Chapter 69
At my question, Dan Chun-woo’s face twisted.
“What’s with that trashy tone? Makes me want to smash your face in.”
“So touchy. Anyway, got any recommendations for a good smith?”
I carefully asked, watching his expression.
To be honest, I hadn’t really expected a proper answer from someone with his personality.
It was just that, among the guys who’d come with me, Dan Chun-woo seemed to know this place the best.
When it came to weapons, he was always dead serious.
But surprisingly, a kind answer came back.
“It depends on what kind of weapon you use. If you want a magic-type artifact with various functions, go to Chil-ho. If you want a smith who stays true to the essence of weapons, Sa-ho…”
Listening to his explanation, a certain question popped into my head.
What’s with those names?
Chil-ho, Sa-ho, Il-ho… It wasn’t even proper numbering, and for disciples of a so-called master craftsman, their names all sounded bizarre.
“You’re thinking their names sound strange, aren’t you?”
“Did you just read my mind?”
He smirked and said,
“Most people who learn the smiths’ names react the same way.”
“So why are their names like that?”
“All the official smiths of Chiwoo Workshop are adopted sons of Gu Ryun, that old man. He took in war orphans and taught them his craft.”
And what’s that got to do with their names?
Then, a possibility crossed my mind.
There were ten official smiths at Chiwoo Workshop.
A bit too many for one person to name each of them with care.
And if you added the eccentric reputation of the so-called master craftsman to that?
No way…
“As he took in more and more apprentices, he got lazy with naming them. So he just numbered them instead.”
“Wow, that old man’s unbelievable.”
“Told you. He’s just a cranky old geezer. Anyway, you’re trying to repair Baek Hyun-joong’s sword replica, right?”
How the hell did he know that?
He’d acted uninterested during the award ceremony, but looks like he’d been listening to everything.
“That sword is closer to a magic artifact than a regular blade, so you should go to Smith Chil-ho.”
“Yeah? Thanks.”
Unexpectedly, he not only answered my question without complaint, but even added a detailed explanation.
Normally, he wouldn’t even talk to me — just flat-out ignore me.
Was it because this was about weapons?
Usually, to get this kind of kindness out of him, he’d have to get thoroughly beaten by Park Siwoo in the upcoming midterm episode and go through a reformation arc first.
Could it be that his duel with the Sword Empress had already changed something in him?
Things were starting to deviate little by little from the normal scenario, so maybe his character development was happening earlier.
After thanking him, I headed toward the workshop of Smith Chil-ho.
But… why was Dan Chun-woo following me?
Chil-ho’s workshop, true to its reputation as a specialist in magic artifacts, had a rather fascinating appearance.
There were far more machines than in other places, and the complex magical circles drawn here and there created a mysterious atmosphere.
From between the gaps of the scattered machinery, a deep, booming voice echoed out.
“A rare customer, huh.”
Soon, a massive figure emerged from between the machines.
The moment I saw him, I froze in shock.
“What the hell…”
A huge, muscular body, a hideous face, and dark greenish skin.
An orc.
Why was there a monster in a place like this?
Then Dan Chun-woo casually spoke to the orc.
“Been a while, old man.”
“You’re still as curt as ever. I heard you got kicked out of your clan, yet somehow you made it in here.”
“Spare me the nonsense.”
The orc then turned to me.
“Your friend looks pretty startled. First time seeing a talking orc?”
“How often do you think people get to see a talking orc?”
At my reply, the orc burst into hearty laughter.
“Haha! Fair enough. I know I’m… special.”
“Special?”
“Yes. Compared to humans—or even among monsters—I possess an exceptional intellect. A genius, one might say.”
The being before me felt utterly alien yet incredibly fascinating.
Of course, in Become a Hero, there were indeed demi-humans capable of communication.
But they only appeared within dungeons encountered beyond Gate Fragments.
They had never appeared directly in the real world like this.
That raised another question.
“Are there any other demi-humans like you who can communicate?”
“As far as I know, no. I’m… something of an anomaly. But perhaps there are others somewhere—those not consumed by demonic influence, like me.”
With that, Chil-ho began slowly recounting his past.
According to him, he’d been sold to humans as a child so young he couldn’t even remember it.
Though trading monsters was now considered a grave crime, decades ago it had been common practice to buy and sell them as ornaments or collectibles.
During that time, he’d been rescued by heroes and raised by the master craftsman himself.
So, he wasn’t the result of some magical experiment—just a natural anomaly.
The chances of something like that happening must’ve been astronomically low.
“So then, why did you come to me? If you sought me out, it must be about a magic artifact.”
I’d been so shocked by his identity that I’d nearly forgotten the reason I came.
I took out the Guardian’s Sword I’d brought with me.
He gave a short, unimpressed comment upon seeing it.
“Quite the worn-out piece of junk. You want me to repair this?”
“It’s closer to an enhancement than a repair.”
“If it passes through my hands, improvement is a given.”
He took the sword from me, pulling a monocle from his pocket and putting it on to inspect the blade closely.
An orc wearing a white lab coat and monocle like a scientist—it was oddly mismatched, yet somehow suited him.
As he examined the sword, he kept letting out small exclamations of admiration.
“This is something… To think someone crammed this much spellwork into such a relic. Still, it doesn’t look like the work of a professional. The inscription method is far too crude.”
Smith Chil-ho continued muttering incomprehensible jargon.
