Chapter 42

Translator: True Detective

Chapter 42. Rapier (2)

The [Pure Orichalcum] placed on the workbench was emitting a brilliant light-purple color.

It was a beauty that seemed to bewitch just by looking at it.

I swallowed dry saliva, staring at it for a long time as if lost in its beauty.

I recalled the time I made the [Staff of the Crimson Lord] last time.

That very minute mistake at the last moment.

Because of that one mistake, an item that could have become Legendary grade dropped to Unique.

Of course, Unique was excellent too, but the lingering uncomfortable feeling and unknown pain still remained in a corner of my chest.

Ah...

Isn't there a saying that the pain that doesn't kill me makes me stronger.

Because I have grown more compared to that time.

"I can't repeat such a mistake this time."

There is only one of this material.

No matter how much it's me, I didn't have a strong enough heart to just hammer this precious thing right away without practice.

I rummaged through the inventory and took out the regular [Orichalcum] ores I had packed before leaving the mine.

"I should get the hang of it with this first."

I picked up one ore.

But suddenly a thought crossed my mind.

The hammer I'm using now was the Mithril hammer I made last time.

This hammer was excellent too, but it seemed a bit lacking to handle the top-tier metal called Orichalcum.

I needed a harder and more precise tool.

"If so, the order is set."

Raising the corners of my mouth, I threw the Orichalcum ore into the furnace.

As I started raising the temperature, the flames burned fiercely.

But the Orichalcum showed no sign of melting.

Then a system message popped up before my eyes.

"2780 degrees...?"

It was a much higher temperature than Mithril.

I clicked my tongue and spurred on raising the temperature.

If not for the [Grace of the Primeval Maker], my eyebrows would have burned away long ago.

After wrestling for a long time, a change finally appeared.

The purple ore slowly heated up and changed to a bright yellow color that hurt the eyes.

The fascinating thing was that purple haze shimmered around it.

It was as if the metal itself was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠spewing out mana.

"Now."

I took out the heated Orichalcum with tongs and placed it on the anvil.

And raised the [Mithril Hammer] next to it high.

—Clang!

A heavy shock was transmitted up my wrist.

It was hard.

Even though it was heated, the repulsive force was tremendous.

But I didn't stop and continued to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠strike the hammer down.

—Clang!—Clang!

When it cooled, I melted it again and repeated hammering.

Slowly, the metal lump was taking the shape I wanted.

It wasn't the shape of a general sword or spear.

Then the guideline blinked red and warned.

The Guide's point was textbook.

Normally, a blacksmith's hammer should have a wide striking face to transmit force evenly.

But this time was different.

"Ah, I did that on purpose."

I wiped the sweat flowing on my forehead and answered casually.

"Because the existing hammer has a large area, there were more than one or two times I almost made a mistake by touching the side parts when doing delicate work. So this time, I'm trying to narrow the striking point to make it hit exactly where I want."

I continued speaking, putting the heated Orichalcum back into the hearth.

"...Guide?"

There was no reaction from the Guide to my explanation.

As the Guide, who always gave immediate feedback, fell silent, a strange tension flowed.

Did I act too much on my own?

But I had my own conviction.

The sensation in my fingertips was demanding a narrow area.

A moment later, the Guide's disconnected voice was heard again.

Hearing the Guide's answer, I started hammering again.

—Clang!—Clang!

After hundreds of hammer strikes, the Orichalcum took the perfect shape of a hammer.

The handle part was padded with leather for shock absorption and grooved to prevent slipping.

Finishing the final quenching, a heavy hammer with a purple tint was completed.

—Ding!

I lifted the finished hammer.

The moment I grabbed it, the snug feeling in my hand felt good.

"Wow..."

It even had an increase in Unique probability and Legendary probability attached.

Holding my new partner in my hand, I swung it in the air a few times.

The whoosh sound was cheerful.

"Good. Shall we go to the next step now?"

Making the rapier was literally a fight with contradiction.

Due to the nature of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the weapon called a rapier, the blade must be incredibly thin and sharp.

Yet it must endure the shock of the thrusting moment and the strength to block the opponent's weapon.

To do that, the density must be raised to the extreme, and the only method is tens of thousands of forging strikes.

The problem was that the material was Orichalcum.

Among the minerals I've handled so far, it was definitely the peak of hardness.

