The Occult World’s Coveted Blacksmith - Chapter 64

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Chen

◈ The Occult World’s Coveted Blacksmith ◈

Chapter 64: Did I Become a Rare Item?

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Naturally, there was no such thing as an unaffiliated Eul-tier artisan in this field.

Artisans were trained through apprenticeships.

The title of artisan could only be earned by someone born with Spiritual Power whose talent for inscribing Spell Formulas had been recognized, after more than a decade of hard training.

Someone raised while inheriting a House's secret arts could never simply walk away on their own.

Even if they did, where would they go?

Why would anyone take them in when they might take all the House's secret arts and run off somewhere else?

That was why this unprecedented scramble to recruit an Eul-tier artisan should never have been possible in the first place.

* * *

[HOT] Breaking news!!!! Do Emperor isn't from the Tianshan Sect.

└ ??? What does that mean??

└ The Tianshan Sect released an official statement. They said Master Do isn't one of theirs.

└ Whoa, so he's been scamming everyone this whole time?

└ ;;; What scam? Nobody's been harmed by Do Emperor, so how's it a scam?

└ Lol, honestly, I think I like him even more now that he's Korean.

└ For real lol.

[Chat] Master Do of the Tianshan Sect (Not from the Tianshan Sect)

└ Lol, what even is this?

└ Like Hong Chil's team without Hong Chil?

└ So what are we supposed to call him now?

└ What else? Just Do Emperor.

[Question] But why did Do Emperor even lie about being from the Tianshan Sect? Lol.

Wouldn't he have been accepted right away if he'd joined a House from the beginning?

└ Because people from a non-House background would obviously get lowballed and exploited like slaves if they joined one.

└ But how did nobody catch on until now? Don't they check the token?

└ Maybe he just declared free agency now?

└ Damn, then who the hell is Do Emperor really? How does someone in their twenties casually make Eul-tier Ritual Implements?

└ Even if he isn't from the Tianshan Sect, he probably has some hidden master.

[Chat] Doesn't that mean Do Emperor's in danger now? The Four Great Houses must be pissed.

└ Lol, he's way past that level now.

└ Agreed. Do Emperor's weight class has gotten insanely huge.

└ Do you think the Occult Management Bureau will sit still? How many Eul-tier artisans are there, especially now that one's a free agent?

└ He even saved Baekrin last time. At this point, the Bureau's probably got its eye on him too??

[HOT] Breaking news) If you want to negotiate, come line up.

└ Damn, that's just cool as hell....

└ Look at him making the Four Great Houses stand in line.

└ The GOAT among this era's dopamine addicts... He finally put himself up for auction lol.

└ Lol, why doesn't Do Emperor just list himself in the Goblin Auction tab for real?

└ Please, let us watch too.

* * *

"Who's next?"

"House Jujak, starting at three."

This was Pungnyu Pavilion.

Ever since the Tianshan Sect's statement was released, I'd been staying here and continuing the negotiations.

Why here of all places?

First, it had to be made publicly clear exactly where I was.

So this was how we'd responded to every inquiry that came in after the statement.

- Master Do is currently staying at Pungnyu Pavilion. If you wish to meet him, please arrange an appointment.

Everyone was already keeping an eye on one another.

Our plan was that openly revealing my location would actually make me safer.

And that plan had worked perfectly.

Sliiide.

A strange presence approached from somewhere on a distant rooftop.

'...Again.'

Then the presence suddenly vanished.

"There goes another one."

I'd already lost count.

Just in case, I'd loosened my Suppression Talisman slightly and kept my senses open, so I could feel the presence clearly.

It seemed the one who'd approached wasn't from one of the Twelve Great Houses. If anything, the Houses appeared to be stopping them.

The ones coming after me were probably bottom-feeders hoping to kidnap a rare commodity, a genius artisan, and make a fortune.

The Houses had their hands tied because they had to watch public opinion and keep each other in check, but there were always people with nothing to lose.

That was why the Four Great Houses were providing airtight security on their own, worried some weirdo might snatch me away.

And while they were at it, trying to score some points with me.

'Whoa. I really feel like some ultra-exclusive VVIP!'

Was this why people became free agents?

"By the way... Ji-an."

"Yes, Master Do."

Seo Ji-an looked up from the documents she had been busily organizing.

"Are you all right with this?"

"With what?"

'Hmm.'

She was my exclusive broker, after all.

Of course, if Ji-an wanted, we could put it in the contract and bring her along under some convincing title, whether as my secretary or attendant.

