Chapter 278: Congratulatory Delegation, Unexpected Encounter (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 278: Congratulatory Delegation, Unexpected Encounter (4)
“Wh-whoa…!”
Bin jumped in surprise, his eyes darting around frantically.
But no matter how hard he searched, the source of the strangely resonant voice was coming from inside his own head.
[What are you doing, Bin Branche? Seize it at once!]
The voice urging him on belonged to the God of Blacksmiths.
In Jin’s past life, Bin had first communicated with the God of Blacksmiths five years from now. However, because Jin had sought him out early, history was already changing.
And that voice wasn't just audible to Bin Branche.
He wants him to take Bradamante? No, why can I hear the God of Blacksmiths' voice too?
Generally, it was extremely difficult for anyone but a contractor to hear a god’s voice. It required either a prayer powerful enough to attract the deity’s attention or for the god to descend directly through an avatar.
However, Jin had experienced something similar on Island 32 of the Blue Bird Archipelago.
Is it because Bradamante, like Sigmund and Gram, has a close relationship with the God of Blacksmiths?
While Jin pondered this, Bin looked utterly lost. He glanced around a few more times, searching for the source of the voice, but eventually concluded it was a hallucination and turned to thank Jin.
“I—uh, thank you! My lord, I owe you my life. It seems you came here to save me, so if you could tell me your name… H-eek!”
Bin, who had been bowing his head, let out a bizarre shriek and scrambled backward.
“Wh-what is this!”
[Strike him! Bin Branche, use this sword! The energy coming off that fellow is most unpleasant.]
Clang, screech…!
Bin was terrified because a sword was suddenly forming in his hand. Black shards of iron, appearing out of thin air, swirled around him.
At the same time, a sharp glint appeared in Jin’s eyes.
The metal is forming a sword…!?
This was another phenomenon Jin had witnessed before.
The Kinzelo Leader. Back in Old Oterium, that man had manipulated metal to create swords and doors in the exact same way.
[I shall lend you my authority, so subdue him and take Bradamante. Bin Branche, you may be confused, but you are my contractor. You have been since the moment you were born. I am the God of Blacksmiths and your ancestor. If you follow my words now, I shall begin training you in earnest.]
The God of Blacksmiths was completely unaware that Jin could also hear his voice.
Bin, on the other hand, was frantic with worry that Jin might be hearing it—though he couldn't be sure, since Jin showed no outward reaction.
“My lord! J-just in case you misunderstand, I have to say this. I have no idea what this voice is, and I—I'm just grateful you saved me, so why is a sword suddenly appearing in my hand, aaaaah!”
Swish!
Bin swung the sword.
It wasn't a mere threat; it was a strike clearly intended to split Jin in two, starting from the crown of his head. The blade was even coated in Aura.
Jin dodged it with a light step.
[Bin, what are you doing? I am lending you my strength, and I even showed you how. Attack him at once; I will continue to assist you. Judging by his movements, the lad knows his way around a blade.]
Naturally, that last strike hadn't been Bin’s will. The God of Blacksmiths had simply forced his body to move.
“My lord! Can you hear this voice? This isn't me! Something is controlling my body!” Bin shouted, his face pale with terror.
[That fellow cannot hear my voice. Listen to me! Bin, you must take my masterpiece.]
“Get out of my body, you evil spirit!”
Jin felt like he was watching a ridiculous one-man play. However, as absurd as it was, the words spoken by the God of Blacksmiths were packed with interesting information.
The God of Blacksmiths called Bradamante his masterpiece and said he was Bin’s ancestor. It’s as if he’s claiming to be Picon Minche himself.
Furthermore, he possessed the ability to manipulate iron, just like the Kinzelo Leader. It seemed a conversation with this so-called God of Blacksmiths was in order.
“Bin Branche.”
“My lord! I'm so sorry, for a mad spirit to possess me at a time like this…”
“I know that attacking me wasn't your intention. It must be the will of that ‘evil spirit’ calling himself the God of Blacksmiths. He’s making quite a fuss about taking Bradamante.”
Bin nodded vigorously, tears welling in his eyes.
“That's right!”
The God of Blacksmiths, meanwhile, reacted with shock.
[What? You… you can hear my voice?]
Calling him ‘this fellow’ and ‘that fellow’ and resorting to violence upon their first meeting—and against the benefactor who had just saved his own contractor, no less. At this point, even if the opponent was a god, Jin saw no need to show any respect.
“I hear you loud and clear, you fiend.”
[Hmph, how peculiar. To think you could hear my voice… But you lowly human! Who are you calling a fiend? I am the great God of Blacksmiths, Picon Minche!]
The God of Blacksmiths known to the world was Groller, not Picon Minche.
“The God of Blacksmiths is Groller, not Picon Minche.”
[Ha! Groller, right. There was a time when such a fellow held that title. But the smithing of this Picon Minche was superior. Groller is dead. Though there's no way a pipsqueak like you would know of such a grand tale.]
