Chapter 758
Episode 186: A Double Blessing from the Balmur Union and the Minche Blacksmiths’ Guild (1)
The group was momentarily stunned by Anvil’s sudden and extreme display of humility.
Not only had Anvil dropped to his knees, but he had also prostrated himself completely, bowing deeply in reverence.
Looking closer, tears were falling steadily onto the floor.
At least Anvil was maintaining some dignity befitting a leader, moved to tears.
The other guild members beside him were openly sobbing.
‘This is insane… Things are going even better than I expected, which is great, but does this mean I don’t even need to verify the basics?’
‘These arrogant fools—just hearing the name Pikon Minche makes them act like this? Crying?’
From this moment on, every grain of sand on this island belonged to Pikon Minche…
Jin mulled over those words, struggling to suppress his disbelief.
If the blacksmiths’ island truly held more steel than the Balmur Union’s entire stockpile, there would be no need to beg Kinzel for anything.
[You’re saying you’ll give it all to me?]
“Of course!”
[Are you sure that’s alright?]
“Master Pikon, our Minche Guild is made up solely of those who are wholeheartedly committed to carrying on your will. The words you spoke a thousand years ago are still etched deeply in our hearts.”
What exactly did I say back then?
Pikon wanted to ask, but instead cleared his throat and waited for Anvil to continue.
“Do not leave the forge. Focus solely on sharpening weapons. Until the master appears.”
That was something Pikon often told his disciples a millennium ago.
Of course, the ‘master’ he referred to wasn’t himself.
Back then, seeing some disciples lose heart due to lack of talent, Pikon encouraged them by saying that somewhere in the world, someone would value their weapons above all else, so they should never give up and keep honing their craft. Many eventually created masterpieces because of that.
After Pikon’s death, for about fifty years, his original intent was faithfully passed down.
But over time, the meaning of his words became distorted. Unaware of this, Anvil interpreted Pikon’s message like this:
“Our guild has been desperately waiting for a blacksmith who can truly advance the craft of all smiths in this world—a true reincarnation of Master Pikon—to appear as the master. That’s why, for the past thousand years, we have maintained a three-person leadership system without appointing a ‘Steel King.’”
Steel King? What’s that…?
Pikon suppressed the urge to question further and instead smiled as naturally as he could. So, you’ve been keeping my will well, he thought.
When Pikon was alive, there was no such title as Steel King.
He was simply known as the legendary blacksmith.
According to Anvil, the so-called leaders of the guild—Fire, Anvil, and Hammer—were all temporary.
They had kept the true leader’s seat, the Steel King, vacant, waiting for a blacksmith worthy of being called Pikon’s successor to be born.
Then, unexpectedly, not a successor but Pikon Minche himself—now a blacksmith deity—had come to the guild, so their overwhelming reaction was understandable.
From the guild’s perspective, the Steel King they had waited a thousand years for had finally returned.
[Hmm… Excellent.]
Pikon’s solemn voice made Anvil and the guild members raise their heads.
Their eyes glistened with tears, shining like those who had just been saved.
Then Anvil suddenly startled again and bowed deeply.
“Ah! Forgive me if I have spoken out of turn in my joy. Master Pikon, if accepting the assets of our blacksmiths makes you uncomfortable…”
Jin quickly nudged Pikon’s side.
[Not at all. From today onward, I will guide you once more.]
Though casually spoken, the effect was perfect.
“It is the greatest honor of our lives! Please, allow us to escort you inside!”
Before moving, the guild members pulled small horns from their robes and blew them. The horns announced that the Balmur Union’s official letter was genuine.
As the horn sounded, the once dim island suddenly brightened.
Flames flickered throughout the forges, which covered eighty percent of the island.
The guild members waiting inside busied themselves preparing to welcome Pikon.
Meanwhile, Anvil’s attitude toward Jin shifted.
“Please forgive my earlier rudeness, Master Soga. Now that we have brought Master Pikon here, you are like a benefactor to us.”
“Thank you for saying that.”
Me? Siris wanted to argue but held back, too stunned for words.
At the forge’s entrance, all the blacksmiths were lined up, prostrating themselves.
‘They’re nothing short of fanatics.’
Though it felt a bit excessive, Jin smiled, feeling reassured by the strong allies he had gained.
Like with Anvil, a flood of tears followed, and Pikon encouraged the guild leaders as they introduced each member.
