WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ The S-Classes That I Raised ◈

Chapter 72: Blacksmith Debut (2)

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“Um, I wasn’t trying to deceive you. But it turns out we hadn’t met before we ran into each other at the Hunter Association. I guess that means I did lie, but it wasn’t intentional.”

I rambled as I fiddled with the spear. I thought I could brush it off by calling it a misunderstanding, but I hadn’t expected such a complete lack of reaction. Shouldn’t he at least be a little surprised?

Myeongu, who had been quietly looking at me, opened his mouth.

“Even if you had deceived me, I wouldn’t care.”

“...Huh?”

“If you did lie to me, Yujin, I’d say thank you for deceiving me.”

Myeongu said it with a smile. No, why would he be grateful for that...?

“Why are you the one getting flustered? Look at me. Yu Myeongu, the man with an SS-Class Crafting Skill.”

He spread both arms wide as he continued.

“Han Yujin, you made this happen. You took an ordinary F-Class Hunter and turned him into this. That was you.”

...It wasn’t wrong, but accepting it just like that made my conscience twinge.

“It’s true I helped you, but obtaining an SS-Class skill was the result of your effort and talent.”

“What good is a jewel among gravel? I was about to roll into the mud.”

“Even so.”

“Don’t deny it so much. You’re going to hurt my feelings. No matter what anyone says, I’m only here like this because of you. Talent and effort mean nothing if the circumstances aren’t there. Aren’t I living proof?”

As he spoke, Myeongu gave my shoulder a light pat. Except it was stronger than I expected.

“Ow, that hurt.”

Grrrr.

As I staggered and clutched my shoulder, an ominous sound suddenly reached me. I hurriedly looked around to see Peace baring their teeth. Blue had spread its wings halfway, too. Even Peep was staring intently at Myeongu.

I had a feeling something terrible would happen if I left them alone.

“No, it doesn’t hurt! I was joking, joking. Peace, put your fangs away. Blue, fold your wings. And Peep, what are you even planning to do? Anyway, calm down, everyone.”

Peace, it wasn’t like you’d only known Myeongu for a day or two. Were you really baring your teeth over this? It had been understandable with Seong Hyeonje because he was unfamiliar.

“Myeongu is my friend. My friend.”

Fortunately, the kids soon returned to normal. I let out a sigh and turned back to Myeongu.

“Sorry. I think they misunderstood.”

“No, I just failed to control my strength properly.”

“That’s because you’ve been hammering metal all day. Take breaks while you work.”

“It’s more because my stats increased.”

“...What?”

His stats went up again? Did Myeongu have a different system from everyone else? Why did they keep rising? Myeongu pointed with his chin at the spear I was holding.

“They said it was a reward for making my first S-Class item. My stats went up when I made an A-Class item too, but back then it wasn’t enough to make strength control difficult. This time, they rose quite a bit, so I guess I haven’t adjusted yet.”

There was a reward like that? I didn’t know whether it was an existing system feature or consideration from his predecessor, but it was outrageous.

“Let’s calculate your stats.”

I added up the stats Myeongu called out and divided them. The average was...

“...C-Class.”

Had he gone up to D-Class when he made the A-Class item? At this rate, would he become B-Class after making an SS-Class item, A-Class after an SSS-Class item, and S-Class after an L-Class item?

Maybe Myeongu really was the protagonist, and I was just support. He would make his own equipment and do everything himself.

‘I need something that raises my stats too.’

Not something awful that would make me stronger for a week by grinding up someone else’s life and my mental health.

“Are you going to start as F-Class and end up S-Class?”

“I’d like to say no way, but who knows?”

Myeongu looked down at his palm. When we first met, he had been wan and pale. His hands couldn’t have been any different. At most, they would have had some pen calluses, weak and lifeless.

But now, they were solid.

They had calluses, of course, and his fingers had visibly thickened. There were scars he hadn’t had time to treat. Their color and shape looked like the hands of an artisan who had been hammering metal for over a year.

