Chapter 159: Even the Absolute Being Is a First-Time Dad
Even the Absolute One is New to Fatherhood Chapter 159
There was a dwarven blacksmith who suddenly became the talk of the town one day.
Dverg.
Even among the dwarves—a race naturally gifted with exceptional craftsmanship—rumors spread that he was one of the most outstanding blacksmiths, counted among the top in skill.
Word of Dverg's reputation spread rapidly from mouth to mouth, even though he made no particular effort to promote himself.
This was largely thanks to the fact that quite a few S-rank Hunters were known to wield weapons or armor forged by his hands.
"Dverg's Armory - Mastercraft Weapons"
Thanks to this, his smithy, nestled deep within the Insa-dong Market, never lacked for commission requests.
"Let me see, estimating roughly..."
The young dwarven apprentice tapped away at his calculator with practiced fingers before continuing.
"It'll start at around two billion won."
"Two billion?"
"Additional costs may apply, so keep that in mind."
The Hunter who had come to commission a weapon clicked his tongue and asked again.
"Two billion won for just one sword?"
"For now, yes."
"You're saying it could go even higher?"
At that, the young apprentice countered smoothly.
"Well, additional expenses might arise during the crafting process."
The Hunter, who had been listening quietly, muttered under his breath, "Damn, this is insane..." The apprentice, unfazed, continued his practiced spiel.
"As you know, there's no such thing as cheap, high-quality weapons, right?"
"Well..."
"Besides, if you think of it as the price of your life, it's not that expensive, is it?"
But the Hunter, clearly unconvinced, suddenly flew into a rage.
"Damn it, have you ever seen such highway robbers?!"
"What did you just say?"
"I called you thieves, so what are you gonna do about it?"
The apprentice remained calm as he retorted.
"Two billion won for a custom sword is practically giving it away for free."
"Oh, really?!"
"About 90% of that cost goes into materials alone. The actual labor fee doesn't even make up 10%."
His customer service skills were polished, as if he'd dealt with similar reactions countless times before.
"If you're ready to place an order, please come back another time."
Despite the polite dismissal, the Hunter, now visibly furious, grabbed the poor apprentice by the collar and shouted, "You little—!"
"Are you telling me to get lost now?"
"When did I ever—"
"Don't you know the customer is king?!"
Just then.
"If you're not buying, step aside."
Someone spoke up in a calm tone, stopping the Hunter. He immediately whipped around and snapped back irritably.
"And who the hell are you—?"
Kang-jun stared back at him and replied.
"The idea that 'the customer is king' doesn't align with dwarven sensibilities."
"What gives you the right to butt into other people's business, huh?"
"If customers are kings like you say, then I must be a king too."
Kang-jun tilted his head slightly.
"If you've got a problem with that, how about we settle it king to king?"
Silence fell over the smithy...
"Tch—!"
The Hunter spat on the ground and glared at Kang-jun.
"Damn it, just my luck..."
Then, stomping away in anger, he stormed out of the smithy.
The apprentice, who had just been manhandled, coughed and spoke up.
"Thank you..."
Kang-jun nodded and added.
"Some people are just shameless brutes."
The young apprentice straightened his disheveled clothes from the scuffle and continued in a measured tone.
"Don't worry too much about it. We're used to this. To those who don't understand value, the master's works must seem outrageously expensive..."
Then he asked.
"Are you here to place an order?"
Kang-jun nodded once and looked around the smithy before asking.
"You're an apprentice, I take it?"
"Yes, that's correct."
Young dwarves had to spend decades under a renowned blacksmith, performing menial tasks like cleaning and customer service, before they could become master smiths themselves.
The apprenticeship alone lasted several decades.
Once, Kang-jun had asked a dwarven master blacksmith—one he'd grown fairly close to—why such a long period of patience was necessary.
"Immortal, isn't the first requirement to become a great blacksmith patience itself?"
"You're telling me they have to spend decades doing grunt work just to learn patience?"
"Forging weapons comes with responsibility. This period is to learn that responsibility."
Those who wielded weapons would inevitably kill or be killed.
"If anything, several decades is far too short to truly grasp the weight of that."
"Responsibility, huh..."
"Shouldn't we learn to mourn those who die by the weapons we forge?"
What had he said next?
"And we must also learn to pray for those who harm others with the weapons we've made."
It had been quite an interesting conversation.
"Wielding the hammer comes after."
They said that during their apprenticeship, they observed the lives of many customers.
Not just to cultivate patience for sweating before the forge...
'I wonder how that guy's doing now...'
As Kang-jun lost himself in reminiscence, the young apprentice handed him a few crisp forms.
"If you fill out this custom order request, we can provide you with an estimate."
Kang-jun silently began examining the documents handed to him.
It felt no different from visiting a high-end bespoke tailor.
Just like selecting fabric and design for a custom suit.
"Interesting."
For a sword, for example, you could choose the material, thickness, length, weight of the blade, and even the color and type of leather for the hilt.
