The Return of the Legendary Golden-Handed Blacksmith - Chapter 247

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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 247
247.
* Quest: Deep Night, the Princess Cannot Sleep
Grade: ???
Description: The Princess of the Avalak Kingdom, Estella, has been suffering from insomnia for a long time. She has tried numerous methods to treat her insomnia but has been unable to resolve it. Please cure her of this affliction.
Constraint: None
Reward: The Infinite Trust of the King of Avalak, Ancient Phantom Mineral
‘Huh?’
Jin-woo examined the quest he had received in detail.
‘It’s like the quest with Leuten’s Steel Beast?’
A FIRST quest.
In other words, it was a quest that no one had yet cleared.
Its grade was nothing less than ??? Rank.
‘Since everyone knows about it, I guess most users receive this quest.’
But it meant that no one had cleared it thus far.
‘That’s probably why the grade is ???.’
The reward for this quest was the infinite trust of the King of Avalak.
And beyond that, something caught Jin-woo’s eye.
‘Ancient Phantom Mineral?’
Even an ancient mineral alone would make one’s eyes widen, but the word “phantom” was attached to it as well.
‘Ancient and phantom both.’
This was irresistible.
Rufema, who had offered the quest, wore a look of genuine regret.
“The Princess Estella’s insomnia goes back quite far. We’ve tried all sorts of methods.”
Princess Estella had employed countless approaches in her attempts to sleep.
She had hired an alchemist to brew potions that eased sleep and drank them regularly.
She went out hunting every day to exhaust her body.
She attempted meditation, and through mages, she even tried to force herself into sleep through magic—countless methods to find slumber.
But none of them worked.
“We continued searching for solutions, but in the end, we couldn’t find one. His Majesty ultimately offered a tremendous reward.”
The King of Avalak promised an enormous reward to anyone who could put Princess Estella to sleep.
Yet despite that, Estella still could not fall asleep.
“It’s been quite some time now. It’s become dangerous. Her complexion has worsened compared to before.”
Rufema clicked his tongue as he spoke.
“Since we’re blacksmiths, there’s little we can really do. It’s unfortunate, but that’s how it is.”
At Rufema’s words, Jin-woo’s expression grew interested.
‘She’s tried all sorts of methods, then?’
That actually piqued Jin-woo’s curiosity.
The reward was valuable, certainly, but the fact that no one had cleared it was quite appealing.
“In that case.”
Jin-woo spoke.
“I’d like to give it a try.”
“Hmm.”
Rufema’s expression turned slightly stern.
“I ran into Oson a while back, and he told me something.”
Rufema had met Oson. The moment Oson saw Rufema, he bowed his head. It was a situation where apologies were unavoidable.
Of course, Rufema said it was fine. Though he did grip his aging student’s shoulder firmly.
In any case, Oson had said that Jin-woo had visited every workshop in Chanran and exchanged knowledge with the craftsmen there.
He mentioned that Jin-woo had definite talent in fields like alchemy as well.
“I know you have skill with potions. But countless alchemists have already attempted this. And none of them succeeded.”
“My potion skills are nothing particularly remarkable,” Jin-woo said.
Jin-woo had no intention of treating Princess Estella through potions.
‘Potions aren’t even my main field to begin with.’
He had learned potion-making to support his crafting, but his potion skills were not at a level worth boasting about.
“Then……?”
“Through crafting—what I do best.”
Jin-woo smiled.
“That will be sufficient.”
* * *
Insomnia was a painful ailment.
Royal Palace, the Princess’s Chamber.
“I want to sleep deeply. I want to wake up refreshed. It’s all so unbearable!”
Princess Estella of the Avalak Kingdom had reached her limit.
Once hailed as the jewel of Avalak, she now stood with dark circles stretching beneath her eyes and bloodshot, unfocused pupils burning with rage.
“Yuran! Where is Yuran!”
Yuran, a mage of the Royal Palace.
She was Estella’s personal mage.
“Yes, Your Highness. I’m right here.”
Yuran looked at the princess with pity. There was a time when she had been truly compassionate. Once, she had been praised as someone more than fit to be the next ruler.
Seeing such a talented woman in this state troubled Yuran deeply.
“Are you ready?”
“Yes, Your Highness. Everything is prepared.”
She had currently issued a quest through her father, the King of Avalak.
It was a quest promising enormous rewards to anyone who could cure the insomnia. Many Foreigners had already attempted it thus far.
“Who is the Foreigner today?”
“Yes. Twelve Foreigners are prepared to attempt to resolve Your Highness’s insomnia.”
“Your Highness. We are ready.”
A courtier entered at that moment.
Reception Hall.
This was a most peculiar reception hall.
A massive bed stood in the center of the hall, with a chair beside it.
“The Princess enters.”
The user Inseom swallowed hard.
The Princess glanced at Inseom. Inseom bowed respectfully.
“I am called Inseom, Your Highness.”
“I see, Inseom. How do you intend to help me sleep?”
The Princess sat in the chair.
‘She looks so pitiful. How many days has it been since she last slept?’
The quest,
[Deep Night, the Princess Cannot Sleep].
This was one of the most famous quests in NewGen.
‘Any user with the Avalak Kingdom as their base would know about this quest.’
