The whole point of the tournant was to demonstrate one's skills in Blacksmithing. To do this in the most efficient way possible, the participants would have to work with the most basic and necessary tools. If external items are permitted to be used in the tournant, this would damage the whole point of the tournant. Take for instance the use of mystery flas like want was happening now.
Since mystery flas were much more powerful than regular flas, they were very good in the refinent of tals and for blacksmiths, the purer the tal as well as the degree of refinent, the higher the quality of the end product. In other words, mystery flas have a passive effect of increasing not only the success rate of a blacksmith but also boosting the quality of the product.
For even much higher grade of mystery flas, they could add special attributes to the weapon it equipnt produced, making it much stronger than the original concept. For example, 4-star Crimson Red fla would add a fiery attribute to any weapon produced with it, granting the weapon the ability to deal fire-type damage.
Since mystery flas weren't the most basic of flas and could also influence the product's stats, it wasn't really appropriate for them to be used when testing one's skills.
'It shouldn't be allowed in this tournant, right?'
Just as Sato was wondering whether Handel's actions went against the rules, an NPC contestant couldn't hold back anymore and faced the private area, which was the place they suspected Kolin, the supervisor of the tournant, to be easing off in.
"Lord Kolin, forgive for my rudeness but I thought mystery flas were banned from the tournant?"
"I thought the sa was true Lord Kolin. But why is Handel using one without any repercussions? Isn't this against the rules?"
"Why does it feel like the council is siding Handel? What happened to being just, fair, and all that?"
Right as the NPC had spoken up first, a couple of others followed him and voiced out their concerns, hoping to get so answers. The majority of them were those jealous of Handel but couldn't surpass him.
Since they couldn't surpass him, they didn't wish for him to take first place. Sato's existence so far and helped in doing that but this third round was harder than the previous ones. Even Sato had failed with his first batch of materials, so the other participants were thinking of a way to prevent Handel from passing, lest he overtakes Sato and takes first place.
3 seconds passed after the contestants' complaints and they received no reply. Just as they were wondering whether Kolin had heard them or not, a figure appeared above the stage.
"He's arrived."
While almost all of the contestants had turned to face Kolin, only Handel kept working on his task.
"So of you seem to be making a fuss about the use of mystery flas, so let ask you this. In a life or death battle, will you drop down your weapon just to prove to your opponent that you're good at hand-to-hand combat? Tell . Or instead, would you run a race with one leg just because others are doing the sa? No!" Kolin roared at them.
"The blacksmith tournant does indeed prohibit the use of external items but a mystery fla isn't external. Just like a sword, a spear it any other weapon is a part of a fighter, a mystery fla is a part of one's personal strength as a blacksmith. Not everyone can get them and that makes them precious. Have you seen anyone selling mystery flas like cabbages? Like mana crystals that could easily be gotten in stores? No!
"When a blacksmith gets a mystery fla, he treats it like his own child; as the closest possession to him. So it can not and never be counted as an external item, for it is a part of a blacksmith's strength." Kolin emphasized.
"By this definition, you an?" A contestant anxiously asked.
"By this definition, Handel Gretkart is innocent of whatever claims you have laid on him." Kolin replied with an apathetic look on his face.
"Either way, no rule against this was ever ntioned. So it's all just in your heads."
Kolin's last words were enough to disperse the montum of the contestants. Indeed, no rule targeted Mystery flas and with Kolin's explanation of them being a part of the Blacksmith's strength, fewer people wanted to argue with him.
"This can't be. So out of every 300 and so of us, only one person would pass this round."
Those who ca to this realisation were shocked and they couldn't help but curse their luck for not finding a mystery fla before.
Sato however, remained calm as he began contemplating an idea.
A mystery fla would improve his chances of success with these materials, and without it, trying to pass this round would be almost impossible. However, it wasn't like Sato had a mystery fla laying about that he could use.
"A mystery fla. I never expected that old fogie to pass his grandson such."
At the top of the stands, inside one of the private rooms, two old n; one without a beard and the other with one, both sat side by side while one sipped a cup of tea without many expressions and the other just gazed at the stage.
"He would do anything for his family." The old man who sipped from the cup sighed.
The other man stroked his beard as nodded in agreent but at the sa ti, his eyes were wandering the other contestants.
"If I had known, I would have given off one of my young 2-star flas to those with potential. That would have made things a bit more interesting now."
"Indeed. Thanks to that old sh*t's foresight, his kid is going to take first place. Sigh. Looks like I have to prepare myself to listen to his proud voice for weeks to co." The old man without a beard, who sipped from the cup of tea, sighed with a tired expression.
"Hmm? What's that?" The other old man suddenly said.
"That's...it can't be!!!!!" He abruptly stood up as his eyes were widened with shock.
"What's going on?"
As compared to his partner, the old man with the cup of tea wasn't paying much attention to the stage so he wasn't able to notice the change so quickly. But with his compatriot's strange behaviour, he turned his eyes over and glanced at each individual. Very soon, he spotted what had shocked his long-ti partner and friend as his eyes landed on Sato.
"This can't be! How?!!!"
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