Chapter 149: The Greedy Collector (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 149: The Greedy Collector (1)
For the past month, Marquis Valentino had been tormented by frustration.
At first, he was certain that Hendrick, the Master Blacksmith of Dmitry, was the artisan who had forged Blaze. No one else in the northeast region possessed the skill to craft such a blade. Thus, the moment he won the bid at the auction, he sent a messenger to Dmitry. However, contrary to his soaring expectations, the response he received was bitterly disappointing.
"I have not sent any sword I made to the auction house recently."
If Hendrick had truly forged Blaze, it would undoubtedly be his magnum opus. There was no way he wouldn't know his own masterpiece had been sold at an auction. That ruled Hendrick out as the creator.
That was the beginning of his obsession. Leveraging all the wealth and connections at his disposal, Marquis Valentino tracked down every notable artisan in the Cairo Kingdom to ask if they were the creator of Blaze.
"It wasn't me."
"There is no one in Cairo capable of forging such a sword."
"A sword that perfectly accepts mana? I can confidently say you won't find craftsmanship like that even if you scour the entire continent."
The answers he received offered not a single clue to the truth.
In reality, he had no ulterior motive for finding the creator of Blaze. It was a desire born of pure curiosity; as a collector, he would be genuinely thrilled just to sit down, share a cup of tea, and laugh with the artisan. Perhaps that was why his frustration only deepened as time bled away. The sword was undeniably forged in the Cairo Kingdom, yet the artisan's identity remained a ghost.
Lucas.
The seller had completely erased his tracks. The Marquis had only suspected Hendrick because Dmitry boasted the best blacksmiths; "Lucas" himself had left no breadcrumbs to follow.
Then, a few days ago, Marquis Valentino received a breakthrough from a subordinate.
"My Lord, according to an informant who met with Dmitry's Master Blacksmith a few days ago, a sword with a remarkably similar design to Blaze was spotted in Hendrick's private collection. While we cannot be certain it was forged by the same hands, the sword Hendrick proudly showed off displayed the exact same shocking ability to perfectly accept mana. What are your orders?"
The exact same ability as Blaze.
That was more than enough reason to move.
Marquis Valentino sprang from his seat, immediately threw on his traveling coat, and boarded his carriage.
"To Dmitry! At once!"
A few days later, Marquis Valentino arrived in Dmitry.
* * *
Dmitry's Master Blacksmith.
Hendrick was not an easy man to meet. However, when the guest was a figure as prominent as Marquis Valentino, even the stubborn blacksmith had no choice but to drag his heavy rear out of his chair.
"What brings you to see me?"
The office interior was modest. Though it wasn't a place he frequented, Hendrick couldn't exactly receive a Marquis in a soot-filled forge.
Sitting opposite him, Marquis Valentino spoke, his face slightly flushed with excitement.
"I will get straight to the point. A month ago, at the Adelian Auction House, I won the bid for a sword named Blaze. As you know, collecting is my passion. While I haven't spent my life working with iron like you, Master Hendrick, I believe I possess the eye to recognize the true value of a blade. Blaze is a peerless treasure. Seeing how flawlessly it accepts mana, I became convinced that the artisan who forged it must be the absolute finest in Cairo."
He gave a subtle signal. At that, the knight standing behind him stepped forward and carefully placed a cloth-wrapped object onto the table.
With a flourish, the Marquis pulled back the cloth.
"This is Blaze."
A single sword. Its sleek, deadly form was revealed.
As the blade gleamed brilliantly under the light, a look of surprise flashed across Hendrick's face.
Just as I thought.
Hendrick's reaction wasn't one of marveling at the sword's appearance. He clearly already knew of the sword's existence and was merely surprised to see it in Marquis Valentino's possession. It was exactly as the Marquis had anticipated.
Having met countless artisans throughout his life as a collector, Marquis Valentino firmly believed there was no blacksmith in the Cairo Kingdom besides Hendrick capable of forging such a masterpiece. Frankly, he had his doubts about whether even Hendrick possessed such transcendent skill, but with no other candidates, he couldn't rule him out.
And now, Hendrick could not hide his fluster. Whether he had forged it himself or knew who did, Hendrick was undeniably the key to this mystery.
"You recognize its value, I see. A few days ago, I received a report from my subordinate that a sword of a strikingly similar design resides in your collection, Master Hendrick. That is the reason I have come to see you today. Would it be possible for me to view this sword of yours?"
His voice swelled with anticipation. If his subordinate's report was accurate, Marquis Valentino was prepared to demand a definitive answer.
Whether Hendrick was the creator, or whether he simply knew the creator's identity—Hendrick's sword would be the undeniable proof he needed.
"Ahem."
Hendrick visibly hesitated.
Marquis Valentino. Hendrick had heard the rumors. Although this was their first face-to-face meeting, the Marquis was such a fervent collector that he frequently purchased premium items from the Dmitry Forge. Based on his transaction history alone, he was a VVIP client of the highest order. While some whispered that he was a greedy collector, the artisans themselves never thought ill of the man.
Marquis Valentino is famous for ensuring that valuable items receive the reverence and price they deserve.
To his rival collectors, he might be a ruthless villain who stopped at nothing to acquire a masterwork. But to the artisans, he was a patron who treated them with the utmost respect. One could tell just by how courteously he was treating Hendrick right now. If Hendrick were ever to sell his prized possession, Marquis Valentino would be the perfect buyer.
In other words: This man will truly recognize the sword's worth.
In truth, Hendrick had been waiting for a moment exactly like this. He had been itching to show off the magnificent gift he had received, and now, someone capable of fully appreciating its value had delivered himself right to his doorstep. This was his chance. Though excitement was already bubbling up inside him, he kept his expression neutral and spoke in a calm, measured voice.
