Chapter 34
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 34. 14th Floor (2)
I politely asked the Imperial Princess.
"Princess, if it is not rude, could I see the skills of these people? To solve the Empire's equipment problem, I need to accurately grasp the current level."
Cassia realized my intention and nodded.
"You may do so. Head Blacksmith, you make a sword right now."
The Head Blacksmith had a sullen expression but couldn't disobey because it was the Imperial Princess's command.
He went to a place closer to an office desk than a workbench and placed the prepared Mithril and other materials.
And as he waved his hand in the empty air, along with a flashing light, the Mithril and other materials instantly transformed into the shape of a sword.
It was literally the 'Click' itself.
"Here it is."
He offered the sword arrogantly.
I received the sword and checked the information.
[Imperial Knight's Sword]
Grade: Epic
Durability: 50/50
Attack Power: 62
*Durability Consumption Reduction: 10%
Usage Conditions: Level 10 or higher. Strength 15 or higher.
"Hmm...."
It was an Epic grade.
With this level, the performance was lower than the Rare grade swords I made for practice.
The finish was clumsy, and even the level of the blade didn't match.
It was just an Epic grade by the system, but in reality, it was no different from a failed product.
"Please make one more."
At my request, the Head Blacksmith frowned.
He waited for the ability's cooldown and soon waved his hand again.
—Pop!
What came out this time was a Rare grade.
Next was Normal.
The next was also Normal.
While making five swords, the Epic that popped first didn't appear again.
He was swaggering around as if it was his skill with something that popped luckily once.
"Could you do a repair once too?"
I took out a junk iron sword with worn-out durability from my inventory and gave it to him.
He received the sword as if annoyed.
"Hmm... One more time."
"Again."
"Again."
I let out a hollow laugh.
This kind of thing is a repair...?
If you entrust equipment with low durability, far from fixing it, it's on the verge of turning into powder and disappearing right there.
I sighed and looked around the finished products piled on one side of the smithy.
They were mass-produced swords scheduled to be supplied to the soldiers.
Picking one up, a heavy feeling was felt.
Picking up another one, this time it was too light.
Comparing the lengths, there was a difference of about one finger joint.
"......."
It was astonishment itself.
The center of gravity was all different, and the lengths were jagged.
Soldiers were on the verge of dying adapting to the weapons before even fighting monsters.
'If the crafting ability is at this level, it'd be better to just make them manually?'
I scanned the blacksmiths.
Still, since they are Awakened of the crafting line in name, they should be superior to ordinary people.
If so, if I change the environment and give them proper guidance, wouldn't they become useful?
I turned my head and looked at Cassia.
I couldn't do the work I wanted in this place.
"Princess."
"Speak."
"By any chance, is there a separate smithy with a furnace here, not a smithy like this?"
"A furnace..."
Cassia closed her eyes and fell into thought.
Her brow narrowed slightly as if tracing the Imperial records.
A moment later, she opened her eyes and clapped her hands.
"Ah! There is. An old-fashioned smithy used a very long time ago is neglected in the corner of the castle. No one uses it now so it's used as a warehouse though."
"Could you guide me there?"
"That is not difficult but... it has a lot of dust and the facilities are old, will it be okay?"
"It doesn't matter. And I need to take these people there too."
At my words, just as Cassia nodded and was about to give instructions to the Chamberlain.
"Hold on!"
The Head Blacksmith urgently intervened.
He glared at me and stepped forward.
Despite being scolded by the Imperial Princess earlier, his pride seemed hurt that a strange foreigner was trying to wield authority over their domain.
Or maybe he just found me offensive.
"Your Highness the Princess, I apologize but that is impossible."
"What is impossible?"
"The operation of the smithy is a unique authority His Majesty the Emperor personally entrusted to me."
He puffed up his chest with a solemn expression.
The servile appearance from just before was nowhere to be found, and he dared to bring up the Emperor's name and set up a shield.
"No matter how much he is the Empire's benefactor, we cannot give up our precious manpower to a foreigner with no roots, especially to someone who seems far from 'crafting'. Because we must produce equipment fitting the dignity of the Imperial Family."
He glanced at me and continued his words.