This quest had branching quests spread throughout the entire kingdom, and upon entering the capital Avalon, virtually any NPC would mention it at least once.
That the Princess’s insomnia was worsening daily and that aid was being sought for its cure.
‘Promise an enormous reward if the Princess can be made to sleep. But to this day, no user has cleared it.’
The Realize Guild, which used Avalon as its base, had naturally attempted it several times, but none had succeeded.
Since then, many users who had settled in Avalon had challenged it.
The Realize Guild, which had not itself cleared it, offered to induct any successful user as a full member.
Joining the Realize Guild meant success itself.
Though the Realize Guild was surpassed by the highest-tier guilds, it still ranked within the top ten.
Admission alone guaranteed enormous profits, so countless users strove to clear the quest.
Yet not a single person had managed it thus far.
‘From what I hear, while not a full clear, there was one user who managed to get her into a light sleep for a few hours.’
They had received a reward but had not fully cleared it. Still, for doing even that much, the Princess had given them quite a generous reward, it was said.
Moreover.
‘Since the Realize Guild recruited them, I don’t even need to make her sleep completely. A few hours, or even just a few minutes—that would be enough.’
Inseom had walked the path of a crafter since the early days when NewGen first opened.
He had belonged to several guilds, but he felt his skill was not being properly recognized.
‘I really do need to join a major guild.’
With that in mind, he resolved to enter a major guild and honed his craft diligently.
“What I have brought,”
Inseom presented a potion.
“is a Supreme Sleep Potion.”
Glug-glug.
The Supreme Sleep Potion he withdrew glinted beautifully.
Inseom was a potion alchemist among alchemists, specializing in potion-making.
“Hmm.”
Many had brought sleep potions thus far.
“Supreme grade?”
Among them, there had been a few Supreme Sleep Potions.
But a potion that gleamed so brilliantly and transparently—this was a first.
The Princess’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“I’ve already drunk that several times.”
“But there is one more.”
Inseom grinned and produced his trump card.
He had naturally expected someone to bring Supreme Sleep Potions. That was why Inseom had planned to win through his potion combinations.
“A Supreme Relaxation Potion. It temporarily reduces the Strength stat considerably.”
Inseom was confident this combination would definitely work.
“I’m certain of it!”
Gulp-gulp.
Princess Estella drank both potions.
Fwooooosh—
Smoke suddenly began rising from Princess Estella’s body.
“Mmm.”
Inseom nodded. Good. Strength was gradually draining from her body. This was the signal just before sleep.
But it was short-lived.
“Ugh!”
Princess Estella’s expression hardened.
“I’m… still not sleepy.”
“Impossi—this can’t be……”
This combination had put even monsters to sleep!
“Next.”
Yuran gestured forward without hesitation.
After that, several more Foreigners entered.
“Next.”
“Why this!”
“Next.”
“What is the reason……?”
Many Foreigners failed to put the Princess to sleep.
“If anything, I’m more awake now.”
Princess Estella wore an expression of despair. Sleep had indeed completely fled.
“Sigh……”
Yuran’s expression darkened. Another failure. She felt as though the Princess’s flame, growing dimmer with each passing day, was burning fiercely toward its end.
Her life was now truly in danger.
“Are there none left?”
“This is the last one.”
“Sigh……”
Princess Estella gestured for the last one to enter.
“Greetings, Your Highness.”
Upon seeing the face of who entered, Princess Estella gave a sign of recognition.
“We meet again.”
“Yes, Your Highness. I am Jin-woo.”
Not long ago, when Jin-woo was received in audience with the King as a reward for finding the Temple of the Goddess of Fire and Furnace, he had become acquainted with Princess Estella.
“I have heard of you. They say you are an exceptionally skilled blacksmith. Hmm. Then how exactly do you intend to help me sleep?”
“I,”
Jin-woo smiled faintly and produced something.
Thud—!
What he had brought was simple.
‘What I do best is crafting, after all.’
To make the Princess sleep through crafting, what needed to be made?
The answer was simple.
“A bed and a pillow.”
Jin-woo had sourced the materials for this bed and pillow from the Elven City.
‘Premium fabric acquired from Mirae.’
He had crafted the bed from Elven City timber.
‘Fine materials.’
And with his strengthened Flawless Seamstress Art, Jin-woo had completed the bed and pillow.
“A pillow……?”
The Princess frowned.
She never expected him to bring something so simple.
“Do you know how many Foreigners have brought me pillows?”
“I do not,” Jin-woo replied.
He spoke matter-of-factly.
“Crafters of considerable skill have brought me pillows. Early on, when my insomnia had just begun. Those crafters continue to wield great influence in Avalon to this day—they are truly skilled. Yet none of them had any effect on me. They were merely… pillows.”
One of them had been Rufema himself.
“Even the bed of my Grand Master Rufema had no effect on me. It was just… a bed.”
And now he came bearing a bed and a pillow?
This was essentially a meaningless gesture.
Yuran beside her let out a sigh. Once again, there would be nothing to show for it.
“There is no helping it, Your Highness.”
Yet Jin-woo remained brimming with confidence.
“You simply have not yet encountered my pillow.”
With that, he gestured for her to lie down.
“Please lie down.”
Jin-woo said.
“You can judge it then.”

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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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