The Blacksmith Hides His Identity
EP 4 The Blacksmith Hides His Identity
The Moon-Extreme Star Lord slammed her head against the table and began to sob. “Ugh… uuu…”
“Honey. Is it true?”
“Auu… uuu……”
“Fuck!! I asked if it’s real!”
“D-don’t shout at me….”
The Moon-Extreme Star Lord sniffled, hesitated, then nodded. Yoo Jin-wol’s face turned deathly pale.
“Oh, fucking hell.”
“I-I’m sorry… Please don’t abandon me… Please… Don’t hate me… Ugh. Uuugh… I was just trying to do my best….”
Yoo Jin-wol covered his face and remained silent for several seconds. At least the husband seemed normal. He bowed his head toward me.
“I’m truly sorry. This is entirely my fault for failing to keep my wife in check. I’ll make sure she never does anything like this again. More importantly, I’ll provide proper compensation. I have shares in the hospital and cash totaling around ten billion won. Please accept that as compensation. I’ll liquidate it and transfer the funds within a week.”
“Aaaaaagh!” The Moon-Extreme Star Lord wailed.
Ten billion. That could buy some decent elixirs. Actually, gathering the ingredients myself and cooking them would be far more effective and cost-efficient. I could even craft elixirs worth ten billion on the market for half that price.
Llywelyn spoke up. “What about the wife’s money?”
“I manage all of my wife’s finances. Of course, I’ll continue sending five hundred million won every month from now on.”
“Five hundred million…? I’m not sure the Moon-Extreme Star Lord in her current state can even afford that.”
“If I take in a concubine and save up…”
The Moon-Extreme Star Lord screamed. “N-no… A concubine…? That’s…”
“Of course, if she refuses to obey, we’ll draft divorce papers immediately. If my wife does anything unpleasant, I’ll sign them on the spot.”
“F-fine… I’ll… take in a concubine….”
Yoo Jin-wol swallowed a groan and bowed again. “So… could you please spare my wife’s life? I understand you must despise her enough to want her dead. But if you let her live, you could at least receive monthly payments. Wouldn’t that be more beneficial for you…?”
The Moon-Extreme Star Lord seemed quite precious to Yoo Jin-wol. What to do? Truthfully, I didn’t hold much of a grudge against her. She had tried to kill me, but I’d blocked the threat without issue. The biggest victim, Wi Seol-ah, felt nothing toward the Moon-Extreme Star Lord either.
While I hesitated, Llywelyn spoke again. “Then could you also provide the Spirit Root and the secret magic?”
‘Secret magic?’
I pulled out my phone under the table and searched. Magic was divided into four grades based on acquisition difficulty. Fourth-grade basic magic, freely accessible to anyone. Third-grade ordinary magic, requiring payment. Second-grade secret magic, needing high fees and official permission. And first-grade ultimate magic, shared only within closed groups.
The secret magic Llywelyn mentioned was second-grade—likely a spell the Moon-Extreme Star Lord had spent years and a fortune obtaining permission to learn.
“…Even something like zombie creation would be fine.”
“No. That’s not it.”
The Moon-Extreme Star Lord pondered, then went to her study and returned with a book in her mouth. The title read Dismantling Deity Descent Hand Seal. I accepted it and flipped through the pages. It consisted of forty-eight forms, though only a few were practical for combat. Still, those few seemed formidable. If her arms had been intact, could the Moon-Extreme Star Lord have put up a good fight against Heo Shin-ah? After a moment’s thought, I concluded she couldn’t. Heo Shin-ah’s Ten Thousand Phases Breaking Finger Fist Technique was first-grade. Combined with the realm difference, defeat would have been inevitable.
When I turned the final page, my Hephaestus reacted.
Dismantling Deity Descent Hand Seal Lv.1
A secret cutting magic created to dismantle the sturdy corpses of higher-realm cultivators. It imbues the fingertips with blade-like sharpness, slicing through flesh and bone like paper. A secret art developed by magic medical scholars after years of research. Training increases sharpness and hand strength, reflected in stamina and muscle power.
‘Perfect.’ A combat magic that boosted stamina and strength. Not bad at all. I had already trained the Ten Thousand Phases Breaking Finger Fist Technique to Lv.5, but only two months remained until the university entrance exam. No amount of good training magic was ever enough.
