Chapter 78

Upon entering the palace, Ming Hu thought about where the forge might be.
“You’re out of town, right?”
The forge, which is sure to be quite noisy, including the pounding of hammers, is unlikely to be located deep in the imperial palace.
Jumbled
Ming Hu started walking along the city walls.
“Is that so?”
“Yes!”
As Ming Hu was walking along the city wall, he spotted a soldier patrolling the wall in the distance. At the same time, the two soldiers spotted him and stopped walking.
Swoosh swoosh
Ming Hu was dumbfounded when the soldiers stopped walking abruptly, but then a little embarrassed when they bowed their heads in greeting.
But they weren’t the only ones; the soldiers he met afterward also bowed their heads in greeting as soon as they saw him.
Sensing something was wrong, Ming Hu pondered why his soldiers were behaving the way they were. Only one thing had changed.
“Is it the clothes?
It must have been the clothes. Or, more precisely, the dignity that the clothes raised. We don’t know much about dignity. However, it was clear from the soldiers’ reactions that it affected them in a good way.
That was the moment.
Bam! Bam!
-Uh…um..
From up ahead came the sound of hammers striking metal and the shouting of words.
“Found.”
Ming Hu smiled and began to run at a brisk pace toward the front, where the forge would be.
* * * * *
Nerfai, the head of the court’s smiths, was walking around the forge, making adjustments.
Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!
“Move it!”
Chapter…bang…bang…bang!
“Hey, you, mind your own business!”
After another round of the forge, Nerfai was done tuning, and soon returned to his workbench to pick up the sword he was making and begin quenching it again.
Boom, boom, boom!
“Huh?
As he placed the sword in the cold water to cool it, Nerfai spotted a man entering the forge.
“Nobility?
The man who entered the forge was clearly a nobleman, judging by the clothes he wore and the dignity he exuded. The man scanned the forge carefully. Nerfai put down his sword and approached the man.
“I’m Nerpa, the court blacksmith.”
“Oh, hello.”
“…huh?
Nerfai could only shake his head as he listened to the man’s words; he may be the head of the forge, but a nobleman need not bow to him.
“I feel good.
Of course, it felt good to be respected. Nerfai smiled and opened his mouth to speak.
“I was wondering if you could tell me what brings you here?”
The man smiled at Nerfai’s words.
“I want to work here.”
“…”
Hearing the man’s words, Nerfai was speechless.
‘You’ve got to be kidding me. A nobleman works in a smithy.’
To Nerfai, the man’s statement was literally bullshit. The idea of a nobleman working like a blacksmith in a forge was something that couldn’t happen, literally couldn’t and shouldn’t happen.
I’m like, “Is there something to build? Is he bypassing what I’m asking him to build?
Nerfai looked at the man with a sudden thought. Somehow, it seemed he was right. Otherwise, there was no reason to mention that a nobleman worked in a forge.
“But not now…
In the past, he would not have been able to make the man’s armor for him, but now that the imperial order was in effect, he had to devote himself to the production of armor for the frontier. Nerfai looked at the man with a very serious expression.
“I’m sorry, but… I don’t think so.”
She couldn’t say anything. The man looked very embarrassed. Nerfai felt a little nervous when he saw the man’s expression.
“You can be really good at it.”
But the man’s next words left Nerfai perplexed. The man kept talking nonsense. It seemed like he wouldn’t leave unless he got his way.
“I can’t help it. Huh.
After some thought, Nerfai sighed inwardly and looked at the man.
“Bring me the ingredients and I’ll make it for you… But only this one time.”
Nerfai thought the man would now say he understood and leave the forge, but contrary to Nerfai’s expectations, the man looked at Nerfai with a puzzled expression on his face and said, “I understand.
“I’d like to work here, not commission work.”
“What the hell…
Nerfai was not sure what the man wanted from him, even though he had offered to make it for him. With a puzzled look on his face, Nerfai spoke to the man.
“It would be embarrassing for us if you did this here. If we see nobles like you working here…”
“Nobility?”
The man interrupted Nerfai and asked, “What? Nerfai sensed something was wrong with the man’s words and reaction.
“Wait… are you an aristocrat?
