Chapter 431: The Realm of Art (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 431: The Realm of Art (1)
It was a day unlike any other.
Blacksmiths abandoned their forges, merchants left their wares on the streets, and countless ordinary citizens all flocked to a single location. The reason was none other than the news of Roman Dmitry's latest work. Hearing that their lord was publicly forging a sword, the people of Dmitry couldn't help but be intrigued.
One year ago, Marquis Valentino had unveiled his prized collection.
He had gathered the finest sword experts in one place, and their evaluations that day had become a massive topic of gossip among the public.
"I think I understand why Marquis Valentino said the future of the sword depends on Lord Roman Dmitry. Even though Blaze was forged in his early days, it possesses enough power to completely overwhelm every so-called famous sword currently on the market. Not to mention its sheer strength and sharpness as a steel weapon, its ability to accept mana is truly overwhelming. To think he won such a masterpiece at auction for a mere 1,200 gold... I can confidently say that if it were to hit the market now, it would fetch at least twice that amount, even excluding its name value."
It was absolute praise.
With that single event instantly winning over the prideful experts, the public's interest in Roman Dmitry's crafting skills skyrocketed. In truth, Roman Dmitry's weapons were not something to be judged by quality alone. There was the heavy symbolism of them being crafted by the swordsman destined to lead a new era, combined with his position as the eldest son of the Dmitry family—a house renowned for its steel. If the sheer quality of the blade made it worth double the auction price, its rarity made it truly priceless.
Furthermore, there was one more rumor surrounding the keywords "Roman Dmitry" and "sword" that piqued the people's curiosity.
The source of these rumors? The servants of the Dmitry estate.
"Just what on earth is the young master doing inside that forge? Common sense dictates that no matter how much fire is involved in smithing, it makes no sense for scorch marks to cover the walls and ceiling. Yet, whenever Young Master Roman finishes his work, it looks as if the entire forge had caught fire."
"I've seen it too! I've cleaned up plenty of forges over the years, and I can confidently say I've never seen traces like the ones Young Master Roman leaves behind. Just like you said, it looks impossible unless the whole place was engulfed in flames."
Only a tiny fraction of people had actually witnessed his working environment.
Most had no idea how he operated, but the chatter among the servants who cleaned up after him strongly stimulated the public's curiosity. Just think about it: in an environment overflowing with roaring flames, how on earth could anyone endure the heat long enough to work? Between the absolute perfection praised by experts, the backing of the greedy collector Marquis Valentino, and the wild testimonies of the servants, interest was bound to explode.
And so, under the watchful eyes of the masses, Roman Dmitry finally stepped into the forge.
* * *
It was an open environment.
The heavy doors of the forge were thrown wide open, allowing the massive crowd outside a clear view of the interior.
First...
Whoosh!
Crackle!
He lit the furnace.
He arranged his materials, letting the temperature rise to a sufficient level. Before long, he began to hammer the steel in a space stained with intense heat. It was a familiar sight to the people. Although working without any protective gear—leaving his powerfully rippling muscles completely exposed—was unusual, there was nothing particularly extraordinary about his methods yet.
That was when it happened.
Fwoosh!
Roar!
"Whoa!"
"Gasp..."
Exclamations of shock escaped the crowd. With every fierce strike of his hammer, swirling flames surged in all directions, looking as if they were about to swallow Roman Dmitry whole. It was exactly like the rumors. Roman Dmitry seemed to feel no heat even amidst the raging inferno. Even when completely enveloped in fire, his hammering did not cease. A heavy silence, transcending mere admiration, gripped the onlookers.
Gradually, he became entirely absorbed in his work.
Forgetting the countless gazes fixed upon him, Roman Dmitry focused solely on the essence of his task.
‘Alexander is an existence rooted in the power of the Demon Realm. If we wage war against the Demon Realm, humanity will have to face beings who wield that exact same power. To establish even a minimal foundation to oppose them, we need a force capable of breaking down dark mana.’
A divine weapon.
That was the solution.
Dark mana was no ordinary energy. Since physical strikes alone often failed to destroy such existences, they had to be accompanied by divine power capable of obliterating their very essence. For this reason, he had ordered the blacksmiths to craft divine weapons. Mass-producing and distributing these arms was the first step in preparing for the war against the Demon Realm.
Roar!
He immersed himself in his memories.
