Chapter 20
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: As Castle
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As Castle
Knock, knock.
"Huh?"
I hadn't felt a thing. Not even the faint vibration of an elevator. Only about ten seconds had passed since I stepped inside, but there was already a knock.
Wow, is this for real?
When I stepped out, the beautiful magician in the green robe from before was gone, replaced by a man in a bluish robe.
"Welcome to As Castle."
"Ah, have we arrived already? I didn't feel anything."
"The smoothness of the warp is the greatest pride of our Mage Tower."
Smoothness of the warp? I guess thats their version of a smooth ride.
"If you open that door and step out, you will be in As Castle."
The robed man gestured toward the door with a neat posture.
"Enjoy your trip, and please use our services again."
His service-oriented mindset and customer service were like that of a department store. The Mage Tower Master had trained his people well.
Jingle.
I pulled the door open and stepped outside. As expected of a town situated in the west, the architecture looked different from the towns in the Lox Marquisate.
"Oh."
The shops lined up on both sides and the countless people moving between them were reminiscent of a bustling marketplace.
"There are so many people."
Many of those passing by were ordinary residents, but about half of them were carrying weapons like swords, spears, and bows.
There was a simple reason why so many people carried weapons.
The ground temperature in As Castle was high, allowing for hotter forges, and there were many mines nearby yielding good quality ore. As a result, it was a place where blacksmiths gathered.
"Hmm, so this is the blacksmith district."
Like a street dedicated to food, this place was packed wall-to-wall with blacksmiths instead of restaurants. But the forge I was looking for was nowhere to be seen.
I remembered the name of the blacksmith clearly: Unicorn Blacksmith. The book hadn't specified its location, so I had no choice but to search for it the hard way.
"It's not here."
I had walked through the entire blacksmith district once, but there was no sign of the Unicorn Blacksmith.
Maybe I'll circle around just one more time.
Even after another round through the district, I couldn't find a single trace of anything related to a unicorn.
"Excuse me."
"Yes!"
Feeling that any more searching would be a waste of time, I spoke to a woman who was trying to attract customers in front of a blacksmith shop.
"Do you happen to know of a place called Unicorn Blacksmith?"
"Unicorn Blacksmith, you say?"
The woman brought a finger to her chin as if trying to remember.
"Well, it's not in this blacksmith district. As Castle has forges scattered all over the place, so maybe it's somewhere else?"
"I see. Thank you."
I wandered around As Castle, asking people and searching for blacksmiths everywhere, but no one knew of the Unicorn Blacksmith.
"Hah, it's already night. This place is ridiculously huge."
Even as night fell, the sound of hammers striking iron in the forges didn't stop. If anything, the streets seemed to have grown even more lively.
"Ah, this is so frustrating."
Anyone whos ever searched for something and couldn't find it knows this feeling. Its so maddening you don't even want to go to the bathroom. Thats exactly how I felt right now.
A minimap would be really nice right about now. Searching like this is just piling on fatigue and stress.
"I'll call it a day here."
Just as I was about to head to an inn to rest, I saw the red flames of a forge burning in an alley.
"I haven't checked there yet. Maybe I'll just look there and be done."
I entered the alley and found, as expected, a blacksmith shop. It was so small it didn't even have a sign.
Clang!
Clang!
The blacksmith was hammering away, completely unaware of my presence.
Ignoring him for a moment, I looked at the weapons on display. Even to my untrained eye, the quality of the weapons seemed quite exceptional.
"Hmm."
The most important thing when looking at a sword is that the center of balance is the same for both edges. When I picked one up, the weight on both sides was perfectly matched.
Thud.
"Ah! My apologies. Are you a customer?"
The sound of me putting the sword down must have alerted the blacksmith to my presence, as he stood up from his spot.
"Do you happen to know of a place called Unicorn Blacksmith?"
"Unicorn Blacksmith? Theres no such place."
"There isn't?"
