Chapter 25: Snow Flower Tower (2)

While talking to Dariel, we had unknowingly arrived at the place where the Bingjeong was located.

The Bingjeong was on the 5th floor underground of the Snowflake Tower.

According to the explanation, this was the deepest part of the Snowflake Tower, where the most important treasures

were stored.

Considering that the tower’s main attribute was ice, the Bingjeong, which maximized ice magic, was indeed the

greatest treasure.

There were many other mages researching the Bingjeong on the 5th floor.

Their ages, clothes, and tools in hand were all different, but they all wore bluish robes, resembling ice mages.

Some of the mages I recognized from the previous Silver Sabertus expedition were also present.

I didn’t know their names, though.

“Welcome, Tower Lord.”

Dariel was greeted by their salutations and led Grace to the Bingjeong.

“Why has it gotten bigger?”

Grace tilted her head as she looked at the Bingjeong.

Even I could tell that it had grown larger compared to before.

Last time, it was about the size of a large rock, but now it seemed to be the size of an even larger rock. It wasn’t a

drastic change, but noticeable.

“This seems to be its original size. It had shrunk due to the consumption of mana while freezing the waters of the

Crystal Lake. After enough mana and cold were infused, it grew back.”

“Can it grow any bigger?”

“No, this is the limit. I even had two elders channel their mana into it, but it didn’t budge. What you see now was

restored to its original size by infusing massive amounts of mana. Because of that, the research schedule for the

Snowflake Tower has been significantly delayed.”

“So, as long as you inject mana and cold, it can be grown again, even if the Bingjeong is consumed?”

“Heh heh, that’s right. But we shouldn’t be wasteful, for if we rely too much on regeneration, the whole tower could

end up as a charging station for the Bingjeong.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

I had never heard that the Bingjeong could be recharged.

It seemed like this was an element that wasn’t included in the original setting from the novel, where the Bingjeong’s

quantity was limited and couldn’t be utilized in battle.

Although Dariel warned that the charging efficiency was very low, the fact that the Bingjeong could be recharged was

an incredible advantage.

As Grace had said, you could store it here, take out what you needed, and recharge it later.

“How can it be used?”

“I thought you would ask that first. Bring it!”

At Dariel’s shout, a mage with a bowl-shaped head brought a bundle of papers.

Dariel took the papers and spread them out one by one on a nearby table, then began to explain.

What was written on the papers were not blueprints for magical tools.

Rather, they were blueprints for war machines.

Inside a cylindrical object, a shard of Bingjeong was installed to shoot cold when mana was injected.

A staff with a processed Bingjeong shard inserted at the end.

There was even something like a grenade, where the Bingjeong shard inside would explode when injected with mana,

freezing everything around it.

“Is this a magic research lab or a weapons development facility?”

At this point, it was fascinating.

Even though it was all combat magic, the weapon designs were so systematic.

“This ice bomb is great in terms of performance, but it seems inefficient because of its consumption. The staff looks

like it would work just fine, and the ice cannon seems fun,” Grace said, slowly examining each blueprint that Dariel

had brought.

“These are all interesting weapons, but in the end, only knights or mages could use them.”

“Well, that’s true. Even though Bingjeong is something like a gift from nature, you need to inject mana to use the

cold.”

“Considering that, there are many limitations in applying these weapons in actual combat. Especially the ice cannon

—it would require a knight or mage to be stationed nearby.”

Grace sharply pointed out the flaws in the designs.

While Dariel may have been the one in charge of the weapon development and magical applications, Grace’s battle

experience made her observations precise, and Dariel nodded in agreement without showing any displeasure.

“Hmm, considering the number of people, it seems we should have our disciple handle it.”

“The ice bomb is the same. A knight would find it hard to carry such a heavy object in battle. A mage should use it.”

“That makes sense.”

“The staff is for mage use, though…”

“Mm…”

After evaluating the designs, Grace turned to Dariel and asked,

“Tower Lord, is there no weapon suitable for a knight? I heard someone suggested a sword before. Was that idea

discarded?”

“Ah, the sword…”

At Grace’s words, Dariel made a troubled expression.

Was there a problem with it?

“Actually, there was an idea to embed Bingjeong shards into the blades of swords or spears to develop magic swords

and magic spears. However, it was immediately rejected.”

“Why?”

“Because of the durability of Bingjeong. Even with a magic sword or magic spear, the blade is ultimately used for

striking in battle, right? So, we made it out of solid steel.”

“That’s true.”

“Bingjeong is a delicate material, and if it collides improperly, it will shatter. If it’s only going to be used for cold

emission, there’s no reason to make it into a blade shape. A blade that isn’t swung is no different from a staff.”

“That makes sense.”

“Even if we only make it for cold emission, Bingjeong would break during the process of hammering. Rough

blacksmiths would have difficulty working with it.”

Grace nodded in agreement, though she appeared slightly regretful.

As a knight from the Northern Duchy, Grace likely had a pure fantasy of using a weapon made from the powerful

material, Bingjeong.

‘What should I do? I want to jump in here.’

Having read the novel, I knew there was a way to improve upon Dariel’s words.

If I mix Hancheol with it, the durability issue can be solved, and it could be used as a sword.

I know one blacksmith who can work with Bingjeong.

If I bring Bill here, Grace’s regret will be addressed, and Dariel’s concerns can be solved.

However, back during the Crystal Lake situation, I had solid grounds and timing for making suggestions.

Now, if I suddenly provide information here, I would look suspicious since I would be the only one with all this

knowledge. I should wait for the next opportunity.

“Sir, may I offer an opinion?”

“???”

For once, Elaine, who usually quietly accompanied Grace, spoke up first.

Grace, surprised, widened her eyes and granted permission.

