The Blacksmith Hides His Identity
EP 4 The Blacksmith Hides His Identity
Lee Ah-rang had given him a commercial building, and Yoo Ji-tae opened a magic cooking restaurant there. Contrary to his expectation that the food industry was a red ocean, the shop was always packed with customers. Magic cuisine was fundamentally different from ordinary cooking. It was closer to an elixir than a meal. There were even rumors that the most expensive magic dishes could extend one's lifespan just by eating them. Since magic cooking qualifications themselves were rare, any shop that opened was bound to be flooded with orders, whether for takeout or dine-in.
Most of the customers were elites rather than ordinary people, hunters whose bodies were their greatest asset, or high school students preparing for entrance exams. Money never ran dry. He spent over twelve hours a day holed up in the kitchen making food, but it wasn't bad. It was all thanks to his capable and kind employees.
"Customer. If you finish everything and claim you have no money, I'll have no choice but to personally search the depths of your conscience in the restaurant storeroom. What do you think about that?"
"Ah, unni! You can't rupture a customer's intestines!"
Correction. They weren't that kind. Anyway, a week had passed since he opened the restaurant, and things weren't bad. In just one week, profits reached 200 million won—roughly 800 million to 1 billion won a month. It was still far from enough. Under normal circumstances, it would have been fine. The restaurant was merely a front to conceal the underground workshop. Ideally, he should have been taking commissions under the name Hermes, forging swords, spears, and potions in the basement and raking in money by the cartload. But a problem had arisen.
The entire world was hunting for Hermes. (In the bad way.) No matter how much the Alchemy Association claimed to protect an individual's privacy, he couldn't be certain of staying hidden when the nation, hunters, and Llywelyn were all searching for him. He had considered building a new reputation under a fresh alias, but that would only draw more attention.
While he was mulling it over, a message arrived.
Commissions for crafting, enhancement, and appraisal were monopolized by the Alchemy Association. More precisely, the Association acted as an intermediary. Artisans couldn't find clients without going through the Association, and clients submitted requests to the Association first when they needed something. However, direct commissions to an artisan one was already connected with were different. The client could meet the artisan face-to-face and handle the request without involving the Association. Of course, this method was only permitted for renowned masters.
Lee Ah-rang thought of him as that level of artisan. In reality, he only clicked his skill, but the results were overwhelming.
"!"
So this was the power of connections.
'...Well. I suppose so.'
*****
Song Hye-na's weapon, the staff, was a custom piece. It was because of her skill, Magical Girl Transformation (B). Just as a chrysalis about to become a butterfly melts at the genetic level inside its cocoon, the user's body was reconstructed by the skill. Therefore, the staff had to be perfectly compatible with her so she could fully utilize its abilities after transforming. If the staff didn't match, she would transform into standard mode. Then she would have to fight with only low-output heat rays, which would be slower than simply punching.
In other words, the staff was a weapon paired with the ability user. That was why the craftsman had to meet the skill user and create the weapon centered around her. Song Hye-na was a public figure, after all. She visited the restaurant in the classic celebrity look: a pink hoodie and black cap. Thinking the restaurant name "Famile" was probably something like Family Mart, she opened the door.
Upon entering the spacious interior, she saw a beautiful woman with a literary girl vibe at the counter.
'She's really pretty.'
Song Hye-na herself wasn't lacking in looks wherever she went, but this woman was on a different level.
'Is she some kind of celebrity or actress?'
Song Hye-na cleared her throat and spoke softly.
"Um, excuse me. I have a reservation."
"What kind of reservation is it?"
"That window seat."
"Ah. You mean the reservation for one person at 4 PM. You can sit over there."
"Huh? No. It should be for two people."
Lee Se-rin tilted her head and stared at Song Hye-na before belatedly understanding the situation.
"...Ah. You're right. Two people. My mistake."
"Right?"
Song Hye-na sat in the corner by the window and waited for the other person. Soon, customers began leaving one by one. When new customers tried to enter, Lee Se-rin went over and spoke to them, and each time their faces turned pale as they turned back. Watching this, Song Hye-na felt it was strange but accepted it.
'...That craftsman must have rented out the whole place. If they're acquainted with a chaebol, they must have that kind of money.'
After Song Hye-na had been drinking black tea and waiting for a few minutes, a man walked out from the kitchen. She held her breath.
Truthfully, Song Hye-na tended to dislike men. In this era of absolute male supremacy, saying such a thing out loud would invite questions about her parents' well-being, but that was how she felt. Her misandry came from experience. Because men were scarce, everyone assumed that speaking to a man meant she was interested, so they watched her warily. If she reached out to help a fallen man, people glared at her from all sides, accusing her of sexual harassment. They sucked up all the honey society had to offer while always playing the victim. Watching them act superior and demand respect made her nauseous.
'...He is incredibly handsome, though.'
Even she had to admit his appearance was outstanding. His eyelashes were long, and the lines of his entire body were so refined they were beautiful. He naturally exuded elegance just by walking, and his gaze was somehow gentle, making her want him to look at her.
'But his face looks familiar. Who is he?'
Song Hye-na searched her memory but found no recollection of meeting him. She shrugged and looked away.
'It'd be annoying if he reported me for eye-raping him or something.'
For a few minutes, she waited for Yoo Ji-tae to leave.
'Why isn't he going?'
While thinking with her gaze averted, she felt puzzled by the presence that showed no sign of disappearing.
"Excuse me?"
When Song Hye-na looked straight ahead, the man was folding a napkin.
'What is he doing?'
The napkin gradually took shape. Even Song Hye-na, who had been trying not to look, found her eyes drawn to the changing napkin. Yoo Ji-tae finished shaping it and pushed it to the center of the table. It was the figure of a girl wearing a dress. It was the transformed form of the magical girl Song Hye-na, holding a staff and swinging it. It wasn't roughly folded either. The hair tied on both sides, the small shoes, and even the details of the hair ornament and her expression had been reproduced.
'That's me.'
"Wow."
Song Hye-na covered her own mouth after letting out the exclamation. She hated feeling looked down on in front of men. Only then did the man in front of her smile brightly.
"You seemed to be in a bad mood, so I wondered if you'd like this."
Song Hye-na poked the napkin version of herself with her finger.
Tap-tap-tap!
The magical girl made of napkin struck a combat pose and moved. It swung its staff, jumped to the side, then returned to its original posture. Song Hye-na's eyes sparkled. Her mind felt like a bomb had gone off as she stood up in excitement.
"Huh?! How did you do that?! This! This!! It moved!!"
The man shrugged his shoulders for a moment before taking a deep breath. Song Hye-na couldn't take her eyes off the napkin magical girl. This wasn't an ability. It was a mechanical paper device made purely through origami technique. That made it even more incomprehensible.
"W-with just a regular napkin, something like this is possible?! That's impossible!!"
"Yes. It's because you store force inside using the paper's tension. Once you know the principle, it's simple."
"...Is that really possible?"
The man smiled awkwardly like a pure boy. Song Hye-na had tended to dislike men. They were arrogant, looked down on others, and treated people poorly because they believed themselves precious. So she rejected them and turned away. To her, the man before her—who prepared a gift for someone else and felt proud simply because the other person was happy—was an existence that overturned all common sense.
"Do you happen to know me?"
"Yes. You're the magical girl. I'm a real fan."
Song Hye-na's lips twitched.
"Heh. Hehe..."
+ He says he's my fan? It's my first time meeting one in person. (5 points)
Yoo Ji-tae felt relieved.
'I was worried the contract would fall through.'
Song Hye-na smiled faintly.
'Just being together is fun.... So men like this exist too.'