"Here is your note and let me just put the guardsman seal. *stamp* there, just pass this to the clerk at the government office to claim your reward."
"I know, I know, now get out. I have work to do."
"Let's go newcomer."

I guess we are done here. Is he going to escort me to the school now? However, now that I look at it this town is bigger than what I saw outside. The walls is about 10 times my height. I don't know my height though. The walls are curved into a half circle until the base of the mountain. A grand staircase that goes all the way up the mouth of the mine and some kind of elevator on either side of the stairs. I wonder how it works but it mainly seems to be for the ores and equipment. All miners? seem to use the stairs and even those who loaded the equipment to be carried up the elevator gets off to climb the stairs instead of staying with the equipment. Is it some kind of tradition?

"Oi, don't just stop there. Hurry up and follow me. I'll take you to the government office. After you are registered then you can enroll in the school. The school has a dormitory for students so don't worry about where to stay. You need to help maintaining and cleaning it though."
"Ok"

That is one worry crossed out. This is a good town though. Really rustic, there are a lot of shops offering weapons and armour. All the houses are made of stone and some made of metal. Are those banks? They have different pictures of coins as their signboard.

There sure are a lot of people here. All of them are short though. Some green coloured short people and purple ones too. Goblins and imps? I thought this is the dwarf continent? immigrants or maybe all of the crafters gather here to learn since dwarfs are known for their wares. I guess that makes more sense. It's too dangerous to cross the monsters infested seas just to migrate in this mountainous continent.

We arrived at the government building. It looks majestic. Maybe I should say it looks business-like. A five story building made of crafted stones. It doesn't have a signboard but the guards out front is enough to show this is an official building. The huge double doors look nice too. It has metal braces that look like it could withstand a siege for a couple of days. Do they really need to build a sturdy government building? I guess if you are going to make an aesthetically pleasing building then might as well make it functionally sturdy. Is that a word? let's make it a word if not. I'm a dwarf now so rather than fancy looking stuff I need to care for functionality more. That should be how dwarfs value things so I need to adapt my mentality and blend in. I can be as eccentric in their eyes later when I build up my reputation as a blacksmith. I guess it does look eccentric for a dwarf to have human values but that is how a reborn life goes.

"What are you doing standing there? The entrance is this way."
"Eh? then what is this huge doors guarded by these two fully armed warriors?"
"That is the main entrance. We only use that when some high ranking official comes. Those guards aren't even guards. They are just statues to look fierce. When the higher ups come in we have someone wear the armour but for normal everyday operations we replace them with those dummies. Ah, you can't steal those even if you try, its carved from a huge ore."
"Amazing."

To think its made from a single ore. Forget finding something like that. How do you even carve it to look this detailed? Is it some kind of advanced sculptor job? It looks like I have to enter from the side entrance. It's a wooden door. I'll just ignore it. It's not like I would need to storm this place in the foreseeable future. Now that I think about it. I need to start preparing an escape route. I don't know what kind of life I will lead here but it's better to be safe than jumping in a river only to get my arm chopped off like last time.

Looks like my worries about the door is unneeded. The inside is full of guards. Two lightly armoured guards at the door holding large shields and a few scattered inside near windows and doors holding short spears. The office doesn't look that big but there isn't really much people here so maybe the space is enough for its function. The clerks here look really professional, they even have glasses and uniforms. Now what do I have to do here.

"Over here newcomer. Register here."
"What do I have to do?"
"Just sit there and answer the clerk. After that go inside that door at the side."
"Ok."

He left towards the door after saying that. Does this mean I would have a new guide that will bring me to the school?

"A new resident huh? Please present your status arm."
"Here."
"Brill Smith, traveler class, no job. Examined by Miriam Scribe the enchanter. Alright, you are registered. This is your resident permit and please touch this orb to get the Mithril town resident title. Feel free to equip it if you don't have any other titles. It will make validating your identity easier."
"That was fast."
"Most of the information can be proven by the enchanter so all we have to do is keep a record of your information."

It's a good thing I they can't see the hidden titles.

"Alright that is done. Please proceed to the side doors to pay for your registration."
"Pay? I don't have money though."
"Please proceed to the side doors to make the payment."

What a cruel smile. how do you want me to pay? Worrying about it is useless, I can't really escape here after all.

