Genius Blacksmith's Game

Chancellor Bolson, who had accepted the king’s order, led the talents and came to the Malson River.

“This river is located right behind the capital. It’s a headache for the Kingdom of Goyard. In a country that’s already small in area, there’s a river so wide it takes up 20% of the kingdom. Is there anyone with a plan to use this place for business?”

For more than a hundred years, the ancestors had tried to use the Malson River to fill the national treasury, only to fail every time.

So the talents spoke, trying to win Bolson’s favor somehow.

“Fill in the river and build many private houses, then sell them to the people and fill the national treasury.”

“Or how about filling in the river and making a swordsmanship tournament arena? Make it so the entire continent can use this stadium.”

“Use that river.......”

Listening, Bolson clicked his tongue.

The answer to this unsolved problem of a hundred years always came back like this.

“If we fill in the whole river, we’ll be dead.”

“.......”

It was a fact.

“And with the cost it would take to fill in the river, we’d have to spend 50% of our kingdom’s treasury.”

There was no profit at all.

Of course, Bolson didn’t have even a sliver of expectation.

They had only asked out of a small hope—whether someone could find a way.

Chancellor Bolson, as the one who manages the national treasury, had the duty to fill it.

‘Is there truly no way.......’

This wide, useless river.

A place that only takes up this country’s area.

At that moment.

“You just have to start by thinking about using it.”

A voice came from among the talents.

Bolson made a puzzled expression.

It was someone called Bark.

From Vallas Territory.

And not thinking about filling it—thinking about using it.

That matched Bolson’s thinking.

“How do you mean, use it?”

He motioned for them to step forward.

Bark.

In reality, he was a legendary figure in real estate who had turned ten million won into ninety billion in assets.

“You build houses here.”

The area grew noisy.

“Build houses in a place swarming with bugs, hot in summer, and cold in winter? What a lunatic.”

“Judging by how he looks, he seems like a knight—what would knights know?”

“Hahaha, where the hell did that guy come from?”

But Bolson thought, Huh?

‘Build houses?’

He raised a hand to shut their mouths, then said,

“Explain in more detail.”

“If you build houses here—where bugs swarm, it’s hot in summer, and cold in winter—you can give the richest nobles in the world what they want most.”

What nobles want?

“Beautiful scenery, and the envy of other nobles that makes them stand out even more. If you make the windows large, it’ll be like you’ve brought the river inside the house, and if you build a road along this river, it becomes a running track where nobles can run while looking at the river.”

Bolson imagined it once.

A noble’s house spread out in front of the river!

“There’s a saying in my world.”

As if possessed, he listened closely.

“Han River view is the truth.”

“......!”

Bolson’s business-minded brain spun like crazy.

“If we build ten houses first as a test, those ten will sell quickly. After that, the surrounding land prices will rise without limit, and other nobles will want to build as well, so tell them you’ll build for them at ten times the value. And as the number of mansions increases, distinguished guests from other kingdoms will also take interest and want to buy. Then, under the pretext that they’re outsiders, sell to them at twenty times the price.”

Twenty times?

But it was possible.

In the first place, every place along this river’s flow was royal property.

Bolson could hear the national treasury being filled.

He pushed the other talents aside and stuck right next to Bark, talking with him.

“There are many old private houses in the capital. Is there a way to use that?”

“It’s simple. Tell them you’ll tear them down and build new houses. Say you’ll move nobles into those places.”

“Then won’t the people’s backlash be severe?”

“No. Nobles will hear that ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) magnificent, huge new houses are being built, and they’ll buy those houses from the poor people who originally owned them at expensive prices. Then it’s good for the people, good for the nobles, and we collect the tax, so it’s killing three birds with one stone.”

“Then this is....... that is.......”

“That is done like this....... that is done like that.......”

“Excellent. Truly excellent!”

Bark received a notification.

[You have greatly contributed to the kingdom’s development projects.]

[You acquire 42% contribution.]

Bark felt proud.

‘I’m finally spreading my wings for the guild, too.’

Vallas Territory lacks manpower.

If they raise contribution here at the royal court and gain manpower through this quest, how good is that?

And Bolson’s test wasn’t over.

