Genius Blacksmith’s Game - Chapter 102
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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 (4)
Noble (4)
Bell, lying on the bed, looked at her own arm that had become nothing but skin and bones.
When she pulled back the blanket, her emaciated body was revealed.
Bell smiled faintly and sat up.
Her bedroom was filled only with training equipment, armor, and sharp blades.
Among those things, there was clothing she had never taken out.
She opened the wardrobe.
She had bought it at the market for dozens of gold, perhaps?
Clean clothes she had never worn even once.
She took out a dress adorned with colorful lace.
This was the first time in her life she was trying on a dress.
Long silver hair and beautiful eyes. Beauty that looked decadent precisely because she was so thin.
And the necklace that Sword King Barad had once given her.
‘It’s a birthday gift, Bell.’
‘It’s a birthday gift, Bell.’
She tried on the emerald-studded necklace he had given her so casually.
It was surprising.
She was far more beautiful than she had thought when she saw herself reflected in the mirror.
She smiled awkwardly.
She had lived her entire life as a knight. She had once been a blacksmith’s daughter and had also lived in the arena.
There had been no life as a woman for her.
‘This is enough now.’
Bell smiled faintly.
For the first and last time, she had lived as a woman, even if only for a few minutes.
She took out a pill she had kept carefully stored to one side.
This pill would cause instant death if swallowed when captured as a prisoner or in similar situations.
Bell’s loyalty to Barad, who had saved her, was tremendous.
It was solid enough that she could actually commit suicide if Barad told her to die.
‘I heard the story.’
Bell’s intuition had picked up the servants’ conversations.
That Barad was pushing himself to save her life.
It was unwanted.
For a king, it was natural for knights to be used and discarded.
Bell was planning to swallow this pill tonight.
‘I’m not afraid at all.’
Bell smiled softly.
As a knight, wouldn’t this be a truly noble death?
If she was going to die anyway, wouldn’t it be better for the king to be more comfortable?
And what she could do was not let His Majesty see her in this state so he wouldn’t be more uncomfortable.
Bell was about to walk over to change her clothes again.
Then a man entered.
It was Hyeon-su.
***
Hyeon-su was certain.
‘If I save Bell, His Majesty Barad will return something equivalent.’
The Barad he had seen was that kind of person.
That’s why he didn’t think it was a waste to use the Saint’s Prayer, which a saint could only invoke twice in her lifetime.
Walking toward Bell’s bedroom, he recalled one strange point.
It was because of the Emergency Quest: The Woman Who Has Resolved to Die.
‘A woman who has resolved to die?’
Hyeon-su couldn’t help but be puzzled by its significance.
Suddenly, something flashed through his mind and Hyeon-su ran toward Bell’s bedroom.
Opening the door to Bell’s bedroom and entering, Hyeon-su could see her in an appearance different from usual.
Seeing the pill placed on her palm, he intuited what was happening.
She, who had looked bewildered for a moment, calmly set it aside.
“Would you keep this secret from His Majesty?”
Seeing her bitter smile, Hyeon-su shook his head.
He also told her that the saint he had brought was here.
Instead, she said this:
“That’s wonderful. To think that Hyeon-su has been recognized as Saint Aria’s benefactor. Now that you’ve become a noble of the kingdom, please use that power to make the kingdom prosper.”
Chivalry.
That was the problem.
For the country rather than one’s own life.
Hyeon-su looked at her stubborn nature.
She seemed to be caught in a dilemma. Suddenly, his conversation with Nel came to mind.
‘Hyeon-su, you have one more special power besides your blacksmithing technique.’
‘Hyeon-su, you have one more special power besides your blacksmithing technique.’
‘A special power? What is it?’
‘A special power? What is it?’
‘You’re good with words.’
‘You’re good with words.’
Right, Hyeon-su had the kind of power Nel had mentioned.
Just then, a notification came.
[Bell was destined to die. However, by bringing Aria, you may have changed her fate.]
[A new episode you’ve never seen before might begin.]
‘A new episode involving Bell and me might start?’
Hyeon-su had a puzzled expression.
