Chapter 44: Question (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 44: Question (1)
Joaquin Academy.
A prestigious institution with a storied 700-year tradition and a reputation as the best in the world.
Because it was a place where the children of world-class aristocrats gathered, all its affiliated facilities were of the highest industry standards.
The students, whose sense of money was on a different level, were a major draw for businesses; they opened their wallets freely regardless of the prices.
Perhaps that was why every establishment—from the campus mart to the gym, cafes, and restaurants—could only open after passing rigorous censorship and demanding evaluations. This held true for the Joaquin Academy Blacksmith Shop as well.
Wieland, a blacksmith from Norway, had been established here for fifteen years.
It was said that every student at the academy entrusted their armaments to Wieland at least once during their time there. Countless weapons had passed through his hands.
Though he had a somewhat worldly personality, Wieland’s skills were at the pinnacle of the industry, and even the most fastidious clients were satisfied with the armaments he touched.
However, a rather unpleasant punctuation mark had recently been placed on his otherwise smooth career.
About two weeks ago, a boy carrying a long, single-edged sword had visited Wieland’s forge.
He was a first-year student with rare black eyes and hair. For some reason, the tips of his hair were tinged with gray. Judging by the black color of his name tag, he was a special admission student.
To Wieland, who did not come from a line of heroes, a student’s background wasn't particularly important.
As long as the customer had deep pockets, he was the type of man who could hum a tune and happily swing his hammer even for a brat’s weapon.
In any case, Wieland had greeted him with his usual professional smile, and the black-haired special admission student had requested the refinement and reinforcement of his armament.
At a glance, the boy’s pockets looked empty, and his armament was a single-edged sword of peculiar craftsmanship. One wrong move with the hammer, and it looked liable to snap. Yet, Wieland had accepted the commission without hesitation.
The reason, of course, was the payment. How could he refuse when the boy offered a chunk of B-rank armament steel left over from a tailoring? Even at auction prices, he could easily pull in thirty or forty million won.
Wiping away his drool, Wieland had smiled broadly and stoked the forge with the bellows. As a man called the peak of the industry, Wieland had more than just confidence in his skills; he had faith. It was his pride as a blacksmith.
B-rank was certainly a high-tier armament, but the weapons Wieland usually handled ranged from A-rank to S-rank Noble Phantasms.
He had nothing to lose. Besides, Wieland never made a deal that resulted in a deficit.
Even if things went south, he was confident he could smooth-talk a green kid who still had peach fuzz on his face. It was his confidence as a businessman.
But that confidence only lasted until a week ago. Now, he was…
“Mister, reinforce this for me.”
“…”
The black-haired male student had brought a whole bundle of materials. Wieland was flabbergasted by his audaciously bold attitude.
The boy had revealed his name was Kang Geomma.
How can a person’s name be ‘Sword Demon’…
Wieland let out a hollow laugh and untied the bundle Geomma had brought. A pile of Buffalo horns tumbled out. There were at least twenty of them.
“Did you subjugate all of these yourself?”
“Not alone. I did it with my teammates.”
Among the materials, one horn shone with a particularly alluring luster. It was too extraordinary to be a derivative material from the same C-rank magical beast, the Buffalo.
To a blacksmith’s discerning eye, it looked like a material from at least a B-rank—no, an A-rank magical beast. Its origin was unclear, but it was an unwritten rule in this business not to ask such things.
Wieland glanced back and forth between the prominent horn and Kang Geomma.
Geomma was smacking his lips as if he were exhausted. Wieland clicked his tongue inwardly at the kid’s arrogant attitude.
He wanted to give the boy a good smack and kick him out of his sacred forge, but he settled for a deep sigh, lamenting his own lot in life.
Meanwhile, Geomma pulled Murasame out of his pocket and handed it over.
“And the armament… it ended up like this. You can repair it while you’re reinforcing it, right?”
As Wieland took Murasame, a flash of anger crossed his eyes. The once-shining blade was covered in cracks, and the hilt, made of top-grade paulownia wood, was charred black like burnt charcoal.
Murasame, a blade Wieland had refined with all his might, had been turned into a complete rag.
A thick vein throbbed on the temple of the man who had been holding his tongue despite Geomma’s arrogance.
“You brat! What the hell did you do to make the armament look like this?!”
His already red face turned a deep crimson, like a bomb about to explode.
“It just happened while fighting a magical beast.”
Geomma cut him off and answered curtly, as if he found the conversation tedious.