It seemed they accepted commissions where the client could customize the material and appearance of weapons to their preference.
"Not very dwarven thinking, is it?"
At that, the apprentice, who had been sprinkling salt by the doorway, asked.
"What do you mean?"
"It feels quite commercial."
After a pause, Kang-jun continued filling out the form in a calm tone.
"The dwarves I remember would just take good-quality ore and hammer out decent weapons without asking too many questions."
The apprentice chuckled in response.
"The master said if we ran a smithy like that on Earth, we'd go bankrupt in no time."
"Who said that?"
"The goblin who provided the funds to open this smithy."
Kang-jun immediately asked...
"Kazan?"
The dwarven apprentice nodded with a slightly bewildered expression.
"Yes... Do you know Lord Kazan?"
Kang-jun replied.
"Well, a little..."
No wonder the smithy was run in such an un-dwarvenly efficient way. Behind the scenes, there were undoubtedly profit-savvy goblins pulling the strings.
"By the way, are you human?"
"I am."
"You seem to know a lot about us."
"Quite a bit."
As the apprentice spoke, he studied Kang-jun's profile while the latter busily filled out the forms.
'How should I put it...?'
There was an air of nobility about him—something impossible to fake for a young human man.
Even if a commoner suddenly struck it rich, imitating true nobility was out of the question.
Likewise, nobles were notoriously bad at hiding their innate grace.
"You must be someone important."
The human man only smiled in response.
"Here you go."
Instead, he simply handed back the completed order form.
"I'll review it right away."
The item Kang-jun had commissioned was a ring requiring special craftsmanship.
"Hmm..."
As the apprentice read through the form, his expression gradually grew serious.
"You want the band made of high-purity orichalcum, correct?"
"As you can see."
"Orichalcum is an expensive material, so the starting cost alone will be astronomical..."
Trailing off, he scanned the form again.
The requests grew increasingly absurd as they went on.
"Uh..."
The young human man had requested that the ring's centerpiece be set with a 'Dragon's Breath'—one of the rarest gemstones in existence.
"This... isn't something we can source ourselves..."
Moreover, the form included an exacting demand to inscribe specific runes that would activate magic under certain conditions.
'And not just one, but a pair...'
He had even requested that the pair be made in different sizes.
'If the wearer of the smaller ring is in danger, a high-grade defensive spell activates...'
And in addition.
'When the defensive spell activates, the wearer of the larger ring is to be immediately teleported to the smaller ring's location...'
To contain this level of magic, they would need to inscribe impossibly complex runes, each no larger than a grain of rice, following precise formulas.
"'You even demanded aesthetic perfection—the labor costs will skyrocket beyond measure.'"
However, the issue wasn't just the price.
"Sir, I'm terribly sorry, but I'm afraid we cannot accept this commission."
Kang-jun's brow furrowed at those words.
The pair of rings he had commissioned...
Were meant to be Seol's birthday gift.
"That's unacceptable."
"Pardon?"
"What's the reason for refusal?"
The young apprentice hesitated before answering awkwardly.
"Well, we might be able to source high-purity orichalcum somehow, but..."
A brief silence lingered.
"Obtaining not one, but two Dragon's Breath gems as the centerpieces for the rings you've requested is absolutely impossible—"
Kang-jun cut in abruptly.
"I already have all the materials."
"Excuse me?"
"So don't worry about it."
The apprentice failed to hide his disbelief, his expression openly dubious.
"That's... hard to believe."
"What part is hard to believe?"
"How could you possibly possess such rare materials...?"
Then, bluntly, he added:
"Though I'm sincerely grateful for what you did earlier, you are human, aren't you?"
He had heard the legends—Dragon's Breath was said to be formed from the final exhalation of a dying dragon.
"How could anyone, let alone a human, possess two of them? It's absurd."
"If you rummage through my vault properly, you'll find not just two, but at least ten."
The apprentice scoffed dismissively.
"I don't know if you're joking or boasting, but that's beyond exaggeration. I've never heard of any human owning such treasures."
Then, with a smirk, he added:
"Unless..."
He studied Kang-jun carefully.
"Unless you're the legendary Immortal from the dwarven tales passed down through generations. Then it might be possible."
Kang-jun chuckled.
"And what legend is that?"
The apprentice shrugged.
"The story of the mightiest Immortal across all dimensions, who once saved the dwarven realm of Meisterville."
He waved a hand dismissively.
"Just another unrealistic hero's tale, really."
"Is that so?"
"Of course! Doesn't it sound ridiculous?"
The apprentice scoffed again.
"The idea that the most powerful being in all dimensions could be a mere human? Utter nonsense."
"Hmm."
"Most likely, some minor act of kindness got exaggerated beyond reason over generations."
Kang-jun smirked.
"Well, that's one way to interpret it."
Encouraged, the apprentice rambled on.
"Though if he did exist, with all the wealth and glory in the world, he'd probably have ten Dragon's Breath gems lying around too."
