I Became a Swordsmanship Genius at the Academy

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Seong Han-su, the apprentice of Seoksan Workshop, set out to the city once again to run errands for his senior blacksmiths.

He took out his notebook to double-check the contents he had written down in advance.

“Let’s see… 15kg of high-quality iron, 5kg of mana stone, and 20kg of copper ore. Seems lighter than usual today? I wonder if they’ll tell me about the rest after I move all this?”

It felt like no big deal now, but the first time he started running errands, the weight of the materials had been quite overwhelming.

On the first day, he had gone back and forth between the workshop and the shop three times just to run a single errand.

Even for a dwarf, known for their strength, carrying such weight over long distances was a tough job.

“But as an apprentice of Seoksan Workshop, I must endure this!”

Buying and moving a large quantity of materials every day was hard work, but Seong Han-su held no complaints about it.

This process was a traditional part of education passed down to blacksmiths.

Through running errands for his seniors, he would first develop an eye for materials, and then begin serious training.

Blacksmiths wouldn’t entrust the purchase of materials to someone they didn’t trust.

The quality of materials directly influenced the quality of the final products.

So, having good quality materials in Seong Han-su’s errands list meant his discerning eye had grown sufficiently.

He was more than ready to move on to the next stage.

“Just a little more to go. Let’s work hard…!”

It had already been six months since he started his apprenticeship. Soon, he would finally get to participate in his seniors’ work.

Of course, it would start with helping out with menial tasks, but for now, that was more than enough for him.

Having desired to enter Seoksan Workshop since he was young, Seong Han-su couldn’t be happier with his current life.

If running errands felt this good, how much happier would he be when he could join in the actual work? He could hardly imagine it.

“Will I get to see Elder Park working too? That would be amazing…!”

Elder Park Kwang-seok, the owner of Seoksan Workshop. Seong Han-su had respected him for a long time.

He had come to Seoksan Workshop to train under someone he admired.

“I can never forget that necklace I saw back then…”

As Seong Han-su recalled his childhood memory, his eyes glazed over with nostalgia.

At an exhibition he attended with his parents when he was five, he witnessed Elder Park’s masterpiece, “Echoing Drops.”

The unmatched precision craftsmanship contained in that necklace captured the heart of young Seong Han-su instantly.

“I want to create something like that someday!”

From then on, Seong Han-su resolved to create a work that could rival, or perhaps surpass, “Echoing Drops.”

And that resolve hadn’t changed even now.

“Alright, let’s work hard today too!”

With a firm determination, Seong Han-su moved through the city, buying the materials listed in his errands.

Suddenly, as he wandered around, he felt the atmosphere of the busy street shift.

“Damn, am I still drunk?”

“I’ve never seen such a person before!”

As Seong Han-su looked around in confusion, he noticed the largest and most famous tavern in Jangsan Cave, “Great King Whale Tavern,” was packed with people.

It was common for the tavern to have many customers, but today, something special seemed to be happening.

‘…There’s still plenty of time, so it should be fine, right?’

Unable to suppress his curiosity, Seong Han-su approached the entrance of the Great King Whale Tavern.

Peering through the open door, he felt a different vibe than usual.

“Are you really going to drink more here?”

“What’s with those people? Did they receive the blessing of the God of Wine, Dionysus…!”

“Forget about one side, but what’s up with that person!”

Inside the Great King Whale Tavern, all the patrons stood surrounding a central table, so many that he couldn’t see inside.

‘Ugh… I can’t see…!’

Even jumping in place didn’t help; his smaller stature and the burden on his back made it harder.

“Hey! Over there! Uncle Taek-sang!”

At that moment, Seong Han-su spotted an acquaintance in front and called out his name.

It was Jang Taek-sang, who lived next door to him.

“Hmm? Oh, Han-su! I’m busy right now, so if you have something to say, do it later!”

Jang Taek-sang, who had shouted hurriedly, turned his head back. He was extremely excited, just like the people around him.

“No, that’s not it! What are you watching right now?”

“What’s worth seeing here other than the drink contest?!”

