Blacksmithing Is Child’s Play for a Dark Mage - Chapter 20

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 20
So it was to the point where there wasn’t a corner of the world without a Goldmanta Bank branch.
And since the proprietor was a golden dragon, even an imperial emperor couldn’t squeeze money from this bank.
A hundred years ago, a mad emperor actually tried to pillage the Goldmanta Bank’s coffers, and the entire imperial bloodline turned to gold and died—such was the calamity that befell him!
After that, those who coveted the bank’s wealth vanished entirely.
From what Tay heard, mad fools like that still popped up one or two at a time, every century or so.
But that’s simply how humans are.
There are always plenty of madmen around.
“Still, holding something this substantial feels good. I’ve always wanted to try it once.”
Ten Goldmanta Gold Coins.
Enchanted coins.
Excellent.
Pure joy welling up inside him.
In his past life, he’d occasionally indulged in such pointless yet pleasurable acts—fanning himself with stacks of cash, that sort of thing.
Wasn’t it said that men never truly grow up?
Now and then, indulging in such foolishness kept one’s appetite for life sharp.
“Still, will you keep making only that Twisted Bone Spear of Finger Sacrifice? It’s becoming tedious, if I’m honest.”
As, true to his demonic nature, revealed his transparent greed.
Well, naturally. This demon had broken into the human realm out of curiosity, after all.
“No. Now we need to expand our facilities. With this much coin, I can buy a few more Dark Magic spells and purchase several Slaves.”
He earned a billion in a month.
It looked impressive, but once spent on facility expansion and staffing needs, it dried up quickly enough.
“Ah, so the master is seeking another Slave! I do hope they’ll be as cheerful as I am!”
“There’s no Slave as cheery as you.”
*Click.*
Tay scooped up the sack of coins and rose from his seat.
“Well then, shall we visit the bank?”
* * *
“Your coins have been deposited, honored customer.”
“Please issue a Cash Withdrawal Card as well.”
“Of course, honored customer.”
A Cash Withdrawal Card.
By Earth standards, it was a debit card.
This product of magical civilization, crafted by the great golden dragon Goldmanta’s own sorcery, allowed one to withdraw funds from a bank account instantly.
However, this world had no credit cards—only debit cards existed.
The wealthy and noble golden dragon Goldmanta simply did not trust human creditworthiness.
Indeed, the Goldmanta Bank did not even offer loans.
So how did the Goldmanta Bank make its money?
It charged storage fees to customers who deposited their wealth.
That was it.
Absolute security. Overwhelming service.
Through storage fees and card transaction charges, it accumulated wealth.
Thus the golden dragon Goldmanta was the wealthiest being in the world.
The fortune this dragon accumulated was beyond imagination.
There were even rumors that he employed powerful alchemists to produce gold directly.
Surprisingly, in this world, gold truly could be made through Alchemy.
However, since the cost of producing gold exceeded gold’s own value, there was no practical use in doing so.
Yet this mad dragon stamped out gold at a loss, determined to hoard it—and with transcendent grand sorcery at his command, perhaps such madness was possible.
In any case.
It was none of Tay’s concern.
Now that Tay held his Cash Withdrawal Card—his debit card—he moved with purpose.
This debit card was a precious thing the bank only issued when a depositor’s account exceeded five hundred Goldmanta Gold Coins.
Loss was no concern.
Protected by the great Goldmanta’s magic, only Tay could use it.
Such security rivaled Earth’s own.
Next, Tay headed for the slave market.
Harundel was a colossal trading city, so naturally a slave market existed there.
* * *
The merchant Galorant.
He was a trader who specialized in slaves.
Being a slave trader is anything but easy.
Because in this world, slavery requires divine certification.
That’s right.
Divine certification.
In a world where the gods exercise power directly, slavery is established as a formal institution.
Now, what exactly is this certification?
The Oath of Truth.
Those who become slaves must swear an Oath of Truth before the gods that they have entered into slavery.
What if there exists a slave who never swore this Oath of Truth?
It’s illegal.
And what happens when something is illegal?
Naturally, the aristocracy—those who hold power in this world—come and arrest the slave master on the spot, reducing them to slavery themselves.
In other words, most slaves in this world have good reason to be enslaved.
Of course, there were plenty of madmen engaged in illegal slave hunting, but thanks to the “positive cycle” where they, too, were periodically caught and made slaves, the world turned peacefully enough.
In any case.
Even though the slaves were reduced to that state for legitimate reasons, they rarely accepted their lot without resistance.
Usually, one becomes a slave through one of several means:
1. Those who committed serious crimes (since they swear an Oath of Truth before the gods, false accusations are impossible).
