After a little while, the three of us calmed down.
For a stretch, each of us went silent—faces flushed red, even our whole bodies.
Well, when you calm down, you realize just how embarrassing all that was.
Then the witch brought a hand to her mouth and deliberately coughed.
"Ahem. Well now, shall we bring the joking to an end?"
"Y-yes, indeed. So we shall."
"Wof! Um, um, yes. Let's stop. Okay!"
"...Fine, I guess."
Phew, I didn't know what would happen. Seriously. Going wild like that out of nowhere was just unfair.
The witch then asked, composing herself once more.
"So now, what are you three doing here?"
"Well, what about you, witch? What are you doing here?"
I shot the question back.
That shut-in-for-life witch had come all the way to the blacksmith's, looking ready to have a complete breakdown.
There had to be a pretty significant reason. I was curious.
"Oh my, well now. You see, there's a large Legendary Relic that this blacksmith uses. It's mainly for restoring OOPArts, but he contacted me saying it was acting up, so I came to check on it. It can't be transported, so I had no choice, you see."
"Oh, is that so."
A more reasonable reason than I'd expected.
The witch was, as it turned out, an expert in restoring Legendary Relics.
Fickle as she was, I didn't think there was a restorer as skilled as her.
[God Does Not Roll the Dice Thrice: The highest-difficulty technique is guaranteed to succeed three times a day]
She even had a cheat-like Relic like that.
"Um, um, being able to restore Legendary Relics is incredible! As expected of the witch!"
"My, my, what a good little doggo you are."
"Wof!"
Juicy beamed at being praised. Adorable.
"So then, so then, what are you doing here?"
"That would be... a long story."
I explained the whole sequence of events. How Axe-san had given me precious materials.
How I was trying to make gauntlets.
How I didn't have enough funds, and when that came up, Valent-san suggested a harvesting commission and I accepted.
"My, my, how industrious. I see, I see."
"So, witch—do you know what Demon Gold is?"
"Oh my. Now that's quite a rare name to hear."
"I know it's highly rare."
"But its value is low."
"Um, um, is it... useless, like a three-eyed rabbit's eye?"
The witch watched our barrage of questions with keen interest.
Those emerald eyes narrowed, taking on a slightly darker gleam.
She lightly licked her crimson lips before speaking.
"Well now, allow this witch to explain it for you. Demon Gold, compared to silver, has an adaptive conduction rate more than twice as high for Legendary Relics and OOPArts. It can be shaped into various forms at far lower temperatures than melting silver. And it surpasses silver not only in restoring Legendary Relics and OOPArts, but in all manner of other uses as well. It's an extraordinarily rare substance."
"And yet its value is low?"
"That's right. Its value is lower than silver's. However, its price is higher than silver's."
"Hmm, now that is a curious thing."
"Um, um, that's strange."
It was essentially a complete upgrade over silver. And yet its value was low.
"The price is higher?"
"Mm-hmm. You see, there are very few people who actually try to use Demon Gold."
"Hmm, not many users, then."
Despite being that high-performance?
"Um, um, um—wof! Does that mean only a limited number of people can use it?"
Only certain people could use Demon Gold?
"Oh, oh—good answer, little doggo!"
"Wof!"
"Now then, my clever apprentice, young Wof—have you figured out the answer?"
The witch cast a somewhat challenging gaze toward me.
And then she put on the face she wears when teaching someone something.
A trial for her apprentice? Interesting. Master—I accept.
Demon Gold was a complete upgrade over silver. High performance, but only a limited number of people could use it.
So its value was considered low. But its actual price was higher than silver's.
Low value, high price.
Value wasn't the key—it was the limited number of users.
"Hmm. High performance, yet only a limited number of users."
"Wof..."
"Wof, wof... Wof-sama..."
The two of them looked at me with worried expressions. It's fine.
One thing caught my attention. In the witch's explanation about Demon Gold—oh, I see.
So that's what it meant. Right. That's how it works.
"I understand. Demon Gold is far more difficult to handle than silver. The reason its value is considered low despite its rarity is because very few people can work with it, isn't that right?"
"In that case, the price should be low as well, shouldn't it?"
"The high price must be due to the rarity. The low value refers to general, practical value. In other words, because almost no one can handle it, its practical value is low. Also, in your explanation you said nothing about the handling. Normally you'd mention that it's easier—or rather, similar—to work with compared to silver. But you only spoke of its performance. Witch—is the sole flaw of Demon Gold how difficult it is to handle?"
The witch quietly applauded my answer.
