章節 601: CHAPTER 758
[T.L: punisher87]
[My ko-fi link:- https://ko-fi.com/punisher87 ]
The sudden extreme low behavior of Anvil left the group momentarily dumbfounded. Not only did Anvil kneel down, but he even prostrated himself and began to bow.
As they looked closely, tears were dripping onto the floor.
Anvil, at least, maintained some dignity as the leader and felt deeply moved by the situation.
The members beside him burst into tears.
'Are they insane...? Crying just because they heard the name 'Picon Minche'? Unbelievable.'
Jin pondered over those words, suppressing his astonishment.
If there really was more steel on this island than the combined stock of the Vamel alliance, then there would be no need for regret in Kinzelo.
[Will you give it all?]
"Of course!"
[Are you really okay with that?]
"Lord Picon, our Minche Association is composed solely of those who sincerely follow your will. Your words from a thousand years ago are still burning in our hearts."
What did I say?
Picon actually wanted to ask that but cleared his throat and waited for Anvil's next words.
"Do not leave the blacksmith's forge. Dedicate yourself only to forging weapons. Until the master appears."
Those were the words Picon often said to his disciples in the past.
Of course, the "master" he mentioned did not refer to himself.
At that time, Picon watched as his less talented disciples became disheartened. In the spirit of encouraging them not to give up but to devote themselves wholeheartedly, he spoke those words. As a result, many of them ended up creating masterpieces.
After Picon's death, that intention was faithfully passed down to future generations for about fifty years.
However, as time passed, the initial meaning of Picon's words gradually distorted. Not understanding the true intent, Anvil interpreted them this way.
"Our association has been eagerly awaiting the appearance of a true master, someone who can elevate the blacksmiths of this world and thus be truly worthy of being called Picon's reincarnation. That's why the association has maintained a three-member governing system for the past thousand years without appointing a Iron King."
What is an Iron King...?
Picon suppressed the urge to ask that question and smiled as naturally as possible. Yes, you have all faithfully followed my will, so he put on that expression.
When Picon was alive, there was no position called the Iron King.
The legendary blacksmith symbolized Picon.
Anyway, according to Anvil's words, the temporary leaders known as Fire, Anvil, and Hammer were not true successors. They had been keeping the position of the real leader, the Iron King, vacant all along, waiting for a blacksmith worthy of being recognized as Picon's successor.
And now, unexpectedly, not even Picon's successor, but Picon Minche himself, the god of blacksmiths, came to the association. It was only natural for them to react so strongly.
From the association's perspective, the long-awaited Iron King had finally been reborn.
[Hmm... Excellent.]
As soon as Picon spoke in a solemn voice, Anvil and the association members lifted their heads.
Their wet eyes shimmered as if they were people who had received salvation.
Then, suddenly, Anvil startled and lowered his head.
"Oh! Oops... I hope I didn't go off topic in my excitement. If you find it burdensome to accept the assets of our blacksmiths, then..."
Jin quickly jabbed Picon's side.
[That's not the case. From today onwards, I will guide you again.]
Although it was a casual remark, it had a tremendous effect.
"It's the greatest honor to be born! Please come inside!"
Before moving, the members of the association took out small trumpets from their pockets. It was a trumpet that signaled the truth of the letter from the Vamel alliance.
As soon as the trumpet sounded, the previously darkened island suddenly brightened.
Flames sprouted throughout the large area of the island, which accounted for 80% of its total area.
The members of the association who had been waiting in the blacksmith's shop hurriedly moved their feet, preparing to greet Picon.
At the same time, Anvil's attitude towards Jin changed.
"Please forgive my rudeness earlier. Now that Lord Picon has graced us with his presence, from now on, the young patriarch shall be regarded as our benefactor."
"Thank you for saying that."
And me? Syris wanted to argue, but she suppressed her temper. It was mind-boggling, to the point where words failed to come out.
At the entrance of the blacksmith's shops, all the blacksmiths of the association were lying down in a row.
'There are truly fanatics among them.'
Although there was a bit of exaggeration, Jin felt relieved to have gained reliable allies and smiled.
Just like with Anvil, a sea of tears opened up for a while, and Picon encouraged each person as they were introduced by the officials.
No one doubted Picon.
Not only because his appearance perfectly matched, but also because Picon instantly recognized the purpose and completion of the equipment and weapons in the blacksmith's shop.
With just a few words of conversation during the process, the blacksmiths acknowledged Picon's skill and were grateful.
[Fire, why did you choose this island as the holy land for the blacksmiths? It's not even my hometown.]
