Chapter 9
Several days had passed since the placement exam.
Shin-hyuk’s name appeared in the media every single day without fail.
—
[The Divine Being of Shinhwa Writes Shinhwa!]
[Regarding the Fact That I, Who Was Called the Incompetent Trash Picker, Was Actually a Power-Hiding Monster Who Could Get First Place in the Placement Exam]
[Let’s Look Into Choi Shin-hyuk’s Three Years of High School!]
—
They even showed interest in Shin-hyuk’s past.
After all, everything has a middle ground.
If one could understand even a little of the process by which a being called Shin-hyuk came to be, a second Shin-hyuk might be born—so it was only natural.
‘What a waste of effort.’
But from Shin-hyuk’s perspective, knowing that all of it was useless, it only looked like futile flailing.
“Shin-hyuk, what are you thinking about?”
“Nothing, just spacing out for a moment. We’re almost at Cheonggyecheon. Should we get off?”
“Yeah!”
Shin-hyuk was awakened from his thoughts by the voice of Su-ah, who was sitting next to him in casual clothes.
The two were currently at Cheonggyecheon.
The gently flowing Cheonggyecheon was also famous as a dating spot for couples.
But that was only before the Dimension Arena opened.
Clang! Bang! Bang! Clang!
“Welcome!”
“Our workshop’s weapons are the best!”
“No way? Our workshop’s weapons are the best!”
“Take a look at this shield! It’s made by Master Hwang Chil-deuk!”
Cheonggyecheon was bustling with noise.
Workshops established everywhere.
The sound of hammering coming from those workshops.
And finally, fierce competition to sell the items made in those workshops.
“It’s a fun place, isn’t it?”
“Yeah.”
“So you said you came here today to find a craftsman?”
“Yeah, well… He might not be a craftsman yet.”
“…?”
Su-ah, who had been enjoying the fierce competition, tilted her head at Shin-hyuk’s incomprehensible words, but Shin-hyuk didn’t bother to explain.
Eventually, Su-ah, who had no choice but to follow Shin-hyuk without knowing anything, felt increasingly strange.
“Why are we going to such a secluded place?”
Because Shin-hyuk was moving toward the dark and damp center, not the outskirts where many other craftsmen were.
To that, Shin-hyuk shrugged as he walked ahead.
“Because the craftsman aspirant I’m looking for is here, of course.”
“Craftsman aspirant? I thought he was a craftsman?”
“He’ll become a craftsman later, so isn’t it the same thing?”
“…Shin-hyuk, you said you made a promise with the chairman! That you’d show results! If you bring a craftsman aspirant, how are you going to keep that promise!”
Now understanding Shin-hyuk’s thinking, Su-ah flapped her body like a penguin and scolded him.
‘This feels unfamiliar. Being worried about by someone.’
Knowing that Su-ah’s concern came from a sincere heart, Shin-hyuk smiled warmly and calmed her down.
“Don’t worry. The person we’re going to see right now is only a craftsman aspirant for now, but he’s someone who will become a Meister who surpasses craftsmen in the future.”
“Meister? What’s that?”
“Ah, it’s not widely known yet. Think of it as… an item grade. If an ordinary craftsman is Normal grade, then a Meister is Rare grade.”
“Ah, I see. But Shin-hyuk, how do you know such—”
“Alright, we’re here. Now shall we go meet today’s main character?”
Not intending to hide the fact that he was a regressor, but thinking that now wasn’t the time, Shin-hyuk quickly changed the subject.
At Shin-hyuk’s reluctance to speak, Su-ah puffed out her cheeks and protested—but only for a moment.
“Here it is.”
“…You’re telling me there’s really someone here who’ll become the Meister you talked about, Shin-hyuk?”
The sight before her eyes left Su-ah unable to hide her surprise.
“This isn’t a workshop—it’s no different from a shanty!”
Because the workshop before them was utterly shabby, like a shanty.
The roof had holes scattered throughout, and the door was half-destroyed, its shape unrecognizable.
