19: Leather Artisan Garda / Forbidden Laser Cut Magic / Aglio e Olio 2.0 2

An amateur tries their hand at leatherwork.

It’s not easy. Leather is very different from fabrics like hemp or cotton. Just because you can sew or dye doesn’t mean you can immediately apply those skills to leather, as Matthew knows.

But at the same time, Matthew knows Jill’s uncanny talent. Be it a dress or a hat, Matthew felt that Jill had a definite knack for bringing outlandish ideas to life. He was confident that delving into leatherwork wouldn’t end without gaining anything.

So the problem lies elsewhere.

Leather craftsmen are often stubborn.

Especially the leather craftsman Matthew knows is a stubborn man.

“Teach leatherwork to someone who isn’t even going to be my apprentice? Come on, that’s a tough joke.”

“Well, I figured you’d say that, Garda. I’m not in a hurry, just think it over.”

Matthew was treating his old acquaintance Garda to drinks at the restaurant “Rocinante.”

A man with a solid build and chestnut hair.

His skin was dark and healthy, his arms as thick as logs.

But Matthew knew that this man, who looked like the epitome of boisterousness, did very delicate work. The bags Garda made were of high quality and had excellent designs. Many wealthy people were regular customers. There were even rumors that direct orders were coming from the capital.

“Are you busy?”

“Busy. Not in a situation where I can just kill time.”

“Yet you came when I invited you for a drink.”

“I have that much leeway. If I don’t take a break from work and refresh myself, I won’t solve anything.”

“Garda, you’ve been given another unreasonable task, haven’t you?”

“It’s a terrible story. Will you listen?”

Sensing a long story, Matthew placed an order.

Alcohol was necessary.

“Roland. More wine. Do you have any snacks?”

When he asked the restaurant owner, the food came out in a matter of minutes.

It seemed he had anticipated the order.

“Roast venison. Got a good piece.”

A wooden plate piled high with generously grilled meat and a large bottle of wine were placed with a thud on the table where Matthew and Garda sat.

“You got this… it’s the one I brought, isn’t it?”

“You would’ve wasted it if you were alone. I cooked it properly, so eat up.”

The meat was indeed something Garda had brought.

Leather craftsmen often have good relationships with hunters and tanners.

They frequently took leftover meat when purchasing tanned leather.

The venison was roasted to a savory perfection, lacking the distinctive gamey blood smell.

This was proof that both the preparation and cooking had been done flawlessly.

Though he seemed boisterous, his work was delicate.

Many chefs and craftsmen in the town of Shelland were inexplicably like that.

“What about the usual? Should I make it?”

“I’m abstaining from Pepe right now. I’ll ask for it once the job’s done well.”

Pepe was Garda’s favorite dish.

It was also a staple noodle dish served at various restaurants in this town.

“You really like it. Your diet will be unbalanced.”

“I don’t plan on living long. Besides, I don’t eat it every day.”

“Well, that’s fine. Shall we?”

Red wine was poured into ceramic glasses.

◆

In the end, that night was not spent discussing worries. Garda, perhaps due to built-up stress, drank heavily and got drunk. Eventually, Matthew also kept up with the pace, and both of them ended up thoroughly inebriated.

The next day, Matthew decided to check in on Garda’s workshop out of concern.

Garda’s workshop was located on the outskirts of the craftsman district, off the main street. Inside, it was small and at first glance seemed cluttered. However, the tools were neatly organized on shelves, and nothing was left on the workbench. This reflected Garda’s personality well.

“…So that’s the situation.”

“I see. So you have to make armor for a horse by the deadline.”

Finally, Matthew was able to hear the details of Garda’s troubles.

“Why don’t you just turn it down? You’re independent now, you should know when to walk away, or you’ll have a hard time.”

“But how can I back down after being insulted like that? It’s unforgivable!”

Garda’s problem.

It was an unreasonable demand from the captain of the knights.

Apparently, a knight directly serving the royal family had recently visited the town of Shelland. The royal family had been successfully quelling frequent rebellions. However, they had yet to track down the main figures of the rebel army.

Recently, they had heard that a key figure in the rebel army was traveling in the country and sought cooperation from this town.

The knight chasing the rebels was reportedly the epitome of arrogance. He literally said, “I am a glorious knight under the king’s command.”

Furthermore, upon seeing the Silver Scale Knights who protected Shelland, he scoffed, calling them a bunch of rustic knights. He said the name “Silver Scale” was too grand and that they were nothing more than reptiles at best.

The captain of the knights was furious.

However, it was also true that they had been neglecting horse armor. With wars with foreign countries settled, there were fewer occasions to line up horses for battle, and thus, the budget for horses had been reduced.

Yet, horses were still crucial for travel and relaying messages, and even mages rode them. It wasn’t right to disregard horses. So the captain decided to equip new horse armor.

“Whether it’s forgivable or not is an issue for the knights who were insulted. Even reptiles have their strengths—alligators and Komodo dragons are strong.”

“It’s your dry nature that’s the problem.”

