Capítulo 20: Blacksmith
"Do we have a new neighbor, Brian?"
Brian met his wolf friend when they were just about to go to the shop next door. Raju who was carrying a boar on his shoulders asked about the sudden house appearing out of nowhere. He just recently came back home from work and picked up some meat for their dinner that is why he was not able to see the shenanigans.
"No, that's my shop." Brian pointed to the direction of the blacksmith.
"What!? Since when did you build that up?"
"Just a while ago."
Doubts surfaced on Raju's mind although he knows Brian is not someone with bad intent so he did not pry any further. He understood that Brian was hiding a lot of things. But despite that, they still become friends within just a week.
Raju observes the new blacksmith with great interest. The single-floor building was unlike any blacksmith he ever saw before. If it was not for Brian telling him that it was a blacksmith, he probably thought that it was just a normal house with a peculiar architect.
The first reason why he thought of it is that there was no chimney or ventilation of some sort for the smoke to come out. There are windows but it will not be enough if people are planning to smelt some things. Secondly is the design of the shop itself. Except for the sword and shield logo overlapping the store's name, the rustic feeling of a blacksmith is nowhere to be found.
"Nova Initia? What does it mean? Is that something from your place?"
"You can say that. It means New Beginning."
"New beginning huh… Very Good! However! Why have you set up a shop this far? District 9 may not have a blacksmith but that is only the cause because there is a reason for it. You'll never find customers here."
Brian understood his friend's legit concern. District 9 is not a rich district and barely anyone use the roads of their District. Unless you have a reason to go here, there was nothing to do. What more for the farthest location in the District.
If Brian had the choice, he will also not set any kind of shop here. Only because the System provided him everything with a quest that he was forced to place it right beside his house.
Well to be fair, without the help of the System, he will not have the ability to buy an empty lot or especially have the capital to build something close to what the System provided him for free.
"We'll just see how it goes. It barely cost me anything anyway?"
"Barely? Just the paint on these walls already looks expensive."
To clearly explain how worried Raju was for his friend, they have not yet entered the shop. He made sure to drop the boar he was carrying outside to avoid staining with blood anything inside. He knows that it will be impossible for products to be displayed already, but the floor made out of wood he does not know of made him hesitate to step onto.
"Meat!" Paia expressed the only word she can using monster language when she saw the boar.
After convincing Raju that it was fine to go inside, Brian finally cut the imaginary ribbon and entered the shop. It was also his first time so he was excited.
... What greeted them was more extravagant of a sight. Extravagant was an exaggeration but compared from the outside, it was twice as beautiful. Neatly arranged section for all specific equipment, intricately design mirror to showcase one's appearance, and a golden chandelier you will never find in any blacksmith.
It may be empty for now but it looks much better compared to all shops Raju has visited so far. Being, the shops he visited were within his budget.
'Now that I think about it, the fantasy feel I wanted is something only the richest mansions will have.'
The only basis he had when designing it was Brian's memories. He was not really sure how blacksmith stores in Earth looked like, and Brian only visited one blacksmith for his whole short life as a Laurefort.
'No point in regretting. Actually, there is nothing to regret since everything is free.'
On the other hand, the person beside him cannot be as complacent as Brian. His mouth was dropping for quite some time now. Raju finally concludes that his friend was an idiot.
It is not Brian's business to guess what his friend was thinking about so instead, he let Paia run around the empty store. She was really excited to check anything the store can offer despite having none at all.
"Can we move and live here instead System?" He asked.
<System: Do you dare to? Every midnight this Amazing System will clean every nook and corner of the store>
"That doesn't sound very bad, does it?"
<System: I'll be using chemicals that can melt human skin in a blink of an eye>
"Geh! What are you planning to do with this blacksmith?!"
<System: It is part of the features all establishments created by this Amazing system to have an automatic cleaning hour. We don't want to be closed because some virus is present in our store, do we now? The security system also comes along but it is only level 1>
"Level 1? There are levels for it?"
<System: Level 1 security can only repel normal weapon attacks and basic spells or in this world's terms, rank 1 to 3 magic. But rank 4 and above will not mitigate any damage in it. So I hope User won't offend anyone with such capabilities>
"So how do I make it to Level 2?"
<System: You can upgrade the store two more times, but you need to start selling stuff before I can say any more of it. More features also come along by upgrading so I hope the User upgrades ASAP… And for your first question, no you cannot live here>
Brian was very happy with the System for now. Anything related to earning money, this System will not fail to disappoint and Brian knows that. But other things not related to it, he can only hope he will not be pissed at the System.
After Brian was talking with the System in his head, the shocked wolf finally came to his senses. Brian was expecting he will be asked more questions from Raju but what he first told him caught him by surprise.
"Do you need people? I can suggest my son to try and work here… No, I hope you can let him work here." Raju asked sincerely.
The first person that came out of Brian's mind was the distinct wolf with a burnt mark on his face. Richi said that it resulted from him accidentally playing with his mini furnace so it should be him what Raju is talking about.
"Richi right? We will see… I still need to test him whether he can be my first employee."
"Of course you need to… Let me see the workshop where my son will probably be working."
<System: Unauthorized personnel is not allowed to enter the workshop>
"Raju is my friend. He won't do anything behind the shop." Brian finds it strange that the System became strict.
<System: Unauthorized personnel is not allowed to enter the workshop or else the whole blacksmith will explode>
With the threat, Brian cannot help but refuse his friend. He told Raju only he and his workers can enter behind the door that leads to the workshop. He made an excuse that it is a policy he wants to implement to let his future workers feel special when working in his store.
Raju accepted and respected him for that. Little did he know, Brian also does not know why outsiders cannot enter the workshop.
Since there was nothing left to do, the three left the store very happy.
Raju is excited to share with Richi that he can try and join his friend's business. Brian is happy for having a beautiful shop for himself. And Paia is Paia so anything new is amazing in her curious eyes.
Raju bid his farewell and carried the boar back to his family. Brian also decided that it is almost time to cook. However, before he can produce fire for his cooking, a familiar pleasant 'ting' echoed inside his head.
<Quest Triggered: Filling the Empty Store>
<Nova Initia Blacksmith has recently opened but is only an empty shell of a business. Without a supplier for the ores and employees to process everything, the User can only think of counting money in his dreams…>
<User needs to have a stable supplier for at least a year worth of business>
<User needs at least two employees. A blacksmith and a clerk>
<Rewards: 2 Specialty Products (Blacksmith)>
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