BXBX NOVEL Chapter 88
Chapter 88
Kane was inspecting his territory.
Due to the presence of hundreds of noble children of the Fresia Empire, the Rehinar market had become more active.
With money flowing freely, smiles blossomed on the faces of the market merchants.
“The expected effect.”
But that wasn’t all.
Since their sons and daughters were here, the nobles had made their way to this place as well.
The inns being used as lodgings were now bursting at the seams.
“We're really benefitting from the Second Princess.”
Another reason the nobles came here was that Charlotte von Fresia had arrived in Rehinar.
No one had expected her to enroll in the Rehinar Military Academy so easily.
It was an unexpected event.
When the nobles heard about it later, they packed their bags and hurried after her.
They wanted to catch the eye of the Moon Princess.
As the words "Second Princess" slipped from his mouth,
“Ugh, don’t even bring up that person,”
Blata muttered, burying his face.
He still hadn’t recovered from the shock.
“Let’s make sure we don’t run into her in the future.”
“Yeah, that sounds like a good plan.”
Kane finished inspecting the territory and headed to Mikhail’s workshop.
“Why are there so many people here?”
In just a few days, the number of people had multiplied by dozens.
Up until now, the only ones who frequented this workshop were himself and Daniel from the Blue merchant group.
Why?
Because in Rehinar, Mikhail wasn’t well-known.
Only Kane and Daniel knew about Mikhail’s skills.
As he gazed at the blacksmith shop, information automatically appeared.
---
[Mikhail’s Blacksmith (Lv.7)]
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Description: Equipment? Gear advantage! No matter how strong you are, if you fight barehanded, you’ll lose to someone armed to the teeth with equipment! Buy some gear and feel the power of a well-geared fighter.
Effects: +60% increase in health and strength, +120% increase in equipment refinement
Additional Effect: Chance to pull a blacksmith profession, +60% chance to obtain equipment of three stars or higher
---
“I’m leveling up faster than before. Is it because I refined the ‘Blood Star?”
Refining the ‘BloodStar’ was every blacksmith’s lifelong dream.
Mikhail had fulfilled that lifelong dream.
Now, he could craft equipment from any kind of mineral.
“If Mikhail upgrades and awakens, he’ll be able to make weapons from the other ‘Stars’ as well.”
Except for the Blood Star
, all the other elemental stars were just elixirs.Making weapons from elixirs defied common sense.
But Mikhail could do it.
In the world of blacksmithing, the pinnacle of honor was the breath of the true Dragon.
[Tl/N: From now on, Mikhail’s Mana Breath will be called true dragon rather than red dragon to differ from the Hatfield royal family. And I guess it’s quite clever as well, cause Hatzfeld stole the Pervatz family’s breath, they were the TRUE users of the red dragon’s breath lmao.]
Kane pushed through the crowd and entered the workshop.
Mikhail, seeing him, greeted him warmly.
“Please, save me,” Mikhail pleaded.
“Why?” Kane asked.
"Do you not see all these people? I'm going to be trampled to death! I can't even work," Mikhail said, exasperated.
"That's a problem," Kane replied.
This was a blacksmith shop, not a weapons store. Of course, blacksmiths did sell weapons, but allowing too many customers to disrupt the work of the blacksmith was unacceptable.
Clap!
Kane clapped his hands.
The bustling blacksmith shop fell silent in an instant. Everyone's eyes turned toward him.
“I understand you're excited by the quality of the goods, but if the blacksmith can't work, that’s a problem. Please head over to the weapon shop to get your equipment.”
Everyone present was an outsider, all nobles. They were aware of who the administrator of Rehinar was. They had no choice but to follow his words. After all, they didn’t know how long their children would be staying in Rehinar in the coming years.
The person they needed to impress most wasn’t the Second Princess, but Kane.
A man who appeared to be in his 40s approached Kane with a polite bow.
"Nice to meet you for the first time, Young Duke. I am Baron Brullo."
"You've come all the way from the eastern part of the Empire."
“I wanted to see for myself the place where my son will be staying.”
"Now that you've seen it, what do you think?"
“To be honest, I’m quite surprised. I heard this place was in ruins, but the state of the territory is much better than I expected.”
At Baron Brullo’s blunt words, Kane smiled.
“It was very difficult,” Kane said, implying much more than his words suggested.
Baron Brullo nodded, understanding the hidden meaning.
