Genius Blacksmith’s Game - Chapter 100
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Genius Blacksmith’s Game
The Genius Blacksmith’s Game
Noble (2)
Noble (2)
Barad’s feelings as he sat in the audience chamber were complicated.
One hawk that had flown away an hour ago.
It was a messenger bird sent to his close friend Hyeon-su.
He hadn’t sent the messenger bird asking him to find a way to save Bell.
Sword King Barad had only Hyeon-su and Bell with whom he could speak openly.
‘No matter how much I struggle, nothing works…’
Sword King Barad had sent messenger birds to the Church of Ares several times.
Saying that they needed the Saint’s prayer.
Of course, since the Saint’s kidnapping incident was kept secret, no response could come.
Just then, Marquis Lookburg and the nobles following him were entering the audience chamber.
“We greet His Majesty.”
Lookburg and the nobles. They were those who constantly coveted Sword King Barad’s position.
Lookburg and the nobles exchanged a few words of greeting with Barad.
Then they got to the main point.
“We heard that Vice Knight Commander Bell will die within a few days. I cannot express how heartbreaking and sorrowful this is.”
A shallow groan escaped from Barad’s lips.
“I too have sought advice from various places to save Sir Bell. But I received answers that no priests of any church could save a woman with a dying illness.”
Lookburg understood exactly what Barad was feeling right now.
He also understood the current situation using his information network.
“Your Majesty, you know we cannot receive the Saint’s help, don’t you.”
Barad did not answer.
“It is reckless. The Church of Ares itself is much larger and stronger than our small nation of Goyad. Moreover, the Saint is so noble that she has a name comparable to Your Majesty’s.”
Lookburg’s face was full of regret, but his voice was not genuine.
“Also, the Saint’s prayer is a special power that the Saint can invoke only twice in her lifetime. That power that can even revive the dead – the Saint would never use it for a mere knight. It would be better saved for when the Empire’s emperor falls ill.”
All of it was correct.
Because every word was right, Barad could not say anything in response.
“I heard that Your Majesty has sent letters several times. I also know that you have not received any replies. It is sad. That our Goyad Kingdom is losing such a regrettable talent.”
A swordsmanship genius that might appear once in a hundred years.
There were exactly two such people in Goyad Kingdom – one was Barad and one was Bell.
“…Your Majesty, you must make a decision. Please accept Sir Bell’s death and designate me as successor to calm the people’s confused hearts.”
Barad had been designating Bell as his successor.
Of course, it wasn’t a real designation.
It was to silence Marquis Lookburg and other nobles.
Currently, dozens of successors existed in his heart.
Among them, one.
There was also one who had recently captivated his heart the most.
“That man named Hyeon-su cannot become successor.”
Lookburg’s eyes, having noticed him, became sharp as a hawk’s.
The castle was full of his dogs that even Barad didn’t know about.
“How can an Outsider, moreover just a blacksmith, be made successor?”
The nobles chimed in as if hearing this for the first time.
“Your Majesty, please just kill me instead!”
“How can a blacksmith be designated as successor in the land of swords!”
“I can hear the people’s outcries!”
It was perfect.
Lookburg raised his hand to restrain them.
“Marquis Bello says it would be fine to give him an appropriate title.”
Barad realized.
Today, Lookburg intended to eliminate all his successors in this place.
One was Bell.
One was Hyeon-su.
He was trying to pull out all his teeth.
Preventing him from having even a small title.
That meant making him remain a commoner.
Making it impossible to place him as successor instead of Bell.
“The people might rise up upon hearing rumors. That a commoner was designated as Your Majesty’s successor.”
Each sharp word pierced through Barad.
“If he accomplishes something that everyone in this place can acknowledge, then the people too could be persuaded.”
Lookburg drives in the wedge.
“I would like to meet this man named Hyeon-su.”
His intention to eliminate Hyeon-su in this place was obvious.
Then a reply flew in.
A gleam appeared in Barad’s eyes as he read the reply.
He was calm without a trace of wavering.
