LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 423
When asked to name the best blacksmith among those affiliated with the Coldon Blacksmith Guild, only one name came up: Gobanio.
He was the heir and reader of the old blacksmith Gopain, who was so overjoyed by the news that a god personally took a sacrifice through Wintersend that he dozed off right there.
Although some said it was due to his parents’ famous name, Iceland was a society where ability trumped lineage. If Gobanio lacked skill, Gopain’s forge would have fallen to another artisan under his tutelage.
Still, there were those in the guild who doubted his abilities.
It didn’t last long, though.
The equipment crafted by the blacksmith who proved himself as the best in the city naturally became the luxury item everyone interested in strength wanted to have.
Gobanio’s bookings were packed year-round.
Thanks to that, even his disciples and subordinates’ items had premium prices, with even forks and spoons flying off the shelves as soon as they were put out.
Thus, unlike last year, Gobanio’s forge was warm with the heat of the furnace and sweat from crafting reserved items for the midwinter.
One could hardly say a word even if the blacksmith guild refused a commission, given the nobles’ response.
Still, sometimes there were those one just had to meet, even if all prior appointments and schedules had to be delayed.
“Master! The esteemed guest you mentioned has arrived.”
“I’m heading out right now.”
Clang-!
Gobanio tossed a top-grade steel ingot imported directly from Euwropa and hurried to the entrance.
“Sir Atanitas!”
“Yes. It’s been a while since I last saw you. And the forge…”
Catherine handed Mary a hood that had snowflakes settled on it, glancing around the interior.
The noisy sounds of metal clashing and the rhythmic pounding of bellows filled the air as the apprentices and artisans were concentrated on their work, sparks flying all around.
However, if one closely observed their faces, it was clear they were tense due to the unexpected high-profile visit.
“It’s much livelier than last year.”
“As I mentioned before, if they were still grieving, they would have jumped out of the urn ages ago. The work keeps piling up once your skills are proven.”
With a hearty laugh and a wave of his hand, Gobanio was about to say something but awkwardly closed his mouth and gestured inward.
“First, let’s head inside.”
The apprentices, focused on tempering and polishing, redoubled their efforts as Gobanio led Catherine and Mary closer, wearing expressions that screamed, “Look at how hard I’m working!”
The guest room inside the forge, however, seemed silent, as if some precautions had worked to block out the surrounding noise.
“Ahem, ahem. I know it’s lacking to host a noble such as yourself, but I appreciate your understanding.”
Gobanio’s words weren’t mere formalities for nobles.
The guest room was evidently lacking in numerous ways compared to the reputation of the city’s best forge and blacksmith.
“I just can’t seem to find the time to renovate the guest room.”
Catherine sat down on the slightly worn but finest sofa in the guest room.
“It’s fine. I’m aware you’re busy. Orders must be pouring in from all over Coldon, right?”
“Indeed, hooh. Thank you for understanding.”
Gobanio repeatedly bowed his head, but Catherine wasn’t just tossing empty words.
Back when they first entered Wintersend, she still shuddered thinking of the mountain of neglected jobs that had been left untouched at the Wizard’s Tower for months.
If it hadn’t been for Mary, the Wizard’s Tower wouldn’t have fared any better than this guest room.
“I see you nicely responded to the letter to take a brief moment to meet, even amid such chaos? Your bookings must be a mountain.”
“Oh dear, but is any meeting more important than that of a wise Grand Wizard, the chief magic consultant? I believe the guests who made reservations will understand.”
“If the person in question states so.”
Gobanio took clean glasses and an antique wine bottle from the shelf, pouring some and offering it.
“However, I did have my doubts since the details were vague.”
“Well then, let’s get to the point.”
Snap-
With an unimpressed look on her face, Catherine snapped her fingers, prompting Mary, who had been waiting behind her, to reach into her leather pouch.
“…Are you telling me it’s a space pocket?”
“Oh? So that’s what they’re calling it nowadays. It’s a product from a dungeon we previously explored.”
As Gobanio stared at the pouch, Mary’s hand emerged holding a long cone wrapped in silk, which she placed on the table.
“This is… if you don’t mind, can I check it?”
“It’s fine.”
In response, Gobanio, who previously appeared subservient, quickly donned gloves and examined the horn in detail. His checking time was brief.
“A Unicorn Horn, and such a high-quality one at that… Hmm.”
Gobanio carefully set the horn down, his expression contorting as if he had been struck on the head.
“If you are looking to commission equipment, I must inform you that it won’t be possible until next year.”
“Right. I understand. The finest blacksmith in Coldon. Those with skills equivalent to your late father chosen in Wintersend would surely have people flocking to your work from all across Iceland, maybe even from the continent.”
Having once been an adventurer, I understood that fact better than anyone.
Catherine nodded lightly, recalling her own experiences when she was still an active adventurer.
Of course, it had been a long time since her retirement, but she empathized with Gobanio’s current situation.
Actually, she was still experiencing it.
A former S-Class Adventurer, the youngest sage, the Duke’s chief magic consultant.
There were countless people wanting to get their hands on Catherine’s handmade magic tools or potions. To put it into perspective, that was a third of the requests that came through the Mage Tower; and this was after it filtered through the Duke’s family first.
What if the Wizard’s Tower were outside of Winterhome?
Catherine didn’t even want to imagine that scenario.
“Let’s get straight to business, then. What might you wish to commission? It surely isn’t a staff.”
“What makes you think that?”
“Because, naturally, it’s Sir Atanitas’ staff.”
Gobanio glanced briefly at Catherine’s staff, which Mary had taken alongside the cloak, without hesitation.
“An ancient Palatino style, and just by looking, an extraordinary topaz along with adamantite engravings and a flow of magic.”
“You recognize it immediately.”