Once the formalities and greetings were over, Picon directed serious questions on behalf of Jin.
"Is it alright for me to answer without the presence of the acting master of Hidden Palace?"
"I will personally vouch for the acting master of Hidden Palace. And from now on, I hope you also show respect to the acting master. She is my guest."
"I will do so."
If Chiron, Talaris, or Ron had personally witnessed this scene, they would have been astonished and rendered speechless.
Syris sighed inwardly, lowering her head.
"The reason we established our headquarters here is because of Marine Steel."
"Marine Steel?"
"It means 'steel from the sea.' The headquarters of the association has been on this island for about three hundred years. We chose it as the headquarters because there is no other region with as much Marine Steel as here."
[I know about Marine Steel's existence, but it must be extremely difficult to extract. I've heard that the association currently possesses more steel than the Empire or any other major power.]
"Half of that statement is true, and half is false."
[Explain.]
Even at this moment when the association's biggest secret needed to be revealed, including the Fire, the high-ranking officials showed no hesitation.
"First of all, we extract Marine Steel through the inner core monster, who is the ruler of the sea. His name is Vailam, and he is a friend that the past officials embraced. Although he is a monster, he doesn't have a clear consciousness like them and doesn't have any intentions or reasons to harm humans."
"Are you saying that such a monster exists?"
In response to Jin's question, the officials nodded their heads.
"Yes, young patriarch. His food source consists of marine organisms and seaweed. Since he mostly resides in the deep sea, he rarely catches people's attention."
So, he was a benevolent being more akin to a spiritual beast than a monster.
"Long ago, Vailam made a deal with us. Since Vailam needs to sharpen his teeth periodically, he had reached his limit in grinding them on unprocessed Marine Steel from the seabed."
"So, if he brings Marine Steel, you mean that you process a part of it to create steel chunks for Vailam's tooth sharpening?"
"That is correct."
The Marine Steel buried in the waters near the blacksmith's island was almost infinite.
Normally, the cost of mining and processing Marine Steel far outweighed its value, so no one bothered to dig for it. However, the association had obtained Marine Steel practically for free through Vailam for hundreds of years.
The association was also the only group capable of rapidly processing such large quantities of Marine Steel.
The idea that monsters and humans could coexist in this manner was an unexplored concept.
"It's an amazing story. You have kept this fact hidden for so long."
The officials guided the group to the underground of the blacksmith's workshop.
In the center, there was a massive opening mechanism, and as the officials pulled a lever, the floor split open, revealing the sea. It was a space large enough for several merchant ships to enter and still have room to spare.
With such a space, the sight of Vailam supplying steel to the association would never be revealed to the outside world.
"Thanks to this background and the mindset passed down by Lord Picon, our association has never had any reason to feel inadequate anywhere. Until recently, it would have been true to say that the association possessed the most steel in the world."
The group exclaimed in awe while gazing at the surging sea.
Jin was impressed, but he also sensed a powerful aura emanating from the sea.
"It seems Vailam has been tainted by chaos."
At that remark, the officials grimaced, their brows furrowing as if in pain.
"...That's correct. The relationship between Vailam and the association is not merely a simple symbiotic one. Now, we are practically friends. The chaos spreading throughout the world, from the Battle of the Sword Emperor Castle to the Evil god, has afflicted Vailam, making him sick."
As Fire blew several trumpets towards the sea, the water's surface surged and foamed.
After a while, the wounded Vailam appeared, resembling a colossal whale.
[Phiiii…]
His cry sounded similar to that of a whale, and overall, his round and gentle appearance didn't seem threatening, just as the officials had described.
However, black spots of chaos were visible all over his body.
Vailam continued to cry out in agony without respite.
"If Vailam doesn't recover, it will not only hinder the extraction of Marine Steel but also plunge the entire association into the sorrow of losing a friend."
There was joy in Picon's arrival, but there was also the sadness of having to bid farewell to a friend.
Picon carefully chose his words, and Syris couldn't hide her pained expression at Vailam's cute yet suffering appearance.
Then Jin, staring intently at Vailam, spoke.
"Fire, has there been any physical transformation in Vailam?"
"What do you mean?"
"Excluding the black spots, is Vailam's appearance exactly the same as before he was tainted by chaos?"
"Well, yes."
Jin smiled slyly.
"It seems I might be able to heal that friend of yours."
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章節 602: CHAPTER 759
[T.L: punisher87]
[My ko-fi link:- https://ko-fi.com/punisher87 ]
Only the eyes of the three people, Fire, Hammer, and Anvil, bulged out as if they were about to pop out.
"You can heal Vailam!?"
