Genius Blacksmith's Game

Still while Hyunsoo was asleep.

CLENCH—

Carl’s fist, after only finishing his emergency treatment and sitting in the meeting room, tightened hard.

Cassel Territory’s administrator, Col.

He stroked his neatly groomed moustache and spoke.

“You know this, do you not? Outsiders express their strength with something called Level. A Level 50 outsider? Is thirty thousand Gold fitting for him? I think ten thousand Gold would suffice.”

As the one who managed all finances of Cassel Territory, he had been delegated full authority by the lord.

Carl’s face flushed at those words. Whether he noticed or not, Col kept talking.

“From the start, the Bell of Lamas was the property of our Cassel Territory. Even if it was melted down and recreated, the fact that it was originally ours does not change. Then does that possession belong to him—or to us?”

Right, a mere ten thousand Gold.

That was the level at which Col sought a settlement. He pushed a sheet of parchment stating his reasons before Captain Carl.

Besides, it had been a promise with Knight Commander Carl; it was not a promise with the lord or himself, was it?

“...He is our benefactor.”

This was why Carl was angry. Administrator Col had not stood on the battlefield.

And when the lord said he would hold his post, Col had put his own name as number one on the refugee roster.

Of course, he was capable—that was how he’d attained his position.

“A benefactor? He is a benefactor. But even so, don’t we also have to make a living?”

He wetted his throat with a teacup and smiled greedily.

“That bell cannot be priced by the grade called Unique. Of course, one could even call it a Legendary-class artifact. But how fortunate is this?”

He looked at Carl with a satisfied smile.

“That man’s—so-called—Level is still abysmally low. To him, even ten thousand Gold would be enormous. He’ll probably jump for joy.”

No, he will not be jumping for joy.

Because that would mean we are breaking our promise.

Carl could say nothing.

The strength in his clenched hand drained away.

The lord trusted Administrator Col completely.

Because he knew well that Col’s direction was the path for the territory.

And the lord was listening to Administrator Col’s words as well. A small smile was on the lord’s lips.

As if Col’s thinking were admirable.

Carl couldn’t say a word.

Cassel Territory...

It must be restored.

For that restoration, they truly needed a great deal of money.

And the lord looked to him and began to speak.

“Commander Carl.”

He would likely say:

It can’t be helped; grant it thus.

He would give that order.

If he refuses and throws a fit, do not hesitate to use force...

“What the hell is that bastard talking about?”

“...Sir?”

Carl’s eyes went wide. The smile that had hung on Lord Kern’s lips vanished.

And Col looked at Lord Kern with a bewildered expression.

Lord Kern’s reputation was this:

Kind.

He had never once cursed before, never once raised his voice at the knight commander or at Col.

Though the lord of a small, shabby border territory, his virtue was widely known.

Yet now that man was glaring at Col as if to kill him.

“When that blacksmith went a week without sleep making the bell, what were you doing?”

“...”

Col could not answer.

Yesterday, when the bell was made—

He had left the territory, telling himself, This territory is finished!

Then, at the sound of the bell, he had come back.

When he couldn’t continue, Lord Kern looked down at him with eyes as if at a worm.

Col realized.

I—if I say one wrong word here, I’m finished.

That Lord Kern’s fury had reached its peak.

“Administrator Col will put a proper price on that bell. And if you would spare him the least, Commander Carl, you will personally mete out punishment to the administrator.”

With blade-cold eyes, Lord Kern looked to Carl.

Knight Commander Carl dipped his head slightly. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

“Yes, I will punish him.”

“Ah, and though I said a proper price, it would be good to add a bit more. He is our benefactor, is he not?”

“...Understood.”

Col bowed his head, trembling.

Carl’s expression lit as if he remembered something.

“The one called Hyunsoo asked about the ores Your Lordship possesses.”

“Ores?”

Kern stroked his jaw.

“Yes, he also asked if, should he repair the bell splendidly, he might be able to obtain them.”

“...I see.”

Lord Kern recalled those ores.

“It would not be a waste to give them to him. Administrator Col, settle the price for the bell appropriately. And as for those ores, I will bestow them myself. Bring him before me.”

Lord Kern rose to his feet.

After he left—

Commander Carl tore the parchment that had been put forth in two.

RIIIP—

“Slowly—let’s talk it through.”

Commander Carl’s eyes gleamed.

“How much our benefactor ought to take.”

****

Hyunsoo’s face, sunk in deep sleep, tightened.

Why is it so noisy?

Strange notifications kept sounding.

DING

DING

DING

What on earth is that sound?

Awakening, Hyunsoo peevishly opened the notification window.

[Subscribers are updating.]

[Subscribers are updating.]

[Subscribers are......]

[Subscribers are......]

[Subscribers are......]

Notifications that would not ring unless a certain threshold was exceeded were flooding the screen.

What...?

What had happened while he slept? Soon Hyunsoo checked the result of the noisy alerts.

[Hyun’s Forge subscribers: 101,655.]

O-one hundred thousand!?

Hyunsoo rubbed his eyes.

A subscriber count of one hundred thousand was very high.

He’d even seen an article saying blacksmiths with over one hundred thousand subscribers earned at least 600 a month.

He knew the subscriber system was borrowed from internet streams or from JoyTube.

If they were actually stream subscribers, combined revenue lines would have enabled far more earnings, but there was a reason it was around 600.

