Chapter 759
Episode 186: A Double Blessing from the Balmel Union and the Minche Blacksmiths’ Guild (Part 2)
The three of them—Fire, Hammer, and Anvil—gawked in disbelief, their eyes practically popping out.
“You’re saying you can fix Bailram!?”
“Is that really true?”
“Didn’t you know? Our Balmel Union has a device called the Chaos Purifier. It can almost perfectly cleanse chaos infestation, as long as the body itself hasn’t been transformed.”
[Pi-pi, piiii…]
Bailram let out a weak groan and sank back beneath the water. Even the brief moment he’d managed to lift himself out of the water had clearly taken a lot out of him.
“There are still some variables. We’ve never tested whether the device works fully on monsters, and Bailram’s size is enormous.”
This was the first time they’d encountered a monster being infested by chaos rather than strengthened by it.
“Sogaju, please help us! If you can do that much—”
“If I can do that much?”
Jin cut in, and the guild leaders flinched, exchanging uneasy glances.
“…I’ll have a masterpiece sword made for you, Sogaju.”
It sounded modest, but it wasn’t. It meant that all the world’s greatest blacksmiths—except for Pikon—would come together to forge a single sword.
“You can just ask Pikon for that. Do you think Pikon and I are on such casual terms?”
Of course, even the combined efforts of the three leaders couldn’t compare to Pikon.
“That’s not the case.”
[They’re very close. If it weren’t for Sogaju, Bailram would still be hiding inside that empty body.]
“Ahem! Then what do you want?”
“Nothing in particular.”
“Nothing? Then why say you’d give something?”
“You were the one who implied you’d offer something, Fire. I was just trying to be kind. But…”
“But?”
“If you really want to repay me, how about joining the Balmel Union?”
“Are you asking for an exclusive contract?”
“I know the guild has always been a neutral party, not involved in worldly affairs. But this isn’t the time for neutrality. Anyone with power must choose a side. That’s why even the Bikyung and the Nameless have abandoned their long traditions to unite under the Union’s banner.”
Since its founding, the guild had never belonged to any faction.
The leaders’ eyes grew serious. But the heavy atmosphere wasn’t born of displeasure or hesitation.
“…If that’s the case, wasn’t the answer already decided the moment Pikon came to us?”
“As you can see, Pikon is an absolute figure to us. Not just symbolically—he’s practically become the god of blacksmiths. His will is our will.”
“As you said, since Pikon and Sogaju are so close, it’s only natural for us to join the Union.”
“Those are satisfactory answers, but they feel a bit too quick to accept.”
“We were somewhat prepared. We do pay attention to how the world is turning.”
“If we have to pick a side, our conclusion was that it should be either Runcandel or the Balmel Union, not Ziple. Blacksmiths tend to fit better with knights than with mages.”
Fire grinned and extended his hand to Jin.
“I look forward to working with you. Though the decision’s been made, honestly, it wasn’t an easy choice, so I wasn’t exactly thrilled.”
“So that’s why you were rude when I arrived?”
“We’re always like that. But after meeting you in person today, I think this might not be such a bad thing.”
“It won’t just be ‘not bad.’ There’ll come a day when you’ll be grateful you chose me.”
Jin smiled and shook Fire’s hand. Now that they were family, the formalities came naturally.
[This looks good. Well, the talks seem settled, so let’s hurry and help that Bailram fellow. I hear that without him, not only the guild but the Balmel Union’s plans will face serious setbacks.]
Since bodily changes could happen suddenly and without warning, they had to act fast. They’d barely been on the island a few hours before taking control of the guild, but there was no time to celebrate.
“I’ll head to Tikan to fetch the purifier. It’s too risky to bring Bailram there. Sir Siris, let’s go.”
Pikon mounted his Mot and immediately set off for Tikan. Fortunately, the Mot’s condition had improved significantly since the Dark God War, so the consecutive long-distance teleportations posed no problem.
“Master? You’re back already?”
“Yeah, Gili. Everything went smoothly.”
“Oh, as expected of our lord!”
“Jett, bring the Chaos Purifier. We have to go again.”
While Jett moved, Jin explained the situation to his companions. It was simple enough that no summary was needed.
“This time, Hedo should come along. We’ll need his brute strength.”
“Agreed.”
Sandra, who had been out walking with Veil, didn’t make a fuss about joining them.
[Booh, oooong…]
Back on the island, the Mot collapsed with a thud, catching its breath.
“You’re here!”
They headed underground to set down the purifier. The leaders exchanged doubtful looks—not because they doubted the device’s power, but because they couldn’t imagine such a small machine handling Bailram’s massive body.
“Fire, blow the horn again and call Bailram.”
