Even though Keldric had decided to assist Sir Hermann, there wasn’t much he could do immediately.
When the time came for Keldric to step in, Sir Hermann would surely call for him.
So, Keldric decided to tour Belam as planned.
Since Yorgen and the Mountain Goat Mercenaries would be busy settling the commission, the only person to accompany him was Alisa.
“Are we going to the Artisan’s District?”
“I thought it would be good to have a shield.”
For a knight, it was essential not only to have a weapon but also a shield for completeness.
A shield that could be raised to defend against attacks from all directions was crucial not only for knights but also for soldiers.
Keldric had recently realized the importance of a shield while fighting bandits and rock trolls.
If he’d had a shield, he could have responded more safely when his sword became dull.
Moreover, after watching Sir Berner deflect attacks with his shield while fighting the rock troll, Keldric understood just how reliable a defensive tool a shield could be.
Up until now, he had relied on brute force and his weapon to break through situations, but who knew how things would go in the future?
“A shield, huh… You’re right. Iron supplies might still be inconsistent, but there might be something decent left.”
Neither Shafendorf nor Yalta had proper shields in their forges.
Belam had an Artisan’s District, but with the slow iron supply, no one could guarantee the quality of what they’d find.
Still, since there hadn’t been any nearby skirmishes, Keldric thought they’d likely have a few usable shields left.
“How much do you think it’ll cost?”
“Do you want the type mercenaries use, or one reinforced with iron and leather?”
“One sturdy enough that it won’t break if I use it.”
“Then you should go for a shield reinforced with iron and leather. You could probably get a decent one for about ten to fifteen Gracen silver coins. If it’s pricey, it might go up to fifty.”
Fifty Gracen silver coins were just shy of two Ducato gold coins.
Keldric shook his head slightly, a bit appalled.
The city’s prices were surprisingly high.
‘I can’t afford to spend two gold coins here.’
The gold coins he received from Hilmer were still plentiful.
The eight Ducato gold coins neatly stored in his leather pouch kept his pockets reassuringly full.
Since arriving in Belam, he hadn’t had much opportunity to spend money, and the armor Sir Berner had given him had certainly helped.
But spending two Ducato gold coins on a shield was another matter entirely.
Keldric wasn’t the type to casually spend a quarter of his entire fortune on a single item.
“I’ll buy something reasonably priced.”
Even if it was expensive, it needed to be reasonably so—at this rate, a few battles would clean him out.
He intended to spend no more than twenty Gracen silver coins, max.
Honestly, Keldric felt that even this was a bit extravagant.
“Have you been to the market often?”
“I’ve been a few times. The lamb from Shafendorf is cheap, and there’s a lot of meat from nearby monasteries as well.”
Keldric walked around with Alisa, taking in the sights.
The city’s market was bustling and chaotic, to the point where Alisa’s guidance was essential.
Yet, Keldric didn’t dislike the lively atmosphere.
The faces of those buying and selling goods showed little worry or concern.
It seemed that news of the bandits’ defeat hadn’t spread, as only a few brief mentions of them were made among the crowd.
“Are you only buying a shield?”
“If there’s a good secondary weapon, I’ll consider it, but it’s not a necessity.”
“Speaking of which, didn’t Sir Berner gift you a weapon?”
Without a word, Keldric took out the mace strapped to his waist.
The dark-colored mace, made of solid iron, felt slightly cool to the touch.
“It feels somewhat awkward.”
“Well, it can’t be helped. It’s not unusual for a knight to carry a weapon, after all.”
Keldric had secured a room in the manor thanks to Sir Hermann’s generosity, but he had brought his sword and mace separately.
The intention was that, should he commission a weapon from a blacksmith, it would be helpful to show his current weapons for reference.
The intention was good.
It was just that, for Keldric, carrying a weapon without armor felt slightly awkward.
Regardless, Alisa’s gaze was fixed on the mace in his hand.
“It’s a fine weapon.”
Alisa muttered as she examined the mace.
She touched the meticulously joined iron pieces, then continued to examine the metal shaft, her gaze dropping to the pommel at the bottom.
Alisa, inspecting the conical pommel that protruded at the end, pointed to it and spoke.
“Do you see this engraving?”
“Engraving?”
“Yes. Usually, skilled artisans inscribe their names on fine weapons.”
Upon closer inspection, Keldric noticed an engraving on the pommel that he hadn’t previously seen.
A phrase was inscribed there.
It wasn’t in Imperial script.
It seemed to be written in a language used in the Papal States or the southern republic.
As a noble of the Empire, he had learned the imperial language, but many also studied the language of the Papal States, a common tongue of the era.
Keldric, recalling what he’d painstakingly learned from Father Martin in Carlton Village, read the phrase engraved on the pommel.
“‘Let it be done to me according to the will of God.’”
It was a phrase more suited to scripture than to a weapon.
Keldric furrowed his brow slightly.
“It sounds like a line from scripture.”
“Yes. However, this…”
Alisa rubbed her chin thoughtfully, lost in deep contemplation.
Keldric wondered if it was worth pondering so much over a single scripture phrase, but he remained silent.
Alisa’s knowledge from Academia wasn’t to be underestimated.
She seemed to have noticed something about the pommel, studying it intently before speaking.
“It’s not particularly unusual.”
“What isn’t?”
“Inscribing scripture on weapons or armor.”
Knights and nobles of this era were deeply entwined with religion.
It wasn’t that religion had permeated their lives but that they were immersed in religion.
Just as urine can’t be separated from clear water once mixed, the connection between nobility and religion was inseparable.
Everyone wished to receive God’s love, and heaven was a highly sought-after destination in the afterlife.
