Genius Blacksmith's Game

Hyun rode back to the hospital in Jinseop’s car.

After taking a mold of his right arm for the protective glove, he sat facing Jinseop.

“The protective glove will cost around one hundred million won.”

It was an amount so expensive it startled Hyun.

“The right hand will only play a supporting role, but support is important, too. It has to be as thin as possible while absorbing impact—that’s why it’s so expensive. It’ll be custom-made in America.”

Jinseop spoke about what he saw as the core.

“Compared to your right hand in the past, I estimate the strength your left hand can exert at about fifty percent. Slowly, we’ll keep bringing that up as you get used to it, and we’ll also do rehabilitation so your right hand can become more perfect in daily life.”

There was another important point.

“How much will that treatment you mentioned—the one waiting for FDA approval—cost?”

Hyun had only recently heard that such a treatment might become available.

It was only natural for it to have been that way.

He had already been struggling under the weight of hospital bills.

In that situation, there was no way Jinseop could suggest yet another treatment and another round of medical expenses.

“In this field of medicine, brand-new treatments are always extremely expensive. From what I know, this particular therapy involves injecting a drug that revives paralyzed nerves and slowly recovers damaged muscle. You should probably expect about one hundred million won per injection.”

Even Jinseop, saying it, felt it was excessive.

But Hyun spoke in a firm voice.

“I’ll take it.”

Jinseop was a little surprised.

You’ve really changed a lot.

He remembered Hyun flustering at the desk over medication that cost tens of thousands of won.

Every time he came to the hospital, Hyun’s shoulders had slumped.

But now it was different.

There was a glimpse of confidence that he could handle hospital bills anytime with his own ability, and the look of conviction on his face carried an aura Jinseop could not quite name.

“See you next time.”

Hyun headed straight home.

On the way back, he explained everything that had happened to the Radiance guild group chat, who had surely been worried.

[Kang Hyunsoo: I’m sorry for making you worry.]

[Kim Hyein: It’s okay, I’m just glad everything worked out.]

[Kang Hyuksoo: It happens^^ Congrats.]

Hyun gave a small smile as everyone congratulated him.

Before he knew it, he had arrived home and was standing in front of his capsule, organizing his thoughts.

In truth, when Hyun had learned that Barad was thinking of him as his successor, he had felt doubtful.

He had wondered if Barad wasn’t overestimating him too much.

But after returning from Araham Territory, a single conviction had formed.

I deserve to stand in a higher place.

He had been the weak.

But he was not anymore.

Even though Radiance was a small, elite group, it was slowly finding its footing.

And not long ago, he had heard from Nell just how gigantic Hwarang Guild really was.

He felt he could catch up to them.

What did he need in order to do that?

Higher titles and more territory.

He had never once forgotten Nell’s words—that a user could gain territory and rise to a lord’s seat.

If he wanted to keep advancing, he needed higher rank and more land.

And for that, his contributions in the Kingdom of Goyard would also be necessary.

But he thought of that as a problem to be worked out one step at a time.

For now, Hyun got into the capsule.

[Connecting to Ares.]

And as he logged in, a puzzled look crossed Hyun’s face.

Because the knight he had brought over—Luk—was pacing restlessly.

“You’re here.”

“What’s going on?”

At Hyun’s question, Luk handed him a letter.

It was a letter sent by Marquis Lukburk.

Hyun, who in the game had parted ways with him only a few days ago, read through the urgent missive he had sent.

He sensed it instantly.

This is it.

Hyun judged that he ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ needed to render a great service to the kingdom.

He felt this matter would be perfect for that.

But the more he read the contents of the letter, the colder his chest grew.

“This is what’s happening on the border right now?”

“Yes.”

“Send a letter to Marquis Lukburk. Tell him I’ll accept the request.”

“Yes, sir!”

Hyun began making preparations to depart for the border.

******

SHRAAAK—!

With a harsh sound tearing through the air, a knight of the Kingdom of Goyard fell in less than a minute.

“You’re nothing special!”

Watching Frak, who smiled with utter confidence toward the Kingdom of Prahum’s camp, Ben let a faint smile form on his lips.

“Wooooooaaaahhh!”

The soldiers of Prahum roared with hot cheers at their ally’s victory.

By contrast, the Kingdom of Goyard, who had just suffered their third consecutive loss, looked like their morale had plummeted.

Prahum and Goyard clashing nerves on the border was something that happened fairly often.

But neither kingdom wanted a full-blown war, so what they waged here was a very small war.

This small war had continued for seven years.

Each kingdom picked knights who had not yet been Junior Barons for a full year—five from each side.

They fought in a tournament format.

I’ve been waiting for this day, Barad.

Three to three.

For six years, the two kingdoms had engaged in evenly matched tests of strength.

And for this seventh year, Ben had made a great many preparations.

The one who had gone out to fight for their side was none other than Frak, heir of Ben.

In other words, the man was Ben’s personally raised disciple.

Rumors abounded that the heir of Ben had already risen to far higher rank.

Those rumors had been started by King Ben himself.

On top of that, Prahum was also called the kingdom of blacksmiths.

A land full of countless mines and blacksmithing materials!

And just as many outsider guilds were based in Prahum, and they had covered the heir of Ben from head to toe in artifacts as close to Legendary as possible.

Of course, the Kingdom of Goyard had also fielded, as their first knight, one of the kingdom’s Five Talents.

But he had lost in such a futile way, and they had gone on to lose three times in a row.

