In Search of My Own Blacksmith

The Kaelen Master of the Red Castle, occupying that position in place of the true master.

His face, which I saw again in the Margrave's territory after so long, looked slightly different from before.

…What the hell? Did he put on makeup?

Even before, his skin had been far too white to pass for a man's. This time it looked like he'd slathered on the kind of thick cream only noble ladies would use.

Whatever the reason, his complexion was bright enough to reflect sunlight. I stood there dazed for a moment before belatedly pulling myself together and greeting him first.

"It's been a while, Master Kaelen. Is the construction progressing smoothly?"

Kaelen responded to my greeting with a relaxed smile and a nod. His face sparkled so intensely under the sun that it was honestly burdensome, but I kept my expression perfectly neutral until the end.

"Of course. Young Master Ideon… no, Guild Leader. We are mobilizing the finest ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠materials and manpower with the honor of the Red Castle on the line. This way, please."

"Excellent."

Following Kaelen's guidance, I stepped deep into the construction site. It was hard to believe this had been a wasteland boiling with toxins and curses just days ago. The entire area now overflowed with vitality.

The first thing that caught my eye was the majestic frame of the main mansion, already partially erected. The highest-grade lumber I'd specially ordered—trees that grew only in the southern continent—formed its massive skeleton. Mages clung to it, busily engraving reinforcement spells.

"The framing is currently forty percent complete, and the magic reinforcement is exactly halfway done. Given the lumber's exorbitant unit price, we're covering it with matching Sixth Circle defense magic."

Every time Kaelen unfolded the blueprints and continued his fluid explanation, sums of money beyond imagination poured from his mouth.

And at the same time—

"Huk…"

A pained groan slipped from Eleanor, who was following close behind me. Even while she frantically scribbled numbers in her diary, she was clearly tormented by the dilemma of this incomprehensible spending spree.

In her head she kept rationalizing it all as the guild leader's brilliant foresight to purify the wasteland and win the margrave's favor. But the merchant's instinct carved into her very bones seemed unable to endure the waterfall of gold coins vanishing before her eyes.

The gap moe of the usually cool, rational vice leader completely falling apart in front of money was almost too much. I barely held back my laughter, clasped my hands behind my back, and continued asking questions.

"The exterior of the main house and annex looks good. However, I'll need to start deploying the weapons I swept up from the Magic Kingdom soon. When will the castle walls ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠go up? And how many magic cannons do you plan to place, and where?"

"……."

At my question, Kaelen briefly lifted his eyes from the blueprints and scanned the surroundings. In the distance, ten burly workers were grunting as they hauled a massive chunk of metal suspended by ropes. It was one of the magitech cannons I'd imported directly from the Magic Kingdom, worth hundreds of gold coins each.

"Although the land's curse has been purified, this area borders the Forest of Disaster. We cannot rule out monsters or undead emerging from inside or outside at any time. Therefore, we are rapidly erecting the outer walls from the perimeter simultaneously with the main building construction."

He pointed to various spots across the site as he continued.

"Of the twelve magitech cannons, we plan to place three each on the highest-risk north and east walls. Only one each on the relatively safer south and west walls."

"What about the remaining four?"

"We intend to use all of them for the main mansion's defense. They'll be hidden across the rooftop and terraces so we can mount a final stand even if the walls are breached."

"Not a bad arrangement. Good. Proceed."

Satisfied that the weapons I'd bought by draining my secret funds were being placed quite convincingly, I nodded. After listening to a bit more about the annex's structure and interior decoration, we were finally able to wrap up the morning schedule.

At the same time, the bell signaling noon rang across the construction site. Dust-covered workers wiped sweat from their brows and gathered in small groups into the shade.

"Break time!"

"What's for lunch today?"

I didn't miss the chance to escalate the scale of waste even further.

"Everyone, let's eat first! Today the Calydia Merchant Guild has specially prepared a highest-grade special meal!"

At my signal, guild members appeared pulling carts piled mountain-high with lunch boxes. These were luxurious meals specially ordered from a nearby four-star restaurant, generously filled with rare southern spices and top-grade monster meat.

Not only the day laborers but even the Red Castle Guild members and our own people stood with mouths agape as they received the extravagantly expensive boxes.

"…Wow, Guild Leader! I've never eaten meat like this in my life!"

"As expected of the continent's top guild—their generosity is on another level!"

Cheers and praise poured in from every direction. I answered with a benevolent smile, savoring the pleasure of scattering money into the air.

After the food was distributed, I took a seat at the large table prepared beneath a tree's shade. Across from me sat Master Kaelen, still flaunting his dazzling makeup. On either side were Eleanor, who had been breaking out in cold sweat until moments ago, and Lillian, who watched her with pity.

"Everyone worked hard, so let's eat before it gets cold."

"…Originally I planned to tour the north a little during the remaining time, but things have gotten complicated, Father."

Aristocrats who valued appearances. As long as the work was done well, they didn't care what their subordinates did. Therefore they had assumed that Ideon Calydia—the new leader of the Calydia Merchant Guild who had imprinted his name on everyone from his debut with mana stone-grown fruit—would be that kind of noble.

But he was different.

"To be honest, it was truly unexpected. Among all the nobles Father was sick of hearing about, there really was a decent one. He even treated a mere commoner running a guild as an equal."