"We have no time to waste."
His words flowed like water.
He was bowing his back as politely as possible, but I didn't miss the fishy smile hanging on his bowed lips.
It was an unspoken mockery saying, 'What does a lowly thing like you know to act up'.
Cassia's expression hardened coldly.
"How dare you...!"
Cassia's eyebrow twitched, and she was about to step forward.
It was an attitude that she could no longer overlook the behavior of insulting the benefactor while citing the Emperor's authority.
But this time I was first.
I blocked Cassia's front and let out a hollow laugh.
"Ha...?"
Far from crafting?
I could endure everything else, but I couldn't endure those words.
Okay, admitted.
I was scratched a bit by this.
I curled up the corners of my mouth fully and looked straight at the Head Blacksmith.
"You said it's not possible because I'm far from 'crafting', so if only that is resolved, is it okay?"
Even at my provocative question, the Head Blacksmith was full of composure.
His eyes were full of ridicule saying, 'What can you do even if you struggle'.
"That is correct."
"Good. Then let's prove it."
I opened the inventory.
And I took out my most cherished masterpiece.
—Thud!
Along with a heavy metallic sound, a silver radiance brightened the smithy.
Smooth curves emitting silver light, and overwhelming intimidation.
It was the [Radiant Mithril Armor].
"This is...."
The Head Blacksmith's eyebrow twitched.
He scanned the glamorous exterior of the armor, then soon snorted.
His inner thoughts were clearly visible.
'Anyone can see it's for display. To bring a ceremonial armor that's only slick on the outside and swagger around. You're making a bad move because you don't want to lose!'
He pretended to be dignified and looked at the armor's options.
"Let's take a look...?"
It was the moment his pupils locked onto the armor information window.
His relaxed expression instantly dyed with astonishment.
His pupils shook as if an earthquake happened, and his mouth couldn't close, to the point his jaw might dislocate.
"Le... Legendary...!!!"
His scream rang through the smithy.
Other blacksmiths watching from around also stopped their work and flocked over.
"To... To possess such legendary equipment...! Did... Did you rob a dragon's nest...!"
The Head Blacksmith was so surprised he even forgot the fact that the Imperial Princess was watching and pointed his finger at me.
It was understandable, as the Legendary grade was an item that only appeared in legends.
Since a mythical object that had never been crafted even once in the Empire's history was right before his eyes, it must have been hard to maintain his sanity.
He seemed to want to deny this nonsensical reality.
"Nonsense... This must definitely be excavated from ancient ruins or stolen from a place like a dragon's nest! Something like this by the likes of you...!"
Watching his desperate struggle, I shrugged my shoulders.
"I made it though?"
"......What?"
"If you can't believe it, look at this too."
I opened the inventory again.
This time I took out the [Pale Moon Sword].
The blue moonlight unique to Unique grade flowed down the blade.
Next was the [Staff of the Crimson Lord].
The harmony of eerie red energy and white bone overwhelmed the onlookers.
"Th... This is Unique...?"
"That is also Unique...?"
The Head Blacksmith's face turned pale as a blank sheet of paper.
Just one Legendary is enough to make one faint, but Unique equipment was pouring out in a string like candies.
And every single one was an object with near-perfect completeness.
For him, who swaggered around getting lucky with one Epic through clicking, it was a realm he dared not approach.
"Uh... U-uh...."
He gasped for air like a fish and stepped back.
He staggered as if strength left his legs.
"N... Nonsense... How can a human... a human...."
He looked at me with eyes as if he saw a monster, and then.
—Crash!
He foamed at the mouth and fell backward.
It seemed he overloaded.
The smithy was engulfed in silence as if doused with cold water.
The remaining blacksmiths couldn't close their wide-open mouths and were looking alternately at me and my equipment.
In their eyes, awe, fear, and the shock of disbelief were mixed.
Even Cassia next to me stared at me blankly.
She too must have guessed seeing me make farming tools, but she didn't seem to have imagined I would have made these legendary armaments personally.
"You are... truly...."
Cassia couldn't continue her words with a trembling voice.
I looked down at the fallen Head Blacksmith and clicked my tongue.
"I told you not to judge a person just by their outward appearance."