Rondo didn't stop as he kept testing the new techniques that I had shown him.
From time to time, he would look up and ask me for guidance on what he was doing and I wasn't petty with my advice. After all, he had already paid, so there was no reason for me to be that petty.
After a while, Rondo was able to create a piece of alloy that was even better than the one that I had made during the competition.
This really was the skills of the dwarves, they really were devoted to forging.
If possible, I wouldn't want another forging competition with them since I was certain that I would lose once they learned my techniques.
My knowledge was the only thing that would give me an advantage and they were sponges ready to soak up that knowledge from me.
I made a silent vow that I wouldn't challenge another dwarf to another forging competition in my mind.
But in the future…who knew I would break that vow?
However, in the present, we were still inside of the forge when Haley came to find us.
She had finally had her fill of the piece of mithril and made sure to store it safely before coming to look for us.
Seeing that we were still in the forge, she called out, "What are you guys still doing? It's already getting dark outside, why are you still here?"
Both Rondo and I were surprised when we heard this.
When we looked out the window, we found that it was indeed already dark outside.
We had completely lost ourselves in what we had been doing that we didn't even notice all of this time passing.
Rondo had been lost in the new techniques that he had learned while I had been lost in learning forging from Rondo.
It was hard for me to give him proper guidance without knowing the basics of forging, so he had been teaching me things while I had been giving him advice. I could already be considered a basic blacksmith with how much I had learned.
Bruno had been looking on with envy since I was receiving a personal blacksmithing lesson from a dwarf.
Though he did try to gain as much knowledge for himself as he could.
With this lesson, Bruno would go on to cement his position as the best blacksmith in town.
Since it was already getting dark, there was no need for us to continue.
As the lord, I took this chance to invite Rondo to a meal.
Rondo was also feeling a bit hungry, so he decided to accept.
Of course, it was only because it was me that he accepted.
If it was anyone else, he would have rejected their invitation since it was hard for a dwarf to get along with humans in the first place. There wouldn't be anything to talk about since they were from two different cultures.
With me, he could at least ask a few questions about forging while we ate.
Haley also decided to tag along because…she had some business with the two of us.
I didn't bring Rondo back to our manor and instead went to one of the bars in town.
As a dwarf, he was someone that naturally loved to drink.
So bringing a dwarf to my manor where it would be a formal meal would be a bad idea. It would be better to bring him to one of the local inns and drink him under the table.
That way, I would be able to get as much information as I could out of him.
Of course, it was no easy feat to drink a dwarf under the table, but I had a few tricks up my sleeves.
The tricks that I had learned from my college drinking parties really came in handy here.
How to pretend to drink and how to keep yourself sober, those were all skills one needed in college. That was the way to properly network.
While everyone was drunk, it would be easy to learn things…things that could be very useful.
This bar was a bar that Haley recommended, which I immediately took since I trusted her judgement.
Haley ran the most successful business in town for a reason.
She was someone that was very skilled at building relationships and knowing which restaurants were the best was one of the skills that she needed for this.
After all, people were most vulnerable when they were eating.
At the same time, it was easier to get an advantage when they were drunk…
So she would need to know good places for these negotiations.
When we arrived at the bar, we found that it was already filled with people.
Luckily, we were able to get a table.
There were others waiting, but when they saw that it was me, Haley, and Rondo, they immediately let us cut in front of them.
I felt awkward about this, but I still accepted in the end since there was business I needed to discuss with Rondo.
But as we were sitting down, Rondo couldn't help saying, "You're quite strange for a human lord. You actually thanked them for giving you their seat when most human lords would have just ordered them to leave."
I couldn't help being surprised hearing this and I turned to look at Haley who also gave me a strange look.
It is true, in this kind of society, it was normal for lords to act this way since there was the idea that nobles were above all. This was a kingdom that had a noble based society that gave nobles the rights to do what they wanted.
However, I just said, "I was a commoner in the first place, so things like this are strange for me."
Rondo narrowed his eyes to look at me before giving a nod and saying, "Oh, whatever. Your human culture really is too strange for me to understand."
I just revealed a bitter smile before ordering some food for us.
It took no time at all for this food to arrive.
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