SWNOVELXO Chapter 142 - he Kidnapped Princess (2)
Chapter 142: The Kidnapped Princess (2)
Yuri’s eyes sparkled more than ever when he mentioned the word “bet.”
Facing him, Segyung’s brows furrowed slightly.
“…A bet?”
“Yeah, a bet.”
“What kind of bet?”
“Whether I can master more than half of the metallurgy techniques that the Old Man teaches me, or if I manage to master all of them.”
“Ha! Did you hear what I said with your butt? I told you, no matter how hard you try, you won’t even grasp half of what I’m going to teach you. So, are you saying I should stick by your side forever and teach you metallurgy?”
“Of course not.”
“Then don’t spout nonsense…”
“Five.”
“…?”
“If I manage to learn more than half, specifically three out of the five metallurgy techniques that the Old Man teaches, then I win. And if I win, you have to teach me everything you know about metallurgy and alchemy without any complaints.”
Segyung’s face stiffened.
After staring at Yuri in silence for a moment, he spoke.
“…And if you fail?”
“Then, of course, the Old Man wins.”
“No, what I’m asking is, what do I get if you fail?”
“You’ll have to decide that yourself. Whatever you want when you win.”
“What I want?”
Segyung mumbled, his pupils trembling.
At the same time, a myriad of emotions flickered across his face.
What on earth was he thinking?
After a long moment of contemplation, he spoke with a deep yearning.
“…My sins pardoned.”
“Pardoned?”
“A long time ago, the Bone Clan was indebted to the first head of the Redner family. That year, the Bone Clan made a seal for the head of the Redner family and promised to grant one request when that seal was returned.”
“And so?”
“Use the Redner’s seal to request the Bone Clan. Ask them to pardon the sins of Segyung Walker. To revoke his exile and make it as if it never happened!”
“Exile? So it wasn’t just a simple ten-year assignment?”
Apparently, the information from the Bluebird wasn’t entirely correct.
And what kind of crime could have led to his exile?
Segyung didn’t respond to Yuri’s surprise.
Instead, he quietly met Yuri’s gaze.
As if to say, “This is all I want.”
Yuri scratched his cheek at the intensity in Segyung’s eyes.
“Hmm… So, to make that request, you need the seal of the Redner family?”
“Yes.”
“What if the seal has already been used?”
“At least until I left, it hadn’t been used. It’s a request made when the family head returns the seal. It wouldn’t be done unless the family’s fate was hanging by a thread.”
“Alright, but like I said earlier, I’m not Johan’s apprentice, nor am I a member of the Redner family. How am I supposed to get my hands on a family seal?”
“That’s not my problem. How you obtain it is up to you.”
“……”
“It’s not just any other skill; it’s the metallurgy and alchemy of the Bone Clan. And if you want to obtain the purification that I’ve perfected over a lifetime, you should set a condition that matches that.”
“…Well, you’re not wrong.”
Yuri nodded in agreement.
‘The Redner family seal, huh…’
A family seal, especially one handed down to the family head, would surely be an important item.
Yuri didn’t dwell on how he could get his hands on it.
He was only focused on one thing.
‘Seal or whatever, all I have to do is win the bet, right?’
Why bother thinking about what would happen if he lost?
Yuri had never failed at learning or mastering something in his life.
So he trusted himself this time as well.
More precisely, he trusted his talent.
‘Will the Bone Clan’s metallurgy be exceptional, or will my talent prevail?’
Yuri naturally believed in the latter.
No matter how advanced the Bone Clan’s metallurgy was, Yuri was confident he could master at least three out of the five techniques.
As long as it was taught to him, he was sure he could learn it.
With that confidence, he boldly proposed the bet to Segyung.
Yuri straightforwardly extended his hand to Segyung.
“Fine. If I lose, I’ll figure out how to get that Redner family seal. What about you?”
Not to be outdone, Segyung also reached out his hand toward Yuri.
“Fine! If I lose, I will teach you all the knowledge I have about metallurgy and alchemy without holding back!”
Clap.
As the two hands met lightly, the bet was sealed.
