Within the human faction, there were numerous workshops, large and small, and among them, the most famous were these Four Great Workshops.
The majority of humans and the government commissioned these Four Great Workshops.
As such, the Four Great Workshops were top-tier, but there existed one unique, ultimate elite workshop that surpassed even them.
That was none other than
The Genius Workshop was the supreme workshop personally commanded by none other than the Star God of the Smithing Constellation, the Star God of Capricorn.
Moreover, it was the only place capable of producing SS-grade items, so its prestige was immense.
And while the Saint of Capricorn had once been a member of the Genius Workshop, they were currently missing for unknown reasons (?).
In any case, the news that I Geon had crafted an item of the highest grade—something only the Genius Workshop could supposedly make—had caused an uproar across the world.
- Wow. If I Geon can make SS-grade, we don't need to use the Genius Workshop anymore, right?
- Whoa, craaazy, I Geon is absolutely broken.
- More importantly, he's not even a Saint of Capricorn, but can produce SS-grade? Maybe he made some kind of deal with the Capricorn Star God?
- Have you ever seen the Capricorn Star God bestow favors on someone who isn't even their own Saint?
- Huh, then he made an SS-grade on his own??
- It's a shock to begin with that I Geon was even a production class.
- Normally crafters don't raise combat skills, do they?
- Isn't this fake? Are we sure they're reacting to the actual result sheet?
- Heh, 100% he's going to turn out to be a full combat class. Otherwise, that insane combat power makes no sense. Either that, or it's fake news.
SS-grade was the sole identity of the Genius Workshop. It was only natural that the Genius Workshop would step in, flustered.
‘There's no way a brute fighter could make an SS-grade.’
‘Even if it looks SS-grade, it will shatter before the real thing.’
But that wasn't all.
‘This was a golden opportunity to sell weapons for the territory reclamation campaign.’
After eliminating the Plenty, signs were showing that a subjugation war—one they hadn't been able to attempt for 20 years—was about to resume.
And massive subjugation wars inevitably meant massive equipment sales.
It was a chance for Capricorn's fame to rise.
In fact, support was already pouring in from various nations.
However.
‘That bastard I Geon.’
And if rumors continued to spread about I Geon's weapons being extraordinary?
It was a fatal blow to Capricorn.
‘We absolutely must stop this.’
If they couldn't resolve this disgrace, weapon commissions might all flock to I Geon.
‘An amateur, at best.’
And at this very moment.
To reveal the truth. To reclaim the Genius Workshop's prestige.
The artisans swung their own swords.
Swish!
And the instant that sword struck I Geon's bow!
Clang!
The sound of shattering metal rang out.
At last, at that dizzying noise, the Saints squeezed their eyes shut.
“Ah, the SS-grade bow broke…!! Bow weapons are so rare….”
“Even if it wasn't SS-grade, it would've been at least S-grade…!”
“As expected of the Genius Workshop's weapons….”
But when they opened their eyes, they nearly screamed.
“Wh-what the!”
Because it wasn't the bow that had broken, but the Genius Workshop's longsword.
Wondering if they'd seen wrong, they opened their eyes again to check, but it was the same.
The blade of the longsword that had struck the bow's body had been mercilessly shattered, its hilt-end driven into the floor.
Cheers erupted through the hall in an instant.
“The Genius Workshop's weapon broke!”
“What is this, is this real!?”
The hall was thrown into massive uproar.
And in this situation, the one doubting their own eyes the most was the one who had swung the sword.
‘H-have they lost their minds!?’
No, why did this break!
Staring at the sword snapped clean in half, they stood utterly pale.
And then, in that dizzying moment, a voice rang out!
“The one that struck broke! The Genius Workshop's item shattered!”
Flustered, the artisans hurriedly hid the sword.
Then shouted urgently.
“E-everyone! It was a mistake!”
“!”
The hall, which had been in commotion, fell silent.
And the artisans spoke.
“The weapon was switched. This one had nearly exhausted its durability. Haha, so many of them look identical, you see.”
The hall buzzed again.
“They say its durability was all used up.”
“But it was gleaming bright, wasn't it?”
“Ah, it's an item made by the Genius Workshop. A cake that looks good is even better. Besides, they've made so many SS-grades, it's easy to mix them up.”
“True.”
“Hey! Check the grade again too! Didn't you mistake it for a C-grade because they look the same? As if a sword couldn't break a bow, hahaha.”
At those words, the artisans broke into a sweat.
In the end, they urgently gestured to their disciples.
“Hey. Quickly bring another one. No. 3.”
“Y-yes?”
“B-but No. 3 is…”
“What are you doing, not fetching it right now!”
Bewildered, the disciples rushed off.
And at the item they brought back, the hall stirred once more.
Even the Saint of Sagittarius gaped as if dumbfounded.
Because this time, what they brought was a greatsword.
Its size and thickness made it seem impossible to lift for anyone but the physically powerful Saints of Leo.
