Love Unbreakable - Chapter 2017
Blacksmithing was a profession that had been abolished more than a hundred years ago in South
Korea. Since there were so few people applying for this job, the national qualifications for blacksmithing
were removed as of the year 2000. There was no way that a job that made things by hand would be
able to compete against a factory that produced the same items but faster. Ten years after the
possibility of becoming a blacksmith disappeared, the 3D printing industry also became popular.
In any case, a hundred years had passed since then. Only very few blacksmiths still remained. There
still existed some craftsmen who made a living by taking commissions from the rich, who sought
handmade products just for the sake of romance.
But the world had changed drastically in the last few years. Not just a few rich people, but the vast
majority of people dreamed of becoming blacksmiths in their search for romance. And Grid was the
cause of this.
“……”
Song Juseop was thirty-seven years old. It was because of Grid that he quit the company he used to
work at for and opened a smithy. To be precise, this was because of the events of the Second
International Competition. Back then, Grid had participated in an event called the Blacksmithing
Crafting Competition. [1]
At that time, Satisfy was already a global sensation. People were much more interested in the
International Competition than the World Cup or the Olympics. Watching Grid hammering on iron in
front of so many people was very enjoyable. The other players had looked nervous, as if they were
obsessed with honor and wealth in the game, but Grid was the only one who hammered with a smile,
even though he was sweating profusely in front of a hot furnace.
Song Juseop vividly remembered watching Grid’s bronzed muscles flex every time he worked the
bellows or swung his hammer. This form of beauty couldn’t be found anywhere else. One could even
call it sublime. This was the nobility of a craftsman who had crafted tools to protect people.
At that time, Song Juseop saw some pride in Grid’s smile, and was so fascinated by it that he quit his
job and taught himself to be a blacksmith.
***
‘Does the smithy look like this because the owner is from a privileged background? He has quite a
classic taste.’
According to the content of the document sent by Secretary Jang, there had been a proliferation of
smithies over the past few years, but most of them were equipped with modern equipment, such as
furnaces that maintained the desired temperature at the click of a few buttons, casting machines that
automatically completed all the processes from tempering to casting when ore was thrown in,
mechanical hammers and anvils with AI-correction effects so that users didn’t make mistakes, and so
on.
In other words, the real smithy that Youngwoo wanted to visit was hard to find. There were only
seventeen places across the country that met the standards of a smithy that Shin Youngwoo was
looking for. One of them was Song Juseop’s business, Song Workshop, which was set up in a huge
building. In terms of size, it was larger than Grid’s private smithy inside the Overgeared Empire’s
Imperial Palace. Plus, it had classic facilities, not modern ones. If it was possible to transfer it to Satisfy,
it would fit right in.
novelbin
This smithy didn’t exist for the purpose of making money. It was simply a business that showed off the
owner’s passion to become a real blacksmith. Even the location was close to Youngwoo’s
neighborhood, which was notorious for being the most expensive area in South Korea. The smithy was
located on the outskirts at the foot of a mountain, but a huge amount of money had surely been spent
to purchase so much land.
“It looks like there are no employees… Did you build this place purely for your hobby?”
Was the owner from a rich family? Youngwoo speculated this, but there was no particular emotion on
his face. He didn’t really care about rich people. Shin Youngwoo had more money than wealthy
families. If he put his mind to it, he would become one of the world’s ten richest people because he was
the ruler of the great empire that dominated Satisfy.
Even if Youngwoo didn’t craft and sell items, he would be the second richest person in South Korea just
by exchanging the profits generated by the empire into real money. He couldn’t become the richest
person in the country. The richest individual in South Korea was also the richest person in the whole
world.
Regardless, Youngwoo wasn’t intimidated by the owner’s background. He treated everyone equally.
That was the right thing to do since he was an influential person. Therefore, he was always confident.
After all, he had overcome severe trauma in just two days.
“I’m embarrassed to say this in front of you, Grid, but… To me, blacksmithing is too precious to simply
be dismissed as a hobby.”
Youngwoo liked blacksmithing. Well, the word ‘love’ was more appropriate. Youngwoo himself had
started as a blacksmith and became successful because of this profession. In the process, he had
compared notes with many blacksmiths.
Youngwoo’s theory was that there were very few bad blacksmiths in the world. Blacksmiths deserved
respect because they crafted things that benefited others. Of course Youngwoo was interested in what
Song Juseop had to say now that the other man said that blacksmith meant a lot to him.
“Can I ask why?”
The firewood in the furnace was burning red. Even though the size and thickness of the firewood were
all slightly different, all of them burned in sync. Phenomenal. Youngwoo had clearly used some kind of
trick. The firewood that seemed to have been thrown in thoughtlessly had been actually arranged in an
effective manner.
Juseop, who was mesmerized for a bit watching this, came to his senses.
“I used to be an ordinary office worker. I studied hard like everyone else, was lucky enough to graduate
from university, and got a job at a company that I wasn’t particularly interested in. For the next few
years, I went about my daily routine. I only looked at the salary deposited into my account every
month.”
Juseop had an ordinary life. Ironically, this was a life that Youngwoo couldn’t obtain. What Youngwoo
wanted in life the most was to open a bar that made others forget the struggles of daily life.
Of course, this was all in the past for both Youngwoo and Yuseop.