A spark seemed to ignite between Yuri and Segyung’s gazes.
‘I have no choice but to win this!’
‘This bet… I must win it!’
The brief but intense psychological battle seemed to end as their hands separated.
Until Segyung spoke again, that is.
“Ah, by the way. With your lack of basics… do you think you’ll be able to learn metallurgy from me?”
“What are you talking about? Are you trying to change your mind now?”
“Who’s changing their mind? Are you really planning to learn metallurgy without any basic tools?”
“Can’t you provide them?”
“Why would I?”
“Tsk. So stingy.”
“And you have no shame? Anyway, if you want to learn metallurgy from me, bring the three things I mentioned within a month. If you can’t, then this bet will end with my victory before it even starts.”
Yuri scowled at Segyung’s snide remark.
“Fine, tell me what those three things are.”
Segyung held up three fingers and listed the items.
Then he smugly looked at Yuri.
“Well, can you gather them in a month?”
Segyung’s eyes seemed to say he knew Yuri wouldn’t be able to gather them.
Yuri responded with a bright smile.
“Eh, that’s it? I thought it would be harder.”
“…What?”
“Alright, come back in a month. I’ll have everything ready and waiting.”
“……”
Segyung’s lips twisted in discomfort at Yuri’s confident voice.
But that expression soon disappeared.
‘This guy, full of hot air!’
The red armband on Yuri’s shoulder.
It signified that he had just entered the Cradle as a first-year.
So Segyung was certain.
There was no way Yuri could gather the items he requested.
‘This isn’t something even a fourth or fifth-year could easily prepare.’
At least one of the three items he mentioned wasn’t something that could be simply acquired.
“Do your best. I’ll be back in a month.”
“Sure.”
“Good!”
With a wave of his hand as if to say, “Do your best,” Segyung walked away briskly.
Only after Segyung’s figure completely disappeared did Theresia and the others approach Yuri.
“What happened?”
“What were you two talking about?”
“Hungry?”
With questions coming from all sides, Yuri abruptly extended his hand to Arin and Poppy.
He made a brief demand.
“Hey, hand yours over too.”
“…What?”
“Hungry?”
At the sudden request, question marks popped up above their heads.
Since it was just the beginning of spring, there was still a hint of chill in the air.
However, one place within the Cradle always remained hot.
That place was the massive workshop located within the Cradle.
With a large furnace that never went out and countless blacksmiths sweating away.
Huge kilns and artisans crafting glass and pottery.
Along with leather, jewelry making, painting, and more.
This was the massive workshop of the Cradle, where experts from various fields gathered.
Among them, the busiest place was undoubtedly the forge.
Clang-! Clang-!
Every hammer strike echoed with a crisp sound.
Sparks flew in all directions.
Sizzle—
With white steam, the hot metal slowly took shape, continuously being produced.
Most of the items produced were weapons and armor.
Since the workshop supplied not only the Cradle but also the Black Sword Corps, the most consumed items were naturally weapons and armor.
As usual, the head of the forge was inspecting the supplies destined for the Black Sword Corps when a member of the Black Sword Corps approached and handed him a piece of paper.
As soon as he unfolded it and saw its contents, the head of the forge froze.
“…?!”
Even though he was approaching sixty, he was still actively working and leading the forge.
Having started as an apprentice in the Cradle’s forge and worked there for decades, this was the first time in his life encountering something so absurd.
“Huh…”
In his hand was a single piece of paper.
It was none other than a weapon production request.
Specifically, it was an order compiled by the Black Sword Corps members who were granted production rights based on their year.
Dozens of items were listed.
Most of them were nothing out of the ordinary.
They were the usual items that were always ordered.
But at the end of the order form, three unusual items were listed.
A sturdy hammer for metallurgy, highly recommended by a current blacksmith.
An anvil that even a current blacksmith would want to have.
Even those two were still manageable.
The most problematic item was the one listed last.
A blazing hot furnace beloved by the current blacksmith (to be installed at the specified location).
For the first time in his decades-long career, he couldn’t help but chuckle at the bizarre order.
