All strength drained from my wings as I read the message.
It was clear what a message beginning with ‘I’m sorry, but’ would signify.
Now, I would become a s*ave, threatened by my past crimes, crafting weapons for the Blue Rose Guild.
My tail fur and scales would be plucked daily, my horns broken.
“Ughhh…”
Cold sweat trickled down my spine.
Yet, refusal was out of the question.
There was no escaping the power of the Blue Rose Guild.
At best, I could appeal to the Bureau for help, but could I even trust them?
With trembling fingers, I laboriously pressed the keys.
Even a short sentence I would normally type without a second thought resulted in several typos, requiring lengthy corrections.
[Golden Hand] Yes. What time should I come?
[Lee Jiyoung] Would 10 AM be possible?
[Golden Hand] Yes, that works.
Phew.
The moment I sent the reply, all strength left my body, and I collapsed back onto the bed.
“I’m doomed… utterly doomed…”
Now, no matter which path I chose, only a grim future awaited me.
The Bureau or the Blue Rose Guild.
That was the question.
****
The next day, accompanied by Yoo Sojeong, I stood before the Blue Rose Guild building.
‘At the very least, I need to maintain balance to survive here.
The Bureau and the Guild.
I have to walk a tightrope between them.’
Gulp.
Swallowing hard, I gazed up at the towering building.
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing.”
There would be no use telling someone from the Bureau.
With a hardened resolve, I continued forward.
The moment I entered the first-floor reception, Vice Guild Master Lee Jiyoung and Guild Master Seol Yoohee came into view.
“Hello— Eek?!”
“Are you Lee Dayoon?”
In a flash, Seol Yoohee appeared before me.
Startled, I hid behind Yoo Sojeong.
Yoo Sojeong frowned and spoke.
“May I interpret that movement as an act of aggression?”
“You… are weak.”
It felt as if cold sparks flew between the two.
Lee Jiyoung intervened, mediating between the two who seemed to be vying for control over me.
It was fortunate that the first floor was deserted, as if everyone had been cleared out.
Otherwise, this incident would have immediately made headlines.
“Guild Master, we agreed to go inside and talk first.
I apologize, Lee Dayoon.
Let’s move.”
“Right.
My apologies.”
“Next time, the Bureau will not stand idly by.”
I could only dread how this situation would have unfolded had it not been for Lee Jiyoung, the sole sensible person present.
‘No, Lee Jiyoung would also hold me accountable, so she wouldn’t be much help.’
Following Lee Jiyoung’s guidance, I took the elevator down to the basement.
To the workshop that had become somewhat familiar.
Upon entering the workshop, I noticed a display case that hadn’t been there before.
Within it were three rapiers.
“The Guild Master has something to say about the prototypes you created, Lee Dayoon, which is why we called you here.
I apologize for the sudden summons.”
“Oh, no, it’s fine.”
It seemed the main topic was finally about to begin.
As I recalled what I had done, my vision darkened.
“That sword… it was the most fitting sword I’ve ever wielded in my life.”
“Pardon?”
However, Guild Master Seol Yoohee’s words strayed far from my expectations.
Vice Guild Master Lee Jiyoung continued with a similar sentiment.
“We were also very surprised that you created such a masterpiece with only seven incomplete hearts.
They were materials that had never been properly used in crafting before, at best only utilized as magical components…”
“Huh?”
‘But I made those for testing… And I ate four of them…’
It seemed both of them were thoroughly mistaken.
Yet, it was a misunderstanding I had no need to correct.
“Th-that’s right.
A sword made from seven hearts.
Haha…”
Though Yoo Sojeong stared intently at my face in response to my answer, the other two, at least, didn’t seem to notice.
“Good.”
Seol Yoohee nodded with a satisfied expression.
Then, she clasped both of my hands.
“So, can you immediately craft a sword using a complete heart?”
“We will provide the maximum possible financial compensation.”
A complete heart.
At those words, I involuntarily licked my lips.
A dazzling, pulsating blue and white gem.
One that would melt delicately in my mouth like ice cream…
‘No, snap out of it!
I absolutely cannot eat this!’
There are things that can be eaten and things that cannot.
And A+-grade materials, naturally, fall into the latter category.
I’m not foolish enough to eat even that.
If I were to eat it, I would truly end up spending my entire life crafting weapons in the Blue Rose Guild’s basement until I died.
