"Ten kilograms of pure iron, please." Lua asked a local blacksmith downtown, one who was famous for selling raw material alongside their regular work. Although blacksmiths had gone out of fashion rapidly with the decreasing prominence of swords, many could still be found producing swords for the soldiers. Considering the high demand, this kept them afloat for quite some time. And others like the one Lua was speaking to right now would resort to selling raw materials for little profit, barely scraping by on the month's expenses.
Of course, the fact these people had to resort to something like that was atrocious. However, for buyers, it was perfect. They were able to procure goods for much cheaper than normal conditions, and with little tax due to the local nature of these shops.
