Chapter 44
Chapter 44
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: The Value of Hyeon (3)
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Hyun-soo swallowed nervously, waiting for Karl to speak.
‘The quest to repair the Bell of Ramas was originally supposed to pay 30,000 gold.’
But considering the process and the result, it was worth at least 150,000 gold.
Karl glanced at the parchment he’d prepared.
“Your bell is a unique artifact, and it has the special property of being a wide-area artifact. However, while it's better than unique, it naturally falls short of being legendary.”
Hyun-soo nodded in agreement.
“No matter how good it is, its effect doesn't reach the legendary level. That's why we've appraised its value at 250,000 gold.”
“Two... 250,000 gold...?”
The sum of 250,000 gold left Hyun-soo stunned.
That was 250 million won. An amount of money most people would have to save their entire lives to accumulate.
“You are a benefactor to our Kassel Lordship. Normally, 180,000 gold would have been appropriate, but His Lordship insisted on being generous.”
[You have acquired 250,000 gold.]
It was real. Hyun-soo could see the enormous sum of money that had appeared in his inventory.
Then Karl handed him something else.
“This is the proceeds from selling the gold and rewards obtained from killing the Lord of Death.”
[You have acquired 78,000 gold.]
“...”
Hyun-soo couldn't hide his gratitude as he looked at the gold Karl had offered out of goodwill.
“Benefactor of the Kassel Lordship, I offer you my sincerest thanks.”
[Your affinity with Karl is already at MAX.]
He gave a formal bow. When he raised his head, he smiled awkwardly.
“Please, visit the Kassel Lordship again anytime.”
“...Thank you for taking care of me.”
“Oh, and when I told His Lordship about the minerals, he said he would bestow them upon you personally.”
With that, Karl left.
After he was gone, Hyun-soo's heart began to race.
‘With this money, I can finally get Father's smithy back...!’
It was a total of 328,000 gold. He could cover the rest with the money he already had.
*Knock, knock—*
There was still more to come. A moment later, Nel opened the door and entered.
Hyun-soo was curious about his own value, having crafted a bell that surpassed the Bell of Ramas.
That was why he had asked Nel to assess his worth.
She was direct.
“I've finished assessing your value. Our Golden Shield Guild would like to offer you a signing bonus of 1.2 billion won per year.”
“...”
It was huge. An incredibly large sum.
It was money an ordinary person could never hope to touch, even if they saved for a lifetime.
“Naturally, you would be provided with unlimited materials from the Golden Shield Guild, and we promise the best profit-sharing ratio in the industry for your creations. The ratio is 7:3.”
Hyun-soo could feel it.
How badly Nel wanted him. How desperate she was.
And Nel had, in effect, gotten approval for the highest offer in the industry.
It was an amount made possible only by the trust the Golden Shield Guild had in a person like Nel.
In reality, no one could offer more.
Nel looked at him, her expression filled with desire.
And soon, Hyun-soo gave his answer.
“...I must refuse. But thank you for the offer.”
“...”
Nel didn't reply.
Faced with Hyun-soo's polite refusal, Nel knew she couldn't try to hold onto him.
He was a clever player.
‘He knows...’
That 1.2 billion is nothing.
High rankers in the top ten in the country can earn over ten billion won a year.
That's how unimaginably high the value of high-level or special players has become.
A mere 1.2 billion.
And right then, Hyun-soo made a decision. Quick-witted and clever, Nel smiled.
“Usually, when someone turns down this much money, there's a reason.”
Yes, there was a reason, and Nel knew it.
“You're planning to open your own smithy.”
“...That's right.”
Yes, Hyun-soo was going to open a smithy. Hyeon's Smithy. And it would eventually become a guild.
“Even if you make another offer, I won't be swayed now. It will start small, I'm sure. But I believe people will gather.”
Nel didn't answer.
With a small nod, Hyun-soo turned to leave.
Just then, Nel spoke.
“When you open that smithy.”
Hyun-soo turned his head, a quizzical look on his face.
“I plan on leaving the Golden Shield Guild.”
Hyun-soo's eyes widened. Smiling brightly, she met his gaze and said.
“...I want to be your first guild member.”
She swallowed her next words.
The part about her being quite a capable person.
“I will support you with everything I have and raise you to the very top.”
Just as she had grown the humble Golden Shield Guild.
“I will make sure you are called the greatest blacksmith.”
To that, Hyun-soo nodded and extended his hand.
“Welcome, Nel.”
Nel grasped his hand firmly.
***
After parting with Nel, Hyun-soo logged out immediately.
The moment he reached his target amount, his heart grew anxious.
‘Father's smithy... I hope they haven't started construction yet...?’
Kang Hyuk-soo had said that if construction hadn't started yet, he would sell it back for the original price.
He called, and thankfully, he answered. Without being asked, he spoke.
-I'm scheduled to sign the contract with the construction company tomorrow.
He wasn't too late.
Hyun-soo arranged to meet him at a café and rushed over immediately.
As he ran, one concern weighed on his mind.
Strictly speaking, Hyuk-soo was a stranger. Hyun-soo couldn't understand the exact reason why he was being shown such kindness.
Furthermore, he wasn't the type to make a fuss, announcing that he'd secured the money to get his father's smithy back.
He wanted to slowly hear the reason from him.
Of course, he was also suspicious.
A suspicion that this man might try to tie him down somehow, knowing he had the ability to earn so much money.
He met him at the café and they talked.
He heard the first reason. Even to Hyun-soo, it felt sincere.
And his eyes were steadfast. Those steadfast eyes told him.
At the very least, this man was not a liar. He realized he simply wanted to give him a chance.
And the second reason.
“I wanted you to live.”
He had wanted to die.
The moment everything collapsed, all he could think about was dying.