The fact that someone lived here at all was fascinating to Su-ah, who was an ordinary civilian.
But Shin-hyuk didn’t mind and stepped inside the shabby workshop.
“Light.”
Flash!
—
[Skill: Light acquired.]
[Insufficient number of skills for acquiring Basic Magic.]
—
A sphere of light from Shin-hyuk brightly illuminated the workshop, which was so dark it was unbearable without even a lamp.
Just as Su-ah was gaping in admiration, as if it were a beam of light in a dirty world—
“…Who are you? This is my home.”
“Ah, a-ah! I’m sorry! I’m late to introduce myself, but I’m Han Su-ah. The boy here is Choi Shin-hyuk.”
A man with a shabby appearance, grime streaming down his face, revealed himself.
Startled, Su-ah rattled off introductions for herself and Shin-hyuk, and the man let out a bitter laugh.
“A fine-looking couple. You don’t seem like people who belong in a place like this, so please leave.”
Unlike themselves, who were utterly shabby, Su-ah and Shin-hyuk seemed like people who would radiate light out in the world—the man acted like a vampire seeing light. Shin-hyuk approached him.
“No. I’m here to take Bang Se-jin with me.”
“…Do you know me?”
The disheveled man, Bang Se-jin, couldn’t hide his puzzlement at Shin-hyuk, who seemed to know him—then his expression hardened.
“Of course I do. You joined the workshop affiliated with our Shinhwa Guild, but couldn’t withstand the internal factional strife and were expelled—and on top of that, you’ve been rendered unable to even properly hold a hammer due to their connections, haven’t you?”
“…Our? Ah, now that I think about it, you look familiar. Aren’t you Choi Shin-hyuk, the third-generation chaebol of the great Shinhwa Group?”
Because Se-jin had been expelled from the workshop affiliated with Shin-hyuk’s family—the Shinhwa Group’s guild—and at the same time, been barred from setting foot in the smithing world.
Behind it all was the Shinhwa Guild.
Furthermore, the Shinhwa Group was involved—so it was natural for Se-jin to show a sharp reaction toward Shin-hyuk.
At Se-jin’s sneering, Shin-hyuk stared at him quietly.
“Bang Se-jin.”
“…What, do you think I’ll submit just because you glare at me?”
“No. It seems you have some misunderstanding.”
“…?”
At the words that he was misunderstanding, Se-jin tilted his head, and Shin-hyuk slowly began to explain.
“Have you ever heard my name before the placement exam? Or seen my face in the media?”
“Well…”
“You probably haven’t. Because I’m the eldest son of the disowned child of the Shinhwa Group.”
“Disowned child… you say?”
After hearing all that explanation, Se-jin had become as polite as when they first met.
Because, as Shin-hyuk explained, Se-jin had heard nothing about Shin-hyuk before the placement exam ended.
Realizing that Se-jin was now in a state ready to talk again, Shin-hyuk began his persuasion in earnest.
“Yes, for three years of player high school, my predicted tier was Bronze, and I was called the Incompetent Trash Picker at school, looked down on by the entire student body. My friend Su-ah here can vouch for that.”
“Yes! Shin-hyuk was kind and diligent, but he was called Incompetent Trash Picker because he was incompetent!”
“…Anyway, that’s the case. In other words, I’ve lived a life not particularly connected to the Shinhwa Group. So the target of your anger isn’t me.”
Shin-hyuk cleared his throat at Su-ah’s innocent guarantee of his shameful past, but he didn’t forget his purpose.
He had lived a life that was of the Shinhwa Group, yet not of the Shinhwa Group.
So don’t be angry at me—be angry elsewhere.
At Shin-hyuk’s words carrying that meaning, Se-jin finally came to his senses and bowed his head toward Shin-hyuk.
“…I apologize. Having been through so much, I get worked up just hearing the name Shinhwa.”
“I understand. That’s only natural. So here’s the thing, Bang Se-jin.”
“Yes?”
“Would you join hands with me?”
“…?”
