The weapons I forge are absolutely flawless.

It is truly remarkable that Sargozi could create such a work after only a few months of being promoted to master forger.

From this sword, Wiener saw his solid foundation, years of accumulated experience, and painstaking effort in forging this sword.

Felix's assessment wasn't fundamentally flawed; however, judging a master forger by Wiener's standards was unfair.

However, to receive a flawless evaluation from Felix, who is already accustomed to A-rank weapons, is enough to prove the quality of this sword.

“Compared to my master, I am still far behind,” Sagoci said modestly.

Some things are only truly known to the people involved.

Sargozi's talent in forging was only average; otherwise, he wouldn't have wasted twenty years without becoming a master forger.

If he hadn't been fortunate enough to receive guidance from Wiener, it's uncertain whether he would have been able to achieve this in his lifetime.

In contrast, Wiener, who was probably younger than the time he had spent on blacksmithing, had already reached the level that Wiener admired.

Perhaps only such people have the opportunity to reach the realm of "master craftsman".

“I have some questions for you,” Venere continued, “What was your state of mind when you forged this sword?”

"What was the purpose of forging this sword, and for whom was it crafted? If you could do it all over again, could you forge a weapon that could rival this Mercury?"

This series of questions stumped Sagozzi, who pondered for a long time before finally answering, "No."

"This Mercury was not made for anyone else; if I had to say, it was for myself."

"While forging it, I had a strange premonition that this would be the best weapon I would ever forge in my life."

"Then they discovered that no one could use it after it was forged, and they felt that no one knew its value?" Viner said half-jokingly.

“You are absolutely right,” Sagozi said with a wry smile.

If anyone else dared to make such a comment, they would feel it was a great insult; only Wiener could make him face this fact.

Since becoming a master blacksmith, he has forged a total of nine B-rank weapons.

The other eight had already been taken by the Valentin Merchant Guild, but this Mercury, which Sargozzi was most confident in, was returned.

The Chamber of Commerce replied that few in the world could wield this sword properly, and even if it were auctioned off, it would most likely only end up in the collection of some nobleman. It would be better to let the master keep it for himself, waiting for someone destined to possess it.

At first, he was very angry, feeling that the prestigious Valentin Merchant Guild was so ignorant of its value, and that even a master blacksmith could not guarantee that his work could surpass this Mercury.

But it wasn't until the Valentin Merchant Guild handed Sagozi a list of the existing high-ranking swordsmen on the continent that he finally realized that this masterpiece of his was truly useless.

Seeing Sargozi's helpless expression, Viña already knew what was going on.

He presented Sargozi with a multiple-choice question:

"Do you want to become a blacksmithing master who might be lost in the annals of history, or do you want to become the greatest blacksmithing master in the history of the continent of Fodor?"

Chapter 464 Demanding the Sword

While both are at the Grandmaster level, the level of a Grandmaster in forging is significantly higher than that of others.

After all, creation is inherently uncertain.

Some blacksmiths who only forge an A-rank weapon once in their lifetime can be revered as blacksmithing masters because of that one weapon.

This does not mean that the quality of the weapons they forge under normal circumstances is higher than that of other master forgers.

Even so, it is still a rare and precious thing, since not every sword saint can obtain a sword forged by a master blacksmith.

The B-rank weapons forged by the master are already the most precious weapons that can be obtained through normal means.

And this Mercury is one of the finest examples.

"Do you think I have any hope of reaching that level?" Sargozi's voice revealed a hint of longing, and his breathing became rapid.

Only you can answer this question.

Having said that, Venere stood before Sargocchi like a stone statue, awaiting his reply.

After a fierce struggle, Sargozi's gaze finally settled on the group of young apprentices.

He seemed to see his own reflection in the mirror.

"I choose the latter."

After making the decision, Sagozi seemed much more relieved.

Perhaps it was some kind of preordained feeling, but he knew that he would never be able to forge a weapon that surpassed Mercury's in his lifetime.

He asked Felix to evaluate the sword, not just the sword itself, but also the half of his life he had dedicated to its forging.

So he was quite taken aback after hearing that fair assessment.

After hearing Sargozi's choice, Wiener finally began to explain: "If we were to quantify the weapons forged by masters and grandmasters with numbers, the line would be drawn to one hundred."

“Above this line, it becomes an A-rank weapon forged by a grandmaster. As for this Mercury, I would rate it 95 points.”

"Where did the student fall short of those five points?" Sagozi asked hastily.

“Because there are only so many points on the test,” Wiener answered directly. “The reason why masters are masters is that they can make up for it elsewhere and surpass this limit with bonus points.”

These additional conditions can be unique and rare materials, or dual verification of alchemical runes and forging, but most often they are the power of runes.

Almost all master blacksmiths also have the identity of a herald.

But Sargozi was a man without emblems; becoming a master blacksmith was the limit he could reach.

"So students never have the chance to become master blacksmiths from the start, right?"

Although he had already accepted it, Sargocchi was still somewhat upset when he actually heard the answer from Wiener.

“If we’re only talking about the possibility of forging A-rank equipment, then of course it’s possible,” Viner denied. “But that raises another question: who do you plan to give the forged equipment to?”

Demand and direction may limit a craftsman's creativity, but if they are allowed to unleash their talents without restraint, the things they forge may not be what humans need.

Among the items around her, the Venere ring also contained a blueprint for "Congyun Fang".