Now that she thought about it, she had assumed the man was noble based on the way he dressed and felt, but the man hadn’t said he was, and his demeanor and reactions so far suggested he might not be. Nerfai cautiously opened his mouth to ask the man.
“Aren’t you a noble?”
“Yes.”
Nerfai closed her eyes and furrowed her brow at the man’s terse reply. Chapter flared up at the thought of the stress he’d put himself under, the way he’d let his mind wander. But the man hadn’t done anything wrong, and she couldn’t be angry with him, so she swallowed her Chapter.
“You tell me what to do, and I’ll do it.”
At the sound of the man’s voice, Nerfai opened his closed eyes and looked at the man.
‘My power… You seem a bit lacking.’
Blacksmithing is a demanding profession. But he wasn’t that strong. He didn’t think he could do the blacksmithing job properly.
“Well, at least I can do overtime and stuff.
We were one hand short.
“You want to work here?”
“Yes.”
“Have you ever worked in a blacksmith shop?”
“Yes, I do. I know how to make swords and armor.”
“Hoh?
Nerfai smiled slightly at the unexpected answer.
“What’s your name?”
“My pleasure.”
* * * * *
[You have been hired by the Imperial Palace Forge].
“…is that it?
Expecting a difficult quest to await him, Ming Hu is a little taken aback by the simplicity of the imperial forge job.
“What is it.
According to Tilto, this was supposed to be a very difficult place to get into. Of course, it cost a lot of money to get through the palace gates, but once he got to the forge, it was very easy to get a job. There was something a little disingenuous about getting a job so easily.
“Huh, it’s the emperor’s golden hammer that counts anyway.
Ming Hu shook off the feeling of desolation as he remembered his purpose for coming here. He looked around the forge once more. The golden hammer was nowhere to be seen.
“Well, it’s a symbol, but I wouldn’t put it here.
Even if it were a symbol of the court smiths, it would not be hung in the forge. Ming Hu looked at Nerfai and said, “We’ll find it later.
“What can I do?”
“Um… You said you know how to make swords and armor?”
“Yes.”
“So…”
Nerfai paused, pondering, then opened his mouth to speak.
“First, make one sword, one piece of armor, and one shield and come to me.”
<Test of Nerfai
Nerfai wants to know what level of skill you have. Craft one Iron Sword, one Iron Armor, and one Steel Shield and take them to Nerfai to have your skills tested!
[Iron Sword: 0 / 1]
[armor: 0 / 1].
[Steel Shield: 0 / 1]
Difficulty Level: E
Quest Reward: Nerfai's Recognition [F – S]
"Yes"
[You have accepted the quest].
"The ingredients are over there."
After accepting the quest, Nerfai pointed to one side. Ming Hu looked to where Nerfai pointed, and there were piles of steel, bronze, and other materials for armor.
"Make it over there for now."
At Nerpai's words, Minghu turned his head again and looked where Nerpai had pointed. It was the farthest place from where the ingredients were.
"Then make it and bring it to me."
"I see."
Ming Hu walked over to the pile of materials, grabbed them, and walked over to his makeshift seat to put them up.
Ming Hu decided to start with an iron sword, so he brought up the crafting window, clicked on Iron Sword, and hit Craft. The materials appeared on the workbench.
Sigh
Ming Hu gripped the hammer, and soon a section of iron gleamed on the workbench, and he struck it down as if waiting.
Bam!
[You have successfully crafted an iron sword].
Upon hearing the message, Ming Hu laid down his hammer and set aside the iron sword on his workbench, locking eyes with the blacksmith next to him.
"…"
The blacksmith looked at Ming Hu with a bewildered expression. Ming Hu smiled at the blacksmith as he looked at him, then turned away and clicked on the armor again, pressing Craft.
Boom!
[You have successfully crafted iron armor].
Having forged iron armor and a steel shield, Ming Hu approached Nerfai with sword, armor, and shield.
That was the moment.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Outside, I started to hear a series of huge bangs.
"W-what?"
"…?"
The smiths all stopped what they were doing and looked in the direction of the explosion, and so did Ming Hu.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
The binge listening continued, but this time it wasn't just the binge listening.
-Ahhh…
-Ouch…
Screams, human screams, were unmistakable.