And Barad, who had settled his composed eyes, said.
“Very well, Hyeon-su says he will arrive here, so let us wait.”
“I look forward to it. What kind of person this Hyeon-su that Your Majesty trusts so much will be.”
Of course, it was just words.
Then.
Barad sensed unknown presences.
His sense of ki was special. It was on a different level from ordinary people.
‘Assassins.’
Several assassins had hidden in the ceiling.
They were not ones hidden by Marquis Lookburg and the nobles in front.
Goyad Kingdom was a small vassal state and there were many who wanted to bring it under their control.
So it was something that happened quite frequently.
Barad immediately wrote a reply to Hyeon-su.
One hawk soared quickly.
***
The Red Dragon Corps was an assassin group raised by the Praham Kingdom.
This Red Dragon Corps, active in Praham Kingdom and throughout the continent, had a very high assassination rate.
Vice Commander Brock of the Red Dragon Corps, who had come leading nine assassins.
He had infiltrated to assassinate Sword King Barad.
Goyad Kingdom and Praham Kingdom had such bad relations that war could break out at any time.
They were also threatening each other’s kingdoms.
Vice Commander Brock sent hand signals to the members hidden in the ceiling.
‘Wait.’
For some reason, Barad seemed to have many uninvited guests today.
At the very least, the Red Dragon Corps wanted to wait until all those nobles had withdrawn and night had fallen.
Brock smiled.
‘Is it just a rumor?’
Sword King Barad still seemed not to have noticed them.
Of course, their concealment was special and exceptional.
Those who had learned only to hide their bodies and assassinate.
Perhaps because of that, they thought it was natural that Barad couldn’t detect them.
Of course, that was nothing but arrogance.
***
Until Hyeon-su arrived, Lookburg and the nobles sat in the VIP room having a chat.
“Level 120, you say?”
One noble had an incredulous expression since this was the first time he’d heard this story.
“No way, someone like that…”
A noble supporting Marquis Lookburg. Rang was utterly dumbfounded.
What had merely been agreeing with Marquis Lookburg’s words had now become sincere.
“I can already picture that pathetic sight.”
“How could a blacksmith become His Majesty Barad’s successor?”
The image of level 120 Outsiders simultaneously flashed through their minds.
The sight of them wearing shabby armor used by common folk and wielding unremarkable weapons.
Also, since they had just escaped the beginner stage, they were all still green-looking.
They were nobles.
“Well, well, one word from me and snap, his head would fly off.”
Lookburg laughed upon hearing those words.
“That’s a good idea, if there’s even the slightest flaw, we can use it as an excuse to bring him down.”
Naive Outsiders.
They had far too many weaknesses.
Then.
“The Outsider named Hyeon-su has arrived.”
Lookburg and the nobles quickly walked to the audience chamber.
It was now certain that they could finally realize their plan.
‘A naive Outsider…’
Marquis Lookburg was delighted.
He thought about how he should torment him.
Entering the audience chamber and standing close to the king, he looked toward the corridor.
Thud thud
Beyond the corner of the corridor.
Multiple footsteps could be heard approaching.
Then the faces of Marquis Lookburg and the nobles turned pale.
Whooooosh-
Suddenly a gust of wind blew in and violently struck the windows.
An inexplicable sense of intimidation pressed down on them, the metallic scent of blood tickled their nostrils, and dozens of windows on both sides of the audience chamber shook violently.
Rattle rattle rattle-
Something was coming.
And Lookburg recalled the words of a retainer he had heard in the past.
‘When you face a calamity of the Calamity Church, strange things happen. The scent of blood tickles your nose and the surroundings become chaotic as if a storm has come.’
‘When you face a calamity of the Calamity Church, strange things happen. The scent of blood tickles your nose and the surroundings become chaotic as if a storm has come.’
Lookburg remembered this.
The question of who would become successor was no longer the issue.
The most evil Calamity Church in the world!
That calamity might be coming to this place.
Trembling violently, Lookburg tried to shout.
‘A calamity is coming!’