As a result, the Saints of Sagittarius were horrified and grabbed onto Gote.
“I think they're going to strike with that… that hammer-like thing!”
“Yah! You thugs! A greatsword against a bow is just low!”
“Aagh! No! Those guys… They're determined to break it, not test it!”
“Gote! The item Lord I Geon worked so hard to make is going to snap in two! Get it back, quickly!”
Gote, too, flustered, tried to step in.
“No, I did say you could test it all you want, but seriously trying to break it on purpose is too much!”
So much so that, uncharacteristically referring to him as 'the great Lord I Geon,' Gote had been passionately moved by the bow, pouring his affection into it.
It was understandable he'd grow desperate.
At this rate, it wasn't testing—it was torture.
But before Gote could even step onto the stage, the greatsword slammed down on the bow.
Boom!!!
This time, the sound was completely different from before.
At the same time, a scream rang out.
Clang!
Because along with a clear sound, something could be heard shattering.
Simultaneously, as a chunk of metal flew into the air, Gote screamed as if on the verge of tears.
“Aack! My weapon that Lord I Geon made for me!”
“Aaaagh! Those bastards finally caused an accident….”
However, the Saints of Sagittarius, who had been about to rush forward, opened their eyes wide.
And along with that, screams burst from the hall.
“Aaaack! What is that!”
“Amazing, it's unscathed! What is that!”
“The greatsword shattered to pieces again!”
“This is insane!!!!”
Indeed.
This time too, the one smashed to pieces was the Genius Workshop's weapon!
The artisans, holding a sword reduced to its grip, trembled as they looked at the perfectly intact bow.
‘Th-this is crazy…!’
The sleek bow, tinged with a reddish glow, didn't have even a single tiny scratch.
As a result, they had no choice but to fall into a complete mental breakdown.
‘This is impossible. This greatsword was personally made by the Saint.’
‘I definitely struck it with a full-power swing!’
‘What's more, I hit the weakest joint part!’
Unable to accept it, they slammed down with the remaining grip again and again, but...
[
[ Though it doesn't understand the reason, it says it feels quite refreshing, and asks you to scratch its back too. ]
[ Through the power of the massage(?),
“What is this thing! How can a mere bow be this hard!”
In the end, the hall filled with screams and cheers at that message.
And the Saints of Sagittarius covered their mouths, deeply moved.
“Damn it, we received something incredible…!!”
“To think its durability would be this high!”
It was no wonder; that greatsword was a famous Tier 1 item known to have been made by the Capricorn Saint himself!
For them, who had always used cheap gear, this was a supreme honor.
And that wasn't all.
“To even think of breaking our weapon with a mere sword in the first place. Aren't we being too underestimated? How sturdy must the base material be just to withstand our grip strength!”
“That's right! Honestly, this thing Lord I Geon made is so tough, the bow stave alone could count as a lethal weapon!”
“And yet it's absurdly light…!”
“Yes…! It's insane! The ones we used to buy from Capricorn were so heavy….”
“But when we asked those bastards to make it lighter, all they did was complain about our strength!”
The Saints of Sagittarius recalled the weapons they had each received and wept.
‘Long live Lord I Geon.’
There may be those who have never used I Geon's weapons, but there will be none who use them just once.
And it was at that moment.
No matter how much they tried to break it, the bow, far from taking damage, seemed to glint as if asking for more back-scratching, and the artisans were thrown into a mental breakdown.
‘This is absurd.’
It had been made using a blueprint received from the Saint, the Star God.
No matter what, to this extent…!
But soon, they came to know the reason.
[ This bow can be made well by any old fool or cow, it says. ]
[ That I Geon and the Sagittarius Constellation are an uncannily well-matched partner relationship, it says. ]
[ The Master of the Scorching Heat constellation probably sprinkled the
[ If you lot had that
[ So stop this pointless comparison match and return at once, it tel... ]
The artisans' eyes flashed at the urgent revelation from the Capricorn Star God.
“So it's fine as long as it's not the bow!”
[ ?! ]
They seemed to finally accept it.
“Right. Since they're friends with the Sagittarius Constellation, of course they'd have the blueprint for the Imperial Sacred Relic!”
“W-we could make something similar if we just had that!”
They hurriedly brought out I Geon's sword, which they had received earlier from the Sagittarius Saints.
“Indeed, to compare, it should be sword versus sword. As if a bow means anything.”
As they took out the sword, the Sagittarius Saints flinched.
Because what they had brought this time was a crafted item of I Geon's, sent by Hugo.
“H-hey. Is that sword really okay?”
“Uh, well… that's definitely a junk item Lord I Geon made to use when preparing jerky….”
“What?! Then that isn't even a combat weapon! Agh!”
“If that thing gets smashed, those guys will have their mental victory for sure!”
At the sight of them panicking, wondering why the Constellation Lord had sent that of all things, the Sagittarius Saints were horrified.
Clang!
“!?”
A roaring cheer echoed through the hall.
“Whoaaaa! The sword broke too!”
