WeTried Translations
Translator: [IncomeElastic]
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ I Became a Blacksmith the Rankers Are Obsessed With ◈
Chapter 043
──────
I Just Lost Half My Life
* * *
Good news.
The source, naturally, is me. Lionel.
I guess there are about three of them.
First, I came up with a great idea.
As a reward from the Princess for the earrings, a top-of-the-line furnace.
At minimum, I’m going to demand an ultra-high-heat furnace as payment.
I’ve been putting myself through weeks of hell because I don’t have a furnace.
I have to squeeze it out of her somehow. This is genuinely unfair, there’s no way I’m letting it go for nothing.
Second.
Working on this over and over, I ended up studying the Princess’s face for an absurdly long time.
Bottom line: the Princess had a pretty neckline, and sharp, well-defined features.
If a matchmaking agency rated her looks, they’d probably call it “sharp features, porcelain-white skin, a clearly well-maintained appearance.”
Top tier.
…Technically she’s older than me in this world, but she’s still young, so I didn’t take the evaluation any further than that.
No particular feelings about it either.
It was purely research into “what would suit her,” to begin with, so there wasn’t any ulterior motive in it.
If I had my way, I’d want to see Gaia’s face instead.
It’s just a shame there’s no way to reference that.
As for how to actually see a god’s face, climbing the Tower and posting strong results seemed like the fastest route a human had.
Third.
“Say my name.”
[Match Rate: 97.7%]
I’d done it again.
Right when progress had completely stalled.
The moment I noticed a tiny mole on the left side of the Princess’s neck, right below her ear.
“Oh!”
Something clicked,
[……….]
and in the end, I’d pulled it off.
That was around week three, I think.
This was genuinely too much.
Gaia, you’d better be ready.
“I’ll make you a body that won’t even think about other crappy divine implements again.”
From here on, all she’ll ever do is watch and wait for me.
In the end, I finished both the White Iron earring frame and the Loess Essence framework that would support the gem inside it.
All that was left now was cutting the Green Jade properly and setting it inside.
Compared to what I’d just been through, gem-cutting itself was way too easy.
Sure, I barely had any experience setting gems.
But at least, goddammit, it was within the realm of what a human could do.
Alright, there were three basic stages to it.
First, cutting.
The stage where you cut the raw stone down and rough out its shape.
I lifted the Green Jade above my head and held it up to the light.
Sure enough, there were fine hairline cracks visible inside, gems have a grain, so you have to read the internal condition carefully.
Apparently, if you can’t see this and just strike it blind, the whole thing splits clean in half.
Cutting around that grain to slice the gem, that’s the basics of the Elves’ gem-cutting art, cutting.
I lined up my chisel precisely along a safe spot away from the grain, and with the hammer, lightly…
- Tap.
- Crack.
With a clean sound, the Green Jade split into exactly the size I wanted.
“Alright, now.”
Second, grinding.
It’s the stage where you shave the gem down, and it’s a real pain.
Even a slight error in angle tends to trap the light randomly inside.
There were normally two methods: one was the faceted cut, which built up angles to make a faceted gem.
Or the cabochon cut, which smoothed it down into a rounded dome.
No need to even think about it.
Gaia felt more round and soft than angular.
- Scrape… scrape…
I ground the Green Jade’s outer surface down into a smooth, rounded dome.
Normally, that would be the end of it.
But there’s one secret technique of the Elves.
I flipped the ground Green Jade over, and on its underside,
- Scrape, scrape.
I carved a lattice of facets so tiny they were nearly invisible to the eye.
This is the very essence of Elf craftsmanship.
The surface is a dome, but on the back, that microscopic lattice catches the light and bounces it back from inside.
“This way…”
the Green Jade looks like it’s glowing softly all on its own.
Because it scatters the light wildly inside.
The last stage is polishing, bringing out the shine, and that part isn’t especially hard.
I rubbed the surface of the Green Jade slowly with a cloth.
How long had passed?
- Glint.
The Green Jade gradually cleared, turning transparent.
“…Oh.”
It really is a fine gem.
I nodded, satisfied,
and brought the finished Green Jade over to the frame.
First, I gently pried open the Loess Essence rim that would cradle the Green Jade.
Any more force here and all that careful cutting would go to waste.
‘Careful…’
- Tap.
I pushed the Green Jade into the gap I’d opened.
Then I closed the Loess Essence back up, clamping the Green Jade firmly in place.
- Click.
With a satisfying sound, the Green Jade locked into place.
A seed had found its own patch of soil.
One earring, done.
I finished off the remaining one the same way.
