Chapter 77 - Blacksmith (2)
Blacksmith (2)
***
“By the way, are you commissioning the new sword for yourself?”
“Ah, that’s…”
I hesitated for a moment at Mu-yeong’s question and then shook my head once or twice.
Dong-il and his father were now diligently heating the bright red molten iron right in front of us.
Unless it was an important task, Dong-il’s father would usually give Dong-il various instructions.
It seemed that he was planning to have his son inherit the family business, as I could watch him diligently giving advice from nearby.
I, who was having various idle chats with Mu-yeong, answered his question.
“I’m not going to wear it on my waist myself. I’m planning to give it to someone as a gift.”
“…What? A gift?”
“Yes, I have a promise with that person.”
“……”
As I said that, Mu-yeong, who was staring at me, looked at me with a look of disbelief.
“…You seem like someone who would be stingy, let alone give gifts. I’m surprised.”
“Senior Brother, what do you take me for?”
“Hmm… a cold and blunt training fanatic? Nothing more, nothing less.”
“……”
At Mu-yeong’s words, this time, I was the one who looked at him with cloudy eyes.
At that, Senior Brother nodded his head a couple of times with a look of understanding as if he couldn’t help it.
He opened his mouth.
“Well, if it’s a promise, there will be a part that you have to repay someday. Your judgment seems to be right. Even though I don’t know the exact details.”
“I’m going to give it to Seol Ah-yeon, who was my fellow disciple.”
“…What? To Ah-yeon?”
“Yes, I had a promise with her before.”
“Oh…”
As I said that, Mu-yeong stared at me with a look of surprise.
He said.
“So you had a plan after all.”
“…Yes?”
“You were the one who looked like a wooden stone with no interest in women, let alone thinking about getting a lover.”
“……”
‘I can’t deny that.’
I could only nod my head slowly at Mu-yeong’s words.
In fact, the current situation was no different from a martial artist who had mastered the art of celibacy.
I could have taken beautiful women as I pleased, following the path of the protagonist of the original work, but I didn’t.
The reason was simple.
‘In the first place, I’ve worked so hard until now because I hated the protagonist’s actions to the point of disgust.’
Thinking like that, it was obvious how I was perceived by Mu-yeong, and even the people around me.
‘Even I think I’m a boring person…’
I scratched the side of my head awkwardly.
At that moment when Mu-yeong and I were talking in a corner.
The blacksmith, that is, Dong-il’s father, who was diligently instructing the heating of the molten iron in the center of the blacksmith shop, began to approach me.
“…I have one thing to ask.”
“Ah, if it’s related to the commission, you can ask me anything.”
“Hmm, that’s…”
The blacksmith, who was hesitating with his arms crossed in front of me for a moment, soon nodded his head once as if he had made up his mind, and then asked.
“Well, there is a significant discrepancy in the size and amount of the iron ingot made of Cold Iron that you brought to commission a single sword.”
“…Is the amount of Cold Iron insufficient?”
“No, on the contrary, it’s more than enough to make a single sword with three iron ingots. In fact, I think you shouldn’t be satisfied with just one sword with an iron ingot of this size.”
“……!”
At the blacksmith’s words, I opened my eyes wide and stared at him blankly.
At that, the blacksmith grinned and then said to me as if making a suggestion.
“It’s not enough for me to make just one sword with this kind of material. In my memory of having only done soldering and bellows work for decades, there is no problem at all even if I make a few more things with this.”
“Ugh…!”
“If it’s an ordinary straight sword, I can make one more, and if not, I can make one more weapon or armament depending on the purpose.”
“That’s good.”
As I gave a short comment on the blacksmith’s suggestion, the opponent nodded his head and then I asked again.
“Then, may I ask if there is anything else you want besides a single sword? The reason I stopped working the forge and came all the way here to speak with you is because I was hoping you might give me a rough idea of the direction you wish to pursue.”
“Hmm…”
“Sword, saber, spear, axe, staff, as well as unusual rare weapons are also good. Just tell me what you want. I’ll make you something useful soon.”
‘Rare weapons…’
I swallowed hard.
Normally, I might have just told him to make the sword properly.
But the person who had made the suggestion in front of me was a blacksmith who was close to a master craftsman.
