Genius Blacksmith's Game

Immediately after the event, Mob Hunting, ended.

“Woooooaaah!”

“Vice-captain Hwan! You were incredible! You were seriously incredible!”

The Hwarang Guild was swept up in an unprecedented celebration.

The search rankings on portal sites across the world proved it.

1st: Hwan.

2nd: quick-draw technique.

3rd: how to learn quick draw.

4th: Valhalla gold medal.

5th: Hwarang Guild.

Interest in Hwan was burning hotter than interest in Valhalla.

Compared to someone who had always held the summit,

those standing below had far more room to climb.

“Thank you, everyone. Truly.”

And Hwan believed this result had only been possible because, though they had worried about him, they had done their utmost in their own way and obtained the Cutting Gauntlet.

Then his aide and deputy guild master, Bengers,

the muscular old man, came running over with tears of joy streaming down his face.

Please don’t run......

That’s scary......

It’s even scarier because he’s running while crying......

The guild executives were shocked by the sight of a muscular old man charging toward them in tears.

In any case,

the reason old Bengers had come running was soon revealed.

“Dozens of top guilds have proposed mergers. One guild offered 20 billion won for vice-captain Hwan’s personal value alone, and if we include the guild merger payment, the total offer exceeds 150 billion won.”

“They also say they’ll support Hwarang Guild’s members with dungeons and potions for two years so they can achieve major growth.”

The executives’ hearts burned hot.

In the past, Hwarang’s value had reached hundreds of billions of won, but over time, that value had fallen into the tens of billions.

On top of that, support for the guild members was the biggest advantage of all.

Receiving support in the form of good dungeons and potions for two years also created tremendous value.

But Bengers spoke as if he still was not finished.

“Furthermore, they promised to give the guild master the position of great lord, and because he would be a great lord, they even promised to share the tax revenue generated from that position.”

“......!”

“......!”

It was an astronomical offer.

The Hwarang Guild was already aware that they could not become the best guild in the world on their own.

But this was a way they could reach the top.

And hidden inside Bengers’s words was a certain truth.

“If they’re offering him the position of great lord, that means they’re aiming to found a kingdom. Who in the world made an offer like that?”

“The King of Monarchs. Carter.”

“......Carter!!”

Everyone present was shocked.

There was a piece of information that only rankers secretly knew.

People think Fond of China or Musashi of Japan will be the first to reach a kingdom, but that isn’t true at all.

There was already someone who possessed qualifications worthy of becoming the second king.

That person was none other than Carter, the King of Monarchs.

The reason he was called the King of Monarchs was because he had outstanding Monarchs and rankers from all over the world under his command.

“According to the information we’ve heard, the scale of Carter’s territories and citizens may be comparable to the nation of Hyun’s—or perhaps even greater.”

Everyone agreed with one guild member’s words, and Bengers said,

“Even so, there’s only one reason he hasn’t founded a nation. He doesn’t want to draw the Parion Empire’s attention. He’s a clever man.”

If Hyunsoo had not drawn the eyes of other rankers, he would not have founded his kingdom in such haste either.

In this way, Carter had been secretly recruiting Monarchs.

And he was just as powerful as that implied.

Monarchs were the masters of their own guilds.

Since he had absorbed dozens of such forces, perhaps his faction was far greater than the nation of Hyun.

After hardship came happiness.

The saying fit perfectly.

From now on, all that remained for Hwarang was to walk a flower-strewn path.

But for some reason, Hwan’s expression was complicated.

The people there looked puzzled, but Bengers understood him.

“It’s because you can no longer maintain the alliance with the nation of Hyun, isn’t it?”

The nation Carter would establish and the nation of Hyun would naturally stand opposed to one another.

Hwan soon spoke.

“Before the match began, I wasn’t confident. That was when Lord Hyunsoo sent me a whisper.”

Hwan looked around at everyone and said,

“All in. He told me he had bet his entire fortune on my victory.”

“A-all in?”

“His entire fortune......?”

“How could that be.......”

Everyone there fell into shock.

“If you mean Lord Hyunsoo, he must have had several billion won at the very least.......”

“And Lord Hyunsoo isn’t the kind of person who would lie.”

“Why in the world would he.......”

They knew the answer.

Trust.

Hyunsoo had trusted Hwan and Hwarang.

“He trusted us enough to stake that much money......?”

That delivered an enormous shock.

Hwan continued.

“If we go to Carter’s guild, we’ll enjoy wealth and glory. We won’t be looked down on anymore. But we’ll become tools, one of the dozens of guilds Carter has recruited.”

It was true.

No one could deny it.

But.

“What if we go to the nation of Hyun instead, where someone cheered us on by going all in with his entire fortune simply because he believed in me? If we stand with someone who pours everything he has into us simply because he believes, then I have no doubt we can reach even greater heights.”

“.......”

“.......”

No one could deny that either.

Because someone who had become a mere tool and someone who would truly stand beside them as a comrade were different things.

However, Hwan was a wise guild master.

“We’ll decide by vote. And anyone who cannot accept the result of this vote will have to leave. But even if you leave, I promise I’ll compensate you generously enough that you won’t feel wronged.”

Even if it meant emptying out his own assets, Hwan intended to compensate them.

The Hwarang executives numbered seven in total, including Bengers.

The vote soon began.

“Raise your hand if you want to stand with the King of Monarchs.”

It was the moment the ones who would leave were decided.

*****

The massive battle fortress Rubruke was home to barbarians.

By setting, barbarians did not interact with any kingdom or empire.

Furthermore, their physical abilities far surpassed those of ordinary humans, and even an average soldier among them was said to be capable of facing five normal soldiers.

These barbarians were also called Barbarians by another name.

Rubruke Fortress had been guarded by the barbarians for a very long time.

