Lately, Li An had been feeling like something was amiss.
Sitting in his office with his chin resting in his hand, a strange sensation lingered in his mind.
It felt as though he had forgotten something.
It wasn't anything particularly important, but it certainly wasn't insignificant either.
It was stuck in that annoying middle ground, refusing to surface no matter how hard he tried to remember.
“Director Li An, I've brought the approval documents.”
Just then, the office door pushed open.
It was Devon.
Li An took the report handed to him and flipped through a few pages.
It was clean, concise, and without a single issue.
Thud.
The stamp fell.
He really hadn't misjudged the man.
Devon was indeed a talent worth nurturing.
Even so, Li An still found it a bit strange.
Ever since Devon returned from his successful negotiation with Count Ludelong, his attitude toward Li An had suddenly become much more low-key.
Logically, someone who had just achieved such a massive success ought to be acting at least a little smug.
Yet Devon not only lacked any trace of arrogance, but he was also growing increasingly respectful.
“Could it be...”
Li An fell deep in thought.
It seemed this negotiation had made Devon truly realize his own shortcomings.
Li An's estimation of him shot up once again.
But what Li An didn't know was that at this very moment, Devon was also quietly observing him.
“That deep-in-thought expression...”
“Is the Director plotting some other earth-shattering plan?”
“How terrifying.”
And just like that, their mutual evaluations of each other inexplicably rose in lockstep once more.
In the afternoon.
Li An finally remembered what he had forgotten.
However, the manner in which that item returned to him was truly unexpected.
“Li An! Where is this guy named Li An?!”
“Hey! This is the government office! You can't just barge in without permission!”
A sudden commotion erupted in the main office.
A red-nosed little dwarf—or rather, a dwarf, was rampaging through the halls while carrying a weapon on his shoulder.
The guards trying to stop him were shoved aside almost instantly.
Hiding in his office, Li An couldn't help but marvel in secret.
This dwarf's charging capability was truly impressive.
“Li An! Li An Adolf! Show yourself!”
The problem was, this fellow was shouting his exact name, and he sounded like he was looking for a mortal enemy.
“Director, quickly escape!”
The officials of Section Four immediately shielded Li An.
“Leave this place to us! Please make your escape without worry! As long as you are alive, there is still hope for the Evaluation Department!”
Their expressions were tragic and solemn.
It was as if they were about to heroically sacrifice their lives in the next second.
“Hold on.”
Li An pinched the bridge of his nose.
“Step aside.”
“Director?”
Everyone was stunned.
Li An walked right out.
The reason he was willing to show himself was that he had noticed the item in the dwarf's hands.
That familiar curved silhouette.
That reassuringly simple shape.
That thick, rustic charm...
Yes.
It was a hoe.
Specifically, it was the hoe he had lost in Viscount Yorick's domain not long ago.
At this moment, Li An felt a wave of sheer relief wash over him.
It was like finally picking out a piece of meat that had been stuck between one's teeth for an entire day.
“Li An!”
The dwarf was still roaring.
His voice sounded exactly like a civil servant who had just barely missed out on his subsidies.
Li An examined him closely.
According to the Imperial Demographics White Paper, the dwarf race was generally stubborn by nature.
This was a fact.
It was absolutely not racial discrimination.
In other words, this commotion probably wouldn't end until the dwarf found him.
Unless the imperial guards locked him up.
“I am Li An.”
Li An stepped forward calmly.
“D-Director?!”
The officials who had been desperately holding the dwarf back just a second ago were instantly dumbfounded.
But the dwarf had no intention of attacking Li An.
He simply stared intently at the hoe in his hands, his eyes shining with growing excitement.
“Oh!!!! I've finally found you!!!”
The dwarf took massive strides.
Thump!
Thump!
Thump!
In the blink of an eye, he rushed right up to Li An.
Just as he was about to speak, Li An slapped a hand down.
“I'm not selling the hoe.”
“Why?!”
The dwarf instantly deflated.
Despite the brief misunderstanding, this dwarf was ultimately an esteemed guest who had traveled all the way from the distant north.
Li An brought him to the reception area of his office.
“What would you like to drink? Coffee or tea?”
“Hot coffee, of course.”
The dwarf answered without hesitation.
“No sugar.”
The scalding black coffee was poured directly down his throat.
The dwarf didn't even twitch an eyebrow.
Is this guy's throat made of steel?
“Whew—”
The dwarf exhaled a long breath.
“Now that is the stuff.”
“It feels like my brain is about to explode after a cup.”
By the looks of it, he was very satisfied.
