Chapter 23: Forge That Doesn’t Cry (1)

Chapter 23: Forge That Doesn’t Cry (1)

"Huh? Oh, you're not those guys from just now."

An old man, whose nose was red from drinking, walked out with a bottle of liquor in his hand. He wasn’t particularly large, but his muscles made it impossible to underestimate him. The old man gave off the impression of fire. Just as a barista who had brewed coffee for many years gave off the scent of coffee, he, having lived by the fire all his life, carried the intense smell of flames.

...And his temper is fiery too.

Picking up the hammer that had fallen to the ground, Kai scratched his head and said, "Are you Solid, the blacksmith of this place, by any chance?"

"That's right. The throwing of the hammer.... Hmph! My mistake." As if not used to apologizing, the old man finished his apology, half shouting angrily. "Well, seeing you're here, you must want something, but sorry, I've closed shop," the old man stated firmly, leaving no room for rebuttal.

But Kai was not one to back down so easily.

There must be a reason.

According to the bulletin board, this blacksmith was still operating normally just a week ago. That meant something had happened to the old man within the last week.

I need to find out what that is.

Noticing a problem with an NPC, empathizing with them, and drawing out a quest were skills any experienced player of MID Online should possess.

Facing the bad-tempered old man, Kai smiled and handed back the hammer, saying, "I've heard great things about your skills, and that you even directly supply the Rashion royal family."

"I don't like flattery." Solid retorted bluntly but his face was filled with pride.

The best way to bridge the gap with someone was indeed showering them with compliments!

But this alone is not enough.

Kai needed to find a way to further draw Solid's favor. He looked around the blacksmith intently to find that method.

"What are you looking around for? Anyway, I'm not in business anymore, so get lost." Solid issued a clear order to leave, looking at Kai strangely.

Just as Kai became anxious, something caught his eye like a ray of salvation.

That's it!

A small decoration hung on the wall of the blacksmith's corner. It was a sun-carved ornament, meaning Solid was a follower of the Church of Solaris!

Kai's face brightened immediately and he used his Friendly Brother skill.

"Hm?"

Solid had looked like he was going to chase Kai away at any moment, but suddenly, his expression slightly softened.

Seeing this, Kai unknowingly clenched his fist.

Yes, it's working!

On the other hand, Solid appeared confused by his own change of emotions. After all, forcibly inducing a sense of friendliness was a rather delicate matter.

Before Solid's mood worsened again, Kai quickly said, "Solid, sir, could you please explain what has happened to you? There's a saying, isn't there? Joy shared is doubled, and sorrow shared is halved."

Kai kept smiling warmly as he spoke. There was a saying that one couldn’t spit on a smiling face.

Solid pondered for a moment but eventually shook his head. "I don't trust adventurers, and how could I trust you, a stranger, with my troubles?"

"Though I may be an adventurer as you said, I am a devout follower of the teachings of the Solaris God, Helik. Wouldn't you feel a bit better just by sharing your worries with me?"

At Kai's mention of being a cleric of the Church of Solaris, Solid looked at him from head to toe.

"...You're a cleric of the Church of Solaris?"

"Yes. Sacred Flare."

A bright light imbued with holy power rose and illuminated the dust-covered workbench.

"It seems you've guessed it. Right, the kid claimed he made the sword himself."

My goodness! A player made a weapon that even impressed an NPC blacksmith?

Is that even possible?

Kai quickly went through his memory, but even the skills of Moru, the top-ranked blacksmith player, were not to that level. The items Moru made often appeared in screenshots on the community, so Kai could be certain of that.

"I told him not to joke, not to insult the maker of the sword, but the kid insisted to the end that he had made it himself."

"So, you took on the challenge."

"Right. I agreed to the challenge on the condition that if I won, he would tell me who made the sword."

After saying so, Solid got up from his seat and walked toward one side of the wall. He rummaged through the items on a shelf and came back to Kai with two swords in hand.

"Take a look."

"...."

Instinctively realizing these were the results of the competition, Kai looked at the two swords with a serious expression. One had an elegant handle and blade with wave patterns, appearing luxurious, while the other sword was crude. Without any decoration or pattern, it was just a sword.

Let's look at them first.

Kai read the information of the more luxurious-looking sword first.

[Wavy Longsword]

Grade: Rare

Attack Power: 103-124

+10 Strength

+5 Agility

+2 Stamina

*This blade has a sharp effect. Damage from slashing attacks +10%.

The blade is engraved with wave patterns, enhancing its artistic value.

Requirements: Level 60+ Strength: 110+

Durability: 100/100

"Wow...!" Kai exclaimed in amazement after checking the sword's abilities.

Could this be the sword made by that blacksmith player?

From Solid's story, it was clear he felt defeated and was plunged into self-doubt after losing the challenge.

With a sword like this, I can understand why.

It was a Rare grade sword. Furthermore, with the sharpness effect applied, it was a tremendous sword that any swordsman would covet.

Regrettably... I can't deny it. This is a clear victory for the opponent.

As Kai came to this conclusion, Solid said, "That's the sword I made."

"...!" Kai looked at Solid in shock.

With a bitter expression, Solid gestured with his chin toward the plain sword that was lying beside his. "Take a look at that one."

Kai hurriedly set down Solid's sword and picked up the crude one.