Chapter 75: The Secret of Zero Negative Reviews
Following the winding paths of Visenya's Hill, Ian and his companions climbed higher and higher, passing one blacksmith shop after another.
Finally, they stopped before a massive house constructed of timber and plaster, its upper floors high enough to overlook the narrow street below.
The house's double doors were made of ebony and weirwood, carved with a hunting scene. A pair of stone knights clad in elaborately designed armor stood guard on either side of the entrance, depicting a griffin and a unicorn, respectively.
Ian left one man outside to watch the horses, then led the others through the main entrance.
A thin maidservant was in the main hall. She quickly approached Ian, but when she noticed he and the others didn't bear any familiar heraldry, the attentiveness in her eyes quickly vanished.
"Good morrow, sers, how may I help you?" the maidservant asked politely, but her words lacked any flattery or deference.
Ian could understand this completely. After all, he wasn't wearing the Lannister sigil, and he was wearing the same clothing he'd purchased at the beginning. This ensemble, worth only two gold dragons, might have seemed incredibly luxurious to the sellswords, but it clearly lacked a certain refinement for this smithy.
Tobho Mott's creations weren't just armor; they were works of art.
According to rumors, the intricately decorated white enameled armor of Ser Loras Tyrell, the Knight of Flowers, and Renly Baratheon's green armor with its golden antlered helm were all crafted by this master armorer. Besides that, every discerning lord in King's Landing was a regular patron.
"Is Master Mott available?" Ian asked directly, examining several finished suits of armor displayed in the hall. Without proper testing tools, he couldn't accurately assess their quality.
However, with these plates produced using traditional methods, Ian was almost certain they were well-tempered.
After all, it wasn't until later, when plate armor became mass-produced, that manufacturers of inferior armor adopted simple air cooling to reduce labor and costs. For handmade plate like this, forged piece by piece, there was no reason for the smiths not to perfect it.
"Master Mott is occupied," the maid was about to say, but when she looked up and saw Ian suddenly begin examining the pieces, she said anxiously, "Wait, ser, please don't touch—"
"My apologies," Ian awkwardly withdrew his hand and touched his nose.
"Ser, is there something I can help you with?" Just as the maid's protest rang out, Master Mott emerged impatiently from the back door.
He wore a black velvet doublet with a hammer pattern embroidered in silver thread on the sleeves. Around his neck, he wore a heavy silver chain set with a sapphire the size of a pigeon's egg.
"I'd like to commission four suits of brigandine with iron plates riveted to the interior, and make the construction as fitted as possible," Ian immediately stated.
These were for himself, Roll, Keith, and Bronn; the other sellswords didn't need them.
"No problem, ser," Mott considered for a moment. "But I must warn you that the prices of my work may be higher than you expect, though!" He quickly changed his tone. "You won't find another person in the Seven Kingdoms whose craftsmanship can match mine."
"I can afford it," Ian replied. "Provided, of course, that I'm satisfied with the product."
"I've been selling armor here for many years, and I've never had a dissatisfied customer," Mott emphasized.
"That's why I'm here." Ian nodded.
"Then let me take your measurements. By the way, do you want a complete harness, or..."
"Just the brigandine. Make it as plain as possible, ideally resembling common sellsword armor, but the quality of the iron plates and the stitching must be the finest." Ian shook his head. He wanted the brigandine to reduce the possibility of drawing attention, so naturally he didn't want any embellishments.
Mott nodded and ordered his apprentices to come and take Ian's and the others' measurements. Bronn remained with Dorian the Black Falcon for the time being, but Ian had brought a sellsword of similar build with him, so Bronn's measurements were also taken.
"Four suits of brigandine will cost ten gold dragons. Collect them in a week," Mott said. "You'll need to pay a tenth as deposit."
"I don't need them to be works of art or decorated, just adequate protection. Can the timeline be shortened?"
"Of course it won't take that long, but you'll have to wait your turn," Mott gave Ian a peculiar look. "First come, first served—simplest of rules."
"What if I need the armor within three days? We can discuss the price." Ian certainly couldn't wait a week, so he began trying to expedite the process by offering to pay more.
"If you double the price, I'll have all my apprentices work on it, and you'll have them the day after tomorrow afternoon." Mott didn't know why the customer was so eager, but coin that came to his door was worth taking.
"Are you certain it can be done that quickly?" This time it was Ian's turn to be surprised. Although he wasn't in the trade, this speed seemed somewhat outrageous.
"Come collect them tomorrow afternoon. If you're not satisfied, I can remake them and sell them to you at the normal price," Mott said confidently.
He had the confidence to cut the timeline so short for two reasons.
First, he wasn't actually busy. His most urgent commission wasn't due for a month, so the so-called long queue he'd mentioned was merely a way to create the illusion of thriving business.
Second, this group of customers had just provided four sets of measurements. He already had two sets of similar sizes in stock, and the remaining two could be assembled from readily available materials and components with minor modifications.
As for the final defensive effectiveness of the pieces, he wasn't concerned. The materials he used were truly superior, so even if the protection was somewhat lacking, it wouldn't be terrible.
And even if the quality of a piece of armor was genuinely poor, would the customer have a chance to leave a negative review after discovering their armor was easily pierced in battle?
Impossible. Master Tobho Mott's armor has never received a bad review.
"Agreed." Ian was convinced by Mott's confident tone. After all, the man had promised to remake the pieces if he wasn't satisfied, so he accepted Mott's terms.
Then, he had Roll pay 2 gold dragons as deposit.
There was no further pleasantry between the two parties, and Ian led his men out of the smithy.
Before leaving, Ian glanced back, because he knew that King Robert's bastard named Gendry was apprenticed in this smithy, but unfortunately he didn't see him today.
Of course, even if he had seen him, Ian wouldn't have done anything. After all, this boy could be considered an important supporting character in the saga. It was quite possible that some players had already set their sights on him.
At least before finding the treasure chest, he didn't intend to stir up trouble.
(End of Chapter)
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