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Chapter 7

Se-Hoon looked at the one Hans Barmuth had made.

His previous work was a rapier, and just now he forged a shield.

The shield wasn’t too shabby—a small, round shield that was commonly referred to as a buckler. It wasn’t a bad choice at all.

But... Se-Hoon found the shield not up to par when he examined it closely.

“Well then, I’ll start by inspecting Hans’s work first,” said Ryu Eun-Ha.

The shield had a cross-shaped centerpiece, with a blue sheen running down the outer surface. It was engraved with patterns that looked like waves, and its appearance was very classy.

[Wellenschild]

[Tier: Advanced] [Quality: Excellent]

[The potential stored in the ore has been maximized while forging this shield, allowing it to enhance the output of water elemental mana. It also has the ability to convert pure mana into water elemental mana.

*Amplifies the power of water elemental mana

*Enables the conversion of pure mana into water elemental mana]

“This shield has both mana amplification and elemental conversion attributes; you’ve done a great job applying these two sophisticated skills,” remarked Ryu Eun-Ha with a calm face.

Yeah, the focus of this additional test is the compatibility with the equipment from the entrance exam. As far as that goes, I still have a chance. Hans’s expression softened slightly.

As Se-Hoon’s newly forged equipment could outshine his entrance exam submission, the proof of the pudding would be in the eating. Hans felt a surge of renewed determination.

“But.”

After putting down the Wellenschild, Eun-Ha continued with her assessment impassively.

“The shield’s center of gravity is off, and the magic circuit is too exposed. It seems like you intentionally designed it for easy discharge of converted mana, but if mana discharges at this rate, the effectiveness of the shield will quickly decline after blocking a few attacks.”

“...”

“Additionally, as I examined the structure, it seems that using elemental conversion could cause permanent damage to the shield. Do you have any measures in place to address this issue?”

Her relentless criticisms poured forth without a moment of respite. Hans’s face quickly turned pale as he heard each irrefutable point, and Michael Barmuth’s expression turned grim. Indeed, this shield looked classy, but that only served to mask its impracticality.

“Seems like you don’t have any measures to address the issue. Next time, it might be wise to pay more attention to the practicality and maintenance of the weapon,” advised Eun-Ha.

“Yes... yes,” replied Hans.

“And also, the compatibility with your previous work seems lacking. A plain sword-and-shield pair is a rather simplistic approach. And with that, my evaluation is over.”

Once she finished her evaluation, the attention in the room naturally shifted to Michael. With a frown of disapproval, he responded briefly.

“My evaluation is the same as yours, ma’am.”

“Ah...” Upon the realization that he hadn’t received an evaluation from Michael, Hans lowered his head in disappointment. The sight intensified the glare in Michael’s eyes. It was certain that Hans would be scolded once they returned home. Witnessing the scene, Se-Hoon chuckled sardonically.

Her evaluation is as precise as ever, just like how it was before the regression.

Se-Hoon was satisfied that Eun-Ha had said what he wanted to say, though it was in a more gentle manner.

Kim In-Cheol cleared his throat to defuse the tense atmosphere.

“Ahem. Well then, up next is Lee Se-Hoon—”

“I’ll evaluate it first.” Before In-Cheol could finish his words, Eun-Ha stepped forward. While everyone was taken aback by her proactive stance, she carefully scrutinized the Flaming Scabbard.

The scabbard emanated a subtle crimson glow, with triangular patterns engraved on it at regular intervals, resembling teeth.

After studying the form of the scabbard attentively, she slowly lifted her head.

“Lee Se-Hoon.”

“Yes?” replied Se-Hoon.

“Will you sell this scabbard to me?”

The unexpected proposal cast a sudden chill through the air, and Michael stared at her in bewilderment.

“Now, hold on... sell the scabbard? What on earth are you talking about all of a sudden?” Michael objected.

A situation where the judge suddenly offered to buy the submitted work was perplexing enough, but what added to Michael’s unease was the difference in her attitude.

She simply trashed Hans’s submission... so how come?

Michael was aware that Se-Hoon’s work was good, but could it really be considered that good?

“I’m not saying that you should sell it to me right now.” Eun-Ha disregarded Michael’s objection casually and proceeded with her proposal.

“After the nomination of the honor student and the entrance ceremony, all previously submitted works will be returned to the students. When that happens, you can sell it to me if you wish.”

“...”

“It may be poor-quality Rare equipment, but I’ll buy it for five times the market price. How does that sound?”

“...Ra-Rare tier?” Michael’s face was painted with astonishment at Eun-Ha’s words.

He found himself taken aback when he heard that it was Rare-tier equipment, as he imagined it to be at most Advanced tier.

“Ma’am.” In-Cheol, who had been silently standing by, spoke calmly. “We’re still in the middle of the evaluation for the test, so it might be better to refrain from private conversations for now.”

