Chapter 218
Chapter 218
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 218
Chapter Title: Refusal and the Forge Gate
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When the Iron-Blooded Duke received his Middle Name, he must have been around thirty years old.
By contrast, I was barely sixteen now. Even roughly calculating, that meant I'd achieved similar results at about half his age—.
...Of course, back then, the Middle Name position had only recently been established, so the selection criteria and procedures were undoubtedly far stricter than they are today.
'Anyway.'
Staying silent too long in a moment like this was the worst possible choice.
Especially since my opponent was the emperor of this nation.
I immediately opened my mouth.
"Your Majesty's praise leaves me at a loss for words. I shall take your words today to heart as lifelong guidance and as the glory of my house, redoubling my efforts henceforth."
"Hm."
"However, Your Majesty, the title of Middle Name is still too heavy for me. I beg your understanding."
That was the moment I said it.
Clang...
The armored knights around us trembled faintly.
Right after the word "understanding" left my lips.
The Flame Jade Emperor, who had been smiling softly until then, straightened his expression and shifted the atmosphere entirely.
My skin stung.
The pressure he exuded had gone beyond mere intimidation, manifesting as a tangible aura.
How could someone not even at a high realm of inaction emit such an overwhelming presence?
If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed it.
"Understanding?"
His voice came out scorching hot, like heat seeping from cracked earth.
"Are you refusing my command?"
The Flame Jade Emperor didn't hide his displeasure.
Even accounting for that, though, it felt like this man was revealing his emotions far too openly.
In other words.
'He's doing it on purpose.'
Was he planning to pressure me into accepting the Middle Name no matter what?
For an imperial emperor's tactics, it felt disappointingly crude. At this point, it was practically verbal intimidation.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
And I've never been one to buckle under intimidation, not since ancient times.
Of course, the capital was the safest, most beautiful place on the continent, with no inconveniences whatsoever—a place I'd genuinely envied back in my mercenary days.
But not anymore.
There were still too many places I had to go and things I had to do.
If I got tied down to the empire, the capital, or the imperial family, I wouldn't accomplish even half my goals.
Even the Bednicker household's protection couldn't bind me.
Likewise, the capital could never become my prison.
"I am still an immature soul who has only felt responsibility in words."
"The palace has the finest teachers prepared. You won't struggle with your studies."
"...The southern dwarf smiths say that the true worth of a peerless blade can only be confirmed on the battlefield. My value is still in the midst of being proven, and I worry I may prove useless even as an ornament."
"Are you doubting my judgment?"
"Perish the thought. I merely fear that the rumors of the masses might become a veil over true discernment."
"What? Ahaha...!"
The Flame Jade Emperor slapped his thigh and burst into laughter—a clear, hearty laugh that made his previous impassivity seem like a joke.
It didn't suit his position as emperor, yet strangely, it suited him perfectly.
"A veil over judgment, eh? To counter me using my own words like that—you're bold indeed."
"My apologies."
The softly chuckling Flame Jade Emperor continued.
"Very well... Perhaps I was hasty about the Middle Name, as you say. I'll concede that point. Then, Ruan Bednicker, will you accept another position?"
"What position did you have in mind?"
"The knights wouldn't suit your temperament... The Imperial Special Forces or Royal Knights would be ideal. Of course, it would be a temporary role, and once you've gained sufficient skill and experience, you could be promoted to Middle Name at any time."
"......"
I hadn't expected him to be this persistent.
It went beyond exasperation into outright fear, but since the conversation had dragged on, I'd managed to come up with an excuse.
"Your Majesty's proposal is the glory of a lifetime, but..."
"Enough preamble. Get to the point."
"...My apologies, but before coming here today, I made a promise with the Family Head."
The Flame Jade Emperor's eyebrow twitched.
"With Delac?"
"Yes."
"Hmm..."
In the end, the only person among all my connections who could provoke aversion in an emperor was the Iron-Blooded Duke.