He answered in a rush, as if he couldn’t miss a moment, and turned his head again.

Seong Han-su became even more curious about the spectacle inside.

A drink contest happened daily in this tavern dozens of times.

Sometimes it could be fun to watch, but it wasn’t something that would draw a crowd like this.

“Go for it! Don’t stop!”

“Hey, bartender! What are you doing? Hurry and bring more! You’re breaking the flow!”

With the crowd’s excitement reaching a peak, Seong Han-su could no longer hold back.

“Whoa!”

Taking a deep breath, Seong Han-su charged through the crowd.

He heard surprised voices, but he didn’t stop.

‘Phew, made it…!’

The muscles honed through his errands displayed their strength.

Wriggling through the narrow gaps between the people, Seong Han-su reached the front in no time.

Momentarily catching his breath, Seong Han-su’s face soon flushed with astonishment.

‘The one participating in the drinking contest is Elder Park…?!’

Sitting at the central table, Park Kwang-seok was downing a huge goblet in one go.

He had drunk so much that not only his face, but his neck and limbs were flushed red.

It made sense why so many people would gather for Elder Park’s drinking contest.

In the past, he had gained fame with his drinking, but now, given his position, he rarely participated.

There were few who could even suggest a drinking contest to him.

‘Wait… just how much has he drunk…?’

The number of empty cups stacked on the table was too many to count.

Just the ones scattered around totaled dozens.

Even for a dwarf, there’s no way one could drink that much and still be fine.

Indeed, Elder Park’s eyes were heavily glazed over, almost unable to stay open.

‘Wait, then who dares to compete with Elder…?!’

At that thought, Seong Han-su turned his head to see Elder Park’s opponent and gulped audibly.

“Ugh!”

Seeing who was facing Park Kwang-seok, Seong Han-su could only be shocked.

There, sitting with black hair, was a human.

‘A human is competing with a dwarf in drinking?!’

Realizing why there was such a large crowd, Seong Han-su understood fully.

It was a well-known truth that humans could never match a dwarf’s drinking capacity.

Due to inherent differences, a human’s body could never keep up with a dwarf’s alcohol tolerance.

But if such a drinking contest was happening between a human and a dwarf, it was only natural for onlookers to gather.

Especially if the dwarf was Park Kwang-seok, a highly respected blacksmith and member of the Elder Council; this amount of crowd felt insufficient.

‘That guy looks more sober than Elder Park…?!’

The human, Kim Il-shin, was downing drinks at the same speed as dwarf Park Kwang-seok, and he looked notably better than Elder Park.

His gaze was steady, and his posture wasn’t disheveled at all.

If seen elsewhere, one might have thought he hadn’t drunk at all.

“Come on, black-haired human, you got this!”

“Elder! Hang in there! You can’t lose to a human!”

Boom!

As the excited crowd cheered for the two, both participants simultaneously set down their empty cups.

“Bring the next round!”

Immediately, Elder Park called for the next round. At that moment, Kim Il-shin spoke up.

“Wait a moment.”

“What is it! You’re not going to back out now, are you?”

The crowd sighed in disappointment at Kim Il-shin, who was blocking the order for the next drink.

They feared that the entertaining spectacle would come to an end.

But what Kim Il-shin said next was beyond the crowd’s expectations.

“No, that’s not it. At this rate, it feels like it could go on all night. What do you think about switching drinks?”

“Switch drinks? You fool! There’s only beer in Jangsan Cave!”

“No, there’s one more, isn’t there?”

“Hmm…?”

The crowd murmured, wondering if he really meant what they thought. Kim Il-shin didn’t disappoint their expectations.

“Captain W. Let’s settle this with that.”

At Kim Il-shin’s words, the crowd, including Elder Park, gasped in surprise.

It was a liquor infamous for its reputation.

“Are you suggesting we drink that?!”

“Yes. Are you afraid—”

“Damn it! Bring it here!”

After a moment’s hesitation, Elder Park accepted Kim Il-shin’s proposal out of irritation.

Crash!

A moment later, the drink rolled on the floor, soaked.