“Go ahead.”

“Luke here made a dagger out of obsidian. As you know, obsidian is a mysterious mineral that holds magical power,

but it’s weaker than steel, so it’s not ideal for making a sword. However, Luke used that obsidian dagger to cut

through the ice of the Crystal Lake.”

“?!” “It seems the blacksmith who made Luke’s dagger has special skills. How about calling him in to hear his

opinion?”

Wow.

Nice job, Elaine. That was the best assist.

If I could, I would raise my thumb and give her a kiss on the cheek.

But because of the need to maintain professionalism, it was the first time I felt frustrated that I couldn’t express

affection toward Elaine.

Grace and Dariel’s gazes turned toward me.

“Now that I think about it, how do you have an obsidian sword? Didn’t you even strike Silver Sabertus with it?”

“Obsidian sword? Ah, so that’s how you used it to amplify heat and break the ice of the Crystal Lake!”

Grace expressed her doubt, having recognized the obsidian material of my dagger, while Dariel became excited as if

he had discovered a new idea.

‘Now, what do I do?’

Thanks to Elaine, a great opportunity arose, but internally, I was conflicted.

Should I reveal the information about Hancheol now?

If so, I’d have to admit that my dagger was actually made of Hancheol, and I knew about Hancheol, but used it for

my own weapon without reporting it.

Elaine let it slide, but Grace didn’t know about it. Elaine probably didn’t bring up Hancheol to avoid making things

awkward for me. It felt strange to self-sabotage at this point.

There wasn’t much time for hesitation. Both of them were looking at me, waiting for a response.

So, after thinking quickly, I came to a conclusion.

“I found some obsidian during my mission, and thought it could be used to make a sword. So, I visited a blacksmith I

often go to, and we came up with the idea of mixing iron with obsidian to make a sword.”

“Iron mixed with obsidian?”

“Yes, there were many challenges, but the result was this dagger, called ‘Hyeogyo’.”

I pulled out the obsidian dagger from my waist and finished explaining.

That’s right. As I had told Elaine before, it’s more effective to reveal some of the facts rather than hide everything.

After all, my goal was to guide Grace to meet Bill and have him take on the task of crafting the Crystal Sword.

So, I could share this much information without issue.

“Can I hold that dagger for a moment?”

In an instant, my breath caught.

There was no suspicion in her face, only curiosity.

But for a knight like Grace, she might be able to feel Hancheol’s energy from the obsidian.

Maybe showing her the dagger wasn’t such a good idea after all.

But how could I refuse? Hoping that the Hancheol wouldn’t be detected, I handed the dagger over to her.

Grace took the dagger and carefully examined the black blade part. After a few swings in the air, she inspected the

blade again.

Then, she slightly nodded.

“That’s a well-made sword. It looks like it was crafted by a very skilled blacksmith. Where did you have it made?”

“Thank you. It was made by Bill, the owner of a weapon shop called ‘Billsmith’ in the commercial district.”

“Hmm?”

When I mentioned Bill’s name, it was not only Grace who reacted. A response came from elsewhere.

As Grace and I turned our heads, we saw that the person who had spoken was one of the senior members of the 1st

Escort Team.

“Do you know him as well?”

“Yes, I also take my swords there for maintenance.”

“His craftsmanship?”

“He’s the best blacksmith among those I know.”

“Oh?”

I was also surprised to meet another customer of Bill’s. I exchanged a look with the senior, signaling ‘Hey, you too?’

and felt a strange sense of camaraderie.

“I know that place too.”

“You do?”

Elaine, who usually remained quiet and composed during work, suddenly joined the conversation with a bold

expression.

“He’s skilled not only with swords but with all kinds of weapons. He’s enthusiastic and diligent, and his commitment

to blacksmithing is impressive.”

“Really?”

“I had a sword’s edge damaged during a recent mission, so I took it to him during my leave, and it came back

perfectly restored.”

It seemed that Elaine’s unexpected praise for Bill had piqued Grace’s interest, as her eyes sparkled with curiosity.

“I can’t believe I didn’t know about such a craftsman until now. I’m interested in meeting him.”

“Let me know a convenient date, and I’ll have him come by as soon as possible.”

“Well, I’ll leave it to you to arrange it with his schedule. As for me, I meet people all the time. I’ll invite him

whenever.”

“I’ll let you have some of the ice shards from the Ice Crystal if you wish to consult with him about them. I’d like to

hear his opinion.”

“Not a problem. If it’s a sword made from Ice Crystal, I’d love to see it too.”

With Dariel’s approval, the plan to create an Ice Crystal sword smoothly moved to the next stage.

I had a feeling that Bill, who had recently worked with enchanted steel, might seize this opportunity to ask the

Northern Duke for enchanted steel. I had already told Elaine where I found the enchanted steel, so even if I didn’t

intervene awkwardly, the mining of enchanted steel would begin soon enough.

‘It’s better this way.’

What started as a check on the Ice Crystal research unexpectedly turned into something advantageous.

This is why one must always stay alert and seize opportunities when they arise.

“Next, I want to see the effects of the Ice Crystal.”

“Haha, of course, I’ll show you.”

With the conversation heading in a good direction, both Grace and Dariel seemed to be in a cheerful mood. Dariel

demonstrated the power and effects of the Ice Crystal, and while I had already learned about it through the novel,

seeing it firsthand was still a different experience.

I watched the magical display as the Ice Crystal infused with mana emitted cold air, scattered ice shards, and froze the moisture in the air, making it snow in a mystical and beautiful display.

‘Snow… cold… chill…?’

For some reason, the word “Sulahngum” (Snow Blade) popped into my head.

If Elaine were to wield a sword made from the Ice Crystal and use it to make snowflakes fall, it would be quite

impressive.