Is it wrong to try to meet someone in a dungeon?

"How old is Mr. Crozzo...?"

"I'm seventeen this year. Also, please stop calling me Mr. Crozier. I don't like my surname."

He told me this during the conversation.

He wanted me to call him by his first name, which made me a little embarrassed, but I respectfully complied.

"Uh... Mr. Welf? What can I do for you...?"

"Hey, hey, you're calling me 'Mr.' now?... Okay, never mind for now. Well then, I hope you'll listen to me."

Mr. Welf stood up from the chair fixed to the floor and looked down at me.

The box containing the new armor lay at his feet. He said, "I made this, what's wrong with me taking it?" and took it out of the shop without permission.

"Let me be blunt, I don't want to lose you as a customer."

"?"

"My creations, whether swords or armor, just don't sell. I might be bragging, but I'm confident that my work is of high quality, yet nobody buys them. They're always returned just when they're about to sell. I really don't understand it."

"..."

It should be rabbit armor... There's something wrong with the weapon's name, but I can't bring myself to voice such an uninformed opinion.

"However, you appeared at this moment. You, the adventurer, have recognized the value of my armor."

"Uh, so...?"

"You've come to buy my work twice. You're my customer, a real customer. Aren't you?"

Now that I hear him say that... perhaps it's true.

Even when I entered that armored forest, I was still thinking about Mr. Welf's armor.

"In conclusion, we low-level blacksmiths are all competing for customers. Once you become famous, customers will come to you, but it's not so easy when you're unknown. Our works are mostly bought occasionally by equally inexperienced adventurers after weighing their own wallets. That's just the reality."

"Did you understand up to this point?" Hearing his question, I reluctantly nodded.

Stealing customers... in other words, turning them into regular customers. This is the foundation of doing business, and once the adventurer who becomes a customer becomes famous, the weapons they use might attract attention. Even if the blacksmith himself remains unknown, the same applies.

Calling it a living advertisement might not be the best way to put it... but for a novice blacksmith, building good relationships with adventurers seems to be more important than I imagined.

"It's quite rare for adventurers to actively seek out the work of a low-level blacksmith. As I mentioned earlier, for us right now, nothing is more gratifying than having our work 'recognized.' You are my number one 'customer,' so I don't want to let you go... or rather, I can't let you go."

Despite the boldness and audacity of his speech, Mr. Welf once again wore a hearty smile.

Although I frowned and smiled wryly, I actually had a very good impression of Mr. Welf's character.

This man is a good blacksmith.

"So you mean you want me to continue being your customer?"

"That's true... but I want to go a step further."

This time, Mr. Welf revealed a truly bold smile.

"How about we sign a contract right away, Bell Craney?"

—Directly, sign a contract?

Before I could understand what that sentence meant, Mr. Welf explained it to me concisely.

This means that blacksmiths and adventurers sign contracts to establish a more solid "fair exchange" relationship.

Adventurers bring back "dropped items" from dungeons for blacksmiths, who in turn craft powerful weapons for the adventurers and sell them back at a low price.

Mutually beneficial. A cooperative relationship between blacksmiths and adventurers.

Most importantly, weapons designed for specific purposes can exert special power.

The words Miss Eina once said to me came back to mind.

"Eh... Is it... okay?"

"Hey, hey, isn't this what I was supposed to say? You're already Lv.2, while I'm just a nobody without even 'forging' ability. Generally speaking, we're not even a good match, are we?"

I initially wanted to say that wasn't true, but after re-examining my own position, I'm afraid... it really is as he said.

If I were to answer "no" now, it might not be humble, but rather sarcastic towards Mr. Welf.

My back suddenly started to itch, but I still managed to keep my mouth shut.

Mr. Welf bent down, wrapped his arm around my neck, and smiled as he leaned close to my face.

"Besides, look. Aren't there groups of people secretly eyeing us in those shops selling swords, axes, and shields?"

"Ah, yes..."

A group of subhumans of various races kept a close eye on our movements.

They seemed so anxious...

"Those guys all want you. Just like me, they want to make a contract with you."

“Eh!”

"It's not just you. Whether it's good or bad, all adventurers who [upgrade] to Lv.2 will be targeted. That's the difference between novice and advanced adventurers."

Really...?

I stared wide-eyed at Mr. Welf's profile.

He was giving the blacksmiths a victorious smile when he noticed my gaze and chuckled softly, "Well, that's how it is anyway," before releasing his arm from my shoulder.

"I'd love to become your personal blacksmith. If I keep dragging my feet, other blacksmiths will definitely come to you, and I'll lose a customer I'm about to get. So I'm determined to sign this contract no matter what."

"Besides, being able to form a contract with a promising adventurer will also enhance my reputation," Mr. Welf said with a cheerful laugh.

"...After saying all this, you might not believe me, but I don't really care about the level. You chose my design from so many suits of armor, and you even said you wanted to use my design, so... is that it?"

"..."

"You'd feel incredibly moved, wouldn't you?"

"There's probably nothing more honorable for a blacksmith than this," Mr. Welf said with a shy smile.

Hearing him say that, I knew he had wanted to make a contract with me from the very beginning, and I couldn't help but feel happy.

Although I really wanted to say that he was flattering me too much, just imagining the two of us, so immature, working together in a three-legged race, made me feel a warm current rise in my chest.

I'm not very good at describing it... but anyway, it feels pretty good.

"...I understand. I'm willing to enter into a contract with Mr. Welf."