Kaelen, who had torn an expensive teleport scroll to briefly return home, let out a small sigh while gazing beyond the cold iron bars. At the end of his gaze was an old dwarf wearing shackles with thick chains dangling from both hands, who had locked himself inside a narrow iron cage. It was Bardin, the true master of the Red Castle Guild and Kaelen's father.

…Father, who used to tell me stories about such wonderful nobles whenever he had the chance, has collapsed like this first.

Kaelen looked at Bardin with lonely eyes for a moment, then slowly walked to the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠deepest part of the basement. In the slightly chilly air there stood a luxurious bed, and upon it lay a beautiful woman with emerald hair. With unfocused eyes staring into space, she mechanically swallowed the thin soup the maid spoon-fed her—like an elaborately made but lifeless doll.

Kaelen immediately dismissed the maid and gently stroked the woman's pale cheek.

"…It's been a while, Mother."

A human woman who had fallen in love with a dwarf and, after long effort, even borne a daughter. But the world's gaze had been cruel. Amid the scorn of being a filthy whore who coupled with another race, tragedy struck on a day when her husband Bardin was away on guild business. The mother, brutally trampled by groundless hatred and violence, eventually hardened into a state no different from a vegetable.

After that day Bardin went mad. Yet fearing his maddened self might kill humans, he entered the iron cage and crouched like a criminal. But Kaelen no longer felt anything when recalling that tragedy. Even seeing her insane father and nearly dead mother no longer brought anger or sadness. The emotion had long since dried up completely.

She indifferently bent down and lightly kissed her mother's cheek, then approached the iron cage where her father was confined once more.

"The Shackles of Wrath have already begun to crack. Even after all this time, is it becoming harder to control your rage and hatred? No… I'll replace it with a new one right away."

"……."

Bardin remained with his head bowed, shaggy beard hanging low. Before leaving, Kaelen explained his plan to his father.

"And… once the construction in the Margrave's territory is finished, I intend to head straight to the northernmost part of the continent."

The Winter Wind Forest, where freezing gales below zero blew year-round, bordering the Forest of Disaster.

"Information has come in that the Golden Ear Aurum—one of the thirteen disasters, a Beast of the Beginning, an Original Prisoner—resides there. They say it grants any wish in exchange for gold."

"Original Prisoner. Golden Ear Aurum…?"

"Yes. Not only the enormous payment from this commission, but even if it means staking all of the Red Castle's funds and its very fate… I will definitely obtain the miracle drug that can completely cure Mother."

Even as she said it, Kaelen already knew. The Original Prisoners were disasters that had committed sins and delivered despair to countless humans. No matter how much gold was offered, the wish would never come true.

At his daughter's declaration that she was essentially going to her death, the old dwarf slowly lifted his head with great effort.

"Kaelen… my one and only daughter…."

A heavily cracked voice echoed through the basement. Rattling his chains, Bardin shouted with difficulty.

"If even you… if even you leave this father, what am I supposed to do…."

A desperate plea any father would make. But Kaelen turned away without the slightest hesitation.

Clack, clack—!

The sound of footsteps without the slightest disturbance. They did not belong to her usual work boots climbing the basement stairs. She was wearing the shoes she had received as a gift long ago—the ones she had gradually enlarged with magic over the years, shoes of memory.

"From the day you chose Mother over me, it was already destined to end up like this."

Leaving her sobbing father clutching the chains in the darkness, Kaelen completely exited the basement. Afterward, before using the teleport scroll again to head to the Serbenrote Empire, she once more concealed her female body for comfortable activity and lowered her voice.

At the same time she looked up at the clear sky for a moment.

…I'm scared.

This wasn't what she'd worked so hard for all this time—to meet such an end. She had wanted to meet someone who would see her as she was and acknowledge her abilities. To live while taking care of her father and mother. Still, if it was that man Ideon Calydia, it was quite…

"No, it's all meaningless now."

If this keeps up, I'm really going to end up being revered as a hero of the empire's north.

The mansion racing toward completion with each ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠passing day, and Marbas Margrave's favorability skyrocketing without end. The picture being painted was completely different from the guild bankruptcy I'd intended through unimaginable spending—a horrific result.

Recalling the burdensome welcome from the northerners, who seemed ready to hang a giant laurel wreath around my neck at any moment, I picked up the magic communication orb on the desk.

If I delayed any longer, even the Iregos Principality matter might flow differently from my intentions. I needed to cross to the eastern continent as quickly as possible, deliver a stinging blow to the back of that arrogant successor's head, and fall into the role of a legendary swindler to properly tarnish the guild's reputation.

"Huu… I can do this."

I poured mana into the communication orb and entered the code the Iregos secretary had secretly left behind.

With a one-week time limit set, it was now time to prepare the worst defective military supplies to dump on the Iregos Principality.

However, crude lumps of iron wouldn't fool the picky principality nobles. They had to look, at first glance, as brilliant and magnificent as an imperial treasure sword granted by the emperor himself. Yet the moment mana was injected on the battlefield, they needed to shatter more pathetically than a rotten wooden sword wielded by a neighborhood child.

To mass-produce such miraculously beautiful pieces of trash in a short time, an ordinary honest craftsman—or even a regular swindler—wouldn't suffice.

There must be someone in the back alleys who can perfectly meet my demanding requirements.

I mobilized even my original knowledge to quickly scan every rumor and back-alley forge across the empire. Just where was the personal blacksmith who could create weapons that looked flawless on the outside but were hollow inside hiding?