First off, blacksmith subscribers had no “donations.”

Unlike many who made money through internet streaming via donations, blacksmiths had to earn through item crafting.

Even so, one hundred thousand was undeniably an enormous number.

When he stepped into the yard, he could see why.

[Came after reading the article.]

[Is this the place that repairs even Unrepairable artifacts?]

[......Can you repair my insane little brother’s head too?]

[Can you repair my grades!?]

[Can you fix my eighth-grader syndrome?]

Hyunsoo let out a small laugh.

It worked just as ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) I aimed.

Hyunsoo had named it Hyun’s Second Custom Craft Bell.

In truth, this name and its description could be changed amply by the creator.

But Hyunsoo had deliberately engraved the name “Hyun” on the bell.

Even if it was one hundred thousand now, that subscriber count would keep rising.

Because when people visited Cassel Territory, they would see that bell Hyunsoo made.

There were other notifications as well.

Benefactor? I became Cassel Territory’s benefactor?

What on earth had happened while he slept?

There were even notifications like these:

[Those good words prove that you have walked a worthy path.]

[You gain 100 Renown.]

[You gain 30 Charisma.]

Huh...?

What was this?

Hyunsoo tilted his head. They said people were spreading word about the benefactor—was it because of that?

Of course, it was good for Hyunsoo.

But there was something more important to him right now.

The contract money...!

The blacksmith’s contract money—in other words, he had to receive the value for the commissioned bell he had made.

Just as he was about to get up from the bed, he heard voices outside.

“In a hurry?”

“In a way. But Commander, you go in first.”

“Thanks for yielding.”

The voices of Nell and Knight Commander Carl came together. Soon the door opened, and Carl, many of his wounds already healed, came into view.

The moment he entered, Carl brightened at the sight of Hyunsoo awake.

Completely the opposite of that first time he’d seen Hyunsoo and worn a dry, impassive face.

“Our territory’s benefactor has awakened. I offer you my sincere thanks.”

“It’s nothing.”

Hyunsoo was taken aback by Carl bowing his head.

And Carl went straight to the point.

“I reported the value of the bell you made to the lord and have come with his approval.”

“...Yes.”

Hyunsoo’s heart pounded. He was curious how much Hyun’s Second Custom Craft Bell was worth.

****

In a small café in Gyeongju, Kang Hyeok-soo sat. He had received a call from the young man who had sold him the forge.

At the request—he really wanted to meet—Hyeok-soo decided to meet him here.

JINGLE—

The door opened, and a young man, as if he had run in a hurry, came in.

Soaked in sweat, he didn’t look much different from that time.

Though he had tried to dress neatly, he looked rather shabby.

And, as before, he wore long sleeves—to hide the burn scars, no doubt.

Catching his breath calmly, the young man sat before him.

Hyeok-soo said nothing.

A brief silence passed. From the fact that he said nothing, Hyeok-soo could tell.

As expected, that wouldn’t have been easy.

The reason for today’s meeting might be to ask for a little more time.

Soon the young man, Hyunsoo, steadied his breathing and carefully asked,

“...Have you been well?”

“I’ve been well. And you?”

“...I’ve been getting by, in my own way.”

A brief silence brushed past. The young man broke that heavy quiet.

“May I ask you one thing?”

Hyeok-soo nodded.

“Why did you give me a chance?”

He didn’t speak for a long time at that question. He knew it himself.

In not even a single year—

For someone Hyunsoo’s age to earn 330 million won was, realistically, impossible.

And to buy back land that had been sold for business—Kang Hyeok-soo hadn’t become a real-estate magnate for nothing.

He was more special than others and more diligent than others; that was how he became who he was.

Why, then, had he done it?

“There were two reasons. You asked me, didn’t you? If you tried to buy this place again someday, could you do it?”

From his eyes at the time, Hyeok-soo felt many things.

“I’ve seen many people in desperate situations where they had to sell real estate. Among them, you were the first. The first to ask, ‘Could I buy it again?’”

He smiled faintly.

“Even if it had been me—or anyone else—they wouldn’t have been able to ask that.”

Right—most people might have already let go of everything. Might have gone mad.

But Hyunsoo’s eyes had been so very hot.

“And the second reason...?”

After a long hesitation, Hyeok-soo spoke.

“I wanted you to live.”

“...”

“I wanted you to live without dying—because in that moment, you need at least one goal. You have to move toward that goal. With at least that, you can go on living. And now, seeing your eyes, I know.”

Hyeok-soo had half failed, but half succeeded.

“...You’ll keep living—doing your utmost—like that.”

He knew his intent had half succeeded.

Like a movie, or like some absurd novel, he had no intention of just giving the land.

As an adult, this was all he could do.

Then—

With hot tears, the young man set a bankbook before Hyeok-soo. With a puzzled look, Hyeok-soo checked it.

[Balance ₩330,000,000.]

Three hundred thirty million...? Why is that the amount the forge was sold for...?

Truly astonished, Hyeok-soo looked at him.

“I will live...”

The young man, sobbing, smiled white.

“I’ll live doing more than others, more specially than others. I’ll live more splendidly than others...!”

Watching the young man bow his head to him, Hyeok-soo’s chest grew hot.

It wasn’t half a success.

It was a complete success. And that success was purely the young man’s doing.

“Ha, hahaha, hahahahahaha!”

Hyeok-soo laughed, proud of the young man.