Expelled Hero Is Too Strong

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Chapter 287. Invitation (2)

Nam Ho-yeol was working alone in the workshop.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The silence that had enveloped the workshop was soon filled with the sound of metal being struck.

The striking produced a uniform and clean sound, as if a metronome had been set.

Even though there were excellent machines prepared nearby that could strike the metal without any manual labor, Nam Ho-yeol didn’t even glance at them.

Only through the blacksmith’s touch could artifacts that surpassed ordinary equipment come into existence.

“Is this enough?”

He placed down the hammer and wiped the sweat from his forehead, examining the result resting on the anvil.

A thin, white layer laid atop a rectangular iron plate.

It was a thin layer of the giant octopus’s skin, which Yoo Ji-han’s party had brought from Kallem.

Since this octopus was said to possess incredible regenerative abilities, the equipment made from its remains would surely be crafted into an artifact.

Right now, however, he was focused on grasping the characteristics of the material.

“Great elasticity, combines well with other materials, and while its strength is a bit disappointing, considering its regenerative abilities…”

Swoosh!

His pen danced across the white memo paper laid out on the workbench.

This was a compilation of the information gathered so far about the material.

“I can put this to good use.”

Clunk!

He set the pen down with a content expression.

While the giant octopus couldn’t be said to be a top-tier material like Drimium, its excellent compatibility with other materials made it usable for any kind of crafting.

“Hmm, hmm, heh heh!”

What kind of item should I make first?

The options were plentiful.

He had to create equipment for Fran Fager, who had just joined the guild.

He could also upgrade the existing gear of Yoo Ji-han’s party.

Or he could create an entirely new artifact.

‘The magic armor Chinchilla isn’t far off.’

The thought of approaching his personal wish for a magic armor Chinchilla fueled his imagination for the soon-to-be-born results.

Nam Ho-yeol’s hands, which had put down the hammer, kept itching to pick it up again.

‘But… is this really the best I can do?’

His previously excited heart suddenly cooled, as if cold water had been poured over it.

It was due to a question that had arisen in his mind for some time now.

It was quite a joyous thing that he had achieved the status of a blacksmith capable of crafting artifacts.

Initially, he believed it was luck, but now Nam Ho-yeol could create artifacts through skill.

Yet still, one doubt lingered.

‘Am I really doing well?’

Though he considered himself a blacksmith, he had never learned the trade under an excellent master.

Most of the information he had acquired came from overseas materials on the internet.

Thanks to his previous work at an IT company, he was excellent at finding the information he needed online, but still, as it was a self-taught ability, he lacked confidence in himself.

‘Meeting other blacksmiths was quite beneficial.’

Through IUPC, Nam Ho-yeol had ventured into a local expedition alongside Yoo Ji-han’s party.

There, he met blacksmiths from other guilds.

That exchange had undoubtedly helped him a great deal.

The relationships from that time continued to this day, and they occasionally kept in touch.

But…

——It seems it will be difficult for you to visit, Ho-yeol.

——The higher-ups are worried about technology leaks.

——I’m sorry. This is a rather sensitive issue…

Nam Ho-yeol couldn’t even access workshops where artifacts could be crafted.

Questions and answers related to artifacts were also heavily restricted.

It was due to the concerns that advanced techniques could leak to outsiders.

Understanding this concern, Nam Ho-yeol could only express his disappointment.

“I guess I only have myself to ponder this.”

With no one to teach him, he had no choice but to contemplate and figure it out himself.

Slap! Slap!

Nam Ho-yeol slapped his cheeks to shake off his thoughts.

And just as he rolled up his sleeves to lift the hammer again—

Drrrrrrrr!

A ringing bell, set to maximum volume so he could hear it even while working, started to ring.

Checking the caller ID on the screen, Nam Ho-yeol’s mouth dropped open in surprise.

“It’s Ji-han!”

It was a call from Yoo Ji-han, who should be in Japan by now.

“Ji-han! Are you okay?!”

—News is already out?

“Is there anyone who doesn’t know about the airplane explosion by now?”

The fact that Yoo Ji-han’s party was on the exploded airplane was already reported by the South Korean media.

While Nam Ho-yeol was a bit worried about them, he was not overly concerned.

He knew well that they were not people who would die from something like that.

—Well, speaking of that, Ho-yeol.

“Yeah?”

—Are you busy right now?

“Not at all. I’m just relaxing.”

—Perfect! Put down your hammer and come to Japan.

“…Huh?”

Nam Ho-yeol let out a dazed sound.

Telling someone in Korea to come to Japan out of nowhere?

Was that something you could do by just putting down a hammer for a bit?

“B-but the airplanes can’t take off right now?”

—That’s why I’ve called a taxi.

“A taxi?”

—There’s a tamer with a flying pet heading your way. Just ride along with them.

“Eh?!”

Flap! Flap!

At that moment, a strange sound came from outside the Sweet Fun workshop.

As Nam Ho-yeol rushed outside, he saw a large bird descending with its big wings flapping.

On the back of the gray bird was a man riding.

‘Isn’t that the hero from Dice?!’

A tamer belonging to the Large Guild.

By then, it was someone whose name would likely pop up in related news or articles if searched online.

Would it be alright to just call such a person a taxi?

“Y-you really came! But I don’t have my passport!”

—You don’t need a passport. Just contact me when you arrive, and you’ll get through.

“I-I’m having trouble keeping up with this…!”

—In such cases, just take action. You were worried recently, weren’t you?