"Is that really true?"
"You didn't know? In our Vamel alliance, there is a device called the Chaos Purifier. It can almost perfectly purify the chaos corruption that hasn't transformed the body."
[Pipi, Pi...]
Vailam made a groaning sound and sank back into the water. Even briefly pulling his body out of the water seemed difficult for him.
"There aren't absolutely no variables. We've never tested whether the device works perfectly against monsters, and their size is so enormous."
Encountering a case where the chaos was not reinforced but eroded was something new.
"Young Patriarch, please help! If you do, we will do anything."
"If I help?"
As Jin interrupted and asked, the officers twitched and glanced at each other.
"...Creating a masterpiece for the Young Patriarch."
It may sound simple, but it wasn't. It meant that all the world's greatest blacksmiths (except for Picon) would come forward to create just one sword.
"Leave that to Lord Picon. Do you think there's just a casual relationship between me and Lord Picon?"
Of course, even if the officers combined their strength, they couldn't compare to Picon.
"That's not it."
[It's a very special relationship. If it weren't for the Young Patriarch, I would still be hiding inside that empty body.]
"Cough! Then, what do you want?"
"I don't want anything in particular."
"Nothing? Then why did you mention it?"
"It was you who spoke as if you were going to give something, not me. I just thought of extending my goodwill. However..."
"However?"
"If you really want to repay me, how about joining the Vamel alliance?"
"Do you demand an exclusive contract?"
"I know that the Association is a neutral force that doesn't get involved in worldly affairs. But now is not the time when you can afford not to pay attention. If you are a person with abilities, you must stand on one side or the other. That's why the Hidden Palace and Nameless abandoned their long traditions and gathered under the banner of the Vamel Alliance."
The Association has never been affiliated with any faction since its founding.
The eyes of the officers became serious. However, that serious atmosphere was not born out of discomfort or concern about the proposal.
"...If that's the problem, wasn't the answer already decided when Lord Picon came to us?"
"As you can see, Lord Picon is an absolute existence for us. It's not just a symbolic story. Now he has become a real god of the blacksmiths. Lord Picon's will is our will."
"Just like Lord Picon is already on the side of the Young Patriarch, it's natural for us to join the alliance, isn't it?"
"It's true that the answers are quite satisfying, but you accepted it too quickly."
"We were also mentally prepared to some extent. We are not completely indifferent to how the world is going."
"If we have to choose one side anyway, it was our conclusion that it should be Runcandel or the Vamel alliance rather than the Zipfel. Since the blacksmiths seem to fit better with knights than mages."
With a sly smile, Fire extended his hand to Jin.
"I'll rely on you from now on. It's true that the decision has been made, but I wasn't in a state where I felt particularly good about it."
"Is that why you were being impolite when I arrived?"
"That's how we've always been. Anyway, now that we have met the Young Patriarch in person, I think it's not so bad."
"Not just not so bad, but a day when you think you are lucky to choose me will come."
Jin smiled and shook hands with Fire. Now that they had become a family, it was a gesture using familiar terms.
[Looks good. Well, since the conversation seems to be over, let's quickly go and help that Vailam. As I heard, without that guy, both the Association and the Vamel alliance will face a lot of obstacles in the future.]
The physical transformation could happen immediately if they were unlucky, so they had to hurry. Shortly after arriving on the island, Jin had already seized control of the Association, but there was no time to bask in joy.
"I will go to Tikan to get the Purifier. Taking Vailam to Tikan seems impossible. Lady Syris, let's go."
They immediately headed for Tikan on Mort. Fortunately, since Mort's condition had improved significantly after the Evil God War, there were no major problems with consecutive long-distance teleportations.
"Young master? Have you already returned?"
"Yes, Gilly. Everything went very well."
"Oh, as expected of our Lord!"
"Jet, bring the Chaos Purifier. We have to go back."
While Jet was getting the purifier, Jin explained the situation to his comrades. It was so simple that it didn't need much summarizing.
"This time, Sir Hedo will come with us. We'll need your tremendous strength."
"Of course."
Fortunately, Sandra had already left with Bale for a walk, so she didn't cause a fuss about joining as well.
[Boong...]
When they arrived back on the island, Mort collapsed and struggled to catch his breath.
"You've arrived!"
As they descended underground and placed the Purifier, the officers looked at it with mixed feelings. It wasn't that they doubted its performance, but they couldn't envision this small device being able to handle Vailam's massive body.
"Fire, blow the horn again to call Vailam."
