Chapter 328: Hidden Gems in Freda (1/2)

”What do you wish to call it, Master?” Gruen said with reverence. He was sitting on the ground in front of Arthur's cell. Glancing at the dwarf with confusion, Arthur turned to Gala.

”He's like this after I've given him a hundred artificial artifacts.” Gala shrugged. ”He says he'll follow you unconditionally.”

”Even if he didn't get Aimee's favor?” Arthur raised a brow, but the dwarf flinched. Arthur smiled. ”Don't worry. The shop isn't just for your sake. You'll be the manager and the blacksmith of the shop.”

”Did you decide on a name?” Gala repeated Gruen's question. Arthur fell into deep thoughts. He smiled in nostalgia as he remembered his shop in Jerano. The events which unfolded didn't allow him to expand that shop.

”Hidden Gems.”

”Catchy,” Gala nodded. ”What about the slogan?”

”A hidden gem is better than a flamboyant ore.” Arthur recited, and Gruen looked taken aback. He glanced at Gala, who smiled in satisfaction.

”This will make those nobles fume with anger.” Gala showed her canines. ”As expected of our Seika, you love chaos just as much as I do.”

Arthur didn't say anything, but he shook his head at the similarity of the situation he was in at the moment. Between the nobility of his world and this one, there were too many similarities.

'The system of the elite is corrupted.' Arthur watched Gala and Gruen leave the room. As the door opened, he saw Dia standing guard outside. He didn't ask her to do this, but it came out of her violation. 'I guess not everyone?'

He still remembers how she went back on their deal once her powers awakened. She tried to reason that she couldn't allow a human by her side with her father and Alva watching her.

'The past is the past. We are what we choose today.' Arthur looked at his remaining arm and then looked at the missing one.

He would need to replace his arm eventually. The only question was: with what? He could either have Gruen construct a metallic limb for him to inscribe runes on them. The other option was Gala's idea: to contract a spirit.

'Both are tempting.'

Arthur felt like he was choosing an evolutionary pathway, further away from being human. The concept of humanity in his mind was vague, so he didn't care as long as 'he' remained 'him.'

”That is, given that I'm still me.” He looked at his hand. He could still smell the faint traces of blood on it. This arm killed a human being, no matter how rotten he was. ”Would I have done the same on Earth?”

He could tell that Alka changed him. It stole away something that made him value human life, even the ones of others.

When you dehumanize someone, you'll take away a part of their humanity. They'll never regard human life as valuable once you make them feel like theirs is not.

'I need to find myself,' Arthur clenched his fist. 'But not now. The current me is the only one capable of surviving in this world.'

***

Gruen raced as fast as his short legs could carry him. Today will be the official opening of the shop that will change Contracts City forever.

Yesterday, he was there when they laid a hundred artifacts for selling. Usually, small shops had five to ten artifacts, famous shops had tens, and trading houses were the only ones who had a hundred.

Now, he was the manager and the blacksmith of a new shop: Hidden Gems. This shop that appeared overnight was the talk of the city. The artifacts it offered ranged from elemental offensive artifacts to healing to vegetation.

Despite being artificial, the vegetation artifacts sold like hotcakes. Farmers were the biggest buyers once they caught wind of this. Mana was abundant, but it could harm the plants if used directly.

The vegetation artifact allowed these farmers to harvest crops faster. If used on a large scale, they would be revolutionary to the whole kingdom.

He made sure to report this fact to the Seika, the miracle man. He took out artifacts as if they were copper coins and handed them to him with such trust that it burdened Gruen.

'If he betrays me, I'll kill him.'