No matter how much he coveted the king’s position, this was a different matter.
Also, the only person who could save them here was the Sword King.
But his whole body trembled like an aspen tree and he couldn’t speak.
Then a man wearing a long brown coat soaked with rainwater walked in around the corner.
With each step he took, dark currents seemed to ripple from his feet.
The mark of calamity carved on the chest of the robe he wore.
He wore the coat of calamity but was not a calamity.
And there was something even stranger.
Beside him, about a dozen figures wearing tattered robes walked together, entering the audience chamber.
“I greet Your Majesty.”
“Hyeon-su, you’ve finally come.”
“…!”
Considerable shock enveloped the hall.
Looking at them standing before the audience chamber door, he spoke.
“Are there this many who target Your Majesty?”
Startled-
Without exception, both Lookburg and the nobles’ hearts skipped a beat simultaneously.
No matter how arrogant one might be, to say such things so openly?
He was merely a commoner.
Lookburg looked at those he had brought with him.
Literally garbage-like robes that might be thrown away on the street.
Soaked with rainwater, dripping dirty raindrops.
‘He made many preparations.’
But how laughable.
He finally realized.
Everything was planned between him and Barad…
Then.
The man in the coat walked further inside and stood in the center.
“I’ll count to three.”
About a dozen figures in tattered robes stood guard around him.
“One.”
Lookburg and the nobles couldn’t understand what he meant.
“Two.”
At that moment.
Rustle-
An unknown presence paralyzed the thoughts of Lookburg and the nobles.
Assassin.
There had been an assassin hiding above.
They couldn’t help but be horrified.
This was terrible. They might all die.
And the moment the man said “Threee…”
The assassins struck down simultaneously and screams burst from the nobles’ mouths.
“Uh, uaaaah!”
“N-no!”
Soon, Marquis Lookburg’s eyes widened in shock.
The assassins who had been rushing toward Hyeon-su and the nobles.
They were all frozen in mid-air in the exact position of stabbing with their daggers.
Lookburg’s eyes trembled as he looked at the dagger aimed at the tip of his throat.
‘St, stun…? Or telekinesis?’
Ten assassins floating and frozen in the sky above.
One assassin stood frozen with a dagger thrust toward Hyeon-su’s throat, while another was stopped mid-stab at his side.
All the assassins were trying to stab with all their might, but an irresistible strong force prevented their approach.
The man Hyeon-su slowly raised his hand into the air.
That motion looked like slow motion. The moment he lowered the hand he had raised.
The swords of those wearing tattered robes simultaneously drew once quickly and returned to their scabbards.
Clank-
Swish-
‘Wi, with one strike!?’
Thud thud, the assassins’ corpses fell to the ground.
Finally, the man slowly bent his knee and smiled as he looked at Barad.
“Have you been well?”
“Yes.”
Barad smiled slightly.
And Barad deliberately guided the conversation.
“You’ve come a long way.”
One of those wearing robes.
The light of the world who pushed back the hood of her rain-soaked robe. She revealed a bright smile and laughed.
“I had to come.”
Lookburg and the nobles unconsciously stepped backward.
Those who removed their robes along with her.
The ten finest holy knights of the Church of Ares. And the woman who revealed herself.
The most noble person in the world, Saint Aria.
At her words that she had no choice but to come, Barad asked despite knowing the answer.
“Why did you have to come?”
“My benefactor. Since Hyeon-su called, I had no choice but to come.”
Lookburg realized.
‘This can’t be…!’
They had said it with their own mouths. That he needed to achieve merit worthy of the people’s recognition.
He had now achieved that merit.
He had saved the lives of eight of the kingdom’s greatest nobles and furthermore saved the king.
The voices of the people could be heard.
‘That man saved the king!’
‘That man saved the king!’
‘Is that all!? He saved eight nobles!’
‘Is that all!? He saved eight nobles!’
‘Ah, a hero of troubled times!’
‘Ah, a hero of troubled times!’
Yes, Lookburg was certain of one fact.
‘Today he will become a noble.’
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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