Chapter 28
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 28
Chapter Title: The Conductor's Biggest Fan
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Gore's Armory was a peculiar place.
Swords and instruments were displayed side-by-side on the shelves, and bundles of sheet music were scattered all over the floor.
A mural on the wall depicted a man holding a ukulele.
What in the world is this place...
It wouldn't have been strange to call it a music shop.
At the same time, true to its nature as a forge, there was an anvil, a hammer, and a furnace for melting iron.
It's... hard to put into words.
It had all the attributes of a smithy, yet the items displayed inside were more akin to those of a music store.
It was a place with a unique atmosphere, the likes of which he had never seen before.
Clang!
A short, elderly man who had been forging set down his hammer and spoke.
What brings a stranger here?
His face, full of graying whiskers and deep-set wrinkles, was etched with the marks of time.
His worn-out tunic, stained with soot and resin, gave him a peculiar air.
His frame was small but solid. He was undoubtedly a dwarf, the kind Yuhyeon had only heard about in rumors.
A satisfied smile spread across Yuhyeon's face.
It seemed he had come to the right place.
Are you lost? If youre looking for a blacksmith, youll want to head that way.
The old man seemed unimpressed, despite it being his first customer in a long while.
His forge wasn't a place that specialized in selling swords.
That was why his sign read Armory and not Blacksmith.
No, I came to see you, Master Craftsman. I have something to ask.
...Me?
Curiosity and suspicion mingled in the old man's gaze.
Yuhyeon was the first stranger to visit him not to buy a sword, but simply to see him.
I was sent here on a recommendation. I was told you might have the information I need.
Hmm?
He didn't engage in many outside activities.
He didn't have many close friends, so who could have possibly recommended him?
Soon enough, the old man understood the reason when Yuhyeon showed him a piece of paper.
Olsen's Letter of Recommendation
Gessin, it's me. It's been nearly five years since our paths crossed. Have you been well?
Gessin's eyes widened as he read the letter.
He murmured, as if unsure whether he was dreaming or awake.
Oh, Olsen? The, the knight I know?
Yes, the instructor wrote it for me.
An instructor? Gessin's expression grew even more puzzled.
The man should still be in the prime of his life. How did he end up becoming an instructor?
Especially one who had risen to the rank of Honorary Knight, said to be the pinnacle of knighthood.
Well, Ill be. The Olsen I know isnt the type to write a letter of recommendation for anyone.
We have a rather special relationship. Im his student.
Hah, that fellow has a student! What a curious thing.
If I may ask, Master Craftsman, what is your relationship with the instructor?
Our relationship...
Gessin's eyes narrowed as if recalling the past.
I owe him my life.
Once, in the past, Gessin had gotten lost deep inside a dungeon.
The pitch-black interior, the spike traps and cliffs scattered everywhere.
In that perilous situation, where a single misstep could have meant death.
Sir Olsen! Theres a survivor over there!
Gessin was fortunate enough to be rescued by Olsen.
If they hadn't arrived just then to clear the dungeon, it wouldn't have been surprising if he had already perished.
He is truly my savior. Since then, we have been close friends.
Close friends?
Yes, close friends.
Gessin looked at Yuhyeon, then let out a soft chuckle and said.
What, is it so hard to believe were close friends, despite the considerable age gap between me and your instructor?
He laughed heartily.
To true friends, age is but a meaningless number.
To the Blackhammer tribe, a close friend was almost like family.
The kind of family with whom you could share your deepest, most sincere thoughts.
In such a deep relationship, age was merely a number.
Besides, dwarves live three times longer than humans. If we started worrying about age, thered be no end to it. Khahaha.
His boisterous laughter echoed through the forge.
After a moment, Gessin smiled gently and said.
So, what is it you came to see me for? This isnt a place that specializes in swords, so Im afraid I cant be of much help with equipment.
I didnt come to buy equipment. I came to ask if you could fix this for me, Master Craftsman.
Fix? Fix what?
Gessin stared intently at the object Yuhyeon handed him.
It was a bow, its feathers tattered in places, the stick so warped it looked completely unusable.
Hmm, a bow.
No matter how he looked at it, it was a bow for a violin.