At the sound of the horn, Bailram surfaced, moving noticeably slower than before. Hedo jumped into the sea and tied a rope around Bailram’s torso. Siris used the power of the Eternal Ice to create a massive ice platform beneath the water for Hedo to stand on.
“Jin, pull!”
Hedo pushed Bailram from below while Jin pulled from above. They were trying to haul the enormous creature out using sheer strength.
Swoosh!
After a moment, Bailram was lifted out through the hatch like a plug being pulled.
“Oh, Bailram!”
“Snap out of it!”
The leaders clung to Bailram, fussing over him, but Jin was relieved to see his condition wasn’t too bad.
“This is an early-stage infestation. If all goes well… no, it might even be cleansed by the end of today. Provided the purifier works properly on monsters.”
They attached the purifier’s wires all over Bailram’s body. The device began to vibrate, drawing out the murky energy through the cables.
Every five minutes, Jin and Hedo returned Bailram to the water. His energy was too weak to stay out long.
The exhausting purification continued until around midnight.
[This is probably the first monster ever to be cared for so devotedly by the Sogaju of Runcandel and the world’s strongest powerhouse.]
Even if it took a month instead of a day, it was worth it. The infinite supply of refined sea steel was a huge practical benefit, but Bailram was now effectively part of the Union alongside the guild.
As the last traces of chaos energy drained away, Bailram’s skin gleamed with a radiant shine.
With the moldy chaos gone, Bailram no longer looked like a monster at all. He resembled a beautiful, unnamed whale glowing with a milky white light.
“…If this is really a monster, then what was wrong with those guys I rolled around with in the Black Sea?”
Even Hedo, who prided himself on having faced the most monsters in Sesong, had never seen such a handsome one.
“Who knows.”
[Pi-pi-pi! Pi-pi!]
Bailram perked up and let out a pleasant cry. He wriggled and rubbed his body, clearly showing his gratitude.
[I, your benefactor, will repay your kindness!]
Jin had heard during the treatment that Bailram had learned some human speech from the blacksmiths. He chuckled at how proud he felt of Bailram’s words.
The blacksmiths were a tearful bunch. They showered Bailram with words and tears.
“Keep bringing us refined sea steel like this.”
[Got it, but… still… not enough!]
“Do you know where the Sword Emperor’s Star is?”
[Yes!]
“How many days would it take to swim there?”
[Three days.]
“If you’re fully loaded with sea steel?”
[Still three days.]
“How much can you carry?”
[About my own weight!]
“Isn’t that hard?”
[Piece of cake. Pi-pi-pit. Just a light stroll!]
Jin couldn’t help but clap his hands.
If Bailram was right, not only would steel supply be solved, but transporting it to the Sword Emperor’s Star would be handled at the same time.
And since it was underwater transport, the risk of enemy detection was minimal.
‘Three days, no—let’s say a generous week. If we can move refined sea steel weighing as much as Bailram each time to the Sword Emperor’s Star…’
There’d never be a shortage of steel. No need to worry about cost-cutting; they could pour steel into shipbuilding without restraint.
They planned to transport not only Bailram’s steel but also the empire’s, making it perfect for deceiving their enemies.
[Is that something I can do!?]
“Yes. When we’re ready, I’ll let you know. Then you can start helping.”
[Okay! I’m hungry now, going to eat!]
Splash!
Bailram dove back into the sea beneath the hatch. The blacksmiths, soaked from the spray, still looked utterly delighted.
“Bailram has never broken a promise, Sogaju.”
“Our guild is the same.”
“Judging from what Bailram said, I think I have a rough idea of what you want. You’re planning to mass-produce fleets.”
“That’s right.”
“If you give us the blueprints for the parts, we’ll send you exactly what you need. It’ll be much better if we send them ready for simple reprocessing on-site.”
The guild wasn’t just skilled in blacksmithing. When it came to metalworking, no one could match the guild’s blacksmiths in any field.
The Balmarl Alliance had secured the key materials for fleet construction and their dedicated blacksmiths, while the Association had rescued their friend and regained the boundless Sea River. The group pulled out a bottle of liquor and shared a brief toast to celebrate their double victory. There was still much work ahead for everyone.
“Well, I’ll be heading back now. From now on, Pikon, you’ll be residing here, won’t you?”
“That’s right. When you return, send my hammer and supplies along with you. The seventh batch of swords for Commander Hedo is nearly finished—I’ll let you know as soon as they’re done.”
Just as they were about to mount their mounts and depart, Bailram leapt across the sea, waving farewell.
A warm feeling filled their hearts, but at the same time, thoughts of those who hadn’t yet returned lingered.
‘Now, it’s time to go find Sister Runtia and Lord Ruet.’