< Chapter 96 - Master Craftsman >
Chapter 96 – The Master
Adendorf was a dwarven craftsman.
There were probably hundreds of dwarven craftsmen living in Argonne Harbor, but he was a very special dwarf even among them.
A tall man with a thick white beard, thick arm muscles, and a height that is more than a span taller than other dwarves.
He was a man who could be called a statuesque beauty among dwarves.
But there was one more thing that made him special.
“Chairman, if we can’t do something about it this time, the next union leader election will be······.”
Adendorf frowned and answered the words of his nephew Marindorf, who was more of a merchant than a dwarf craftsman who was fidgeting right in front of him.
“I know, I know, you punk. I know it too.”
Dwarf Guild Master.
The head of the Craftsman’s Guild, representing the interests of all dwarven craftsmen whose names are listed and active in Argonne Port.
The position of union leader was not one that just anyone could take on.
He had to be someone whose skills would be acknowledged by all the picky and proud dwarven craftsmen, and he had to be wise and clever enough to deal with the timid and cunning humans.
Here, in order to maintain his dignity as the leader of the guild, he had to possess a certain level of assets, and since the dwarf leader was no different from the dwarves, he had to be handsome.
And crucially, popularity.
In any case, since the union leader was an elected position, popularity among the dwarven craftsmen was extremely important.
Anyway, since the position of union leader is something that can only be achieved by fulfilling such strict conditions, once you become one, there are many things you can take care of, from small to big.
9 years.
Adendorff had been the union leader for nine years, but he was starting to worry about the next election.
As there were many benefits, there were also many competitors vying for the position of union leader, and this was because a certain Tandol from the Madan Group family had recently risen to prominence.
Even without that, Tandol was eagerly waiting for an opportunity to strike down Adendorff himself, so if he made one mistake here, it was clear that he would immediately be impeached and other things would be talked about noisily.
“Oh, shit. This is driving me crazy.”
The dwarven craftsmen of Argon Harbor were already turned upside down by just the corpse of an ordinary adult dragon.
But it’s an ancient dragon.
The corpse of an ancient dragon, a being called a god!
‘I want it. I really, really want it.’
Adendorf was also a craftsman before becoming the union leader.
I wanted to make something, whether a weapon or something else, out of the scales, teeth, or claws of an ancient dragon, something that I would only ever touch once in my life – no, normally, it would be normal to not be able to touch it.
‘It might become the masterpiece of a lifetime!’
The so-called master piece.
Proof that you were born and raised as a craftsman and have lived without regrets.
But the problem was that the deal wasn’t happening, as Marindorf was stamping his feet and begging.
“Marindorf, are all other routes really blocked?”
When I asked again with a heavy heart, Marindorf sighed deeply and answered.
“Yes, Chairman. Right now, the only ones I can at least request a deal with are Count August Bayer and Count August Chase.”
Six people who have ownership of the Ancient Dragon.
The Sword Demon Kamael.
Iron Man Landius.
Saint Archangel Lena.
Necromancer Belkian.
Count Juder August Bayer, the swordsman of no swords, and Countess Cordelia August Chase, the angel of explosion.
“This is driving me crazy, really.”
The Swordmaster Kamael was the leader of the Order of the Holy Cross, and the Order of the Holy Cross had its own group of craftsmen.
That’s why Kamael had no intention of letting even a small piece of the Ancient Dragon’s scale out.
All of this had to be done within the Holy Cross Defenders.
‘The author named Belkian is said to be in the royal capital.’
The physical distance was so great that we couldn’t even talk, let alone do business.
‘Iron Man and the Holy Angel only said that they delegated the task to the Sword Demon.’
Four out of six are missing, so only two remain.
However, these two were the couple of the century whose reputation was widely known throughout the kingdom, so in reality, there was only one person with whom they could do business.
‘What kind of situation is this?’
Since there was only one supplier, it was impossible to go back and forth between suppliers to adjust prices or meet conditions.
Furthermore, what they have is the corpse of an ancient dragon, which can be said to be the pinnacle of rarity.
In the first place, it was an item for which there was no market price, so even calling out a small scale was expensive.
‘How can I trade in this situation!’
The craftsmen who had been incited by the coal-fired guy were making a fuss, saying that they wanted it anyway, and that they had to get it somehow, and the couple of the century or whatever was in the situation was rejecting all of the trade requests from this side.
“Are you trying to raise the price? Surely you’re not trying to hand over Count August Bayer and his wife to the Order of the Holy Cross?”
