Just an Ordinary Blacksmith
"I'm just an ordinary young man."
The door to the smithy swung open, and a man stepped inside.
Judging by his luxurious attire and noble bearing, he was clearly a member of the high aristocracy.
"Ah, Master William. I came because I heard the armor I ordered was finished."
"Ah, Duke Blackwood. Welcome."
William the blacksmith greeted the duke with a polite bow. Following William's lead, the duke approached the armor resting on the workbench.
"Take a look at this. It is the mithril armor you commissioned, Your Grace."
William carefully lifted the armor and handed it to the duke.
The unique luster of mithril shimmered, reflecting the warm glow of the forge.
It featured exquisite engravings, a flawless finish, and a weight that was unimaginably light even for mithril armor.
It was truly a masterpiece among masterpieces.
The duke's eyes widened. An exclamation of awe escaped his lips.
"Incredible! When I first placed the order, you said it might be difficult, yet you have crafted a masterpiece that far exceeds my expectations!"
He shook his head in sheer amazement as he examined the armor.
Mithril armor of this caliber, and completed ahead of schedule, no less.
He had always known William's skills were top-tier, but this was beyond anything he had imagined.
"To be honest, Your Grace, this mithril armor would have been difficult to complete without that young man."
At William's words, the duke wore a puzzled expression.
"That young man? Do you mean to say you didn't make this?"
"No, I did forge it myself. However, his advice and ideas during the process were of immense help. When it comes to working with mithril, he has already surpassed me."
William's humble confession left the duke even more astonished.
A youth who surpassed William, a man who had once held the prestigious title of Chief Imperial Blacksmith and whose fame echoed across the continent?
Was such a thing truly possible?
"For someone of your stature to heap such praise, I cannot help but be curious. What kind of boy is he? May I meet this young man?"
"He happens to be here right now. I will go fetch him."
Shhhk, shhhk.
The harsh scraping of a whetstone echoed through the air.
It's already been a month since my memories returned...
Since then, I had visited this smithy whenever I had spare time to help with the work.
The blacksmithing skills I had acquired as game skills in my past life could now be executed with my own two hands.
As I swung the hammer and handled the molten metal, the artisan's passion that had lain dormant within me gradually reawakened.
The very process of crafting weapons was enjoyable and thrilling.
Shaping a weapon that would be used in the real world, rather than just generating an item in a game, felt incredibly satisfying.
My heart fluttered as I watched the pieces I poured my soul into take shape.
During this time, my identity as a blacksmith became firmly established.
I realized that this was the path I had to walk, and the work I wanted to accomplish in this world.
The academy entrance exam is coming up soon...
It was almost time to leave this place.
However, I worried about what to tell my parents.
To my family, who were poor commoner farmers, my labor was an indispensable asset.
My heart grew heavy at the thought of the void my absence would leave in the farm work.
"Mr. Granger, wait a moment!"
At the apprentice's voice, I stopped sharpening the blade and looked up.
He was walking toward me with a slightly flushed face.
"What is it, Thomas? What's going on?"
His initial hostility had completely vanished, replaced by a relentless barrage of questions about weapon-crafting techniques, which was honestly quite annoying.
"If you're going to ask me to teach you how to fit a hilt again, like I said last time, I have nothing left to teach you. It's still too advanced for you..."
Thomas shook his head, looking slightly flustered by my words.
"No, Mr. Granger. It's not because I want to learn this time... Well, actually, that's true too, but anyway! The master is looking for you. The duke wants to meet you."
"...?"
The duke wanted to meet me?
"The duke is looking for me? For what?"
"I'm not sure about the details. Let's just go quickly."
I followed him toward the master's workshop.
Upon entering the workshop, I saw a large man dressed in black.
Behind him stood attendants and what appeared to be escort knights.
I bowed politely before the duke.
The aura of a high-ranking knight radiated from him.
Just standing in his presence made me tense up.
"This is the boy, Granger. He was of great help in crafting the armor," William introduced.
At William's introduction, the duke stared at me intently.
"So you are the one who helped William forge my armor?"
"Yes, Your Grace. I merely lent what little assistance I could."
I replied humbly.
The duke smiled with satisfaction and gestured to the attendant standing beside him.
The attendant quickly stepped forward and offered me a pouch.
"I called for you to reward you for your work. Here, take it."
I tried to decline, but the duke spoke in a firm tone.
"No, this is a reward you well deserve. I heard you will be leaving for the capital soon; use this to cover your travel expenses."
I thanked him and accepted the pouch.
A golden glint shone through the slightly open mouth of the pouch. They were gold coins.
This feels like at least ten gold coins.
I was completely distracted by the brilliant gold light of the coins.
"Hmm...?"
It was then that the duke's gaze suddenly shifted toward the workbench behind me.
His eyes locked onto a sword hanging in a corner of the workbench, and he froze.
"Wait, what on earth is that sword?"
Driven by curiosity, the duke strode toward the sword hanging on the wall.
As soon as he took the sword down and held it in his hands, his eyes widened, and a gasp escaped him.
"Incredible! What materials did you use to make this sword?"
The duke examined the sword meticulously, unable to hide his admiration.
"The balance is perfect, and the pattern on the blade is absolutely exquisite! Truly marvelous! It is a masterpiece incomparable to any famous sword I have ever seen."