He had no doubt that Sargozi could replicate the blueprints and forge an extremely dangerous A-rank magic sword.

However, such a weapon is fundamentally unsuitable for humans, and even if it were forged, it would only be a scourge.

If we're talking about something even further back in time, isn't there a divine weapon so powerful that no one can use it, and which is now gathering dust in a corner?

“I really hadn’t thought of that.” Sagozi lowered his head in shame.

He didn't consider any of that; he simply followed his inspiration and created the weapon in one go.

It requires both immense strength and exceptional swordsmanship. While one of these qualities alone could be found, combining them significantly reduces the pool of candidates.

A swordsman at the Saint level can indeed wield this sword with ease.

But a mere B-rank weapon is not enough for them to change their sword-wielding habits.

“If a weapon is forged but no one can use it, even if it is a holy sword, it is useless,” Vena said bluntly.

He had long disliked that holy sword, and this was a chance to vent his frustration.

Even the demons were helpless against Arios and Tilisa, yet they ended up with one dead and the other injured because of this inanimate object.

It's hard for Vina to judge whether this holy sword is a spy sent by the demons.

"The more powerful and effective a weapon is, the more difficult it is to find a suitable user."

"The reason why the last fourteen weapons left by Tauronio can be called the legacy of a hero is not because they are any more noble than other A-rank weapons forged by other grandmasters, but because he found a home for these fourteen weapons."

"The blacksmith, the weapon, and the user are a trinity."

"If the problem lies with the blacksmith, who treats weapons as a product of self-gratification, then what kind of person would be matched with such a weapon?"

Wiener patted Sargozi on the shoulder, letting him figure it out on his own.

"Are you warning me not to go astray and forge demonic weapons in pursuit of the so-called Grandmaster realm?"

Sagozi broke out in a cold sweat.

“That’s the idea,” Vener nodded. “I once encountered a cursed piece of equipment that turned a promising emblemist into a cripple in just half a day.”

"Although it's an unorthodox approach, as long as it's given enough nourishment, it has the potential to break through to become an A-grade equipment."

"Who on earth is so vicious as to forge such equipment?" Sagozi asked, puzzled.

If you forge A-rank equipment in this way, even if you become a master forger, you will only be someone that everyone hates.

“Oh, it wasn’t human, it was a demonic blacksmith master, whom I’ve already executed,” Vena replied casually.

Sagozi: "..."

He now seriously doubts whether Wiener would have simply eliminated him if he had chosen the former option.

“I’m not suggesting you learn from it and take shortcuts, but rather that if you truly consider it your life’s work, you should be responsible for it,” Wiener emphasized.

If it's just something you do casually to practice, then you don't need to think about it so much.

However, for a masterpiece like this, which may be difficult to replicate in a lifetime, the blacksmith has the obligation to take on the responsibility of choosing an owner for it.

Whether it becomes a mere collectible in a noble's treasury, or rises to fame alongside a hero, or is reduced to a demonic artifact wreaking havoc, is often predetermined from the very beginning.

After Wiener's guidance, an idea suddenly flashed into Sagozi's mind.

This Mercury, though difficult to find a suitable user among humans, is a divine weapon tailor-made for demons.

Among the demons, there are still some who idolize the Demon of Swords and study human swordsmanship.

If even demons can produce master blacksmiths, then it seems not impossible for a new demon sword saint to emerge.

The demons, already possessing immense strength, combined with the heavy, unsharp Mercury, must have unleashed an unimaginable force. Just thinking about it sent shivers down Sago's spine.

To prevent it from falling into the hands of the demons, the best way is naturally—

“I understand,” Sargozi finally made up his mind and reached out to Mercury. “I will take responsibility and melt this sword down.”

"Snapped!"

A crisp sound rang out.

Wiener slammed his hand down, exasperated, and said, "After all this talk, what the hell have you figured out?"

"What I mean is, this sword is mine now."

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Chapter 465 If you enter this gate, you will revere me as a god.

Wiener's slap not only stunned Sagozi, but also caused his disciples behind him to gossip about it.

"Is this guy trying to trick the teacher out of his sword?"

"Yes, it feels like he talked for a long time, just for that last sentence."

However, unlike when Felix was taught a lesson before, they didn't seem as indignant this time.

"By the way, this guy seems to have hit our teacher."

"Does it matter? It wasn't Miss Felix who got hit."

"That's right."

Putting aside the fact that it is only natural for a master to beat his apprentice, the fact that this young man clearly had a close relationship with Felix was enough to stop them from making any moves.

The incident of Sagozi being slapped away by Wiener was only briefly mentioned before the conversation returned to Wiener's earlier comments.

Not everyone can understand Wiener's words so quickly. Those who can't understand them naturally think that this young man is arrogant and conceited.

How dare this kid comment on other forging masters and Lord Tauronio like that? Does he really think he's a forging grandmaster?

These "objective evaluations" all reached Felix's ears, making him, who was already unhappy, burst into laughter.

"That guy, Viner, is really showing no respect for people. This is going to be difficult to handle."

Even though she had heard about the relationship between Vina and Sargozi before coming, Lisette still felt that he had gone too far.

How can you not give someone else's disciple any face?

“No way!” Felix retorted, unusually. “I’m not the laughing Venus.”

"They dare to speak like that only because they don't know what Viner is capable of. Once they see it for themselves, they will only revere Viner as a god."

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