Chapter 2

After Vil left the shop... his younger brother, Setchin Craft, a malicious smile crept across his face.

(Done! I’ve taken everything from that annoying bastard of a brother!)

Setchin recalled the days when his father was still alive.

"Setchin, don’t try to be like your brother. He’s a once-in-a-thousand-years genius, a man with the Golden Hand."

When Setchin was young, his father told him this.

"The Golden... Hand?"

"It’s a legendary existence that has been talked about among craftsmen for ages. It’s a mythical hand that can create anything that brings immense profit. Vil has it. He is a child loved by the gods, a special being."

That’s what it means to be a brother.

"Me... me!?"

"You don’t have any special talent. You’re just like me. So..."

So instead of imitating your brother, you should focus on hard work.

That was the advice his father intended to give Setchin.

However, Setchin interpreted it differently.

"...Are you mocking me?"

"Setchin?"

"Are you mocking me! Are you mocking me! You say I don’t have any talent? How do you know!"

He interpreted it as being mocked by his father.

From that moment on, a dark feeling towards his brother Vil began to grow in Setchin’s heart.

He hated his brother.

He refused to acknowledge his brother’s talent.

What Golden Hand? I don’t believe in it!

He hated everything about his brother.

He was also angry that his father chose his brother as the successor, and that his brother had a beautiful fiancée.

The trust from his father, the favor from the gods, and the beautiful fiancée.

He hated his brother for having everything.

So... he decided to take it all away.

To take everything his brother had.

Setchin focused more on how to make his brother unhappy than on his training as a craftsman.

As a result, he took away his brother’s fiancée, his father’s shop, and his brother’s place.

(Serves you right! Serves you right, bastard brother! I’ve taken everything from you! Hahahaha!)

Setchin felt no guilt for what he had done.

He felt a deep sense of relief for being able to exile the person he hated so much.

...This was the peak of his life.

Knock knock...

"Excuse me."

The shop door opened.

And there appeared a girl with red hair, dressed in a dress.

Setchin and Silical also knew this person.

"Princess Anneliese, the Seventh Princess!"

Both of them knelt and said.

So... the visitor to the shop was the seventh princess of the country.

Anneliese von Geeta Nigga.

Setchin was confused.

(Why!? Why is the princess of this country in a blacksmith’s shop!?)

Anneliese held a bouquet of roses in her hand.

"Good day. Oh...? Where is Happon-sai...?"

"Happon-sai?"

It was a word he had never heard before.

Setchin and Silical had never heard it either.

Anneliese murmured, "Ah, I’m sorry... it’s the shop name."

"Vil Craft? I heard you opened a new shop, so I brought this bouquet to celebrate..."

Vil? Vil Craft?

(Why is my brother’s name mentioned?)

Silical bowed before Anneliese and said,

"Your Highness, it’s been a while. We always appreciate your patronage."

"...? Who are you again?"

Silical’s face turned red with embarrassment.

"I’m the president of Hassan Chamber of Commerce."

The seventh princess was a major customer of Hassan.

They had done business many times, so Silical thought she would recognize him.

"Hassan... Ah! You’re the chamber that distributes Vil’s products."

That’s all she knew. And his brother’s name was mentioned again...

"I apologize for not greeting you earlier, President Hassan."

"Ah, no... Your Highness. What brings you here today?"

"As I mentioned, it’s to celebrate the opening of the shop. Oh, by the way, you’re the one engaged to Vil, right? I’m so envious, to be with such a wonderful gentleman..."

Wonderful?

Setchin felt a surge of anger at the praise for his brother.

And this girl seems to think Silical is his brother’s fiancée.

"Princess Anneliese, the engagement between my brother and Silical has been broken."

"......What?"

Setchin was stunned.

Silical scolded him.

"Setchin! There’s no need to say that here and now!"

"It’s not like we need to hide it. It’s the truth."

The princess was taken aback.

But... her face turned red for a moment before quickly returning to calm.

"I see... By the way, where is Vil now?"

"I don’t know. He left the shop."

"......Left the shop?"

"Yes. From today on, this shop is mine."

The princess touched her eyes.

She stared at Setchin for a moment, then chuckled.

"...With [that level of skill]?"

"What?"

"Never mind. So... I understand. Vil is no longer here. You will take over. That means you will take over his duties as [Happon-sai]... Is that correct?"

I don’t know what Happon-sai is, but...

I can take over my brother’s job from the princess.

The joy of that was the only thing on his mind.

"Yes! Please leave it to me. I will take responsibility and fulfill my duties in place of my brother!"

...Later, Setchin would see hell.

Happon-sai is a title and shop name given to craftsmen who surpass the top level, considered to be of the highest grade.

Happon-sai craftsmen have been commissioned by the country to maintain important items, treasures, and divine artifacts.

The peace of the world and the country is due to the existence of Happon-sai.

The hero’s holy sword, the holy maiden’s barrier, and other important items have been maintained by them.

Until now, Vil had been doing the job of Happon-sai diligently.

But he is no longer here.

Unfortunately, as his father said, Setchin has no talent as a craftsman.

Without talent and without effort, Setchin could not possibly fulfill the important role of Happon-sai.

But he said he would.

And he declared that he would take responsibility.

After leaving the shop, Anneliese told her subordinates,

"Courier, find Vil. He shouldn’t have gone far."

"Hai! But... what about the city’s barrier?"

"Vil said it would last a year after the last maintenance. We need to find him in that time. Quickly."

"Understood. And... should we also send a message to Hero Caroline?"

"Wait, there’s no need to tell her yet."

"Huh? But... Vil was the one who maintained the hero’s holy sword, right?"

"Yes. But the maintenance was done recently. Vil said it wouldn’t chip unless she fights a large group of ancient dragons. So it’s not an immediate problem. We need to focus on maintaining the barrier around the capital first."

"Understood."

The subordinates scattered to find Vil.

Anneloise smiled slyly.

"Now that Vil is free, I need to get to him before any unnecessary pests come along..."

Both Anneloise and Hero Caroline trusted Vil as a craftsman, and as a person... they were in love with him.

But Vil had a fiancée.

So they had given up.

...But now, he has no woman by his side.

Then, there’s no need to give up.

And there’s no need to tell the rival that the person they like is now free.

"Oh, right. One more thing."

To the maid standing by, Anneloise said coldly,

"Stop all transactions with Hassan Chamber of Commerce immediately."

"Transactions with the chamber...? Are you sure?"

"Yes. I have evaluated his brother’s skills with [these eyes]. He’s at the bottom of the bottom. The weapons he makes are worthless garbage."

Hassan Chamber of Commerce will no longer stock Vil’s products.

If they don’t stock them, there’s no need to buy them.

They bought his weapons because they were of high quality, but more importantly, they bought them to win his favor.

If Vil is not there, there’s no need to buy them. That was the judgment.

"Now, all that’s left is to find Vil. Vil... where are you?"

Thus, the legendary craftsman, Happon-sai, Vil Craft, was freed from his mission and became free.

He, who possesses the Golden Hand, a talent from the gods, would go on to create many more legends...

But that is another story.