NOVEL NEXT chapter 19
19 – The World’s Greatest Blacksmith
It’s been two days since I’ve been in the monarch’s castle.
Seina and I finished preparing to go out early in the morning.
“Have you packed all your belongings?”
“It’s a carrot.”
Seina’s hands were full of bundles.
All are lunchboxes.
“I won’t starve to death with this.”
She puts on a satisfied expression and loads her rear wagon.
“… Yes, well done.”
If there’s a person who can’t die anywhere, it’s Seina.
Ah, you are not a person.
“How long do you plan to be away?”
Dermian asked politely from the side.
“It won’t take long. Please ask for my last name while I am away.”
“I swear by the name of Dermian. Just leave it to me.”
‘Baby, you’re trustworthy.’
I looked at him with a satisfied face.
Before he was an aide, he acted as an agent who handled the affairs of the monarch.
If I empty it for a long time, there will be no problem.
I nodded once and got into the carriage.
At the same time, hundreds of soldiers in front of the castle entrance raise their swords in unison.
– Clap!
It was a sharp cut with no fraying.
That figure was dignified enough to fight a war right now.
‘That’s all mine.’
I was reassured, but on the other hand, I was also anxious.
I have to turn my back on them in the end.
To kill the overlord and reclaim the human world.
Because that was the condition to see the ending of Death Knight.
Of course, there is bound to be friction with them.
“Let’s go.”
Today, I’m going out of the castle to make a stepping stone for that.
If you want to deal with monstrous lords and soldiers, you can’t even dream of defense alone.
‘I have to be strong.’
I had to f*cking count.
**
– KANG! Kang!
The irregular sound of iron and stone colliding echoed one after another.
This is the Ra-Banaut Mine.
A place called the grave of the living.
It is a notorious mine where you can enter alive and come out dead.
There are no miners who have worked here for more than three years.
Fine magic stones and iron powder in the air build up in the lungs the more you work, causing poisoning.
In such a place, blacksmith Taliesin swung a pickaxe in a thick sweat.
“Hey Eshin. Shouldn’t you take a break?”
“Just one more time!”
“It’s just filling the belly of the demons anyway, so why are you working so hard? You know. The harder you work here, the more it will only fill the belly of the hateful demons.”
“If you can’t meet your quota!”
– KANG!
“Shouldn’t another miner come?”
– KANG!
Saying that, Taliesin swung the pickaxe more vigorously.
“Tsk, who would have known that you, who once made weapons for heroes, would end up like this? Anyway, don’t push yourself too hard!”
The miner looked at his back with a sad face.
Taliesin was a world famous blacksmith.
There are dozens of famous swords he created.
Of course, it all ended up in the hands of the demons.
“Now that the world has fallen into the hands of demons, how can humans make weapons? You have to adapt and live!”
Humanity was defeated in the battle against the demons.
Since then, it has been taken for granted that most humans, regardless of their skills or work, were enslaved.
Insignificant mankind cannot even make weapons.
“Still, shouldn’t we have hope? I have no doubts. That mankind will be able to take back this land again someday!”
Taliesin smiled faintly at the man’s words.
He deserves to adapt to a hopeless situation, but he has always been a person who never loses hope and encourages his colleagues.
Despite the circumstances, I am happy to be with these people.
He thought so and turned around.
“Stop talking nonsense, you go to work. Then, when they come… “
At that time, Taliesin’s face hardened rapidly.
“Revan—!”
A colleague who had been having a normal conversation until just now suddenly collapsed on the floor.
It happened occasionally.
No, it’s a common occurrence here.
When a person dies without any warning.
“I can’t die! Come to your senses!”
Taliesin threw the pickaxe to the ground and ran frantically.
Then, he lifted the body of his comrade.
‘… Take a deep breath.’
I put my ear close to check the sound of my breathing.
Thankfully, he was still alive.
“Just a little… wait a bit… ! I’ll give you some fresh air soon!”
I had to take him out of the iron mine immediately.
There might be a way to save him if he went outside.
Taliesin lifted him up and put him on his shoulder.
Then he started running frantically toward the ground.
About 10 minutes to the iron mine entrance.
If I could hold on until then, I could have saved enough.
“Hold on! You don’t die! As always, you have to have hope!”
He ran and ran.
Even if a large amount of fine powder enters the bronchi.
Even if his colleagues shook their heads in vain.
I ran and ran again with the single thought of saving lives.
How far did you run?
In his sweaty eyes, he saw a pure white light in the distance.
It’s not long.
He wiped away his sweat with an expression of relief.
Now all we have to do is go over there.
“Stop, where are you going?”
At that time, a guard in front intercepted Taliesin.
“My colleague is in trouble right now… ! It only takes a little while, so let me get some fresh air!”
The jailer glared at Taliesin in amazement.
“Is this your playground? Leaving your seat to get some fresh air.”
The jailer tapped Taliesin on the cheek.
“It only takes a moment! I’ll increase the quota, so please watch!”
“No, go back. Don’t you know that leaving your seat is the death penalty? I’ll see you when I go back now.”
