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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
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The next day, Count Sigmund came to bow his head under the Princess’s supervision.
He delivered a lengthy speech, his face etched with remorse as he expressed his deepest apologies, then took full responsibility for the incident, using every flowery phrase imaginable.
‘Just hand over Black Obsidian already!’
But none of it registered with me.
It was just a typical noble’s performance, a stuffy and pointless ritual.
All I cared about was the compensation and Black Obsidian.
They say a kind word can repay a thousand debts, but conversely, a thousand insults can be forgiven with sufficient compensation.
“Very well, I understand your intentions. Edgar Fix, the Count is asking for your forgiveness. Will you grant it?”
Finally, the Count’s tedious speech ended, and the next stage began.
The act of seeking and granting forgiveness.
The answer, of course, was yes.
“Yes. But I have conditions.”
However, I wasn’t about to let this opportunity slip by.
I had coordinated with the Princess through Elena the previous night, so Count Sigmund would have no choice but to accept my demands.
“State your conditions.”
“…To prevent such an incident from ever happening again, I wish to modify the properties of Black Obsidian.”
Modifying the properties of Black Obsidian.
In other words, I would remake it into a different sword entirely.
Count Sigmund’s brow furrowed at my implication.
“Hmm. I agree. Wasn’t this incident a tragedy brought about by Black Obsidian’s nature, which feeds on hatred and life force?”
Before the Count could object, the Princess spoke, which effectively silenced him.
With such a strong justification, the Count had no grounds for refusal.
“Then, is that your only condition?”
“I have one more. I wish for the ownership of Black Obsidian to be transferred to the academy for three years for display, as a message to the students, warning them against resorting to underhanded methods.”
I then demanded that House Sigmund’s blunder be put on display for three years.
His expression twisted visibly, but he was unable to say anything, as the Princess shut him down once again.
“An excellent idea. I desire for the academy students, the Empire’s finest talents, to achieve success through fair competition and hard work. Cowardly tactics like using the ‘Berserk Potion’ are an abomination that students must avoid. Displaying Black Obsidian will serve as a potent symbol of my resolve.”
Faced with the Princess’s unwavering stance, the Count stammered, opening and closing his mouth repeatedly before finally giving up.
Given the severity of Max’s actions, he had no choice but to endure the humiliation of the three-year display.
“Then, you may leave. Let this matter be concluded.”
Thus, Max, the early-game’s biggest villain, exited the stage.
And I gained the right to freely handle Black Obsidian for three years, under the protection of the Imperial Family.
It was time to carefully examine Black Obsidian.
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“Unnieeeeee~”
In the Head Professor’s private office, the sight of the Princess clinging to Elena was becoming familiar.
Since their relationship had been revealed to me, the Princess no longer bothered to hide her true self in my presence.
“Ed, the Imperial Family has officially approved your participation in the Ironhammer Exhibition.”
Elena, seemingly treating the Princess like a pet cat, stroked her fluffy hair while relaying various pieces of information to me.
Mostly, she spoke about dwarven culture and traditions, warning me about things to avoid.
“And I really hate to burden you with this…”
But it wasn’t all good news.
There was also an unwelcome request from the Empire.
“The Imperial Family hopes to achieve a diplomatic breakthrough through this event. They wish to restore amicable relations with the Dwarven Allied Kingdom. So, they want you to consider this when creating your piece for the exhibition.”
The Empire’s desire to mend relations with the Dwarven Allied Kingdom was understandable.
They didn’t want to be threatened by other kingdoms while focusing on conquering the Demon Lands.
‘The Empire is preparing for an all-out offensive.’
An all-out offensive.
The Empire had levied taxes on the nobles to establish the largest academy in history, all for the sake of conquering the Demon Lands.
They were gathering resources and talent, training troops to finally achieve their long-held ambition.
But if neighboring kingdoms were constantly threatening to attack while the Empire was amassing its forces, how could they launch a successful offensive?
They couldn’t.
In StarCraft terms, they needed to build bunkers, deploy turrets, and station defensive units.
Therefore, the Empire was pursuing a policy of appeasement.
Keeping the peace was in everyone’s best interest.
The past was the past; the present was the present.
They were trying to placate their neighbors with this general sentiment.
“I’m sorry to burden you with this.”
Elena apologized after explaining the Empire’s position, which I already knew.
She added that she and the Princess had tried to argue against it, but the five highest-ranking officials, directly under the Emperor, were united in their demand for a diplomatic breakthrough, so there was nothing they could do.
“It’s alright. This is an opportunity the Empire can’t afford to miss.”
But I truly didn’t mind.
To prepare for the coming disaster, I needed to gather as many allies as possible.
The Empire’s request aligned with my own goals.
“Thank you for understanding. So…”
Elena then showed me the plan she had devised with the five high-ranking officials.
They had suggested items that might appeal to the dwarves, considering their history and traditions.
“Hmm… Not bad.”
But their ideas were just… not bad.
They weren’t impressive enough for a veteran of this world like me.
So, I told Elena and the Princess about the item I was planning.
After hearing my explanation, they stared at me, dumbfounded, before offering their assessments.
“Certainly… if it’s that…”
“I agree. You’re quite something.”
Elena looked at me with a strange expression, while the Princess gave me a thumbs-up with an impassive face.
Having decided on the item, we moved on to forming the expedition.
Selecting the seven people who would accompany me.