“I come from Stonehead Town in the north.”
The dwarf patted his chest.
“Duglin.”
“I am the Director of the Imperial Evaluation Department, Li An Adolf.”
Li An offered a hand with a smile.
“Pleased to meet you, Mr. Duglin.”
“Yeah.”
Duglin gave a casual grunt in response.
Then, like a hiker, he pulled something out from his backpack.
Clang.
A sheathed dagger was placed onto the tabletop.
“Have a look.”
Li An arched an eyebrow.
“A gift upon our first meeting? This seems a bit inappropriate.”
“What are you talking about?”
Duglin looked utterly bewildered.
“This is a custom of the dwarf race when meeting for the first time. We show each other our belongings.”
“It's not a bribe.”
"..."
Li An went silent.
He was encountering more and more eccentrics lately.
He was even beginning to suspect whether his own common sense was being twisted by these people.
“Go ahead, look at it.”
Li An took the dagger.
He stared at it for a long while.
“Hmm...”
“It's a dagger.”
Duglin: "..."
“Just as I thought.”
He took a deep breath.
“You didn't notice anything special about it.”
“It seems I've met a worthy opponent.”
“Now, show me yours.”
The dwarf's question stumped Li An. What did he have to display?
He glanced at the hoe in Duglin's hand.
Then he looked at the longsword hanging on his office wall.
Ultimately, Li An took the sword down.
This was a famous sword bestowed upon him by the Emperor.
The moment Duglin saw the longsword, his expression shifted.
“May I see it?”
“Of course.”
Duglin took the sword.
First, he weighed it, sensing its center of gravity and balance.
Then he closely inspected the blade.
His actions were meticulous.
It was entirely the posture of a craftsman appreciating a masterpiece.
“High-quality steel was used.”
“Ordinary people could never afford materials of this grade.”
“Unless it belongs to the imperial family...”
Li An nodded inwardly.
As expected of a dwarf.
His eyes were sharp indeed.
“The hilt is also exceptionally well-made.”
“The grip is comfortable, and the leatherwork is beautiful.”
“The overall craftsmanship is flawless.”
Duglin grew more satisfied the longer he looked.
“Craftsmanship of this caliber certainly puts my dagger to shame.”
He handed the sword back to Li An.
“You have great taste.”
“To be able to collect such a piece at your age, your future is truly limitless.”
“I'm actually a bit jealous.”
“Uh...”
Li An felt a bit awkward.
“Actually, there is something I need to correct.”
“What is it?”
“I didn't make this sword.”
"..."
The air instantly froze.
“Are you fucking kidding me?”
This was the first time Li An had witnessed a dwarf curse in person.
It took quite a bit of effort to soothe Duglin, whose face was flushed red with anger.
Only after a solid half hour did the two finally sit back down to talk business.
“I admit there was a bit of a misunderstanding just now,” Li An said.
“Good.”
Duglin nodded.
“Still, I want to ask.”
“Where did you obtain that hoe?”
Speaking of this, Duglin instantly perked up.
“When I went to visit my old friend Viscount Yorick, I saw it in his fields.”
“Apparently, it's used to till the soil.”
“I gave it a try at the time...”
Duglin's eyes grew brighter and brighter.
“It was absolutely incredible.”
“I recognized it at a single glance.”
“This is undeniably a monumental agricultural innovation!”
Li An felt quite proud in his heart.
The feeling was like watching a foreigner heap endless praise on egg fried rice.
Thoroughly satisfying.
“So, let me ask once more.”
Duglin leaned forward.
“Are you really not planning on selling this hoe to me?”
“Naturally, I won't take it for nothing.”
With that, he tipped his backpack—which was larger than his entire upper body—completely upside down.
Clatter, clatter, clatter—
A pile of ironware immediately rained down upon the table.
“Every single one of these was forged by my own hands.”
“Each piece is of substantial value.”
“I will trade all of this for your hoe.”
Li An stared at the tabletop.
No matter how he calculated it, he wouldn't lose out.
A single hoe in exchange for a mountain of ironware hand-forged by a dwarven master.
But for some reason...
Li An's heart still felt slightly unsettled.
“I can't help but feel...”
“This looks exactly like someone dumping out his entire collection just to trade for a single rare card.”
Just then.
A voice suddenly sounded from behind him.
“May I say a word?”
Li An nearly jumped out of his skin in fright.
It was Isha.
He had no idea when she had finished her tasks and silently slipped back into the office.
“Who is this young lady?”
“My assistant, Isha,” Li An said calmly.
“You can talk to her next.”