"Please wait a moment. I will bring the sword."
At those words, Marquis Valentino's face lit up as brightly as if he had just conquered the world.
* * *
Clack.
He set the sword down on the table.
Captivated by its sleek, mesmerizing form, Marquis Valentino could not hide his visceral thrill the moment he laid eyes on the blade.
It's certain. This is the work of the exact same artisan who forged Blaze.
He hadn't even tested its mana conductivity yet. But every master artisan's work possessed a distinct, undeniable signature. Hendrick's sword shared the exact same stylistic soul as Blaze, and the way the ambient light glided down the edge of the blade sent a jolt straight to his heart. He was absolutely certain. Even without channeling a drop of mana into the steel, Marquis Valentino knew the creator of this sword was the very same person who had forged Blaze.
Hendrick finally spoke.
"The sword's name is Salamander. Just as you suspected, Marquis Valentino, Salamander and Blaze were forged by the same hands. To be precise, Salamander was the very first creation, and Blaze was forged after it."
In that instant, Marquis Valentino's head snapped up. More than the confirmation of a single artisan, the revelation that Salamander was the first creation completely hijacked his mind.
The first creation?
His mouth went dry.
The first and the second. There was a monumental difference between the two. While Blaze might boast superior performance as a weapon, collectors placed an almost religious significance on the "first." The reasoning was simple. A second creation would eventually lose its sequential novelty to a third or a fourth, but the first would forever hold unparalleled, absolute value simply by virtue of being the original.
His heart pounded against his ribs. A ravenous desire surged within him.
I want it. I must have it.
Marquis Valentino had an ironclad rule. If an item had already found its rightful owner through the artisan, he would never attempt to undo that bond. He would stop at nothing to acquire pieces put up for sale by the artisans themselves, but he never made the foolish mistake of coveting an artisan's personal, cherished possessions.
Hendrick might be the master who forged the sword. Or, he might have received it as a gift from the true creator. Knowing full well that his next words bordered on rude, Marquis Valentino simply could not stop himself.
"I ask this with the utmost hesitation, but... would you be willing to sell this sword to me? If you agree, I will compensate you beyond handsomely."
"I am sorry, but this is not for sale. It was a gift. As a fellow collector, I believe you can fully understand why I cannot part with it, Marquis Valentino."
"...Did you say it was a gift?"
His expression shifted dramatically. Having shown visible disappointment at the firm rejection, he suddenly snapped to attention at the word "gift."
It wasn't forged by Hendrick. If he received it as a gift, then he must know the true identity of the artisan!
It was a certainty. Even if he couldn't buy the sword, he had to at least learn the name of the genius who made it.
"In that case, may I at least ask who forged this magnificent blade?"
Marquis Valentino's desperate question was exactly what Hendrick had been waiting for.
Ever since he had witnessed Roman forging a sword with his own two eyes, Hendrick's mouth had been itching to scream to the world just how unfathomably incredible Dmitry's eldest son was. And right on cue, the perfect herald had walked into his office. Marquis Valentino was the absolute ideal person to spread this truth far and wide.
"Marquis Valentino. Who else in Dmitry could have possibly forged such a sword?"
"...Could it be Baron Romero?"
"No."
Hendrick smirked. It was the triumphant smile of a man holding the ultimate truth.
Leaning in, Hendrick delivered a world-shattering revelation to the truth-starved Marquis.
"The eldest son of the Dmitry family. Roman Dmitry is the master artisan who forged both of these swords."
* * *
He was completely lost for words.
Was this what it felt like to have your reality shattered? Confronted with a statement that defied every ounce of common sense, Marquis Valentino could not collect his thoughts for a long, agonizing moment.
Roman Dmitry. He forged Salamander and Blaze?
It was staggering. Both swords were transcendent masterpieces. He could understand if they were the life's work of someone like Baron Romero or Hendrick, veterans who had spent decades breathing in the heat of a forge. But he could not readily accept that they were crafted by Roman, a young man only in his mid-twenties.
An artisan's work does not lie. While various kinds of geniuses existed in the world, the realm of craftsmanship demanded years of blood, sweat, and calluses to produce such artistic perfection. It made no sense. How could such flawless creations be born from the hands of someone in his twenties?
Furthermore...
Roman Dmitry is a peerless genius swordsman. Rumor has it he even defeated Butler, a ranker of the Hector Kingdom. The greatest martial genius of the Cairo Kingdom forged the greatest swords in the Cairo Kingdom? If this is true...
Clench.
He clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles turned white.
Just think about it. The youngest continental ranker. The "creations" alone deserved the highest possible praise, but the identity of the artisan added an unimaginably epic narrative to the blades.
This was, without a shadow of a doubt, the absolute jackpot. From the flawless quality of the work to the legendary story behind it, his heart pounded so violently it felt as if it might burst from his chest.
The story behind a piece is the lifeblood of any collectible. If the creator were a nameless artisan, it would be judged solely on its sharpness and mana conductivity. If it were someone like Hendrick, it would command a hefty premium. But if the kingdom's greatest swordsman is the artisan? It goes without saying. People will attach a mythical meaning to the sword, clamoring over each other to buy it, and its sheer rarity will make it utterly priceless.
Blaze. It was an even greater treasure than he had ever dared to imagine. People had mocked his winning bid as excessively high, but once its true value became known to the world, that sum would seem like mere pocket change.
His eyes grew hazy with pure infatuation. He had fallen completely in love.
Roman Dmitry. He had to meet him. He was dying to know how the kingdom's greatest swordsman had forged the continent's finest swords.
He sprang to his feet.
"I must go and meet Lord Roman Dmitry in person."
His month-long unrequited love. At last, it was time for it to bear fruit.