Fin learned everything that happened immediately after the manifestation because his memory had been active during the brief moment of Picon's incarnation.
"Wow! It's incredible. Picon Minche, the legendary blacksmith! I never imagined that I would be the lineage of someone so great. And to think it was the voice of a god. I thought it was just an evil spirit. Haha."
Fin let out a loud laugh as he rubbed his swollen chin vigorously. He had only been able to withstand Jin's punch because Picon was manifesting within him.
He seemed to take everything that happened calmly, including the fact that both he and his ancestors had been deprived of the advantages of being divine contractors.
"Fin Blanche?"
"Yes, Sir Jin. I apologize for not properly greeting you earlier due to the surprise. I also lost control of my body earlier."
"Aren't you angry?"
"Why?"
"You and your ancestors were forced into a sacrifice they never wanted, all because of me."
Fin widened his eyes in astonishment and waved his hands. "Oh no, what sacrifice are you talking about, Sir? I never knew I was a contractor, and I never benefited from it, but it didn't harm me either. At least not in my case. Besides, if I'm prone to becoming a slave of the Zipples just because I'm the contractor of the god of blacksmiths, then obviously, I would live hidden forever. I don't think it's any sacrifice at all."
He never really benefited from it, but he was not harmed by it either.
That's how he genuinely felt about it.
"Of course, if I had known earlier that I was a divine contractor, my life might have been different. No, it would have definitely been different. I could have become the blacksmith of the Runcandel clan, and if I had joined Minche's blacksmith guild, I would have undoubtedly lived a more abundant life than now."
"That's right."
"But would that guarantee a happier life than the one I live now?".
This time, it was Jin's eyes that widened.
"No one can be sure about such things. If I had become the blacksmith of Runcandel, maybe I would have earned more. But I could have suffered scrutiny from the elite. Runcandel is quite a terrifying place, isn't it? Who knows? Maybe in Minche's blacksmith guild, I would have also been met with envy and jealousy."
Fin paused. Then he shrugged and continued. "On the other hand, I love my current life. Even though living under a terribly poor lord got me kidnapped, I got to experience being saved by you, Sir Jin. And even though the lord I serve has suffered some misfortunes, he is a good man."
"Go on. Go on."
"That's all I had to say."
"From now on, Picon will use your body to reinforce Bradamante for my sake. For you, that wouldn't be fair. If there's anything you want in return, let me know. I'll do what I can. And even if you refuse, I won't punish or harm you for it."
"Sir Jin, what do you mean by that? Both you and I unexpectedly encountered Picon today. Leaving aside the fact that I'm the contractor of the god of blacksmiths, you saved my life, remember?".
Fin waved his hands once again. "Therefore, I have no complaints. In fact, this would give me a way to repay you for saving my life, and that makes me happy, sir."
"Thank you for saying that."
"I might also know why you came to see me, Sir Jin. I suppose you wanted to see the responsible person to inquire about the situation of the lands since the Volta clan was the only one that didn't send any gifts. But Sir Jin, I want you to know that the lord I serve has never embezzled any tax."
Fin was very mistaken about something.
From his perspective, his encounter with Picon was an unexpected coincidence, but Jin's visit was a certainty.
In reality, Aleta had constantly worried about not being able to send gifts after Jin became a flagbearer.
He didn't think Jin was so petty as to make an issue out of the gifts since he had also read about the things Jin did in the holy kingdom during his time as a provisional flagbearer.
Therefore, Fin deduced that Jin must have suspected that the Volta patriarch had embezzled funds. As impoverished as the clan was, it was still a noble clan. It wouldn't make any sense for them to be unable to send a gift.
All the clans in Hufester, except for Volta, where he served as a steward, would have sent a gift to Jin. Fin thought Jin had a good reason to be suspicious.
"The patriarch even sold his private possessions to help the poor. The land is barren, and we face a famine. With bandits stirring up trouble on top of all that, we couldn't even find a decent page to write a letter, let alone gifts."
Fin's abrupt defense of his lord surprised Jin.
But he didn't find the need to correct his misunderstanding.
"I didn't suspect that the Volta patriarch had embezzled funds. But as you said, I wanted to know what the situation was. I wanted to offer my support if things got tough."
His words were received with much joy. Fin nodded enthusiastically.
"I knew my concerns were unfounded! Sir Jin, thank you very much for your concern! You care even for worthless lands like ours, and you even saved me from bandits. I will never forget this honor, even in my death."
Jin thought to himself, "Somehow, I feel like I'm just feeding into this guy's misunderstanding." No, maybe it's not a misunderstanding after all. Anyway, he intended to provide ample support to the Volta clan as long as he could secure the god of blacksmiths before anyone else. Nnêw n0vel chapters are published on n0v/e/(lb)i(n.)co/m
Not only did he secure the god, but he also found out that the god of blacksmiths had been changed as part of the preparations Solderet had made for him, and he was even promised to be able to reinforce Bradamante.
It couldn't be more ideal for Jin.
"Alright. Then please take good care of my sword."
Fin carefully lifted Bradamante.
"I know nothing about blacksmithing, so my ancestor will take care of that. As for me, if only I could secure a place where my ancestor can work on the sword without anyone finding out..."