It felt oddly like summoning the Demon King just to avoid being dragged off by a dragon...
But this wasn't the time to be picky about cold rice or hot.
Demon King or Calamity God, I had to use whatever I could.
"What promise?"
"As a Bednicker, I have a duty to fulfill. The Family Head requested my companionship, and I accepted."
"...A Bednicker duty."
I deliberately avoided mentioning Heros.
Yet the Flame Jade Emperor's expression suggested he'd grasped something anyway.
He paused for a moment, then fell into a long silence.
Muttering something incomprehensible.
"...A legacy from the ancestors?"
"......?"
"I'll respect it. But you haven't forgotten that Delac is a Middle Name as well, have you? If you two undertake a joint mission, the empire won't stint on support."
Legacy of the ancestors.
What connection did the Spirit Mountain mission have to the Bednickers?
'Cousin and... Eldest Martial Brother?'
My head grew complicated, but I decided to seize the opportunity regardless.
"If I may be so bold, this is a family matter. The Bednickers have never allowed outside interference in matters of恩怨."
"......"
The Flame Jade Emperor looked thoroughly displeased, but I pressed on with one more word.
"Your Majesty resolved the previous Goodspring family's wish. This is the same for me. Please allow the Bednickers to see it through ourselves."
"...Ha."
Naturally, openly defying an emperor was madness under normal circumstances.
If you had some authority or the emperor's trust, maybe.
For a snot-nosed kid like me to speak out of turn was as good as a capital crime.
So the only way to rebuff the emperor's will was to throw his own words back at him.
Whether that was fortunate or not, the Flame Jade Emperor had said plenty, making it easy enough to maneuver him into a self-contradiction.
"Pff... heh..."
Letting out an incredulous chuckle, the Flame Jade Emperor looked at me and muttered.
"Ruan Bednicker. You're becoming more and more tempting."
"......"
"Fine. I'll yield to your stubbornness this time. But next time, you'll need a different excuse ready."
"I am deeply honored."
"Then... You don't want Middle Name, nor any other position—what should I give you...? Ah."
After a brief ponder, the Flame Jade Emperor smiled faintly and declared.
"I grant Ruan Bednicker access to the Forge Gate."
"......!"
* * *
If there was one thing I liked about the Flame Jade Emperor, it was that he hated tedious formalities.
After the awarding ceremony, he canceled all the annoying subsequent events and waved me off, ordering my dismissal.
"Oh. Do attend the banquet this evening, though. It's quite the grand affair, and many people are eager to see you."
*I won't be attending.*
That addendum was his final remark. Afterward, a single knight escorted me to the Forge Gate.
So what was this Forge Gate that had surprised me so?
In a word, it was the residence of the palace-bred artisans...
The empire's greatest treasure vault, housing weapons personally forged by the continent's finest smiths, as well as artifacts, magic tools, and even relics.
Sorry, Alderson, but it dwarfed the dean's collection warehouse by orders of magnitude.
"His Majesty has permitted you up to three selections from the Forge Gate."
"Up to three?"
I questioned the slightly odd phrasing.
The knight, apparently used to such queries, explained in a matter-of-fact tone.
"To claim an item from the Forge Gate, you must receive the approval of the imperial smiths. That's the rule."
"Ah..."
"Securing even one would be impressive enough, so don't feel too pressured."
I followed up with another question.
"What exactly do I need approval for?"
"First is, naturally, skill. You may not know this, but dwarf artisans have tremendous pride—they won't let their creations go to anyone lacking the ability."
I couldn't help reacting to the fresh phrasing.
"Marry off?"
"Ah, my apologies. We tend to value our masterpieces that way."
"We...?"
I glanced at the knight.
I'd thought he was short for his age, but he must have dwarf blood.
The imperial palace probably had so many mixed-bloods due to the Flame Jade Emperor's preferences—prioritizing talent over status or lineage.
Anyway, skill? No problem there. Pass.
