"Come and buy expensive spices!"

"Buy goods you have never seen before at a cheap price."

"Want to turn your fate around? Try our new game and win big!"

The loud noises of various shops reached Layla's ears, and her eyes moved quickly over the stall to check if anything held her attention.

But despite the seemingly massive selection of things to look at and buy, none held Layla's attention for long. Even the market itself, while impressive, was nothing for her memories of the 21st century to marvel about.

"You don't look impressed with this place, young miss! Usually, people are thrilled if they get a chance to come here. It is said that you can find anything you can imagine here."

Mary informed Layla with a proud look on her face.

Layla did not doubt her words, but it also made her wonder how much of the stuff sold here was legit.

"It's a good market. It's almost good enough for me to consider expanding my business to these sections. But I will make my decision after a little more digging around. Now, how far do we need to go?"

Layla asked Mary, and the maid's expression turned professional.

"We just need to go a little further! Ah, I can already see the building. Do you see that building with the blue roof? That is our destination. That workshop belongs to the smith who made my axe for me. I can guarantee their skills."

Mary's axe was a one-of-a-kind weapon. It was imbued with magic and had a lot of resistance to be able to shred through almost anything.

It was comparable to an S-grade weapon in a game with amazing stats.

But Mary was even more amazing for wielding such a weapon and bringing out its potential. No one else would have an easy time with such an unconventional weapon.

Moreover, the workshop Mary pointed out to Layla was massive. It had an arching blue roof with many intricate details. To Layla, that workshop looked like a massive Gothic architectural piece that could have been found in ancient times.

It stood out beside other buildings with its over-arching size and… unique decor.

"What kind of architecture is this? None of this match."

Raziel complained in a low voice but was mindful enough to keep his volume so that no one else could hear him.

He voiced out the words Layla did not want to say in case she offended someone, and Mary ended up laughing at his words, almost as if Raziel had cracked a joke she found particularly funny.

"I am sure the chief smith would appreciate such honest input. He spent a lot of time finalizing the design of this place to make it stand out. You should tell this to his face next time."

Mary commented gently, but the mischief her eyes hid could not be overlooked.

Layla pretended she did not hear her maid speak, and Raziel ignored her in favor of entering the workshop.

It became clear why this place had such a unique aesthetic. The workers inside were dwarfs who were busy making different items for sale.

"A dwarf business? Are you sure it is safe for us to buy from this place?"

Layla asked Mary with an unsure voice.

She was not discriminating against the business because the owner and workers were dwarfs. No, that was a plus point for the business since the dwarfs were known to make some of the best stuff, including weapons.

Layla was asking this mainly because of how fuzzy the dwarfs were about whom they sell things to.

Since the dwarfs prided themselves on their weapons and other crafts, they were fuzzy about selling their stuff to only those who deserved it. It was difficult to convince a dwarf that you deserved something, and it was also considered humiliating if a dwarf turned you away.

Layla could not afford to have such a tag associated with her name since she had to deal with the public. Her image would become a weapon, so she could not allow it to get tarnished.

That made this situation a little more dangerous to her than anyone else.

"Hmm, I understand that you are worried, miss! But I assure you that it will be fine! The dwarf we made an appointment with today is a special one. You will know once you meet him."

Mary assuredly smiled. Her expression made Layla feel nervous, but the female did not say anything about it.

Instead, she allowed her maid to pull her along until the dwarf receptionist stopped them.

"Your name and the worker you are working with."

The female receptionist asked without any delay. She was professional, and her tone left no sign of bullshit.

Layla looked at Mary for answers, and Mary's bright, smiling lips opened to speak a name that made everyone freeze.

"I am here to see Erwin. Can you get him for me? Tell him that his 'most precious' customer is here."

Mary's words instantly brought a disgusted expression to appear on the receptionist's face. She looked ready to hit someone by her expression.

But she quickly masked it as soon as she realized that her potential customers could see her face and they were judging her for it.

"Of course! Please come this way and be careful where you step. Erwin has been in his workshop for the past few days, so please pardon his temper. Let me go and ask him if he wants to meet you."

The receptionist quickly left to ask her worker about Mary and the others.

Being left alone by the receptionist made Layla a little nervous, especially once she noticed how everyone else was looking at her in that 'suspicious' way, one looks at a potential criminal.

"Don't let your nervousness show on your face. These people will get bored of looking at you soon. Just hand in there until then, miss Layla.'

Mary spoke softly, but she seemed to be speaking from experience.