“Mr. Chairman, the two are still engaged, not married.”
Inside and outside, that’s a bit much.
“No, you idiot. Does that matter now? It’s already hard to call someone by their last name, August Bayer.”
“Ahem, anyway, this deal has to be a success. Otherwise, the next union leader election will be······.”
“I know, you punk. Now that I look at this kid, he’s not coming up with a way, he’s just being stubborn. Don’t tell me to just do it, I’m telling you to come up with a plan too! Huh?!”
When Adendorf got angry, Marindorf, who was sweating profusely, wiped his shiny forehead with a handkerchief and said.
“Anyway, Grandfather. No, Chairman. Today’s meeting is different from the previous ones because Countess Cordelia August Chase will be attending. Isn’t it a bit different? According to rumors, Count Uder August Bayer will listen to anything Countess Cordelia August Chase says.”
“So rather than Count Juder August Bayer, Cordelia August… What the heck! I won’t call you! I won’t call you by your full name! There’s no one else but us anyway!”
“Wow, you’re really serious.”
“Ha, huh. So what you’re saying is that I should try to win over women? By offering them bribes like necklaces?”
“That’s not bad either. There’s also the story of the dwarves who offered a necklace to a goddess and got a taste of heaven.”
It was a story from a thousand years ago, when gods actually walked this land.
“Okay, good. We have to come up with a number somehow, so let’s pack everything and go. If we take everything we have, there’s bound to be something the Countess likes.”
Having made up his mind, Adendorf carried his luggage and headed to the luxurious hotel where the meeting was held.
And an hour later.
“It’s difficult. As I’ve told you several times, we have no intention of selling.”
Count Juder August Bayer.
Even by human standards, he was still young and pale, and by dwarf standards, he was a newborn baby with barely any blood left on his head, but he was not an opponent to be taken lightly.
Neither the individual Uder nor the Count Bayer family were easy targets.
‘Your father is a swordsman, your older brother is a ten-sword warrior, and you are a hero who saved the royal family?’
What is this ridiculous family?
Moreover, he was no longer just a hero who saved the royal family.
Dragon – He was a great hero of the South who slew the Ancient Dragon.
Ancient Dragon Slayer.
Benefactor of the royal family.
The sacredness of the Order of the Holy Cross.
The only disciple of Iron Man Landius, considered the strongest man in the world.
‘Crazy, even in heroic tales, this kind of setting doesn’t appear.’
Moreover, it wasn’t just me and my family that were good. My fiancee and her family – that is, my wife’s family – were also not bad.
The youngest captain in the history of the Royal Magic Corps, the tower lord of the Red Dawn Tower, and a renowned magical scholar who has published several papers in the Royal Society.
It was the story of the Countess of Chase, the wife of Juder August Bayer.
According to rumors coming from here, his fiancée Cordelia Chase is not even human, but an angel.
A real angel.
‘Ugh, it’s really pretty.’
Adendorf glanced at Cordelia, who was sitting next to Uther with a bright smile, and took a deep breath to calm his pounding heart.
Because he was a true angel, Adendorf’s aesthetic sense kept going wild.
Adendorf would like to make a statue modeled after Cordelia right now.
But now I had to endure it.
What really mattered was the corpse of the ancient dragon.
“Count August Bayer, I beg you to reconsider.”
“I’m sorry. I repeat, I have no intention of doing business with you.”
When Yuder waved his hand as if he was having trouble again, Adendorf took another deep breath.
That was understandable, since he had a rough idea of what Yuder was thinking.
‘This kid, it’s not like he really doesn’t want to deal.’
I could tell by that snake-like expression, look in his eyes, and attitude.
It wasn’t Adendorf himself who played around and served as the union leader for nine years.
I could see through this right away.
‘And what the hell, do you always meet people like this when you have no intention of doing business?’
Count Juder August Bayer had a deal in mind.
I’m just doing this to get a better deal!
‘I just want to beat them all up.’
But that couldn’t be done.
Because it was an ancient dragon.
Because it was an ancient dragon!
Adendorf swallowed his tears and opened his mouth again, holding back his resentment. It was to say something.
But at that moment, something unexpected happened.
“Chairman Adendorf.”
“Yes? Oh, yes. Go ahead.”
It was Yuder who spoke first.
As Adendorf quickly clasped his hands together and took a listening posture, Uder smiled a beautiful smile that was aesthetically pleasing, but from Adendorf’s perspective, he wanted to hit him with a smile and said.