But then she wouldn't be able to work as a broker for anyone else.

Otherwise, this job of connecting me to a House would become her final brokerage deal with me.

"Hehe."

Perhaps she understood what I meant, because Ji-an smiled.

"Helping you was always my job, Master Do. I'm just doing my job."

She looked strangely unaffected as she said it.

'Hmm... Does she have something in mind?'

Or was she planning to move into a House with me?

Knock, knock, knock.

"Yes, come in."

The door opened, and someone very familiar entered.

Was this the person House Jujak had sent?

"Master Do, it's been a long time! How long has it been?"

A man strode in with the hem of his durumagi fluttering behind him and his arms spread wide.

Yoo Seon-woo.

He was the spell painter I'd met in that treasury last time.

Ji-an rose from her seat and handed over a business card.

"Hello. I'm Seo Ji-an, Master Do's exclusive broker."

"I am Yoo Seon-woo, here to make a recruitment offer on behalf of House Jujak."

After exchanging greetings, Yoo Seon-woo turned back to me.

"Hoho. You've become even more radiant since then! I knew from that very moment that you were no ordinary man!"

Hmm... Was this really the same person?

What the hell was wrong with him?

He used to be a self-absorbed asshole!

Now he was smiling and acting friendly, and it was creeping me out.

"So... you're asking me to learn Painting Sorcery?"

"That's right! Painting Sorcery is the flower of sorcery, isn't it? Back in that treasury, I immediately recognized your eye for it and informed the elders of the House. They all covet your talent greatly."

Yoo Seon-woo chattered away excitedly.

"Master painter Yoo Cheong-wol of House Jujak has said he will personally take you in as his disciple. You can look forward to it! Of course, you know that becoming his disciple, in this world..."

Yoo Cheong-wol. Who was that now?

From the way he talked, he seemed pretty famous.

Still, painting.

'I wouldn't mind learning it sometime.'

But that was only because I thought it might be useful for drawing on Ritual Implements or something.

Changing careers entirely was a completely different matter.

"We've heard your offer. Now, allow us to explain our terms."

"All right, let's hear them."

Ji-an handed over the documents.

"...What? H-Haha. This is a bit..."

Yoo Seon-woo's expression stiffened as he scanned the terms.

Naturally. The terms Ji-an presented were outrageous enough to completely block any abuse of power by a House.

First. The House would take full responsibility for guaranteeing my status and personal safety.

Second. I would be free to accept outside commissions at my own discretion.

Third. Ownership and designs for all completed work would belong entirely to the artisan.

Fourth. The House would support material procurement, but could neither dictate what I made nor impose an approval system.

Fifth. The House's commission fee would be set at the industry's lowest rate.

In short, I would join the House, but they were not to interfere with me in any way.

From the House's perspective, it was essentially a freelance contract in name only. Aside from being able to say, "An Eul-tier artisan belongs to us," they gained nothing.

"...Broker Seo."

Yoo Seon-woo's hand trembled as he lowered the documents.

"Someone claiming they want to become a member of House Jujak says they will freely accept outside commissions. They also demand full ownership rights. At this point, this isn't recruitment. You're asking us to serve a superior! What exactly do we get out of this?"

A perfectly reasonable point.

I'd have said the same thing.

But the first rule of negotiation was simple.

The side that wanted it more lost.

And right now, that wasn't us.

"Oh, Mr. Yoo. We're not asking you to accept every last one of these terms."

Ji-an smiled sweetly and refilled Yoo Seon-woo's empty teacup.

"Master Do also considers it a great honor to receive master painter Yoo Cheong-wol's teachings."

First move. Leave the door open.

The terms could be adjusted, and we were willing to join.

By throwing the door wide open first, she took away any excuse for them to storm out.

"It's just that, as you know, our artisan really likes working freely."

As she spoke, Ji-an casually let her gaze drift toward the other stacks of documents beside her.

They bore the seals of other Houses, not House Jujak.

"The truth is, other places have already made offers that leave room for at least this outside-commission clause. Since we have several offers to consider, we're in a difficult position as well."

Second move. Show them the competition.

Walking away from the table here did not mean giving up the commodity.

It meant handing it over to a rival House.

"......"

Yoo Seon-woo's eyes fell on the stack of documents.

"So, Mr. Yoo. Forget everything else. If you could just make a few adjustments to this one clause, we would consider your offer very positively."

Third move. Give them homework.