“If Coldon’s best blacksmith can’t recognize that, I’d have to take down my sign.”
“That’s true.”
Catherine nodded in agreement.
“Then may I ask what purpose you require it for? If it’s a chef’s knife for Karem, it may be difficult due to the material, but it can still be done.”
“It’s not a chef’s knife.”
Catherine appeared contemplative. However, to her surprise, Gobanio didn’t expect that someone other than her would refute it, and his eyes widened.
“What you need is armor.”
“Armor? You mean with this?”
Could it really be? Gobanio looked back and forth between Catherine and Mary as if asking if this was true.
“Phew, yeah. I’ll leave the details to him.”
Catherine gestured behind her with a calm expression, and Mary stepped forward with a neutral yet dignified, proud, and mischievous air.
“Indeed. It’s armor.”
And then she reaffirmed that statement.
This put Gobanio in a bind.
“However, this is a Unicorn Horn.”
“Is there an issue with that?”
“It’s just that I lack appropriate materials that match this one.”
No matter how fresh and high-quality steak meat may be, if the butter, oil, and salt aren’t of equal quality, the chef cannot extract the best flavor.
Neither wizards nor alchemists, nor blacksmiths were any different.
Of course, they could try to maximize the potential of their results through their skills, but there were clear limits.
“If it were before Wintersend, you could find materials suitable for this horn at my forge.”
“Is it due to the bookings?”
“That’s right.”
Gobanio nodded awkwardly.
“So even if I tried to accommodate Sir Atanitas and reschedule everything, it would still mean buying materials from someone else or sending an adventurer to—”
“That means.”
Mary confidently interrupted.
“If there are sufficient materials, you’re saying it doesn’t matter?”
“Well… that’s correct.”
Yet there was still a problem.
Gobanio gulped down the wine in his glass like it was beer.
“Phew, the issue lies with the compatibility of the materials.”
“What about another byproduct of the Unicorn?”
“That would be perfect. But wait—are you suggesting?”
“Contractor?”
A tone requesting permission.
Catherine nodded in affirmation.
Just as Gobanio wondered if there was something else she would reveal, his eyes widened as Mary’s hand appeared from the space pocket, and every time she brought something out, Gobanio’s eyes grew bigger, and eventually, his pupils nearly popped out.
The guest room’s table, though shabby, was certainly not small.
This large table was filled to the brim with materials.
Suddenly—
“Sir Atanitas. I apologize, but may I step outside for a moment? Thank you.”
Without waiting for an answer, Catherine waved her hand and, glancing back at Mary’s extended glass, took a brief sip before sighing.
“Phew… eventually, this moment has arrived. There wasn’t really a need to rush things like this.”
“Contractor. It is known as a contractor’s choice.”
“How did I end up agreeing with what that guy said—”
“Now that you can’t escape, why not enjoy it?”
Catherine narrowed her eyes at his oddly buoyant demeanor.
“It seems you’re weirdly enjoying this.”
“It’s merely the result of assisting the contractor who worked here for their partner in this field.”
Thanks to that, her sewing skills had improved.
However, Mary let out a deep sigh.
“It would’ve been great if that partner wasn’t having an affair.”
“…You don’t mean that quirky contractor—”
“Exactly. The partner who got so mad over their spouse’s affair that they quit their adventurer life.”
Bang-!
Just as the door to the guest room flung open, their conversation abruptly cut off.
Gobanio wiped sweat off his brow and took his seat again.
“Phew, once again, I seek your understanding. Sir Atanitas. May I check these materials?”
“Phew… I can’t reject that now.”
“Excuse me?”
“Never mind. Feel free to check them as much as you’d like.”
Gobanio donned gloves he had never used before.
With trembling hands, he carefully reached out, delicately brushing against the stacks of Unicorn leather.
The splendid sheen that could only be estimated as skin shed from something that had been alive just yesterday shimmered in the light of the guest room like waves.
Once he took his hands off the leather, he moved to the table filled with the bags on his right side. Packed in those were the bones, easily adding up to hundreds, which were Unicorn bones.
In addition to that, there were neatly divided clumps of mane hair, tail hair twisted like snakes, hooves, and tendons, and so on.
“If you require blood, innards, or any other materials, I can retrieve them from the Mage Tower.”
“…Did you say you require armor?”
“Ah, I actually have something to discuss in detail regarding that.”
Snap—Mary pulled a rolled-up piece of paper from her pouch. Initially, Gobanio looked puzzled, but…
Swish—!
“…Huh?!”
When he unfolded it, his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
As he continued examining the blueprint, Gobanio briefly glanced sideways at Catherine, who sighed repeatedly, and he was filled with awe.
“By all that is holy.”
“Just so you know, it has to be usable in practice as well.”
“Isn’t that a given?”
Gobanio carefully rolled the blueprint back up and firmly thumped his chest.
“I, Gobanio, have always been told by my father that any equipment should be ready for operational use at a moment’s notice!”
“I don’t like how that makes me feel!”
“Hehe, I understand that sentiment well. The contractor fits in with any equipment.”
On the side, Mary, with her eyes shut and arms crossed, nodded.
“Would a month be sufficient?”
“A month? Ha!”
Gobanio gently set down the blueprint and slammed his hand on the table.
“A week will be enough!”
At his boastful claim, Catherine slowly closed her eyes.
It didn’t need to be completed so quickly, after all.
However, Gobanio, with his head clearly spinning, filled with thoughts of wooing top talents from the alchemy, precious metals, leather guilds and so on, hadn’t a care for Catherine’s reaction.
“Congratulations, Contractor. It seems your request will finish sooner than expected.”
“…You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”
“That… is just natural, isn’t it—AHHHHH!?”
Without a care in the world, Catherine clenched her fist around Gobanio’s head and applied pressure.