t as simple as you think. Lord Sorbet may hold a high rank, but the Crimson family’s forces are among the strongest. Besides, the city of Moonlight is very close to the Demon territory. If the Crimson family betrays the kingdom, the demon army could easily invade the lands of Everon. That would be disastrous."
The soldier scratched his head, still not understanding what was happening. He still clung to what he believed was right. To him, the Marquess’s son, Warlet Von Crimson, should still be investigated.
He didn’t realize that the political situation within the Everon Kingdom was far more complicated than he imagined. A single wrong move could make things even worse.
"We’re just soldiers. Our job is to follow orders. We don’t need to get involved in politics or noble family affairs. That’s not our duty," his companion explained again.
The soldier wanted to say something, but his mouth was quickly covered again. His companion shook his head slightly. He didn’t want his friend to get in trouble just because he interfered with other people’s family problems.
"Instead of worrying about noble families, you should worry about your marriage with Cill. You’d better prepare everything properly. Don’t disappoint her," his companion added.
Finally, the soldier nodded. "You’re right."
The two of them began discussing more personal matters. Crowne, who had been nearby the entire time, listened to everything, but he wasn’t particularly interested.
He took out two bronze coins and handed them to a bread vendor. "I’ll take one."
The vendor gave him the bread, and Crowne continued walking. He wanted to go somewhere—a weapon shop. He wanted to forge a new weapon, one that truly suited him.
In the shop menu within his system, none of the weapon models looked interesting, even though he had enough Market Points to buy several. He still had 3,998 Market Points left.
That was enough to buy three rare-grade weapons or one epic-grade weapon. But Crowne didn’t want something of that level. He wanted something stronger, so he decided to buy raw materials instead.
He spent 3,500 Market Points on the raw materials. He believed that a weapon made from these materials could be equal to a legendary-grade weapon or even beyond. That was only Crowne’s assumption, of course.
"Finally, I found it."
Before him stood a weapon shop owned by a man named Rick Donn. As Crowne entered, the smell of metal immediately struck his nose. It was strong and sharp. Every corner of the room was filled with weapons and armor.
From ordinary ones to those of exceptional quality. Some looked standard, but others were unique and uncommon. Crowne felt that coming here had been the right decision.
"In this world, weapon designs are too rigid. This place is truly unique."
Crowne kept looking around, nodding repeatedly in admiration. But strangely, he didn’t see anyone inside. A weapon shop should have been busy, since everyone needed weapons or at least needed theirs repaired.
"Is this place abandoned?" Crowne muttered.
"I’m right here!" said someone. A moment later, a figure appeared from behind the counter. The man’s face was covered in a long beard and mustache, his arms short and thick. "What do you want here? If you’ve come to mock me, then leave!" snapped the dwarf.
Crowne was slightly startled to see a dwarf directly in front of him. Until now, he had only seen dwarves in games or books. Now one stood right before his eyes.
The creature’s size was small—about the height of an eight or nine-year-old human child—but muscular.
"Why are you just standing there? You’re annoying," the dwarf grumbled.
"I want to forge a weapon. Can you do it for me?" asked Crowne.
The dwarf turned and squinted, staring at Crowne from head to toe several times. He was suspicious because humans were often racist toward dwarves. They were seen as inferior beings.
Dwarves were considered strange because they disliked fighting and focused solely on crafting weapons. Their short bodies made them appear unfamiliar to humans.
Moreover, Rick Donn always created unusual, unconventional weapons. People didn’t like that, and it was one more reason they stayed away from his shop.
"Are you sure?" asked the dwarf.
"I have plenty of gold coins. No matter how much you ask, I’ll pay it," replied Crowne.
Rick sighed. "That’s not what I meant. I don’t really care about payment. What I mean is, are you sure you want to forge your weapon here? I don’t take requests. I make whatever I want to make."
Crowne was silent for a while. Of course, he had come here to forge a weapon based on his imagination, but Rick clearly wouldn’t do that. Crowne was about to turn around, but after glancing around the shop again, he nodded.
"Alright, I’ll trust you. I’m sure your work will satisfy me," said Crowne.
The dwarf was surprised by Crowne’s answer. He even smiled, then laughed. It had been a long time since he had met a customer who trusted him to that extent.
"In that case, you’ve come to the right person. I’ll forge the best weapon you’ve ever seen," said Rick confidently.
Crowne walked to the counter and began taking out the materials he had prepared. He placed them all on the table. As soon as the materials appeared, a powerful aura surged from them.
Rick’s eyes widened. He smiled, his entire body trembling in excitement. "Damn, these are fascinating materials. You’re quite an interesting young man."
"Can you handle them?"
Rick nodded. "Of course."