The Genius Blacksmith's Game
The land of iron. (5)
[The blueprint for the Ballon.]
Just a few decades ago, King Baragon of the Iron Kingdom and the most outstanding dwarves completed unique to transcendent grade blueprints.
But I ended up realizing it was all in vain too late.
Excellent craftsmanship requires excellent materials. Even though they knew this fact, Baragon and the dwarves denied it.
I shouldn't have denied it.
Because if they acknowledged him, it would amount to meekly admitting the downfall of the dwarves.
And in the end, it ended up like this.
Is it because too much time has passed?
It is all in vain.
The lazy king's eyes were devoid of life.
He didn't even tend to his beard, so it grew slowly.
Baragon no longer had any intention of making the Land of Iron into a great nation.
Not long ago, when I learned that the success had been destroyed, I simply thought that one danger threatening us had disappeared.
I just thought that this cockroach-like appearance would prolong its life.
"majesty!"
however.
Beyond the door, a voice full of life, unlike usual, was heard.
No, it’s not vitality, but urgency.
Why?
The one who hurried in was Penny, the blacksmith guarding the path.
“The legendary weapon Ballon…!”
Penny, who had rushed in, turned pale and explained what had happened.
“It seems Ballon’s self-protection system has been activated, but this is strange. For it to be triggered, the target should have easily overwhelmed Ballon, and there must have been another reason.”
The two dwarves had no way of knowing that the reason was that Hyun-soo had destroyed the successful work.
"Tell me to buy it? Is it money?"
“Based on his words, it seemed he wanted something of value worth exchanging for a Ballon d'Or rather than necessarily money.”
"hmm……."
Baragon let out a low sound.
“Who on earth is that guy’s true identity?”
He introduced himself as a blacksmith, but he looks like a tyrant.
“What……?”
The king!
How could Baragon not know that name?
At the very least, Baragon was a figure who lived in the same era as him.
Are you sure?
He was wearing armor inscribed with "Overlord." The Overlord wouldn't have given an artifact to anyone, and certainly wouldn't have had it stolen from him.
“How strange. The story of the Hegemon King did not last long. Moreover, he was a man who abandoned his own dying son to go to the battlefield. Why, then, has such a person come here?”
“To be honest, I also find it strange, but considering the dance he displayed, it cannot be explained unless he is a Conqueror.”
“……Now that I think about it, that is true. The fact that Ballon’s self-protection system activated in that way must mean that it overwhelmed Ballon.”
The situation is serious.
The Hegemon has now entered the Land of Iron.
“I will leave the decision regarding your disposition for later; I would have made the same judgment if I were in your shoes to reclaim the Ballon d'Or.”
“What will you give me?”
Baragon thought for a moment.
It is a problem that can be easily solved with money.
However, it is beyond reproach.
To think they would sell our things to us.
However, since he was a hegemon, they could not easily cast him aside.
Because if that happens, we don't know what the Overlord might do.
Baragon's gaze turned toward the 'Ballon's blueprint' that was rolled up and neatly stuck in one place.
We completed the blueprint, but in the end, we failed to obtain the material that could become the core of the Ballon d'Or.
Baragon stood up and unfolded the blueprint.
On the last page, something resembling a blue mineral was drawn, which should have originally been in the center.
"Even though we started the blueprints for the Ballon based on those materials in the first place. I will grant him the authority to obtain those materials, so tell him to hand over the Ballon. Just tell him to give us half if he succeeds in acquiring it."
Penny understood the meaning.
Baragon had no intention of giving anything to the Overlord, and he did not know if he would be able to take anything out of this land of iron.
I obey your command.
Penny stepped outside.
And Baragon looked with sad eyes at the drawn material in the blueprint that was to become the heart of Ballong.
***
Neeson, a dwarf who had just become a young man, was stoking the fire in the furnace at the forge.
What he was making now was a dagger.
Taaang-!
Neeson, sweating profusely while forging ceaselessly, tempered the red-hot object.
Hissing
Smoke rose from the iron piece that had been heated to a crimson glow, and Neeson looked grim as he gazed at the piece, now that some of its crimson color had faded.
“At this rate, the elders won’t acknowledge me…!”
Even Neeson knew that the current ironwork was not good enough to be called excellent.
dump-
Am I being dragged to the battlefield like this?
Neeson, his legs giving way, dropped the tongs and the metal plate and slumped to the ground.
at that time.
“……What does crafting have to do with going to the battlefield? A dwarf on the battlefield again?”
He sensed someone's presence. Neeson turned his head and was surprised.
A man reaching 185cm in height was standing. His nose was straight at a right angle, and his eyes were slit but large.
Also, brown eyes feel warm yet strong.
“Long limbs…? An elf?”
Since Neeson was young, he wondered if it was an elf he had only heard about in rumors.
but…….
“I’m a human…?”
“……?”
human being?
Humans did not have a good perception of dwarves. Humans are greedy, and above all, they have only one advantage.
The fact that the population is enormous.
“How… did a human get in here? I have to report this!”
Hyunsu spoke faster than Neeson, who had been startled and rushed out.
I came in with Penny.
With Elder Penny?
“You’re so curt…?”
However, Hyun-su smiled faintly. It was because Neeson in front of him looked very young at first glance.
Also, although Hyunsu did not know it, Penny was a dwarf blocking the path and one of the elders.
More importantly, what's going on?
Because it sounded good.