“We’ll need a leader. I’ll participate.”
Elena volunteered as the leader, citing her connections within the Dwarven Allied Kingdom.
As a genius in spellcasting, she had befriended many dwarves by consulting on various spells and formulas for their artifact creation, even before becoming an Archmage.
I readily accepted her offer.
“Me too! I want to go too!”
As soon as Elena’s participation was confirmed, the Princess looked up at Elena and expressed her desire to join.
But Elena firmly refused.
“That’s not possible. It would be too obvious that we’re there for diplomatic purposes. Besides, this isn’t something a Princess should be involved in.”
“Whaaaaaaat~ I wanna goooooo~”
“No! Listen to Unnie.”
The Princess whined, while Elena remained firm.
The Princess then pretended to sulk, but Elena wasn’t fooled.
“Tch.”
The Princess finally gave up.
With the situation settled, I brought up the person I had in mind.
“I’ll also bring James. He’s a blacksmith to the bone. I want him to see this.”
James, who had always admired dwarven craftsmanship, would be thrilled to be part of the expedition.
“Alright. Selecting the members is completely up to you. Do you have anyone else in mind?””
“Um… no. Not really.”
I needed Fix, but he would be in my inventory, so he was an exception.
Isabella and Enya had no connection to the dwarves, and there wasn’t much opportunity for them to grow from this experience, so there was no need to bring them along.
“Hmm… Then, considering the diplomatic implications, how about bringing some officials from the Diplomatic Strategy Office?”
“Uh… That would be a bit much for me.”
“Ah, I see. Then… how about your classmates from the academy? You’ll need someone to talk to, and it would be nice to go with friends.”
Someone to talk to…
Enya was a friend. But Sword Saint Eleiya had advised me to keep a distance, and things had been awkward between us ever since she slept over at my dorm. It was difficult to initiate a conversation.
“Or, how about holding auditions?”
“…What?”
Elena suddenly suggested something completely unexpected.
Auditions?
Was she suggesting auditions for the expedition members?
“Let’s choose the members through an open call. If you can’t decide, then those who want to go can try to convince you.”
…Hmm. Not bad.
I hadn’t thought of anyone else, and this seemed like a good way to handle it.
“That sounds good. Let’s do that.”
“Fufu. Alright. Then, I’ll talk to the dorm supervisor. If they announce it in the dorms, everyone will be aware. We’ll put up posters too.”
It was definitely a better approach.
Instead of putting up posters in ambiguous locations like classrooms or hallways, going through the dorm supervisor would be much more effective and organized.
I nodded, and Elena outlined the details.
“Then, let’s accept applications for only tomorrow, and we’ll decide on the audition period based on the number of applicants. Let’s try to finish everything within this week.”
“Okay. Sounds good.”
“Alright. Then, I’ll go make the posters and inform the dorm supervisor.”
“I’ll come tooooo~”
The Princess clung to Elena as she stood up.
Elena stroked her hair and added, as if recalling something,
“…Oh! Before that, we need to decide on the evaluation criteria. The students need to know what to prepare.”
…Evaluation criteria.
I didn’t have anything specific in mind.
Well… self-introduction, reasons for applying, and why I should choose them.
The standard three elements of a personal statement should be sufficient.
I mentioned these three points, and Elena nodded, agreeing that they were good criteria.
“Then, I’ll go make the posters. You should go and rest.”
With those words, Elena and the Princess vanished in a puff of blue smoke.
Left alone, I tried to estimate how many students would apply for the expedition.
Considering I was the only blacksmith in the academy, I didn’t expect a huge number of applicants.
Maybe forty at most?
I should be able to finish the auditions in half a day.
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The next afternoon, the ‘Edgar Fix Expedition Selection’ began.
Contrary to my expectations, a massive crowd, reminiscent of Super Student K, had formed a long line in front of the audition room.
Among them were several students determined to be selected, and Enya was one of them.
“Azul Baz Karaz, Pizak Lid Uldarin…”
Enya was diligently practicing dwarven phrases with her brow furrowed in concentration.
With nothing else to offer besides her swordsmanship, she was trying to learn at least some basic dwarven knowledge.
“I’ll definitely be chosen.”
Isabella, on the other hand, did nothing.
She was confident that her value surpassed that of any other student present.
“This time, with Ed-nim, I will definitely…!”
Charlotte, who had been unable to sit next to Ed due to Enya and Isabella, was also burning with determination, her round glasses were gleaming.
“No…”
I, completely unprepared for such a large turnout, stared at the scene in bewilderment.
Why were so many students applying for the Ironhammer Exhibition, a blacksmithing event?
“197.”
Elena appeared beside me and told me the number of applicants.
197.
A staggering number, nearly the entire student body.
“We miscalculated. We should have expected a large number of applicants…”
Elena muttered something cryptic.
Expected a large number of applicants?
As I gave her a questioning look, she continued,
“…If you’re chosen for the expedition, you can skip classes. With a legitimate excuse.”
“Ah.”
The reason for this fervent enthusiasm was immediately clear.
Being selected for the expedition meant skipping classes.
For a whole week!
“We’ll need to hold auditions for… three days. We can’t finish it all in one day.”
“I agree.”
“Then let’s go in. The auditions are about to start.”
“…Okay.”
Thus, I ended up auditioning almost the entire student body of the academy.
I had inadvertently become a judge with a 39.4:1 applicant-to-spot ratio.
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