Come to think of it, the Ten Thousand Phases Breaking Finger Fist Technique was first-grade—ultimate magic. I had received a lot of help from Heo Shin-ah.
Skills: Tigrius Spirit Studies (C), Basic Swordsmanship Lv.2, Ten Thousand Phases Breaking Finger Fist Technique Lv.5
Skill: Hephaestus (SS)
Llywelyn spoke again. “Next is the Spirit Root.”
‘…What’s a Spirit Root?’
I searched for it. A Spirit Root was a type of spiritual organ mages installed in their bodies to raise their realm. The better the Spirit Root, the greater the training efficiency and the easier the realm advancement. Ancient mages had formed circles in their hearts, but after realizing the danger, they exchanged techniques with Eastern mages known as immortals and switched to creating Spirit Roots near the abdomen. Even if the Spirit Root was destroyed, one wouldn’t die, though their realm would drop drastically.
Llywelyn stood and slipped her hand under the Moon-Extreme Star Lord’s shirt. The Moon-Extreme Star Lord twisted her body. “Ah! Aah! Not there!! Lower! Lower!”
“Ah. Here?”
“Too low, you went too low!! A little higher in the back! There! Ngh?!”
“Ah. Found it. This one?”
“That’s a kidney!!! Th-that’s the bladder!!! Yes! That one! Uuuaaah… ugh.”
Llywelyn withdrew her hand. In her mucus-covered palm lay a white, jade-like object. It gave off a faint fishy smell.
“A fine Spirit Root.”
She tossed it to me. “Since Spirit Roots aren’t usually formed during the Refined Realm, this should help with your growth.”
I examined the Spirit Root, then gently pressed it against my abdomen. It slipped inside. The foreign sensation gradually faded.
‘…Should be fine, right?’
Llywelyn patted the Moon-Extreme Star Lord’s head with her other hand. “Without a Spirit Root, you’ll fall back to the Refined Realm within a few months. Of course, that changes if you install a new one midway. You won’t, will you?”
“…No. I won’t.”
After bowing to the Moon-Extreme Star Lord’s husband, I stood to leave when he called out.
“Could we speak alone for a moment?”
“…Sure. Why not.”
We moved to the lounge. After locking the door, Yoo Jin-wol hesitated.
“…Didn’t you have something to say?”
“Yes. But it might be a bit rude.”
“It’s fine. Go ahead.”
“…Hermes. Are you a man?”
“…Why do you think that?”
“Well, I’m a man too, and after seeing and talking to many women, I can usually tell at a glance. But with Hermes, I couldn’t get that sense. It felt like you were a man pretending to be a woman.”
“……”
I sighed and removed my hat. “…Yes.”
Yoo Jin-wol studied my face, then smiled. “Ah! The son-in-law of the Samjin family!”
‘Not quite.’ But correcting him felt like too much trouble, so I let it pass.
“Ah. Yes. That’s right. My name is Yoo Ji-tae.”
“I see. I’m sorry for dragging you into this mess.”
“…Are you really okay with this? Your wife ended up like that.”
A faint smile curved Yoo Jin-wol’s lips. “I actually think this turned out for the best.”
“What?”
“How should I put it? Once my wife fixates on something, she ignores everything else and crosses the line. It’s her usual pattern. So forcing her to rest by cutting off her realm might actually be better for her. That’s what I believe.”
Unexpected. I’d thought he would divorce and discard her once things got troublesome. Yet he was willing to take responsibility to this extent.
“What about divorce?”
“? Me?”
“She caused this incident. Aren’t you disgusted?”
Yoo Jin-wol chuckled. “She’s still cute, though. Besides, if I take in a concubine and split my affections, she’ll be even more anxious. I’m already looking forward to seeing my wife fret over whether the concubine will steal me away.”
“……”
The husband was strange too.
“If you ever need money or other help in the future, please contact me. I’ll tell my wife to assist you as much as possible. Ah, and…”
Yoo Jin-wol pointed toward the window. S-rank Hunters were visible in the hospital parking lot.
“I’ll speak to the Hunter Guild separately. I’ll have the subjugation order withdrawn.”
