The Return of the Legendary Golden-Handed Blacksmith - Chapter 42

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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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Chapter 42
Episode 42.
The answer was honesty.
Spinova saw the look in Jin-woo’s eyes. He realized that if he claimed some half-measure advantage with unnecessary words, he’d walk away empty-handed.
“I just wandered around aimlessly!”
So he spoke truthfully.
“I searched for a very long time and found you! I started with information from a user called Shin and gathered clues from there! It was quite difficult to find, so honestly, I’m in a very good mood right now!”
There was no function in the game to track a single user.
Of course, some skills did allow user tracking, but he saw no need to mention it. After all, he hadn’t found Jin-woo that way.
“Without being added as a friend, it’s actually difficult to pinpoint someone’s location. So please put your mind at ease. We weren’t following you!”
Jin-woo nodded at that.
Only then did Jin-woo’s demeanor relax. Spinova took a deep breath. He hadn’t expected to feel so nervous just explaining how he’d found him.
Jin-woo nodded, observing Spinova’s reaction.
‘Quick to read the situation. Honest. And he’s excellent at giving praise. Reminds me of a salesman.’
Speaking honestly had been precisely the right answer. And the earlier compliment he’d laid down helped ease the tension further.
‘Luers Guild. Not sure how large it is.’
A guild with someone wearing equipment of this caliber would surely have some scale to it.
‘It’s been a while.’
It had been quite some time since he’d received a recruitment offer like this.
So he looked at Spinova with a rather intrigued expression. Spinova was reading every shift in Jin-woo’s face.
It was a positive reaction, at least.
Then he should continue.
“Did you come to the Trading Company looking to buy materials?”
“Yes, I need some materials. I heard this was the largest trading company in the area, so I came here.”
“That’s right. Fane Trading Company is among the most prominent on the Flam Continent. We have many branches, and we operate the largest operation here in Brookle. Do you perhaps have a Mercenary Badge?”
“No, I don’t.”
He’d only just completed the Tutorial and undergone his Job Change. He had no idea what a Mercenary Badge even was.
“It’s a credential for identity verification. Large trading companies like Fane don’t sell premium materials without identification. It’s more of a tiered system.”
A Mercenary Badge was literally a credential of identity issued by the Mercenary Guild—there was one in each city.
“Your Grade is determined by the Quests you undertake. The higher your Grade, the stronger you’re proven to be. Without one, we don’t sell materials Grade A or above.”
Spinova pointed toward the back of the shop.
“But if you join Luers, we’ll readily provide you with Grade S materials. Luers is quite large in scale. Let me be frank with you—Luers ranks in the top thirty guilds in Newgene!”
He spoke with unmistakable pride.
“Do you mean there are only thirty guilds in Newgene?”
“……Yes? Oh, no! There’s no way! There are countless! That’s a funny joke! It’s only natural you don’t trust us! I understand completely!”
Spinova went inside the Trading Company and called for a merchant.
The shop had both NPC merchants and merchant players. The NPCs checked credentials strictly, but player merchants had more flexibility.
With the right connections, they’d gladly offer premium materials.
“Hello!”
“Ah, welcome. This is Fane Trading Company.”
And Fane Trading Company had a merchant player affiliated with Luers Guild, so Spinova quickly exchanged a meaningful glance with them.
“What are you looking for?”
Spinova asked Jin-woo.
“Usable materials. Preferably minerals. As for Grade—”
“Grade S or higher, correct?”
“That would be ideal.”
The merchant quickly brought out a pale white mineral.
“This is Dwarf Silver. It’s a silver mined only in the dwarven cities—lightweight, hard, and above all, easily allows additional Options to attach. Plus you can imbue it with mana, so it’s an exceptionally rare material. It’s so difficult to obtain that you won’t find it sold freely anywhere.”
In other words, money alone wouldn’t buy it.
“To get it, you’d have to go to Rempurse, the dwarven city. And that’s no simple feat! Outsiders without permission are absolutely forbidden entry!”
“I see.”
Jin-woo examined the Dwarf Silver closely.
The Dwarf Silver was a mineral of such pale white it seemed nearly transparent. It felt light in his hand, and more than anything, it was solid.
‘Remarkably light.’
Exceptionally so. With this material, he could craft equipment that imposed no Strength stat requirements.
‘Curious about the feel of working with it.’
Seeing the gleam in Jin-woo’s eyes, the merchant hurried back inside and returned with another mineral.
“We have this as well!”
What he produced was a mineral Jin-woo had never seen before, and its color was strikingly similar to the Dwarf Silver.
Yet this one was even whiter, though with a slightly clouded quality. When Jin-woo picked it up, it felt substantially heavier than the Dwarf Silver.
‘More robust.’
The Dwarf Silver suited fine craftsmanship, while this other mineral suited equipment-making.
‘Blending them might work well too.’
Either alone seemed promising as well.
“What mineral is this?”
“Pale Bronze Stone. It’s quite rare—you won’t find it at the Auction House, and few trading companies even carry it. We’ve only secured a small amount from dungeons. This sells fast. Blacksmiths search for it with burning eyes, it’s that good.”
As the merchant spoke, Jin-woo continued turning the Pale Bronze Stone and Dwarf Silver over in his hands.
‘Insane.’
To be frank, these were materials of a caliber that made his eyes spin.
“Hmm. The thing is, I haven’t decided to join a guild yet.”
Jin-woo’s expression wavered slightly.