He recalled exactly what Alexander's power felt like, and pondered the most appropriate method to shatter it. He reflected on it constantly. To the onlookers, it was merely the repetitive act of hammering steel, but Roman Dmitry's deep contemplation was melted into every single movement.
He had entered the State of Selflessness.
His hair fluttered wildly in the fiercely blazing flames, and his skin glowed red from the heat, yet his hammering remained steady and uninterrupted.
‘I will not add divine power to this weapon.’
Normally, holy water had to be poured over the steel during the forging process to craft a true divine weapon. However, what Roman Dmitry intended to craft today was merely an example—a solution to present to the blacksmiths. He had no intention of forcing his work into the standard mold of divine power. Hendrick was an excellent blacksmith. If Roman Dmitry forged a weapon capable of opposing dark mana in his own unique way, Hendrick would surely deduce the answer simply by observing the process and the final product.
Roar!
The flames grew fiercer.
He forgot the very concept of time. Judging that the steel was sufficiently prepared, Roman Dmitry began to infuse the Energy of Annihilation in earnest.
‘Even in Murim, there were beings who wielded unknown, unnatural powers like Alexander. The commonality between my past life and my current one is that no matter where the root of their power originates, there is always a core that sustains their existence. If I completely obliterate that core with the Energy of Annihilation, even beings like Alexander will not be able to endure.’
Boom!
Roar!
Flames splattered in all directions.
Having absorbed the Energy of Annihilation, the fire resisted violently, spewing an immense heat that washed over the crowd outside the forge. Yet, Roman Dmitry firmly seized control of the inferno. Though the exploding fire scorched the entire forge every time his hammer struck the steel, Roman Dmitry, fully enveloped in the blaze, did not stop.
Clang!
Clang! Clang!
It was an incredible sight.
Amidst the violently boiling flames, Roman Dmitry did not take a single step back, continuing his endless battle against himself.
* * *
One hour ago, in Kairos.
While Dmitry was in an absolute uproar, Marquis Valentino was soothing his broken heart at his grand mansion in the capital.
"...If I hadn't expected anything, I wouldn't be this disappointed."
The battle for a marriage alliance with Dmitry.
Marquis Valentino, who had joined that fierce competition at the urging of Matchmaker Susan, had recently met with her as she apologized with a face full of despair. It wasn't that he didn't understand. The matchmakers of various nations, along with Edwin Hector, had put forward formidable candidates. No matter how much he was hailed as the tycoon of Kairos, his chances of winning had always been low.
The problem was that he had already let his expectations soar.
For Marquis Valentino, who had let his imagination run wild, the sense of loss from his shattered dreams was immense. What a sorrowful thing. He had been spinning a miraculous web of wishful thinking: if Roman Dmitry, a man who cherished his family terribly, became his in-law, he would surely look after him. Then, the Marquis could subtly ask for another newly forged sword. Alas, it had all ended as a futile delusion.
His heart felt empty.
Struggling with a deep sense of loss, Marquis Valentino headed to the one place he always visited whenever he felt this way.
"Ah, beautiful as always."
It was none other than his treasure vault. He was currently looking over his prized collection.
Blaze and Third No-Name.
As he gazed upon Roman Dmitry's beautiful creations, the deep sense of loss filling his chest melted away. This was always a meaningful time for Marquis Valentino. He meticulously wiped the surfaces of Blaze and Third No-Name, terrified that even a single speck of dust might have settled on them. He marveled at them, relishing the thought that these exquisite works of art belonged to him.
In moments like this, time belonged entirely to him.
No matter what problems he faced in the outside world, once he checked on his collection, he could pull himself together and start anew.
However...
Knock, knock, knock.
"My Lord Marquis, may I enter?"
A servant's voice echoed from outside the heavy door.
An instant surge of irritation welled up within him. It was an unwritten rule of the Valentino family that no one—even if the heavens were falling—should ever disturb the Marquis while he was in his treasure vault. Yet, a servant who had worked for the family for years had dared to break it. He wanted to punish the man on the spot. However, realizing there must be a grave reason for knocking on this door despite knowing the strict rule, Marquis Valentino suppressed his rising anger and spoke.
"Come in."
"I am terribly sorry, My Lord. Though I knew I should not disturb you, I felt I absolutely had to report this matter."
