Chapter 759: A Double Celebration for the Barmul Alliance and the Minche Blacksmith Association (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 759: A Double Celebration for the Barmul Alliance and the Minche Blacksmith Association (2)
The eyes of Bul, Hammer, and Moru bulged as if they were about to pop out.
“You can heal Bailam?!”
“Is—is that really true?”
“I suppose you didn’t know. Our Barmul Alliance possesses a device called a Chaos Purifier. It can purify chaos corruption almost perfectly, provided the body hasn't begun to mutate.”
[Pi-pi, pi-i…]
Bailam let out a pained groan and sank back into the water. Even lifting his body for a moment seemed to be an exhausting ordeal.
“It’s not without its risks, though. We’ve never tested if the device works perfectly on monsters, and his size is truly immense.”
This was the first time Jin had seen a monster being consumed by chaos energy rather than strengthened by it.
“Young Master, please help us! If you do that for us…”
“If I do?”
When Jin cut him off, the executives flinched and glanced at one another.
“…We will forge a masterpiece specifically for you, Young Master.”
It might have sounded modest, but it was anything but. It meant that all the world’s greatest blacksmiths—excluding Picon—would join forces to create a single sword.
“I can just ask Lord Picon for something like that. You do know how close we are, don’t you?”
Of course, even if the three executives combined their strength, they couldn't compare to Picon.
“That is not what we meant.”
[We are very close. If it weren't for the Young Master, I would still be hiding inside that fellow Bin’s body.]
“Ahem! Then, what is it you desire?”
“Nothing in particular.”
“Nothing? Then why…”
“You were the one who spoke as if you were going to give me something, Bul. I simply intended to offer a favor. However…”
“However?”
“If you truly wish to repay me, how about joining the Barmul Alliance?”
“Are you demanding an exclusive contract?”
“I am well aware that the Association is a neutral power that doesn't interfere in worldly affairs. But we no longer live in an era where that is possible. This is a time when anyone with ability must choose a side. That is why even the Secret Palace and Nameless have abandoned their long traditions to gather under the banner of the Alliance.”
Since its founding, the Association had never belonged to any faction.
The executives' expressions grew serious. However, the heavy atmosphere did not stem from offense or hesitation regarding the proposal.
“…Regarding that matter, wasn’t the answer already decided the moment Lord Picon came to us?”
“As you can see, Lord Picon is an absolute existence to us. It’s not just symbolic; he has now truly become the God of Blacksmiths. Lord Picon’s will is our will.”
“As you just mentioned, Lord Picon is already close with you, Young Master, so wouldn't us joining the Alliance be the natural next step?”
“Those are satisfying answers, but your acceptance seems a bit too fast.”
“We were prepared for this to some extent. It’s not as if we’ve been completely ignoring the way the world is turning.”
“Our conclusion was that if we had to choose a side, it would be Runcandel or the Barmul Alliance, not Zipple. Blacksmiths naturally get along better with knights than mages, after all.”
Bul grinned and extended his hand toward Jin.
“We look forward to working with you. Even though we had already made up our minds, to be honest, it was a choice made out of necessity, so we weren't in the best of moods.”
“Is that why you were so rude when I arrived?”
“That’s just how we are. Regardless, after meeting you in person today, Young Master, I feel that this isn't such a bad thing.”
“It won't just be 'not bad.' A day will come when you'll think choosing me was the greatest stroke of luck in your lives.”
Jin smiled and grasped Bul’s hand. Now that they were family, he spoke with formal respect.
[This is good to see. Now that the talk seems mostly finished, let’s hurry and help Bailam. From what I hear, if he’s gone, it will cause a lot of setbacks for both the Association and the Barmul Alliance’s future plans.]
Physical mutation could happen instantly if one’s luck was poor, so they had to hurry. Although he had secured the Association within hours of arriving on the island, there was no time to indulge in the joy of it.
“I’ll go to Tikan and bring the purifier. It seems impossible to bring Bailam to Tikan. Siris, let’s go.”
Leaving Picon behind, Jin immediately headed for Tikan on Mort. Fortunately, Mort’s condition had improved significantly since the Land of the Malevolent God, so consecutive long-distance teleports weren't a major issue.
“Young Master? You’re back already?”
“Yes, Gilly. Things went very well.”
“Ooh, as expected of our Lord!”
“Jet, go grab the Chaos Purifier. I have to head back out.”
While Jet moved, Jin explained the situation to his comrades. It was simple enough that it didn't even need summarizing.
“Sir Hedo, please come with us this time. I believe we’ll need your monstrous strength.”
“Very well.”
Fortunately, Sandra had gone for a walk with Vail, so she didn't cause a scene demanding to come along.
[Bo-oh, oh-ohng…]
Arriving back at the island, Mort slumped down to catch his breath.
“You’ve returned!”
When they went underground and set down the purifier, the executives tilted their heads in doubt. They weren't questioning the device's performance, but they simply couldn't visualize the small machine handling Bailam’s massive frame.
