Genius Corpse-Collecting Warrior - Chapter 31
The Devil’s Holy Sword (3)
Even though the ax wanted the devil’s blood, you couldn’t really go and kill the devil with just that axe.
The labyrinth is a dangerous world even for gold-plated mercenaries.
Of course, Dallen was not an ordinary gold-plated mercenary, but preparation was still necessary.
Kang- Kang-
The morning after accepting the request.
Dallen stopped by LeVeron Ahakim’s blacksmith shop after a long time.
The signboard that had been written as ‘Mr. Vero’s Blacksmith’ had a new name engraved on it: ‘Mithril Smelter’.
The sound of hammers striking resounds ceaselessly. Merchants and mercenaries looking at the goods filling the stalls.
They had even hired assistants and workers, so two employees were running around greeting customers and organizing the store.
“If you want an easy-to-handle weapon, try the mace on display here…”
“You came to see the armor? please wait for a moment. “How about this awesome cowhide armor that came in this time?”
A boy who gives a mace to a mercenary who is well-built for his height and praises him well, saying that it suits him well.
And next to it, a girl wipes the weapons and armor on display until they shine and recommends one leather armor to a woman dressed as a hunter.
Dallen leisurely looked at the scene of the store run by two boys and a girl for a moment.
I must have been around sixteen or seventeen.
In this world where employment is fast, many teenagers are new to the workforce.
“welcome! Is there something you want? Our mithril smelter produces and sells only high-quality products approved by the Galios Merchant Marine. “If you don’t really see what you’re looking for, how about taking a look around?”
As Dallen was lingering in front of the store, the boy who had sold the mace to the mercenary rushed out and started talking to him.
Dallen asked with a low smile.
“Is the store owner busy?”
“Boss? Uh…you’re busy…”
Didn’t I expect to suddenly find the boss? The boy looked embarrassed, different from his confident appearance just now.
Dallen just raised his head and looked inside the store. There seemed to be no need for separate guidance.
This was because the loud hammering sound had just stopped.
“No, Dallon! “How long has it been since then?”
A loud shout comes from inside the store.
Dallen slightly raised the corners of his mouth at the surprise and joy expressed there.
A stocky man came out wearing a thick apron, with shoulders and forearms as thick as Dallon.
LeVeron Ahakim, the hero who will be called the future smelter of Mithril, smiled brightly and shouted as soon as he saw Dallan.
“I heard from your niece that you went there. My benefactor visited, but I couldn’t even see his face! “Can you imagine how disappointed I was?”
“You were too focused to say hello. “Shouldn’t you disturb a craftsman when he is concentrating on his work?”
“It’s different for you. Aren’t you the benefactor who allowed me to remain as a craftsman? Anyway, is that rumor true? “I heard you flew over the rooftops and took down a vicious assassin group.”
LeVeron asked with sparkling eyes. Looks like the talkative merchant has started talking again.
Dallen smiled lowly and changed the subject.
“Please stop talking nonsense and show me the things you entrusted to me. “I left it inside because the store was empty.”
“You mean the armor and weapons you left behind a week ago? I’ve got everything ready. “Come here!”
LeVeron entered the store, brandishing a red-hot hammer.
Dallen followed, being careful not to get hit by the hammer.
The heat inside the store was no different from before. Dallen slowly looked around the room and took a deep breath.
The smell of fire. The fishiness of metal. The acrid smell of burnt coal and the thick smell of tanned leather.
And the scent of savory beer wafting faintly from inside the store.
There wasn’t much room to walk inside the store due to the leather and iron plates piled up here and there.
There was a steady stream of customers outside, so business seemed to be going well.
‘I guess word of mouth spread quickly because of the good location. Or maybe the Galios merchants did a lot of publicity for it.’
In any case, it was a welcome event. That’s because LeBaron’s skills and reputation will increase faster.
It may not be long before we will actually be able to see his mithril weapons that we have only seen on the other side of the monitor.
“Uracha!”
Meanwhile, LeVeron rummaged around in the corner of the store and pulled out a large box.
thud.
A heavy wooden box placed on the table.
When I opened it, it contained neatly repaired armor, a shield, and a sword that looked like new.
“It’s here. “The armor and shield were repaired and reinforced with carapace wolf skin, and the sword was broken, so I just made a new one.”
“New?”
“I was told to repair it, but… it’s impossible. “Common sense tells us how to connect a sword that has been broken in two.”
Dallen tilted his head. Was he the king of bracelets? He was able to put them together well in the movie.