"No. 'Unicorn' is a name I plan to use later. I'm not in a position to hang a sign yet, so I'm not using it."
The blacksmith scratched the back of his head, looking embarrassed.
He just said its a name he plans to use.
I had arrived here sooner than the protagonist did when he acquired Agnes. That's why the shop was tucked away in a corner without a sign.
I finally found it!
"May I take a look at the weapons?"
"Of course. The swords displayed here are pieces Im confident in."
As he said, the quality of the weapons on display was outstanding. But that wasn't what I was looking for.
"Do you have anything else? Something a bit old and rusty."
When I wrote about Agnes, I clearly described it as a small, rusty sword that no one would use even if it were given away for free. I had to find something that looked like that.
"Looking for a rusty weapon? You're a peculiar one."
The blacksmith chuckled, opened a door in the back, and brought out a box full of weapons.
"These are things I've collected that are either unusable, not good enough to show customers, or just didn't sell. I was planning to sell them off in a batch later."
My heart began to pound. My fingertips seemed to tremble along with my excitement.
The box contained not only swords but all sorts of weapons, including daggers and axes.
When I wrote about Agnes, I definitely said it was a short, rusty sword. And there's only one item here that fits that description.
I picked up the sword I presumed to be Agnes.
It said nothing.
If I were the protagonist, Agnes would have spoken to me. After all, Agnes is a self-aware ego sword.
"I didn't make that one. It was just in the warehouse, I don't know where it came from. I was going to throw it away, but for some strange reason, I felt it would be a waste, so I've kept it until now."
"I see."
His words made me even more certain. The faint aura of an artifact that Agnes was emitting had influenced the blacksmith, causing him to keep it instead of throwing it away.
"I'll buy this."
"You'll buy this?"
I nodded at the blacksmith's surprise.
"And..."
From the thin rapier next to Agnes, I felt a faint aura of wind. It definitely wasn't my imagination.
"This one is..."
"Ah, I made that a while ago, but it seems to be cursed or something. When you hold it, you hear strange noises. It's not for sale."
That wasn't it. It wasn't something as trivial as a curse.
Activating Creator's Eye.
Rapier of the Wind Spirit
A sword imbued with the blessing of the wind spirit, Sylph. Taking a liking to the passionate blacksmith who did not yield to their pranks, they bestowed their blessing upon his sword.
Activation Effects: Increased attack speed, movement speed, and sharp aura.
What in the world is this guy!
"You... you made this yourself?"
"Yes, I did, but it turned out strange after I finished it. I poured my everything into it and thought I had created a masterpiece, but..."
Just in case, I used Creator's Eye to examine his other items. My gaze stopped on a greatsword leaning against the wall like a decoration.
Greatsword of the Flame Spirit
A sword imbued with the blessing of the lesser flame spirit, Salamander. The Salamander in the forge was so moved by the blacksmith's concentration that it infused its power into his weapon.
Activation Effects: Increased strength, stamina, and heavy aura.
He made two spirit-imbued weapons?
Two couldn't be a coincidence. This blacksmith was someone with a special power.
"Did you make this sword yourself as well?"
"Of course. But that one's also a failure, despite its looks."
"A failure?"
"Yes. After I made it, it was strangely heavy. No one buys it. Even a strong person can barely lift it, so it's useless as a weapon."
No. That's because inadequate humans have been touching the sword. If a worthy person held it, the sword would lend them its power.
This blacksmith is no ordinary man. His fundamental skills are excellent, and he clearly has a special ability on top of that.
Activating Creator's Eye.
Name: Giranox
Traits: Demonic Weapon Creation, Flame Affinity Lv.3, Concentration Lv.2, Precision Lv.2
Favorability: 14 (Interested)
I've never heard of him, but he has four traits? And an un-leveled trait like Demonic Weapon Creation at thatthe name alone tells me it's incredible.
Giranox hadn't properly grasped his own abilities.
In that case, finders keepers.
"I'll buy these three."
