One-Eyed Monster

And so, Igor and Kadi parted ways at the entrance of a small rundown hut.

This rundown hut was obviously an old cattle shed of some mountain dweller’s home. Despite the dilapidation, it could still provide shelter from the elements. The cattle were long gone, and the inside was piled with straw, where Kadi hid. He wasn’t particularly worried. Igor had asked him to hide, so he did, to avoid causing Igor any trouble.

Igor then hurried alone toward Gaga County, hoping to deal with things before nightfall.

First, he needed to exchange gold coins at the official market of the County Administrative Office in Gaga County. Without gold coins, he would accomplish nothing. He had a Rum Fruit, which wasn’t uncommon in Gaga County. Since this was once under Elder Rostellum’s jurisdiction, people could share in his benefits, so trading Rum Fruit wouldn’t arouse too many questions.

A single Rum Fruit now could be exchanged for around one hundred gold coins, a sufficient amount for Igor to use for some time.

You could say Elder Rostellum showed a lot of consideration. A Rum Fruit’s average selling price to liquor merchants was two hundred gold coins, so being able to reclaim them from the mountain dwellers at half the price was quite humane. Not forcibly stopping the mountain dwellers from trading Rum Fruit was already a significant favor, and the official exchange rate was so fair that one hundred gold coins could equate to the mountain dwellers’ hard-earned income for half a year. This gesture earned Elder Rostellum praise from the inhabitants of Gaga County for a long time. Of course, this was only true for the residents of Guru Mountain. People from other places in Gaga County couldn’t enter Guru Mountain now, as it was completely controlled by the Administrative Office. Except for those native to the base of Guru Mountain, no one else was allowed to go in or out. The mountain dwellers of Guru Mountain continued to lead a prosperous life, reliant as always on Guru Mountain, and under Elder Rostellum’s rule...

Igor nervously handed the Rum Fruit to the official at the Daylight Market of the County Administrative Office. The official squinted at Igor, ”Never seen such a young mountain dweller before!”

”The mountain folks gave it to me. I’ve stayed up on Guru Mountain without leaving...”

”How did you get into Guru Mountain, do you have documentation?” The official grew tense all of a sudden.

”Well, I am from Yonder Travel Academy...” Igor said, then presented the proof he once got from the Yonder Travel Academy, something Teacher Hadi gave him two years ago when he ventured out on an expedition.

”Oh, you’re a student from the City Administrative Academy. No wonder the mountain dwellers gave you this thing.” The young official sighed in relief, seeing the stamp from Yonder Travel Academy and naturally letting down his guard. Moreover, this young man didn’t appear to be a sleazy person, just an honest face.

Igor finally completed the exchange for gold coins. Clearly, the County Administrative Office in Gaga County was financially strong, and a hundred gold coins were given directly without needing a Gold Room note for withdrawal in town or the Imperial Capital. Everything was settled right there. Igor, carrying the hundred gold coins, felt a sense of relief. That Rum Fruit wasn’t given by mountain dwellers; he had picked it himself in the mountains. To avoid trouble, he had told a lie—which for him was very uncomfortable—so now he felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted.

Igor put away ninety coins, kept ten coins as reserve funds; spending two coins at the blacksmith shop and the tailor shop would be impressive. These hundred gold coins were enough for Igor to spend for a long time.

It didn’t take long to find the tailor shop, and making the masks didn’t consume much time either. Around ten masks only cost half a gold coin, which made Igor extremely delighted. The tailor at the shop asked Igor if he was a Wandering Bard, using so many masks to sing, and Igor nodded repeatedly, almost ready to sing a tune.

The tailor shop was easy to find, but the blacksmith shop was hard to locate.

Logically, the blacksmith shop should be in a conspicuous location, but in this Gaga County, Igor couldn’t see any sign of it. Only by inquiring at each store did he find that the blacksmith shop in Gaga County was in a secluded corner in the northwest.

Fortunately, this county wasn’t large, and a few steps were enough to traverse all its streets.

Throughout the inquiry process, Igor learned that Gaga County’s overall demand for iron goods was low, which explained the lack of blacksmith shops. There was only one blacksmith shop in the entire county, and it was government-appointed.

The blacksmiths in this shop were assigned by the Administrative Office because Gaga County lacked the ability to supply blacksmiths. The blacksmiths and apprentices here were mainly dispatched from the city or Imperial Capital, so they all arrived with resentment. After all, there were no profit opportunities here, nor any chance to forge any remarkable artifacts. In this godforsaken place, it’s a real pit!

Igor finally found the official blacksmith shop.

Clearly, this blacksmith shop didn’t look like what Igor imagined a blacksmith shop would be. Only a few flickering flames peeked out of the forge, the bellows weren’t working, there wasn’t the rhythmic sound of huffing and puffing, nor the melodic clanging of hammers forging on anvils. This blacksmith shop was eerily quiet, entirely devoid of life.

”Is anyone there?” Igor asked cautiously.

”Who’s there!” A voice, dripping with impatience, came from within, and Igor could tell the speaker was lying in bed.

”I...” Igor wanted to say he was Igor, but then realized the blacksmith wouldn’t recognize him, so it would be a pointless answer.

”Borrowing something? Go next door. This is territory of the County Administrative Office, nothing to borrow here. If you need directions, head to the general store next door. I’m just an outsider...”

”I neither need directions nor want to borrow something, I just wish to forge an item!” Igor quickly responded, trying to prevent further misunderstanding.

”What!”

Igor only heard a thud, seemingly the person inside falling off a bed, followed by a clattering sound emerging from within.

Before long, Igor saw a disheveled, bearded middle-aged man emerging from within, wearing a dust-covered blacksmith apron, rubbing his hands, and looking at Igor with a cheerful smile, ”Oh haha, sorry, sorry, I mistook you for someone asking for directions, oh haha.”

Igor could hear the hidden excitement in this man’s laughter, as if he was eagerly looking forward to this moment...

Igor glanced around, feeling that this blacksmith shop didn’t resemble one at all, but unfortunately, it’s the only option he had.

”Oh haha, tell me what you want to forge, oh haha, look at me, can’t help myself.”