“You’ve done an impressive job in such a short time. I also heard that many of your people perished in the mutant monster attack... My deepest condolences.”
Blata whispered quietly, “It wasn’t the monsters; Kane did that!”
Kane quickly covered Blata’s mouth.
“Let’s hope such misfortunes don’t happen again,” Kane said smoothly.
“I would like to offer whatever little support I can. Would it be possible for my Brullo family to purchase a certain amount of equipment every month?”
The Brullo family. Baron Brullo was a lord who managed a small city, larger than most villages. For a baron, he wielded significant influence.
Selling weapons to Brullo could generate more profit than Kane had anticipated. He treated the friendly baron with utmost courtesy.
“As you’ve likely seen, our weapons boast the finest quality. That also means they’re quite expensive.”
“As long as the price isn’t outrageous, I’d like to purchase them.”
“You're quite bold. I’ll have the contract prepared right away. Please visit Daniel Lindemann from the Blue Merchant Group to finalize the deal.”
“Ah, this means I’ll finally have the chance to meet the esteemed Mr. Lindemann in person.”
Daniel was even more famous than Kane had expected within the Empire. As the loyal servant to three heads of Rehinar, Daniel's ongoing efforts to revive Rehinar were seen as an inspiration to all nobles.
Once treated with contempt in his homeland, he was now being lauded by visitors from distant lands. The recognition of Daniel's achievements felt all the more gratifying.
"I'll give you a 20% discount under my name. Just mention it to Daniel when you finalize the contract."
"Thank you! I’m truly grateful," Baron Brullo said, surprised and pleased by Kane’s offer.
Other nobles' eyes gleamed as they watched Baron Brullo secure a 20% discount with just a brief conversation with Kane.
Regardless of the price, the equipment was well worth buying. The quality was exceptional, making it hard to find elsewhere.
And now, with a 20% discount on top of that, they needed to stock up before prices increased.
Following Baron Brullo’s lead, the other nobles hurried to introduce themselves to Kane.
***
It felt like a storm had swept through, leaving everything in its wake.
Kane had a wide smile on his face.
“Kane, are you feeling alright? What’s with the out-of-character behavior?” Blata asked.
Kane never made a deal that caused him to lose out. Yet, here he was offering a 20% discount. Naturally, people were going crazy. Selling high-quality items at a reduced price had everyone’s attention.
“Mikhail, you engraved Rehinar's emblem on the items, right?”
“If you mean the dual-sword emblem you requested, it's been done. Here, take a look.”
Mikhail handed Kane two identical swords.
When he drew them from their scabbards, the beautifully crafted blades gleamed before him.
“They’re perfect.”
The blades didn’t just bear the Rehinar emblem; they also had the inscription “Guardian XX” engraved stylishly.
“Are you satisfied?” Mikhail asked.
“Are all the weapons like this?”
“I had this in mind when you said you wanted to create a brand.”
“I’m very pleased.”
“Take a closer look at this sword. It might not be on the same level as ‘Bloodsky blades’, but it’s a masterpiece in its own right.”
When Mikhail called something a masterpiece, it meant the weapon was exceptional. Information about the sword appeared before Kane’s eyes.
---
[Soo Baek Gyeol (Water's Hundred Edge)]
Category: One-handed weapon
Rating: ★★★★★
Description: Imbued with the Pride of the True Dragon, this weapon chooses its master. It’s paired with ‘Bing Baek Gyeol’.
(*No restrictions for usage*)
Unique Trait: Increases the strength of the Water Rune, Spirit Sword (SSR)
General Traits: +530% Water elemental attack, +530% Water elemental magic attack, shared abilities when dual-wielding
---
[Spirit Sword]
Category: Trait
Rating: SSR
Description: When a weapon holds a soul, it is called a Spirit Sword. Depending on its master’s personality, it can become a cursed sword or a holy sword.
---
“It's definitely something to brag about. A five-star weapon, along with a four-star one, both with top-tier options.”
The second sword's information appeared as well:
---
[Bing Baek Gyeol (Ice's Hundred Edge)]
Category: One-handed weapon
Rating: ★★★★☆
Description: Imbued with the pride of the True Dragon, this weapon chooses its master. Paired with ‘Soo Baek Gyeol’.