I placed the two spirit swords and the old sword presumed to be Agnes on the counter.
"Those are all defective, but are you sure you want them?"
"I'm sure. How much?"
"Then just give me two gold. I'll give you the old sword for free."
Giranox spoke after a moment of thought. If the true nature of these weapons were revealed, I wouldn't be able to buy them for 200 gold, let alone two. This was more than just a good deal.
But I had no intention of stopping there.
"Business doesn't seem to be going so well."
"It's not. The location is tucked away, and my skills are lacking, so even when customers come, they often just look around and leave. My master always said I was lacking, and he was right."
Giranox's shoulders slumped as he spoke listlessly.
"You must want many people to use your weapons, right?"
"Of course! It's my dream to have knights or heroes use the weapons I've made!"
That makes things easier.
"In that case, would you be interested in being hired?"
"Hired?"
"Yes."
I decided to make Giranox my man. I liked his abilities, and I liked his humility despite possessing such skills. I don't know who his master was, but he raised him well.
"It's a bit sudden, I'm at a loss for words."
"I can imagine."
I straightened my posture and looked him directly in the eye.
"Then allow me to introduce myself. I am Yuren of House Lox, the invincible spear that guards the South."
I deliberately struck a pose and used impressive-sounding words.
"L-Lox! Ah, my deepest apologies!"
He immediately slammed his head to the floor and knelt.
"Please, stand up."
Even when I tried to grab his arm and lift him, he wouldn't rise.
"No, this is more comfortable. Please, I beg you, speak casually to me."
"Hah, we can't talk if you don't get up."
Giranox slowly lifted his head. This was the power of a noble in this world.
I was still used to my life in Korea, so I would start with polite speech when meeting someone new, but nobles here would start by speaking down to commoners regardless of their age.
"Alright, I'll speak casually."
"Yes! Please do."
"I want you to be my blacksmith."
Giranox still had a confused look in his eyes. His face was a canvas of questions.
"Why would you want to take a lacking blacksmith like me?"
I needed to choose my words carefully here.
"I chose you for two reasons. The first is your special talent."
"Talent? I have no such thing..."
"I can see it. I can see your special talent beginning to bloom."
He blushed at the word "talent," looking embarrassed.
"The second is your mindset."
"My mindset?"
"That's right. I looked at countless weapons in the forges today. I saw many good swords. Balance, sharp edges, center of gravitythey were all fine weapons. But I saw something different in your swords."
"Something different...?"
Giranox perked up his ears, as if anticipating my next words.
"Your swords are excellent, too. But that's not all. The knot on the hilt was so intricate and full of care. It was the best among all the weapons I saw today."
"Ah!"
Giranox seemed more pleased by the praise for his mindset than for his talent. A satisfied smile spread across his face.
"The purpose of the knot is to prevent the hand from slipping when gripping the weapon. It showed me how much you think about your customers."
"Ah!"
Giranox seemed to marvel at my words, his gaze fixed on me.
"Lord Yuren, you're truly different from the rumors."
"What, the rumors about me being a scoundrel?"
"Ah, well..."
"Haha, it's fine. It's a story I know and everyone else knows. But I'm different now. You won't be disappointed."
When I laughed, Giranox cautiously laughed along.
"I've made my decision. I will follow you."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
I liked his decisiveness as well. So I wanted to show him something in return.
"I'll show you right here."
"Pardon?"
"This is mine now, right?"
I said, holding up the rusty sword I had bought from him.
"Yes, of course."
My original plan was to take this and unseal it somewhere else by myself, but I had a change of heart. I decided to show this man.
I held the sword in a reverse grip, cut my finger, and let the blood drip onto it.
Vwoom!
The blood-fed sword gradually came to life, letting out a sword's cry.
"Awaken, Agnes, the artifact of myriad changes."
Vwoooong!
Agnes began to absorb a massive amount of light, as if it had become the sun itself.
You have single-handedly unsealed Agnes. Agnes unlocks its second stage.
What's this now?