I couldn’t ignore the suggestion of a craftsman who could be called a master of forging and casting, even if it wasn’t martial arts or swordsmanship.
‘By the way, if I were to make one more rare weapon in addition to the sword I’m giving to Seol Ah-yeon as a reward…’
Rare weapons.
Normally, it was a weapon that martial artists would associate with a sword or a saber.
But for me, who already had a transcendentally famous sword called Falling Star, the word rare weapon was strangely appealing.
As I was contemplating what to commission for a moment, the blacksmith smiled faintly and said to me as if to tell me not to worry.
“Anyway, it will take a considerable amount of time just to light the furnace and heat the molten iron for the time being, so you don’t have to request it right here or speak in a hurry.”
“Then that’s a relief.”
“Hmm! Then, I’ll leave the extra Cold Iron with the thought of making a rare weapon in mind, so tell me later.”
“…I understand.”
After the short conversation ended the blacksmith returned to Dong-il, who was diligently examining and organizing the mold again.
Mu-yeong, who was staring at me, who was staring blankly at the blacksmith’s actions, soon said to me,
“Hmm, besides the sword for Yeon-ah, if you’re looking for something you can use… how about commissioning a weapon that you can use as a supplement?”
“A weapon to use as a supplement… you mean?”
“Yes, perhaps you don’t need a supplementary weapon due to the form of your martial arts and sword technique. But surprisingly, some martial artists often carry a throwing knife or a dagger in their bosom.”
“Hmm… now that I think about it, that’s true.”
I slowly nodded my head.
There was the case of the assassin squad leader, the subordinate of Fighting Demon, whom I had fought before.
There were many masters who carried supplementary weapons.
‘Usually, it’s the masters of the unorthodox or evil sects who do so… but it might be worth carrying a sharp dagger.’
I slowly nodded my head.
It seemed that the content of the commission to be entrusted to the blacksmith had been roughly decided.
Mu-yeong, who was watching from the side with his arms crossed, smiled with satisfaction.
“Hehe, now that it has come to this, we’ll have to stay in Soyang-hyeon for a few days.”
“…Now that I think about it, that’s true.”
“The elders and the master might worry, so we should send a carrier pigeon with a short message.”
“Let’s do that.”
I answered nonchalantly and stretched.
Deudeudeuk—
The sound of bones cracking echoed slightly in my ears.
It was at that moment.
Mu-yeong, who was standing next to me, frowned for a moment and then secretly sent me a telepathic message.
[…Seong-ah, did you feel it too?]
“……”
I remained silent at his words.
It was at that moment.
Kiiik—
It was a mysterious uninvited guest who was carefully pushing aside the door that was half in tatters.
“……!”
“It’s been a long time since I’ve set foot in a blacksmith shop like this.”
The one who had stepped into the messy blacksmith shop was a giant of a man with a smooth scalp that made one wonder if he had shaved his head or if he was naturally hairless.
And then, two people carefully moved their steps inside.
‘No, that woman is here again.’
I let out a sigh.
And next to me was Mu-yeong, who was slowly lowering his hand towards the sword on his waist with a sense of tension.
It seemed that he had felt an unusual atmosphere.
In that touch-and-go situation, I asked the woman who had appeared with a master who looked like a bodyguard.
“Hwa Seo-yeon of the West, the Flower of the West… how did the only daughter of the Hwa Clan come to such a humble place?”
“Hmm…”
It was the beautiful woman I had seen at the Chowha Inn with Zhongli Wen before.
At that time, I was so preoccupied with saving Dong-il that I just let it go, but now it was Hwa Seo-yeon who had come with two martial arts masters, who did not seem to be below the first-rate.
‘At least masters with the dignity of a peak master… where did she get such a force. But with Senior Brother next to me, I might be able to avoid a major crisis.’
Cold sweat began to form on my forehead.
Hwa Seo-yeon, who was carefully observing my appearance, smiled faintly and then slowly opened her red-painted lips.
“It’s been a long time… or maybe not? I heard you haven’t come out of the sect for a while.”
“……”
“So, I came to personally meet the famous Plum Blossom Sword Demon of Mount Hua.”
At that moment, I could feel the light in the eyes of the bodyguard standing next to Hwa Seo-yeon and the bald giant flashing.
‘…Damn it.’
I cursed inwardly.
It was not a mistake that I felt a killing intent from them.