Chapter 64
Chapter 64
The Martial Alliance's Forge (1)
The next day.
Before he knew it, the sun had risen high in the sky.
With a creak, the inn's door swung wide open.
Se-woon stretched his arms and stepped outside.
Though he usually started his day at the crack of dawn, today he didn't move until well into the afternoon.
'Hah, the stronger my Poison Arts become, the harder it is to get drunk. What a damn shame.'
Last night, he had been dragged into an unplanned drinking session by Jang So-pyeong, who kept rambling about friendship, and only managed to return in the early hours.
Se-woon began walking aimlessly through the streets of Kaifeng, alone.
Yeo-seon was still sprawled out asleep in the inn, and his sister, Se-rin, had left a note saying she'd received word from old friends in Kaifeng and would return as soon as possible after meeting them.
But for Se-woon, this was actually a good thing.
As he had told the two of them yesterday, he wasn't in any hurry to head to the Martial Alliance.
'Noona has suffered enough. She deserves some peace and rest.'
Whether it was Yeo-seon or Tang Se-rin, he genuinely hoped they could enjoy their own free time.
As for himself, he had decided to take today off to recover from the lingering fatigue of his journey.
"Hey, young man! Try our dumplings! They're delicious!"
"Sir, our chef has prepared a special Dongpo pork dish today. Would you like it for lunch?"
"Double or nothing! Guess right, and you'll win twice the bet!"
Se-woon took in the peaceful sights of Kaifeng as he strolled leisurely.
But before long, his expression darkened as he sank deep into thought.
'The Beggars' Sect turned out even better than I expected. With this, I only need to deal with one of the remaining two factions.'
It wasn't that his desire to enjoy this brief respite had faded.
He simply couldn't help it.
Those who have experienced war can never return to the innocence they once knew.
Kreee!
Kraaak!
The peaceful streets of Kaifeng kept overlapping with the horrific scenes of carnage from before the Blood Cult's invasion.
'......Calm down, Tang Se-woon. This isn't real.'
Se-woon gritted his teeth so hard they might have shattered, forcing himself to think of something else.
Fortunately, the visions gradually faded.
Relieved, he turned his thoughts back to his next plans at the Martial Alliance.
'Hmm, with the Plum Blossom faction, there's no way to make contact right now. It'd be better to focus on the old monk. That leaves only the Great Elder.......'
The position of Divine Doctor was firmly held by Boyeon, the Tiger-Subduing Divine Doctor.
But the title of Divine Craftsman remained vacant.
Currently, there were only two figures in the Central Plains considered worthy of the title.
'Baek Myo-gong and Heuk Ye-gong.'
Baek Myo-gong, Seo Jung-dal, the leader of the Baekya Iron Gang—the largest and most prestigious forge in the Central Plains, hailed as the number one craftsman in the world.
And hot on his heels, the second-ranked craftsman, Heuk Ye-gong, Dong Cheon-rip, who oversaw the Martial Alliance's main forge.
And—
The authority to grant access to the main forge, which Se-woon had demanded as part of his compensation from the Martial Alliance, lay solely with the Great Elder, Dong Cheon-rip.
Truthfully, even as he made his three demands to the Martial Alliance, Se-woon had doubted whether the forge access would be possible.
'There's no way Heuk Ye-gong would allow some junior from a minor sect to use his forge without acknowledging him as a craftsman.'
That was the crux of the matter.
Se-woon, who considered himself more a craftsman than a martial artist, knew one thing for certain.
The 'pride' of those who lived by the craft of blacksmithing could also be read as 'arrogance.'
No matter how grave a mistake or insult the Martial Alliance had committed, Dong Cheon-rip would never allow just anyone to set foot in his forge.
"......As a Martial Alliance elder, I'll have to settle this directly with the Great Elder......"
But thanks to Abbess Geumhwa's relentless efforts, Dong Cheon-rip had reluctantly given his permission.
That was why Se-woon had received the invitation from the Martial Alliance so quickly.
Yet Se-woon had a hunch.
No, he was certain.
Dong Cheon-rip's permission was only half-hearted.
He might allow Se-woon into the forge and even hand him a hammer.
But he would never grant him access to the true 'flame.'
'Hmph, you asked to borrow the forge. You never said anything about borrowing the fire.'
Dong Cheon-rip would undoubtedly say something like that.
'But I need that forge.'
Still, he couldn't give up.
The reason Se-woon had demanded access to the Martial Alliance's forge was for its special-grade furnace—one only acknowledged master craftsmen could use.
To forge new Divine Artifacts, he needed that flame.
'Hmm, to use the special-grade furnace, I'll have to leave a deep impression on Dong Cheon-rip as a craftsman.......'
Just as Se-woon's thoughts stretched on—
[......Ignoring me again...... That beggar bastard...... Just because she's pretty.......]
Se-woon's face twisted in irritation.
A gloomy, grating voice echoed in his ears.
He had been trying to ignore it, but this had been going on since earlier.
"Damn it, stop muttering in my ear with Sound Transmission."
Se-woon finally snapped, glaring at the empty ground as he spoke.
But it wasn't a monologue.
[Hmph, I'll keep muttering all I want, you stingy bastard.]