“Damn it! You’re saying stuffy things! Aren’t you the same human? I can’t see this critically ill patient now! If you are a human too, get out of the way immediately!”
The jailer sighed after hearing Taliesin’s words.
“Does it take a day or two for dozens of people to die in an iron mine? And, how do I know you guys are doing this to fool around?”
“Then, I will go down… ! You can take them outside yourself!”
“It looks like he’s going to die anyway, so why should I?”
Taliesin’s eyes shook violently at the jailer’s determined attitude.
He is clearly the same human being.
However, it would not be an exaggeration to say that the one in front was a demon in human form.
How can you be so heartless now that the fire of one life is going out?
Perhaps, humans were more powerful than demons.
“Acpal-! Move!”
Taliesin thought so and intended to forcefully break through.
However, as if he had already expected it, the jailer kicked him first.
Taliesin goes limp.
“What an asshole-!”
-Sureureung!
The jailer drew a knife.
He looked over in front at the light at the entrance with a desperate expression on his face.
Very little.
I wish I had gone a little further.
“Die—!”
He thought so and closed his eyes tightly.
“Stop.”
Then, a voice came from somewhere.
Taliesin slowly opened his eyes.
He was a young-looking man.
But next to him is a demon with his head down, not knowing what to do.
‘… What kind of case is this?’
It was the first time I saw it.
A demon who bows down to humans?
The guard asks in a questionable voice whether the same was true.
“… Who are you?”
“You crazy bastard—!”
The demon grabbed the jailer’s head and threw it down to the floor.
Then, after looking at the unidentified man, he hurriedly opened his mouth.
“I’m sorry! Humans don’t know etiquette yet!”
It was an incomprehensible situation.
The demons did not treat humans as more than bugs.
But what is that respectful reaction that I have never seen before?
“Are there any injuries?”
The man said nonchalantly.
Only then did Taliesin realize what he had forgotten.
“Me, I’m fine! More than that, this friend is in a very critical condition, so he needs some fresh air… “
“Heal the man.”
At his words, the demon hurriedly took something out of its bosom.
“This is a potion, should I use it?!”
– Nod.
Taliesin thought he hadn’t heard for a moment.
It was no exaggeration to say that potions were rare and cost astronomical.
By the way, did you use it on yourself, who were only iron ore slaves?
What kind of situation is this?
– Gulp.
The demon urgently feeds the potion.
Then.
“Ugh…. Taliesin?”
The man’s consciousness began to slowly return.
It was the time when he looked at Revan with a bright smile.
“Looks like the fire has been turned off in a hurry, but look at me for a moment.”
The unidentified man opened his mouth.
**
‘I finally met you.’
I looked at him with a satisfied face.
Taliesin.
He is the best blacksmith on the continent and the only human who can create mythical items.
And he was also the person who would maximize my specs in the future.
If there’s one problem, it’s that he’s an NPC who doesn’t make you dig for weapons.
Even in the game, it took me three months to get his weapon.
From quests to good impressions, you have to put in a lot of effort to get a weapon.
“Thank you for saving me and my comrades.”
Taliesin said plainly.
“I’m glad I’m not late.”
“By the way, who are you? It’s the first time I’ve seen demons cringe like that.”
He looked at me as if he couldn’t understand no matter how much he thought about it.
“Does it matter who I am? It doesn’t matter why I called you.”
Thinking of the hard work I had to get his weapon in the game, I just wanted to hurt him.
I will never tell you who I am.
This gentleman can’t stand being curious about things, so he must be quite distressed.
“… I can’t help it if I don’t want to talk. So why did you call me?”
While he said that, he looked at me with an expression wondering if he would tell me.
I opened my mouth as if I had waited.
“To dig iron ore with those hands. Isn’t it too much of a waste?”
He covered his hands, wide-eyed.
“My… You seem to know who I am.”
“How can you not know?”
Taliesin jumped up from his seat.
“Thank you very much for your help. I will repay this grace even at the cost of her life. However, asking them to make weapons is another matter. I have a belief that only those who deserve a weapon can be made by grinding my soul into it. I’m sorry, but this can’t be helped no matter what I do with my life.”
The qualification he is talking about here is not something like strength.
In a nutshell, I was asking him to do some good works and do some sh*t.
As expected. After all, this damn old man can’t make it easy.
However, I know how.
“It must be a weapon you have never made before.”
“hahahaha! There is no weapon that the Taliesin of this world has ever made. Thank you for saving me, but that kind of comment is a bit off.”
I opened my mouth as if I had waited.
“Would you like to bet?”
“… Bet?”
“If you have ever seen a weapon, I will tell you my true identity.”
“… ….”
Taliesin put on a troubled expression.
“Aren’t you confident?”
When I said one more word, he slowly responded.
“I accept it. As I said beforehand, I didn’t do it because I was curious about your identity, but I accepted it because it was a matter of the blacksmith’s pride.”
“Okay.”
I picked up the pen lying on the table.
Then, roughly, I drew a certain shape.
Seeing this, Taliesin’s eyes start to widen.
“!”
And, finally, when the painting was all completed.
“… I lost.”
Taliesin stuck out his tongue.