When a dwarf blacksmith evaluates a gemstone, what matters most to them is its utility and grade.
Tales of unknown people’s experiences—such things don’t change a gem’s hardness or durability.
He didn’t want to keep looking at it.
Just as Baltar said he understood and asked her to leave, Marian gently fanned herself and whispered to him.
“Where in the world would you find a gemstone that satisfies everyone perfectly? Maybe a perfect business partner, but not a gemstone.”
“I don’t understand what you mean by that.”
“Whatever gem you’re looking for, I can get it for you. Not just in the Hayshal Empire—anywhere in the world.”
As Marian turned to leave with a smile, as if passing a baton, a delegate from Baron Oldman arrived.
She handed a wooden jewelry box to Baltar and said.
“These are pearl earrings from the Shushubia Archipelago.”
“……..”
“……..”
“…Do you have nothing more to say?”
“There’s an appraisal certificate underneath the wooden box.”
It was a far better introduction than the one by Count Travel’s daughter, but this delegate was too silent—almost unnervingly so.
Baltar was even concerned she might get scolded by the Baron and tried to help her speak up.
All he got back was a note about the certificate being included.
“Did you at least open it?”
“No. Why bother if I’m just going to send it back?”
Baltar responded to Marshall’s question.
He’d only mentioned wanting a ‘perfect gemstone’ to toy with Count Travel’s people.
No matter what they brought, he planned to return it—with a note saying it didn’t meet a dwarf’s standards.
“Seriously, you half-ass everything except smithing. Still, we should check inside. What if it’s a prank?”
Click.
The moment Marshall opened the velvet-lined jewelry box, she felt like she was staring into a galaxy.
The black velvet interior, embedded with small luminous stones, was designed to make the diamond in the center reflect their light.
As expected of a top-grade diamond—its brilliance was indescribable.
Inside the lid was a card, on which gemstone details were written in neat cursive script.
“The ‘Diamond of Balance.’ It says each facet is identical, and the symmetry is so perfect it doesn’t topple in any direction.A spiritualist supposedly grasped the truths of the universe by seeing this symmetry. Hah. No wonder nobles go crazy over this stuff.”
“That spiritualist tale again. Just a pretentious gimmick by some fancy blacksmith.”
Baltar grumbled under his breath.
Marshall reached for the wooden jewelry box.
It was simple, with no decoration—plain and unassuming.
“Looks like just a basic container for valuables. Not even an appraisal certificate?”
“They said it’s underneath the box.”
“Underneath? Yeah, something’s wedged in here.”
He pulled out an envelope stuck in the groove at the bottom of the wooden box. It seemed to contain the certificate.
Baltar muttered to himself.
“Pearls aren’t perfect. Too soft, too delicate. Even if the pearls from the Shushubia Archipelago are harder than others—”
“Old man Baltar.”
“Even so, their hardness is only comparable to lower-grade gems—”
“Baltar. Stop your rambling and take a look at this.”
At Marshall’s prompt, Baltar turned his head.
On the table, Marshall slid over both the appraisal and a folded piece of paper.
“…..…”
Baltar’s hand trembled as he picked up the paper.
Marshall chuckled.
“Old man, you lost this one.”
•••••••••••••••••••••••••
Dear Baltar,
The ownership of the Crest Mine will soon change hands.
Is there a gemstone more perfect than the pearl I sent you?
•••••••••••••••••••••••••
***
A few days later…
A letter from the dwarves arrived at Count Travel’s estate.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••
Pearls are the only gems whose form is perfect even without being touched by human hands.
Thus, they can be considered the most perfect gemstone.
Let’s start with small transactions.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••
Victory went to Baron Oldman.
***
“Pfttt…”
Grandfather’s range of laughter was becoming more colorful by the day.
I sat on the sofa beside him and asked.
“Grandpa, are you happy to be doing business with the dwarves now?”
“Happy? Of course. With such a ridiculous alias, I thought they’d treat this like a joke, but…”
“Hehe. I gave it my all!”
Grandpa grabbed my head and gently shook it.
I recently learned that this gesture meant he wanted to praise me enthusiastically.