"It's my job to figure that out. I'll take various measures to ensure you don't run into trouble while the god of blacksmiths works on it. I'll also provide support in terms of funds, including repairing the mansion and providing food for assistance."
"Oh, thank you, sir. Thank you so much."
Fin bowed his head so low that he was about to kneel and touch the ground with his head. Jin awkwardly smiled.
"Is there anything else you want from me?"
"Nothing, Sir. What you have promised me is more than enough, Sir Jin."
"If you wish, I can also provide you with a lot of support. I'm sure you remember my conversation earlier with Picon. I told him not to prevent me from providing support."
"Haha, I am so honored by your words that I don't know what to say. But Sir Jin, as I mentioned before, I am content with my life. These lands and the Volta mansion are my home. And for this land to rise through the current hardships is no different from my own dream come true."
It was a very brief encounter, but that man named Fin pleased Jin.
He could have asked for more. In fact, he could have shouted and demanded compensation for his own sacrifices and those of his ancestor.
But Fin didn't do such a thing.
"Thank you. Now, let's return to your home."
----------------------
Once Jin returned to the Garden of Swords, he sought out Petrow.
"Go to the lands of the Volta clan tomorrow morning and provide ample support to the clan without going overboard. Give them support in the form of gold coins and food, and don't send troops. Make sure it doesn't stand out too much in the eyes of my siblings."
"Understood, Sir."
"And contact Tikan to send about five defense guards disguised as civilians to reside in the Volta clan's lands."
"Yes, young master."
After Petrow left, Gilly and Murakan, who had been drinking together, approached.
"Young master, where have you been?" Gilly asked.
"The Volta clan was the only one that didn't send any gifts, so I went to see what was going on."
"Well, now that you're a flagbearer, are you flaunting your authority? Look at you, kid. I really didn't take you for that type, you know? Fallen noble clans must have it tough. Are you harassing them for money and such?"
"Murakan, I'm sure young master Jin went there to check on their affairs, not because he was angry about not receiving gifts," Gilly said.
"Their lands were in ruins. I promised them support. But more importantly, I unexpectedly encountered the contractor of the god of blacksmiths there."
"What?"
"What did you say?"
Jin explained everything that had happened with Picon. Both of them showed intrigue but soon accepted it.
"So, kid. What you're saying is that Growler died for some unknown reason, and Solderet put Picon as the new god of blacksmiths as part of his preparations for you, is that it? And the first tomb of Temar on top of that? Can you believe it?" exclaimed Murakan.
"It seems you encounter incredible figures wherever you go, young master."
"I can't believe that this time you encountered a god in a rural town."
"However, neither of you seems very surprised," Jin said.
"It's not the first time something like this has happened, that's why. You encountered that strange god Klam or something in Kollon and received the mirror, which was something Solderet had also prepared for you. When you fought for your die-hard fan on the deserted island of Vermont, there was that stone of the demon god. Compared to that, the god of blacksmiths almost seems normal. And it seems it was also part of Solderet's plans."
Gilly silently nodded.
"By the way, you mentioned that Picon Minche used a power similar to the one used by the leader of the Kinzelo, right?" Murakan asked.
"Yes. For some reason, the leader of the Kinzelo seemed to wield a power superior to Picon's. However, Picon could forge and control metals just like him. Is that a power wielded by the god of blacksmiths?"
"I have no idea about that either. Growler, the predecessor, was a rather aloof god."
"If the power belongs to the gods of blacksmiths, then Growler's death would be closely related to the leader of the Kinzelo. You still have no conjecture about him, do you?"
Of course, Murakan had shared a conversation with the leader of the Kinzelo in Old Oterium on this very topic:
"When Temar tried to kill you after you lost control due to the overload, it was me who stopped that guy. Murakan, don't you remember who I am?"
"You bastard, whose name are you trying to drop here? You seem like an old demon, but there's no way Temar would have associated with people like you. And an overload? You must have heard something, huh? The one who lost control that day was..."
"Not you, but Temar? Is that what you're trying to say?"
Since that day, Murakan had been racking his memory. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't remember having any dealings with the leader of the Kinzelo.
"No, I don't remember. Damn it. I'm so curious to know who that bastard is supposed to be. I'm about to go crazy."
"Kinzelo is exposed to the world anyway, so his identity will be revealed eventually. We won't be the only ones curious about his identity now."
Murakan showed his frustration, so Gilly changed the subject. "I'm looking forward to Picón improving Bradamante, but I'm already worried about you going to the first tomb of the first patriarch, young master. I feel like it would be somehow dangerous, especially that testament he mentioned."
"Don't worry, Gilly. I'll go with Murakan."
"Thinking that the god of blacksmiths is aware of something that not even your mother knows. However, since the tomb has been moved, I won't be able to greet Temar even if we get there. Ugh, the first tomb of Temar, huh."
Murakan smiled bitterly.
He had actually been suppressing a painful emotion since Jin brought up the topic of Temar's tomb.
"Alright, then. Where did he say it was? His tomb, I mean."
"The Great Plains of Anz, the land that was once under Chukon Tolderer," Jin answered as he showed them the key he had received from Picon.