“And your wet nature is the problem.”

“Shut up, that’s just how I am… Anyway, it seems that knight from the royal family is coming again.”

“Again? What’s going on?”

“They’re coming for an inspection. They’re probably preparing for another rebellion suppression.”

An inspection is a ceremony where the upper ranks of the military or knights have the knights and soldiers line up to be reviewed. It’s to see if there’s any lax discipline, rampant corruption, or weakening from being away from war. If the weapons and horses aren’t in order, it would obviously be a problem.

The Silver Scale Knights protecting Shelland were not weak. They quickly suppressed any bandits, maintaining peace. However, there was a high chance that the knights from the royal family would report poorly to their superiors, and the captain was worried.

“So, you’re making horse armor.”

“Well, there are also other things being made by blacksmiths, but those seem to be going well.”

“By the way… is the king coming to the inspection?”

“No, I haven’t heard anything like that. The king hasn’t left the capital in the last few years.”

“…That’s true.”

Matthew sighed with relief.

“Well, that’s the captain’s worry. As for me, I’ve been asked to prepare horse armor… at least the chanfron. That’s the hard part.”

“Do you think you can do it?”

A chanfron is a type of helmet for horses.

For reference, a breastplate for horses is called a peytral, and the armor protecting the hindquarters is called a crupper.

“So, I’ve been asked for the chanfron and peytral… and I actually have a prototype ready.”

Garda said this as he opened the large safe in his workshop.

He placed the contents on the empty table.

“Oh… this is magnificent.”

The form fit snugly over the horse’s head, with a deep caramel color. Although it lacked the luster of bags or wallets, likely due to being hardened with beeswax, it was exceedingly beautiful as armor.

But in contrast to usual leather goods, it was very hard.

Its texture conveyed that it would be difficult to pierce with a mediocre blade.

“It’s cowhide. The leather from the back to the waist of a blue-horned bull, tanned by an acquaintance of my master. But from there on, it’s mostly my work.”

“As expected of Garda. No wonder the captain relies on you.”

“Cut the flattery.”

But Garda couldn’t hide his happiness.

He scratched his cheek bashfully.

“But now that I think about it, it’s not made of iron.”

“There was a time when iron was mainstream, but it’s hard to enchant metal. If the enemy has mages, you use biological materials like leather, silk, and wool.”

“Enchanting magic?”

“Yeah. It’s scarier than arrows. Well, it would be different if there were creatures with bodies made of iron.”

“You never know. The world is vast.”

“Spare me. If such creatures existed, it would ruin my business. Besides, summer’s coming. It would be cruel to put metal plates on horses in the heat.”

“You’re kinder than most when it comes to these things.”

“Shut up, don’t tease me.”

Garda turned away and retorted at Matthew’s words.

“Anyway, I managed to get this far by reading my master’s notebook and dismantling old horse armor. I even tested it by shooting arrows at it. There should be no problem with it as a practical item.”

“Then what’s the problem? If you can make something this good…”

“The emblem. The armor has to have the emblem of the knight order.”

“Can’t you just sew on a tag or do some carving?”

Carving is a technique where leather is engraved to create patterns.

It features three-dimensional designs.

However, Garda shook his head.

“Carving armor would make it thinner at that spot. It’s fine for items that need to be cherished, but armor shouldn’t be treated delicately. Proper use means the armor gets damaged instead of the body.”

“Then a tag, maybe.”

“I suggested a tag too. It would look better… but it was rejected.”

Garda sighed with a bitter expression.

“Why?”

“They said it could be cut off and stolen.”

“If you’re that worried, you can’t make anything.”

“Apparently, someone did that in the past and got reprimanded for breaching service regulations. And the one who cut it off sneered, saying, ‘Good thing I’m not a spy for the enemy.’ So now they want it branded.”

“Branding that detailed emblem!?”

The Silver Scale Knights’ emblem is a depiction of a knight riding a dragon while holding a shield and spear.

And the shield has a shell, symbolizing the town of Shelland.

It’s an extremely intricate design with an emblem within an emblem.

“That’s ridiculous. Do you know how detailed the mold needs to be for that… unless, oh, maybe if it’s big enough?”

“It’s still impractical to prepare such a large mold.”

“Maybe heat the tip of an iron pen and draw the emblem by hand?”

“That might be the best solution. But doing such fine work continuously, with no room for mistakes…”

“In the end, it’s an unreasonable demand.”

Garda grimaced and put his hand to his forehead, while Matthew shrugged.

“…It’s not impossible. I’m thinking of various ways too.”

“Knowing when to quit is crucial, Garda.”

“Shut up, did you come to complain?”

“I’m not here to hinder you. Just don’t get too caught up in it.”

With that, Matthew left Garda’s workshop.

However, Matthew had known Garda for a long time. He thought about asking the blacksmiths and engravers he knew. Even if it was a long shot, he might get some advice.

If things went well, Garda might also help Jill with her leatherworking introduction. With this hope, Matthew began moving around for his friend’s sake.