Weapon Shop Uncle Volume 1 Chapter 22

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The Uncle and the New Town

Duofa Town is really a flourishing and busy place!

Such a lament couldn’t but help escape from me, who had spent all those years living in the village.

Our village has such a small area, and the population density was definitely a lot lower compared to here. The houses were all mostly thatched wood houses. As far as a marketplace, we don’t dare expect too much. Occasionally a travelling salesman would pass by to sell his wares. It had always been a small, self-sufficient agrarian economy.

It wasn’t like the crowds were rubbing shoulders and following in each other’s footsteps or that the place was overly decadent, but the crowd continuously flowed. Along the street, you could see stores selling fruit and vegetables, the peddlers hawking quite noisily. On both sides were stylish stone houses, with the walls decorated with interwoven read and yellow. Everything looked neat, and did not lose its simple and unadorned charm.

Travelling businessmen’s carts were also in abundance.

The only thing that made me unsatisfied were the people of this place.

All of the people wore gloomy expressions, and the only smiles were business smiles.

You could not hear the sounds of children laughing or the sounds of friends talking.

If we used the language of Dante’s Inferno, it was like they were watching the struggles of the sinners, but they wouldn’t throw them a rope. As we walked through the small town, I felt like we were entering hell.

Hell dressed in the skin of heaven. If I could choose, I definitely would not live in Duofa Town. I would prefer to spend the rest of my life happily in the Newbie Village.

I could understood about seventy to eighty percent just by looking at the expressions of the residents. Like Ka Luona said, they’re being controlled by some kind of pressuring tactic. If I had experienced this while I was on my own, I definitely would be too lazy to throw the rope. But since Ka Luona is watching, I have to set an example. Moreover, I still need to look into Mademoiselle Phantom’s matter/issue.

I sighed. The more elaborate the plan, the more likely for it to meet with an accident. Thus, I definitely could not make any kind of grand plan.

Right now, I was dressed like an adventurer, a breathable bandage wrapping around my four limbs. A long cloak wrapped around my exterior, concealing my whole body. I also wrapped my head in a scarf, only showing the small area around my eyes.

I had a reason why I’m doing this. The first was in order to make my movements more agile, and the second is to disguise my stature. For people with super observation powers, even if they can’t see the face, can identify people based on stature alone.

But first, I should go sell my veggies.

I randomly picked a vegetable store. Inside, there was a forty year old middle-aged man. He bore a fake smile to receive me.

That smile looked fake, but I patiently haggled with him.

Since my goal was actually to search out information, the price of vegetables was not all that important. I asked without interest for information.

“This vegetable, isn’t completely fresh.”

“But the quality was definitely preserved. If you don’t believe me you should take a bite to see. Your stuff is also quite good, is it stuff brought here by traveling merchants?”

“Yes……the flavor is quite good. Ah, yes. Oftentimes merchants will come here, but this is the first time I’ve seen you.”

He sized me up with suspicion.

“Cough, that’s true. I am a newly debuted businessman. I just took a shortcut through the forest and was accosted by wolves. My entire face was wounded so terribly, I can’t show it to people.”

“Heavens, it’s great that you’re still alive. That wolf king, who knows how many people it’s killed.”

“Many thanks, but it was only because my luck was good. Aie, uncle, your winter clothes are so thin. Are you alright?”

The middle-aged man put down my vegetables to the side, and sized me up.

“I’m fine. Age is a kind of cold-resistance.”

There’s no way he couldn’t feel the winter when he was only wearing a thin shirt and a singlet.

When weighing the food he tried to secretly hide a bit away. His technique was not bad, but it was impossible to be enough for me.

I had been assuming a face of one who does not know the ways of the world, for this moment.

I saw that the store had no other customers and immediately scowled.

“Uncle, do you know if there are bandits in this town?”

“B-bandits? I’m not sure. I’ve never heard that.”

Using two negative statements at the same time.

“This is not an inquiry; this is a threat. Do you want businessmen to still come here? If you talk like that than maybe the protection fee won’t be able to be collected.”

The man’s movements stopped in place.

“If you do talk, then I won’t haggle over these few vegetables. And if my mood is good, than I’ll give you all of the fee.”

Obviously this was very persuasive. But there was still something that made him clam up.

I’ve already played my card. Right now, it was time to watch his reaction.

He hemmed for a moment, and shook his head. At this moment, the side door of the shop creaked open and a sickly yellow and emaciated little boy came out. He shyly looked at me.

“We don’t have money……kill me. Please don’t hurt my dad……”

He spoke cautiously.

“Idiot! Don’t talk nonsense!”

It was already too late.

I examined the man carefully. His face turned red. He directed his sight to the ceiling, hesitated for a moment and then said:

“I still can’t do it. But, you can go and find Bone of the blacksmith store. He will probably tell you.”

I nodded. This was his limit.

“Got it. I will not speak of what happened today. I will also give you these vegetables for free.”

“How could……”

I left the vegetable shop without looking back.

When I went to the blacksmith store, I took out the wolf pelts.

The man called Bone was a seventy-year-old old man. He was in the middle of forging. He wasn’t much taller than Little Elan. He had a stooped body and his skin was stretched tight over his bones. The man was like his name, thin and bony, but his two eyes were full of life. His voice was also quite high. All in all, a lively old person.

Based on my pride in my profession, I expected to see him making a sword at first glance. I didn’t think that I would look for half a day and not find one. The majority were kitchen knives, hoes and other household metalware. Seems like he didn’t make weapons to subdue magical beasts.

Evidently, his skill was extremely refined, but he didn’t make weapons. I felt something was up.

In the future, I would ask him for an explanation.

“Hey! Youngster, come in. With my throat, people on the outside can’t hear very well?”

“Are you alright?”

The old man turned his head to look at me:

“I’m fine. Your eyes still have light in them. A sight that can’t be seen in this town.”

Hearing his words, I thought of the dialogue in the bible for no reason.

——What is the kingdom of god like?

——It’s like a mustard seed.

——It will grow into a big tree.

“Say, Uncle, if you’re free afterwards can you teach me forging?”

He rapped the cane in his hand on the ground.

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