“I wanted you to live, not die. Because in that moment, you needed at least one goal. Something to strive for. You needed that just to keep going. But now, looking at your eyes, I can tell.”
Those words gave him complete faith in Hyuk-soo.
And in that moment, a thought completely different from wanting to die came to him.
‘Now...’
A desire to live, stronger than anyone's, stirred within him. He handed Hyuk-soo the bankbook containing the exchanged money.
Hyuk-soo was surprised, and hot tears streamed down Hyun-soo's face.
“I will live... I'll live with all my might, more specially than anyone else. I'll live a better life than anyone else...!”
He had no doubt that this was how he could repay Hyuk-soo for the grace he had shown him.
Hyuk-soo smiled.
“Ha, hahaha, hahahahahaha!”
After laughing for a long while as he looked at him, Hyuk-soo spoke.
“Well done, you've done well...!”
Hyuk-soo was as delighted as if it were his own accomplishment.
He was excited, seeing the bright path that now lay ahead for the young man.
And Hyuk-soo didn't ask how he had earned the money. He knew Hyun-soo wasn't the type to do anything illicit.
Things proceeded swiftly.
They called a real estate agent, drew up the contract, and immediately stamped it.
Then, Hyun-soo went with him to the site where his father's smithy had once stood.
The smithy that had once occupied the spot was completely gone.
‘The smithy had already burned down completely.’
The smithy had originally been connected to the house where Hyun-soo lived, but it had become no different from a haunted ruin.
“...How much would it cost to build a smithy here again?”
“It'll probably cost around 600 million won. Since you'll need to build a house as well.”
It seemed he constantly needed money. There was no time to rest. But he was confident now, so he nodded.
“Contact me when you need it. I'll connect you with a construction company I know.”
“Thank you for your consideration.”
Hyun-soo wanted to repay Hyuk-soo in some way.
He knew Hyuk-soo had purchased this land for investment purposes. And Hyuk-soo was a man who had amassed great wealth through such ventures.
Whatever he had built would have been successful.
But he had given up that profit to show him kindness, and Hyun-soo wanted nothing more than to do something for him.
“Don't worry about it. I have hundreds of plots of land like this.”
Hyuk-soo, reading his mind, spoke casually, and it was also the truth.
“Still, I want to do something for you. By any chance, do you know of a game called Ares?”
At the question, a strange light flickered in Hyuk-soo's eyes before vanishing. It disappeared in an instant, so Hyun-soo didn't notice.
“I know it. Is there anyone who doesn't know that game these days?”
“I'm active as a blacksmith in the game Ares.”
“Oh, is that so? A very fitting profession, isn't it? Haha.”
“So I'd like to craft an artifact for you.”
“An artifact...”
Hyuk-soo was a real estate tycoon. As someone who also enjoyed Ares, it was impossible he hadn't spent real money on it.
He was already armed with incredible items.
But he felt that if he didn't accept at least this, Hyun-soo would continue to feel indebted, so he nodded.
“Alright, then. Please craft one for me.”
Of course, he didn't have high expectations. The items he already possessed were far too valuable.
Soon, Hyun-soo found a pen and paper.
“If you write down the effects you want, the type of artifact, and the level here, I'll make it and send it to you.”
“Effects?”
The suggestion to write down effects made him smile faintly.
“It's like you're offering to make a custom-tailored suit, isn't it? Haha. I won't write down a level. Just make me something reasonably good.”
Hyuk-soo handed it back, and Hyun-soo carefully tucked it away.
“I'll do my absolute best.”
Hyuk-soo got into his car and disappeared, and Hyun-soo headed back home.
‘I need more money...’
He needed to build the smithy and a new home.
‘Ah, come to think of it.’
Hyun-soo smiled. He remembered that Lord Kerun had promised to give him minerals.
Hyun-soo's steps were light as he walked back home.
***
Lord Kerun had heard the story.
That while he had given up on everything and drowned himself in drink, a blacksmith had worked for a week without a wink of sleep to craft the bell.
The man named Hyun-soo, kneeling on one knee before him, looked far too young.
Beside him, an elegant wooden box filled with pre-prepared minerals was already placed.
Before giving it to him, he asked.
“Why did you try so hard? Why did you toil so, without a wink of sleep?”
To that, the outsider Hyun-soo replied as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“Because this lordship needed it.”
The blacksmiths Kerun knew were ignorant men who only knew how to handle minerals.
In all his life, he had never listened to their stories, nor had he ever cherished them, as they never set foot on the battlefield.
They were not as valuable as soldiers.
That preconception was shattering.
“I was simply fighting alongside you from the smithy.”
It struck a chord deep within him.
The young man was showing him that the only battles weren't the ones fought on the blood-soaked fields of war.
“I see.”
Kerun gave a small smile. Of course, he'd never paid much attention to the words of blacksmiths, but he knew what they usually said when delivering goods.
How much will you pay me? What will you give me? If it turns out rare, will you give me a job in this castle? But this was different.
“You are a Master Craftsman.”
Kerun said with a smile.
“Karl, bring it.”
He had changed his mind.
Karl had known about *that* mineral but pretended not to. Even Kerun himself had assumed 'this' was the special mineral.
But now he understood the real reason Daeng had sent him.
A treasure passed down through his family for generations.
A legend passed down since long ago, but in the end, just a lump of rock stuck in a warehouse.
Karl handed a dust-covered box to Kerun.
***
Hyun-soo watched Kerun walk down the stairs.
[The reward is being changed.]
An unfamiliar alert sounded.
Standing before him, Kerun personally handed over the dusty box and threw it open.
“A gift worthy of you.”
An alert soon followed.
[You have acquired the legendary mineral, Lowest-Grade Orichalcum.]