As a result, it was common to engrave scripture on weapons, armor, and even silver tableware.
“So there’s no real issue?”
If Sir Berner had given him a weapon inscribed with scripture, there shouldn’t have been a problem.
Yet, from Keldric’s perspective, Alisa appeared to have an issue.
Her subtly twitching eyebrows seemed to suggest as much.
“Do you know when the last Crusade to reclaim the Holy Land was organized?”
“Wasn’t it more than twenty years ago?”
“Precisely twenty-six years ago.”
Twenty-six years ago, Keldric would still have been swimming between Sir Volpen’s legs.
Or perhaps, he hadn’t even existed yet.
Keldric shook off the uncomfortable thought and nodded.
“I see. And?”
“At that time, His Holiness the Pope personally blessed the weapons of certain knights.”
For some reason, Keldric felt uneasy.
Now that he thought about it, the mace looked rather solemn in appearance.
Aside from its lack of decoration, the plain iron mace had several cross-shaped holes on its surface.
The problem was that the only prominent feature happened to be the cross-shaped holes.
Keldric couldn’t help but ask cautiously, wondering if it was possible.
“…Could it be?”
“His Holiness blessed a total of seven weapons. In other words, seven pieces were inscribed with scripture.”
“And was this phrase among them?”
“Yes. It seems this might be one of the weapons blessed at that time. In fact, I’m almost certain.”
Sir Berner had casually mentioned giving it to Keldric because it had become too burdensome for him to wield, as if he were handing over spare food to a neighbor.
It was likely that even the attendant who brought the mace didn’t know it was a weapon blessed by the Pope.
“So then… I guess I shouldn’t use it recklessly?”
“No, not particularly… It’s already quite well-used, so you don’t really need to be overly cautious with it. However, you should make sure to maintain it regularly.”
Since it was made of solid iron, the mace wouldn’t wear down easily.
There were, however, some scratches and slight dents here and there.
Keldric stared at the mace for a moment, then shrugged and strapped it back onto his belt.
‘Still, it doesn’t hurt to be careful.’
A few minor scratches didn’t matter, but the real question was how much force the mace could withstand from Keldric’s strength.
Keldric wanted to swing it around freely as he pleased, but knowing that the weapon held significant value made him hesitate to use it recklessly.
“I might need to consider getting a secondary weapon.”
Even though it would increase his expenses, buying a decent weapon wouldn’t be a bad idea if one was available.
Belam’s Artisan District had all sorts of things lined up.
Despite the name, the Artisan District even had places selling groceries, as well as a few horse and spice merchants.
“Why is there a spice merchant here?”
“Well, some artisans believe in superstitions, after all.”
If they were just making basic farming tools, they wouldn’t need to put in so much effort.
However, if half of what the artisans in Belam produced were farming tools, the other half consisted of weapons meant for mercenaries, knights, or even nobles.
There was no intricate science or complex principles involved in making weapons or armor.
While it was a time when superstition and religion were intertwined, the northern region, further from the central Empire, had an even stronger inclination toward superstition.
Most people believed that fire, water, or oil used in forging weapons contained sacred power.
Some even sprinkled salt or spices during the forging process to ward off misfortune for the weapon’s user.
That was why a spice merchant had set up a stall in the Artisan District.
Keldric wasn’t sure if this process had any adverse effects on the weapons, but since people had been using them without issue, he figured it wouldn’t be a problem.
“Let’s take a look around.”
The Artisan District wasn’t large; rather, it stretched around the fortress in a long loop.
Even though the city was divided into districts, having multiple merchants of the same type in one place wasn’t ideal for business.
The three blacksmiths in Belam were similar, scattered around different points along the Artisan District encircling the fortress.
Keldric planned to visit all three of them.
It would be nice if he could also observe the weapon-making process, but if not, he’d just look around and leave.
Walking alongside Alisa, Keldric soon stopped in front of one of the blacksmiths.
There were no weapons or armor displayed on a stall.
In the first place, a proper blacksmith with an actual shop didn’t even have a stall.
If someone stole something, it would already be a loss.
There was no one foolish enough to display goods openly in front of money-hungry medieval townsfolk.
As the sound of an apprentice hammering away echoed from inside, Keldric slowly stepped into the blacksmith’s shop.
“Welcome… Oh, uh…”
As the large figure of Keldric ducked to enter, a man inside, who had been wearing an indifferent expression, looked at Keldric with wide eyes.
“Are you the artisan here?”
“Oh, yes? Uh, yes, I am.”
Keldric wasn’t only large in stature; his speech carried the accent of nobility.
The artisan, accustomed to dealing with knights occasionally, instantly recognized Keldric’s status and bowed respectfully.
“I’d like to buy a shield.”
“A shield, you say? Well, uh…”
The artisan’s obsequious attitude seemed somewhat suspicious.
He kept sneaking glances at Keldric, as if trying to figure out who he was.
“Well, we’re out of iron recently, so we don’t have any shields suitable for a knight like yourself.”
“…Is that so?”
Though he found it a bit odd, Keldric slowly nodded.
Having just dealt with the damage caused by the rock trolls, he could understand if there was a temporary shortage of iron.
“Do you not have any here?”
“I apologize. We’re short on iron…”
However, when Keldric left empty-handed from the second, and then the third blacksmith he visited, he began to feel distinctly uneasy.
It seemed strange that they wouldn’t even accept orders due to the iron shortage.
Even when Keldric offered a little extra payment, the artisans waved their hands in refusal, adamantly declining.
Yet, inside the blacksmiths, the sound of hammering metal continued uninterrupted.
Keldric’s brow furrowed.
‘What’s going on with these people?’
It was as if the artisans were intentionally refusing to sell to Keldric.