282translated
I Killed the Demon King. It was a Mistake.
Chapter 282
The founder of the Hampton family was a genius blacksmith who crafted the equipment for the twelve knights of the first emperor in the past.
The head of the Hampton family would observe the swordsmanship and habits of each knight and gift them equipment tailored to their needs. The knights praised the armor and weapons made by Hampton, saying they played a significant role in driving out the Smaurne and killing the Sturungarden.
Giggs was born as the legitimate heir of the Hampton family and vowed from a young age to become the greatest blacksmith, just like the founder of the Hampton family.
Of course, most people are often full of ambition but lack talent.
However, Giggs had talent.
Giggs had the ability to accurately grasp what others needed and the skill to bring it to life with his own hands.
From a young age, his genius was proven, and coupled with his diligence, he was the perfect prodigy. People whispered that Giggs would undoubtedly become the next Master.
Just as Giggs's pride and skills were reaching unimaginable heights, he met Pesson.
Pesson was from the streets.
The reason Pesson entered the Hampton family's forge was purely to make a living.
At the time, Giggs didn’t even glance at Pesson, who was the same age as him.
It was common for people like Pesson, who entered the workshop as servants from a young age just to get a piece of bread.
The reason Giggs noticed Pesson was when Pesson touched the Terra hidden in the workshop storage.
- This damn beggar touched Terra?
- Tell the truth! You were planning to steal and sell it, weren’t you?!
At that time, Pesson was beaten so badly by the workshop workers that he was nearly crippled.
Terra was a mineral that was found in extremely small quantities in the Dre and Royder regions, making it over 100 times more expensive than gold of the same weight.
Moreover, because Terra was highly sensitive to magic and the will of its user, it was designated as a national security resource. Only a select few blacksmiths approved by the Master were allowed to handle it.
Thus, Terra was stored under strict security, and since Pesson had touched it, he was as good as dead.
However, the reason people didn’t kill Pesson, despite beating him, was that he hadn’t sold the Terra but had instead made a dagger with it.
From Giggs’s perspective, the dagger Pesson made was astonishing.
Terra isn’t something you can shape simply by heating it in a fire and hammering it.
To handle Terra, you need a clear will of what you want to create and the technique to infuse the Terra with aura through the hammer.
Yet, Pesson had made a dagger out of Terra without learning from anyone.
This required an intuitive understanding of the material and the finesse to perfectly create the desired form.
In other words, Pesson was a genius like Giggs.
Giggs stood in front of Pesson, who was being dragged away.
-Why did you touch Terra?"
-Because no one recognized how great I was.
Giggs saw himself reflected in Pesson’s eyes.
If Pesson had been born into a good environment like Giggs, he would have been praised as a genius.
Conversely, if Giggs had been born on the streets like Pesson, he might have faced the same fate.
As if possessed, Giggs spoke.
-Pesson, learn under me.
Pesson was a genius who worked just as hard as Giggs.
On top of that, he had a determination that Giggs lacked.
With the single-minded goal of making something of himself with just a hammer, Pesson even cut back on sleep to work harder, and his growth was astounding.
To the point where, in just five years, Giggs began to feel a slight sense of crisis from Pesson.
As time passed, the relationship between Pesson and Giggs deepened like wine.
While working in the forge, Pesson and Giggs were master and apprentice, but when drinking, they became friends.
Pesson was the only one who could acknowledge Giggs’s genius, and Giggs was the only one who could understand Pesson’s genius.
However, Giggs still considered Pesson beneath him.
The reason was that even though Pesson worked hard, Giggs was working just as hard, so Pesson would never catch up to Giggs.
And so, Giggs turned 25.
Giggs had learned all the techniques his father could teach him.
Giggs had now reached the stage where he needed to explore uncharted territories and conduct his own research.
Giggs began developing a new Terra alloy.
Developing a Terra alloy was an extremely difficult task even for Giggs.
Because Terra is highly sensitive to magic and the will of the user, if the mixture was wrong or if focus was lost even for a moment, it would turn into a useless lump of stone.
How much time had passed?
A few years later, Pesson also completed Giggs’s teachings and challenged himself to create a Terra alloy.