“...I see. My apologies.” Nodding her head slightly, she put down the Flaming Scabbard and looked back at Se-Hoon.

“Have you ever forged a piece of Rare-tier equipment before?”

“No ma’am. I haven’t.” Of course, if he were to include the ones he forged before the regression, then he couldn’t even remember how many he had forged. However, in this current timeline, this was the first time he had forged Rare-tier equipment.

“So, today marks the first time you’ve crafted a piece of Rare-tier equipment. Yet, you don’t seem to be too pleased. I heard that in the blacksmithing industry, reaching this stage is considered an important step that leads beyond being a novice and to gaining recognition. Is that not the case?”

Being able to forge Rare-tier equipment was a sign that one had begun to establish their foundation as a blacksmith. It meant that the blacksmith had skills that went beyond just preserving the properties of the materials and into the realm of imbuing them with new powers and skills.

“It’s not like you used high-quality materials... so what part of it isn’t to your liking?” Persisting with her questioning, Eun-Ha looked at Se-Hoon with a perplexed expression, as she found his reaction somewhat puzzling.

Could it be that the dean is harboring suspicions about Lee Se-Hoon? Michael’s eyes sparkled with hope.

While it was not uncommon for a student’s skills to improve suddenly one day, Se-Hoon’s improvement was too drastic. Although it would make sense if he had entered the Tower of Heroes before, that wasn’t the case; he wouldn’t have had the chance to do so as a new student.

Michael grasped onto his one last hope, thinking the dean might have uncovered something he hadn’t.

“No, it’s just because I don’t like this scabbard,” muttered Se-Hoon, expressionlessly. “Wouldn’t it be weird if I was happy when my first Rare-tier piece of equipment turned out like this?”

This scabbard was helpful to Se-Hoon when it came to confirming the effect of Bond Imprint, but if he judged it solely based on the item properties, there were more than a few aspects that he was not pleased with.

Moreover, there wasn’t actually any reason for him to be happy, considering this wasn’t exactly his first time forging Rare equipment.

“...”

“...”

In response to Se-Hoon’s reply, which none of them could have predicted, Michael looked perplexed, while Hans looked on with a dazed face. In-Cheol, suppressing the urge to chuckle by biting his lips, cleared his throat.

“Lee...Lee Se-Hoon, please don’t be impolite.”

“Okay. I’ll be careful.”

“...”

Eun-Ha had been silently observing Se-Hoon. Moments later, she seemed to conclude her thoughts and spoke up again.

"Now, let’s get to the actual evaluation. The scabbard itself is excellent. The weight distribution is even, and the shape is well-defined. It seems you’ve considered equipping it in battle. Is that correct?”

“Yes, that is correct.”

"Just as I thought. Its effectiveness in storing flames and the attributes of the Five-Flame Sword seem to have a favorable synergy. And most importantly...”

She gripped the Flaming Scabbard and infused it with her mana. As others were puzzled over her actions, the Flaming Scabbard began to glow with an increasingly vibrant red light.

Fwoosh!

Flames naturally wrapped around the entire scabbard. They weren’t just simply radiating from the scabbard; they moved as if they were flowing down the surface.

She then gently touched the flame with her fingertips.

Fwoosh!

Even though the contact was minimal, the flames swiftly transferred onto her hand. While the extraordinary spread of flames astonished everyone, she nodded in acknowledgment.

“Using the difference in compression rate in the magic circuit to impart a flow that enhances the spreading power of the flames was exceptionally delicio—uh, I mean, outstanding,” she said as she set down the Flaming Scabbard and looked at Se-Hoon.

“However, looking at the structure of the skill Untamed Fire, it seems it will permanently reduce the durability of the scabbard when used. Do you have any plans to address this problem?”

This was the same issue that she had pointed out in Hans’s equipment. Se-Hoon couldn’t avoid it as it was a common drawback with equipment forged with alchemical forging.

“If the scabbard is soaked in mana-infused essence, its durability can be restored.”

He knew that even such fundamental drawbacks could be easily resolved as long as the Ore Essence was preserved.

“Huu...”

“...”

Upon Se-Hoon’s response, Michael let out a deep sigh. Hans, once again, dropped his head low.

“Do you have any additional comments or opinions you would like us to hear, Vice Dean?”

“...None at all.”

“Then it seems the results are clear.”

Se-Hoon had managed to forge a piece of equipment with outstanding performance, and it even ensured continuous usage.

“The honor student contender for the Department of Blacksmithing will be Lee Se-Hoon.”

This outcome was as plain as day.

***

After the test, In-Cheol remained in the test room as Eun-Ha requested. He looked at her with a puzzled expression, as she was staring at the Flaming Scabbard and the Five-Flame Sword placed on the table. Having never seen her show such interest in a student’s work, he asked her carefully, “Do you deem Lee Se-Hoon as the future honor student of the entire College of Borsippa?”

