Chapter 142
Chapter 142
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 142
Chapter Title: The Kidnapped Princess (2)
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Yuri's eyes sparkled brighter than ever as he uttered the word "bet."
Se-kyung's brow furrowed slightly at the sight.
"…Bet?"
"Yeah. Bet."
"What kind of bet?"
"Whether I can master even half of the metallurgy techniques you teach me, or all of them."
"Hah! Did you hear what I said through your ass? I told you that even if you slave away your whole life, you won't master even half of what I teach! So now you're asking me to stick by your side forever and teach you metallurgy?"
"Of course not."
"Then quit the nonsense…."
"Five."
"…?"
"Out of the five metallurgy techniques you teach me, more than half—that is, if I master three or more—then I win this bet. In that case, Old Man Kongsul will teach me everything about metallurgy and alchemy from now on, no complaints."
Se-kyung's face stiffened.
He glared at Yuri in silence for a moment before finally speaking.
"…And if you fail?"
"Well, obviously Old Man Kongsul wins."
"No, what I mean is, what do I get if you fail?"
"You decide that. Whatever you want when you win."
"What I want?"
Se-kyung's pupils trembled as he murmured softly.
All sorts of emotions flickered briefly across his face.
What on earth could he be thinking?
After a long moment of contemplation, he spoke, his voice thick with longing.
"…Pardon for my sins."
"Pardon for sins?"
"A long time ago, the Goll tribe received a favor from the founding head of the Redner family. That year, the Goll tribe crafted a seal for the Redner head and promised that when the seal was returned, they would grant any one request."
"So?"
"Use the Redner seal to make a request to the Goll tribe. Say you want Se-kyung Walker's sins pardoned. Ask them to annul his exile as if it never happened!"
"Exile? You… it wasn't just a simple ten-year dispatch?"
It seemed the Bluebird's information wasn't entirely accurate.
And what crime could he have committed to warrant exile?
Se-kyung offered no reply to Yuri's shock.
He simply met Yuri's gaze in silence.
Beneath the onslaught of his eyes—as if to say this was the only thing he desired—Yuri scratched his cheek.
"Hmm… so to make that request, I need the Redner family seal?"
"That's right."
"What if the seal's request has already been used?"
"At least until I left, nothing like that had happened. It's a request made upon returning the head's seal. They wouldn't use it unless the family's fate hung on the brink of ruin."
"Fine. Fair enough… but like I said earlier, I'm not Old Man Yohan's disciple. And I'm definitely not from the Redner family. How's someone like me supposed to get my hands on a family seal?"
"That's not my problem. Figuring out how to get it is your job."
"……."
"And this isn't just anything—it's Goll tribe metallurgy and alchemy. The purified essence that this Se-kyung Walker perfected over a lifetime. If you want that, shouldn't the stakes be equally worthy?"
"…Well, can't argue with that."
Yuri nodded as if convinced.
‘The Redner family seal…’
A family seal—no, the head's seal—had to be a vital item.
Yuri didn't dwell deeply on how to obtain it.
He had only one thought.
‘Redner seal or whatever, I just need to win the bet, right?’
Was there any point in considering defeat?
Yuri had never once failed to learn or master anything in his life.
Thus, he trusted himself this time as well.
No—more precisely, he trusted his talent.
‘Is the Goll tribe's metallurgy superior, or is my talent?’
Yuri, of course, believed the latter.
Even Goll tribe metallurgy—he was confident he could master at least three out of five.
If only they taught him properly.
That unshakeable confidence was why he'd boldly proposed the bet to Se-kyung.
Yuri extended his hand toward Se-kyung without hesitation.
"Alright. If I lose, I'll somehow procure that Redner family seal for you. Your turn?"
Se-kyung thrust out his hand in kind.
"Deal! If I lose, I'll pass on every scrap of metallurgy and alchemy knowledge I possess, holding nothing back!"
Clack.
