Chapter 29

Chapter 29

The sword was over a meter long and double-edged, large enough to use as a two-handed sword.

Yet Shin Ha-gyeon held it in one hand as though he didn't even feel the weight.

"This might cause some unnecessary trouble from France."

"Excuse me?"

"They might ask why their national treasure is over here. They might even start coveting you, Artist Do."

Was he serious?

Shin Ha-gyeon's expression certainly looked serious.

But rather than being annoyed at the possibility of trouble, he seemed almost excited by the idea.

When I looked at him strangely, he broke into his widest smile yet.

"You have to play dirty when you're playing a game. Hahaha!"

He added that there was nothing quite like showing off something your opponent could never have.

I rubbed the back of my head at the excessive praise before asking,

"Even though it's corrupted?"

"It's still Durandal. That hasn't changed. And just imagine."

"...?"

"What if we eventually find a way to resolve this Corruption? There are Hunters in the world with Purification skills, and related items occasionally appear from Gates as well. What if Purification works on this corruption too?"

Shin Ha-gyeon added that they couldn't know for sure yet, but he looked extremely excited.

"At least one thing is certain."

"What is?"

"Other people are going to imagine the exact same thing I just did. And it won't only be France."

Come to think of it, lately I'd started feeling as though nothing in this world was truly impossible.

"And Hunters are all the same. If it's a legendary weapon, we'll want to hold it even if it's corrupted."

"I see.... That's a relief. I was worried only the Green Dragon Crescent Blade would end up going into this Gate."

"If that happened, I might've cried at my age."

I laughed at his joke.

Then I remembered the way he'd acted earlier, almost as though he intended to provoke everyone with the sword.

That naturally brought another memory to mind.

The day I'd gone to the Association to register my awakening.

The entire country had been flooded with headlines announcing the appearance of an S-Class production-type Hunter.

And because Hunter In Yeonhae had been guarding me, it also became widely known that I was under Yeonwoo Guild's protection.

Is he going to do something similar this time? Like showing off Durandal while the news reports South Korea's first solo clear of a massive Gate?

...That sounded incredibly plausible.

Well, he'll handle it.

Just as he always had, I trusted that he would move in a direction that benefited me.

"Ha. I'd love to run straight over and brag about this to the vice guild master, but first we should settle payment for this commission. We should've at least put something simple in writing beforehand, but somehow the order of things got completely mixed up."

"Doesn't that just show how much trust there is between Yeonwoo Guild and me? I was the one who said we didn't need a contract this time."

"I appreciate you saying that. But we still can't leave it that way. This year had unusual circumstances, but considering next year, the year after that, and beyond, I think we should establish some kind of standard."

"A standard...."

Before coming to my house, Shin Ha-gyeon had told me he would bring a written breakdown of the payment for this commission.

In other words, Yeonwoo Guild would make the first offer.

How is Yeonwoo Guild going to value these?

Would they judge them purely by rank?

Or by actual performance?

The items I made consistently performed one or two tiers above the rank shown in their status windows, so even setting a valuation standard had become difficult.

As I stared at Shin Ha-gyeon, he met my eyes and slid the document toward me.

If anything, he looked more nervous than I did.

"This is an important transaction for you, Artist Do. I know you've already traded an item containing a Story with Taepyeong Guild...."

He continued carefully.

"But in the Hunter industry, weapon-type items are generally valued more highly than other items. They're traded far more often too. So I believe this transaction will become the real benchmark for how items containing Stories are valued."

"Are you deliberately trying to make me excited?"

"That's part of it."

He smiled.

"But I'm confident you'll be satisfied. Yeonwoo Guild will always treat you as someone of the highest level in the world."

The gesture telling me to hurry and look was full of confidence.

A normal A-Class weapon item cost around 1.5 billion won.

And the prices Yeonwoo Guild assigned to the Green Dragon Crescent Blade and Durandal were, respectively....

Wait.

One, ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand, hundred thousand, million, ten million, hundred million, billion....

How many zeros are there?

The numbers written there were staggering.

And that was for each item separately.

I stared with wide eyes.