Of course, with his knowledge of instruments, he could probably repair it.
Even so, it would be better to see a professional luthier...
I can certainly take a look, but wouldnt it be better to see a specialist? This is a smithy, after all.
The moment Gessin took the bow from Yuhyeon with a puzzled look,
Ding! A message window appeared before his eyes.
And as he learned the bow's true identity, Gessin's eyes slowly widened.
...Huh? Wha-what?
The Conductor of Melody's Broken Violin Bow (Legendary)
A mythical weapon, not easily found anywhere.
N-No, th-th-this is!
It was an item belonging to the one Gessin had spent his entire life searching for.
Uh, is it to your liking? Its the best I have in the forge. I dont usually entertain guests, you see
Its fine. This is more than enough.
Yuhyeon forced a smile at Gessins sudden change in demeanor.
He had become a completely different person after seeing the Conductor of Melody's bow.
To think the day would come when Id see this with my own eyes...
Gessin murmured, as if he couldn't believe the situation.
Master Craftsman, you know of the Conductor of Melody?
Know of him? He is everything to me! Truly, my entire life!
Your entire life?
Thats right!
Gessins eyes sparkled.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they were the eyes of a young girl in love.
He continued speaking, his voice filled with excitement.
The Conductor of Melody was a truly great man.
Gessin was a descendant of the Blackhammer tribe.
His childhood memories of his homeland were of his tribe shedding blood every day.
Days spent in a bloody war with the rival Red Anvil tribe over ownership of the Gald Mountains.
Then he appeared and brought peace to our tribe.
It was a fight that would only end when one of the tribes was completely annihilated.
Just then, the Conductor of Melody came to the Gald Mountains and stopped the war.
Its still as vivid as if it were yesterday.
The average lifespan of a dwarf was 300 years.
Since this was something Gessin experienced in his youth, it wouldn't be strange for his memory to be distorted by now.
However, the last scene he witnessed was still seared vividly into his mind.
He played music for the two tribes after the war had ended.
The Conductor of Melody performed for those weary from the war.
As they drank and sang, the animosity that had built up between them melted away in an instant, and peace came to the mountains.
It was nothing short of a miracle.
From that day on, he became my dream.
After that, Gessin wandered the lands, following the footsteps of the Conductor of Melody.
He chased after his legend everywhere it led, whether it was the cold northern continent or the volcanic one.
The deep dungeon where Olsen had rescued him was one such place he had visited for that reason.
My dream was to become a blacksmith who could recreate the instruments he used.
This was why Gessin's forge was different from any other.
The swords and bows, the instruments, the sheet music rolling on the floor, and even the smell of resin.
Everything was crafted with the purpose of recreating the instruments he had used.
In a way, it was the workshop of a successful fanboy.
To get straight to the point, I can fix your bow.
Gessin stated calmly.
In fact, I might be the only one who can.
His eyes held a solid confidence.
A certainty that he knew more about the Conductor of Melody than any other blacksmith in the world.
However, there is one problem.
A problem?
I can only fix the stick. The bow hair seems to be made of a material imbued with spiritual power, and I dont have the ability to handle such a material.
Gessin said with a hint of regret.
He would have loved to create the finished product with his own hands, but the enchantment on the bow hair was beyond his capabilities.
Above all, he lacked the ability to handle spiritually imbued materials.
To handle this kind of material, one would need strong spiritual power. And they would also need extensive knowledge of the Conductor of Melody. For instance...
Someone with spiritual abilities and extensive knowledge of the Conductor of Melody.
The conditions were so specific that it was doubtful such a person even existed.
After thinking for a long while, Gessin cautiously continued.
The master of the Bard's Guild might know.
The master...
Yuhyeon's eyes widened.
It felt as if the scattered puzzle pieces were finally coming together.
'I thought something was strange...'
The bow's description had clearly stated it could be repaired by a blacksmith who knew how to handle divine objects.
At the same time, the goddess Cecilia had said the master of the Bard's Guild could handle the mane hair.
Which meant.
'I have to get them repaired separately.'
The stick to the blacksmith, and the feathers to the guild master.
Just like fixing software and hardware separately.