He spoke to the gathered talents.

This was for Strengthen National Power, but it was also meant to test talents across the entire country.

“I think a great chancellor or merchant must be able to pull in a lot of money within one hour when needed.”

In other words, the key was how much money they could pull in when needed.

That showed how legendary they were with money, and how someone could gather it within a time limit.

The talents sent couriers.

The set time was one hour.

At that moment, one man logged out.

It was Ressel. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Ressel, the youngest of a conglomerate family, made one phone call.

“It’s me. I need some Gold. Ah, I’m not going to use it—I’m planning to put it in and take it out for a moment.”

Then he logged in again.

And if the amount of Gold was large, it could be converted into a check.

Ressel held out the check in front of Bolson.

“I arranged it.”

Bolson panicked.

‘O-one, ten, a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand, a hundred thousand, a million......? Hiiiiiik!’

He carefully thought this.

‘I should get close to this kid.’

The power of the youngest of a rich household!

Ressel also received a notification.

[You have greatly won Chancellor Bolson’s favor.]

[You acquire 27% contribution.]

Meanwhile.

The Royal Knights training camp.

A place where multiple knight orders were training.

Philip spoke.

“Our kingdom has established various swordsmanship, spearmanship, archery, and martial arts. Because these are the most excellent and efficient. If there is ever anything superior to these, I am willing to accept it.”

A significant number of martial artists across the country use what has been passed down in their families.

If there is something excellent among them, apply it to soldiers and knights, and they become stronger, achieving strengthened national power.

‘What is this?’

‘Why is this.......’

The talents panicked.

Philip put bracelets on them.

“A Mana Control Bracelet. The moment you put it on, everyone’s strength becomes equal.”

That, they understood.

What they couldn’t understand was that dozens of knights holding wooden swords were standing there, surrounding them.

“You will see that the knights who will verify your skills are also wearing Mana Control Bracelets. I want to see your pure swordsmanship, so understand.”

Understand?

At that moment, the greatest knights of Goyard—the country of swords—charged in with wooden swords.

“GET THEM!”

The talents’ noses were high.

They thought they were the best.

They intended to seize the initiative first.

“UUUURGH!”

“S-spare me—th-that’s not okay there......! GHK!”

“Ah, I’m dying!”

Philip clasped his hands behind his back and watched the scene.

But then.

THUD, THUMP-THUMP, CRACK, CRUNCH, WHOOSH-

SLASH

“......?”

Philip made a puzzled expression.

One man was beating down all the knights with a single wooden sword.

The moment they put on Mana Control Bracelets, everyone’s strength becomes equal.

In other words, it was skill.

And the swordsmanship he was displaying was so excellent, so tremendous.

It was Hanul.

The kendo gold medalist.

“?”

Watching the knights sprawled out after getting beaten, Philip grew flustered.

Hanul said,

“After clashing swords, I realized the shortcomings in the swordsmanship the knights use. If I look at the manual and revise it, I think it will be a great help to soldiers and knights going forward.”

Then Hanul received the swordsmanship manual, and with Philip in front of him, revised it.

“Swing like this, and the wrist angle is.......”

Philip admired.

He was supplementing every weakness in the swordsmanship and writing in only new advantages.

Hanul also received a notification.

[You have greatly contributed to the basics of the Kingdom of Goyard’s swordsmanship.]

[You acquire 28% contribution.]

Strengthening national power also includes soldiers and knights becoming stronger!

And the place where archery was being tested.

FWIP-!

“......!?”

FWIIIP-!

“......!!!?”

FWIIIIP-!

“......!!!!!???”

The knights couldn’t contain their admiration.

An arrow shot by a woman named Hyeji hit the exact center of the target.

Amazingly, the second arrow drilled into the first arrow.

Even more amazingly, the third arrow drilled into the arrow where the two arrows overlapped.

Someone swallowed dryly.

‘It’s the return of the Divine Archer.’

In the knights’ silence, Hyeji said,

“Watching you draw the bow, it looked like posture correction is needed. If there’s anyone who wants to receive posture correction from me.......”

“Start with me!”

“No, me first!”

“I got here first!”

“Aren’t you better than me!?”