- Click.
Like that.
The pair sat side by side on the blue cushion.
A beautifully crafted pair of White Iron earrings.
I never had any interest in earrings in my past life, but honestly, I’m confident mine turned out a little prettier.
Finally, I picked up the cloth and wiped each earring down in turn.
And right as I gave it that last polish,
- Ding.
─────────────────
[The Cradle of the Earth][★★☆☆☆]
[Unique Equipment] [Compatibility Rating][-/60]
─────────────────
[Divine Implement (神具)] [Target God: None]
[Blessing][None]
─────────────────
Smoothed the earth and laid the sprout to rest within it.
Hands that, the whole time they worked, pictured only one person.
Ground that stays silent even when trodden, that opens its embrace even when dug into,
an ode sent to that warm, welcoming earth.
─────────────────
『I’ll make you something so no other shoddy accessory will ever cross your mind again.』
- Certified Blacksmith L -
─────────────────
“Oh, hell.”
Code red.
Emergency.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned the hard way while making gear all this time,
it’s that this Origin Script thing is absolutely not something I can control.
How am I supposed to police every single thought I have while I’m crafting a piece from start to finish?
It’s not like that’s even my personality to begin with.
“Oh my gawd.”
For the record, that “God” means Gaia.
This is genuinely a disaster.
Could this even pass as confidence, I wonder.
Sure, I’m confident in the accessory itself, but…
From the perspective of the goddess and the Princess who’d actually receive this,
‘…will ever cross your mind again.’
…honestly, there was more than enough room for that to sound rude.
Small mercy that it didn’t drag in the rest of what I was actually thinking, I guess.
‘She’ll spend the rest of her life coming back only to me.’
“…….”
I turned it over in my head for a moment,
and then.
“Wait a second…”
A brilliant idea struck me.
“I’ll just tell the Princess I was thinking of Gaia, and tell Gaia I was thinking of the Princess. Problem solved.”
I could pass the same line off as being meant for two completely different people and nobody would know the difference.
Call it an occupational habit.
Now this, this is Solomon-level wisdom.
This way, there didn’t seem to be any real problem.
“Phew…”
I let out a breath and looked over the earrings.
For one thing, if there was a difference from every piece of gear I’d made so far,
it’s that these earrings probably wouldn’t carry a Sun Dwarf engraving right now.
“Apparently, since it’s a divine implement, that only shows up in the heavens.”
According to the professor, anyway.
『A single accessory cannot bear two engravings, that is simply the law. As it is a divine implement, its engraving will reveal itself only in the realm of the gods. Do not worry.』
Once I offer a prayer,
and the gear takes form in the divine realm for Gaia to receive,
the engraving would apparently only be etched onto that one piece, and nowhere else.
Honestly, that worked out in my favor.
It meant the earrings I’d hand the Princess wouldn’t have to reveal that I’m a Sun Dwarf.
That was a bit of good luck I hadn’t even considered.
Sweet.
Right as I lowered my head to look at the earrings again,
- Buzz…
“…Huh?”
Something started forming inside the Green Jade.
At first, it was just a single trunk.
As the trunk sketched itself out, tangling through the green gem’s interior… it soon became a single image.
“…A tree?”
What the hell is this.
Right as I stared at the gem, dumbstruck,
“Oh, wait.”
Something surfaced in my mind.
I had a hunch.
I’d seen this before, in a manual.
Not the Sun Dwarves’ manual, the Elves’ manual.
『A gem a Child of the Forest has worked with their whole heart sometimes comes to hold its own will.』
At the time, I’d just written it off as Elf romanticism, more or less superstition.
“I had no idea this was a real thing!!!”
Then this-
is this a Child of the Forest’s craftsman’s pattern…?
But here’s the real, genuine relief.
『Each life’s grain runs differently, so its shape, too, comes out entirely different.』
This pattern exists nowhere else in the world, just this once.
Like the countless leaves clinging to a single tree.
There’s no risk of getting caught.
Meaning, just by looking at it, there’s no way to tell whether it’s from a Child of the Forest or some old elf.
Since every single shape is different.
“I’ll just insist it’s some random junk engraving.”
I have no intention of going out of my way to show off that I’ve learned a Child of the Forest’s craftsmanship.
Same reason I didn’t want to reveal I’m a Sun Dwarf, either.
“Ha…”
With that resolved, I wrapped everything up,
stretched my back out, and set the earrings gently back down on the cushion.
“That took way too long.”
A whole month and a half, no less.
Ugh, exhausting.
Looking back, it really was brutal work.