"Next is eyesight. They'll question you on the item's features, history, uses, and even ask for your impressions. Fail to answer even one, and you lose your chance."
"Hm."
The Seven Sins Sword still hung at my waist.
I hadn't been stopped from wearing it even during the audience, since the awarding ceremony originally included presenting my sword to the emperor.
Meaning I could still invoke the Martial God's chance now—this test wouldn't be an issue.
"Anything else?"
"Yes. Even passing those two, if it doesn't please the artisan's heart, it's worthless. In a way, it's the trickiest test."
"Isn't that too arbitrary?"
"It is, but... since you're here on His Majesty's orders to receive a reward, they'll likely let it slide."
We arrived at the Forge Gate amid this back-and-forth.
It abutted the outer wall of the palace, and even in the still-chilly weather, the area around it sweltered with heat.
Clang...! Clang...!
Dwarf artisans hammering away, hauling ore, or resting with their sturdy upper bodies bare to the world.
They paid me no mind even as I passed openly.
"This way, please."
Following the knight's guidance past the workshops, we reached the entrance to what looked like a massive warehouse.
It wasn't the shiny treasure vault I'd imagined...
More like a rundown shed.
It was enormous, but utterly lacked grandeur.
Still, it was locked at least.
Click.
The knight unlocked the door and turned to me.
"You have up to one hour. Take your time."
I nodded and stepped inside.
Thud.
The heavy door shut behind me with a dull boom, and I turned my gaze to the interior.
The vast space, stretching endlessly, was fairly cool, lit by faint lanterns.
"Cough... Damn it."
Didn't they clean in here?
Stale dust tickled my throat. I waved it away with my hand and started walking.
'Doesn't seem properly maintained.'
Was this really the Forge Gate's vault?
Surely the offended emperor hadn't locked me in some antique junk room as revenge.
A flicker of suspicion rose, but it vanished completely once I examined the items.
"Whoa..."
The quality of the armaments was terrifying.
I could tell at a glance that they were leagues beyond the famous swords I'd sold in the past.
Just looking at the edges told me as much.
Sharp enough to slice boulders clean if handed to a neighborhood kid.
Yet I didn't feel any particular greed.
No new weapon could match the Seven Sins Sword or the Yin-Yang Blade, after all.
Truth be told, it made sense when you considered their origins.
One was the Nameless King's relic, the other the Demon King's weapon.
'Though it's chilling that those two are the same person.'
Idle thoughts.
I shook my head and scanned the surroundings again.
"No need for armor, jewels are useless, magic tools—I can't even tell what they are..."
Was it down to this?
Time to wake up our Martial God?
As that thought crossed my mind, I spotted something intriguing.
"Books too?"
Amid the gleaming armor sat a lone, worn volume.
Its black cover felt somehow off-putting.
"...Hold on."
The characters engraved on the cover looked familiar. Strange shapes like geometric figures.
I'd seen this script somewhere before.
Where...?
"Ah."
- Hey, Ruan! Check this out.
- What's that? A drawing?
- Nah. It's my name.
- Huh?
Right... It closely resembled the script my Third Martial Brother sometimes scribbled with a stick while squatting.
I stared hard at the book's cover.
"Damn, I thought I could read this."
Third Martial Brother's script had such a unique form that I'd grown a bit interested...
And with nothing fun to do on Spirit Mountain, I'd occasionally received lessons.
The problem was I'd mostly forgotten it now.
Still, squinting and racking my brain, I figured I could make it out.
Though I couldn't read many characters.
"La... pl... la... ce...?"
Laplace?
"Yeah."
That instant, Seren naturally flashed through my mind.
Before my regression, around the time the Demon King descended in the black swamp.
Her dying words.
- Among the Goodspring heirlooms is something called [Laplace's New Book]. It records future events. A sort of... prophecy book.
Laplace's New Book.
Were there two copies?
I wrung my brain again, struggling to read the bottom text.
"Strat... egy... col... lection...?"
What the hell was this?