For him, it was a story he couldn’t quite grasp.
Could there be a story that would begin between her and himself?
‘I’ll put this aside for now.’
Hyeon-su was simply planning to change this stubborn young lady’s mind in his own way.
***
It was only natural.
As a knight, to wish not just for one’s own life, but for the kingdom’s prosperity and the king’s peace.
That’s why Bella had no regrets whatsoever.
Then the blacksmith in front of her. That man asked her.
“…Aren’t you afraid?”
Those rough words made Bella’s heart sink.
However, pretending to be as calm as possible, acting as if nothing was wrong.
“I am a knight. A knight finds the greatest peaceful rest only when dying for the kingdom.”
Bella hypnotized herself.
I am not afraid.
This is what I must do as a knight.
Then Hyeon-su looked out the window. It was raining.
Looking at the cold winter night rain, he said.
“Spring will come soon.”
Bella’s face crumpled miserably. She knew.
The beautiful spring that she, who refused the saint’s prayer and wished for the kingdom’s peace, would never see.
Looking at him speaking of the spring she would never see, she thought.
Is he mocking me?
“When spring comes, I’m going to go on an outing.”
“You….”
Right, how could a mere blacksmith understand my heart.
How could he understand a knight’s noble heart, how beautiful it is for a knight to die for the kingdom….
“On that day, I hope Sir Bella will stand by His Majesty’s side as always.”
“…?”
It wasn’t that. Bella looked into that blacksmith’s eyes with trembling eyes.
When she first saw him, he was a greenhorn.
When she saw him the second time, he was the creator of a legendary sword.
When she saw him again, he had saved the territory.
Now he who had become a noble was speaking.
He wasn’t mocking her death or disrespecting chivalry.
He was comforting her, who despite being a knight, was afraid of being caught harboring the appearance of a woman at the end.
It was drawn in Bella’s mind.
Flowers and bushes blooming beautifully in the fields.
Barad standing before a large tree and knights aligning themselves while watching him.
Her own dignified figure walking among them, wearing silver armor with a sword at her waist.
It was drawn before her eyes.
As always, His Majesty Barad would smile at her with that smile of blind faith.
Standing side by side with His Majesty, she would feel the swaying bushes and look down at the world beyond the hill.
“Isn’t it too precious.”
Bella slowly crumbled.
“For such a beautiful flower like you to wither.”
He respected her as a knight with the word “beautiful” and protected her woman’s heart with the word “flower.”
It finally burst out.
“I want to live….”
She wanted to continue surviving and stand silently by His Majesty’s side as always.
“I want to live….”
And once again on a very pleasant day.
She wanted to secretly wear this dress and go stroll through the market.
Bella, who had collapsed in tears, asked.
“Why, why….”
The blacksmith smiled with a wonderful smile.
“Because His Majesty needs you.”
Yes, he made Bella realize.
That surviving and continuing to protect His Majesty’s side was the truly right thing to do, rather than swallowing poison and dying.
That being obsessed with that damn thing called chivalry was insignificant.
Bella gained the will to live again at this moment.
And….
[A new story begins.]
[That story is of a knight who will risk her life to protect you in the distant future.]
[Knight Bella embraces another sun in her heart.]
Finally, Hyeon-su stepped out and Saint Aria approached Bella.
Beyond the closing door, Bella watched until the end the back of that man who was there.
He was the person who brought Aria to cure her illness and even instilled in her the will to live.
At this moment, she made one resolution.
‘As much as my Majesty….’
A resolution to protect you.
Saint Aria’s prayer began. Divine light filled the entire castle and poured out.
That warm energy resembled the warmth in Bella’s heart.
***
Hyeon-su, who had stepped outside, saw the most brilliant and beautiful light pouring from inside the room.
[That story is of a knight who will risk her life to protect you in the distant future.]
[Knight Bella embraces another sun in her heart.]
And he recalled the amazing notification.
‘Bella might be able to come to our Gwangmyeong?’
The Bella that Hyeon-su knew already had talent that transcended the knight commander.
A Strong One recognized by the Goyard Kingdom as second only to Barad.
