7th Demon Prince Jilbagias' Chronicle of Demon Kingdom Toppling-Chapter 162: Genius is but one one inch away from madness
「―― I see! So you desire an enchanted saddle that remains compact when not in use and can be deployed instantly when she wants to fly! Now that is quite the challenging request!――」
Xemone nodded repeatedly as she listened to my request,
「―― However, if you leave this matter to me, I can make it for you!!」
She puffed out her chest proudly and declared with a confident look on her face. Since she was smaller than me, she didn’t look imposing at all.
「That matter aside. What kind of compensation do you need for this?」
Dwarf craftsmen did not and cannot create works for others without receiving fair compensation. That was how their magic works.
「I have two conditions.」
Xemône raised two of her fingers in front of my face.
「First, my nephew is missing his little toe, so please heal it for him!」
Her first condition was pretty simple.
「And the other condition—— Whatever I create, you’re not allowed to complain! This one isn’t so much compensation as it is a request for prior approval, you see!」
Eh?
I was taken aback. This was the first time a dwarf had ever said something like that to me. Looking around, I saw that the other dwarves had grim looks on their faces.
Among dwarves, only those recognized as top-tier by their own kin were allowed to take on work.
In other words, to other races, they are master craftsmen of the highest caliber. If paid fair compensation, they didn’t just perfectly fulfil the client’s request; they even exceeded expectations, producing results beyond imagination. The holy sword Adamas and the scale armor Sindikaios were both flawless masterpieces, leaving no room for complaints.
That’s why Xemône’s condition of "Don’t complain" was so unexpected. In other words, she was practically declaring that she was going to create something I might actually want to complain about.
When I cast a puzzled look at Ficelle, wondering "what does that mean?", the master blacksmith and head of the workshop wore an expression of deep regret, as if ashamed of his own kin.
「This girl’s skills are undeniable… However, when it comes to clothing, she has a rather "unique" sense of style. When it comes to design, she absolutely refuses to compromise on her own tastes.」
… Taste?
「I just want to create something that brings out a person's charm to the fullest, that's all!!」 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦
Xemône waved her hands excitedly, shouting in frustration.
「But the blockheaded folks around me just can't keep up with my vision and refuse to accept it!! Yes, I understand that as a professional craftsman, disregarding a client’s preferences in favor of personal taste is frowned upon!! However! I am not just a craftsman, I am an artist as well!! I create not just for others, but for myself, day after day, tirelessly bringing my masterpieces to life…!!」
Xemône flailed her short limbs as she passionately delivered her speech. But then, as if suddenly realizing something, she paused, winked, and stuck out her tongue with a playful "Tehe☆!".
「―― And so, since I'm taking on this job partially for my own satisfaction, my fees are quite the bargain~!」
I see… I did think it was oddly "cheap" for an enchanted item with such complex functions, but it turned out there was such a reason behind the fees.
「By the way… What kind of item are you going to create?」
It sounds like the main issue laid with her design… Did she even have any examples of her work?
「That won't be clear until I start working on it~! Actually, even I don’t know what the final product will be! My hands just move on their own!!」
When I asked "Are you sure it's safe to entrust my request to this person?" to Ficelle with my eye signal, the other party replied with "I can vouch for her skill". ℝἁ𝐍ȫВÈŠ
「She has divine hands when it's just limited to leatherworking and enchantment magic. There is no one else in this workshop who can fulfill all of Your Highness’ requests. Unless, of course, you manage to bring in one of the Dwarven Union’s Holy Artisan(Maestro)…」
Holy Artisan (Maestro)— A title granted to only a handful of master craftsmen among the dwarves. These living legends could effortlessly create works on the level of a 『Masterpiece』, something an ordinary dwarf might produce only once in their lifetime.
And it seems that Xemône's leathercrafting skills alone are on par with those of a Holy Artisan. My interest had been piqued…
「Sure, I've got no problem with that condition.」
If all it took was growing a pinky toe to get such an enchanted item of that level, it was a small price to pay. In the worst case, if I didn’t like the design, I could just choose not to use it, my bad about that, Xemône.
…And so, I quickly got the compensation treatment done, and Xemône started working immediately.
「Ohhh♡ , that waist is so slim! And those legs are so long!」
Xemône had started running her hands all along Lyla’s body, eyeing her up and down with a lingering, almost predatory gaze.
「This girl is a shiny 『gem』 for sure! No doubt about it! Ooooh, I'm getting fired up!!」
Her dark eyes gleamed with excitement, and she looked like she was about to start drooling… Making me start regretting my decision to let her handle this job…
「… Her skills are top notch.」
Hey, Ficelle, that won't make everything okay!
