Chapter 52
Chapter 52
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 52
Chapter Title: The King's Test (2)
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Sword King Barad.
Known as one of the continent's ten legends, he had felt a chill run down his spine only three times in his life.
At age eight. The day he committed his first murder, piercing the throat of an assassin who came for him.
At age twenty-nine. The day he defeated the Sword King of his time and inherited the legendary title.
And just yesterday. The man he had believed to be a brilliant warrior.
It was when he learned that this man was the creator of the sword he sought—and that he was merely at the level of a Super Rookie contestant.
‘Is such a thing even possible?’
It was incomprehensible, even by the Sword King’s standards.
He wasn't the unofficial ranker blacksmith the Lord had mentioned?
“I have come to see Your Majesty.”
Before meeting the blacksmith Hyeon, the kingdom's finest blacksmith, Kers, entered his office.
Though not as skilled as Daeng, the head of the Prime Kingdom's Sword Tower, he was the greatest blacksmith in the Goyad Kingdom.
“He is a warrior and a blacksmith. Or perhaps it is better to say he is neither a warrior nor a blacksmith.”
That was his own thought as well.
“These Outsiders are graded by something called levels. Blacksmiths skilled enough to participate in the Super Rookie tournament are nothing more than novices. That sword you mentioned, the one that cut through Your Majesty’s blade. I do not know how it was crafted, but it must have been a temporary effect.”
“A temporary effect, you say…”
“Outsiders are known to use their mysterious powers in limited ways.”
Kers was so negative that it almost seemed he was jealous of Hyeon.
However, his thoughts aligned with Barad’s.
“My greatest concern lies in what they call probability.”
“What do you mean by probability?”
“Their creations vary each time. Someone who only ever churns out useless artifacts might one day create an artifact that defies all common sense. It must be due to the probability inherent in their mysterious power.”
“Give me an example.”
“When crafting the weapons of this land, they say things like, ‘I was lucky today and made a good artifact.’ It is said that their mysterious power contains this kind of force.”
Barad nodded slowly.
“A 5% chance of crafting a rare-grade weapon.”
“…”
“That is their mysterious power.”
At this point, Barad asked.
“Are our blacksmiths different?”
“Entirely different. Unlike their mysterious power, we create based on experience, know-how, and knowledge. Of course, we too have our lucky days, like them. Days when we are more skilled than usual, or gain a new insight. On those days, we create higher-level artifacts and leave behind masterpieces.”
Barad understood what he was trying to say.
“We build upon fundamentals and experience, while they rely on a power of probability?”
“Yes. In fact, if you speak with them, you’ll find most are ignorant of the blacksmithing trade.”
He found himself agreeing.
“Countless blacksmiths have failed to craft the sword Your Majesty desires. I am no exception. And the materials provided to them are exceedingly rare, obtainable only in minuscule quantities even in our kingdom. To entrust that to a novice blacksmith…”
Kers trailed off.
Barad nodded. He had asked for the man’s opinion more to confirm his own thoughts than to seek advice.
A warrior or a blacksmith who had won the Super Rookie tournament.
There were not many materials left for the weapon Barad needed.
Once those materials were exhausted, it would be difficult to try again, even if he wanted to.
“I believe this would be the best course of action.”
Kers offered him a small piece of advice.
“Instead of giving him those materials, it would be better to test him by providing materials of a few grades lower.”
Barad nodded.
He couldn't just hand over those precious materials to anyone.
“I shall test him in my own way.”
Having sought his counsel, Barad left the office.
He walked to the audience chamber and sat on his throne. A short while later, the blacksmith Hyeon entered.
He was an impressive sight to behold again.
Dark brown eyes that harmonized with his short-cropped black hair. What particularly drew the eye was his physique.
Broad shoulders and an indifferent expression.
Watching him walk, one might think him a brilliant warrior or a high-ranking noble.
“Blacksmith Hyeon. I have come to see His Majesty, Barad.”
He knelt on one knee, showing his respect.
“You took your time.”
“The path to see you was fraught with peril.”
The Lord had entered the Sword Grave, and Barad himself did not grant audiences to just anyone, so he could understand why the journey had not been easy.
Barad got straight to the point.
His eyes grew sharp as a hawk’s.
“There is a sword I desperately need.”
“May I know what kind of effect this sword should have?”
“I require a sword that can protect me from flames hot enough to melt anything.”
“Are you referring to a sword imbued with the power of the ice attribute?”
“That is correct. A sword that also possesses the power to cut down a foe that emits intense heat. Can you make it?”
Barad’s question was sharp.
He was suspicious of Hyeon. It wasn't just because of his conversation with Kers.
The thought that, as an Outsider, he might simply flee with the minerals he was given also crossed his mind.
Or perhaps he had come merely for the sake of meeting a king.
Of course, the seed of all this doubt stemmed from the fact that he was a novice blacksmith.
He responded to the question cleverly.
“…I will do my best.”
Barad gave a bitter smile. He then gestured with his eyes to a servant standing to one side.
The servant placed a large box before the man.
The moment the box was opened, a cold chill flowed out.
“Cold Iron. That is the name of this mineral.”