No one doubted Pikon’s identity.
Not only did he look exactly the same, but as he examined the equipment and weapons inside the forge, he immediately recognized their purpose and quality.
Just a few words exchanged during this process made the blacksmiths marvel at Pikon’s skill.
[Fire, why was this island chosen as the blacksmiths’ sanctuary? It’s not even my hometown.]
After the formalities and greetings, Pikon began asking Jin the real questions.
“Is it alright to answer in the absence of the minor lord of the secret palace?”
[I guarantee the minor lord’s position myself. And from now on, please show respect to the minor lord as well. They are my guest.]
“I will do so.”
If Siron, Thalaris, or Rondo had seen this scene, they would have been speechless.
Siris shook her head and sighed inwardly.
“We established our headquarters here because of the sea steel.”
[Sea steel?]
“It means steel that comes from the sea. Our guild’s headquarters was set here about three hundred years ago because no other place produces as much sea steel as this island.”
[I know about sea steel, but it must be incredibly difficult to harvest, right? I heard your guild holds more steel than the empire or any other great power.]
“That’s half true and half false.”
[Explain.]
Even though it was time to reveal the guild’s greatest secret, Fire and the other leaders showed no hesitation.
“First, we harvest sea steel through an inner-tier sea monster that inhabits the ocean. Its name is Bailram, a creature our past leaders befriended. Though a monster, it has a clear consciousness and no intention or reason to harm humans.”
“You’re saying such a monster exists?”
The leaders nodded at Jin’s question.
[Yes, Master Soga. Its diet consists of marine life and seaweed. It mostly dwells in the deep sea, so it rarely comes into human sight.]
So it was more of a spiritual creature than a monster—a beneficial being.
“Long ago, Bailram made a deal with us. It naturally needs to grind its teeth regularly, so it gnaws on the sea steel on the ocean floor. But at some point, it reached a limit with unprocessed sea steel.”
“So you brought it some sea steel, processed part of it into steel chunks for Bailram’s teeth grinding?”
“Exactly.”
The sea steel buried near the blacksmiths’ island is practically infinite.
Usually, the cost of harvesting and processing sea steel far exceeds its value, so no one bothered to mine it. But the guild has been obtaining it almost for free for centuries through Bailram.
The guild was also the only group capable of processing such large quantities of sea steel quickly.
The idea that monsters and humans could coexist like this had never occurred to Jin.
“A fascinating story. You’ve managed to keep this secret all this time.”
The leaders led the group to the forge’s underground area.
In the center was a massive hatch. When the leaders pulled a lever, the floor split open, revealing the sea beneath—a space large enough to fit several sailing ships.
With such a facility, the scenes of Bailram supplying steel to the guild had never been exposed to outsiders.
“Thanks to this background and the mindset Master Pikon passed down, our guild has never had to beg anyone for steel. Until recently, we could proudly say we held the largest steel reserves in the world.”
The group stared at the shimmering sea, awestruck.
Jin was impressed but also sensed a strong aura rising from the water.
“Bailram seems to be tainted by chaos.”
At those words, the leaders frowned in pain.
“…Yes. Bailram and the guild are more than just symbiotic partners; they are friends. The chaos that spread through the world after the Sword Emperor War and the Tyrant God War has sickened Bailram.”
Fire blew his horn several times toward the sea, causing the surface to ripple and foam.
After a moment, Bailram surfaced—a massive creature resembling a whale.
[Piieee…]
Its cry was whale-like, and its rounded form looked far from threatening, just as the leaders had said.
However, black spots of chaos marred its body.
Bailram wailed incessantly, clearly in distress.
“If Bailram doesn’t recover, not only will we lose the ability to harvest sea steel, but the entire guild will grieve the loss of a dear friend.”
Though Pikon’s arrival brought joy, there was also sorrow at the thought of possibly losing a friend.
Picon hesitated for a moment, carefully choosing his words, while Siris couldn’t hide the pain in her eyes at the sight of Bailram’s cute yet suffering expression.
Then Jin studied Bailram closely and said,
“Bul, has Bailram undergone any physical changes?”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m asking if, aside from the black spots, Bailram looks exactly the same as before he was tainted by chaos.”
“He does.”
Jin smiled slyly.
“Looks like I might be the one who can fix him after all.”