“When I checked, the sword body and crosshair were almost completely separated. “This time, it’s made entirely from one body, so it will feel much stronger.”
Slurp –
Dallon raised his sword. As LeVeron explained, the entire sword was a single piece of metal.
After swinging it a few times, the quality seemed to have improved compared to the last time.
‘It’s a famous sword.’
The leather covering the handle felt comfortable in the hand, and the mass and balance felt when swinging it was also optimal.
Usually, when something is made of metal like this, there is a problem with the center of gravity.
However, LeVeron seemed to have solved that problem with his outstanding dexterity, as befits a man destined to become a legendary blacksmith.
“Very good. how much?”
Dallon said as he put on his repaired armor and tightened the straps.
The armor was also of high quality, covering the body comfortably. It’s hard to believe that it was destroyed and then repaired.
At this level, it wasn’t a waste to give away a few gold coins. Thanks to the compensation he received from Gawain, his pockets were well-off.
However, LeVeron shook his head vigorously as he watched Dallon dragging the money bag.
“I don’t need money. “Don’t even think about bringing money until you use up all the gold you received last time.”
Now that I think about it, there were twenty-six gold coins that were given to me to repay a debt.
These were gold coins that had nowhere to go after the Telia Company went bankrupt.
Since the money did not come from Dallen’s own pocket in the first place, it was a memory he had put away in the back of his mind.
‘If you think about the cost of recruiting a mithril refiner, a handful of gold coins is practically nothing.’
But is the heart of a desperate person different?
LeVeron seemed to have remembered the gold coin he received at that time.
After he tried to dissuade him several times with a stern expression, Dallon had no choice but to tie the money bag back.
“Then I will use it well.”
There’s no need to turn it down just because it’s free.
Dallen put his shield on his back, sheathed his sword, and hung it on his belt.
LeVeron said to him as he was about to leave the store.
“Are you leaving already?”
“Because the client is waiting.”
Dallen glanced out the window.
It was still early morning. The client, the Holy Knight, said he was staying at an inn in the Sun-eun district.
Sienna must have contacted me by now, so I’m probably waiting for him to arrive.
Even if you take a horse-drawn carriage, it would take several hours to get through the gates of this huge city and into the pure silver district.
I didn’t want to make people wait too long for another hero NPC who could become a reliable ally in the future.
“…It’s a shame. “It’s been a while, so I was wondering if we could have a beer together.”
LeVeron muttered.
At those words, Dallon, who was walking out the door, stopped.
“The restaurant across the street sells amazing ham sandwiches. If you buy freshly baked bread in the morning and eat it with beer, it’s perfect for breakfast or lunch. Next time…”
“Now that I think about it, I think the client would prefer to meet after lunch.”
Ham sandwich and beer.
I can’t stand this.
***
It was late afternoon when Shun arrived at the castle gate.
There was already a long line in front of the castle gate.
The sterling silver walls are said to be the thickest walls in the city.
Unlike the bronze section, which only had formal inspections, entry into the sterling silver section had to go through quite strict inspections.
There were two on one side and two on the other side of the wall starting from the gate.
Fortunately, merchants carrying wagons or carts had their baggage inspected separately.
Thanks to this, Dallen, who had no luggage except one bag, was able to quickly face the security at the checkpoint.
“Please show me your pass.”
“Make me one.”
The guard momentarily glanced at Dallen with a slight frown. He said.
“It is not recommended to roam the streets while drinking excessively in the Pure Silver District.”
Dallen nodded half-heartedly. They say something because it smells like alcohol.
The guard asked again with a businesslike expression.
“The name?”
“Dallen.”
“What is your identity?”
“A mercenary.”
Dallen held out a gold plate. The guard took the gold plate, looked it back and forth, and then handed it back.
“What is your business?”
“I’m trying to enter the labyrinth.”
“A new pass is issued for 15 florins. If you don’t have a separate carriage or horse, the toll is 10 shillings, but if you are a gold-plated mercenary, you get a tax reduction, so you only have to pay 8 shillings.”
“Here it is.”
The guard counted and weighed the gold and silver coins Dallen handed him, then nodded.
Then, the soldiers guarding the gate holding ax spears stepped aside one by one to make room for them to pass.
“Please wait a moment and we will issue you a pass. Please wait inside the castle gate.”
“Thank you.”
Dallen passed through the outer gate through the path opened by the soldiers.
As I waited for a moment between the two castle gates, a different guard from before approached me.