Wieland started to say something more but barely managed to swallow it along with his spit. He felt a lump in his throat, as if a prickly fishbone were stuck there.
“…”
Looking into the boy’s hollow eyes, Wieland remembered the sight of him holding the sword and sneering a week ago. He rubbed his brown forearms, which were covered in goosebumps from a bloodlust that felt like it was crushing his veins.
He squeezed his facial muscles with superhuman willpower to craft a bright, business-like smile.
“…You should have handled it more carefully. What if you had gotten hurt?”
“Maybe because it’s E-rank, the durability is weak. Since I gave you A-rank materials too, I trust you’ll do a good job. Later.”
With those words, Kang Geomma turned his back and gave a casual wave as he walked away.
That—that disrespectful little brat. Even Satan would give him a standing ovation.
Wieland mouthed silent curses at the back of the boy’s head.
Right then, Geomma whipped his head around. His eyes met Wieland’s.
“Ah, right. And.”
Wieland gulped at the sudden reaction. His lips felt parched, perhaps due to the dry, hot wind of the forge.
Thoughts of the life insurance premiums that were heartlessly deducted from his account every month flashed through Wieland’s mind. After a brief, uncomfortable silence, Geomma smirked and spoke.
“Take the leftover materials as a little extra for some drinks. I’m really going now.”
Geomma let out a jaw-cracking yawn and left, closing the heavy forge door behind him. Wieland stared blankly at the spot where Geomma had been.
Then, Wieland shook his head and picked up his hammer.
Clang! Clang!
The rough sound of striking metal echoed beyond the forge door. It was a ring of steel where joy and sorrow intersected.
* * *
Two days after clearing the Buffalo Dungeon.
The day after returning from Cheorwon, I handed Murasame over to the blacksmith. He frowned as if he weren't pleased, but what was he going to do? He had to clean up the mess he made.
In the first place, if that old man hadn't messed up the armament, both he and I would have had an easier time.
Still, since we’d be seeing each other often in the future, I didn't want to leave any hard feelings, so I gave him a little tip.
The leftover Buffalo horns weren't of much use to me anyway. It’s not like I’m a hunter who hangs trophies on the wall.
Buffalo horns are C-rank derivative materials, so they’re only used for ranking up from E-rank to D-rank.
There’s a chance of reinforcement failure, but the Cow King material should significantly reduce that probability.
Surely it won't fail after I handed over A-rank materials? If it does, I’m seriously going to take his hand.
Before the morning assembly began, I organized my thoughts and opened my status window against the backdrop of the green chalkboard.
* * *
[Blessing of the Sword God]
If you cut, it will be severed.
◎ Body Rank: (8▶9) ▷ Sword specifications are relaxed.
◎ Mental Rank: (4▶5) ▷ Words and actions carry an aura of intimidation.
◎ Armament Rank: 3 ▷ Pain is reduced by (1) level when the Blessing is manifested.
☆ Synchronization Rate: 9.3% ▶︎ 12.7% ▷ (1) line of 【???】 can be read.
→ [Next unlock condition met at 15% Synchronization Rate.]
★ 【???】
[※ The Blessing only activates when the sword is (38+1) cm or less in length and less than (9+1) cm in width.]
* * *
First, the most noticeable change was the Synchronization Rate, which had increased quickly.
Unlike the other stats that had stagnated at some point, it jumped significantly after I went through an incident.
The Body and Mental Ranks had also risen. The problem was that the increase was pitifully small compared to the beginning.
Still, they weren't completely useless stats; I could feel a healthy(?) mind dwelling in a sturdy body.
And who knows if more unlock conditions will appear in stages as the stats rise further.
At this point, the most desperate need is the Armament Rank. However, there’s no need to rush.
The reason I’m looking deeply into the Blessing of the Sword God isn't just to get stronger; it’s a more fundamental issue.
I never expected to figure it out quickly. I shook off my idle thoughts and lowered my head slightly.
‘Next unlock condition met at 15% Synchronization Rate.’
On the other hand, the Synchronization Rate will probably meet the unlock condition after I clear just one more dungeon.
Will I be able to see more than just one more line? Will other categories be added? If so, it would be an insanely broken ability.
No, honestly, even now, the subtlety of the Synchronization Rate is so incredible that even as a former player of Miracle Blessing M, I’m speechless.
Moreover, the upward trend showed no signs of slowing down; instead, it seemed to be accelerating, piercing through the ceiling of the graph.