“Ahem, ahem!
I-I can certainly make it for you.
However, to properly craft the sword, I need to know what kind you desire.”
After I managed to compose myself and speak, Seol Yoohee replied without a second of hesitation.
“A rapier for me.
If it’s you, the one who crafted these swords, I can trust you completely.”
She caressed the three rapiers as if they were precious treasures.
“What?
You don’t have any specific requests?”
“Nope.”
She nodded as if it were the most obvious thing.
‘This is awkward.
If she had asked for a specific type of sword, I could have tailored it, but to leave everything entirely up to me…’
“Then I’ll start crafting right away.
Where is the heart?”
At my words, Seol Yoohee opened a safe tucked away in a corner of the workshop.
From within, a resplendent form was revealed.
As she extended the gem to me, a sweet, cool fragrance assailed my nose.
“I’m counting on you.”
“Y-yes…”
Swallowing a dry gulp, I barely managed to maintain my composure as I replied.
“Then we’ll head back upstairs.
Please contact us if you need anything.”
“We shouldn’t disturb the artisan’s time.”
“I’ll also take my leave.
Should you require anything, please send a call or a message.”
As if on cue, all three turned to leave simultaneously.
Click.
The thick workshop door closed, and I was left alone.
“Phew…”
A sigh of relief escaped me naturally.
After all, facing a hunter who vied for second or third place in Korea and discussing their weapon was no easy feat.
Turning my head, I noticed that the CCTV was also off.
It was probably for the best.
If I had crafted an item with a single click right before their eyes, they might have thought I lacked sincerity or hadn’t put in my best effort.
‘Right, shall I begin?’
It would be better to finish quickly before I craved more hearts.
A catastrophe would surely ensue if I accidentally ate one.
I placed a footrest beneath me to match the height of the workbench, then laid the materials onto it one by one.
The three incomplete hearts remaining from yesterday.
One complete heart, which made my mouth water just by looking at it.
Three of my own scales, picked up from the floor.
The highest-grade Millennium Cold Iron from the workshop, and even White Drake leather.
‘A sword for a hunter named Seol Yoohee…’
The three prototypes had each embodied her past, present, and future.
Therefore, this sword must encompass all of that, embodying Seol Yoohee, the Awakener, herself.
The sight of cold frost forming, ice flowers blooming upon it, fully blossoming and scattering in the wind.
All of it, to be embodied within a single sword.
“Crafting a Relic.”
A familiar window appeared before my eyes.
[Materials: Complete White Drake Heart, Incomplete White Drake Heart × 3, Gold Dragon Scales × 3, Millennium Cold Iron 1kg, White Drake Leather]
[Current Craftable Items: Sword, Necklace +1]
[Craft Relic]
Press.
The moment I pressed the button, a blinding golden light erupted, incomparable to anything before.
Vwoom!
The magic infusion, which typically concluded in a single second, stretched on for an extended period.
One second, two seconds, three seconds… magic continuously surged inward.
Simultaneously, the ambient temperature dropped, and frost began to form on the workbench.
After ten seconds, the magic infusion ceased, and the golden light subsided.
As the light receded, a single rapier lay quietly on the workbench.
“Wow…”
An exclamation of awe escaped me involuntarily.
A sword like a beautiful work of art.
The blade was as pristine white as if carved from a glacier, with a faint, golden core of light subtly gleaming within.
The hilt was wrapped in white leather over Millennium Cold Iron, and the guard, protecting the hand, took the form of a fully bloomed ice flower.
From the sword emanated an unknown sense of grandeur, accompanied by a continuous flow of frigid air.
It exuded a presence that seemed capable of freezing even the surrounding magic.
Even before touching it, I instinctively knew this sword was an immense masterpiece.
Though I hadn’t even read the item description, I was confident it would surpass any sword Seol Yoohee had ever wielded.
As I lifted the sword with trembling hands, an information window materialized before my eyes.
[Myriad Bloom Frost (萬華霜理) (S)]
[Born from a cold heart, it yearns for fervent conflict.
The battlefield shall be blanketed in flowers of frost.]
[A rapier imbued with the principles of ice.
It possesses three effects: ‘Frost Formation’, ‘Blooming Ice Flowers’, and ‘Ice Bloom’.
The user can declare a ‘Domain of Frost’ according to their will.]
“S… rank?”
A dazed sound escaped my lips.