‘To bring her, I’ll need to grow Gwangmyeong.’
Barad was a friend, but somewhat annoying. He doesn’t give easily to anyone.
‘Is the reward I gained this time a possibility?’
Yes, that reward would be the possibility of perhaps gaining Bella.
But even that alone was enough.
That possibility alone held astronomical value that couldn’t be measured with money.
And Aria came outside.
“I’ll now meet with the Pope to discuss the value of the Royal Sword.”
“Understood.”
The saint and holy knights departed again.
And the value of the Royal Sword was very important to Hyeon-su as well.
‘How many hundred million was left?’
Actually, Hyeon-su knew that Royal Sword would solve all remaining treatment costs and still have plenty left over.
But what Hyeon-su needed was money to start fresh.
He was also an ordinary man.
He craved a good house, a good car, a good life.
The value of the Royal Sword would become the first step toward that life.
***
Ares Church Papal Office.
The Pope is a figure with power comparable to the Emperor.
16th Pope Carsel couldn’t understand it.
‘Saint Aria, how could you make such an independent choice…’
Aria is the wisest person the Pope knows.
That same Aria had arbitrarily sent out the saint’s child Belia.
And what was even more absurd was in the messenger bird Carsel had received.
‘I would like the Royal Sword to be designated as a holy relic. The Ares Church should prepare a reward for that blacksmith, and I promised to add 30% more to the value.’
‘I would like the Royal Sword to be designated as a holy relic. The Ares Church should prepare a reward for that blacksmith, and I promised to add 30% more to the value.’
Carsel felt his head throbbing. He had heard that the blacksmith was a benefactor who saved her life.
But even so, wasn’t this going too far?
Moreover, a holy relic means the most sacred object symbolizing that religious order.
‘Royal Sword?’
It was ridiculous.
To make that sword, which doesn’t even belong to weapons bestowed by God Ares, into a holy relic?
Aria might have hit her head.
He resolved.
He would give Aria a strong talking-to!
And then he began examining the Royal Sword that Aria had handed over.
“…I did act too independently. 30% was indeed too excessive.”
Aria wore a guilty expression for deciding to give 30% more value based on her subjective opinion.
To that, Carsel said.
“Right, for an artifact of this level, you should have offered more! What’s this stingy 30%!”
“…Excuse me?”
Aria was flustered, and Carsel finally came to understand her feelings. Our church must maintain close relations with this person called Hyeon-su by any means.
“Let’s add another 10% to make it 40% more value.”
The Pope, Aria, and the blacksmiths together appraised its worth.
Even those who set the price were truly amazed.
“To think we’d set such a price for a single sword.”
“But it’s a fair value.”
Carsel couldn’t deny Aria’s words.
And not long after sending the messenger bird, Hyeon-su came and received the reward money with an amazed expression.
***
Bank of Korea.
Bank teller Lee Da-som was handling counter duties as usual.
Ding-dong-
With a cheerful notification sound, Da-som saw a young man walking over.
‘Wow…’
Though covered by a mask, he was very tall and a man with good proportions.
His age was at most 23? 24?
“I’d like to check deposit details and organize my bank account book.”
Da-som inserted the bank account book into the machine as usual.
Whirrrr-
The account organization and deposit details were written into the bank account book.
Usually, people around this age have about ten million won if they save well, or at least around one million won.
Da-som, who was checking if the account organization went well, was surprised.
[1,600,000,000 won.]
Because the huge sum of 1.6 billion won had just been deposited.
‘Exchange money?’
Da-som was greatly surprised.
But as a bank employee, she didn’t show any obvious reaction and handed it over.
The young man looked down at the bank account book for a while, then suddenly shed tears.
“I sent it all…”
At the incomprehensible words, Da-som wore a puzzled expression.
Then an elderly man at the next counter said.
“Did you have debt? Congratulations, a grown man crying. Now only happy things remain, don’t they.”
To that, the young man replied with a bright smile.
“That’s right, now only happy things remain.”
Da-som also chimed in.
“Congratulations.”
And the young man wiped his eyes and left the bank with a happy smile.
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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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