The Genius Archer Who Became a One-Man Army

Chapter 33

“Where is this…?”

Adelson looked puzzled as he and Lian arrived at the blacksmith’s shop.

He had said there was someone he wanted to introduce…

“Is it?”

“Wow… It looks like the old man has made some money lately.”

Lian muttered as he looked up at the blacksmith’s shop.

Unlike before, the sign that showed signs of age had been replaced with a new one, and the cracked walls had been repaired.

But the biggest difference was,

Clang! Clang!

The sound of hammering coming from inside.

Lian walked into the blacksmith’s shop, feeling good about the sound.

“Is anyone here?”

“Welcome… Oh? Mr. Walter! He’s here!”

“…?”

It was surprising enough to see a woman come out from the blacksmith’s shop, but she immediately called for Walter upon seeing him.

‘Does she know me?’

The woman, who had gone inside, soon came out with Walter, who was sweating profusely.

Walter burst into laughter when he saw Lian.

“Haha, you finally came. I’ve been waiting for you.”

“You look good.”

“Of course! Do you know how enjoyable life has been lately? Thanks to you, the blacksmith’s shop has expanded, and I’m living while doing what I love. But who is the person next to you?”

“This is Adelson, the head of the Hamel Trading Company. And this is Mr. Walter, the owner of this blacksmith’s shop.”

“Nice to meet you, I’m Adelson.”

“Walter.”

Walter quickly wiped his sweaty hand on his pants and lightly shook Adelson’s outstretched hand.

“More importantly, can we talk for a moment?”

“Sure. Claire, could you check if that rascal Stolf has prepared what I asked for?”

“Yes! I’ll be right back.”

Claire, sensing that she should leave, quickly exited the blacksmith’s shop.

After Claire left, Lian closed the door and looked at Adelson and Walter.

The atmosphere suddenly became serious, and Adelson’s expression slightly hardened.

Walter, with an embarrassed look, offered them seats.

“It seems like this isn’t a conversation to have while standing. Let’s sit down first.”

Following Walter’s suggestion, Lian sat down and spoke to Adelson and Walter.

“First… Sir, do you remember the weapons and armor I bought last time?”

“I remember.”

“They sold for a total of 2100 gold.”

“…?”

Walter’s eyes widened in surprise.

But Adelson was even more astonished.

“Does that mean this gentleman is the one who made those weapons and armor?”

Adelson jumped up from his seat, unable to hide his excitement.

He couldn’t believe that such incredible masterpieces had come from what he thought was just an ordinary blacksmith’s shop.

However, Lian shook his head.

“He’s the one who made the base for the attribute weapons.”

“Attribute weapons?”

Walter asked, and Lian nodded.

“That’s what I’m going to explain to you two from now on.”

This might be the first ‘gamble’ Lian had taken since starting his new life.

A gamble with a higher chance of failure than success.

‘But it’s not just a gamble.’

It was about choosing people who would go with him far into the future.

Though there was a lot at stake, it was better to part ways now if they were going to be shaken by this.

‘I’ve thought about it enough.’

He had been contemplating this since the time he prepared this plan.

How should he proceed?

Lian’s belief in ‘trust’ had a unique standard.

Believing in something when there’s no doubt is not complete ‘trust.’

It’s believing even when there are some uncertainties.

That is complete ‘trust.’

This was one of Lian’s convictions developed over 20 years of military service.

Even if this trust led to unfavorable outcomes.

‘If there are people who would have problems with this, it’s better to reveal it early.’

If trust issues arose at a critical time in the future, nothing could be more fatal.

“Attribute weapons are…”

Lian began explaining what he knew about attribute weapons to the two men.

* * *

Adelson and Walter listened carefully to Lian.

Although Lian was much younger than them, his actions from their first meeting had earned him more than enough respect.

Even without such reasons, what Lian was saying was revolutionary.

“You can make attribute weapons in that way?”

“But not everyone can do it. In the future, it might be possible by skilled craftsmen, but it’s not easy for anyone below Mr. Walter’s level.”

This was only half true.

In the future, only a very few artisans would be able to create weapons with attributes.

‘That’s why Mr. Walter is… important.’

Lian glanced at Walter after finishing his explanation.

Walter looked surprised and deep in thought.

Why wouldn’t he be?

A weapon that cost less than a gold coin could become worth 1000 gold coins with a magician’s help.

Just selling a few could mean a lifetime without financial worries.

“…Hoo.”

Walter took a deep breath.

It felt more suffocating than the hot, steamy workshop.

The silent tension pressed down like a weight. But Lian just waited.

He had no choice but to wait for Walter’s decision now.

“Lian.”

There was something different in the atmosphere.

Lian tried hard to hide his tense expression.

He had decided to respect Walter’s decision, whatever it might be.

“If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t even be able to hold a hammer. Or I might have lived as a wreck.”

He calmly expressed his feelings. Then he looked around at the neatly organized blacksmith’s shop.

“I have already received more than I deserve and a new life.”

Walter looked at Lian.

“To you.”

“…”

“So whatever it is, I’ll trust and follow you from now on.”

“Aren’t you tempted?”

“Haha! It would be a lie to say I’m not tempted, but honestly, more than greed, I’m just glad this old man can be of help.”

Lian smiled at Walter’s words. Walter, looking at Lian, spoke.