People were highly interested in the competition between the two, who were master and apprentice but also of the same age.
Rumors spread that if Pesson succeeded in developing a Terra alloy before Giggs, the position of Master might go to Pesson.
At that moment, for the first time, Giggs felt anxious.
The beggar apprentice he had taken in out of pity would take Giggs’s head and claim the position of Master?
That was something he could never tolerate.
Giggs devoted himself to developing the Terra alloy, even losing sleep over it.
He also didn’t forget to occasionally check on Pesson’s progress.
The alloy Giggs aimed to develop was the Anti-Wizard.
It was a special alloy made by mixing the rare anti-magic stone found in the demon realm.
On the other hand, the alloy Pesson aimed to develop was the Divine Punishment.
It was the most destructive alloy in the world, made by mixing Terra with lightning stone.
Unlike Giggs, who had the full support of his family, Pesson received no support.
The Hampton family would never allow the disgrace of Pesson succeeding in developing a Terra alloy before Giggs.
Nevertheless, Pesson stubbornly continued developing the Terra alloy, even taking out loans.
One year passed, then two, then five, then ten years since their competition began.
Giggs could see the end of the Anti-Wizard development.
It seemed like just a little more research would complete the Anti-Wizard’s formula.
In other words, it was clear that the position of Master would soon be Giggs’s.
But then, Pesson brought the documents detailing the formula, development process, effects, and production method of the Divine Punishment to Giggs’s father, who was the Master at the time.
Giggs didn’t want to believe that he had been defeated by Pesson. Pesson was supposed to have died 20 years ago.
Clearly, Pesson was someone Giggs had helped out of pity, like picking up a stray cat.
For such a person to surpass him and become the Meister? It felt like the dream Giggs had built his entire life was crumbling.
- What a shame. If only you had been a little faster, Pesson, you could have become the Master.
- Huh?
- Giggs has already developed the Anti-Wizard.
Giggs couldn’t respond to his father’s words.
It was true that the development of the Anti-Wizard was almost complete, but it wasn’t finished yet.
Yet, his father spoke as if Giggs had already completed it.
-Is that true? Giggs?
Pesson’s expression was hard to read.
Was he genuinely curious, or was he disappointed?
Was he drowning in a sense of defeat and frustration?
Pesson was a tough man who didn’t cry or admit fault even when he was beaten to the point of being crippled.
So, it was impossible to tell what emotion that unreadable expression held.
After a long silence, Giggs finally spoke.
-Yes, Pesson. I’m sorry it turned out this way.
Giggs didn’t know what expression he had when he said those words.
Only Pesson, standing across from him, would know.
After seeing Giggs’s expression, Pesson left without a word.
-Complete the Anti-Wizard development before this patent is approved. Son.
-The position of Meister was originally yours.
-It was a position you were meant to take.
-So, don’t get distracted by other things and focus solely on the development.
Giggs followed his father’s words.
The Anti-Wizard was completed a week after Pesson developed the Divine Punishment.
Thus, the Anti-Wizard officially became the 10th Terra alloy, and the Divine Punishment became the 11th.
After that, Giggs lived a life filled with honor and fame.
First, Giggs received confirmation from the emperor that he would inherit the position of Master after his father’s passing.
The Anti-Wizard developed by Giggs sold like hotcakes as shackles used to restrain criminal knights and demon race.
Countless blacksmiths flocked to learn under Giggs.
Investors went out of their way to pour money into Giggs’s hands.
Thus, Giggs’s forge grew to rival the Shalibi Library, and immense profits poured in.
On the other hand, Pesson’s life took a downward spiral.
Pesson had taken out massive loans to develop the Divine Punishment.
Despite developing the Divine Punishment, Pesson was constantly harassed by debt collectors.
Even working day and night to create and sell weapons, the debt was impossible to repay in his lifetime.
Eventually, Pesson, unable to handle his debt, sold the patent for the Divine Punishment to the Hampton family.
Around that time, Giggs sought out Pesson.
After developing the Anti-Wizard, Giggs hadn’t seen Pesson’s face. Seeing Pesson would shake the self-esteem Giggs had built over a lifetime.