“Yes, that seems to be the case.”

His eyes widened at her prompt reply.

“Are you really sure?”

While being able to forge Rare-tier equipment was certainly noteworthy among freshmen, he didn’t think that it was enough to declare Se-Hoon as the honor student of the entire college.

“Do you have a different opinion, Professor Kim?”

“Well, I do think that this scabbard is forged excellently, but... I’m not entirely sure if it’s outstanding enough to overshadow the top students from other faculties.”

“From the appearance alone, it’s reasonable for you to believe that. However, the true value of this weapon lies in its skill.”

The skill stored in the Flaming Scabbard was Untamed Fire. Even at the same grade and quality, the value of the equipment could vary significantly based on the skill they had. If she had given a high rating to the Flaming Scabbard’s skill, her surprisingly positive evaluation actually made sense.

Is the skill truly at that level...?

Creating a new skill was not easy, but enhancing its efficiency and performance was on a completely different level. It required an understanding of the skill’s structure, imaginative design to tailor it to the equipment, and the ability to implement it into the equipment. If forging a piece of Raretier equipment was the starting point, tuning the skill until perfection was several steps beyond that.

“Hmm. Professor Kim, you may not be aware of the details since you haven’t examined the scabbard closely. Since I’m curious as well, let’s take a look at how it works.”

“Huh?”

Holding the scabbard, she stood up, covered its mouth with her palm, and infused her mana into it.

Mana accumulated inside the scabbard without leaking out. The scabbard was absorbing her rather turbulent mana effortlessly compared to other pieces of equipment. She had a peculiar expression on her face as she observed the scabbard’s reaction to her mana.

It is rather strange.

Though she was sure that this was the first time she had met Se-Hoon, his equipment was perfectly tailored to her needs, as if she had personally commissioned him to forge this for her. Due to this incomprehensible suitability, she had been unable to maintain her composure, which had led her to urge him to sell the scabbard to her.

...I should calm down.

She suppressed her desire firmly and extended her hand forward like she was unsheathing a sword.

“Untamed Fire.”

The instant she called out the name of the skill, condensed mana surged forth.

Booom-!

A colossal flame engulfed the entire room. Although the protective spells successfully warded it off, the sheer magnitude left In-Cheol\'s eyes wide in astonishment.

“What in the world...”

This was a skill that compressed the mana stored in the scabbard and released it all in a single breath. The skill had a complicated structure, and any mistake in the compression, adjustment, or release of mana could lead to the scabbard breaking apart. Yet, Se-Hoon had flawlessly crafted it without a hint of imperfection.

“How does it look?”

“If the scale of the skill is this great... this scabbard is unquestionably amazing.”

Perhaps even Michael wouldn’t be able to brush aside these results. Somewhat relieved, In-Cheol glanced at Eun-Ha, who was once again examining the Flaming Scabbard.

“Seems like you took quite a liking to that.”

“Yes, it’s the most intriguing item I’ve seen recently.”

In-Cheol was astonished at her reply. While she was known to be stringent, especially when it came to equipment, he was surprised to see her praising a piece of Rare-tier equipment so highly. Intrigued, he couldn’t help but ask cautiously, “Which part of it is most intriguing to you?”

“Hmm. Just looking at this scabbard right now... there are quite a few shortcomings. His overall craftsmanship seems decent, but his physical abilities fall short, which led to some hasty adjustments.”

She looked down at the Flaming Scabbard with keen eyes.

“My thoughts are that Lee Se-Hoon only achieved around seventy percent of his desired outcome, or maybe even less.”

“Huh...”

“And it’s precisely because he didn’t manage to do all he wanted that I’m looking forward to the day he’s able to.”

She slowly stroked the scabbard, her red eyes gleaming faintly.

“What will happen if his limitations in physical abilities are addressed? Imagine him possessing a range of skills, diverse elemental mana, and access to exceptional materials.”

As if she was foreseeing that future, she unconsciously licked her lips, and her expressionless face revealed a subtle glint of anticipation.

“Perhaps... he’ll forge an exceptionally delicious piece of equipment.”

“...”

Eun-Ha’s answer left In-Cheol with a peculiar expression on his face.

Her official title as an S-ranker was Weapon Eater, but in the blacksmithing world, she was known by a different nickname: the Gourmet. She took pleasure in savoring the taste of equipment, treating it as a culinary hobby. She acquired meticulously crafted equipment, indulged in them as one would in a meal, and then left behind stringent evaluations as a discerning critic.

This was who Ryu Eun-Ha truly was.

A blacksmith who made the famous Gourmet look forward to his work...

Was this to be deemed as misfortune, or should it be counted as luck? In-Cheol chuckled at the sight of Eun-Ha as she continued to caress the scabbard with an expressionless face.