Losing it over wirework, out-machining the machines, studying the Princess’s face inch by inch.
Looking at the earrings sitting in front of me, though, the misery seemed to fade a little.
“I made this by hand…?”
I’m not joking, no machine could hold a candle to this.
I never knew I had this kind of talent in me.
But it wasn’t over yet.
Right now, this was still just a well-made accessory, nothing more.
I carefully placed the earrings into the case I’d prepared, and got up from my seat.
“To the temple.”
Time to go offer this to Gaia.
* * *
In this world, every region has a handful of temples dedicated to serving its gods.
Since each temple serves a different god, the point is, if you want a specific god, you have to visit that particular temple.
The imperial palace’s temple, though, is a bit of a different case.
For local folk gods with barely any worshippers, or nameless minor deities, there isn’t even enough support to build them a separate temple.
Apparently, sometimes all you get is a statue tucked into a corner of the palace temple, where people offer their prayers instead.
“Fair enough.”
There can’t be just one or two gods, after all.
But when it comes to Gaia, that’s a whole different story.
The Earth Goddess Gaia is one of the most famous gods in this world.
Thanks to that, Gaia’s temples were scattered all across the continent.
What’s genuinely funny about this,
‘is that the largest of them,’
just happens to sit right inside House Dolores’s territory.
Well, she’s the Earth Goddess, so it’s not exactly strange for a major territory like a duchy to have one of her temples.
Which meant I got to skip all the travel time,
and even at this hour, well before dawn, with not a soul around,
I could head to the temple with Maman leading the way.
“Did the earrings turn out well?”
“Yeah, not bad.”
“Can I take a look?”
“…….”
That’s a no-go, though.
A divine implement is supposed to be shown to its intended god first, no exceptions, apparently.
I couldn’t bring myself to refuse outright, so I just froze up and stopped dead in the middle of the road.
“…Mm, all right.”
Dolores nodded and took my hand again, but
her cheeks had puffed out just slightly, looking a bit sulky.
“Sorry.”
“It’s fine.”
Dolores shook her head with a smile,
and somewhere in the middle of that little exchange,
we’d already arrived in front of the temple.
- Creak…
The door swung open, and the scene inside came into view all at once.
Inside was an audience chamber where you’d meet the god face to face,
and in front of it, an open prayer hall where worshippers offered their prayers.
Calling it a prayer hall felt like a stretch, more like just an open worship space, maybe?
“Normally, if you’re offering something up, you’d hand it to a priest.”
- Slide.
Dolores pointed toward the audience chamber.
“This time, why don’t you go in yourself and greet her, Lionel?”
“Okay.”
That felt right, somehow.
I opened the door to the audience chamber and stepped inside.
And then.
“…….”
I stopped in my tracks.
A space that was neither especially wide nor especially narrow.
No windows at all, walled in on every side by stone.
Right at its center,
a single statue of a woman stood alone.
A statue carved from earth-colored stone, plainer than I’d expected.
No gems, no gold.
Just from the pose alone, both arms spread wide as if reaching to embrace something, I could tell exactly which god this was.
I walked slowly toward the statue.
The problem was what came next.
‘How exactly am I supposed to offer this?’
No matter how hard I racked my brain, no real procedure came to mind.
The manual never explained how a divine implement is supposed to be offered, either.
Right as I started to suspect this whole thing might be some kind of scam,
‘Screw it.’
I decided to just go with whatever felt right.
- Click.
I pulled the case out from inside my coat and opened it,
and knelt on one knee before the statue.
I held the earrings up in both hands and offered them toward the statue.
“This is a divine implement I made…”
A boy’s voice, one that hadn’t broken yet, rang out through the audience chamber.
“My skill isn’t much, but I put everything I had into it.”
But,
there was no reply.
The statue just stood there, arms still spread wide.
Of course, a lump of stone isn’t going to talk.
Without thinking much of it, I closed my eyes,
and lifted the earrings a little higher, right about then,
- Flash…
From the earrings raised high above my two hands,
light began to leak out.
“Oh, oh. Oh…!”
For a second, I nearly lost my composure,
but I remembered where I was, an audience chamber, and just barely held it together.
Can’t go acting like a fool in front of Gaia, of all people.
- Blaze…
The earrings blazed brighter and brighter in my hands…
- Hum…
and then the light faded,
and I carefully raised my head and lowered my hands.
And there, right in front of me, were the changed earrings.