“You're talking nonsense.”
[Where did you get Bradamante? Hand it over. If you do, I shall overlook your insolence and kill you without pain.]
By then, Bin had lost all control as Picon took over his body. His eyes turned white and glowed faintly, and the hand gripping the sword was filled with murderous intent.
However, it wasn't a perfect descent like when Paitel had borrowed Julian’s body in the Blue Bird Archipelago. Picon had not yet accumulated enough ‘divinity’ to perform a full possession, so he was limited to forcibly seizing his contractor's body.
Neither Jin nor Picon—who was, in a sense, a ‘novice god’—knew this fact.
“Listen, Picon Minche. You keep talking about killing me, but can you actually back those words up?”
[Heh! Did you think my comment about you being decent with a sword was a compliment…?]
Snicker.
Jin let out a small laugh.
As soon as I return to the family, I end up fighting twice because of Bradamante.
Instead of revealing that he was a Runcandel, Jin plunged Bradamante into the ground. Thud!
“Take it, if you can.”
[You brat!]
As Picon rushed forward, metal gathered once again. Following the sword, armor and a shield formed around Bin’s body. Jin watched the ability closely as the metal instantly created new equipment.
I've never heard of the God of Blacksmiths having such an authority, but seeing it again, it's far too similar to the Kinzelo Leader's power.
However, he could now see a clear difference. The Leader's authority was definitely a level higher. While the equipment Picon forged was somewhat crude, the Leader's swords and doors had possessed a sense of perfection.
Did the Kinzelo Leader absorb the power of Groller, the original God of Blacksmiths? Or perhaps the Leader absorbed Groller himself, like a Demon God Stone?
The thought suddenly crossed his mind that if the position of the God of Blacksmiths had become vacant, Picon Minche might have filled that spot to become the new god.
Regardless, Picon Minche's combat power isn't threatening.
Picon’s martial prowess was so mediocre that Jin couldn't fathom where his arrogance came from.
Whack!
Jin dodged the sword and threw a straight punch.
Crack…!
The shield shattered into pieces with a single blow. Only then did Picon realize he had made a grave mistake.
It wasn't because the shield had broken from a casual punch. It wasn't even because Jin had destroyed the armor along with it and now looked ready to strike again.
[Spirit Energy…!?]
It was the black energy swirling around Jin’s fist. In Picon’s understanding, possessing Spirit Energy meant having the right to own Bradamante.
[Wait! Th-there has been a misunderstanding! You are Solderet’s…!]
Jin flinched the moment he heard the name Solderet but decided to pretend he hadn't. He felt he needed to land at least one more punch.
Crack!
Struck squarely on the jaw, the possessed Bin rolled backward several times.
“What did you say?”
At Jin’s question, Picon scrambled to his feet and shrieked through Bin’s mouth.
[Dammit! Why didn't you say from the start that you are Solderet’s contractor!]
“Did you give me a chance to speak? And why does that matter?”
[Even if I didn't, you should have revealed it yourself!]
Though he was still squawking, Picon’s tone was now laced with a strange hint of welcome. Jin could sense that the initiative had shifted completely to him just by showing a flicker of Spirit Energy.
“Stop talking nonsense and apologize. If you do, I'll let your insolence slide.”
Picon’s brow furrowed. But he had nothing to say.
[My apologies. At first, I only felt a strange energy from you, so I didn't imagine you would be Solderet’s contractor.]
“Oh, how unexpected. I thought you'd be foaming at the mouth with more curses. By the way, a strange energy?”
Picon pointed to Sigmund, which was hanging at Jin’s waist.
[Now that I look at it, I think I was mistaken because of that bizarre sword filled with malice. I don't know the details, but it looks like a blade that has slain many gods and sealed their divinity… That's probably why I felt such extreme unpleasantness the moment I saw you.]
What Picon had felt was his ‘divine instinct.’ Since Picon had become a god relatively recently, he didn't know about the war between the Pluto Tribe and the gods half a millennium ago. Nevertheless, he felt an indescribable revulsion toward the aura of Sigmund, a sword that both slew and sealed gods.
In the midst of that, seeing Jin with Bradamante as well, he had simply thought he had to retrieve it at all costs.
A brief silence followed.
[What is your name? You must be a Runcandel, a descendant of Temar.]
“I am Jin Runcandel.”
[Fine, Jin Runcandel. A thousand years ago, when Solderet appointed me as a god, he said this.]
Even if the position of the God of Blacksmiths had become vacant as Jin deduced, and no matter how close Picon Minche’s smithing was to the divine, it was impossible for a mere human to obtain divinity on his own. Solderet had used his own power and status to make him a god.
[He said that to the one among those contracted with the shadows who brings Bradamante or Barisada, I must reveal the land where Temar was first buried. Furthermore, he told me to reforge that man's sword one final time.]