*Knock* *Knock*

"Come in."

Oh, that sounds like the guard who led me here. Was he just here waiting?

"Excuse me."

Hmm, it's a small room with a small lantern at the center giving a bright light. There is a small table at the far end of the room. The guard who brought me here is standing by the table and he is holding a cotton shirt and leather pants with leather boots. It couldn't be!?!?

"Strip, we will take your items and clothes as compensation. Don't worry we won't let you go around naked, here are some clothes we can give you for free."
"I thought so."
"You don't exactly have money so this is the only way you can pay for your registration. Either that or do you want try living outside?"
"Of course I want to live here. I don't have any memories so I won't survive long outside."

Rather than memories, I don't have any information. Only an idiot would try to fight it out surviving in the wilderness without any kind of information and given this choice. I need to learn as much as I can and start my smithing career here. I would have liked the farming route but starting that not only needs a ridiculous amount of money but a large amount of time too. It's also a burden when escaping too. If I escape then my foundation and life would be left behind. If only I have some kind of mini farm I could carry with me. That way I won't have a problem escaping and I won't have a problem having something to eat too. Right now, there is no such skill so I have to learn another craft to support me. As a dwarf, I should take advantage of this race and use the best way to make a living.

"Good choice, now change your clothes here and pass me your water bag and sword. I have to be here to check if you hide anything valuable. Don't worry, we are both men. Don't go getting embarrassed on me. It's not like I would check every nook and cranny you have. Oh, if you have anything that has any memento with you then you can put it in a list and we will hold onto it until you can pay off the value. Expecting that from someone who lost his memories might be much though. hahahaha"
"Alright, alright."

How embarrassing, to think I would have to experience something like this again. At least the first time I got changed when I was unconscious. However, this time no one is touching me and I get to change myself but someone is watching. I'm not sure which one is worse. Let's just say both are bad.

Anyway, it's a good thing I stored the blessed leather set in my [Soul Memory]. I forgot to use it during my first life but I need to make full use of it from now on. In the first run I have the [Butler Storage] so I never had a need for it since the space inside is smaller but maybe its because I can't level up the skill. I know my [Butler Storage] got bigger as I kept being a butler which means when I level up the particular job my skills would also get stronger. The [Soul Storage] is from the world traveler job so I doubt I could level it up. I don't even know the requirements to get the world traveler job.

"Here are all my equipment."
"Good, with all that and everything inside your leather bag it would equal 40 silver coins. It's missing 10 silver coins, don't you have anything else?"
"It's only 40 silver coins?"
"Water bag is 20 copper coins, copper sword is useless and can only be melted to make coins which would equal 80 copper coins. Thats a silver coin. The Tasset could fetch 5 silver coins, the cuisse armour for 9 silver, the greaves for 12 silver and the sabatons for 8 silver. The chainmail would fetch 5 silver coins. Those aren't market prices but based on the wear and tear of your equipment. Oh forgot to add the water bag. That bag is worth 5 copper coins."
"So cheap. What do I do in this situation?"
"Hmm, oh, there's something inside your shoe. *Clang* *clang* This is a gold nugget? It's quite small but it should fetch about 40 silver coins. so which one do you want the clothes or the 30 silver coins?"
"I'll take the silver coins. I doubt the armour would be useful inside here."
"Smart choice. Looks like you were smart before too. Keeping valuables inside your shoe. Smart way to hide it. It does hurt your feet if you step on a wrong spot though. hahahaha"
"I guess, I was."
"Alright, here is the note. Take it back to the clerk and she will give you the 30 silver coins. After that I'll take you to the academy."

Looks like I have some starter funds now. I got a bit lucky there. I didn't even notice that thing inside my shoe. I ran a lot from the mountain to here how come I never stepped on it before? Maybe the previous owner has a hidden pocket inside the shoe for it. He really is smart, he died at the end though.

Now it's time for me to go to the academy. I can't wait to start hammering stuff. I'll start getting rich soon. The prices here are strange though. 5 silver coins for a chainmail. In the human continent it usually cost 5 gold coins for that. Is it because there are a lot of smiths in this place or are the merchants in the human continent that greedy for markup. The first one seems very plausible but I can't underestimate human greed. I have it too after all. Even though I'm a dwarf now.