As their hands clasped lightly, the bet was sealed.
Sparks flew between the gazes of Yuri and Se-kyung.
‘This one, I can't lose!’
‘I will win this bet, no matter what!’
The brief but fierce clash of wills seemed to conclude as their hands parted.
Until Se-kyung spoke again, that is.
"Ah, but here's the thing. You, who's not even prepared with the basics… do you really think you can master my metallurgy?"
"What're you saying? Backing out now?"
"Backing out? So you're planning to learn metallurgy without even the bare minimum tools?"
"Can't you provide them, old man?"
"Why should I?"
"Tch. Stingy as ever."
"Have you no shame? Anyway, if you want to learn metallurgy from me, gather the three things I name within a month. Fail, and this bet's mine before it even begins."
Yuri scowled at Se-kyung's jab.
"Out with it—what are those three things?"
Se-kyung spread three fingers and named the items one by one.
He then gazed at Yuri with smug satisfaction.
"Well? Think you can prepare them in a month?"
His eyes gleamed as if he already knew Yuri couldn't.
Yuri responded with a radiant smile.
"Psh, that's all? Piece of cake?"
"…Huh?"
"Great. Come back in a month. I'll have everything ready and waiting."
"……."
Se-kyung's lips twitched at Yuri's brimming confidence.
But the expression vanished in an instant.
‘Bluffing little punk!’
The red armband on Yuri's shoulder proved he was a fresh first-year in Yollam.
Se-kyung was certain.
Yuri couldn't possibly prepare what he'd demanded.
‘Not even fourth- or fifth-years could pull this off easily.’
Especially since one of the three wasn't something you could just acquire.
"Go on, give it your best shot. I'll be back in a month."
"Suit yourself."
"Fine!"
Se-kyung waved dismissively—as if daring him to try—before striding away briskly.
Only after Se-kyung had vanished completely did Theresia and the others approach Yuri.
"What happened?"
"What were you two talking about?"
"Hungry?"
Amid the flurry of questions, Yuri abruptly thrust his hand toward Arin and Poppi.
"Hey, hand yours over too."
"…Huh?"
"Hungry?"
Question marks popped up over their heads at the out-of-nowhere demand.
* * *
Spring had only just begun, leaving a lingering chill in the air.
Yet one spot in Yollam always brimmed with scorching heat.
None other than Yollam's massive workshop complex.
Ever-roaring giant forges and blacksmiths dripping sweat.
Towering kilns where potters shaped glass and ceramics.
Leatherworkers, jewelers, painters, and more.
A hub of elite artisans from every craft—Yollam's super-sized workshop.
The busiest corner by far was the smithy.
Clang! Clang!
Each hammer blow rang out with crisp, satisfying echoes.
Sparks scattered in every direction.
Sizzle.
Billowing steam accompanied red-hot ingots as they gradually took form, production never ceasing.
The bulk of output? Weapons and armor.
With responsibilities covering Yollam and even Black Sword Legion resupplies, arms and gear were naturally the highest-consumption items.
That day, as usual, the smithy's top overseer was inspecting goods bound for the Black Sword Legion when a soldier approached and handed over a single sheet of paper.
The moment he unfolded and read it, the overseer froze solid.
"……?!"
Nearing sixty yet still hands-on, leading the forge with undimmed vigor.
He'd started as an apprentice in Yollam's smithy and spent decades there since.
But even he had never encountered such an outrageous request.
"Huh…."
The paper clutched in his hand.
A standard gear fabrication order.
More precisely, a consolidated requisition from Black Sword members' yearly fabrication allotments.
Dozens of items listed.
Most were routine—no surprises there.
But tacked on at the very end?
Three inexplicable additions.
- Sturdy metallurgy hammer, strongly recommended by active blacksmiths.
- Sturdy anvil even active blacksmiths covet.
The first two were somewhat passable.
The real kicker lurked last.