Shin Ha-gyeon explained,

"We considered the rarity of items that have never existed before, the fact that you're currently the only person capable of creating them, and the effects themselves. The Green Dragon Crescent Blade is valued slightly higher because buff-type items are even rarer."

Still feeling somewhat dazed, I thought,

...I still don't fully understand the value of weapon items.

But I do understand one thing.

The Association was going to be absolutely sick with envy.

Time passed.

Eventually, the day of Yeonwoo Guild's departure arrived.

Since South Korea had become the second country after the United States to attempt a solo clear of a massive Gate with a single guild, the area in front of the Gate was packed with people.

Most of them were reporters.

Everywhere I looked, people had enormous cameras on their shoulders with broadcasting-company stickers attached.

There are a lot of foreign reporters too.

Because Eruption-Type Gates existed and some regions still had monsters roaming around like wild animals, international travel had become dangerous.

Yet judging from how many people had come all the way to this peninsula, the entire world seemed to be watching this event.

"Your security detail is ready."

Yeonwoo Guild had asked me to attend the departure ceremony, so I came.

This feels suspiciously like the second round of showing off.

I remembered how excited Shin Ha-gyeon had gotten while talking about playing dirty after seeing Durandal.

Click.

A guard waiting outside opened the car door.

As I stepped out, I heard a familiar greeting beside me.

"It's been a while, Artist Do."

It was In Yeonhae.

"...Hunter In Yeonhae, aren't you going into the Gate?"

"Thanks to the <Green Dragon Crescent Blade>, I'm no longer considered essential personnel. I'll be handling the other Gates that appear while the massive Gate raid is underway. Yeonwoo Guild's territory is pretty large, you know."

Come to think of it, In Yeonhae was one of those rare Hunters with buff and debuff skills.

She'd used a debuff skill to shut reporters up on the day I'd gone to receive my Hunter license.

I didn't know the exact rank of her skill, but since she was an A-Class Hunter, it probably wasn't low.

Thankfully, she didn't seem bothered that an item had replaced her role.

If anything, she looked fascinated by my skill.

"Which teams are staying behind at Yeonwoo Guild?"

"Raid Team Three and Support Team One."

"...Sorry to ask this, but are two teams really enough?"

"Haha, that's fine. We're Yeonwoo Guild, aren't we? Just in case, we've already arranged emergency cooperation with reserve forces from the three guilds whose territories border ours, but only if a Gate with Break risk appears."

In Yeonhae spoke confidently about Yeonwoo Guild's ability to manage its territory.

Then she added that she doubted they'd actually need the cooperation.

Still...

Cooperation requests?

I'd heard that guilds competed with the Association, but guilds themselves weren't exactly always friendly either.

Especially when Gate clears were involved, since they were basically rival companies.

In Yeonhae seemed to notice what I was wondering about.

"Thanks to you, Artist Do, the relationships between the three guilds have become much tighter lately. ...Honestly, this cooperation agreement is partly meant to show off those improved relationships too."

According to In Yeonhae, Yeonwoo Guild had been getting along pretty well with Badger Guild and Taepyeong Guild lately.

"Now, I'll take you to your seat."

The moment In Yeonhae started moving, countless black camera lenses turned toward us.

Every reporter carefully watched her expression while raising their cameras.

"..."

For a moment, they stared warily at In Yeonhae's mouth.

Once they decided it was safe, their voices rose one after another.

"Crafter Do Hwa-in! Is it true you created A-Class-level weapon items for Yeonwoo Guild this time? What are their exact ranks?"

"Guild Master Shin Ha-gyeon called them 'items only Do Hwa-in could create'! Could you comment on that?"

"Is it true you've recreated weapons from legends?"

Ugh.

Maybe because every single one of them had such a loud voice, all the noise blended together painfully inside my ears.

"Should I make them all quiet?"

In Yeonhae asked with a dangerous glint in her eyes.

I thought for a moment, then stopped walking and signaled to her.

"All right, everyone. Quiet down."

Silence.

The reporters once again found themselves forced into silent meditation.

Their faces slowly turned red.

At least the Korean reporters looked resigned.

The foreign reporters, on the other hand, looked completely bewildered as their mouths kept opening and closing soundlessly.

Before one of them did something unexpected, I decided to take control of everyone's attention.