“Ah. Is that possible?”
“Yes. My wife has sponsored quite a bit to each guild. If a few withdraw, the rest will follow suit. The Merchant Association side will probably be handled by Heo Shin-ah later.”
“Heo Shin-ah will?”
“Yes. That’s probably why she decided to run for mayor in the first place.”
Curious, I sent a message.
*****
A week passed after that.
My current bank assets totaled 10.7 billion won—ten billion from the Moon-Extreme Star Lord’s husband, plus the existing five hundred million and two hundred million in sponsorships. The points gained from gratitude reached 431.
The Spirit Root had increased my growth rate, but my realm was still low. I had consumed elixirs bought with the money and cooked magic dishes from the restaurant’s leftover scraps, and results were showing. The Spirit Root’s effect probably helped too, though I honestly couldn’t tell yet.
Skills: Tigrius Spirit Studies (C), Basic Swordsmanship Lv.2, Ten Thousand Phases Breaking Finger Fist Technique Lv.5, Dismantling Deity Descent Hand Seal Lv.2
Skill: Hephaestus (SS)
It was now early September. Less than two and a half months remained until the college entrance exam in mid-November. Moreover, the university I aimed for wasn’t an ordinary one—it was Korea University, the best in the country. All the senior-year competitors taking the exam there were monsters who had raised their stamina, strength, and mana to 10. Factoring in retakers would only make the competition fiercer.
I sighed, stood up, and resumed training the Ten Thousand Phases Breaking Finger Fist Technique in the parking lot. Lee Se-rin and Han Ye-jin, who had laid out a mat in one corner of the lot, watched and offered pointers or advice. Both had experienced the entrance exam themselves, so their advice was genuinely helpful.
Collapsing onto the mat in exhaustion, Lee Se-rin immediately clung to me. Here we go again.
“Ji-tae-nim. I’ll give you a massage.”
A chill ran down my spine. She wore a pleased expression while slipping on latex gloves and wiggling her fingers. As I lay on the mat, she pressed firmly into my back, waist, and thighs, stimulating the pressure points.
“It hurts….”
“I’m sorry. But it only hurts at first. It’ll feel better soon. Please trust me.”
She was right. It hurt at first, even aching in the bones, but the more I received it, the better my body felt.
Meanwhile, the Hunter Guild announced the cancellation of Hermes’ subjugation. Just as Yoo Jin-wol had said. I turned on the internet.
“……”
While flipping through pages, an ad popped up.
[BBC is looking for information on Hermes!]
[If you graduated from the same school as Hermes, lived in the same neighborhood, or know even the slightest bit of information about Hermes, please contact us immediately. We will provide substantial compensation depending on the information!]
My message inbox was flooded with texts from someone claiming to be a BBC producer. Hunters were no longer chasing me. The merchants seemed to have quieted down as well. Instead, people everywhere were wondering who Hermes was and trying to uncover her identity. But it was enough for Hermes to remain an unidentified woman. That was sufficient.
After the massage left my body feeling fine again, I stood in the parking lot and resumed training. As long as people’s attention remained focused on the premise that Hermes was a woman, my true identity wouldn’t be exposed. So it was still okay. For now.
EP 4 The Blacksmith Hides His Identity. (END)
Among retake academies, a legend was passed down: the Retake Academy Casanova. Retake academies were hell, filled only with women who had failed the college entrance exam and were seeking another chance. Once every few years, a man would descend into that hell. He would captivate the minds of the women there, preventing them from focusing on their studies, and then leave leisurely after ruining their exams. Therefore, academies warned students to abandon any thoughts of meeting men and focus solely on the entrance exam. It was a form of nagging.
However, the Retake Academy Casanova legend had a sequel. Women who submitted marriage applications with such men received enormous social privileges. This applied to the college entrance exam as well. Women who succeeded in marriage were given significant additional points on the exam. In other words, if you managed to marry a man who appeared at the academy, that year’s entrance exam was already in the bag, and your entire life would turn rosy.
“Well. There’s no way a man would bother coming to a retake academy just to meet retakers.”
One retaker muttered as much.
EP 5 The Devil of the In-Seoul Class at the Retake Academy