“Worried about…?”

—I’ll help you with that.

*

The tamer sitting on the back of the giant pigeon monster was extremely delighted at the prospect of going to Japan.

“Guild Master Yoon Do-ha said he would take great care of you!”

“Ah, yes.”

“Wow! Thanks to this, I get a special vacation and get to travel abroad! It’s my first time going overseas with this winged friend. It’s not easy to leave the country with a monster. I can’t help but say thanks for giving me this opportunity…”

Sitting behind the talkative tamer, Nam Ho-yeol glanced down, watching the earth swiftly pass by—a vibrant blue sea, not land.

“We’ll be arriving soon.”

As they reached a location that appeared to be the airport, a massive crowd surrounded them.

Given the current circumstance, the atmosphere was quite tense.

However, thanks to the documents submitted by the tamer and Yoo Ji-han’s contact, they were able to exit the airport swiftly.

“Nam Ho-yeol?”

“Huh! Yes!”

“Yoo Ji-han is waiting for you.”

The ones there to pick him up were large-bodied men.

A little startled, Nam Ho-yeol entrusted himself to an oddly shaped vehicle.

And how much time passed as he dozed off?

“Ho-yeol!”

“Ah, Si-hu….”

Nam Ho-yeol encountered Kim Si-hu, who welcomed him.

As he stepped out of the vehicle with a dazed expression, he looked around.

The air here was peculiarly hot, and the smell of metal was intense.

“Where is this…?”

“It’s Raiku’s workshop.”

“Ra-Raiku?!”

Among various equipment brands in Japan, Raiku was one that was renowned.

Hearing that he had entered such a place made Nam Ho-yeol wide awake.

“Follow me for now.”

Guided by Kim Si-hu, he moved toward the masterpiece storage.

There waited Yoo Ji-han and the Tamura Brothers, the co-representatives of Raiku.

“Hmmm.”

“Is this the person?”

“Yes. Our guild’s blacksmith, Nam Ho-yeol.”

The Tamura Brothers appraised him with gazes as if evaluating his worth.

Nam Ho-yeol stood straight as he faced the prominent figures.

“Yoo Ji-han. Are you sure you won’t regret this?”

“It’s a chance to take one of our masterpieces. It feels a bit awkward to say it, but this might be a fortune you’ll never see again.”

“I understand.”

“But to really exchange that opportunity for this blacksmith’s training…?”

“Yes.”

Yoo Ji-han, who answered shortly, looked at Nam Ho-yeol.

It seemed he was quite tense, having realized the identities of the people before him.

‘Those items displayed in that storage are undoubtedly excellent.’

All of Raiku’s masterpieces were superb in performance and quality.

However, among them, there were none that truly captured Yoo Ji-han’s fancy.

In fact, he could choose only one!

Thus, he thought to himself.

‘Ho-yeol can create masterpieces.’

The guild’s blacksmith Nam Ho-yeol could make masterpieces.

Therefore, what he requested in exchange for giving up Raiku’s masterpiece was for Nam Ho-yeol to receive training at Raiku.

It was an attempt to provide something new to a blacksmith who had always worked alone.

Feeling a bit frustrated, Tamura Kenta, who had been saved by Yoo Ji-han, spoke up.

“I say this now that you’re here, but there are very few blacksmiths who can create artifacts. Even if you’re trained at Raiku, the chance of gaining such ability is exceedingly low…”

“Um, um, excuse me?”

“Yes?”

“I-I can make them. Artifacts.”

“…!”

The Tamura Brothers’ expressions changed at Nam Ho-yeol’s careful response.

It was information they hadn’t heard before.

“Really?”

“This sword was made by Nam Ho-yeol.”

Only then did Yoo Ji-han take out Qudi and show it to the Tamura Brothers.

At that moment, the twin brother, Tamura Toshirou, recognized the material of Qudi and was astonished.

“W-what! How could I only realize this now?!”

“Hyung! What’s wrong?”

“This is Drimium!”

“What?!”

In the past, Tamura Toshirou had secretly received a request for Drimium processing from the United States.

At that time, no matter how much heat and striking he applied, the dream metal didn’t change, forcing him to give up on it.

But now, a weapon utilizing it was appearing right before his eyes.

“Wait, what kind of teaching does a blacksmith dealing with Drimium even need?”

“I’d appreciate it if you could share the know-how and experiences related to artifact crafting.”

“Hmm… I recall you mentioned your experience isn’t that long.”

Given that he said he had acted alone, there was certainly much know-how available to teach him.

After being in the field for a long time, there were many things that were hard to comprehend alone.

Exchanging quick glances, the Tamura Brothers nodded.

“We’ll accept that request.”

“Let’s have you learn directly under us for a week, Nam Ho-yeol.”

“It might be the first time we’re taking in an outsider as an apprentice at Raiku, but…”

“It should be quite rewarding to teach you.”

The Tamura Brothers’ eyes sparkled as they discovered a talented gem.

Approaching Yoo Ji-han quietly, Nam Ho-yeol spoke in a low voice.

“Are these people really the co-representatives of Raiku?”

“Yes.”

“Wow, seriously! Is it really alright for me to learn here?!”

“We’ll come to pick you up when the training is over.”

“This feels really burdensome…”

These were top-tier blacksmiths who would be treated as VIPs wherever they went in the world!

Due to Yoo Ji-han, Nam Ho-yeol suddenly found himself taking them as mentors, and beads of sweat poured from his forehead.