It was strange. To knock even while knowing the unwritten rule...
As the Marquis stared at him with a questioning gaze, the servant uttered words that threw him into utter shock.
"I have just received word that His Majesty, Emperor Roman Dmitry, is publicly crafting a sword. Fearing that if we miss this moment, we might never get such an opportunity again, I dared to interrupt your time, My Lord Marquis."
* * *
Punish the servant?
Absolutely not.
After bestowing a grand reward upon the decisive servant, Marquis Valentino hurriedly made his way to the Warp Gate.
‘To think I’m only finding out about this now!’
Tears of urgency welled up in his eyes.
This was none other than Roman Dmitry. The man he confidently considered the greatest artisan on the continent was conducting his work publicly! The thought of potentially missing that sight made his heart race with sheer anxiety. That was simply unacceptable. If such a disastrous thing were to happen, absolutely nothing would ever be able to soothe his empty heart again.
He hurried his steps.
He had to get to Dmitry as quickly as possible, but cruelly, the heavens did not seem to understand his urgency.
"I am sorry, My Lord, but you must wait your turn."
"Damn it!"
The Warp Gate.
Using such massive magical artifacts required time to recharge between jumps. Because of the long line of people waiting ahead of him, Marquis Valentino was told he would have to wait at least four hours. From that moment on, he began to panic frantically. Crafting a sword was not a task finished in a day or two. It would surely take at least ten days, but Marquis Valentino wanted to witness every single moment, from the very first hammer strike to the last.
But four hours?
It felt as if the sky were falling. Considering the waiting time and the travel time from the gate, this delay was enough to tear Marquis Valentino's heart to shreds.
After waiting for barely a minute, unable to endure it any longer, Marquis Valentino pushed his way to the front of the line and spoke directly to the person whose turn was next.
Fortunately, it was a familiar face.
"Count Pettison! I have an extremely urgent matter. Could you yield your turn to me? If you accommodate my situation today, I will surely repay the favor handsomely later."
A promised reward from Marquis Valentino was not something to be taken lightly.
Under normal circumstances, Count Pettison would have gladly yielded his turn, but today, he had his own pressing circumstances.
"I am sorry, but I have an important prior engagement. You know well, Marquis Valentino, that punctuality is the foundation of trust. Perhaps you could ask the person behind me..."
"One hundred gold."
"Pardon?"
"Is that not enough? Then, two hundred gold."
Count Pettison's eyes widened. His mind struggled to process the sudden offer.
He was being offered a massive sum of money just to yield his spot in line, but his prior engagement made it nearly impossible to step aside.
However...
"Five hundred gold. Surely this is enough."
"I would be delighted to yield my turn, Marquis Valentino."
Five hundred gold was simply too astronomical an amount to refuse.
* * *
An expenditure of five hundred gold just to skip a line.
It was completely excessive. When he won Blaze at auction for 1,200 gold, at least he walked away with a priceless physical asset. This time, he had spent an astronomical sum merely to have someone yield their spot at a Warp Gate. Even for a tycoon like Marquis Valentino, it was an amount that couldn't be ignored. But his thought process was fundamentally different from that of ordinary people.
‘I am not merely buying a spot in line; I am purchasing precious memories and experiences.’
Even if it was only by a single minute or second, he wanted to lay eyes on Roman Dmitry's forging process sooner.
Even if it was an intangible value that left nothing physical behind, the entire reason Marquis Valentino amassed wealth so fiercely was so he could act exactly as his heart desired in situations like this.
Thanks to his wealth, he was able to use the Warp Gate immediately. Arriving in Dmitry in an instant, Marquis Valentino sprinted toward the forge where Roman Dmitry was working.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
His heart pounded. His blood boiled frantically.
Finally arriving at the scene, Marquis Valentino aggressively pushed his way through the massive crowd blocking his path.
Pushing past the people who had claimed their spots in advance was no easy task. He shouted at some, used physical force on others, and even thrust handfuls of money at the rest. Only after his face was completely drenched in sweat did Marquis Valentino manage to secure a spot at the very front, granting him a clear view into the forge.
Whoosh!
Crackle!
The blazing fire.
Roman Dmitry, completely enveloped in the raging flames.
Right before his eyes...
"...Ah."
The magnificent scene Marquis Valentino had only ever dared to picture in his imagination was unfolding right in front of him.