“So, have you decided which mine you want?”
“Yes!”
“Alright then, point it out.”
Grandfather gestured at a map laid out on the table.
I had already made up my mind, so I pointed without hesitation.
Seeing the location I chose, Grandpa murmured in surprise.
“The Crest Mine? Not a diamond mine, but an iron one?”
“I like iron more~ It’s way more useful.”
“You’re unpredictable. I don’t get it, but a promise is a promise. I’ll transfer it under Baron Oldman’s name. Jena will help manage it.”
Jena Chaser.
That was the name of my new official proxy, a former temporary stand-in—part rabbit beastfolk, I’d heard.
‘She said she’d come introduce herself soon, right? I’m curious…!’
Grandpa, clearly itching to talk, asked me.
“Tell me, Berry. How did you know the dwarves would like the pearl?”
“How?”
“Yes. Like you said, it’s their standards that matter, isn’t it? Were you certain the answer was ‘pearl’?”
“Hmm…”
I pretended to hesitate, though in truth, the pearl earrings were just a plausible answer.
I had no idea whether the dwarves really liked the pearls from the Shushubia Archipelago.
‘The only thing I was sure of…was that the Crest Mine has something the dwarf chieftain is searching for.’
It all goes back to when Grandma Marshall, a dwarf-blooded woman, visited Leaf Village—Theon’s hometown.
Seeing her had stirred a memory.
At the time, I dismissed it—I was too focused on the wild dog tribe problem to care.
‘I only intended to remember facts about the Crest Mine…but who would’ve thought another memory would come in handy!’
It was a memory from when I was nine—from a different version of me.
Crest Mine had just been a plain old iron mine, but everything changed when a new vein was discovered.
It became a massive success.
As a result, it was chosen as a field trip site for the educational department of the Count Travel family.
On the day of the visit, I got stranded in the surrounding mountains because of a prank by the twins and Calypso.
That’s when I witnessed something strange.
Two dwarves—short, rugged figures—climbing the mountain with large pickaxes on their shoulders!
Unlike Grandma Marshall, who was a mixed-blood dwarf, these full-blooded dwarves looked terrifying.
I thought they’d eat me if they found me, so I held my breath and ended up overhearing their conversation.
— We’ll need to dig far from the entrance today.
— Damn Travel bastards. Now that there’s money in this new vein, they’re swarming the place and making everything chaotic.
— But Chieftain, we’ve been looking for over ten years. If it hasn’t turned up by now, maybe it’s not even here?
— No. It’s definitely inside this mine.
I didn’t know what ‘it’ was, but it seemed like the dwarves believed something crucial was hidden inside.
Whatever it was, that vague hint had worked like a charm.
‘But… didn’t Jena tell Grandpa about this?’
From how surprised Grandpa looked when I pointed to the Crest Mine on the map, it seemed like he had no idea I’d sent such a note to the dwarves.
Jena was the proxy Grandpa appointed, so I had written the note expecting it might be reported to him—
‘Looks like Jena is incredibly tight-lipped!’
It wasn’t something I could be 100% sure of, but so far, she had handled everything very reliably.
I still hadn’t answered Grandpa’s question.
So I gave a big smile and said.
“I got advice from the head designer at Trang Atelier!”
“…Trang?”
“Yes! The designer at Dad’s favorite tailor shop. I don’t know much about gemstones, so I followed expert advice. The pearl earrings popped into my mind because Aunt Marian had won them at Grandma Priscilla’s charity auction. So I bought them from her jewelry store!”
“Huh. And those just happened to impress the dwarves? You got lucky.”
“Was that a compliment?”
“Yes. It is. Luck counts as a skill too.”
Grandpa seemed a bit flustered, but he still praised me warmly.
Watching him, I asked cautiously.
“Aunt Marian must be really upset. Are you okay?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
“She is your daughter, after all.”
“She tripped over her own greed.”
That’s what he said, but it was clear he was feeling conflicted about it.
Tsk. Foolish girl, Grandpa muttered with a click of his tongue.
***
Crash!
The glass Marian had been holding slipped from her hand and shattered against the mirror.