If everything was too much, then just one clause.

She brought the goalposts right up to their nose, making it seem like everything would work out if they could just get through that one condition.

That way, he could return to the House carrying an assignment instead of empty-handed.

'...Damn.'

All I could do was admire her from the side.

That was the skill of considering something positively.

Even when their pride was hurt enough that they wanted to flip the table, it gave them the false hope: 'Do they actually want to come to us?'

The so-called string-along strategy!

Think about it.

What if we coldly rejected them over mismatched terms, and they thought:

'You dare trample on my sincere feelings? Fine, then I'll have no choice but to become a thug!'

What if they decided to do something nasty?

Until I settled on a reliable place to belong, I had to keep all of them tied to me at exactly this distance.

It was advanced psychological warfare. Rather than making them resent the humiliation of being rejected, it gave them hope that they could recruit me if they just met my terms.

By always attaching the label of "considering it positively," they couldn't turn their backs on us coldly. If they did and we visibly joined hands with another House, that would be a disaster for them too.

"...Wait. Just wait a moment."

"...Regarding the outside commissions, I'll submit it again with a cap on the number of commissions. There may also be room to add a little more to the signing bonus at my discretion..."

Even as Yoo Seon-woo groaned, he ultimately couldn't leave his seat.

After Yoo Seon-woo left, another guest arrived not long after.

It was Cheonhwa Hall. This was already their fifth visit.

"...These are the terms personally approved by our deputy head."

A man in a neat suit slid over the documents.

"To be frank, this is an enormous investment for us as well. If we looked only at immediate profit, this would be a business that earns us nothing. Even so, we have brought these terms because we wish to treat you with the respect you deserve. Please understand that."

"Yes! Just what I'd expect from Cheonhwa Hall. We'll consider it positively!"

"We look forward to hearing from you."

After the person from Cheonhwa Hall left, I let out a long breath.

"Whew..."

I sank deep into the sofa.

Nearly everyone who might come had already come and gone.

'Hmm... But this is more disappointing than I expected.'

I'd heard all kinds of offers, but none of them truly appealed to me.

Oh, the terms they presented were all exceptional.

Guaranteed protection of my status was the bare minimum.

They said they'd teach me the Houses' secret arts, build me an entire dedicated workshop, and casually offered amounts of money I couldn't have imagined.

'...Why doesn't any of this tempt me?'

After thinking it over, the answer was simple.

I was already doing everything I wanted to do.

I was making more money than I could ever need by my standards with the way I worked now.

And Ji-an was surprisingly incredible at procuring materials, too.

I had always hated being tied down by belonging somewhere.

Just like famous pro gamers who turned down blank checks from overseas teams, money and terms weren't everything.

This audition had only been about finding somewhere to belong that could serve as a shield against the Four Great Houses.

So why would I be tempted just because they offered me even more of what I already had?

There was also one thing that bothered me above all else.

They were all trying to tempt me with sweet talk and exceptional terms because they wanted to recruit me right now, but would they really keep every promise?

It had been the same in games.

At first, big guilds would power-level promising players, shower them with materials, and lure them in as if they'd do anything for them.

Then, once they joined, they would go on about commission fees and how the guild was having a hard time lately. I'd seen plenty of cases where they gaslit their members and sucked them dry.

No matter what was written in the contract, they were the law inside their own Houses.

Even if they changed their tune after I joined, where could someone from a non-House background complain?

And most importantly, I couldn't trust them after seeing the things they'd already done.

Wasn't the reason I had gone through all this trouble, even changing my face, because of them in the first place?

'...Ah. What should I do?'

The Occult Management Bureau had also made several offers.

The amount was modest compared to the Four Great Houses, but the terms were still fairly exceptional.

There was just one problem.

If necessary, I would have to make whatever the people above told me to make.

With a single order from higher up, I'd have to make things I didn't want to make, and if I couldn't get approval, I wouldn't be able to make things I wanted to make.

Ugh. Forget stepping up. This suddenly all feels like too much trouble.

I don't want to do it.

"Ji-an."

"Yes?"

"Isn't there somewhere with enough power that even the Four Great Houses couldn't touch it, but that wouldn't interfere with or bother me at all...?"

"......"

"Haha."

Of course there wasn't. It sounded ridiculous even as I said it.

There was no way a place that perfect existed...

"Knowing you would say that, I actually arranged one final meeting. Would you like to meet just one more party?"

'...One more place?'

At this point, I felt like everywhere would be the same.