T0 Gaming Guild Saves the World.

Chapter 43. Free Forging? Forging at Your Own Expense!
"Mint, which university did you graduate from?"

Mint's eyes immediately sharpened: "Why are you suddenly asking this?"

"I'm just curious," Jiang Heyi said. "I want to see where the legendary witch rose to power."

“I want to see too,” the jailer immediately chimed in.

"Add me one."

After Cuttlefish followed suit, Orange Tea quickly raised her hand as well.

Mint's expression suddenly turned strange. She stammered and turned her head away: "Yes, we'll talk about it later. Let's solve the craftsman problem first. Quick, tell me what your requirements are."

The capital of the Anna Empire boasts dozens of renowned master craftsmen, each possessing unique strengths to establish themselves here.

The boundary between reality and illusion is completely ignorant of how to judge the skill level of craftsmen, and can only seek the opinion of Mint herself.

"If you want to get forged products as quickly as possible, I recommend the Shattered Hammer Workshop. Master Craftsman Garcia should be the easiest to book."

As they talked, Mint's gaze fell on the slime cakes sold at a roadside food stall.

Its shape and texture are very similar to bowl-shaped rice cakes, with cream garnishing the top and crispy biscuits serving as the base, forming the so-called cake elements.

Having already learned a lot about the shameful witch, Jiang Heyi decisively took out her money and bought one for everyone.

"Mmm, delicious~~~" Mint only took a spoonful before squinting her eyes, completely captivated. "It tastes just like the food I ate when I was in school."

Besides providing a feeling of fullness, the slime cakes also offered a way to reduce fatigue, which caught Zhong Zemo's eye.

"Now that we've eaten, let's talk about it. The fact that you can easily book a master craftsman means that the workshop is practically deserted."

Jiang Heyi watched as she devoured the cake in no time, then casually pushed the small cake, which she had only scooped up a bite of, towards her.

Unexpectedly, the original flavor fries were made in the same way, and the two's tacit understanding surprised Mint.

She didn't refuse and continued to enjoy it: "What do you think of my potion?"

After entering the city, the prison guard, whose gaze was basically fixed on the ground, didn't even turn his head: "The dual nature of gods and demons."

“The same goes for the master craftsman Garcia,” Mint said, waving the spoon in her hand. “The quality of his forging varies greatly and is extremely inconsistent.”

Whether the things he forges are good or bad depends entirely on luck, so despite his reputation as a master craftsman, those who can afford to wait are unwilling to have their work forged by him.

In other words, it's an artisan version of mint.

"How long will the other master craftsmen have to wait?"

“It takes at least 10 days,” Mint said. “Time isn’t the biggest hurdle. Whether the master craftsmen are willing to work for you is also a big question. It’s said that some master craftsmen nominally open the furnace themselves, but in reality, their apprentices do the work. Although Garcia’s work depends more on luck, at least he insists on forging by hand.”

Seeing that the boundary between reality and illusion acknowledged her words, Mint led them back the way they came.

Only after leaving the capital did everyone realize that something was wrong.

"Garcia isn't in the city?"

"Not here."

Could this guy be making this recommendation on purpose because we just mentioned the academy?

Mint's motives are very suspicious!
The Broken Hammer Workshop is located in a village on the outskirts of the capital, and looks no different from the blacksmith shops that can be seen everywhere along the road in Windjammer City.

There was no clanging of metal from forging, and the entire front yard was deserted. Even though it was nighttime, the quietness of a master craftsman's workshop was beyond their expectations.

Looking around, the forged items in the courtyard were mostly furniture and farm tools.

"Is anyone there?" Mint called out for help.

From the depths of the courtyard, a young man emerged. After scrutinizing the group's attire, he asked, "Adventurers? What kind of artifacts are you forging?"

"Are you the master craftsman Garcia?"

“That’s my father,” the young man said with a smile. “Why don’t you tell me what you need first, and maybe I can do it for you.”

Jiang Heyi revealed the Elemental Heart, and the young man's expression changed instantly.

He jogged back to the workshop courtyard and nearly tripped as he crossed the threshold.

"The Heart of Elements? What nonsense are you talking about? That material exists on the diagrams, and very few craftsmen in the entire Anna Empire have ever touched it with their own hands."

"Do you know how powerful the monsters that can nurture the heart of the elements are? Only the elite of the empire can defeat them. Low-level mages will be burned to ashes by the scattered elemental fragments just by getting close."

Before the master craftsman Garcia even stepped out, his powerful voice could already be heard.

This rough-looking man with a full beard looked more like a bandit who robbed and plundered.

Jiang Heyi raised the Elemental Heart in her hand higher, and Garcia, who was lecturing his son in the distance, was instantly speechless.

He stood frozen in place for a few seconds, then strode forward. Seeing Jiang Heyi about to take a step back, he quickly stopped.