“Who would’ve guessed I’d become like this? So an F-Class could become S-Class. You never know.”

I started to think that Myeongu had talent from the beginning, but then I remembered what the system administrators had said. Without the system’s limits, it wasn’t impossible for an ordinary person to grow into the strongest in the world.

They had said the system was expected to disappear in roughly ten years. When that happened, perhaps people could become A-Class or S-Class without exceptional talent, even if they weren’t unusual cases like Myeongu.

“Yeah. You never know.”

You really never knew. Who would’ve thought I would go back in time and end up like this?

“Now let’s show everyone else something they never expected.”

I took out my phone and opened the contact list, packed full now. A smile naturally spread across my face as I scrolled down.

* * *

The Hunter Association President said he couldn’t believe it when I contacted him, then made an uncharacteristically huge fuss about coming here immediately in person. His reaction was even bigger than when it was me.

It was understandable. The Hunter Association’s main source of income was the production and sale of various items, including those sold through the market and potions. The items they made directly were mostly curse-related, so they had little to do with Myeongu, who primarily made equipment. The same went for potions.

But the Hunter Market was different.

The commission from auctioning S-Class equipment or higher would be substantial, but the greater advantage was that a regular supply could become possible. Its value would rise greatly just from high-grade Hunters around the world visiting and its name becoming known.

Of course, whether things would go as well as the president hoped was another matter.

Before long, calls and messages began pouring into my phone. Somehow, Myeongu’s phone was buzzing nonstop too.

“That number is the Breaker Guild’s Guildmaster.”

Myeongu showed me the number that kept calling, and I checked it before telling him.

“The Guildmaster?”

“Yeah. They must’ve heard that the weapon you made was a spear. She’s an S-Class Hunter who uses a giant spear.”

The Frostwood Spear wasn’t for charging into battle. It really was perfect for Yerim. Its mana stat increase ratio was high, too.

“If it seems bothersome, change your number while you’re at it. Even if you don’t change the number, at least get a new phone.”

His phone had to be at least three years old. It was about time.

“Only the Association and guilds are contacting you for now, but once it gets broadcast, even your most distant relatives will make your phone ring off the hook.”

Myeongu still looked like he couldn’t quite believe it. That wouldn’t last long, though.

* * *

“Mister! And our Myeongu oppa!”

When we opened the makeup room door, Yerim, who was already being groomed, threw both arms wide and called out. Before he could even respond, Myeongu was dragged away by the staff. All his usual clothes had become too small, leaving him looking like a complete mess, so they had to replace everything from head to toe.

After I spent about an hour fooling around with Yerim, Myeongu appeared, looking awkward.

“Oh, you look like a completely different person. Don’t you think?”

“Seriously, it feels like I’m seeing someone for the first time.”

I said it half-jokingly, but compared to when we first met, he really did look like a different person. The face beneath his neatly styled hair was similar, but the expression he wore was entirely different. More than anything, his body was different. The frail look of someone who might topple over with a tap was completely gone. He had grown taller, but the lines of his thickened forearms were also clear beneath his fitted summer dress shirt.

His back was straight, and his shoulders had broadened. From behind, even the parents who gave birth to him wouldn’t recognize him.

I was jealous.

“They even put makeup on me... Can you tell? Is it weird?”

“No, it’s fine. It looks natural. You’re handsome.”

“That’s right! You look amazing, totally handsome!”

Yerim, who was about to empty her bank account, made a great fuss. An S-Class weapon with no market price had to go to auction, so it would normally be impossible for a rookie Hunter who had never even entered an S-Class dungeon to afford it.

Our Yerim had only recently been so confident about how much money she made, and now she was about to become a debtor. She would pay it off quickly, though.

“It seems you are all ready.”

Yoohyun came in and exchanged a brief greeting with Myeongu. Then he beckoned me over. When I approached, he asked in a low voice.