2. Those who sold themselves due to debt.
3. Those born as children of slaves (since slaves are treated as property, the children of slaves are also slaves).
4. Prisoners of war (those captured in war are treated as spoils and may be made slaves).
5. Children sold by parents unable to support themselves (in this world, children are treated as their parents’ property).
There were many such methods.
Because of this, slave traders had to put considerable effort into classifying and selling their human merchandise.
They had to feed them well and maintain their health. They had to manage their morale. They had to teach them some skill or other.
There was much to be done.
The problem was that most slaves lacked motivation.
Managing them was difficult.
And flogging didn’t increase productivity either, which made things all the more troublesome.
Still, Galorant was a seasoned veteran of the slave trade.
Through his own hard-won experience, he’d managed slaves quite well and had built a considerable reputation.
But today—
Cold sweat trickled down his back.
“Welcome, welcome. What sort of merchandise are you looking for?”
Well.
A figure had just appeared who looked dangerous no matter how you looked at him.
Anyone seeing someone carrying a Skeleton Staff and wearing something like a strange hand strapped across his shoulder would instinctively become polite.
He was clearly a Dark Mage who’d lost his mind!
“Do you have a slave whose mind is completely gone? Though I would prefer their body still be in good health, if possible.”
And this was what he asked for.
Ah! A mad Dark Mage had arrived!
Galorant wanted to squeeze his eyes shut, but relying on the merchant’s discipline he’d honed over years, he maintained a smile on his face.
“You’ve come to just the right place! Our Galorant Trading House stocks everything! Come right this way!”
‘Phew. I’ve done well today, too!’
That was what Galorant told himself inside.
A slave trader.
Not an easy profession.
* * *
-This man also doesn’t seem ordinary, Contractor.
‘You’re right. The way he didn’t bat an eye at my demands—clearly impressive. The Galorant Trading House truly lives up to its reputation.’
-You knew of this trading house?
‘One of the top ten slave traders in Harundel. Though I didn’t expect the proprietor to greet us personally. This place is quite substantial.’
-Well, isn’t that because you’re walking around with a Dialog strapped across your shoulder, Contractor?’
‘Does it really look that threatening? Our Log is adorable…….’
-Your aesthetic judgment is dangerous indeed. Perhaps you ought to visit a temple priest for a purification?
‘Why would a Dark Mage go looking for a priest?’
While bantering inwardly with As, Tay followed the trading house proprietor Galorant along the corridor.
They arrived at rooms with large windows that allowed good light in, though the windows were barred with iron grating.
“Here are the goods you’re interested in. Have a look.”
Looking into the iron cages at Galorant’s words, they all indeed appeared to have serious mental difficulties.
A middle-aged man muttering to himself. A woman gnawing at her bandage-wrapped arm. Soft quilted fabric hung against the wall, and a man pressing his head into it.
There were many here with serious mental afflictions.
Tay surveyed the scene and nodded slowly.
‘Excellent materials, all of them.’
—You seem more demonic than your contractor, sir.
‘What can I do? That’s simply what my ability does.’
Madness Craftsman.
He gathered madness and refined it into material for his work.
Which meant these mentally afflicted wretches were precisely the raw stock he needed.
Then.
Tay spotted a small child.
Huddled down, her head tucked between her knees.
Her frame was gaunt, but her youth alone earned her some consideration.
More than that.
Sitting motionless, she muttered endlessly to herself—another sign the girl’s mind was broken.
But there was one more thing.
—That girl. She’s cursed.
‘I thought so. Isn’t she?’
—Yes.
Had Tay’s ascension to Dark Magic given him an eye for curses?
No.
It was the system ability.
—Madness Measurement Eye activates.
—Hemeim’s Curse detected.
A curse of erosion, then?
[Curse: Hemeim’s Curse]
A labyrinth manifests in the mental realm, and its victim wanders there eternally.
Tay whistled low.
‘Now that’s…… quite the potent curse.’
Though he’d become a Dark Magic practitioner, it was only marginally better than his blade-slinger days.
Without proper formal study in Dark Magic, he had no real understanding of what curse this was.
Still, it looked useful.
‘Young, so she’ll last a good while with proper feeding……and in that state, extracting madness should be straightforward. Excellent. I’ll take this one.’
Tay made his decision.
“I’ll take this one.”
“An excellent choice, sir!”
‘So the mad Dark Magic user is taking Midong.’
Galorant cursed silently even as his smile remained fixed.
But.
At the next words, even Galorant found it hard to keep smiling.
“You do realize this girl is cursed, yes?”
A cursed slave!?
He hadn’t known that!?
Being a Dark Magic blacksmith is too easy
Author |
Automaton G
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Samyang C&C Co., Ltd.
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Editorial Department
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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