Chapter 86: Good Armor (Continued)
What the dwarven runesmith said did not come as much of a surprise.
It is well-known that all strong armor and sharp weapons in the world are made by the hands of dwarfs. Even the imperial representative of legitimacy, the Hammer of Sigmar, was crafted by the ancient dwarven high kings. Even the runeswords, symbolizing the hereditary power of the electors, were also forged by dwarfs.
Moreover, most of the high-end armors and weapons in the empire are monopolized by dwarfs. Numerous dwarven craftsmen live in communities within the empire, crafting excellent armor and weapons for it. Full-body armor was first experimented with by dwarven blacksmiths.
But that line, “Sell it to a holy warrior of the Templars.”
It sounds like a question about the origins of this armor.
After some thought, Xiya felt it was odd for the dwarven runesmith not to be curious. Just by looking at the thickness of this armor, one could tell it was not forged for mortals; only those skilled in direct combat could bear its weight.
Even Xiya couldn’t help but start to suspect, could the succubus Jima have secretly stolen it?
Xiya smiled and said, “Under the mysterious arrangement of fate, obtaining this armor is good and all, but for me, it can only be a decorative piece at home. It would be better off as collateral; you just need to estimate its value.”
“Forget it, I’m too lazy to guess the cunning minds of you humans.”
The dwarven runesmith continued to admire the armor. He leaned closer to the Gothic armor displayed on the mannequin, tracing his hand along its ridges, his face nearly touching the armor. The exquisite golden edges intoxicated him.
“What a fine piece of armor! The feel, the waistline.” The dwarven runesmith’s large hand caressed the flowing waistline of the Gothic armor, “Like the waist of a wasp, the armor’s owner must be a tall and slender warrior.”
Xiya looked at the midsection of the dwarven runesmith and couldn’t see any sign of a waist; it seemed as though his legs grew from below his ribcage.
She opened her mouth to speak, but wisely closed it.
The dwarven runesmith was getting more and more intoxicated; his face was turning red as though he had drunk strong liquor. He resumed rubbing the armor with his rough hands, moving from top to bottom, resembling a gluttonous ghost.
Xiya felt her skin crawl, starting to doubt the other party’s preferences.
Her banker friend couldn’t help but speak up:
“Master, I asked you to estimate the armor’s value, not to touch it.”
The dwarven runesmith turned his head and shot a glare at the banker, saying:
“What do you understand, human?” The dwarven runesmith said, his face red, “I’m evaluating the armor’s value comprehensively; it’s not as simple as it appears.”
After saying that, he returned to examining the armor but became significantly more serious, avoiding any strange associations.
Xiya knew at a glance that the dwarven runesmith had taken a liking to this armor, and it could be a while before he was done touching it. In the past, she would have patiently waited, but today happened to be the first day of her period, and she could not wait that long.
She deliberately asked out of “curiosity”: “What’s so special about this armor? After all, it’s just a piece of armor. It feels similar to a pot; the pot maker and the armor maker are not much different—just shaping metal into the desired form.”
“What do you know?” The dwarven runesmith exploded in anger, waving his hand, “The technology inside is countless times superior to pot-making!”
“Really? I don’t believe it.”
“You humans are just like the mountain dwellers, long hair and short knowledge; now I finally understand,” the mountain dweller is a derogatory term the dwarves use for humans, originally meant to refer to those who could not make decent armor and swords.
The dwarven runesmith was bouncing with anger, gesticulating wildly. First, he removed the gold-edged gauntlet, gesturing as he spoke: “Look! Each finger joint is connected by movable hinges; look at these reinforcing ribs; can you make that for a pot?”
Saying that, he gently placed the gauntlet on the nearby velvet, then removed the forearm guard, opened it, and twisted the forearm armor, saying, “Look, this forearm armor is not fixed to the elbow guard; the forearm can rotate freely.”