─────────────────
[The Cradle of the Earth][★★☆☆☆->★★★☆☆]
[Unique Equipment] [Compatibility Rating : - / 80]
─────────────────
[Divine Implement (神具)] [Target God: Gaia]
[Blessing: Supreme (崔上) - Earth’s Protection]
└ Uses the earth’s energy to block outside interference directed at whoever the wearer designates.
[Blessing: High (上) - Earth’s Embrace]
└ Condenses the earth’s energy to restore the wearer’s vitality.
─────────────────
※ It has safely reached the ruler of the divine realm. ※
─────────────────
First off.
The first thing that caught my eye.
A star had been added.
I never expected to pop my three-star cherry like this.
My own solo crafting skill was still only two-star,
but with it being a divine implement, and Gaia’s blessing layered on top, it seems to have evolved straight to three-star.
Nice.
Now this star would be the next target I looked up to, I guess.
The feeling wasn’t bad at all.
And the second change: the blessing.
“Legendary.”
This genuinely makes no sense.
The whole time I worked, what kept running through my mind was that, sure, I was making earrings for the Princess,
but at the end of the day, this belonged to the Princess alone.
‘What happens to the Prince, left out of this?’
That thought kept nagging at me.
Even if these earrings ended up protecting the Princess’s Sun Rising Pendant, the Prince would still keep withering away in the end.
Take off the Moonlight Essence Necklace, and the debuff disappears, sure, but the life force it’s already drained doesn’t come back.
So, greedily, privately,
‘It’d be great if the Prince could wear the Sun Rising Pendant, and the Princess could sustain herself with these earrings…!’
I’d prayed for it with a completely greedy heart, and yet,
she granted the whole thing.
This way, the Prince could keep wearing the Sun Rising Pendant, and the Princess could wear this Cradle,
and if she designated the Prince as the one it protected, both of them would be safe.
Perfectly satisfying.
Gaia had granted the exact blessing I’d wanted, down to the letter.
Right then.
- Ding.
A message popped up in front of me.
─────────────────
[Divine Oracle]
[Gaia, Goddess of the Earth ▸ Certified Blacksmith L]
『To think someone would make something this fine, this noble… for me.
The feeling I received was so great, this mother laid on the largest blessing she could give.』
『Through all these long years, I’ve received truly so many things.
But what you offered me today, without question, is the most beautiful of them all.
I’m not joking, I mean it, I was genuinely astonished.』
[Oracles Remaining: 6/8]
─────────────────
Gaia, sending her thanks again in the form of a lengthy letter.
It seemed like once you delivered a divine implement, the oracle allotment refilled itself, just for one last exchange of thanks.
Sorry, but I was the one who wanted to say thank you here.
Glad she liked it, at least.
I was in the middle of a pleased little smile…
- Ding-ding-ding.
─────────────────
[Divine Oracle]
[Gaia, Goddess of the Earth ▸ Certified Blacksmith L]
『I don’t know which temple called this mother here like this.
But someday, without fail… I’d love to sit face to face with you and talk, just the two of us.』
『…My child. Please, you must come find your mother again.』
[Oracles Remaining: 4/8]
─────────────────
…Another one.
She genuinely seems delighted, and I don’t know what to do with myself over it.
There’d been a pretty provocative line written on there, but apparently that part hadn’t registered in Gaia’s eyes.
Figuring no further explanation was needed,
I smiled and was getting up from my seat…
- Ding-ding-ding.
─────────────────
[Divine Oracle]
[Gaia, Goddess of the Earth ▸ Certified Blacksmith L]
『“I’ll make you something so no other shoddy accessory will ever cross your mind again”… is what it said.』
[Oracles Remaining: 3/8]
─────────────────
My body flinched for a second.
“…….”
I froze solid right there.
What do I do, should I just launch straight into an apology?
But,
contrary to what I expected,
─────────────────
[Divine Oracle]
[Gaia, Goddess of the Earth ▸ Certified Blacksmith L]
『Yes, it really was true.
I truly can’t think of anything else now, not even the tiniest bit…
My child? Your gift was the finest and loveliest thing. It was the best of them all.』
『I think it’ll go on being that way too, to the point that all those countless things I’ve received until now feel meaningless.』
[Oracles Remaining: 1/8]
─────────────────
“…….”
I’d had a whole stockpile of excuses ready to go.
But faced with an oracle from Gaia that seemed to radiate joy with her whole being,
I swallowed every one of my excuses back down,
So much for being Solomon.
“…Th, thank you.”
I bowed my head, looking up at the rough, earth-colored statue.
───────────────
『Come find me again… I’ll see you next time, all right? Don’t push yourself too hard, my child.』
───────────────
With that final oracle,
I slowly made my way out of the audience chamber.
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