Chapter 18 - Something is Suspicious (2)
Where should I go to unravel the secret of a sword?
To be honest, within my common sense, there was no such place, but since it was a sword, the place that came to mind was a blacksmith.
Instead of calling out to him, I shoved Rankol's sword right in front of the blacksmith who was hammering away. It was one of the few ways I could get people's attention.
"Could you take a look at this sword?"
"Huh? What is it. A repair job that won't make any money? Good grief… No, wait. You there, young man. No, are you a Hero? That's not what's important. This sword, where did you get it?"
The eyes of the muscular, bald man sparkled. An excitement that couldn't be hidden no matter how hard he tried to be calm.
This sword.
It seemed it really was something special.
"Is that important?"
I was dying of curiosity myself.
But if the other party wanted to know, hiding it was the priority.
In a transaction that isn't a fixed-price sale, gaining the upper hand is what's important.
When I put Rankol's sword back into my bag, the man looked at me with a pleading gaze.
Anyone would think I had hidden his wife.
"Of course, it's important! This is no ordinary sword. I'll take a proper look, so please, take it out."
Only after keeping him on tenterhooks for a long while did I hand over Rankol's sword.
The blacksmith, upon receiving Rankol's sword, had an expression of pure ecstasy.
"Just watch. How great a sword this is."
He suddenly struck Rankol's sword with a hammer.
"Hey, f*ck! What are you doing right now?"
Was it the saying that if you endure three times, you can avoid murder?
This blacksmith should consider himself lucky that I came from a Confucian country today.
"Are you crazy? What are you doing to someone else's sword?"
"Hahaha. Look, this perfectly unharmed blade. Now do you feel its craftsmanship?"
The blacksmith was right.
Rankol's sword, struck with all his might, had a completely undamaged blade.
On the contrary, the hammer had split in half.
"This is not the work of human hands. It's too big and rough for a human to use. The same goes for a dwarf. It might be the work of a sub-race. In any case, it seems you haven't had this sword for long. Seeing as you haven't unraveled its secret yet."
My eyes widened. The secret of this sword; it seemed the blacksmith had noticed it at a glance.
"I was looking for someone with skill."
That's a lie.
I didn't even know where to have it unraveled. However, those who are commonly called 'artisans' tend to enjoy having their skills revered.
"Khahaha, skill? Skill! Then you've come to the right place. I am Potemkin, the best blacksmith in Shita Castle."
Potemkin held out a hand full of calluses.
It seemed my strategy had worked perfectly.
"Now, follow me."
The blacksmith shop Potemkin led me into was beyond just hot.
A temperature that would have had me turning on the air conditioner immediately in Korea.
But this was a land with no such thing as an air conditioner.
"Hahaha, not a single word of complaint in this heat. As expected of someone worthy of carrying a sword like this. Wait here for a moment."
Potemkin took Rankol's sword and headed deeper into the smithy.
So, did I wait quietly?
Not a chance.
I wasn't the type to be at ease after entrusting my belongings to a complete stranger.
I followed Potemkin.
He could swap the item or just run off with it.
But Potemkin was an honest man.
Without a single sideways glance, he just heated and hammered Rankol's sword.
For hours.
'At least he's not the type to switch items.'
It's just that I'm not the type to be reassured.
Only after watching him finish refining the sword did I come out.
A little earlier than him.
"You've waited a long time!"
Potemkin was completely drenched in sweat. I had already seen it, but the Rankol's sword he brought out was different from before.
"I've changed the hilt and ground the blade. It seemed its size was inconvenient for you to use, Hero."
"It was inconvenient, but this is perfect."
If the original sword was larger and heavier than a longsword, it was now a little shorter than a longsword.
It was still too big to be called a dagger, but it was much more comfortable.
"It's still not a perfect fit, but this was the best I could do. There was a rune hidden in the sword. I couldn't reduce it any more than this without damaging it."
"This is..."
I hadn't noticed earlier when it was hot and being forged, but now I could see a sparkling character on the surface of the sword.
I couldn't interpret its meaning, but there was no need to.
The goddess's blessing guided me to the easy path.
[Beast Rankol's Dagger (Rare) → Hunter's Fang]
[The dagger used by the beast Rankol → The favored dagger of a now-forgotten hunter]
[The thorn-like blade does not let go of prey once it has bitten.]
[Bleed +10]
[Unique Skill: Hunter's Senses]
[Forgets pain and concentrates on the hunt. All senses except for pain become extremely sensitive.]
[Duration: 10 minutes]
[Cooldown: 30 minutes]
Hunter's Senses.
Thinking of Rankol, who had calmly counterattacked even with its neck half-severed, it was an ability I could understand at once.
To think that a single weapon not only had a bleed effect but a skill as well.
My heart swelled just thinking about it.
If I added the special privilege from Shita Castle that the goddess had told me about, there would be no being that could threaten me for a while.
"Hahaha. The customer's look of joy upon receiving a weapon is a blacksmith's reward. I pray that its blade is only ever aimed at evil beings."
"You don't have to worry. I'm only going to use it in the name of self-defense."
"Any being that harasses a hero of the goddess must be an evil being. It was a worthwhile job after a long time."
"While I'm at it, may I ask one more favor?"
"By all means. Do you have another item?"
Potemkin already looked expectant. I showed him the Mithril armor I had hidden under my clothes.
"This doesn't quite fit my body, can you fix it?"
"Th-this is Mithril, isn't it?"
Potemkin was even more surprised than when he had seen Rankol's sword.