However, one month ago,

the fortress’s owner had changed.

It was Carter, the King of Monarchs.

[You have become king of the barbarians.]

[65,113 barbarians will fight for you.]

The huge throne where the former king of the barbarians had once sat.

Sitting there, Monarch Carter felt that everything was proceeding smoothly.

Soon, the guild members led by Monarch Carter warped in and appeared.

“It was amusing to watch those youngsters beat each other up.”

“The idea that they’re trying to determine who’s strongest is laughable.”

“That guy named Hwan was fairly interesting. To think he had that much power at that Level.”

“I hope he comes here soon.”

At his guild members’ words, Monarch Carter nodded.

Surprisingly, Monarch Carter looked like a barbarian himself.

He was thirty centimeters taller than an ordinary human, and his entire body was packed with muscle.

It was the privilege he had gained upon becoming king of the barbarians: “Barbarianization.”

With a massive greatsword propped at an angle beside him, Carter spoke.

“He’ll be here soon, so stop pestering me. Hwan and Hwarang will soon guard this place.”

This was how Carter divided the territories he secured among newly recruited people and had them defend those lands.

Then,

one guild member raised a question.

“I understand that you offered him an enormous amount of money and even promised to share tax revenue with him. Is someone who only accomplished that much really worth it?”

Only that much.

The guild member said that about someone who had performed in a place where the world’s top users had gathered.

Irma.

Was he arrogant?

No.

He was a High Class user above Level 500 and one of Carter’s closest aides.

The only reason he had not participated in the World Championship was because he had felt no need to show himself in front of the public.

Furthermore, since Carter was a user gathering Monarchs, Irma himself had once been a Monarch with 30,000 territory residents under him.

Carter smiled cheerfully.

“He’s our shortcut to building the largest force.”

“A shortcut?”

“Yes. Master Blacksmith Hyun is an extraordinary man, and he’s a pioneer who has achieved many things. And because he possesses so much, he has built up many accomplishments. That means there is also much for us to take.”

Irma looked intrigued.

“And Hwarang Guild is the beginning?”

“That’s right. The moment Hwarang cuts off its alliance and migrates to our guild, we’ll rise to the surface. The users belonging to the nation of Hyun will wonder why someone who shouted, ‘Hyun is a god,’ crossed over with all his guild members. The conditions we offered will spread implicitly, and people will learn that the nation we are about to found has far better terms and countless high-rankers.”

Carter’s smile was full of certainty.

“When that happens, one by one, they’ll start crossing over. The nation of Hyun will shrink, and our kingdom will grow. And starting with users, we will take from every corner of the nation of Hyun, one by one—even its NPCs. Hwan will become the symbolic figure for that.”

“.......”

Irma got chills from what lay hidden behind that gentle smile.

Carter had obtained everything he had wanted until now.

Irma smiled bitterly.

That man Hwan. They’re offering him an astronomical sum and the role of defense captain with command over these barbarians. There’s no way he can refuse.

Then,

[Hwan: I’ve decided.]

Hwan’s whisper arrived for Carter.

Carter took out a parchment.

It was a Designated Target Summon Parchment.

FAAAASH—

Hwan appeared in a flash of light.

After appearing, Hwan stood in this place where the wind blew harder than in other regions and looked toward the rear of the fortress.

There, barbarians approaching the Level 490 range stood guard, armed with weapons and armor.

Carter had already explained this fortress as well.

And Carter was not an arrogant man.

He rose from his throne, descended the steps, and extended his hand to Hwan.

It meant they were comrades, a team.

Hwan looked down at that hand and said,

“I reject the offer you made.”

“Yes, welcome. I look forward to working with—huh?”

Carter wondered if he had heard wrong.

But Hwan did not shake his hand. Instead, he bowed politely and took one step back.

“This was not my personal decision. It is the decision made through a vote with the executives. And thank you for making such a generous offer.”

“Was there somewhere else that offered better terms than we did?”

“......Of course not.”

Hwan smiled awkwardly.

And once things turned out this way, Carter, unlike his usual self, forced the issue.

“Hwan, I understand you have shared both hardship and joy with your executives as guild master. Then you must respect their choices as well. That is what a good guild master would do.”

“......Of course.”

“I’m interested in your executives too. You said you held a vote, yes? I’d like to recruit the ones who voted in favor of coming to us. For quite a large sum of money.”

“.......”

That was Carter’s aim.

I can’t believe I’m resorting to something like this.......

If he took away several of the executives this way, Hwarang would naturally split apart.

But Hwan looked puzzled as he said,

“......It was unanimous.”

“What......?”

“Everyone, including me, chose the nation of Hyun instead of this place.”

Carter knew it was not a lie.

He isn’t stupid enough to lie about something that will be exposed the moment I look into it.

What delivered an even greater shock was contained in what Hwan had said.

“......Don’t tell me you’re migrating to the nation of Hyun?”

At the very moment they were worth the most.

This was the path Hwan and Hwarang Guild had chosen.

At this moment, Hwan knew it too.

“That’s right.”

Once he left this place, there was a high probability that he and Carter would become complete enemies.

So his eyes took in the entire fortress and the Barbarians standing behind Carter.

Hwan placed his hand on the grip of the sword at his waist out of habit, then stood alone before Carter, dozens of rankers,

and tens of thousands of Barbarians, and spoke firmly.

“If the Barbarians invade the nation of Hyun, Hwarang and I will hold them back. My quick draw exists for that purpose.”

Genesis.

The power he had shown would cut the Barbarians in two at once.

“Thank you.”

Hwan bowed, then looked at Carter and the dumbfounded guild members with a refreshed expression.

As always, he warned them with his final words in his own way.

“Hyunsoo is a god.”

Those words informed Carter

that this had been their complete defeat.