However, upon hearing that Pesson had no home or money to set up a workshop, Giggs had no choice but to find him.
-Pesson, stay as the head blacksmith of my forge. I’ll pay you whatever you want.
Giggs thought this was the least he could do to apologize to Pesson. But Pesson’s response was far from what Giggs expected.
-What? Now that I can finally make the weapons I want without worrying about others, you want me to make what others want again?
Pesson became a beggar once more, just like 30 years ago.
But it wasn’t the same kind of beggar.
The poverty of 30 years ago was a threat to Pesson’s survival, but now it was just one of his choices.
-Those knights with crap for brains have no idea what weapons truly suit them!
-From now on, I’ll only take customers who know their own worth!
Pesson kept his word.
He bought a small plot of land on the outskirts of Shalibi, built a small hut, and turned it into his workshop.
Business didn’t go well.
Knights who came hearing of Pesson’s reputation were outraged when he presented them with unconventional weapons and refused to set foot in his forge again.
Yet, out of all the times Giggs had seen Pesson, he seemed the happiest now. The more Giggs saw Pesson’s happiness, the more miserable he felt.
Despite gaining wealth and fame, Giggs was weighed down by guilt and a sense of defeat toward Pesson. Even lying on a soft bed felt like lying on thorns, and eating delicious food felt like swallowing sand.
Then, an opportunity to restore his pride came to Giggs.
-Create a weapon for the hero.
If he could create the ultimate weapon for the hero who would slay the Demon King, perhaps he could prove that he was greater than Pesson. Maybe he could drive away this sense of defeat and frustration. Giggs asked Yan the same question he had asked all the knights.
-What kind of weapon do you want?
-I need a sword that can annihilate all demon races.
Yan presented a fragment of the Baptismal Sword.
The Blessing of Growth.
Giggs had heard the story of the Blessing of Growth.
The wielder of a sword made with this blessing would grow infinitely stronger but would also be prone to madness.
That’s why the last fragment of the Baptismal Sword had been sealed by the Dre Church… So why was it being given to the hero?
Giggs wanted to create the sword without using the Blessing of Growth, but it was clear that using it would result in the greatest sword in the world.
Giggs asked Yan another question.
-Why do you need to annihilate the demon race?
-Because they killed my family and friends.
Revenge.
The most intense and unquenchable source of energy, like a furnace.
A sword not for honor or justice, but purely for revenge. It would be powerful, but it would undoubtedly bring bloodshed.
However, Giggs believed that the greatest blacksmith was one who could clearly create the sword the knight desired. Even if the hero’s desired sword would bring bloodshed, Giggs had to create it.
For Yan’s revenge.
And for Giggs’s shattered pride.
***
Giggs looked into Raven’s eyes and spoke.
“Nameless is not a demonic sword.”
Raven saw the fluctuating magic waves around Giggs.
Giggs’s towering pride had crumbled, and his inferiority complex bound him.
“Master Giggs.”
“Yan was a Sword Master, but he wasn’t strong enough to face the Moon Knights who had lived for over 100 years. Do you think Yan could have become strong enough to face the Moon Knights without Nameless?”
Giggs gripped Nameless.
A lowly but intense desire flowed through Giggs’s hands.
Power and blood.
The instinct of destruction brushed against Giggs’s mind.
“Was it possible to slay the Demon King? Yan became so strong because of Nameless. That’s why Nameless is not a demonic sword but a holy sword.”
Giggs’s vision seemed to narrow.
“This is the greatest sword in the history of the empire. No one else…!”
“Awakening.”
When Raven cast a spell on Giggs, a shiver ran down his spine.
“Huh?”
Raven used telekinesis to take Nameless from Giggs’s hand.
“Let’s continue this story another time. You need time to think.”
“What I’m doing now…”
“Yan has been wielding Nameless for so long that its power has grown too strong. It can no longer be used.”
Raven stood up.
“I’ll return tomorrow, Master Giggs. Please organize your thoughts by then.”
As Raven left in a flash, Gloria followed her out.
***
Giggs blankly stared at their retreating figures.
Soon after, a servant cautiously approached.
“Master Giggs.”
“Prepare the carriage.”
Giggs stood up.
“I want to see an old friend.”