“Heh… Heh heh heh! Who the hell is this crazy bastard?”
And so, a month passed since that bewilderingly strange order had been placed.
It was now April, the time of blooming flowers.
Segyung walked lightly through the northern forest, filled with the scent of spring.
He was heading toward the spot where his bet with Yuri had been made.
Segyung’s casual steps, as if enjoying a stroll, showed no trace of worry.
“Well, let’s see if that guy managed to get everything ready, shall we?”
Though he said that, deep down, Segyung believed it was impossible.
He was more interested in witnessing Yuri’s dismayed expression than confirming whether the items were ready.
It was understandable, considering the three things Segyung had requested from Yuri.
A hammer.
An anvil.
A furnace.
The three essentials for learning metallurgy weren’t easy for a first-year cadet to acquire.
Sure, maybe the hammer and anvil were obtainable, but a furnace?
‘If he manages to bring that, I’ll acknowledge it!’
Segyung had to admit when he saw the sight before him.
“This, this is… How on earth…?!”
The once barren spot from just a month ago now housed a fully functional furnace, radiating heat.
It was undoubtedly a real furnace, not a makeshift imitation.
The structure and build seemed solid enough to be used immediately, and it was indeed radiating intense heat.
Gathered in front of the furnace were four individuals.
“Hey, Arin. Aren’t you paying attention? It’s late! Didn’t I say to flip it right away? Are you going to keep daydreaming?”
“…It’s not that late. It hasn’t even burned yet.”
“Even a 0.1-second delay changes the taste of the meat! The key to grilling meat is timing! If you want it to taste good, flip it as soon as I say to.”
“Yep.”
Huddled together, Yuri and his friends were shamelessly using the sacred furnace to grill meat.
“Now! Flip it!”
At Yuri’s command, Theresia, Arin, and Poppy flipped the meat in unison.
Yuri, who was bossing around his friends, noticed Segyung approaching and waved his left hand.
“Oh, Old Man! You’re here?”
It was a greeting filled with joy, but Segyung was in no mood for pleasantries.
He was far too curious to let it slide.
He quickly approached Yuri and demanded.
“How… How did this happen?”
“What do you mean?”
“That furnace… Where did it come from?”
“Oh, this? I asked them to make it.”
“Who did you ask?”
“The Cradle.”
“And… they actually made it for you?”
“Yeah.”
“Has the Cradle gone mad? Why did they make it for you?”
“How should I know? I just asked, and they made it.”
“This… This is ridiculous…”
Seeing Segyung in disbelief, Yuri shrugged his shoulders.
To be honest, Yuri himself acknowledged that he had been lucky this time.
He happened to have weapon production rights at his disposal.
Segyung just happened to request three items.
And, coincidentally, he had two friends nearby who also had production rights.
With that, Yuri was confident he could handle the hammer and anvil with the production rights.
However, the furnace was another story.
His initial plan was to request it, and if denied, he would at least figure out how to make one himself.
But then, unexpectedly, the Cradle granted his request.
And that wasn’t all.
[Are you the one who placed this absurd order?]
The top artisan from the Cradle’s forge personally came with the hammer and anvil and even installed the furnace.
Yuri pointed to the hammer and anvil the artisan had left behind.
“How about it? Does this count as the basic preparation?”
Snapping out of his daze, Segyung nodded begrudgingly.
“…It’s enough.”
The hammer and anvil Yuri had prepared, along with the furnace, were not of average quality but were excellent items a current blacksmith might use.
Since he had prepared these, Segyung had no room to nitpick.
It was now genuinely time to start teaching metallurgy.
However, there was one issue.
“What happened to your arm?”
Segyung’s gaze fell on Yuri’s right arm, wrapped in a white cloth brace.
The splint was faintly visible under the cloth, suggesting it was broken.
Yuri lifted his broken arm slightly in response to Segyung’s question.
“Oh, this?”
His memory drifted back to a few days prior.
It was two days after the furnace had been installed.
And it was the day Theresia made an interesting request to him.
Yuri blinked as he asked again.
“So, you want me to… help you with a quest?”