***
[You have acquired the Rare Mineral, Cold Iron.]
Having his audience with Barad, Hyun-soo could see the mineral, which was scattering a faint blue light.
‘Cold Iron…?’
Cold Iron. The name was familiar. Hyun-soo had grown up enjoying fantasy and wuxia novels.
And he knew that various settings existed in Ares.
‘If this is the Cold Iron I know, then Ten Thousand Year Cold Iron could also exist here, right?’
Hyun-soo tried to calm himself. A new mineral always made a blacksmith’s heart race.
“Examine it.”
At Barad’s word, Hyun-soo inspected it.
(Cold Iron)
Grade: Rare
Requirement: Artisan Blacksmith Level 200 or higher.
Difficulty: Medium.
Special Abilities
·Fire Attribute Resistance +23%.
·Raises Ice Attribute skills to Rare grade.
·Sword Cutting Power +41%.
·Durability: 7,000
Description: A special mineral that has absorbed cold for a long time while buried deep in the frozen ground. It provides an abnormally high cutting power.
‘It’s real. This is the Cold Iron I knew.’
Of course, the properties of Cold Iron would differ everywhere.
In Ares, its property was that it contained cold energy.
Moreover, seeing its high cutting power for a rare-grade item was breathtaking.
‘Instead, while the cutting power is high, it has no special abilities that raise stats. Furthermore, though it contains cold energy, most of its power is focused on cutting power.’
Hyun-soo quickly finished his analysis of the Cold Iron. And a thought occurred to him.
‘Could Ten Thousand Year Cold Iron really exist?’
And perhaps a small hope that he might be the one to obtain it.
Barad spoke.
“Cold Iron is a precious metal that can only be found in our Goyad Kingdom. I intend to see if you are qualified to make the sword.”
Kers had advised him to test his qualifications after giving him the mineral.
But now, Barad intended to test the blacksmith’s skill level in a different way.
He was not idle enough to give much expectation and time to a man who, according to Kers, was a novice blacksmith.
“When you make a sword that holds cold energy, that chill is bound to spread to its surroundings.”
He pointed a finger down below him.
“Bring me a sword whose chill can reach this spot. If you do, I will give you the materials for the real commission.”
*Ting!*
[Chain Quest: The King's Test]
Grade: S
Requirement: The one proposed by the king
Reward: You can receive the real commission.
Penalty for Failure: Banishment from the Goyad Kingdom.
Description: Craft a sword that emits cold and become eligible to receive the real commission.
That was it.
Blacksmith Hyeon. Meeting him, Barad felt an emotion he had never experienced before in his life.
But the fact that he was neither a warrior nor a blacksmith, and merely a novice who relied on probability, had cooled his expectations.
Yet Hyun-soo gave a small smile.
“It won’t take long.”
Barad looked puzzled at those words.
“I will craft it right here, right now.”
He took the Cold Iron in his hand.
Barad, who was about to rise, stopped. Sitting back down, he watched the Outsider named Hyun-soo with an indifferent gaze.
He realized what he was about to do.
‘So that’s it.’
Not long ago, he had crafted a gauntlet and a Damascus scimitar. It was that power.
Barad had mistaken that power for a Weapon Master’s.
The man asked again.
“How far did the other blacksmiths reach?”
“The kingdom’s finest blacksmith, Kers, made the cold reach right here.”
What a chilling sword it had been.
Just by holding it, the cold had been palpable all the way here.
Even that had not satisfied Barad.
It was merely the minimum requirement to be entrusted with the precious materials.
Barad crossed one leg and rested his chin on his hand.
His expression was one of complete disinterest.
The crafting process of a novice blacksmith.
Though it would be but a moment, the thought of having to watch a power that relied on probability bored him.
Finally, he began crafting.
The moment he started, Barad was momentarily lost in its beauty.
The mineral, glowing with a faint blue light, shot into the air, melted in an instant, and became pure iron.
That iron melted into a red blade, and as the blade cooled, it became a sword tinged with blue.
It all happened in five seconds.
The Cold Iron he had given him had become a sleek sword in five seconds.
And then.
*C-crack—!*
The king did not take his eyes off him. No, he couldn't. And the man named Hyun-soo was also looking back, meeting his gaze.
Only after the sound of freezing subsided did Barad, who had been maintaining a poker face, pose a question.
“…A formidable power. I truly cannot tell if you are a warrior or a blacksmith.”
Though the king wore a composed expression, he could feel the chill enveloping his body.
“I am a blacksmith.”
“I see.”
His gaze fixed on Hyun-soo, he finally turned his head.
The entire audience chamber was covered in frost. The water a servant had poured was frozen solid.
Even the sparkling chandeliers were coated in a layer of cold frost. Many things—no, the entire audience chamber was frozen.
But this was not what was important.
It was impressive, yes. But what was important was the nature of this power.
“Was this by chance? Or is this strange power something you can only use once?”
“It is neither.”
Neither of those two? Was that possible?
Wasn’t he just a novice blacksmith?
“Then?”
Hyun-soo smiled confidently.
“It’s skill.”
The king was amazed.