Yuhyeon spoke with a confident expression.
In that case, I think I have a way to fix it. May I entrust the stick to you, Master Craftsman?
Of course! Just leave it to me. Ill pour my very soul into repairing it perfectly.
Gessin then took a pencil and began scribbling something on a piece of paper.
Judging by the high strength of the stick, it must be a special kind of wood
He was listing the materials needed for the repair.
As Gessin wrote down the materials, his eyes narrowed.
The rest of the materials I should have here in the forge, but the wood is a problem.
The frog that holds the bow hair can be made from the ebony I have, and the button can be replaced with silver, but the stickthe most important part of the bowwas the real issue.
He needed a wood that was not only strong but also had excellent elasticity and flexibility.
Wood from the Elven Forest, or at the very least, wood obtained from defeating an Elder Treant.
The Elven Forest is practically impossible, and defeating an Elder Treant is just as difficult
Cutting down a tree in the Elven Forest, where nature is cherished, was tantamount to throwing one's life away.
And was hunting an Elder Treant, an elite monster, an easy task? Not in the slightest.
In other words, either path was a life-threatening endeavor.
Ill ask around. Ill check if any Elder Treant wood comes up at the auction house.
Acquiring the wood from the auction house would require an enormous sum of money.
He might be able to afford one or two pieces, but for the repair, he would need a bundle of it.
That meant it would cost at least a hundred gold.
It will take some time.
Even so, there was nothing in the world more important than one's life.
No matter how long it took or how much money it cost.
Gessin had just finished his assessment and was about to conclude.
What if I were to get it?
...The Elder Treant wood? You?
Gessins eyes narrowed slightly.
Did this young man truly understand the meaning of what he was saying?
Youth is a fine thing. But this is no time for bravado. An Elder Treant is an elite monster
I want to at least try, to see how far I can go.
Gessin's gaze fell upon Yuhyeon.
Ive already hunted an elite monster before.
His eyes were far too bright for someone speaking out of ignorance.
They were the eyes of someone with a firm will, burning with a fierce intensity.
...Hmm. Are you serious?
Gessin had seen eyes like these before.
They were the same kind of eyes Olsen once had.
Very well, then. Just dont overdo it.
Ding!
A quest has been generated.
Hidden Quest: Obtain the Materials to Repair the Bow Stick
Grade: A
Restriction: Conductor of Melody (Level 20 Limit)
Reward: Gessin's favor greatly increased, potential for a follow-up quest.
Failure: Gessin's favor slightly decreased.
Description: Repairing the Conductor of Melody's bow stick requires special wood. Bring the wood of an Elder Treant to Gessin. Succeeding in this quest may lead to something special.
'An A-grade quest...'
Yuhyeon's eyes narrowed as he read the quest window.
A-grade was the highest rating of any quest he had received so far.
This meant he had no idea what kind of arduous trials lay ahead.
Come to think of it, do you not have a sword? Your hip is bare.
I was just about to buy one. My sword was destroyed. Do you know of any good smithies?
Tsk, tsk. A man going to hunt an Elder Treant without a sword. Wait here a moment.
Gessin stood up and headed toward the back of the shop.
Clatter! Clang! Crash!
A moment later, he returned covered in dust, carrying a single sword.
My skills may not be much, but I am a blacksmith. I dont know if youll like it, but take this if you need it.
Youre giving this to me?
Its not for sale, so who else would I give it to? It should serve you well enough.
Then Ill accept it gratefully.
Yuhyeon took the sword from Gessin.
'Hmm?'
Contrary to Gessin's humble words, the sword was exquisitely crafted.
It was light yet well-balanced, its edge keen and sharp.
Even Yuhyeon, who was no expert on swords, could tell that much.
'Let's do this.'
It was his first A-grade quest.
He didn't know what difficult trials awaited him.
Nevertheless, Yuhyeon's attitude was as bold as ever.
'I'll just do what I've always done.'
The path he had walked so far had always been filled with trials.
Each time, Yuhyeon had proven himself, ultimately delivering results.
The trials always made him stronger, and that was precisely why Yuhyeon took on quests.
Ill be back, then.
Even if the trial seemed impossible.