The knights surrounding Hyeji looked ready to fight each other.

“What are you doing!”

Seeing that, Philip glared.

Philip was known as the coldest man in the Kingdom of Goyard.

Staring them down, Philip said,

“Start with me.”

“???”

Anyone would want to become stronger, and Philip was the same.

[You have greatly contributed to the basics of the Kingdom of Goyard’s archery.]

[You acquire 27% contribution.]

Another place. People interested in martial arts were swarming around someone who had knocked down five knights with a single kick.

It was Taehun, the taekwondo gold medalist.

“Put strength into the back foot.......”

SCRITCH SCRITCH-

NOD NOD

The knights were at the point of taking notes so they wouldn’t forget.

[You have greatly contributed to the basics of the Kingdom of Goyard’s martial arts.]

[You acquire 19% contribution.]

Another place.

“???”

Bella was flustered as she watched what was unfolding throughout the capital.

“Would you like to have a meal with me?”

“I already ate lunch.”

“It’s not lunchtime yet......? Then how about a cup of tea?”

“I have a caffeine allergy.”

“Is there such an allergy......? Th-then ride a carriage with me and.......”

“I have a carriage allergy.”

“???”

A chancellor who wanted to befriend the rich, and Ressel who looked used to it.

“Bark, where have you been—about that thing called real estate.......”

Chancellor Bolson ran over as he looked at Bark.

He isn’t the type to be like that.

‘But he’s a man who will do anything if the kingdom can develop.’

That’s why Bolson was in that position.

Bella found it fascinating.

When she toured the training camp, the things they judged themselves lacking in—

Archery, swordsmanship, martial arts.

Knights with those things formed groups and gathered around the three of them, asking for instruction.

‘So they were the ones protecting Hyunsoo.......’

Bella’s power of the second sun was truly astonishing.

At that moment, a woman approached.

It was Nell, the chancellor of Vallas Territory.

Bella thought, Perfect.

“Our kingdom is also putting full effort into the capital development project, but maybe because we’re only called the country of swords, there are few people who come to the capital aside from swordsmen.”

In other words, not many people visited the capital.

If many outsiders and NPCs visit the capital, the kingdom collects taxes.

What they wear, what they eat, what they drink.

There are taxes in all of that.

But it wasn’t easy.

The power other kingdoms had to draw them in was lacking in the Kingdom of Goyard’s capital.

Nell, thinking, said,

“Build a large, magnificent tea house in the kingdom’s capital.”

“A tea house? If it’s a tea house, we already have more than enough, and every year the deficit only grows, so it doesn’t help the capital project.”

Nobles can enjoy good tea even in their own homes, so they don’t bother visiting capital tea houses.

Outsiders were even worse.

Would they bother going to a tea house in this world?

But soon, Nell said,

“In that tea house, every morning, Your Majesty and Knight Bella should visit and drink tea.”

“......What are you saying?”

“The tea house that Your Majesty and Knight Bella go to every day will gather nobles from all across the continent, and outsiders who love taking flex pics will pour in like a flood. In addition, make the tea price ten times higher and charge it.”

“T-ten times...... Is that possible?”

Bella couldn’t understand what Nell was talking about.

So Nell gave a small smile and said,

“Your Majesty and Knight Bella only have to say one thing.”

“What......?”

“After drinking the tea at that tea house, Your Majesty’s and Knight Bella’s swordsmanship improved more, and you became healthier. Then people will drink it even if they pay ten times the price. Also.”

Nell smiled as they looked at the panorama of the kingdom’s capital.

“The tea’s cost is 150 silver. The tea’s base price is 4,000 silver. At ten times, that leaves a margin of over 250 times the cost.”

Bella was dumbfounded.

‘Isn’t this a scam?’

Nell, smiling as they looked out, said,

“This is how you do business.”

And Bella, together with Bolson, opened the kingdom’s largest tea house.

One month later, that tea house’s sales were higher than the combined tea house sales of the entire Kingdom of Goyard.

And the number of visitors to the Kingdom of Goyard’s capital increased 54 times compared to usual.

[Plant beans, harvest beans.]

Where there are geniuses, there were other geniuses.