“If it is stolen or lost, you will have to make a new one. The cost is the same, 15 florins.”
He added this while handing over a thin rectangular metal plaque.
That’s so picky. How much time does it take to stamp your name and identity onto a metal plate?
He silently took the pass and presented it to the soldiers guarding the gate inside the thick castle wall.
After opening the bag and briefly showing what was inside, the inspection was quickly over.
Dallen passed through the inner gate.
Huh –
The winter wind blows my hair.
Even though there is just a wall between us, even the air feels different.
The Seven Walls of Falcion. The inside of the second wall, which is the thickest and highest among them.
This is the place where the entrance to the labyrinth is located and where many explorers came to find the treasures of the labyrinth and eventually settled down.
‘The land of explorers and their descendants.’
Finally, it was the pure silver section.
“Whoa.”
I sighed deeply and raised my head.
Tall buildings of around 10 stories are lined up in a row around a straight street.
As I followed the end of the street in the distance, I saw a large square and a steeple rising straight up in the center.
The wide plaza is the central plaza where all the streets of the Pure Silver District gather.
And the tall spire rising in the middle of it is…
“It’s the barrier tower of the labyrinth city. “It’s the entrance to the labyrinth.”
An old man smiled and spoke.
“Seeing you looking at me so blankly, I guess this is your first time in the pure silver area, young man.”
“exactly.”
It’s a place I’m familiar with from behind the monitor, but it’s my first time here.
“I was like that once too. Although the entrance fee is a bit expensive, it’s not a bad city to sit in. My sons, daughters and grandchildren have settled well here. “Maybe because they lived their whole lives in the city, they didn’t know how well-maintained the security and order of this neighborhood was.”
They seem like they are full. The old man clicked his tongue.
Dallen listened to the old man’s complaints with one ear and slowly looked around.
Horses and carriages lined up in the middle of the street, and people were walking along the sidewalk at the edge of the street.
Even though their expressions were busy, most of them showed a little bit of relaxation.
At least it wasn’t a place like the Bronze District where you could get pickpocketed while walking down the street.
A scene crowded with people but at the same time maintaining a minimum level of order and security.
The scene inadvertently reminded Dallen of the Earth he left behind.
“By the way, are you also here to have a drink in the labyrinth?”
When he remained silent, the old man spoke again.
“If you ask me, yes.”
“I see. Good luck then, warrior who has caught the attention of the gods.”
What of the gods?
The old man’s laughter tickled his ears, and Dallon suddenly turned his head.
“…this. “It’s late.”
The white-bearded old man who was holding a cane had disappeared somewhere in that short period of time.
Since I couldn’t even hear the sound of the cane clicking, it was clear that he was no ordinary old man.
‘A great warrior that the gods pay attention to.’
The words left by the Great Master suddenly come to mind.
Dallen, who looked at the spot where the old man had disappeared for a moment, quickly took a step and blended into the crowd.
***
The inn was located not far from the central square.
A bar on the first floor of an inn filled with the smell of alcohol, food, people, and the heat of a fireplace.
“welcome. “I’ll show you where to sit.”
Dallen walked to his seat following the waitress’s guidance and looked around at the people crowded around the large bar.
‘It was high-ranking knight Lucia herself who made the nomination request.’
High Knight Lucia Castachald.
A paladin with strong beliefs and will, and although cruel to demons, he is infinitely merciful to people.
Because they had fought on the same side for more than a dozen episodes across the monitor, Dallon knew something about her tendencies.
‘At this point, I guess I’m still a probationary engineer. This is a case where he quickly became a high-ranking knight by killing several demons.’
Originally, she was an NPC that appeared about halfway through the game.
A hero who appears during a period of chaos when demons begin to rampage across the continent and news of war continues.
As was usual with the hero NPCs that appeared during that period, recruitment itself was quite difficult.
However, even if you don’t recruit him, he is also an NPC that is very helpful just by having a friendly relationship with him.
Because of its uniquely quiet atmosphere, it would not be easy to find one in such a noisy inn…
“You fucking bastard!”
Sreung!
As he watched the woman pulling out her sword while swearing loudly, Dallon felt like his brain stopped working for a moment.
Long blonde hair.
Blue eyes as clear as the sea.
Plate armor with the symbol of the Holy Knights shining through the rough robes.
Demon slayer Lucia Castachald was pointing her sword with her double wick raised towards the group of mercenaries in front of her.
“You little bastards, you better be prepared for what you just said. Today the God of War will take either your busted head or your crushed balls!”
…what the hell is this?