Book 22: Chapter 1 (1)
Shin visited the commercial country of Kurikara with his party members for its hot springs. Upon arriving, they took part in the “Wrought Iron Battle Festival”, a blacksmithing and martial arts festival held once every four years.
However, behind the scenes of the lively festival, weapons contaminated with a curse were secretly being circulated, which led to numerous incidents of people in the town suddenly going berserk.
In addition, the weapons on display turned into monsters and attacked people. The town was thrown into chaos.
Although there were many casualties, Shin and his party defeated the mastermind behind the terrorist attack and succeeded in settling the situation.
Although the lives lost could not be brought back, he wanted to at least restore the weapons that were the result of the work that the people of this country had accumulated. With this in mind, Shin offered to repair the weapons that were destroyed in the incident.
Shin had once given a glimpse of his outstanding blacksmithing skills, but word had spread to the Black Faction—a group of technical experts who were followers of the legendary High Human, the Dark Blacksmith.
A few days later, Shin and the others were summoned to the royal castle of Kurikara. There, through the mediation of the “Cave King” Jayf, the head of the Dwarven Association, they were invited to the Black Faction’s headquarters.
After everyone had been cleared out of the room, Shin and the others continued their conversation with Jayf and the other person present: Kluck, a blacksmith who belonged to the Black Faction.
“The person from whom Sir Shin learned blacksmithing… could it be the ‘Dark Blacksmith’ himself? That man, who is said to have disappeared somewhere, is still somewhere in this world? I can’t help but think that.”