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Chapter 3
“Cheongeumjeong.”
That’s the name of the blacksmith workshop run by the Namgung Family.
It’s easily the best workshop in Anhui.
All blacksmiths working there are members of the Namgung branch family.
And every one of them is at least a high-level craftsman.
Because of that, the weapons made in Cheongeumjeong are exceptional.
Which also means—
They’re not easily sold outside.
Anything made by a high-level craftsman is at least mid-to-high grade.
So naturally, distribution is strictly controlled.
They have no intention of strengthening other martial families.
In short—
Most Cheongeumjeong weapons are for Namgung warriors only.
That’s the confidence of a great clan.
Which means—
If I mess up, I’m dead.
“This damn villain of the martial world—die!”
Snap.
“Gah!”
“Hahaha! A Namgung warrior who doesn’t even maintain his weapon properly? You die instead!”
Slash!
“Argh!”
Cheongeumjeong guarantees my future.
The Namgung Family protects me from villains and scum.
But if I make one bad weapon?
I’m fired.
No way!
There’s no labor board here.
No unemployment benefits either.
Sure, I’m skilled enough not to starve—
But losing this job means risking getting stabbed.
So I have no choice.
Make it durable.
Make it high-quality.
Make it insanely sharp.
That’s why Cheongeumjeong weapons rarely break.
New swords are rarely requested.
Most of the work is:
- Repairing chipped blades
- Sharpening edges
- Reforging
- Refining raw materials
It pays enough to live—
But compared to warriors?
It’s low income.
Still, we get extra commissions.
That’s why most blacksmiths take apprentices.
Apprentices handle repairs and sharpening.
Experienced craftsmen earn extra through custom work.
“But me? I work alone!”
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Why?
Because I’m young?
‘Well… that’s part of it.’
But the real reason is different.
I don’t want to teach my knowledge.
And even if I did—
No one could keep up.
Training an apprentice means actually teaching them.
But if they can’t follow?
What’s the point?
“…Is this how Mozart felt looking at Salieri?”
Thankfully, it’s not that bad.
There is one genius.
“Old Man Mak.”
A real genius.
He understands advanced techniques immediately.
Now I understand how Mozart felt.
Sure, some senior blacksmiths could follow maybe 10% of what I teach…
But—
I’m not even twenty.
They’re in their 40s or 50s.
How can I order them around?
Respect for elders still matters.
And honestly—
Who would give up their high-ranking position to become an apprentice?
“Which means… I have to do everything myself.”
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Life is hard.
Being a genius who knows future techniques is exhausting.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Right now, I’m earning extra money.
I got a direct order—
From the Namgung Family kitchen.
The item?
Kitchen knives.
“…How did they even break it like this?”
The blade snapped vertically.
That’s impressive.
“I couldn’t even do that on purpose!”
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Why did they specifically request me?
Simple.
A chef saw the knife used at Cheongpung Inn—
And fell in love with it.
Thanks to that, orders came flooding in.
“And since it’s a direct request, I can’t half-ass it.”
This is for the family that pays me.
I’ll make it strong.
Unbreakable.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
After half a day—
CLANG!
[A high-quality kitchen knife has been completed.]
I could feel it in my hands—
And the system confirmed it.
Since awakening, I can clearly make better items.
I dipped the blade in water, cleaned it, and polished it.
The silver blade shone brilliantly.
You could see your reflection in it.
“Perfect.”
Still—
It’s a bit disappointing that my stats don’t increase from making masterpieces.
The Namgung Family is huge.
Which means—
A lot of people.
Warriors, servants, guests, family…
Easily over a thousand.
And where there are many people—
There are many dining halls.
There are five in total.
One of them is:
Namgung Third-Grade Hall.
This is where lower-level warriors eat.
Basically, like a military mess hall.
The head chef there—
Namgung Apdo—
Used to be a military cook.
Which explains everything.
His cooking?
Pure military food.
Full of intensity.
So intense that—
A Namgung-made knife snapped in half.
Still—
His passion for cooking is real.
His depression over the broken knife didn’t last long.
Because his new knife arrived in half a day.
“OOOH!”
He admired it early in the morning.
The blade shimmered like it held the dawn itself.
“This is incredible!”
“As expected of Cheongeumjeong!”
He was thrilled.
He rushed to the kitchen and started chopping.
Tak tak tak!
Slice slice!
“Wow! This feeling!”
The knife cut through radish like peeling skin.
Cucumbers sliced effortlessly.
It felt like the blade understood the ingredients.
The cuts were clean and shiny.
“It’s like the wind flows through the blade!”
“OOOHHH!!!”
Namgung Apdo… awakened.
Normally—
The food here is terrible.
Even stray cats run away screaming.
But—
It’s nutritious.
That’s the only good thing.
“…Yesterday’s dinner was good.”
“Yeah…”
Because the knife broke yesterday—
They had to order food from an inn.
For the first time in years—
A satisfying meal.
But now—
It’s over.
“Damn it! I wanted inn food again!”
“Curse you, Cheongeumjeong!”
“Namgung Cheongang!!”
“Why are you so hardworking?!”
“You could’ve been lazy for a day or two!”
They were furious—
At me.
But what can they do?
I just did my job well.
“Let’s just eat…”
The warriors walked in.
“Welcome! Eat well!” shouted Namgung Apdo.
“…Yes…”
They grabbed their plates.
Buffet style.
They avoided side dishes—
And took mostly rice.
Because it tasted the best.
“Tsk tsk. You need balanced nutrition!”
Apdo piled food onto their plates.
‘A demon…’
They wanted to protest—
But couldn’t.
He was too sincere.
And too strong.
A seasoned battlefield veteran.
At peak-mid level.
Even his physique looked like he could kill a bear.
So they ate.
Reluctantly.
One bite—
“…Huh?”
“…Wait?”
“…Oh?”
Something was different.
Another bite—
“…!!!”
“IT’S GOOD?!”
“My tongue is alive!!”
“WOOOO!!”
The food—
Was delicious.
They devoured everything.
“More!!”
“Run!!”
Chaos erupted.
Something impossible had happened.
“Heh. I knew my cooking would be appreciated someday.”
Apdo smiled proudly.
The assistants, however, were confused.
‘That can’t be right…’
Still—
They were curious.
Meanwhile—
Clang! Clang!
“Hmm?”
[Namgung Apdo is extremely satisfied with the kitchen knife.]
[Namgung Apdo greatly cherishes the knife.]
[Level up!]
[Level: 25]
[You have learned ‘Iron Breath Tempering’.]
[Resonance activated.]
[You have learned Basic Cooking.]
“…??”
What is this?