Kang-jun laughed.
"You're quite the talkative young dwarf."
His voice was low and smooth, yet carried undeniable weight.
"Your kind must craft whatever I command."
"Excuse me?"
"Your king knelt before me and swore eternal fealty."
Kang-jun added casually,
"I hear your master is the most renowned dwarven smith on Earth."
"Y-yes, that's correct..."
"Then run to him now and deliver this message."
A heavy silence fell.
"Tell him the one who saved Meisterville from the Dimension-Shattering Bear—"
The apprentice's eyes bulged.
"—and the dear friend of your chieftain, Zigma—"
At the mention of Zigma, the young dwarf's pupils trembled violently.
"No way..."
His whisper hung in the air.
"—has come in person to commission a special piece."
Just then, the workshop door swung open, and Kazan entered.
"My Lord Immortal."
Slung over his frail shoulders was an enormous sack.
"My deepest apologies—sorting through the vault's vast treasures took longer than expected..."
Without delay, Kazan heaved the sack onto the wooden floor.
"Ah, here we are. I've brought all the orichalcum and Dragon's Breath gems you requested."
The apprentice stood frozen.
Kang-jun tilted his head.
"Convinced now?"
The dwarf nodded stiffly.
"Then go fetch your master."
The apprentice bolted toward the forge deep inside the workshop, bellowing at the top of his lungs.
"MASTER—!"
All the while, the relentless clang of hammer on metal echoed from within.
A mere few minutes later.
"To stand in the presence of the Great Immortal..."
Dvergr, the famously prideful dwarven master smith, knelt before Kang-jun, his entire body trembling.
"Raise your head."
Dvergr obeyed.
"You've reviewed my specifications?"
"Thoroughly, my lord..."
"Can you complete it in three days?"
"I shall move heaven and earth to do so..."
"Do not miss the deadline."
The apprentice looked shell-shocked, seeing his unshakably confident master kneeling so humbly.
Master... reduced to this...
Kang-jun spoke again.
"If you fail, steel yourself for the consequences."
With a jerk of his chin, Kazan promptly produced a check from his robes.
"Payment in advance."
It was issued by a secretive consortium of the ultra-wealthy.
— 500,000,000,000 KRW
— Five Hundred Billion Won
— Issuer: Kazan
Dvergr swallowed dryly, stammering.
"T-to refuse payment would only be proper for the savior of all dwarves, but this... this is excessively generous..."
Kang-jun smirked.
"If the result satisfies me, I'll pay this much again."
Kazan sighed inwardly.
His generosity knows no bounds...
The labor cost alone neared a trillion won.
Honestly...
Had the material costs been included, the price would've easily multiplied tenfold.
No—
Dragon's Breath gems were priceless. No amount of money could guarantee their acquisition.
"Will she like it?"
Kazan opened his mouth to respond to Kang-jun's murmured question, but—
"Too modest a gift?"
At Kang-jun's muttering, Kazan paled.
Unfazed, Kang-jun continued pondering aloud.
"Still, spoiling a child with lavish gifts too young might not be good for her upbringing..."
Kazan's lips moved soundlessly.
"If she gets everything handed to her, she'll grow up spoiled."
If this was the "modest" gift prepared for her fourth birthday out of such concerns...
What in the world does he plan to give her for the next one?
For the first time, Kazan felt the staggering scale of the Immortal's wealth—beyond mere numbers in ledgers.
Meanwhile.
Two divine beings from Flower-Fruit Mountain had arrived on Earth earlier than invited. For some reason, they now knelt on the wooden porch of a traditional Korean house.
"Teach us how to make rice cakes."
The elderly man in hanbok scrutinized the sudden visitors.
Hwang Choon-sang.
A legendary rice cake artisan, renowned across the nation.
Countless aspiring confectioners sought his tutelage, but...
His standards were notoriously unforgiving. Most gave up.
"Hmm..."
His gaze drifted to the mountain of gold bars piled on the porch.
"You're saying if I teach you, all this gold is mine?"
The Great Sage, Equal of Heaven, nodded.
"Yes. Just show us how to make honey rice cakes. We've no use for this stuff."
Hwang Choon-sang frowned.
"You may not realize this, but mastering rice cakes isn't as simple as you think."
The pride of a master craftsman rang in his voice.
"It demands immense effort, devotion, and years of patience to observe the subtleties—"
He trailed off, then fell silent.
The Great Sage blinked.
"Was our request presumptuous?"
What Hwang Choon-sang wanted to shout was:
"If you think a craftsman's pride can be bought with money, leave at once!"
Or perhaps:
"My teachings aren't for sale! Get out!"
But instead—
Ahem.
Clearing his throat, he subtly pulled the gold stacks closer and beamed.
"You've come to the right place."
The two deities exchanged glances.
"You wish to learn honey rice cakes?"
"Yes."
"I'll teach you everything in a day."
The money was simply too much to refuse.
And so...
Seol's birthday drew nearer, now just a day away.