"I'm sorry, what did you just say?" Jack blinked at , face blank.
"You heard . I want to invest in your future company," I said, casually flipping a silver coin in the air like I was so noble with too much money and too little sense.
Jack blinked again. Once. Twice. Then he dropped the hamr in his hand with a loud clang.
"ARE YOU A SECRET NOBLE?!"
There it is.
I smirked. "No."
"Then... is this a prank? Is there a hidden cara? Is this part of a bet you made with your rich friends to 'adopt a failed blacksmith project'?"
He was spiraling. Truly beautiful to watch. His hands were flailing now, gesturing to the forge like it was so cursed site.
"You do know this place was called the 'Iron Joke' by critics, right?"
"I'm aware."
"And I've failed three guild weapon certifications in a row."
"That's not your fault. That's the guild being blind."
"Okay now I know you're insane. Who put you up to this? Is this so advanced scam? Am I being recruited into a cult?"
I bit the inside of my cheek to stop the grin. His reaction was even better than I imagined. Chaos truly is an art.
Finally, I raised a hand to stop the ranting. "Jack. Breathe."
He stopped mid-sentence. "...I forgot how to do that."
I waited.
He inhaled. Exhaled.
"Look, I'm serious," I said, now speaking in a calr tone. "I believe in you. I've seen your work. That sword you forged? It's top class. Best balance I've felt in a blade. You said it yourself—your weapons are the real deal."
Jack blinked again. But this ti, slower. The disbelief was still there, but now it was battling with sothing more vulnerable. Hope.
"But... why ?" he asked softly. "No one believes in . Not the guild. Not the rchants. Not even my old master. So why would you?"
"Even my uncle thinks I should've beco a baker. And I'm allergic to gluten!"
I chuckled. "Of course, it had to be you. Because you care. Because your forge isn't just about steel—it's about soul. And more importantly..."
Alex looked at him dead in the eye. "Because you said it. 'Your weapons are the real deal.' And guess what? You were right. They're the best I've ever handled."
A lump ford in Jack's throat.
Alex continued, smiling. "And I believe in you. Not just the guy who makes swords, but the guy who's going to build the best damn forge this city's ever seen."
He gave a half-laugh, half-snort, clearly still trying to process it all.
Internally, I was laughing too—but for a very different reason.
'Ethan Williams said the exact sa words to Jack in the ga... word for word. I'm literally quoting the protagonist like a fanboy.'
Still... he glanced at the swords displayed around the forge. The quality really was top-notch. Clean edges, balanced cores, the kind of craftsmanship that whispered masterpiece with every shimr.
But even with all the ta-humor swimming in my head, one thing remained true: Jack's craftsmanship was the real deal.
**
The deal-making began.
"Alright," Jack said, suddenly business-like as he wiped his face on his soot-stained apron. "Let's talk numbers."
He pulled out a thick parchnt scroll with a half-ford contract template. Legal runes flickered on the surface.
"Looks... official," I muttered.
"It's from GuildContractors.gov. Totally legit," Jack added helpfully.
Alex squinted. "So many words..."
' Where's my lawyer? Oh right, I'm broke and this is a ga world. '
They sat down at the table as Jack scribbled updates into the contract.
Legal terms. Percentages. Subsections. Clauses.
Then Alex stated his conditions.
"Alright. Here's the deal. I invest one million credits now for 40% equity in Klassen Forgeworks. You also give exclusive access to any new weapons or custom projects."
Jack nodded slowly, taking notes.
"Also," I continued, "In one year, I'll give you another five million credits."
He choked. "F-Five million?!"
"If you keep delivering quality like that blade, it's worth it. But I want one more thing."
He narrowed his eyes. "What? A secret blood pact? My future firstborn?"
"No, nothing that dramatic. I want priority service. If I request a weapon—even if it's during a festival, a fire, or your wedding—you drop everything and work on mine first."
"so In exchange for forty percent equity, exclusive weapon access, and... top forging priority regardless of client rank or nobility status?"
"Exactly."