“As I have said repeatedly, it is impossible to sell parts of the Ancient Dragon to the Dwarven Craftsman Guild. However-”
Adendorf felt impatient at the end of the promised sentence, but he endured it and persevered.
It seemed that Yuder’s true intentions were finally being revealed.
‘What the heck, what the heck is it?’
Are you really going to offer such an outrageous price?
But it wasn’t.
Instead of doing the one-dimensional thing of just raising the price and selling it, Uder said something completely different.
“It might be possible if it were done in a different way. If it were a different transaction, not just buying and selling things.”
“What kind of… deal are you talking about?”
“Actually, if you look at it, it’s not really a transaction. It’s more like a contract.”
contract.
Although a contract is usually written when making a transaction, it has a slightly different nuance.
Adendorf narrowed his brows and waited for her to speak again, while Uther continued speaking with the dark smile that Cordelia loved so much.
“Here is my suggestion:”
&
The next afternoon.
There was a great uproar among the dwarves gathered in the union hall.
“What?! The union leader is gathering people to move?”
“Why did the person go shopping?”
“Wait a minute, you mean, you’re leaving Port Argonne? Where? Why all of a sudden?”
That’s right.
The union leader who had been sent to buy things came back with an unexpected document instead of buying the things.
Plans for a great migration to the north.
The Baranto family, led by Adendorf, leaves the south and migrates to the north – more precisely, to the lands of Count August Bayer, which are located on the border between the center and the south.
Those who wish to go together must submit an application for immigration to the Baranto family.
“To the north?”
“The union leader’s family is leaving? Abandoning Argon Port and the union leader position?”
It was impossible.
It has been over 200 years since the Baranto family settled in the Argonne port.
How can you just throw away all the things you’ve built up over time?
“But you’re really going? You’ve already packed your bags.”
It was true. It wasn’t just Adendorff packing his bags, but the entire Baranto family preparing to leave for the center.
What the hell is this?
What is happening?
And the answer was revealed by Marindorf, who was dispatched by the Baranto family.
“What?! This is the ancient dwarven city?!”
Sword Seekers, a group of dwarves in pursuit of the ultimate sword?
An underground city built by one of the Black Horn Guilds?
I was attracted.
I couldn’t help but be drawn to it.
If the story is true, many of the Black Horn Guild’s facilities still remain.
“The technology of the ancient dwarves!”
“A shining civilization now lost!”
The dwarf craftsmen’s hearts pounded.
The ancient city of dwarves.
You can live there and create new creations using the tools of the ancient dwarves.
“They say the union leader becomes the mayor of the ancient city.”
“Well then, it’s worth moving.”
It was a higher position than the union leader.
Moreover, was it just a city? It was an ancient city of dwarves, nothing more.
“But does it really exist? None of us have seen it.”
“No, but the source is the source. Could it be that Count August Bayer lied?”
“That’s true too.”
An ancient dragon slayer and a national hero who saved the royal family.
There was no way that a person like that would commit fraud in such a way.
“So you’re really going? Are you leaving Port Argonne?”
“Wait a minute, what about the Ancient Dragon? Who deals with that?”
No, are you saying that it is okay for a union leader to leave like this without any sense of responsibility?
Amidst the dwarves’ murmuring, Marindorf brought further news.
It was news that made the hearts of the dwarven craftsmen – even the Tandol of the Madan family – decide to emigrate.
“You’re providing Ancient Dragons as materials for free?”
“No, no. Wait. This isn’t supply. This isn’t just hiring us?”
He is employed by Count August Bayer.
He lives in an ancient dwarven city and responds to the requests of Count August Bayer.
“What if it’s employment? What’s the difference from now anyway?”
“That’s true too.”
Anyway, I was in a position to make a living by solving the requests of the seven southern families.
Migration to the center.
The ancient city of the dwarves.
The scales, claws, and teeth of an ancient dragon.
“Then I should go.”
“Right, I should go.”
“let’s go.”
“let’s go.”
“Let’s go!”
Almost all of the dwarven artisans began packing up for the migration.
In fact, the ‘Dwarf Workshop’, one of the major industries in the Argonne Port area, was leaving as a whole.
Naturally, the news spread throughout the South in less than a day, but the one that reacted most significantly was the Viscountess of Saint-Croute, one of the Seven Southern Houses.
“Leaving? Leaving for the center?”
As always, the Viscountess of Saint-Croute, dressed in a flashy and provocative red dress, blinked with a look of utter bewilderment on her face.
It had to be that way.