Having said that, he directly relinquished his seat.
The reason he could yield so cleanly was because of Li An's absolute trust in Isha.
Since officially becoming his assistant, Isha had become much more proactive than before.
She sat down and glanced at the items spread across the table.
“First, let me clarify something.”
“To be precise, what you truly wish to purchase is not merely this ‘hoe’.”
“But rather, this hoe along with its exclusive copyright for subsequent development, correct?”
"..."
Li An froze.
Good lord.
He had completely overlooked this layer of the transaction.
Honestly, if one thought about it, it wasn't hard to guess.
It was just that Li An hadn't considered it at all.
To think a member of the dwarf race, who was supposedly hot-tempered yet sincere and warm-hearted, would actually dig a trap for him in a place like this.
Duglin grinned.
“Your assistant is very clever.”
“That's right.”
“I don't just want the hoe.”
“I want the exclusive development rights to it.”
He quietly nudged the contract he had brought with him further out of sight behind his back.
“In that case...”
Isha continued her inquiry.
“Mr. Duglin, you indeed place immense value on this hoe, correct?”
“I won't deny it.”
Isha nodded.
Dwarves disliked lying.
More precisely, they absolutely loathed it.
They might withhold information.
They might keep silent.
But if asked directly, they usually would not tell a lie.
And Isha was clearly well aware of this trait.
She turned her head to look at Li An.
“Director.”
“You don't seem very willing to sell the hoe.”
“Could you tell me your reason?”
Li An fell silent.
In truth, even he couldn't explain it clearly.
If he had to offer an explanation, it was probably a sort of instinctive unease.
Once a hoe originating from another world truly entered the market, what kind of consequences would snowball from it?
No one knew.
“Isha,” Li An said.
“Do you believe selling the hoe would be beneficial to us?”
“I believe it would.”
“Then I leave it in your hands.”
After saying his piece, Li An rose from his seat and walked out of the office.
"..."
After stepping out, he couldn't help but peek back over his shoulder.
Didn't I look pretty cool just now?
Honestly, he hadn't planned on keeping the hoe hidden forever in the first place.
He had simply wanted to wait until he was no longer in charge of the Evaluation Department before letting it out.
Doing so slightly ahead of schedule shouldn't cause any major issues.
Furthermore, it was a good thing to let Isha know that he trusted her.
Li An walked out to the corridor and took two puffs of his pipe.
By the time he turned back, the negotiation had already concluded.
Isha stood off to the side, her face devoid of expression.
Duglin was signing the contract with a dark expression on his face.
His look suggested he was being forced to sign an incredibly unfair treaty against his will.
“You...”
Duglin gritted his teeth and glared at Isha.
“Your assistant is truly terrifying.”
Li An glanced down at the contract.
Good lord.
How was this just slightly unfair?
It was unfair to the absolute extreme.
“Isha...”
“What exactly did you do?”
“Director!”
Sushia rushed excitedly into the office.
“Recently, a new type of hoe has become a trend among young noble ladies!”
“...Why?”
“Something about green living and environmental concepts.”
As she spoke, Sushia held up a hoe.
“I bought one too!”
“Director, could you give me an autograph on it?”
Li An stared at the hoe in her hands.
The handle was actually pink.
"..."
How on earth did this item suddenly explode in popularity?
Still, signing his name wasn't much trouble.
Li An took the pen and signed his name on the hoe.
“Ah—!”
Sushia was ecstatic.
“Now I can show it off to them!”
“Thank you, Director!”
With that, she cradled the hoe and happily left work for the day.
After returning from her vacation in the Kelly Kingdom, Sushia had reverted to her usual lazy self.
However, this hoe craze was truly terrifying.
No matter where Li An went, people would be clutching hoes, seeking his signature.
After signing several in a row, he finally couldn't take it anymore.
He turned and fled.
Yet.
The final person was someone Li An had absolutely not expected.
“Director.”
Isha approached with some hesitation.
“Um...”
“Could I also ask you for a signature?”
She reached out.
It was a brand-new hoe.
Li An froze.
No way...
Even you?
Still.
If it was Isha...
“Of course.”
To others, an autograph was just an autograph.
But to Isha, it represented a small part of the debt he owed her.
He would repay what he could, bit by bit.
Consequently, Li An signed his name with utmost care this time.
“Thank you.”
Isha accepted the hoe.
For some reason, she seemed exceptionally pleased.
Afterward, she held her hoe and walked away.
Li An stared at her departing figure.
He couldn't shake the feeling that everything that had transpired today was just a little bizarre.
Rate on N.U.