「Heh heh heh… Alright, girl, let's take your measurements…! Now, now, don't be scared, I won't eat you, come over here…!」
「Y-Yes…」
Lyla kept glancing at me with a terribly uneasy look as she was pulled by the hand and taken into a private room.
「How old is Xemône?」
「Are you interested in her!?」
Ficelle recoiled in shock. No dude!
「I just want to know if she's a proper adult! I'm starting to feel a bit uneasy about leaving Lyla in her hands.」
「Ah, I-I see… Well, for what it's worth, we've been given explicit approval from His Majesty the Demon King, as long as we remain loyal, to be left alone.」
「I'm telling you I’m not going to lay a hand on her. I’m not like big brother Dia. I’ve already got my hands full as it is.」
I could tolerate being called a womanizer, but don’t lump me in with that s*x maniac. I fumed as I patted Liliana’s head.
By the way, I asked about Xemône’s age purely out of curiosity. To me, she just looks like a tiny little girl, but dwarves were a long-lived race. They could easily live for 200 or 300 years, and they age so slowly that it is almost impossible to tell their age just by looking at their appearance.
Male dwarves, with their bushy beards and burly builds, tend to look older, but upon closer observation, their skin was actually smooth. Female dwarves on the other hand, had no beards and appeared even younger as a result.
「Xemône's age huh… I believe she's over 100 years old, but I’m not sure of her exact age.」
“How old was she again?” “Hmm, I'd say around 110?” The other dwarves chimed in with similar guesses.
In short, she was definitely over 100 years old… And yet, with that appearance… She looks just like a chubby human child…
I wondered if dwarven men might also have surprisingly baby faces if they shaved their beards. As I stared intently at Ficelle, he made an extremely displeased expression and subtly backed away from me.
And so, after waiting for a few minutes…
Bored out of my mind, I started performing a sword-spear form to inspire the dwarves' creative spirit.
A tremendous surge of magical power swirled from the room where Lyla and co had gone, so intense that I instinctively recoiled.
「What the fuck!?」
「WOAAA!?」
While Liliana and I watched in shock, the dwarves in the forge let out a collective “Ahh…”, somewhere between exasperation and admiration.
The door creaked open, and Xemône's head peeked out from inside.
「I'm doneeeeeeee!」
…
「Eh!? Done already!?」
Wasn't it supposed to be just a measurement!?
「Since I got a surge of inspiration, I went ahead and made it all in one goooo!」
「Wait, but… did you even take measurements of her dragon form…?」
「No probleeeem, the size adjustment magic is already in place!!」
Xemône clenched her fists tightly, wearing a confident, triumphant expression.
「Come, Your Highness! Please, take a look!! Your girlfriend is eagerly waiting for you!!!」
Xemone beckoned to me with a mischievous grin on her face. It made me wonder what she had made? I went timidly to take a look, and behind me, the curious dwarf craftsmen tried to follow along――
「Woopsie, old man aren’t allowed to see!!」
Xemone quickly crossed her arms above her head, stopping those dwarves.
…Huh!? Was it something that couldn't be shown to other men!?
「How do you feel, Ly—」
The moment I peeked into the room――
「U… Uhm… I think this is… Even more embarrassing than being naked.」
Lyla was there, nearly half-naked, leaning forward and covering her chest with her hands.
The glossy, black-dyed leather contrasted sharply with Lyla’s fair skin. A leather vest— Or should I call it a corset? It was unlike any outfit I had ever seen before, making it difficult to describe it.
…Wait, it was not covering the important parts at all! This ain’t clothing, it was only a collection of belts! The mounds on Lyla's chest were squeezed between strap-like belts from above and below, as if being milke— Oi, what the hell is this?!
Someone tell me what in the hell is this!!
『Hohou―― Quite the obscene outfit we got here!』
Ante shouts excitedly inside my head.
「Fufufufu! This is my prided masterpiece!!!」
And why the hell are you wiping the sweat off your forehead with such a refreshed look?!
「Behold! Isn't it magnificent?! The leather belts digging into that delicate body, the flesh being squeezed out, and the shame being drawn out from within!! It's absolutely exquisite!! Pure eroticism! It's ART!!!」
Xemone spoke with bloodshot eyes, saliva spitting from her mouth.
――The problem lies in the thing she made.
Only now did I understand the meaning behind those remarks.
「Alright then, let’s introduce the features of this outfit while we're at it!」
…But man, even though it looks like that…
I had to admit that it was imbued with tons of magical power…
I could tell at glance, without a doubt, the functionality was well-crafted. Resigning myself to the situation, I decided to listen to Xemone’s explanation.
（※Author note: It's bondage）
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