Jack blinked. Then shrugged. "Yeah, okay. I wasn't planning on getting married anyway."
Alex started laughing.
"Anything else?"
Alex tapped his chin. "Hmm. Yeah, add this: any unique or prototype weapons must be discussed with before being sold or shown to others. I want first dibs."
Jack raised a brow, then nodded. "Fair enough. Done."
Inwardly jack was also thinking about the contract.
' Even though it looks like alex is making excessive demands but it is nothing excessive he just wants first priority in my every work which also makes happy.'
' Even though giving 40% stake was not sothing I exactly had in my mind but alex giving a starting point and more importantly he believes in so it's exactly not big of a deal after all he's also risking his money. '
He looked at alex face and he wondered why does it looks like he knows exactly what I'm thinking.
Then suddenly alex said.
"Oh, and one last condition."
"There's more?!"
"I get to na your first prototype model line."
He groaned. "You're going to na it sothing dumb, aren't you?"
I grinned. "Behold: 'The Dragonheart God slayer Series.'"
"...That actually sounds cool. Dammit."
We shook hands, and just like that—the deal was sealed.
With a final rune-etched seal, the contract pulsed with a faint golden light and scattered towards both of them.
And a mana contract was ford if any of them broke the contract the mana inside them will go berserk and they will explode.
A mana contract is absolute with no way out.
With that Alex Dragonheart has officially beca a Investor in Klassen Forgeworks.
Alex opened his EtherPad and transferred the funds with a few taps.
[Transaction Complete – 1,000,000 Credits Sent to Jack Klassen]
Jack looked at the confirmation and nearly collapsed. "It's real... it's actually real."
**
Just as we were wrapping up, a deep scoffing sound echoed across the forge.
A burly blacksmith from across the street, arms crossed, sneered.
"Look at that. Rich kid throwing credits at a failed forge. Probably never even swung a real sword."
Jack stiffened beside , fists clenched. His expression twisted with sha and fury.
I, on the other hand, just slowly reached for the blade Jack had handed earlier.
"Say that again," I said.
The blacksmith snorted. "Did I stutter? You're wasting your—"
FWOOOSH.
With one smooth motion, I slashed horizontally toward the enchanted steel dummy nearby.
There was no mana. No skill. No enhancent.
Just cold, flawless steel and craftsmanship.
The dummy split cleanly in half. A perfect, silent cut. The top half slid off and hit the ground with a tallic thud.
The blacksmith's jaw? On the floor.
"What... what kind of alloy is that?"
"The kind you'll never get your hands on," I said.
Jack's face lit up brighter than the forge flas.
We turned back inside, high on victory and smugness. The papers were signed. The forge was officially in business.
"I—y'know what? Forget the C-rank sword you ordered. I'm giving you sothing better."
He ducked into the back and returned with a blade wrapped in dark leather. "This here is an A-rank sword, enchanted with Auto-Sharpening, Mana Stabilization, and Shock Dampening."
"Seriously?"
Jack grinned. "Consider it a bonus for believing in ."
Alex whistled and unsheathed it. The blade glowed faintly, its edge perfect. He swung it once—light, balanced, deadly.
"Damn, I'm in love."
Jack laughed, a rare bright sound. "Thanks, Alex. You have no idea what this ans to ."
Alex smiled and slung the sword over his shoulder. "Oh, I have a pretty good idea."
"You really ant it," Jack said quietly.
"I did. Now go make sothing ridiculous. Maybe a dual-mode transforming spear-hamr."
Jack started laughing at the joke.
"...You're insane. I like it."
**
Later that night, I walked ho, a grin plastered on my face.
Investing in a company? Check.
Exclusive weapon access? Check.
Making a protagonist-tier blacksmith owe his future? Checkmate.
This world may not have lawyers, but damn if I wasn't playing it like a businessman from Earth.
As I stepped through my apartnt door, a notification pinged in my vision.
As my etherPad humd with a notification.
[Zenith Academy Entrance Exam – Final Notice: 2 Days Left. Be Prepared.]
I stopped.
Smiled wider.
'Well then... it's almost showti.'
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