Just as Rhian was about to thank the dwarf and turn to leave, content with the deal he'd barely scraped together, the dwarf raised a hand and stopped him.
"Hold it, scaled boy. Might've got somethin' more interesting for you." His grin widened. "A better deal, if you're willing."
Rhian turned, curious. "Better than ten thousand?"
"Much better," the dwarf said, tapping the counter. "I drop it to five thousand. The two weeks of cleaning still stand, but I'll throw in a little contract deal."
Rhian raised an eyebrow. "What kind of contract?"
The dwarf leaned forward. "You become my contractor. Means you bring me materials, monster parts, rare ores, junk with potential, and I craft 'em into weapons or armor for you, no extra cost." He paused. "Well, maybe some. Depends how annoying the material is."
Rhian blinked. "So, free blacksmithing?"
"Mostly free," the dwarf said with a shrug. "Let's say... first three are free. After that, you pay in sweat or scrap. Or both."
