Reborn into Beast Tamer Clan with Monsters-Only Affinity

The hammering stopped, and the dwarf slowly looked up, wiping sweat from his forehead with the back of a thick, soot-covered glove. His gray beard was tied at the end with a copper ring, his eyes sharp and golden, and his expression was somewhere between amused and mildly annoyed.

"You three still alive?" the dwarf grunted. "World really is ending."

The men laughed like boys caught stealing apples, and one of them clapped Axelius lightly on the shoulder, "Told you we knew the right person."

The dwarf finally stepped closer, thick boots thudding against the wooden floor as he studied Axelius carefully, his eyes lingering a moment on his clothes, the edge of the golden guild card peeking out, and then back to his face.

"You brought me a noble brat now?" he said, raising a thick brow. "What, you want a custom sword for your pony, lad?"

Axelius just smiled, stepped forward and extended a hand. "Name’s Axelius. I need a trustworthy blacksmith for something bigger than just a sword."

The dwarf looked at the hand, then back at Axelius’s face, then slowly took the handshake, his grip strong despite his height. "Name’s Tarn. If you can handle heat and pay fair, then maybe we’ll talk."

The three men smirked and slapped each other’s backs, already joking again.

"Look at that! Tarn actually shaking hands with a noble—write that down!"

"Must be the gold still ringing in his ears."

"Nah, he probably smelled the coins the moment we opened the door!"