(*No wearing restrictions*)
Unique Traits: Spirit Sword (SR)
General Traits: +330% Ice elemental attack, +330% Ice elemental magic attack, shared abilities when dual-wielding
---
Both weapons were masterpieces, one focused on water and the other on ice, perfectly complementing each other when used together.
The sword ‘Soo Baek Gyeol’ was superior to ‘Bing Baek Gyeol’.
Even though both had the ‘Spirit Sword’ trait, their grades differed. The higher the ‘Spirit Sword’ grade, the more significant the impact it had on its user. For instance, the sword could speak to its wielder or unlock their hidden potential.
“That’s the reason I took Mikhail away from Ray.”
Mikhail was currently a 4-star character. He hadn't yet been promoted to 5-stars, nor had he awakened. Despite this, his efficiency was unparalleled. The most overpowered aspect was the "no restriction" attached to all his weapons.
[No Restriction]
Back when Kane was Ray Hatzfeld, finding weapons without restrictions was extremely difficult. Even if one managed to get high-grade artifacts, many were left unused due to the limitations. But now, things were different. High-tier weapons without restrictions were readily available, allowing him to share them not just with himself, but also with his other characters.
However, Mikhail wasn't done yet. He handed Kane an elegant box.
“This is what you ordered. Don’t ask me for this again, though. I may be good at making armor, but tailoring clothes is a different matter.”
Mikhail grumbled, but Kane paid no attention. Mikhail was so skilled with his hands that his tailoring was on par with his forging abilities.
---
[Custom-Made Military Academy Uniform]
Category: Armor
Rating: ★★★★☆
Description: A meticulously crafted uniform for Rehinar Military Academy, sewn stitch by stitch by Mikhail's hands. It cannot be torn by ordinary mana.
Unique Option: Flame Shield (S)
General Options: +330% defense against all elements, +330% magic defense against all elements
---
“You made it as well as you make weapons! You could sell these uniforms to nobles.”
“Don’t joke. I only made it because it’s for your sister.”
“I have more sisters.”
“…Regardless, I can’t make any more.”
Mikhail had heard about Sara. Before Kane revealed his true self, Sara had struggled alone for the sake of Rehinar. As the eldest daughter, she should have attended the Royal Military Academy like any child from a prestigious family. However, she gave it all up to take care of her siblings and restore Rehinar.
It was this selfless effort that moved Mikhail to personally craft Sara's uniform.
“That's a shame. Well, this is more than enough, so I can’t complain.”
After all, Kane’s goal was to help Sara advance. Now, almost every condition for her promotion was fulfilled. Only one thing remained: teaching her the ‘Guardian Family’s signature Twin Swordsmanship’, which would allow her to ascend to 4-stars.
* * *
At that moment...
Thud!
A mutated monster from the cursed land collapsed. It was a 4-meter-tall mutated frost beast—a bipedal wolf, categorized as a mid-boss at the high-tier of 4th class.
“Haa…! Haa…!”
Sara panted heavily, her face drenched in sweat. Her clothes were soaked with the blood of the mutated monster.
“Are… you alright, my lady?”
Camilla, equally exhausted, had black liquid splattered all over her pale face.
Then, Anna clapped her hands, praising the two.
“Well done.”
“Anna... I think... I’m going to die…”
“My lady, people don’t die that easily.”
“I never knew... you were so cruel, Anna...”
“I’m simply following Young Master Kane’s orders faithfully.”
Anna had relentlessly trained Sara, Camilla, and the 1st princess’s former maids who now served the Rehinar family. She always led them to the most dangerous parts of the demon forest, never opting for safer zones. Every time they encountered a strong monster, they were forced to fight. The cycle of killing led them to face boss-level monsters, and they had no choice but to fight again.
After repeating this process for countless days, Sara and Camilla were at their breaking point.
“…I’ll kill him when we get back.”
Sara’s eyes gleamed with fierce determination.
Seeing her expression, Anna softly murmured with a hint of regret, “If only we had more time, I could’ve sharpened that resolve even further... But alas, it’s time to head back.”
Sara and Camilla finally breathed a sigh of relief at Anna’s words. Any more time spent here, and they felt they might truly go insane. The cursed land’s malevolent energy was far more overwhelming than they had anticipated.
“You’ve rested enough; shall we return now?”
Rested enough? They hadn’t even rested for three minutes, let alone two!
Both Sara and Camilla found themselves growing to resent Anna.