“Insufferable man.”

Ben glared at Barad, who was seated not far away.

Peace?

He wanted it, too.

But who held the initiative in that peace mattered.

And in that process, the best he had put forward was a single blacksmith?

Of course, he himself liked artifacts.

If he and Barad were to fight right now, Barad would win.

Why? Because of the sword Hyun had made for him.

However, artifacts had such a thing as a masterwork, and it was highly probable that the one Hyun had made was a masterwork.

Just then—

BWOOOOOOOO—

This was the second piece Ben had prepared.

Hearing the horn, Ben felt a thrill.

It was the sound of the noble he had summoned arriving, leading his soldiers.

Normally, neither side brought that many soldiers.

Because this was only a place to butt heads.

And the owners of this horn, too, would be leading only about one to three hundred soldiers.

But the number didn’t matter.

They were appearing holding aloft banners bearing the symbols of a noble house of Prahum.

He was showing Barad.

The Kingdom of Goyard can no longer unify its strength.

Would the demoted greatest nobles of the kingdom really lend Barad their power?

Of course, just as he had discussed with his confidants, it was possible there was at least some small link between Barad and Lukburk.

The problem was that that link was not going to exist.

BWOOOOOOOO—

The sound of a horn rang again from afar.

And Ben set his eyes on Barad, who sat in his chair.

Barad.

With a sigh-filled expression, Barad simply closed his eyes.

Ben could see the right hand resting on the armrest clench tightly into a fist.

Today, I hold the initiative.

In other words, this was Ben’s way of signaling that he could start a war at any time he wished.

Just then—

BWOOOOOOOOOO—

The sound rang out once more.

But the footsteps that followed were anything but ordinary.

His confidant spoke in an excited tone.

“Your Majesty, it seems a massive army is approaching.”

“Is it Marquis Luward?”

Luward, Prahum’s greatest noble. He was a man with countless nobles under his command.

“It appears so. It seems they wish to bolster Your Majesty’s spirits as much as possible today.”

“...I told them to only send the minimum necessary forces.”

Ben smiled as he said it.

As if the heart of a vassal thinking of his king was not such a bad thing.

Then the horn sounded once more.

BWOOOOOOOO—

Listening to it, Ben soon put on a puzzled expression.

Whinny—!

Beyond the horizon.

His keen senses picked up nothing but the neighing of a single horse.

Soon, a lone man on horseback appeared on that horizon.

Who is that?

A puzzled look crossed his face.

He appeared to be a man of the Kingdom of Goyard.

Riding at full speed, what stood out about him was his brown coat.

With his coat fluttering, he quickly approached and before long had arrived at the Goyard camp.

*****

Seated in his chair, Barad had closed his eyes.

CRRRRRRK—

“The fourth knight is done as well. Now we just have to take down the last knight!”

The voice of Frak, heir of Ben, sounded as if he were mocking him.

Their enemies’ morale rose higher and higher, while their own army’s morale sank lower and lower.

BWOOOOOOOOOO—

With the blast of horns, nobles of Prahum appeared.

All of them had come here to protect Ben.

I did what I had to do.

Barad had had to protect the throne.

That was why he had cut down Lukburk and the nobles.

Countless subjects who had followed them hurled jeers at Barad.

Even so, it is clearly my fault.

The fact that he had failed to rally them, that in the end he had let them scatter in all directions.

If that was not his fault, whose fault could it be?

BWOOOOOOOOOO—

More nobles of Prahum arrived.

As their names were shouted, the morale of Prahum’s camp rose further.

In the end, Barad slowly shut off his hearing.

He heard nothing.

A desolate silence.

Within that silence, he slowly organized his thoughts.

Both kingdoms wanted peace.

And the initiative.

He would have to yield that initiative to Prahum.

How?

Barad would have to go first, offer a small courtesy, and speak of peace.

It would be something recorded in history.

But it was something Barad had to do.

Then, suddenly, a thought came to him.

In the end, I’m alone.

Fifteen years ago, he had had a child, a wife, Marquis Lukburk, and the nobles.

But in the end, he had ended up alone like this.

Just then—

“Y...our Ma...”

He heard a vague, buzzing sound.

Having shut off his hearing and finished organizing his thoughts, Barad slowly awoke from that darkness.

“Your Majesty.”

It was a familiar voice.

At last, his hearing and all his other senses burst back to life at once.

In that instant—

“Woooooaaaaaaahhh!”

“Long live King Barad!”

He heard an unfamiliar roar.

The total of eight great forces that had appeared.

The ones he had thought were nobles of Prahum.

All of them were wearing armor that symbolized the Kingdom of Goyard and holding banners representing each of the kingdom’s greatest noble houses.

And in front of them he could see the greatest nobles of the kingdom on horseback.

The nobles of the kingdom with Marquis Lukburk at their head!

Marquis Lukburk drew a small smile and slowly nodded.

Barad looked around.

Armies of the Kingdom of Goyard filling the horizon.

They ringed the forces of Prahum as if encircling them.

Barad did not know why the nobles who had been demoted had come here.

Then he spotted Hyun standing before him.

Hyun gave a small bow and said with a youthful smile,

“I’ll be going.”

Barad’s chest burned hot.

Hyun gave a small bow, then let his sword hang at his side and began to walk.

Flaaaare—

With the hem of his coat fluttering, he kept walking toward his destination. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

He stopped in front of the heir of Ben and spoke.

“I am the last knight. Junior Baron Hyun.”