A stat that draws a steady upward curve…
While the three Ranks listed at the top each had clear target values, the Synchronization Rate didn't seem to have a specific cost. I wondered if that was entirely a good thing.
Nothing in this world is free. That is an immutable law of nature that Korean parents engrave into their children’s minds before they even finish losing their baby teeth.
In particular, the fact that the numbers were irregular was suspicious. Even after crunching the numbers and averaging the three Ranks, I couldn't reach a conclusion.
“There’s definitely something.”
Stroking my chin, I carefully retraced the changes that had occurred.
The starting point for the rise in Synchronization Rate was the mock duel with Chloe. Using that as a turning point, the physical change was the gray hair growing at the tips of my head.
The gray hair, which was about 2 cm at first, had now grown to about 5 cm. I thought about dyeing it, but it wasn't particularly bothersome, so I left it alone.
Surely a few gray hairs aren't the price for the Synchronization Rate.
And the strange symptoms that had overcome me right after the duel hadn't happened since that day. So, it was a stretch to call them the price for the rising Synchronization Rate.
…If that shit happened every time the Synchronization Rate went up, I would have dropped the sword immediately.
I retraced everything that had happened from the moment I was thrown into this world until now.
Not just my thoughts on the Blessing of the Sword God, but also organizing the events that had taken place. It felt like I finally had the leisure to reflect on the situation.
Of course, I also had to think about the Council of Elders who were targeting me and ‘that instructor’ the checkpoint employee had mentioned, but that was beyond the capacity of a mere first-year student.
Still, I had to be prepared. My first Master always urged me to maintain a state of constant readiness.
Rather than analyzing things one by one, my style was to handle the problems right in front of me.
Even that man, who so emphasized being prepared, couldn't stop his hair from thinning…
I absentmindedly traced my hairline with my finger. I felt a reassuring fullness.
After letting out a sigh of relief, I ‘gently’ shook my head to clear my thoughts.
For now, I intended to think about how to use the ‘Blessing of Transfer,’ which was an unintended reward from this dungeon. It wasn't like I could spit out a blessing I’d already acquired.
Since it was a synergy-type blessing, its performance would vary wildly depending on how it was used. I felt a bit sorry for Leo, but that guy would be decked out in even better abilities later anyway.
I stretched and leaned back against the chair. As the time for the assembly approached, the noisy sounds of students arriving at school reached my ears.
I turned my head indifferently and looked out the window. It had become a habit before I knew it.
The weather was so good it almost made me lose my sense of reality. The sky was clear and bright, and the heat of the sunlight streaming through the window signaled the beginning of summer.
We’ll be wearing summer uniforms soon.
After falling into this world about a year and a half ago, my daily life had been fairly ordinary until I received the admission notice.
The life I now so desperately desired was like a mirage, slipping through my fingers no matter how much I reached for it. A faint sadness formed a lump in my chest.
When I first entered the academy, I think I dreamed of a somewhat encouraging future, but life here was more difficult than expected.
There were constant threats to my life, and with the murderous cost of living, my standard of life was at rock bottom.
Still, my academy life wasn't entirely defined by misfortune.
In my past life, I had worked since I was young, so I didn't have any real friendships, but this life was different. I had gained two classmates I could call friends: Speed Weapon and Chloe.
Though I wasn't sure if Chloe considered me a friend…
My friendship with Speed Weapon, who maintained a clearly favorable attitude toward me, had deepened significantly after sharing two life-and-death experiences.
He was a guy I could rely on in his own way, as he was quick-witted and good at grasping situations.
Furthermore, since Chloe and Weapon weren't major characters in Miracle Blessing M, there was no reason to keep them at a distance.
Come to think of it, they said Chloe was on sick leave today because of a sudden seasonal cold. No matter her background as an assassin, she was just a normal human in the face of illness.
…Though being hospitalized in a VIP room for a cold isn't exactly normal.
As I was organizing my thoughts and spacing out, I heard the sound of the classroom door sliding open. The atmosphere in the class became even more restless.
It seemed the Sword Emperor was accompanying Instructor Lee Won-bin for today’s assembly as well. Without even turning my head, I indifferently soaked in the warm sunlight.
Vrrr—
Then, my phone, which was usually quiet, vibrated.
What is it?
I slightly tilted my head to check the screen.
[Hey, what are you doing?]
A text from an unknown number. Immediately, the phone vibrated once more against my will.
[Look forward.]
Slowly, my gaze moved to the front, and my eyes snapped open.
Holding a phone in one hand, Saki Ryozo was smiling brightly and waving at me.