"Mm-hmm, correct. No matter how superior Demon Gold is to silver, how high its performance—if handling it is extremely difficult, its value drops. The hardest part is that Demon Gold melts at lower temperatures than silver. It demands exquisitely precise temperature control. Even the slightest miscalculation and it melts completely. There are other delicate aspects as well. In the old days, there were more people who could work with Demon Gold than there are now. Techniques were passed down through generations. But for various reasons, those lineages died out. Now, across the entire continent, the number of people who can use Demon Gold can be counted on one hand."
"So that's how it was?"
"Um, um, wof! Amazing! As expected of Wof-sama! Brilliant deduction!"
"Oh no, no. It's thanks to Juicy."
"Mm. Juicy deserves the credit."
It was only because Juicy had noticed it that I'd been able to work it out.
And there was more to come.
"Witch, you can handle Demon Gold, can't you?"
"Mm-hmm. Of course I can. In fact, I'm better with Demon Gold than silver. So then—young Wof, you have some, don't you? Demon Gold."
"Yes, I do."
"I do as well."
"Um, yes. I have some."
Well, at this point, saying I didn't have any wasn't really an option.
The witch knew about my Relic, so she'd figured it out.
"As I thought, as I thought. From the sound of it, you found it while on that silver-harvesting commission. Even so, that stubborn old blacksmith—putting out a commission just to cover expenses."
"Sorry about that."
I turned toward the gruff voice—Valent-san was back.
The witch grinned at the returning Valent-san.
"Oh my, well now. If it isn't the stubborn old blacksmith. Did I offend you?"
"What's it to you? Ha. You two seem awfully chummy. Not very witch-like of you."
Valent-san let out a soft chuckle.
The witch gently placed a hand on my shoulder. She pulled me lightly, and her chest naturally pressed against my head.
A marshmallow cushion!?
"Well now, naturally. After all, young Wof is my dear apprentice."
"The boy is YOUR apprentice!?"
"Hey, fox. You're too clingy. Back off."
Pakira-san pulled her away, looking annoyed. Saved.
I'd been wondering what to do about that cushion of bewitching softness.
"My, my."
"Truly, there's no letting one's guard down with you."
"Um, um—Witch. That's not okay."
Juicy stepped in front of me protectively. Valent-san gave a wry smile at the sight.
I felt strangely embarrassed. Damn you, witch.
"I'd heard the witch had an apprentice, but... to think it was the boy. That explains the Demon Gold."
"So Valent—about the silver."
"Right. Those three silver bars—how about a million oro?"
"Mm. That will do. Spend it on Wof's behalf."
"Pakira-san, is that okay with you?"
"That was always the intention."
Pakira-san smiled and nodded.
"Um, um—I agree as well! Please use it for Wof-sama!"
"You two..."
My chest grew warm. Valent-san placed a hand on my shoulder.
"Right, boy. Some good women, aren't they?"
"Y-yes."
"Right. I'm feeling motivated now too. I'll make the finest gauntlets you've ever seen."
"Thank you so much!"
"How wonderful."
"Um, um—Wof-sama, congratulations!"
"Thank you. It's all thanks to the two of you."
"That's right. Wof—why don't you tell him about that blade?"
At Pakira-san's prompting, I carefully took out a cloth-wrapped bundle from my pouch.
"Y-yes. Valent-san, actually, there's one more thing I'd like to ask."
"Right. What is it?"
I gently unfolded the bundle and showed him the knife blade.
"This?"
"I'd like you to make a handle for it. I want to use it as a knife again."
"...May I touch it?"
"Y-yes."
Valent-san touched the blade. A difficult expression crossed his face.
Well? Is it no good? Is it no good? Valent-san grinned.
"Right. Not a bad blade at all. Very well—I'll make it into a knife."
"Thank you!"
"Um, um, I'm so glad, Wof-sama!"
"Mm. Now then—about the Demon Gold. What do you intend to do with it?"
"Oh right. Right. I'll examine the scope of this stuff first, then pay an amount to match. How does that sound?"
"If so, then please give that money to Pakira-san."
"Wh-what?"
"Um, um—please, I'm fine with that too. I received more than enough reward in experience. So please, give it to Pakira-san instead!"
"You two... Very well. I'll accept it graciously. My thanks."
Pakira-san smiled bashfully.
That's when I noticed the witch, who'd been watching from a distance this whole time for some reason.
She stood with her arms crossed, observing from behind.
"What's the matter, witch? You've been quiet."
"Oh, I was just thinking... how sentimental."
The witch watched us with a warm smile.
Sentimental, huh. Youth? Was this youth?
Youth.