He held the sword close to his eyes, turning it around to inspect it from every angle.
Staring at the blade reflecting the light and the finely crafted hilt, he showered it with endless praise.
"Let me see... Where have I seen this before? Ah! The legendary sword, Tears of the Valkyrie! It looks exactly like it."
The master of the smithy, unable to hide his excitement from when he first saw the sword, spoke to the duke.
"As expected, you recognized it, Your Grace. The moment this sword was completed, that very name came to my mind as well."
"William, let us not stand here. Let's go to the drawing room and discuss the price of this sword. But before that... give me a chance to swing it. I simply must test it out."
The duke could not contain his excitement.
Like a child who had finally obtained a long-dreamed-of toy, he looked absolutely thrilled.
"I cannot grant that permission, Your Grace. This sword was made by this boy."
At the master's words, the duke froze.
"Haha, I must have misheard in my excitement. Who did you say made this sword?"
"You heard correctly, Duke Blackwood."
At the master's reply, the duke's expression stiffened as he looked at me.
"Th-this boy? Is that true?"
The master nodded.
"Just... who on earth are you?"
I was slightly flustered by the sudden question.
"What do you mean by my identity, Your Grace? I am just an ordinary young man who wishes to become a blacksmith."
But the duke did not seem easily convinced.
He raised the sword I had made and spoke.
"An ordinary young man, you say?"
The duke shook his head and continued.
"As someone who has fought against the strongest in countless wars, I can confidently say that this sword you made is a masterpiece that rivals any legendary blade I have ever laid eyes on."
"Your talent is truly extraordinary. What do you think?"
The duke handed the sword to the man standing behind him, who appeared to be his escort knight.
Although not as overwhelming as the duke's, the aura of a high-level expert radiated from the knight as well.
"My goodness... this is astonishing. I may not have Your Grace's keen eye for weapons, but the energy emanating from this sword is definitely extraordinary."
"Indeed, you feel it too."
The duke smiled with satisfaction.
Honestly, receiving high praise for the weapons I crafted was something I was already well used to from my gaming days.
In situations like this, a humble response always yielded the best results.
I bowed my head humbly and replied.
"You flatter me, Your Grace. I was simply lucky. I still have so much to learn."
The duke shook his head at my words.
"No, I like your humility. But such talent can only be described as heaven-sent. You will grow to achieve much greater things."
He fell into thought for a moment before continuing.
"What are your plans for the future? I heard you are heading to the capital."
"I plan to enter the Lucentia Imperial Academy. I want to achieve my dream in the Department of Weapon Crafting there."
The duke nodded at my words. A satisfied smile played on his lips.
"I shall sponsor the materials and funds needed for your future crafting. In return, I would appreciate it if you could occasionally accept special commissions for me."
The duke then added.
"Ah, and of course, I will pay for this sword separately."
The duke scribbled his signature on a contract resting on the desk and slid it toward me.
"What do you think? This should be more than enough compensation."
The paper handed to me had a staggering amount written on it.
Sponsor: Duke Blackwood
Recipient: Edward Granger
Acquisition Price (Sword): 1,000 Gold Coins
Sponsorship Terms: Full funding of crafting materials and academic expenses. Recipient shall prioritize special commissions from the Sponsor.
With this amount...
For a moment, my breath caught in my throat.
With this money, I could buy the largest mansion in the village.
No, it was an astronomical sum that could perhaps even purchase a small castle.
Back when I played the game, this was a legendary-grade item that I could easily craft once I surpassed level 95.
Although this sword did look like a legendary weapon, I hadn't expected it to elicit such an intense reaction.
"Ah, do not misunderstand. I am not asking you to make a sword like this every time just because I am sponsoring you. I know that masterpieces of this caliber only appear once or twice in a lifetime, depending on one's condition."
"I simply wish to help your talent blossom."
"Master, I think I will head to the academy now. Thank you for everything."
The master wore a bittersweet smile at my words. The moment of parting had arrived.
"Are you leaving already? I've just grown attached to you, so this is quite sad. Have you said goodbye to your parents?"
The master spoke with lingering regret.
"Yes, though they were quite busy decorating their new mansion."
I had accepted Duke Blackwood's proposal.
At first, my parents couldn't believe their eyes when they saw that massive sum of money.
It must have been the first time in their lives they had ever seen such wealth.
My mother wiped away tears, and my father spoke, overwhelmed with joy.
"Son, leave all worries about us behind and go achieve great success! Bwahaha!"
"By the way, it might be a bit late to say this, but I could still scout you as the chief blacksmith of our forge right now. What do you think?"
The master spoke in a joking tone, but his regret was palpable.
"And here I thought you said I was too good to be stuck here, telling me to go to the academy and chase bigger dreams."
"Haha, it was just a joke because I'm sad to see you go. I am certain that you will become a legendary blacksmith who will shake the entire continent."
The master let out a hollow laugh, which quickly softened into a warm smile.
"Thank you so much for everything, Elder."
I bowed deeply. The master waved his hand dismissively.
"No need for thanks. At my age, I'm the one who learned more from you. Safe travels."
After bidding my final farewell to the master, I set off on the road toward the academy.
With my packed backpack slung over my shoulders.