As the horn sounded, Vailam responded much slower than before and emerged injured on the surface. Hedo jumped into the sea and tied a rope around Vailam's body, while Syris manifested her Myriad Ice ability to create a large ice floor for Hedo to step on.
"Jin, pull!"
Hedo pushed from below, and Jin pulled with all his might. They were attempting to extract the massive creature solely using brute force.
Swoosh!
After a moment, Vailam was pulled out as if plucked from the depths.
"Oh, Vailam!"
"Snap out of it!"
The officers held Vailam tightly and trembled with relief, but from Jin's perspective, his condition wasn't too bad, fortunately.
"It's at the initial stage of corruption. If we do well, it might be purified within a few days... or even today if the Purifier works properly on monster."
They attached the Purifier's cords to various parts of Vailam's body. Soon, the device vibrated, and a murky energy began to be absorbed into the cords.
Every five minutes, Jin and Hedo would immerse Vailam back into the water. As his energy weakened, he couldn't stay above water for long.
The arduous purification process continued until midnight.
[This creature, so fiercely revered by Runcandel's young patriarch and the world's strongest in terms of strength, is likely the first of its kind.]
Even if it took not just a day but even a month, it was worth it. The benefits gained were almost immeasurable, and Vailam, like the Association, became an integral part of the alliance.
As the final traces of corruption seeped out, Vailam's skin glistened.
The transformed Vailam, no longer resembling a moldy creature, exuded a beauty that could be compared to an unknown, shining white whale.
"...If this is a monster, then what was wrong with those creatures that rolled in the Black Sea?"
Even Hedo, who boasted of experiencing the most monsters in the world, had never seen such a unique creature.
"Well, who knows?"
Peep, peep, peep! Peep, peep!
Vailam, now energized, emitted a pleasant cry. Its wriggling and body-beating movements were unmistakably expressions of gratitude.
[You, my benefactor, I shall repay your kindness!]
During the treatment, Jin overheard that Vailam had learned human speech from the blacksmiths. Jin chuckled at Vailam's impressive words.
The blacksmiths shed many tears. They conveyed various words to Vailam and burst into tears.
"Continue to gather the marine steel by traversing the seas and deliver them to the blacksmiths."
[Understood, but something is lacking!]
"Do you know where the Sword Emperor's territory is?"
[I do!]
"How many days would it take to swim there?"
[Three days.]
"In a state where you can carry a full load of marine steel?"
[Still three days.]
"How much can you carry?"
[About my own weight!]
"Isn't that difficult?"
[Piece of cake. Peep-peep-peep. Light stroll!]
Clap, clap. Jin found himself involuntarily clapping his hands.
If Vailam could swim to the Sword Emperor's territory and back in a week, carrying a load of refined marine steel each time...
Steel shortage would be out of the question. There was no need to consider cost-cutting measures. Even if steel was poured randomly into battleship production, there would still be an excess.
Not only would Vailam transport the steel, but also the Empire's steel reserves, minimizing the risk of exposure to enemies due to the underwater transportation.
[If that's what I need to do, can I?]
"Yes. Let me know when you're ready, and you can start helping from then."
[Okay! I'm hungry. I'm going to eat!]
Splash!
Vailam dove into the sea, splashing seawater over the blacksmiths. They seemed pleased despite being drenched.
"Vailam has never broken a promise. So, young patriarch..."
"The Association is the same."
"Judging from what Vailam said, it seems like the young patriarch wants to produce a fleet."
"That's correct."
"If you provide us with the design blueprint, we will send the necessary parts in the exact shape you need. We will send them for simple processing on-site."
The Association was not only skilled in swords but also unmatched in metalworking in any field.
The Vamel alliance had acquired the key materials and exclusive blacksmiths for fleet production, while the Association had rescued their friends and regained access to the infinite marine steel. The group took a moment to celebrate with a bottle of alcohol, toasting to their success. Everyone had a lot of work ahead of them.
"We'll take our leave now. From now on, Lord Picon will reside here."
[Of course. When you leave, please make sure to send my hammer and supplies. Sword of Hedo and 7th flagbearer is almost complete, so I'll let you know when it's done.]
As they prepared to board the Mort, Vailam leaped through the water, bidding them farewell.
Along with a warm heart, the faces of those who had not yet returned came to mind.
'Now, I must go find my elder sister Luntia and Ms. Luet.'
[T/L: You can read more chapters and support me here: https://ko-fi.com/punisher87 & https://bmc.link/punisher87 ]
[T/L: Join $29 membership on my "buymeacoffee" page and read 55 chapters ahead and daily 1 new chapter update. I have introduced new memberships, and you can read upto 75 or 85 chapters ahead.]
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