"First, yes. I created weapons for Yeonwoo Guild with performance comparable to A-Class items. However, these are items based on a completely new paradigm, so the rank displayed in the status window does not necessarily match the weapon's actual performance."

A hand shot up among the reporters.

Apparently someone desperately wanted to ask a question.

I nodded once toward In Yeonhae.

"Puhah! Ahem. I'm reporter Lee Ha-ram from Goryeo Media! You said they're 'items based on a new paradigm.' Is that connected to the fact that you've recreated legendary weapons?"

"Yes. My skill can create weapons from myths and legends. That's why I described them as a new paradigm."

Another hand immediately went up.

"I'm reporter Kim Ina from Daehan News! What exactly do you mean when you say the status-window rank and actual weapon performance don't match? It sounds like you know what determines the displayed rank."

"I believe I've figured out the ranking standard for items I create to a certain extent. But I don't think we have enough time right now to explain exactly why they're different or how the difference works."

That was enough, right?

I followed In Yeonhae toward the area assigned to me.

Once we ducked under the tape blocking unauthorized personnel and entered, disappointed groans erupted from the reporters as their forced silence wore off.

The spot Yeonwoo Guild had prepared for me was a tent where the Hunters were making final preparations before entering the Gate.

"Welcome. It sounded rather noisy on your way in. Was everything all right?"

"It was fine. After meeting Guild Master Shin Ha-gyeon last time, I'd already prepared myself mentally."

"Oh dear. That friend must have run his mouth again."

Seeing Kim Sang-hyeon in combat gear was strangely new.

He almost always wore suits.

The funniest part was that even his combat gear somehow looked as neat and formal as a suit.

The second surprising thing was how naturally the Green Dragon Crescent Blade suited that tidy appearance.

"...It suits you."

"Hahaha! Thank you!"

Kim Sang-hyeon lovingly stroked the dragon's mane carved along the weapon.

The crescent blade was so large that even though Kim Sang-hyeon was fairly tall, the blade rose about a head above him.

He looked like a man walking around with a dragon wrapped around a pole.

...Overwhelming.

Perhaps because he was about to enter battle, the presence he gave off was far stronger than anything I'd felt from him before.

And somehow, it suited the Green Dragon Crescent Blade perfectly.

"Where's the guild master?"

"Ah. Look over there."

"..."

Shin Ha-gyeon was carefully polishing Durandal's blade.

His eyes were glowing more intensely than usual.

I remained silent for a moment.

Then I left him with one sentence before stepping back.

"...Be careful. Come back safely."

"Of course. We'll clear it so spectacularly everyone will have to watch. You can look forward to seeing how badly the Association gets embarrassed afterward."

When I asked whether they had prepared anything special, Kim Sang-hyeon gave an answer similar to what In Yeonhae had told me earlier.

"Guild relations have been rather harmonious lately, thanks to you."

Apparently, they planned to wait until Yeonwoo Guild cleared the massive Gate and was temporarily being treated like national heroes.

Below the surface, they would pressure the Association.

Above the surface, they would unleash what Kim Sang-hyeon called national enthusiasm.

Anyway, the public-opinion teams of several guilds were apparently charging up one enormous attack.

"...I hope it works. I'm tired of being pushed around from every direction."

"We'll do our best to make sure you can focus on your artwork without worrying about things like this."

THUD! THUD! THUD!

The Yeonwoo Guild members lined up before the Gate stomped their feet in unison.

Then, led by their respective team leaders, they began crossing through the Gate one group at a time.

Kim Sang-hyeon entered first with the Green Dragon Crescent Blade.

Then Raid Team One.

Raid Team Two.

Support Team Two....

Naturally, Eom Seok-hwan was among them.

As the captain of Raid Team Two, he even had a special insignia over the heart of his combat uniform.

There was no trace of his usual playfulness.

His face was completely serious.

At his waist hung the <Replica of Mad Dragon Rubera's Scale Sword>.

Come to think of it, I didn't even greet him inside the tent earlier.

I'd looked around for him, but hadn't approached him personally.

Partly because he was busy checking on each of his subordinates.

And partly because seeing my friend wearing such a serious expression felt strangely unfamiliar.