The dwarf workshop was the prey that the Viscount Sancrout had his eyes on.
To elaborate a little more, the situation was as follows.
Originally, the one who made the most profit through the dwarf workshop was the Count Lucilia.
However, the Count Lucilia family fell into ruin due to the Malekith incident.
‘In other words, now is the perfect time to swallow up the entire Dwarf workshop.’
But the dwarf workshop is moving?
You’re leaving the South?
“Does that make sense? What about the contracts you signed with us this time? What about all that?”
“I just signed the contract and nothing has been done yet… so I’ll just pay the penalty.”
“what?”
Since you broke the contract, you have to pay a penalty.
Although it was natural, this was also embarrassing.
“Did the dwarves run away in a group? Why on earth are they doing this?”
“that is······.”
The secretary of the Count of Saint-Croute twiddled her fingers and spread the rumor to the Dwarven Artisan Guild, and the Count of Saint-Croute gritted his teeth.
“Count August Bayer! How could you do this to us!”
Strictly speaking, the Dwarven Craftsman Guild was not the property of anyone.
But how can you tear it apart like this!
‘If only I could!’
I want to push them away with the power of the Southern Seven Clans as I usually do.
I also want to pose a physical threat to the dwarves.
But it was impossible.
Because the opponent was an ancient dragon slayer.
Because he was the disciple of Iron Man Landius, the benefactor of the royal family, and himself a transcendent strongman who had secured the position of the youngest Ten Swordsman in history.
‘What kind of kid is this?’
And your fiancée is an angel? Or is she someone straight out of a heroic tale?
‘Oh, really! Even beauty tricks won’t work.’
If your fiancée is an angel, there’s no way a beauty trick would work.
Of course, bribery didn’t work either. The moment he caught the Ancient Dragon, Count August Bayer’s wealth surpassed that of the Viscount Saint-Croute.
“What about the dwarves? Is there any way to catch them?”
“but······.”
“But what?”
“Are you going to give me an ancient dragon?··· I snorted and said, “Can I give you an ancient dragon?”······.”
As the secretary trailed off, the Viscount St. Croix pounded his chest.
“No, no, no!”
I was on the verge of getting my hands on the dwarf workshop!
It was a perfect time to gulp it down!
“I feel a little sorry.”
A completely different place.
Yuder looked back in the direction of the mansion of the Viscount Saint Croot and said with a bitter smile.
Uder also knew very well that the Viscount Sancrout was targeting the dwarf workshop.
‘But… this is all to save the world.’
The fight ahead was likely to be an all-out war against the demon followers.
Now, a large number of pieces of equipment were needed to arm not only Uther himself and Cordelia, but also a group of hordes.
“It’s okay. Viscount Sancrout was a total bad guy. He used his family’s power to suppress small merchants and did a lot of bad things. It would be much better for the dwarves to go with us.”
Cordelia’s words were a bit naive, but Uther nodded.
In fact, as Cordelia said, the misdeeds of the Viscount Saint-Croute were famous.
“Well, okay. That’s enough reason to cover it up.”
The atrocities committed by the Viscount Saint Croot under the pretext of saving the world.
Considering the quality of life of the dwarves, this choice was the best possible one.
“Hehe, anyway, it turned out well.”
Because if the dwarves start living in the ancient city, the industry of the territory itself will develop.
As more goods come and go, commerce will also develop.
‘Then the Yeongmin will live well too, right? The number of Yeongmin will increase too.’
Because there will be more jobs in the territory.
Of course, it was a very simplistic idea, but it wasn’t completely wrong either.
“Anyway, now that we’ve solved one thing, shall we move on to the next one?
“Yeah, okay.”
Cordelia nodded readily to Uther’s words and quickly turned around in a certain direction.
The next goal for the two people.
A person you must meet before leaving the South.
‘The legendary master Cassius.’
The only man who can create mythical dragon equipment using the scales of an ancient dragon.
It would have been a very difficult journey to meet him, who was living in seclusion deep in the south, but Uther and Cordelia had no intention of doing so.
“Do you know where it is?”
Where Cassius hides.
“Oh, of course I know. Want to go horseback riding for the first time in a while?”
“Okay, okay. Let’s go for a ride.”
As Cordelia nodded willingly, Uther smiled and summoned Phantom Steed.
Of course, I mean one, not two.
“Let’s ride.”
“Yes, Count.”
Uther in front, Cordelia in back.
The Phantom Steed carrying two people soared into the air.
&
< Chapter 96 - The Masterpiece > End
