Chapter 51: Shoes (3)

Shoes form one of the three foundations of clothing—clothing, food, and shelter—so their importance is enormous.

Especially because humans are bipedal animals, shoes are essential.

If you walk barefoot, you can step on something sharp or slip easily.

You can end up in dangerous situations, so their importance is incalculable.

That is why the first shoes necessarily had to be durable and safe.

Otherwise, there would be no reason to wear them.

Walking on two legs and being subjected to heavy use, the conditions to fulfill their function were demanding.

Title) I bought some soccer cleats hehe

(Photo of cleats with two stripes)

I saved my allowance and bought some cleats hehe, what do you think?

ㄴThose are fake, right? Why do they have 2 stripes?

ㄴExactly, they should be 3

ㄴAh, shit, I just noticed. Why are there 2?

ㄴlol

ㄴShowing off fakes proudly lol

ㄴHow much did they cost?

ㄴ300 thousand yura;;;

ㄴlol poor

But over time, as technology advanced, shoes also became a fashion element.

There were cases where performance was sacrificed for design, and also cases where something made for performance was used for style.

The beginning of this was the emergence of sports.

Ordinary people prioritized comfort over performance, so they did not pay much attention to the capabilities of sports shoes.

At most, anti-slip.

Due to this demand, the sports-related clothing industry also developed.

Title) Do beastmen wear shoes?

Or do they go barefoot?

ㄴSuspiciously) We also wear shoes. Do you think we are savages or what?;;

ㄴWeren’t you?

ㄴSuspiciously) You look like the savage. How disrespectful. Want me to smash your head?

ㄴSorry;;;

ㄴlol

ㄴlol

ㄴOf course they wear shoes. It’s not like they don’t have houses

ㄴThen how do they deal with sizes? Their feet are super varied

ㄴAlways custom-made. Look at rabbit beastmen. Just the length of their feet is already huge

Especially, the existence of beastmen had a great impact on the development of footwear.

There were combat boots for soldiers, and safety shoes for adventurers who explored dangerous terrains all over the world.

The types of shoes were endless depending on who used them and for what profession.

“So you want me to make this?”

“If you don’t want to, forget it.”

“Hey. Look at this dwarf. Who said I don’t want to?”

Short in stature.

Two muscular arms in proportion.

Broad shoulders.

And a thick brown beard as a distinctive feature.

The brown-bearded dwarf grabbed the shoulder of the other dwarf who had turned away.

The dwarf being held turned back around.

Slightly drunken eyes and a nose red like a strawberry.

Anyone would say he was a drunkard.

Especially his red beard matched perfectly with his alcohol-flushed face.

The name of that dwarf was Gares.

A typical drunken dwarf from the dwarf nation, Mountain.

“What do you think?”

“I have ideas. But what do I gain from doing this?”

Wagner, Gares’s friend, asked a completely reasonable question.

They had spent a long time together, so they usually accepted any favor.

But what Gares asked this time raised doubts even before agreeing.

“Asking me out of nowhere to make high-performance shoes isn’t the issue. But this is clearly for humans.”

Wagner waved the paper in his hand.

It was the document with the request conditions that Gares had given him.

Gares glanced at it and nodded.

“That’s right.”

“Where did you get a request like this?”

“From the gallery.”

“That damn gallery…”

Wagner frowned.

He knew about the gallery, but he had never entered it in his life.

He saw no reason to do so.

People busy with their real lives did not have time for that.

Moreover, for dwarves, fun was inventing things.

In that sense, Gares was a complete oddball.

A dwarf who, instead of inventing, was obsessed with the gallery.

Even so, he had natural talent, so he had no problem making a living.

“What did they offer you to accept something like this?”

“Ah… that’s hard to say.”

“What’s hard about it?”

“It’s related to alcohol. Hic.”

“Alcohol?”

Hearing that, Wagner’s eyes lit up with interest.

Dwarves and alcohol.

An inseparable relationship.

It is not just a preference, but a racial trait.

They are famous for having refrigerators or even alcohol factories in their homes.

They even invented locomotives and airships to facilitate its distribution.

Just for alcohol, they developed all their mechanical technology.

That is the dwarf nation, Mountain.

“Yes, alcohol. Do you remember the liquor I gave you last time?”

“Yeah. That bright red one. It was incredible. slurp.”

At the memory of that liquor, Wagner swallowed unconsciously.

He still remembered it perfectly.

Gares had obtained a red herb and made liquor from it.

Normally, alcohol makes you drowsy.

But that one did the opposite.

As soon as you drank it, you felt energy throughout your body and your mind became clear.

And the taste…

The bitter sweetness of the herb combined with the alcohol was perfect.

Just imagining it made his mouth water.

“This time that human needs shoes. He’s stranded in a dangerous place, so he needs high-performance ones.”

“Did he say he’d give you alcohol if you make them?”

“Not alcohol, but the herb. If you want, I’ll give you one.”

“Oh! Then I’ll make them right away!”

The dwarves, considering an adult Mandragora simply as an ingredient for liquor.

If Grills heard this, he would probably be outraged, but as long as they did the job well, he would let it slide.

But if others saw this, they would lose their minds seeing them treat an adult Mandragora as a mere ingredient.

However, for dwarves, the most important thing in life is alcohol.

It may seem simple to others, but that is their happiness.

“By the way, what is that herb called? It was bright red, it looked like medicine.”

“They say it’s an adult Mandragora, but I’m not very sure. I just consider it a mandragora.”

“Hmm. Mandragora liquor is already delicious, will this be better?”