“Then, during the First International Competition—”
Juseop had been talking calmly, only for him to suddenly turn serious. Maybe he looked like this
because his eyebrows were burnt from the years he had spent in front of the furnace. His eyes were
quite fierce and heavy.
Youngwoo could see a glimpse of an artisan’s spirit in the other man’s eyes. He noticed that the man in
front of him wasn’t ordinary and listened with great interest. Youngwoo was looking forward to the
man’s great backstory.
“I became a billionaire by betting all my money on you when you fought against Bondre and Hurent.”
“……?”
Youngwoo cocked his head as he listened. He was flustered. The great story he had been anticipating
suddenly took an unexpected turn.
Youngwoo hadn’t been able to get a haircut recently. He pushed back the black hair that reached his
ears and asked, “Is this how you came to value blacksmithing…?”
Thanks to me, you were lucky enough to become rich, so of course you developed an affinity for
blacksmithing…
Was that it? This story wasn’t going to be emotional like the one between Grid and Khan? Youngwoo
was disappointed and he waited to be proven wrong.
Song Juseop waved his hands.
“Yes, that’s right!”
Youngwoo’s expectations crumbled. This was really what Song Juseop’s story was about. There were
no twists to it.
“Thanks to you, I turned my life around. I’ve been your biggest fan ever since! I have come to admire
everything about you. But the thing that warmed my heart the most was seeing you stand in front of the
furnace. You were the great and wonderful swordsman who punished the Yatan Servants. I also
respected you as the nobleman who struggled for your people’s sake. However, the person I wanted to
emulate the most was the blacksmith Grid.”
Song Juseop’s trivial story ultimately brought a smile to Youngwoo’s face.
“…Is that so? In your eyes, blacksmithing seems cooler than slashing with a sword. So that is why you
became a blacksmith.”
“Haha, that’s right. I came to admire you during the Second International Competition…”
The story was good enough. Song Juseop had found a job he liked and he got to do what he enjoyed.
Even if Grid had impacted him along the way, that wasn’t an important issue. The important thing was
that Song Juseop liked blacksmithing.
Just in time, the temperature of the furnace rose to an appropriate level. Youngwoo moved the iron ore
he had been eyeing and started smelting. He found this enjoyable for many reasons.
“Let’s get started. I would like your guidance and advice.”
“W-What right do I have to guide someone like you? I am here to just watch and learn.”
“This is my first time doing this in real life.”
Yes, this was the first time. Song Juseop got goosebumps. Watching Youngwoo smelting and forging
the iron… he looked just like Grid in the game. Youngwoo was reproducing Grid’s techniques, which
Juseop had learned by watching Grid tens of thousands of times.
This meant that Grid’s skills in Satisfy could be reproduced in reality.
***
It was fun hammering iron with a like-minded blacksmith even though this was reality. Youngwoo had
always dreamed of a day like this, and the experience turned out to be more satisfying than expected.
‘But… Of course, I don’t see any item effects.’
Youngwoo crafted armor instead of a sword since he was worried that something bothersome would
happen if he crafted a sword without possessing a sword-carrying license. He’d wanted to craft armor
from the beginning to test whether he could alleviate pain in reality by wearing said armor.
“Do you have a sword by any chance? A kitchen knife or scissors are also okay.”
“Ah…! Please wait for a moment.”
After a while, Song Juseop rushed over with a greatsword in his arms. Youngwoo was familiar with it. It
was a greatsword that resembled a shark.
Surprisingly, it was Failure. Of course, this Failure was made out of ordinary steel. The unique blue light
was nothing more than an imitation that didn’t fit.
But…
‘This shit…’
Failure had this name for a reason. It was a failed piece of work. Back when Grid used to be just a
novice blacksmith, he didn’t know how to balance the weapon properly and only thought about making
it as overpowered as possible.
However, the greatsword crafted by Song Juseop was quite balanced. Of course, it wasn’t completely
balanced because of its shape, but it was better than Failure.
‘If it had been made with blue orichalcum like in Satisfy, it would’ve had quite good stats.’
Indeed, Youngwoo’s perspective wasn’t wrong. Song Juseop was a man who was well qualified to be a
craftsman.
Plus…
“You have honed your swordsmanship.”
Song Juseop was also a swordsman with quite a bit of knowledge. Youngwoo noticed the length of his
stride when he ran with the sword, the way his muscles flexed, and the calluses on his palms that had
formed a long time ago.
Above all, Song Juseop said that he had bet all his money on Grid during the First International
Competition. At that time, the only people who could guarantee that Grid would beat Bondre and
Hurent were members of the Tzedakah Guild.
‘He must be either crazy or insightful to look at the odds and bet his entire fortune.’
In Youngwoo’s eyes, Song Juseop was the latter. That man surely had extraordinary insight. That way,
it made sense that he had reproduced Failure despite being self-taught.
Song Juseop scratched his head.
“I practiced kendo until I was in high school. I started studying late, so I quit midway. Still, I won quite a
few national competitions.”
“How cool. Besides, it looks like you have been training recently.”
“Haha, I’m a swordsman in Satisfy…”
Juseop was talented. He used to be an ordinary person who suppressed his talent and threw himself
into society to make ends meet. It wasn’t Grid who had saved him, but Satisfy.
Youngwoo was thoughtful. He nodded and asked, “Would you like to try breaking this armor with that
greatsword?”
1. Due to various opinions from editors, National Competition will be changed to International
Competition from now on. Changes have already been made in the ebook, but not on the website
chapters. ☜