I glanced at Dan Chun-woo, who merely shrugged, as if he was used to this.
After studying the Guardian’s Sword for a long time, Chil-ho suddenly carried it over to one of the machines in his workshop.
“Borrowing this for a bit.”
“Yes?”
Without answering, he immediately activated the machine and began scanning the sword from various angles.
Uh, hey… my sword’s going to be fine, right?
Chil-ho turned the sword around for quite some time before finally handing it back to me, seemingly satisfied.
“I’ve got a rough idea of how to modify it. It’s been a while since I felt this fired up. But… there are a few things that bother me.”
“Things that bother you?”
“Yeah. First is the cost. Since you’re that rude brat’s friend, I doubt you’ll care much, but… it’s going to be expensive.”
“Money’s not a problem. It’s not like I’ll be paying for it anyway.”
I pulled out the Engraved Badge from my pocket and showed it to him.
His eyes widened.
“This is… so that’s how that disrespectful brat was able to get in.”
“Exactly. The Swordmaster Family will be covering all the expenses, so don’t hold back. Make it the best you can.”
“In that case, I’ve got nothing to worry about. The cost was going to be so high that I was afraid even a perfect job wouldn’t cover it.”
Wait—how high are we talking here?
When I asked, he leaned closer and whispered in my ear.
“Holy…”
I couldn’t stop my jaw from dropping at the price.
Just how many zeroes were in that number?
Honestly, if not for the Engraved Badge, I wouldn’t even dream of affording it.
Even in the game, that amount would take weeks of nonstop auto-hunting to save up.
Then again, how absurd was the Swordmaster Family’s wealth to be handing out something this valuable to Academy cadets?
For a moment, even Dan Chun-woo standing next to me looked a bit different.
He frowned, clearly annoyed at being left out of the conversation.
“So, what’s the second problem?”
“The second is time. You probably came thinking it’s just a repair or enhancement, but to be honest, this is more like creating an entirely new weapon. Actually, even harder than that. It’s like reviving a life while preserving its original form.”
“That’s going to take that long? You already have the blueprint from the existing weapon—shouldn’t that make it easier than building from scratch?”
“Tell me, what’s easier—creating a person or bringing one back to life?”
What kind of example was that? Still, phrased like that, I understood immediately.
“So, how long do you think it’ll take?”
“If crafting a normal weapon takes up to two weeks, this will take at least a month—maybe longer.”
Hmm, that was an unexpected setback.
If Chil-ho was right, it meant I wouldn’t be able to use the Guardian’s Sword for at least a month.
I mentally calculated the upcoming schedule.
Was there any episode where I’d need the Guardian’s Sword within a month?
Until the midterm exams a few weeks from now, there weren’t any major events.
The problem was what came after that…
If it was done within a month, that would be fine, but if it took longer, I’d have to adjust some of my plans.
Still, missing this opportunity to upgrade the Guardian’s Sword would be a waste.
In the game, the Guardian’s Sword was already an excellent auxiliary item on its own.
But to upgrade it?
No way I could pass that up.
Since it was something I’d never even attempted in-game, the potential reward outweighed the risk.
Currently, the Guardian’s Sword could trap an opponent and completely block their vision.
That allowed me to move freely inside the subspace without worrying about being discovered.
If it could be upgraded beyond that…
At that moment, the smith spoke again.
“You seem lost in thought. Still hesitating because of the production time?”
“Pretty much.”
The Guardian’s Sword was overwhelmingly powerful for now, but as time went on, its advantages would fade.
Enemies would grow stronger, and there’d be fewer foes it could actually trap.
Even if the sword was enhanced, if its performance wasn’t remarkable, it might be better to just use it now and make the most of it.
“Can you tell me roughly what kind of enhancement it’ll get after your work?”
“If I explained in detail, you’d just get a headache, so I’ll keep it simple. When it’s finished, its current output might actually drop.”
“What? It won’t get stronger?”
“To be precise, the sword’s power will fluctuate based on your own strength. The stronger you get, the greater the sword’s abilities will become.”
At those words, I realized just how stupid all my earlier worries had been.
The Guardian’s Sword would become a growth-type weapon?
Then of course I had to do it.
Growth-type weapons were extremely picky about their owners.
If the wielder was weak, they’d be worse than a cheap weapon from the shop—but if the wielder was strong, they could reach endgame-tier performance.
And the longer a weapon stayed with its owner, the greater its potential became.
Yeah, even if it took time, leaving the Guardian’s Sword in his hands was the right call.
This was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to get a top-tier weapon—I couldn’t miss it.
I handed the Guardian’s Sword to him and bowed slightly.
“I’ll leave it in your care. Please do your best.”
“Of course. I’ll put everything I’ve got into it.”
I couldn’t wait to see how the reborn Guardian’s Sword would turn out.
When I stepped out of Smith Chil-ho’s workshop, Park Siwoo and Helena were already waiting for us, their commissions apparently finished.
Judging by their smiles, they seemed satisfied with the weapons they’d ordered.
But Dan Chun-woo—he hadn’t even made a request since he’d just followed me around the whole time.
Then why did he even come?
“Why didn’t you place an order?”
“No one here meets my standards.”
Seriously? Even with the skills of these smiths?
Was that the confidence of someone who already owned a top-tier item?
And so, with the exception of Dan Chun-woo, we finished our weapon commissions and returned to the Academy.