“…The lower edge of the breastplate is under the ribs, and below it is the skirt armor, like a lobster shell, not obstructing bending…”
The dwarven runesmith spoke quickly and urgently, and Xiya didn’t understand, putting on a look of being taught, nodding repeatedly, saying, “Thank you for your guidance.”
“So that’s how it is.”
“Thank you so much.”
And other similar expressions of gratitude.
The dwarven runesmith’s anger gradually subsided. Standing on the chair, he took down the helmet of the armor and said, “The Longtail Charelle Helmet; do you see the long tail like a lobster shell at the back? It’s for protecting the nape.”
He put down the helmet and realized that in just a short span of ten minutes, he had completed his explanation.
Xiya stood up, placing her hand on her chest and slightly bowing, saying, “Thank you for broadening my horizons, master.”
The dwarven runesmith stroked his beard, which had warming properties, and smiled without speaking.
Xiya suddenly said, “Since the master has finished looking at it, how much is it worth?”
“This armor, while lacking magic, is of excellent craftsmanship and has undergone surface hardening through quenching. The larger and thicker the steel, the more difficult it is to treat thermally.” The dwarven runesmith held up two fingers, “At least twenty thousand gold coins.”
Xiya and the banker were both taken aback, realizing it was three times the expectation; converted to gold coins, it would weigh about half of this armor.
Xiya felt a bad sensation in her lower abdomen and nodded to the dwarven runesmith:
“Thank you for your valuation.”
As she spoke, Xiya looked at the banker and smiled, saying, “Let the servant pack the armor and hand it over.”
The dwarven runesmith came to his senses and said, “I haven’t touched enough… Right, there’s another set of armor that hasn’t been valued.” After saying that, he reached for the Milan armor.
The banker smiled at Xiya, charmingly saying, “Xiya, I think the other set of Milan armor is not inferior either, so let’s estimate it at twenty thousand gold coins as well.”
“You humans can’t do this; how can the values be the same?” The dwarven runesmith protested, “No way, let me estimate it.”
The banker said, “Master, please accept the appraisal fee; my servant has already prepared the payment next door; please spare a moment.”
The dwarven runesmith stormed out, mumbling complaints like, “Humans are always careless…” “Lacking craftsmanship,” and so on.
After the door closed, Xiya smiled and turned to the banker, saying, “Thank you.”
The young banker felt like a breath of spring and said, “How about we settle for eighty percent?”
Eighty percent is already a high proportion, amounting to thirty-two thousand gold coins.
Xiya nodded her smooth chin, saying, “I appreciate it, but my friend, taking out so much cash all at once might be tight for your family.”
This was already quite a tactful remark; very few families could take out thirty-two thousand gold coins at once.
The banker suddenly realized that thirty-two thousand gold coins in cash was a significant sum, but in front of a beautiful woman, as a man, how could he easily say no?
He asked, “May I know what Miss Xiya intends to use it for?”
“Half for investing in Mr. Caslan’s assets.”
“A very wise choice; he is currently favored by the emperor.” The banker praised, “Can half be paid in cash and the other half as collateral for assets? I can negotiate with Caslan.”
“That’s fine, thank you for your trouble.” Xiya said, “I have matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave first.”
After saying that, she did not look back and directly walked to the door.
The banker momentarily couldn’t react, watching her skirt disappear behind the door, his mouth opened, saying, “Take care, Miss Xiya.”
Meanwhile, in the next room, the dwarven runesmith, having counted his coins, thought of the exquisite craftsmanship of the armor just now and couldn’t help but sigh, deeply feeling that his own skills were lacking. Over the years, he had been wandering in the empire without seeing many fine works, and his skills had not progressed.
Though he claimed to be a runesmith, at most he could be considered a disciple of a runesmith, still the kind who had not yet graduated. What decent runesmith from a dwarven clan wouldn’t be a prominent figure? Who would casually go out?
He was determined to return to the mountain to take the time to learn properly and refine his skills.
The master who forged that armor earlier was indeed exceptional.