At the sudden proposal, Se-jin tilted his head, and Shin-hyuk took out the Consecrated Steel from his inventory.
“This is Consecrated Steel. Unique grade. It would be wonderful to make a weapon out of this… but there’s no excellent blacksmith around, and that’s the problem…”
“Th-that’s right! Excellent materials shine in the hands of excellent blacksmiths!”
Consecrated Steel.
With a Unique-grade material item right before his eyes, Se-jin drooled and nodded frantically.
The attitude of anger toward Shin-hyuk and the polite attitude from just moments ago had both vanished without a trace.
“The most excellent blacksmith I know among all the blacksmiths I’m aware of is Bang Se-jin… Are you interested?”
“…O-of course! B-but, I’ve been marked by the Shinhwa Guild workshop craftsmen and can’t even properly hold a hammer. If I pick up a hammer, retaliation will come.”
But Se-jin got cold feet before even starting.
That was how much Se-jin had suffered at the hands of the Shinhwa Guild workshop craftsmen.
Of course, that didn’t apply to Shin-hyuk.
“By any chance, are those Shinhwa Guild workshop craftsmen sponsored by the former chairman of the Shinhwa Group?”
“Excuse me? That can’t be. Besides, that person passed away a long time ago, didn’t he?”
“Then it’s settled. Let me make one phone call.”
“Yes…”
At the sudden mention of the former chairman of the Shinhwa Group—that is, Shin-hyuk’s great-grandfather—Se-jin was bewildered.
“Yes, Grandfather. I’ve found the craftsman to bring. Can I go straight to the workshop? Ah, you’d like to have a word with him? That’s not hard. I’ll hand him over. Se-jin, take the call. It’s my grandfather.”
“Y-your grandfather—you mean the chairman of the Shinhwa Group?”
“Yes, that’s right. So take it quickly. It seems Grandfather is quite interested in you.”
“…Gulp!”
But the ensuing one-on-one phone call with Choi Chul-ho turned bewilderment into shock.
Even Se-jin, who would gnash his teeth at the name Shinhwa Group, became polite at the mention of Choi Chul-ho, who lightly opened the conversation.
-This is Choi Chul-ho, chairman of the Shinhwa Group. And who might you be?
“…I’m Bang Se-jin. I-I used to work at the Shinhwa Workshop, but now I’ve been fired and live in Cheonggyecheon.”
After introducing himself to Choi Chul-ho with a trembling voice, a hearty laugh reached Se-jin’s ears.
-You were a Shinhwa person! I see. But you say you were fired? Firing a craftsman excellent enough for my grandson to bring along—would you be willing to tell this old man what happened?
“Ah, well, you see…”
At Choi Chul-ho’s question, which reminded him of his own grandfather, Se-jin’s emotions welled up, and he reported in detail everything he had experienced to Choi Chul-ho.
-…To think such scoundrels exist! How dare they mess with what’s mine! You said your name is Bang Se-jin?
“Yes? Yes!”
-I’ve already promised Shin-hyuk, but you are still a Shinhwa person. And I, Choi Chul-ho, never abandon my people! So go back to work at the workshop with Shin-hyuk.
“I-is that truly what you mean?”
After hearing everything, Choi Chul-ho was outraged and urged Se-jin to return to the workshop.
Never expecting to be personally recognized by the chairman, Se-jin’s eyes grew wide as if they would pop out.
After exchanging some pleasantries—
When Choi Chul-ho hung up, Se-jin stared at Shin-hyuk with a stupefied expression.
Feeling Se-jin’s gaze upon him, Shin-hyuk smiled brightly and said:
“Don’t you want to hold a hammer?”
“Shin-hyuk… I… want to hold a hammer…”
Thud—
Disregarding the dirt-covered floor, Se-jin knelt down and bowed his head before Shin-hyuk.
‘SSS-rank Blacksmith acquired.’
It was the moment when Se-jin—who would later be called SSS-rank Blacksmith, Meister, Hand of God, and more—came under Shin-hyuk’s command.