Spinova studied him carefully.
He wanted the materials, but not the guild membership.
In that case, this was a moment to retreat.
Pushing too hard would only breed resentment. Leaving a good impression was what mattered.
“Just think about it! In the meantime, consider these materials a gift from Luers!”
“These materials?”
“Yes! And I’ll write down the benefits Luers can offer on a scroll and give them to you. Look it over and contact us if you’re interested—we’d be grateful.”
Jin-woo regarded Spinova.
‘I have no intention of joining a guild.’
But with such goodwill extended, it would be impossible not to remember him.
“I’ll remember. Luers Guild and Spinova.”
At those words, Spinova smiled.
“Thank you!”
Spinova held Jin-woo’s potential in very high regard. Simply maintaining good relations with such a blacksmith would benefit Luers.
They could forge outsourcing contracts without requiring him to officially join.
-You have obtained Dwarf Silver!
-You have obtained Pale Bronze Stone!
[Dwarf Silver]
Grade: S
Description: Silver mined by the dwarves from deep mountain ranges. Infused with magical energy.
[Pale Bronze Stone]
Grade: S
Description: A mineral with beautiful silvery luster.
Though the Dwarf Silver and Pale Bronze Stone shared a similar hue, the Dwarf Silver was elegant while the Pale Bronze Stone carried a slightly rough quality.
“The cloudiness in the color is its only drawback—otherwise, Pale Bronze Stone is the more refined of the two.”
In terms of difficulty, Pale Bronze Stone appeared far more finicky to work with.
Jin-woo immediately opened his Summoned Forge.
“If I could keep obtaining materials like this… but I can’t join a guild for it.”
Once you joined a guild, you had to craft according to the guild’s needs.
“I’ve already done that.”
Making guild equipment for the guild itself had never been particularly enjoyable.
Moreover, the constraint of not being free to create as he wished was a significant drawback.
“Once you join a guild, making pickaxes naturally becomes something you can’t do.”
That’s why Jin-woo had no intention of ever joining a guild.
“You’re Jin-woo, aren’t you!”
Just then, someone else recognized him.
“Yes, I’m Jin-woo.”
‘I’ve been grinding through the top spot of the Hall of Fame consistently, and I’ve made a presence at the Auction House.’
And wasn’t crafting demanding in this Newgene?
Craftspeople naturally received preferential treatment.
“Hello there!”
The player in front of him grinned and pulled something from their inventory.
Snap.
“Oh?”
It was a Bone Pickaxe.
The most recent model from the pickaxe series Jin-woo had listed, it had sold for quite a steep price.
“I’m called Yul! I bought two of your pickaxes!”
The miner player Yul.
He had finally tracked down Jin-woo.
‘Oh.’
The very miner he’d been planning to seek out had found him instead.
Jin-woo greeted Yul with a genuinely pleased expression.
“Hello. It’s kind of you to buy my equipment. You went out of your way to meet me?”
“Yes, I did! I hope I haven’t bothered you.”
“Not at all. Thank you for seeking me out. And for purchasing my equipment too. How are the pickaxes working out for you? Are you satisfied with them?”
Jin-woo immediately asked for feedback.
“Ah! The first one I bought seemed to be an experimental model—I experienced quite a variety of different sensations with it!”
He then began relaying his feedback in earnest.
Jin-woo nodded as he listened to Yul’s account.
This kind of vivid, real-world feedback was exactly what he craved.
“Mm, I see. That aspect definitely needs refinement. Are there any other areas that could use improvement?”
“!”
Yul’s face lit up at the question.
“I saw that Red Stone Armor was posted! And Bone Weapons too.”
In fact, seeing those had startled him.
He’d wondered if pickaxes were just pocket money work for Jin-woo.
“I thought you might never make pickaxes again.”
But the fact that he was asking about improvements meant a new pickaxe was coming.
“No, that’s not it. Making pickaxes is actually very enjoyable. It’s also helped me solidify my direction.”
Yul’s shoulders trembled at those words.
A new pickaxe from Jin-woo was coming. He absolutely had to buy it.
“Jin-woo, there’s something I wanted to ask you.”
Yul spoke quickly.
“Would it be possible to buy pickaxes from you regularly? If I go through the Auction House, you pay a commission and I pay a commission too. Rather than that, I’d like to pay full price and buy directly. Direct trade.”
At the proposal, Jin-woo met Yul’s eyes.
‘He’s sincere.’
“Understood. I’ll sell the pickaxes to you, Yul.”
“!”
Though he spoke as if granting a favor, this was actually what Jin-woo wanted to ask.
‘I wanted to build a good relationship.’
“However.”
Jin-woo spoke up.
“What if you sold me the minerals you mine?”
Yul looked at Jin-woo. His expression was quite troubled. He hadn’t joined a guild, but he supplied all his mined minerals to one.
The supply volume was fixed, so he couldn’t afford any shortage.
“Instead, I’ll craft pickaxes from the minerals you supply and sell them to you.”
Jin-woo made Yul an offer he absolutely couldn’t refuse.
“Custom pickaxes.”
Then he smiled.
“Tailored just for you.”
“……!”
Custom pickaxes.
At those words, Yul’s eyes went wide.
“I agree! Let’s do it! I’ll supply everything! So…….”
Yul couldn’t refuse.
From the start, this was an offer he couldn’t refuse. He’d never held the cards in this negotiation.
“Please sell me the custom pickaxes! I’ll buy them!”

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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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