“A good sound? You mean the sound of me pounding?”
"huh."
In fact, it was nothing more than welcome news to Hyun-su. However, Neeson, who was not used to praise, said
“Don’t try to win me over with flattery!”
Wiggle wiggle-!
And yet, it was Neeson whose nostrils were flaring.
also.
I don't feel good at all!
[Intimacy with Neeson increases.]
His words and actions were incredibly inconsistent. Hyun-su found Neeson to be nothing but cute.
"More importantly, what do you mean by being dragged off to the battlefield?"
“……Ah, since you are human, you don’t realize that the culture of the dwarves in the Land of Iron has changed?”
"You mean the culture has changed?"
Hyun-su looked at Neeson.
Like a young dwarf, Neeson liked to explain what he knew to someone.
“After the success story incident…….”
Hyunsu listened to the story and left.
After the success, changes occurred in the Land of Iron.
The dwarves who had reached adulthood had to submit their artifacts to the elders.
If the submitted artifact was substandard, one could no longer walk the path of a blacksmith.
“You must either become a warrior, or a farmer, miner, or fisherman. Although most do become warriors. Since that incident, His Highness Baragon said that dwarves must know how to defend themselves with their own strength rather than weapons and lead an army. So now, many dwarves are walking the path of the warrior. Whether it is fortunate or not, dwarves turned out to be more talented at fighting than expected.”
You might think that dwarves cannot fight well because their reach is short.
However, dwarves are a species that is much stronger and physically superior to the common species.
That is why he will distinguish himself in the field of blacksmithing.
Because the field of blacksmithing requires more strength and stamina than you might think.
Considering that, the dwarves must have even possessed the grip strength to tear monsters apart.
“Do you dislike warriors?”
“……Dwarves are a species born to create! Some people look down on our crafting, but creating is truly a magnificent thing!”
Neeson drew a large circle with his arm and spoke passionately.
“Without swords, you humans wouldn’t be able to protect yourselves as you do now; without bows, you couldn’t even catch the birds in the sky; and without us, people would suffer from inconvenience. That is why I want to become a blacksmith who controls fire.”
Hyun-su smiled as he looked at Neeson.
That's cool.
"really?"
Hyunsu let out a hollow laugh, but he was serious.
Whether you become a warrior, a miner, or a fisherman, the important thing is pride in the work you intend to do.
At the very least, I don't know this guy's skill level, but he has enough potential to be a blacksmith.
For such a fellow to be unable to work as a blacksmith and to be sent to the battlefield would be hell itself.
timely.
“By the way, Human, what’s your job? By any chance…?”
That's right, I'm a blacksmith too.
“Phew, even a human knows how great and wonderful a profession being a blacksmith is!”
Neeson gave a thumbs up.
“By any chance, could you tell me what level it is?”
He is quite excellent among humans.
“Ooooo… really?”
Humans and dwarves were different species, and dwarves have long been much more famous in the field of craftsmanship.
That is why Neeson thought it was just about that much.
“Could you possibly help me create the artifacts for submission? I don’t have much time.”
The dagger I was just making was practically a failure.
Ding!
[Quest: Help Dwarf Neeson Submit Artifact is created.]
[Quest: Help Dwarf Neeson Submit His Artifact.]
Grade: A
Restriction: Those who received Neeson's proposal.
Reward: Maximum increase in intimacy with Neeson.
Penalty for failure: Decrease intimacy with Neeson.
Description: Neeson must submit an artifact to the Elders by the deadline, but he does not have much time. Please help him succeed in crafting the artifact in time for the deadline.
Hyunsu had to build intimacy with at least one dwarf.
It wouldn't be a good idea to wander around the Land of Iron recklessly until Penny arrives…
It was something I realized after seeing the dwarves' reaction.
and.
[You are the God of Blacksmiths.]
[As the Blacksmith God, if you teach the Dwarf race, something special may happen.]
Hyunsu also became interested in the notification he heard.
"okay."
“Good! Don’t fall behind and follow me closely, human blacksmith!”
Neeson, who was energetically striking a fighting pose, didn't know.
That God was visiting him, who simply and purely wanted to become a blacksmith.
A few days later.
For some reason, Baragon, the King of the Iron Kingdom, appeared to personally see the artifacts of the dwarves who became young adults this year.
"majesty……?"
“Your Majesty, what brings you here?”
My head is a mess, you see.
In front of the elders lay artifacts submitted by hundreds of dwarves.
There was a wide variety of artifact types.
Then, the elders check the artifacts and give a 'Pass' or 'Fail'.
Those who pass become blacksmiths, while those who fail live different lives.
It might be better to fail.
Baragon, who established this new rule, believed that there was no longer any hope in the blacksmithing work.
It was also true that the dwarves' skills were not what they used to be.
Most of the outstanding blacksmiths… … died back then.
Even the current elders were merely successors of their children.
Also, since the upper stream could not excel, it was difficult for the lower stream to excel as well.
As expected…
My thinking was not wrong.
Baragon looked at the shabby artifacts submitted by the young men and thought about leaving.
It was just a brief amusement.
Then suddenly-
'what?'
As he was about to turn, his gaze caught on a dagger.
Baragon, with a puzzled expression, checked the name tag of the person who submitted the dagger.
– Neeson.
Baragon picked up the dagger and wore a bewildered expression.
'What on earth is this?'
His eyes shook violently.