"Okay, it's a deal! I was just worried about what I'd do if you rejected me!"

I took his outstretched hand and stood up.

"Nice to meet you, Belle," I said, and laughed shyly.

Hands bigger than mine are as hot as a furnace.

"The formal contract will be signed next time..."

As Mr. Welf spoke, he raised the hand he was shaking and shook it.

He was proclaiming to those around him that he had won the contract, and the blacksmiths who witnessed this all left in regret.

After looking around and making sure all his colleagues had left, Mr. Welf let go of my hand and scratched his neck apologetically.

"Then, could you please grant me one selfish request right now?"

I paused for a moment, then looked back at Mr. Welf.

"Of course, I'll pay you. I'll get you a completely new set of equipment, no charge."

"What!"

"Don't be so surprised. The blacksmith asked the adventurer for a favor, so this is just what he should do."

I never dreamed that I would be able to get him to send me my artwork for free.

That way, we won't have to buy all the damaged equipment...

I stared blankly, dumbfounded.

"Here's the important part. I'm going to say it now?"

"..."

I held my breath, waiting for his next words.

"Let me join your team."

Book 4, Chapter 3, "The Blacksmith's Reason"

"We've finally reached the 11th floor!"

Mr. Welf, hands on his hips and his weapon slung over his shoulder, shouted this cheerfully.

As he boasted, we are now on the 11th floor of the dungeon.

The "cave" extending from the center of this wide staircase is the starting point of the 11th floor. This floor continues the structure that began on the 10th floor and also produces dense fog, except for the starting point where we are now, which is free from fog.

With good visibility, the grassland, half-submerged in shoes, stretches as far as the eye can see, with dry, thick trees, known as the "landform of the labyrinth," scattered all around.

"I remember Mr. Welf also arrived at the 11th floor?"

"Yes, that's right. But speaking of which, I'm sorry, Bell. We only met yesterday, and I'm already asking you for this kind of trouble today."

Yesterday, Mr. Welf said he wanted to join my team. I was surprised at first, but after hearing his reasons, I immediately agreed.

We've already signed a contract, so there's no reason to refuse him. Besides, I was already considering adding more team members, and his request is exactly what I wanted.

"No way. Besides, since you're after 'forging' abilities, it's not entirely unrelated to me..."

"You've really helped me a lot by saying that."

Mr. Welf's reason was to gain the ability to "forge".

Whether or not a blacksmith possesses this ability will drastically alter their skill level; it's said that it could even determine their career. Mr. Welf, still unwilling to accept this, said that his colleagues who joined the Familia and leveled up around the same time had already fallen far behind him.

Regardless of faction, people should generally form a team with companions when exploring dungeons...

"I don't really want to air my dirty laundry in public... but I just can't stand those guys. The moment we got to the dungeon, they singled me out. Can you believe it?"

...To put it bluntly, that's the gist of it.

Mr. Welf seems to be ostracized within the faction. Even though he wants to gain better experience points for leveling up, he can't venture into deeper floors alone—needless to say, because it's too dangerous—so he has to resort to the last resort: seeking help from other Familia teams.

To become fully-fledged artisans, the blacksmiths of the Hephaestus Familia are said to independently solve problems and hone their skills through trial and error with rivals. However, only their "forging" ability, or "leveling up," is truly exceptional. Because this aspect is life-threatening, they must explore dungeons together with members of the same Familia—close colleagues with whom they share a close bond. However…

Mr. Welf explained his unusual ostracism with a bitter remark: "They're probably jealous of my hidden talent." The real reason, however, remains unknown.

Perhaps noticing my gaze, Mr. Welf, who had been scratching his head, smiled at me with his eyebrows lowered.

"Well, anyway, I'm very grateful to you, Bell. People say that the Familia are very exclusive, but it seems that's not necessarily true."

"Uh, well... since you've already given me all these things, I don't really feel comfortable refusing..."

Seeing Mr. Welf's smile that treated me like a friend, I felt a little guilty for taking his things, and smiled modestly.

The almost brand-new armor worn below the neck was gleaming.

"...You said a new companion has joined? What's that—isn't it just that Lord Bell was bribed by something?"

As we were talking, an unpleasant sound came from the side.

Her reproachful and dissatisfied tone made me break out in a sweat. I couldn't help but turn around and saw Lily gripping the shoulder straps of her backpack, glaring at us coldly.

I really wanted to tell her "you've misunderstood," but from an outsider's perspective, she probably really had been bribed.

My current equipment—armor—is the brand-new light armor made by Mr. Welf.

This outfit is no different from the previous light armor. It includes knee pads and a breastplate for protection. Gauntlets inlaid with small rubies extend from the wrists to below the elbows. Does it look a bit more stylish than the previous one?

The armor itself is still just as lightweight. Mr. Welf said this armor is thicker than the last one, but I don't feel any weight at all. Changing the equipment doesn't make me feel uncomfortable.

This suit of armor, which fit perfectly, didn't tempt me, but... well, I can't say I wasn't completely unmoved.

Staring at me with Lily's half-open eyes, I could only manage a dry laugh.

"Oh dear—, Lily is so sad. So very sad. You just went to buy something, and you actually brought back such a troublesome thing, just as I had hoped… I am so grateful for Lord Bell's kindness."

The intense sarcasm struck like blows to the abdomen, one after another, even Mr. Welf's armor couldn't withstand it...!

No, but calling it a troublesome matter is a bit of a stretch...!