Blacksmith of the Apocalypse

Soon, Seth left the establishment of the biggest money lender of Konan, leaving behind 2 fresh piles of ashes, some staff that knew nothing, a destroyed garden, and ten assassins still bound by stone shackles. He didnʼt worry about the staff or the guys in the garden, since they would not be able to identify him anyway. With a new sword at his waist and a pocket full of money, he entered the carriage.

“Took a while, did everything go well?” Minas asked as Seth sat down.

“The manager was a little talkative, but everything went well. Unless we do some big purchases, I think I have more than enough capital to splurge along the whole journey,” Seth said confidently.

With over 30 000 silver Taels in bills and 200 gold Taels in ingots, they probably had more than enough mortal currency. He handed the girls 5000 each for their own expenses, while holding onto the remaining chunk.

“You even got a new sword!” Fin exclaimed upon seeing the sword the money lender had “given” Seth.

“Oh, yeah. They used it as decoration. I complimented the design, and they threw it in as a gift when we completed the deal,” the bard explained the new addition to his disguise. Mina looked at him suspiciously.

“What did really happen?” the assassin asked, smelling that Seth was not completely honest. The blacksmith could try to deny it and lie, but what was the point, really? Mina was already suspicious. With a shrug, he came clean.

“They tried to rob me after finishing the business, so I finished the business,” answered without going into details.

“Called it! You owe me 5 Silver!” Fin exclaimed happily with bell-like laughter. Mina clicked her tongue and begrudgingly handed Fin the small stack of silver coins.

“Were you guys betting on what would go wrong?!” the bard exclaimed indignantly.

“Yup, I bet they would fuck around and find out. Mina thought they would use counterfeit money to scam you,” Fin answered unapologetically, very satisfied with the won bet.

“Well, sorry, I expected them to be a little more subtle,” Mina said exasperatedly and sighed. Then she turned to her husband, “So, will you give us some juicy details? It will take a while until we reach the inn,” she prompted him to entertain them.

It took maybe a quarter of an hour for the carriage to reach the Amber Star Pavilion, enough time to talk about what happened to the money lender. When Seth described what happened to Manager Fu, the girls both cringed and shuddered. They had the same reaction as Seth, a mix of shock, disgust, and disbelief.

“...and you put the guy into the sword, is that really okay?” Fin asked doubtfully. The fairy was reminded of the stuff Forgebrand, Sethʼs predecessor, did. The dwarf also had the bad habit of punishing others by binding their sentient souls to items for eternity. Ceres was an example of that. She worried Seth would also take up such a habit.

“Oh, you donʼt have to worry about that. This guy practically begged me to put him inside the sword, as long as he didnʼt die. Apparently, there are rumors that swords that gained an ego could also begin cultivating. The guy actually saw it as a chance,” the blacksmith explained Miser Pengʼs reaction with some skepticism.

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“Will that really be the case?” Mina asked, doubtful but curious. There were quite a number of ego weapons in Minas Mar. If they could all become growth weapons by cultivating, that would be tremendous.

However, Seth simply shrugged.

“How would I know? Since he was barely more than a mortal, he couldnʼt even communicate after being placed in the weapon. Who knows in what direction it will develop in the future?” Seth didnʼt deny the possibility, but he doubted anything like that would happen during his lifetime.

“Was it even worth putting him on the sword then?” Fin asked the important questions. What was the point of putting an almost powerless soul into a sword? Seth smiled at the question. He had been looking forward to revealing Miser Pengʼs power.

“Yes, it is worth it, in some sense. It doesnʼt give much combat power. Although he was weak, Miser Peng actually had a skill, and it is quite a funny combination with the sword,” Seth said, and couldnʼt help but chuckle a little.

“What is it?” Fin asked, slightly intrigued.

“Loan Sharkʼs Aura,” Seth revealed.

“Come again?” Fin asked, confused, unable to follow.

“Itʼs the name of the trait. “Loan Sharkʼs Aura” raises the likelihood of negotiations succeeding by up to 25% based on the difference in Willpower. Do you get it? Itʼs a sword that literally raises your ability in negotiation by carrying it!” the blacksmith said with a laugh.

“Ugh, I fell for it. I actually got my hopes up that it would be something interesting, but itʼs just a pun...” the fairy brute slumped into her seat, deflated and disappointed. She couldnʼt appreciate the joke in the fact that a weapon inherently raised the ability to negotiate through intimidation. It was just a little more convenient not having to draw it for the effect.

“ It also helps detect hidden treasures, but that power is a little vague, and I enchanted the soul with Olympian Durability to make sure the sword would be able to take a beating,” the blacksmith added, but Fin had already left the conversation, staring out the window at the busy streets close to the inn.

Seth could have also engraved enchantments onto the sword, but since it was ordinary iron, it wouldnʼt be able to do a whole lot. Still, with the powers it currently held, it would probably count as a profound or even earth-grade treasure among cultivators.

There also wasnʼt much time. He had already rushed, putting the moneylenderʼs soul into the sword, so the girls didnʼt have to wait for too long. Seth pushed those thoughts aside when he saw the inn Mina had mentioned appear on the street they had just entered.

The Amber Star Pavilion was a huge place, even by Urth standards. If Seth had to find a proper comparison, then it looked like a palace the size of a big train station. The exterior was covered in tasteful, high-quality decoration that gave it an exotic and expensive flair.

As expected of a place Mina had chosen. Who would have thought there were places like this in a relatively backwater place like Konan? It really raised expectations for the future of their journey. The expensive-looking carriage stopped in front of the inn.

“Esteemed Guests, we welcome you to the Amber Star Pavilion!” Instantly, a servant spawned from somewhere. He greeted them profusely and offered for the stablemen to take care of the horse and the carriage.

Once Seth gave permission, the stablemen imagined taking the reins of the illusory horses and leading them to the stables at the back of the inn, where the carriage would also be parked. It was just like a parking service back on Urth, just more medieval.

The servant, on the other hand, led the very real trio into the big dining room of the inn. The whole first floor was a vast restaurant with the atmosphere of a foreign saloon. People were eating, drinking, playing games, or even singing among themselves. The atmosphere was actually quite nice.

“Esteemed guests came at the perfect time, our best rooms, the Star and Moon Suite, were just vacated, and we recently succeeded in hiring the best chef of Konan for our kitchen. Without bragging, we have the best service in Konan. Would the guest like to check in, or have a meal first?” For some reason, he could sense that they werenʼt here just to grab a meal.

“We would like to check in first. We will be looking at the market close by and have a meal afterward,” Mina answered firmly. immediately shooting down any attempts of the fairy brute to stuff herself beforehand. “We will take the suite you mentioned, “she added naturally.

“As you wish, esteemed guest.”