"Damn it, where on earth do you get all these items? It's making my hair stand on end."
"..."
Oops, I almost committed a faux pas. Mr. Potemkin, you don't have a single hair on your head, so what's standing on end?
"Is it that amazing?"
"Of course, it is. It's been 30 years since I started this work, but this is the first time I've seen Mithril in person. Its brilliant light is truly a sight to behold."
"So, can you do it or not."
"Not here. I can adjust the seams to fit your body, but I can't touch the Mithril itself. The heat here is nowhere near enough to melt Mithril."
"Hmm..."
I thought it wasn't a big deal since Mosilian had it, but it seems that wasn't the case.
Potemkin left the main body of the Mithril armor as it was but added leather and steel to the sides to make it more comfortable to wear.
"I can't do more than this. Damn it, to think I'd say something like this with my own mouth. It hurts my pride."
"It's more damaging to your pride to try something you know you can't do and end up ruining it. In any case, thank you."
"Don't mention it. If you have any more strange items in the future, show them to me anytime. I'll do my best to work on them for you."
"It's not an item, but can I ask one more thing?"
"What is it?"
"I haven't been in this castle for long. I was wondering if I could just hear a little about the castle. Like, if there's anything strange going on..."
What I had heard from Franc earlier was still weighing on my mind.
I had to be here at least until I found the hidden piece.
Furthermore, if this place was livable, I was planning to settle down. So it was better to know about any hidden threats in this castle beforehand.
"Strange things? I wouldn't know. As you can see, I'm always in here. If you want stories like that, you'd be better off visiting the information broker down the way. Though he calls himself an information broker, he's just a good-for-nothing bard who wanders around."
"You don't seem to like him very much."
"How can you like someone like that? He should work diligently in one place like me. Just strumming his instrument and wandering from place to place. Anyway, if you want information, it'll be much faster to go there."
"Yes, thank you."
I purchased an extra dagger and then left Potemkin House.
Rankol's sword, adjusted to fit my body perfectly, and the Mithril armor, now much more comfortable to wear. On top of that, the location of the information broker. It was a visit with many gains.
I went straight to the bard's information shop. Inside, a man who was skinny at a glance was snoring and dozing off.
I had only just met him, but I could immediately understand why Potemkin disliked him.
"Shouldn't you wake up?"
The bard only opened his eyes after I shook him awake.
"Yo, a customer. Yaaawn, welcome. So, what do you want? One of my killer songs?"
"...Never mind that, just tell me about the overall atmosphere of this castle. Starting with the bad stuff."
"Bad things in this castle? There's no such thing. The lord here is a very devout man. Have you heard the name of Bishop Valtes?"
"No, not at all."
"Phew, he is a very devout man. He has never once forsaken the goddess's will. Thanks to him, we've never been attacked by any notable monsters. You would have known if you saw the castle walls."
I nodded.
I had encountered many monsters on the way to Shita Castle, but there were no notable monsters near the castle itself.
It was anticlimactic compared to the villages where Rankol and Crokes had lurked. Perhaps it was because I had separated from the other heroes of the goddess.
'Being with the heroes of the goddess felt too much like moving according to a script.'
If you followed the goddess's arrangements, you could get stronger with less risk.
The enemies appeared at a level we could just barely handle, and there were various safety nets.
But even as I got stronger, I couldn't shake off my doubts. The feeling of being a pawn in a game.
"What about inside the castle, not outside?"
"Is inside the castle any different? It's just, well, a peaceful town."
The green-clothed bard rubbed his thumb and index finger together. I knew perfectly well what I needed to do to hear the rest of the story.
Since I didn't know the market rate for information, I played it defensively. A sum slightly less than what I paid Potemkin to adjust all my gear.
In terms of time, the time the bard would spend was short, but since it was information, I had valued it quite highly.
"Haaah, I'm just not in the mood to belt out a song."
"..."
I now completely understood why Potemkin disliked him.
No, I was starting to dislike this grasshopper of a man too.
Instead of vaguely raising the amount, I offered 1.5 times what I had paid Potemkin.
If I raised it little by little, he would just keep asking for more, and I would be left feeling like I'd been had.
So the amount I offered in one go was my final offer.
The limit I could reasonably accept.
"Ahem. Alright, alright. I'll tell you and you alone a special story."
The grasshopper whispered in my ear.
"Bishop Valtes likes everyone, but there's just one group he doesn't like. As for who they are… no, no. It's better if you don't know. Absolutely do not go to the north. Because you might meet them."
Someone in the north.
Considering the wall I had entered through was the northern one, it was easy to guess who he meant.
"Why does Bishop Valtes dislike them?"
"Everyone has their reasons, don't they? But what's certain is that they dislike Bishop Valtes too."
"Why?"
"Don't try to find out. This is my gift to you. Sometimes, it's necessary to look away. That's what makes for a peaceful life. Well then, I'm off."
The grasshopper pulled his hat over his eyes and prepared to sleep again.
It seemed he had no intention of talking more even if I offered more money.
He did answer when I asked other questions, but he knew nothing about the darkest tavern.
'So in the end, I found out nothing.'
That Franc was not alone.
That the people of the northern wall, including Franc, disliked Valtes, and Valtes disliked them too.
That there was some reason for it, but nothing more.
'He is liked by everyone, but is a bachelor who is definitely hated by someone…'
A nagging sense of unease.
It might be better to finish my business here as quickly as possible and move to another place.
But as always, my life did not go as I intended.
"It's a beastkin! A beastkin has appeared!"