The reply came from the assassin hiding in his own shadow—Mumyeong.
Se-woon let out a hollow laugh, too exasperated to respond.
"Why the hell have you been throwing a tantrum since yesterday?"
[You agreed to be friends with that beggar bastard, but when I asked, you flat-out refused!]
"What kind of lunatic befriends an assassin who tried to kill them?"
[......Ahem. That was all a misunderstanding.]
"Good heavens. Since when is stabbing someone in the gut a 'misunderstanding'?"
Mumyeong hesitated at Se-woon's retort before pressing on.
[By lineage, I'm your master's younger brother! As your martial uncle, I'm making a huge concession by offering friendship!]
"Which is why I said I don't need that concession."
[Tch! Do you have any idea how exhausting it is to lurk in your shadow all day? Yesterday, I nearly died following you into that beggar's den! The stench alone was unbearable!]
"Who asked you to hide in my shadow? You did that on your own."
[Why are you so strict with me?!]
Se-woon could practically feel Mumyeong trembling in outrage from within the shadow.
He stifled a laugh, biting his lip to keep it in.
When else would he get the chance to tease an old acquaintance like this?
Just then—
Murmur, murmur.
'Hm?'
The street ahead was packed with people, so crowded that not even a single person could pass through.
A crowd had gathered like a swarm of clouds around a notice posted on a wall.
"What in the world?!"
"Seriously? They'll hire anyone with experience on the spot?"
"If I get picked, it's a golden opportunity!"
"You think assistant work is easy? That's why they've plastered these notices on every wall in Kaifeng."
"Right, the original workers all ran away because it was too tough."
"I heard the boss has a terrible temper."
"Ugh, but it's still a great chance......"
Judging by their reactions, the commotion was over some recruitment notice.
What could it possibly say to cause such a stir?
Slip.
Se-woon seamlessly blended into the crowd and read the notice in full.
'This is......!'
His eyes gleamed with sudden interest.
For some reason, the corners of his lips curled into a faint smile.
Just as stealthily as he had entered, Se-woon slipped back out of the crowd.
[Mumyeong.]
[Hmph, what now?]
[I'll agree to your request if you do something for me.]
[Oh? What is it?]
[I need a Human-Skin Mask.]
[Oh! I've got plenty of those. Easy.]
Since Se-woon had already stepped into a secluded alley, Mumyeong's hand emerged from the shadows and handed him the mask.
The moment Se-woon took it—
[Alright, deal. Now get out of my shadow.]
[?!]
He snatched the mask and immediately kicked Mumyeong out.
For Mumyeong, it was utterly baffling, but Se-woon had no choice.
With the assassin tagging along, he couldn't enter his next destination.
The notice on the wall read:
< Martial Alliance Main Forge - Blacksmith Assistants Wanted >
"New recruits, line up over here."
"Yes, sir!"
The deputy blacksmith of the main forge led the newly hired assistants inside.
About a dozen recruits stood stiffly at attention, sweat dripping down their backs.
The deputy clicked his tongue as he looked them over.
'Tch, not a single decent one in the bunch.'
Due to the rushed hiring process, the quality of the recruits was abysmal.
But there was no helping it.
Three days ago, every single first-year apprentice had deserted overnight, forcing them to scramble for replacements.
Just then, the deputy's brow furrowed as he noticed something.
'What's with that guy?'
Among the nervous recruits, one stood with a slight limp.
The deputy tried to memorize his face, but it was oddly indistinct—utterly forgettable, the kind of face you'd pass by on the street without a second glance.
'Tch, they'll all quit soon enough anyway.'
Clearing his throat, the deputy raised his voice.
"What are you standing around for?! Once introductions are done, get to your stations! We're starting work now!"
"Y-Yes, sir!"
The recruits were quickly assigned to senior blacksmiths, one by one.
The limping assistant was paired with Palmo, a veteran blacksmith.
"I'm Unhwi."
"Don't care about your name. Just start working the bellows."
Palmo didn't even glance at the new recruit, his tone icy.
The assistants' task was simple: operate the bellows to maintain the forge's heat while the seniors worked.
Though it seemed like a menial job, controlling the fire's intensity was crucial—directly affecting the quality of the work.
Normally, it took at least a year or two of coordination between blacksmith and assistant to produce good results.
Palmo had no expectations for these new recruits.
'Hah, just endure it. The Baekya Iron Gang promised emergency reinforcements in a week......'
The Martial Alliance, aware of the unprecedented situation, had paid exorbitant wages to borrow blacksmiths from the Baekya Iron Gang.
Until they arrived, the main forge would only handle repairs on practice weapons.
But then—
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
The new recruit was working the bellows with flawless rhythm.
'Huh? This guy's not bad......'
"What are you doing? Aren't you going to forge?"
"Ah! S-Sorry."
Palmo snapped out of it and began hammering.
As he worked, a sudden thought struck him.
Wait, why did I just apologize to him?
"Tch, you're distracting me."
"R-Right."
But every time his focus wavered—
Unhwi's perfectly timed guidance snapped him back on track.
Strangely, it reminded Palmo of his own harsh training under his seniors......
Gulp.
"?!"