“Oh, this… Your Excellency, great adventurer, I was presumptuous… May I hold it in my hands and examine it closely?”

Garcia’s tone was almost humble; the two-meter-tall man was trying to force a fawning smile onto his fierce face.

"Just for a little while, just for a little while!"

Seeing Jiang Heyi reach out his hand, he quickly bent down and took it with both hands.

“My God… I can still feel its slight tremor.” “What wondrous elemental power… It is not born from a single elemental life form; this power is constantly changing.”

"What kind of powerful being could possess such a strong and powerful core?"

Garcia was somewhat flustered. Prompted by his son, he quickly bent down and returned the heart with both hands, but his gaze remained fixed on Jiang Heyi's palms.

"Excuse me for being so bold, but who exactly are you?" Garcia could not hide his astonishment. "This is no ordinary object. The presence of multiple elemental remnants means that its owner is an extremely powerful elemental life form."

“If I’m not mistaken,” Garcia took a deep breath, “you got it from a slime king.”

At the boundary between reality and illusion, everyone's lips curled into a smile.

"As expected of a master craftsman, your knowledge is truly vast." Jiang Heyi weighed the Elemental Heart in his hand and explained his purpose, "I want to use the Elemental Heart to craft a weapon. Name your price."

Garcia was shocked. He shuddered and cautiously glanced at the group of people on the edge of reality and illusion out of the corner of his eye, swallowing hard.

"Price, price tag?"

"You think we can't afford it?"

“How could that be? What I mean is, free of charge.” Garcia said, then quickly shook his head. “My suggestion to make it free is by no means an attempt to belittle you gentlemen!”
This time, it was Jiang Heyi's turn to be stunned.

Seeing that the person at the boundary between reality and illusion was not responding, Garcia grew anxious.

"Not only will it be free, but I will also provide all the other materials needed for forging."

what?
Paying out of pocket?

Seeing that there was still no response, Garcia gritted his teeth.

"If you have any other needs in the future... of course, I don't mean needs like the Heart of Elements, you can come to me, and I'm willing to help you all to the best of my ability."

After a brief moment of shock, Jiang Heyi came to her senses.

He coughed and casually placed the Heart of Elements on the stone table beside him.

"How long will it take to heal?"

“Three days… no, at most one and a half days!” Garcia was afraid that Jiang Heyi would change his mind. “I will close the workshop and devote myself to forging for you.”

You'll get it in the next round of the game; that's much faster than you expected.

Garcia, with his exceptional ability to read people, noticed the smile on Jiang Heyi's face and immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

"One more question."

Upon hearing Jiang Heyi speak, he immediately became serious.

"I also have an Elemental Heart, but it was forged by a puppet. She is not very experienced and her skills are not very proficient. The final product may not be to my liking. Can it be modified?"

Garcia stared in disbelief, momentarily forgetting that the people in front of him were terrifying guests capable of annihilating the Slime King, and asked the question in trembling voice.

"You...you entrusted the Heart of Elements to someone with no experience to forge?"

"correct."

Garcia's features contorted in pain, his face contorted more than if he had licked a lemon.

"How could you waste such a precious resource? How could you do this..."

As he spoke, he seemed about to beat his chest and stamp his feet in frustration.

"Please give it to me, please give it to me... I will do my best to modify it for you, and I will still provide all the materials you need." Garcia's eyes were red.

I don't know if it was from excitement that his eyes turned red, or from frustration.

After agreeing to deliver the second Heart of Elements a little later, the boundary between the real and the virtual departed without any hesitation.

As soon as the person left, Garcia immediately instructed his son to close the door to refuse guests and activate the soundproofing array that covered the entire courtyard.

“Dad, those guests left without leaving their names or signing any contracts.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he received his father's affection—a slap on the head.

“Sign a contract? Do they need to sign a contract? How many people in all of Anna can deal with the Slime King? Such people will never worry about anyone breaking their promise. They have a million ways to get back what is rightfully theirs.”

During the conversation, he could sense the other person's indifferent attitude.

Especially the moment he casually handed the Heart of the Elements to the puppet for practice, his domineering aura made Garcia's legs go weak.

Only those who stand tall in the clouds, unparalleled in the world, can be so calm and composed.

They encountered people who were ten or even a hundred times stronger than the elites of the Mage Tower.

But... who exactly are they?

Does the Ana Empire have any organizations that operate with a minimum of six members?

"If you can't figure it out, then stop thinking about it," Garcia said earnestly.

"Son, you must watch carefully and learn well this time. The Heart of Elements is a rare find, and being able to use it for forging is an opportunity every craftsman dreams of. As long as you can successfully complete the commission..."

"By observing their expressions, we asked those lords for permission to display our goods here for a day... no, just half a day. Then our names will spread throughout Anna."

　Zhang said, "Keep reading, Modo Modo!"
　　
　
(End of this chapter)