“Of course, expecting cheap goods from now on is forbidden! You must properly pay for the work done, right?”

“Of course, that’s why I brought Mr. Adelson.”

Lian looked at Adelson.

Adelson, feeling the burden of their gazes, gave an awkward smile.

“Haha, do I have any decision to make? I’d rather ask you to always include me from now on.”

“Looking forward to working with you.”

“Likewise.”

“And I look forward to it too!”

Lian felt his heart swell with emotion at the words of Adelson and Walter.

It felt like he had gained something immensely valuable for the journey ahead.

Walter looked at Lian and said, “Hehe, I thought you were an extraordinary youngster from the start, but your scale is not ordinary.”

“I also think you’re not just an ordinary boy.”

“Hey, kid. What’s your plan?”

Pulling off such an unbelievable feat and achieving results without a significant goal is nearly impossible.

No matter how good the idea, it usually ends in mere imagination.

Without hesitation, Lian answered Walter’s question.

“I will become the greatest general on the continent.”

“…A general?”

“Hehe, the greatest general on the continent. That’s quite an ambition. But it’s not an easy path.”

Lian grinned at Walter’s words.

“I was promoted this time.”

“Oh, so are you a corporal or a sergeant?”

Adelson, who knew a bit about military ranks, asked.

Lian shook his head.

“I’ve become a centurion. I’ve also been granted the authority to operate an independent unit.”

“…A centurion?”

Adelson’s expression hardened.

His face looked as if he had misheard, and Walter furrowed his brow slightly.

“What’s a centurion? Is it a high rank?”

“It’s a position with the authority to command a hundred soldiers. It’s a privilege given only to those with exceptional skills and achievements, regardless of rank.”

Adelson let out a hearty laugh, finding it hard to believe.

He began to think that he might have truly met someone destined for greatness.

Walter, still not fully understanding, said, “Well, if he’s going to be a general, he should at least achieve that! He should aim to become a commander of a thousand, or even ten thousand!”

“There are no commanders of ten thousand in the kingdom currently, sir.”

“Eh! Then you should be the first!”

“Hehe, I’ll try.”

Lian chuckled softly, and Walter stood up abruptly.

“Since you’ve done something impressive, I should give you a gift.”

He went inside and returned with a long rectangular box.

Even at a glance, it was clear what it contained.

Lian’s eyes widened.

“Could it be…?”

“Ahem! It wasn’t made specifically for you, but I’m in a good mood! Take it!”

“…”

The old man’s lie was so clumsy.

Lian carefully opened the box, revealing a black bow with silver patterns.

It looked fancy yet had a heavy matte finish, giving it a solid feel.

It was clear this bow was not made by ordinary means.

“Is this really my bow?”

“I just made it from leftover materials.”

“Oh… It feels extraordinary.”

Adelson, watching from the side, exclaimed in admiration.

The patterns engraved on the bow, the curved angle, and its sturdy appearance indicated it was no ordinary bow.

Even the string, which hadn’t been attached yet, looked different from usual.

Walter explained, seeing Lian eyeing the string.

“It’s made from ogre tendons, processed thin and then twisted to make it tougher.”

“Can I string it?”

“Of course, it’s yours now.”

Lian immediately picked up the bow.

It felt as if it were custom-made for his hand.

He pressed down on the bow with his whole body to string it, as it couldn’t be done with just arm strength.

“Ugh…!”

As he drew the string, Lian furrowed his brow.

It had tremendous elasticity.

‘With this bow…’

He could confidently say that it was the best bow he had ever seen, even compared to those from his past life.

Although made of metal, its weight was not much different from a wooden bow, and its firm yet elastic string seemed to maximize the bow’s performance.

The only downside was that it was a bit challenging for Lian to handle with his current strength.

‘If I can make this bow into an attribute weapon…’

He already felt a chill down his spine.

Lian bowed to Walter.

“I’ll use it well.”

“Hehe, I’m glad you like it.”

Walter laughed and headed towards a display covered with cloth. He unveiled it and said, “Here are the items you requested. I couldn’t make many since they required a lot of effort, but I met the quantity you asked for.”

“It’s perfect.”

Lian looked at the weapons on the display.

There were about twenty, incomparable to those hanging on the wall.

Lian nodded, as if he didn’t need to touch them to know.

“Are you planning to make those attribute weapons with these?”

“Yes. However, since they sold for much higher than expected, I’ll have to discuss the sales strategy with Mr. Adelson.”

“I don’t care about the headaches, so handle it well. Let me know if you need anything.”

Lian nodded and looked at Adelson.

Then Lian and Adelson carefully moved the weapons Walter had made.

Although they could bring people from the trading company, it was better to keep Walter’s identity hidden.

Now, the rest was up to Adelson.

But there was one more task to handle simultaneously.

Returning to the building of Adelson’s trading company, Lian spoke to Adelson.

“Mr. Adelson, can I ask one more favor?”

“Please, if it’s something I can do, I’ll be happy to help.”

“Does your company also deal with information?”

“Information? Well… we do receive various pieces of information, but we’re not a professional information agency, so there are limits.”

“I need you to find someone.”

“Someone?”

Lian nodded at Adelson’s question.

Someone essential to his unit.

Diel Pankrai.

Lian recalled the first time he met him.