“Genius Workshop, three straight losses!”
“Spread the word! Tell them to commission weapons from the Serpent Bearer Constellation, not the Genius Workshop!”
At their reaction, the faces of the Genius Workshop's artisans went deathly pale.
It wasn't just the problem of their own weapons breaking.
‘If this fact gets out, we're in serious trouble.’
Perhaps because of that.
“This is… really…!”
Without realizing it, they tried to use a Disassembly skill.
They were convinced that a strange device must have been planted in the weapon.
“Quick, disassemble it!”
But that moment was precisely then.
Crackle!!
Just as the lightning-like force of the Disassembly skill was about to touch the weapon—
Boom!!!
I Geon's weapons, which had been fast asleep, shot upright.
[ Enraged, it demands to know why the massage intensity is this pathetic. ]
[ Furious, it declares the service quality is terrible. ]
Gote's bow and I Geon's sword floated up, beginning to unleash their own magical power.
And then they attacked the artisans!
At the sight of weapons emitting power on their own, the hall turned into an even greater crucible of excitement than before.
It couldn't be helped.
“What the! Why are they moving by themselves!?”
“Are they possessed by ghosts!?”
It was right then.
“Ghosts my ass! Wanna die!?”
“!”
A familiar voice rang out in the hall. It was none other than Cheon Seongjae, veins bulging with anger.
And then.
“Every single thing Lord I Geon makes is a weapon imbued with an ego capable of growth on its own!”
At that, the hall stirred wildly.
Not just durability, but a weapon that reacted on its own, no less!
“Is that true!?”
“Hey, move! I'm commissioning an item from Lord I Geon!”
“Prefer Lord I Geon over leaving it to the Genius Workshop!”
And that wasn't all.
As Seongjae kicked Gote aside, muttering about what nonsense he was up to, Gote, realizing his mistake, reached out his hand.
Calling its name was a given.
At that, Gote's bow, which had been craving a massage, instantly teleported into his hand.
Flash!
The Saints were startled.
“What the, teleportation?”
“Special Serpent Bearer Constellation imprinting service. For those who want it, 100 million per session.”
Watching Seongjae doing business in the middle of all this, Gote's jaw dropped.
But regardless, the Saints cheered and swarmed toward Cheon Seongjae.
“Lord I Geon, are you not accepting weapon crafting commissions?”
“Please! Please craft our weapons!”
“Ah, I don't know about that, but if you get just one imprint each, I'll... put in a word to Lord I Geon.”
“Right now! I'll buy the service!”
“No, we were first!”
“Aaagh! Sorry! Today's imprint service slots are all sold out. Instead, if you buy a numbered Lord I Geon figurine, I'll definitely tell him about you. Of course, the final decision is up to Lord I Geon, but if you're okay with that, prices start at 5,000. First come, first served, 10 people only.”
“I'll buy it! 6,000!”
“Me! 7,000!”
“No! Me! 8,000!”
“9,000! Please put in a good word to Lord I Geon!”
At the surging crowd, Cheon Seongjae smiled like a little tailed devil.
And at that sight, the Sagittarius Saints broke into a sweat.
“Um, wasn't that figurine just C-grade junk made by Seongjae? Isn't selling it at that price a scam?”
“Shh.”
“Wow, look at Seongjae selling those and then making them do SNS verification.”
“That's totally a cult recruitment activity… Huh, the faith in the Serpent Bearer Constellation is just skyrocketing….”
“200 million!!”
“……Wow. Our Constellation Lord should've been earning money like that…”
The Sagittarius Saints shed tears.
And at that sight, the artisans trembled.
“Our Genius Workshop's prestige…!”
Perhaps because of that. They glared fiercely and grabbed the shoulders of the Sagittarius Saints.
“That bow! How long did it take to make!?”
“Excuse me? Definitely 4 we—Aaaaagh!”
The Sagittarius Saints were swept away by the crowd. But having roughly heard the number, the artisans smiled.
‘Four weeks!’
It took four weeks to make a combat-use weapon!
‘We can craft one in three weeks.’
They bristled.
“We didn't want to go this far.”
“We will personally invite I Geon to the hallowed place where our Star God rests.”
* * *
And around that time.
“What? Three weeks? It takes you a whole three weeks just to make a single weapon?”
I Geon looked at Hugo as if dumbfounded.
Never mind the money and contributions suddenly flooding into the Serpent Bearer Constellation—
“Huh. Even taking it easy, I'd wrap it up in three days. What, do you plant the materials and grow them?”
“Well, yes. But still, working 24 hours nonstop, that's the kind of… What!? Three days!? It took longer when you made ours!”
“Why would I go all-out making stuff for you guys? What you got was plenty sufficient. For blockheads who can't even use it properly if I gave it.”
“#$*&#*!”
“A joke, just a joke.”
I Geon looked up at his fiercely boiling furnace.
Hanging there was the Saint of the Pisces Constellation.
(To be continued in the next episode)