“Did you tell him?”

“I did. He says he doesn’t care. He said even if I had deceived him, it would be fine.”

“That’s a relief.”

Yoohyun nodded and looked at Myeongu with a slightly softer expression.

“Be good to him for real now. Get along.”

“I’ll try.”

That answer contained one hundred percent pure insincerity.

* * *

The Hunter Association press conference room, where Yu Myeongu’s skill would be revealed and verified, was already packed with reporters. The details hadn’t been released yet, but word seemed to be spreading through the grapevine.

There were familiar faces in the waiting room connected to the conference hall.

“It has been a while, Hunter Han Yujin.”

Park Mingyu, Hanshin Guild’s Guildmaster, greeted me before turning his gaze to Myeongu. As a defense-type Hunter, Myeongu’s equipment must interest him more than the mounts I raised. Still, he greeted me first.

The MKC Guildmaster probably didn’t have the nerve to show their face, while Moon Hyuna was absent due to an urgent dungeon raid.

“Hello, Mr. Han Yujin. Have you been well?”

Kang Soyoung, Sesung’s A-Class Hunter with the Dragon Rider skill, greeted me too. Behind her stood the Sesung Guildmaster.

“I heard you have been struggling because of the new S-Class monsters.”

No bouquet this time. I’d thought he might give one to Myeongu too. Seong Hyeonje approached me and bent slightly. His low voice brushed against my ear.

“Even if I cannot help you tend the young ones, I can assist in handling the old one.”

It seemed he had heard about what happened at the Awakening Center. I smiled back at Seong Hyeonje.

“I’m good at both.”

“That makes me want to calmly discuss what else you are good at. Alone with Mr. Han Yujin.”

“Are you inviting me to your home?”

“I have never invited anyone before. Do you wish to come?”

“If I would be your first guest, that is too much pressure. I will decline.”

He had never invited anyone to his house? He probably had no friends. It certainly seemed likely.

The moment Seong Hyeonje stepped back, Yoohyun pulled me toward him. There was no need to be so wary. I wasn’t going to Sesung.

Seong Hyeonje kept his gaze on me for a moment before turning to Myeongu.

“Hunter Yu Myeongu, let me first offer my congratulations.”

Even the mighty Sesung Guildmaster couldn’t disregard a blacksmith. He turned his interest to Myeongu right after me.

That man hadn’t even looked at Yoohyun or Yerim. Myeongu was far more important than S-Class Hunters belonging to other guilds, though.

“Um, Mr. Han Yujin.”

As Seong Hyeonje moved away, Kang Soyoung came to speak to me again.

“Even though several new monsters have arrived, there is still room, right?”

“Yes, of course. It seems the Dark Dragon hasn’t arrived yet.”

When I asked quietly, Kang Soyoung sighed with a worried expression.

“It has taken so long that it seems the nest spawned properly. I hope everyone returns safely.”

“They’ll be fine.”

They had said it was a dungeon that had been around for quite some time with complete raid information. Nothing should happen.

While I spoke with Kang Soyoung for a moment, Myeongu, freed from Seong Hyeonje, was quickly surrounded by people. I considered going over, but left him alone. There would be many situations like this in the future, and he had decided to stand on his own. He needed to get used to it.

‘He doesn’t look that uncomfortable.’

The glimpses I caught of his face showed he was more at ease than I expected. Our Myeongu had changed so much inside and out in such a short time. I had known from the start that he could possess an SS-Class skill, but I never dreamed he would change this much.

Watching him made the corners of my mouth keep lifting with satisfaction.

“Aren’t you going to join them?”

I spoke to Yoohyun beside me. Hunter Kang Soyoung had gone over too.

“What would be the point now?”

“What do you mean, what would be the point? Do your job, Guildmaster.”

“It seems faster to ask you for help than to try to recruit Yu Myeongu.”

What was that supposed to mean?

“Hey, handle your own work. Why are you asking me for something unrelated?”