“Bul, blow the horn again and call Bailam.”
When the horn sounded, Bailam surfaced significantly slower than before. Hedo dove into the sea and tied the prepared ropes around Bailam’s torso. Siris manifested the Authority of Ten Thousand Ice, forming a massive ice platform beneath the surface for Hedo to stand on.
“Jin, pull!”
Hedo pushed Bailam from below while Jin pulled from above. They were attempting to haul the massive creature out with pure physical strength.
Swoosh!
A moment later, Bailam was pulled up onto the hatch like a giant radish being uprooted.
“Oh, Bailam!”
“Wake up!”
The executives fussed over Bailam, hugging him, but to Jin’s relief, his condition wasn't too dire.
“The corruption is in its very early stages. If we’re lucky, it could be finished in a few days… no, maybe even by today. Provided the purifier works normally on monsters.”
They attached the purifier’s leads to various parts of Bailam’s body. The device immediately began to vibrate, and murky energy started being absorbed into the wires.
Every five minutes, Jin and Hedo put Bailam back into the water. Since his vitality was low, he couldn't survive for long outside the sea.
That laborious purification continued until nearly midnight.
[This fellow must be the first monster to be served so devotedly by the Young Master of Runcandel and the strongest man in the world.]
Even if it had taken a month instead of a day, it would have been worth it. Beyond the practical gain of nearly infinite Sea Steel, Bailam was essentially a member of the Alliance, just like the Association.
As the last of the chaos energy drained through the wires, Bailam’s skin began to glisten with a healthy sheen.
With the mold-like chaos energy gone, Bailam didn't look like a monster at all. He looked like an unknown, beautiful whale glowing a milky white.
“…If this is really a monster, then what the hell was I fighting in the Black Sea?”
Even Hedo, who prided himself on having encountered the most monsters in the world, had never seen such a beautiful creature.
“Who knows.”
[Pi-pi-pi! Pi-pi!]
Having regained his strength, Bailam let out a pleasant cry. He wriggled and tried to rub his body against them, clearly expressing his gratitude.
[You, savior. Me, debt, repay!]
Jin had heard during the treatment that Bailam had learned some human speech from the blacksmiths. He let out a chuckle, finding Bailam’s words endearing.
The blacksmiths were quite prone to tears. They began to weep again as they spoke to Bailam.
“Keep gathering Sea Steel like you do now and bring it to the blacksmiths.”
[Understood. But, something, lacking!]
“Do you know where the Sword Emperor’s Land is?”
[I know!]
“How many days does it take to swim there?”
[Three days!]
“What about when you’re carrying as much Sea Steel as you can?”
[Still three days.]
“How much can you carry?”
[About, my, weight!]
“Is that not difficult for you?”
[Piece of cake. Pi-pi-pi-pit. Light, stroll!]
Clap, clap. Jin found himself applauding instinctively.
According to Bailam, not only was the supply of steel secured, but the problem of transporting it to the Sword Emperor’s Land was solved in one go.
Furthermore, since it was an undersea transport, there was almost no chance of being detected by enemies.
‘Three days… no, even if I generously estimate a week, if we can move refined Sea Steel equivalent to Bailam’s weight to the Sword Emperor’s Land every time…'
There was no way they would run out of steel. They wouldn't even need to think about cost-cutting; they could pour steel into ship production and still have plenty left over.
Since they planned to transport steel from within the Empire as well, this was the perfect way to deceive the enemy.
[Is that, what, I, should do!?]
“Yes. I’ll let you know when we’re ready, so you can help us then.”
[Okay! I’m, hungry. Going, to eat!]
Splash!
Bailam dove back into the sea through the hatch. The blacksmiths were drenched in seawater as a result, but they looked perfectly happy nonetheless.
“Bailam has never once broken a promise, Young Master.”
“Our Association is the same.”
“Judging by what you said to Bailam, I think I have an idea of what you want, Young Master. You intend to mass-produce a fleet.”
“That is correct.”
“If you give us the blueprints for the parts, we will process them into the required shapes and send them to you. It will be much better if we send them in a state where they can be easily re-processed on-site.”
The Association wasn't just skilled in smithing. When it came to metalworking, no one could match the Association’s blacksmiths in any field.
The Barmul Alliance had secured the core materials and exclusive blacksmiths for fleet production, while the Association had rescued a friend and regained access to infinite Sea Steel. The group opened a bottle of wine and shared a brief moment to celebrate the double occasion. Everyone had much to do.
“I shall take my leave now. I suppose Lord Picon will be staying here.”
[I should. When you get back, pack up my hammer and belongings and send them over. The swords for Sir Hedo and the 7th Flagbearer are almost finished, so I’ll let you know as soon as they’re done.]
As he prepared to leave on Mort once more, Jin saw Bailam leaping out of the sea to say goodbye.
Along with a sense of satisfaction, he thought of those who had yet to return.
‘Now, I must go find Sister Luntia and Ruet.’