- Blazing furnace beloved by active blacksmiths (installation requested at specified site).
A first in his decades-long career—he couldn't help but chuckle in disbelief.
"Hah… hahaha! What kind of lunatic is behind this?"
And so, a full month passed since that bizarre fabrication request landed.
* * *
April bloomed in full splendor.
Se-kyung strolled lightly through the northern woods, thick with spring's fragrance.
His destination: the site of his bet with Yuri.
Not a trace of worry marred his leisurely gait, like a man out for a pleasant ramble.
"Shall I see if that kid managed to prepare anything?"
He voiced it casually, but deep down? ‘Fat chance.’
This visit was really just to gawk at Yuri's long face.
And why not? The three items he'd demanded of Yuri.
Hammer.
Anvil.
Furnace.
Metallurgy essentials—no first-year rookie could snag them easily.
Hammer and anvil, maybe. But a furnace? Impossible.
‘If he somehow pulls that off, I'll eat my words! As if!’
Yet soon enough, Se-kyung confronted a sight that forced him to do just that.
"Th-this… h-how in the…?! "
A month prior, the spot had been a barren clearing. Now, a heat-belching behemoth dominated it.
No mistaking it—a furnace.
Not some half-baked mock-up, either. A genuine, fully functional masterpiece.
Its construction screamed durability, ready for immediate use, and it already radiated fierce warmth.
Four figures clustered before it.
"Hey, Arin! Wake up! You're late! I said flip it right away—didn't I? Gonna keep spacing out?"
"…Not late at all. Hasn't burned yet?"
"Even 0.1 seconds late ruins the meat! Grilling's soul is the flip timing! Want it tasty? Flip the instant I say."
"Got it."
Huddled together, Yuri and his friends committed the sacrilege of grilling meat over the holy furnace.
"Now! Flip!"
At Yuri's bark, Theresia, Arin, and Poppi flipped their cuts in perfect sync.
Wielding the trio like personal servants, Yuri spotted Se-kyung approaching from behind and waved his left hand.
"Oh, Old Man Kongsul's here?"
His greeting brimmed with cheer, but Se-kyung had eyes only for one thing.
Raging curiosity consumed him.
He rushed to Yuri and demanded.
"H-how? Explain!"
"What?"
"That furnace… where'd it come from?"
"Oh, this? Had it made."
"For who?"
"Yollam."
"And they… made it?"
"Yep."
"Yollam's insane? Built this? Why?!"
"No clue. Asked 'em, and they did."
"Im-Impossible…."
Yuri shrugged at Se-kyung's slack-jawed stupor.
Truth be told, even Yuri chalked it up to sheer luck.
He'd had a gear fab right in hand at the time.
Se-kyung's demands totaled exactly three items.
And he'd had two friends ripe for "borrowing" their fab rights from.
Thus, hammer and anvil seemed straightforward via requisition.
The furnace? Total wildcard.
His backup: request it outright; if denied, dig up build specs and craft it himself.
But lo and behold?
Yollam approved.
And it didn't stop there.
[You the punk? Who dropped this freak order?]
The chief artisan from Yollam's forge even showed up personally—hammer and anvil in tow—to install the furnace himself.
Yuri gestured to the tools the man had left behind.
"So? Basics squared away?"
Snapping back, Se-kyung nodded with a sour grimace.
"…More than enough."
Yuri's hammer, anvil, and furnace weren't makeshift—they were pro-grade, fit for any working smith.
No room left to complain.
Time to teach the real metallurgy.
One snag, though.
"What happened to your arm?"
Se-kyung's eyes fixed on Yuri's right arm, swathed in white cloth propped by splints.
Broken, plain as day.
Yuri lifted the injured limb slightly at the question.
"Oh, this?"
His mind drifted back a few days.
* * *
It was day two post-furnace install.
Also the day Theresia hit him with an intriguing ask.
Yuri blinked and echoed her.
"So… you want my help with a quest?"