“You won’t help?”

...It wasn’t that I wouldn’t. He was surprisingly shameless. Still, it was better than simply telling his older brother to sit back and wait. Fine, just trust your brother. It wasn’t like I couldn’t get you a piece of equipment.

A short while later, Myeongu and the Association staff went out to the conference hall. I couldn’t follow, so I watched through a monitor. Myeongu looked quite good on camera too.

After brief greetings and introductions, Myeongu opened his mouth with an unruffled smile.

[The skill I acquired is the SS-Class Crafting Skill, Master of the Golden Forge.]

[Does that mean you can only craft metal items in a forge?]

[As long as an item contains metal, I can make anything.]

His answers were calm, too. I was proud.

[What is the highest grade of item you can craft? If it is SS-Class, surely you can make up to SS-Class items?]

Instead of answering the reporter’s question, Myeongu took out Parmini’s Frostwood Spear. The room fell silent for a moment at the appearance of the extraordinary spear, wreathed in a blue chill. Then the Association’s appraiser took a microphone.

[The Korean Hunter Association guarantees that this Parmini’s Frostwood Spear is an S-Class weapon containing the S-Class skill Ice Attribute Enhancement.]

An S-Class weapon with an S-Class skill. Camera flashes burst noisily to capture Korea’s sixteenth S-Class weapon. After a brief pause, Myeongu spoke again.

[There is no crafting grade limit.]

This time, the silence lasted longer.

“Wow, is that really true?”

Kang Soyoung muttered beside me as we watched the monitor in the waiting room. We hadn’t told the Association that there was no limit to the crafting grade. We had only told them that he had made an S-Class weapon and possessed an SS-Class Crafting Skill.

[T-Then are you saying you can make SS-Class items or even higher, beyond S-Class?]

[There is no limit within the skill, so it is possible. However, to make SS-Class items or higher, I need more proficiency and experience making more items. I have already produced an S-Class item in a short time, so SS-Class items should not be too far away. Someday, it may even be possible to supply them regularly.]

I heard someone swallow dryly. Every Hunter listening to Myeongu, particularly high-grade Hunters, must have had their heart pounding.

It was impossible not to be excited.

SS-Class weapons. Perhaps even beyond that. Even I, with F-Class stats, was looking forward to it. There was no need to say what direct beneficiaries, high-grade Hunters, would feel.

The waiting room remained silent as minor questions continued. Even Seong Hyeonje had fallen quiet, deep in thought.

Everyone was serious and solemn, so it was a little embarrassing that I alone kept wanting to smile, but I was happy. If Myeongu’s stats were still F-Class, I would have been reluctant to reveal this so publicly. But now he was C-Class. With C-Class stats, he would have nothing to worry about as long as he equipped himself well. He could just cover himself in S-Class equipment he made himself. If necessary, he could flee into the forge.

Ah, I really had nothing to worry about. Our Myeongu was truly amazing.

While I grinned at the monitor, Yerim appeared. She was the new owner of Parmini’s Frostwood Spear. In return for the help we had received from Haeyeon Guild, we had decided to sell the first S-Class weapon for the mere sum of one hundred billion won.

It really was mere. Even an ordinary S-Class weapon without a skill had an auction starting price of one hundred billion won.

Yerim’s face shone as she hugged the Frostwood Spear to her chest. Seeing Yerim happy made me happy too.

[Thank you, Hunter Yu Myeongu. And thank you as well, Hunter Han Yujin!]

...Why was I being mentioned? And that wasn’t the end.

[Haeyeon Guild also cooperated in my obtaining an SS-Class skill, but my greatest helper was Hunter Han Yujin. The simple word benefactor is not enough to express...]

Myeongu! This is live! Aaah, someone turn off the monitor! Or at least the sound! No, stop talking.

I could feel stinging gazes raining down on me from every direction. I wanted to die of embarrassment. Even Seong Hyeonje was looking at me with considerable interest.

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