"Uh, what?" The red-bearded dwarf's smile froze. 0

His curly-bearded companion seemed equally caught off guard, but Ian paid them no mind and continued. "In the end, you're just saying you'll play around with my gear, spruce it up a bit, and hand it back, right? These are rare artifacts, as you know."0

Ian's gaze shifted to the other dwarves gathering behind the pair. "And it's not like you're the only craftsmen here. Everyone seems quite skilled."0

"What— did you say?" As the approaching dwarves nodded in agreement, the expressions on the faces of the red-bearded and curly-bearded dwarves twisted into scowls. 0

Speaking loud enough for everyone to hear, Ian continued, "As you can see, I lack several essential pieces of gear right now. Boots. Chain mail or padded armor to wear underneath. Gloves and even—"0

He tapped the hilt of his Truesilver Steel Sword at his waist. "A proper scabbard. On top of that, our priestess' equipment is in dire shape."0

Glancing at Lucia briefly, Ian raised a hand to his head. Removing the Black Crown of the Dark Elder Fairy, he held it out for the dwarves to see. "This was a gift from the capital. Apparently, it once belonged to a dark elder fairy."0

"Dark fairy?!" A low gasp escaped from Diana nearby, her shock cleart.1

Her eyes reflected disbelief, as though such a possibility had never even crossed her mind. Perhaps she hadn't even realized Ian was wearing it—it wrapped around the back of his head, not sitting atop it like a traditional crown, and its dark, dull appearance blended seamlessly with his hair.0

"Though it doesn't seem like the dark fairies made this either." With a faint smile, Ian looked over the dwarves...0