“Maybe? I heard that with just one you can make a top-tier elixir.”

“Really? Then it must be very expensive, right?”

Wagner frowned.

An elixir is quite an expensive item.

For dwarves, alcohol is practically an elixir, but an elixir is still an elixir.

Even if he wasn’t too interested, it was inevitable that curiosity arose.

“Hic… It’s very expensive. But think about it.”

“About what?”

“It’s liquor made with top-tier elixir ingredients. Can you resist that? It’s much more valuable than selling it and drinking regular beer.”

“Oh. I didn’t think it through. You really are a genius.”

“It’s nothing. Hic.”

It may seem like they are praising each other, but that’s how dwarves are.

A race that loves alcohol so much it’s practically part of them.

Although their lifespan is longer than humans, their average life ends up being similar due to liver diseases.

A race where it’s impossible to find someone who doesn’t drink.

That’s what dwarves are.

Telling them to stop drinking is the same as sentencing them to death.

“But this… is more complicated than I thought.”

Wagner looked at the paper Gares had given him and fell into thought.

Gares nodded in agreement.

“That’s why I came to you. I don’t know anything about leather, I’m terrible at it.”

“Yes, but durable shoes as a base, and also waterproof? Anti-slip too? He’s basically asking for every possible function.”

Being a dwarf does not mean being an expert at everything.

Each one has their specialty.

Gares specializes in metallurgy, Wagner in leatherwork.

“We’ll have to use top-quality materials. You said he’s a stranded human, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then they also have to be very durable. If we make them like this…”

Wagner began sketching an improvised design with a pen.

As a master leather craftsman, even an improvised sketch looked refined.

“With this, it will inevitably be heavy. Tell him he needs to keep that in mind.”

“Alright. He’ll understand.”

“But where the hell did that human fall to be offering an adult Mandragora?”

“They say he fell into the Forest of Four Seasons. I don’t know much either.”

“Tsk… of all places.”

Wagner had also heard of that forest.

A place where, once you enter, you can never leave. A true labyrinth.

Even if he gets good shoes, his chances of survival won’t increase much.

But increasing even a little is enough.

“Do you already have the budget? Hic… How long will it take?”

“Since I already have suitable materials, about a week…”

“Hey. Look at this.”

Gares interrupted Wagner and went to fetch something.

Wagner frowned, but as soon as he saw what Gares brought, his eyes widened.

“T-that is…!”

A glass bottle with an exotic shape, typical of the central continent.

Narrow at the waist and wide at the top.

And inside, a plant shaped like a human face with its mouth open.

And on top of that, a red liquid filling the entire container.

It was the liquor Gares had made with an adult Mandragora.

“Hic… If you reduce the time, you can drink all of this.”

“C-cough… then three days…”

“And tomorrow there’s also a crab as a snack. He said he’d give it to us.”

At that, Wagner raised one finger with a serious expression.

“One day.”

Dwarves do not need more money.

Alcohol made with rare ingredients. That is everything.

“Good. Then we’ll drink it when you finish. If you do a mediocre job, this never existed. Keep that in mind.”

“Who do you take me for? Wait a bit. I’ll make incredible shoes.”

“Good. I trust you.”

Wagner entered the workshop to begin making the shoes.

Gares did not go home.

He stayed as a supervisor and drinking companion.

“If it’s the Forest of Four Seasons, there must be herbs better than an adult Mandragora…”

He looked at the Mandragora liquor.

A drink that, with just one sip, filled the entire body with energy.

What if they found something even better?

What if they made liquor with that?

Just imagining it made his mouth water.

“Even if it’s not alcohol, it doesn’t matter. As long as it’s a snack, it works.”

The adult Mandragora was good, but he was also looking forward to the snack.

Yesterday he caught a huge fish, today a crab.

Mountain is surrounded by mountains, so they have no access to the sea.

That’s why seafood is expensive, and the best option is to get it from the gallery auction.

But the excessive fees make it difficult.

“What will he be doing now?”

Lately, he had been enjoying interacting with Grills.

After all, he had already received a reward for a casual favor.

Even if it wasn’t an adult Mandragora, he found it entertaining.

[Honestly, lately demons make better alcohol. Fr?]

“What does this bastard say?”

That, he could not let pass.

Gares immediately entered the post.

There were already a lot of users arguing heatedly.

There were especially many users reacting with fury, and it was easy to deduce that most were dwarves.

Being called short or things like that, they can tolerate it. It’s a racial trait, there’s not much to do.

But when it comes to alcohol, and especially fermented drinks, they do not tolerate it.

It’s practically a trigger for their fury. A topic that appears in the gallery whenever someone gets bored.

ㄴSpeaking clearly, demons make tastier alcohol. They even invented cooling and freezing magic first~

ㄴDwarfPassingBy) It was dwarf technology that integrated that magic into machines. Speak with knowledge.

ㄴYeah, but without demons you wouldn’t even have refrigerators~

ㄴDwarf alcohol, honestly, is just bitterness. Demon alcohol is sweet and tastier lol

ㄴDon’t you even enjoy a beer while watching sports? lol

“Damn sons of bitches!”

Bang!

In the end, unable to contain himself, Gares slammed the table hard.

Another peaceful day in the gallery.

***

“And why is this guy having another episode?”

Grills, who had devoured his animal companions and three crabs in an instant, was resting while browsing the gallery.

While exploring, he entered a post with many comments and it was complete chaos.

A typical pointless debate.

About whether alcohol made by demons tastes better than that of dwarves.

‘Is it like saying industrial kimchi tastes better than homemade?’

If it was something like that, then he could understand the reaction.