Chapter 67

Chapter 67: Use of the Gold Ingots - Part 1

Returning to the castle from Chloe's house, I took a shower to wash off the sweat and dirt. After changing clothes, Chloe and I headed to the princess's chambers.

Upon entering the room, the princess greeted us with "Welcome back," and we replied, "We're back now."

"Wow, so golems drop such large gold ingots? Amazing, these monsters, huh?"

"Well, this size is quite rare. We didn't expect to get one this big either. We were surprised when it happened."

The size of the gold ingot is not something you can intentionally control. We tried various methods in the game, but ultimately, we couldn't change the size of the ingots intentionally.

"Other than the gold ingot golem, did any other unusual monsters appear?"

"No, none did. If they had, I could've told a good story to the princess."

"Yes, indeed. I'll keep that excitement for another time."

As the princess said this, she looked at the gold ingot on the table.

"By the way, didn't you sell the gold ingot just to show it to me?"

"Well, that's one reason, but there's something else I have in mind."

"Use of the gold ingot? Are you going to make magical tools with it?"

"No, it's not magical tools. Well, it's a thing, but... Princess, do you want to know now?"

Knowing that there was a use for such a large gold ingot, the princess was intrigued by its purpose. However, I smiled and provocatively said:

"...With that confident look on your face, you must be really sure. You don't have to tell me now, but is this secret really something interesting?"

"I can't promise it'll be interesting, but I can guarantee you'll be surprised."

"Oh, you're that confident? Fine then, if I'm amazed by the purpose of that gold ingot of yours, I'll give you a present, Jin."

Saying that, the princess ended the meeting for the day by stating she'll definitely surprise me. As I left the princess's room, Chloe looked at me with a worried expression and asked, "Was it okay to say such things?"

"It's fine. I'll definitely surprise the princess."

"You're quite confident... Are you really sure? I heard about the purpose earlier, but I can't imagine the princess being amazed by that..."

"Hehe, don't worry, Chloe. Trust me, it'll be exciting for her."

I assured Chloe and entered the room, lying down on the bed. With anticipation, I fell asleep, excited for what tomorrow would bring.

The next day, after finishing my escort duty at the academy and returning to the castle, I visited the commercial district of the capital city alone.

"This is it, the store I've passed by countless times in the game. I didn't get lost."

Similar to Cynthia's shop, the store I was looking for was in an alley. Using my memory as a guide, I arrived at the shop.

The store's name was "Gafuka Forge."

The Gafuka family has been running this blacksmith shop for generations, and I had visited it many times in the game.

"Anyone here?"

I knocked on the door and called out. A woman emerged from inside, and when she saw me, she gave me a sharp look.

"This isn't a place for kids. Go back."

"...What if that kid has something you're looking for?"

As soon as I stepped out, I was met with a confrontational tone. I replied in kind to match her words.

She narrowed her eyes even further and asked, "You have something I want?"

"The gigantic gold ingot dropped by the gold ingot golem. You want it, don't you? You've been seeking it for years, but haven't found a client. Are you in trouble?"

Saying that, I retrieved the massive gold ingot from the [Interdimensional Box].

Seeing the gold ingot, she was taken aback and stood frozen, her mouth opening and closing in surprise.

"I can't believe a kid like you brought such a large-sized gold ingot... Wait, you didn't steal it from somewhere, did you?"

"Don't worry, it's something my party and I obtained yesterday."

"I see. Well then..."

Her name was Lisa Gafuka.

The current owner of Gafuka Forge and one of the top five blacksmiths in the world.

In her twenties, she had achieved remarkable feats. Many countries and blacksmiths had tried to recruit her, but she declined all offers to continue her family's business.

However, she recently decided to temporarily close the shop in pursuit of a certain item.

That item was none other than the "super-sized" gold ingot I had acquired from the dungeon.

I had planned to obtain it much later, but I never expected to find it in that dungeon.