For a moment, regret rose inside me.

Then I forced it away.

He'll come back safely.

The next month and a half.

That was how long Yeonwoo Guild would have to spend inside the massive Gate.

And it was also how long the guild would have to endure with most of its key personnel absent.

I remembered the conversation I'd had with Shin Ha-gyeon on the day he came to collect Durandal.

"I'm sorry to ask for something else so soon.... But I'd like to use our final commission right as well."

When Yeonwoo Guild signed its contract with me, it received the right to request three commissions per year.

With the Green Dragon Crescent Blade and Durandal, Yeonwoo Guild had one commission remaining.

The year was already nearly over.

I'd wondered when they intended to use it.

Apparently, the answer was now.

"I'd like to use this opportunity to rip something away from the Association. Not simply refuse to give them what belongs to us. I want to take something from them."

"Strike while the iron's hot, huh? Fine. What do you want?"

"A sculpture. I'd like to use the commission on a sculpture rather than an item."

"A sculpture? If you want an effect, don't I have to itemize it with Pygmalion?"

"Kehehe. I have a plan. Let me explain...."

What Shin Ha-gyeon requested was a sculpture that looked as though it possessed some kind of danger-detection ability.

The important part was that it only had to look like it did.

Part of the Association's authority came from the Gate Emergence Forecasting Device.

It was one of the reasons citizens recognized the Association as necessary.

And one of the reasons Hunters had little choice but to depend on them.

"The Gate Emergence Forecasting Device was originally completed by a private research institute funded by Badger Guild and Yeonwoo Guild. But our guilds were small at the time, and because we were 'private operators,' the results were taken from us. The device was designated a strategic national resource."

Yeonwoo Guild didn't intend to steal the forecasting device back.

They simply didn't intend to let it remain entirely under the Association's control either.

"So make the Association misunderstand. Make them believe you've created an item capable of performing a function similar to the Gate Emergence Forecasting Device. We'll use that misunderstanding as leverage to negotiate with the government."

"What if they try to take it away again?"

"Things are very different now compared to the past. At the very least, the country isn't one step away from collapsing anymore. If people hear there's a second forecasting device, they'll probably welcome it as increased safety."

"So public opinion wouldn't support the Association taking it."

"Exactly. Especially after this Gate raid."

Honestly, I didn't understand all the details.

But I liked the look in Shin Ha-gyeon's eyes.

It reminded me of a fiercely burning flame.

Maybe it would be better to say his gaze itself was inspiring.

Anyway.

While Yeonwoo Guild endured the next month and a half, I planned to remain in my workshop and continue working for the future.

The Association knows I can turn sculptures into items.

After my interview at Yeonwoo Guild's departure ceremony, they would also know that the range of what I could create was fairly broad.

From the Association's perspective, it would be difficult to define the limits of an S-Class production skill.

There was no one else to compare me with in the first place.

They said that in the past, the Association deliberately spread fear across the entire country and used it to take the forecasting device.

I didn't know the details.

But this time would be different.

The people who'd suffered back then had grown older.

They'd accumulated experience.

And power.

I pushed aside the objects scattered across my workshop desk.

In their place, I spread out a yellowed blueprint.

Stamped in the lower-right corner were the words:

[DAEHAN FUTURE RESEARCH INSTITUTE]

It was the institute Shin Ha-gyeon and Yoon Jamok had invested in long ago.

The same institute that had developed the Gate Emergence Forecasting Device.

The Association had taken the device itself and all the research reports.

But apparently, they'd somehow managed to protect at least this blueprint.

It contained no information about the internal components.

Still, Shin Ha-gyeon had kept it all this time.

He never showed it openly, but losing the Gate Emergence Forecasting Device must have left a deep wound.

Considering Shin Ha-gyeon's family history, I can understand why.

Perhaps that was also why the reckless young Shin Ha-gyeon had invested enormous amounts of money and time into Gate forecasting research for so many years.

I carefully ran my fingers along the edge of the blueprint.

Then I examined the plans in detail.

It doesn't have to be an incredible sculpture.

As long as it can fool the Association.

And I had plenty of time.

My sculpting speed had increased tremendously since turning my tools into items.