If I struck down strongly with the [Orichalcum Blacksmith's Hammer] to spread it thin.

—Tick.

With a cheerful sound, the sword edge snaps and breaks.

But what if I strike weakly controlling my strength for fear it might break?

No matter how much I pound, it doesn't spread.

It just made my arm hurt.

Strike hard and it breaks, strike weakly and it doesn't spread.

"Uwaaaaaaack!!!"

I tore my hair in agony.

I don't even know how many days it's been already.

I just hammered day and night in front of the fire.

I could tell without looking in the mirror.

Right now, the dark circles under my eyes would have reached my chin, and my eyes would be sunken hollow.

—Thud.

Having no strength to stand anymore, I sprawled out spread-eagle on the floor.

The coldness of the chilly workshop floor crept up my back.

Turning my head, around me were the broken Orichalcum debris scattered like a pile of trash from crafting attempts.

How much is all that converted to money.

I was on the verge of crying because it was such a waste.

"Ha... I just can't get the hang of it...."

I muttered staring blankly at the ceiling.

"Should I just... do it roughly?"

I tried enough with this much.

Even if just an Epic grade comes out, the quest is cleared and the Imperial Princess will be satisfied.

Is there a need to bother aiming for Unique or Legendary while shaving off my lifespan?

Just as I was trying to rationalize it like that.

I snapped back to reality.

Kim Si-woo, are you crazy?

Just because you made some money outside, you're uttering the word 'roughly' now?

You've gotten full, Kim Si-woo.

There is one truth of the world I realized while living.

That there are no wings for things that fall.

Do you think the current success will be eternal?

Life is where no one knows when they'll fall into the abyss.

The moment I settle here, I return to the helpless Kim Si-woo of the past again.

I staggered and raised my upper body.

And slapped my own cheeks hard with both hands.

—Smack!!

Along with the tingling pain, my mind cleared.

Right, the more this happens, the more I have to push myself.

Limits are meant to be surpassed.

When making the staff last time, I carved 100 times for practice, right?

This time I'll hammer 200 or 300 times until it works.

I staggered up.

The Orichalcum for practice had run out.

Needing more materials, I opened the workshop door and went outside.

I walked like a zombie to the front of the Imperial Princess's office and requested materials from the servants.

Not long after, Cassia personally brought the materials out.

As soon as she saw me, she was startled and stopped walking.

"......Si-woo?"

Her voice trembled.

It was understandable.

Because my appearance must have been a mess.

My eyes were deeply sunken, my skin was flaky, and my clothes were covered in sweat and iron dust.

I forced the corners of my mouth up and reached out my hand.

"Materials... please give."

"Hey! Why is your condition like this! Have you slept?"

She urgently grabbed my shoulders.

She wasn't even thinking of handing over the materials, busy examining my face.

As her warm touch reached my shoulders, the tension released and sleepiness rushed in like a tsunami.

My eyelids were incredibly heavy.

"...Si-woo, are you alright? Take a break and do it. You'll collapse at this rate."

Her worried voice buzzed in my ears.

I looked at her with blurry vision.

Her platinum blonde hair was dazzling.

Perhaps because I was half-asleep, my sense of reality was dulled.

I couldn't really distinguish if the person in front of me was the Empire's Imperial Princess or just a worried friend.

Without realizing, my mouth moved ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠on its own.

"Ah... It's Cassia...."

Her shoulders flinched stiffly.

But not noticing, I continued speaking.

"...I'm fine. The feeling is very good right now."

I took the Orichalcum sack held in her hands and smiled sillily.

"Wait a little bit. I'll make something killer and come."

I staggered and disappeared back into the workshop.

Until the moment the door closed, I didn't know.

What kind of expression Cassia, left behind, was making.

"......."

Cassia was staring blankly at the closed door.

The name he just spat out hovered in her ears.

'It's Cassia....'

Not Princess, nor Your Highness.

He just called her name.

And very affectionately and naturally at that.

Instantly, her heart felt like it plummeted with a thump.

Her face burned so hot she couldn't bear it.

She raised her trembling hands and cupped her own reddened cheeks.

"Cassia... he said...?"

Right now, the completion of the weapon didn't matter to her at all.

Just that one word she just heard filled her mind, feeling like it would burst.