The Bet

Joshua, tall and thin, grinned and said, "Martin, I think we've been swindled. There's no way he could have forged that Hundred Refinements Greatsword."

"Hundred Refinements Greatsword?" Abel turned to look at Zack. His older brother wouldn't show off a gift, would he?

Zack sheepishly rubbed his hands together, then stole a glance at Emily. "Emily and I were talking casually, and these three guys didn't believe my brother forged a Hundred Refinements Greatsword for me. We were just arguing about it."

Abel looked at his older brother speechlessly. Didn't their father always tell him that his older brother was mature and steady? The brother in front of him looked like he'd fallen head over heels for Emily, unable to extricate himself.

"That was a practice piece when I was learning to forge," Abel explained calmly.

Hearing Abel call the Hundred Refinements Greatsword a practice piece, the others were all speechless. A Hundred Refinements Greatsword, which could only be forged by a master blacksmith, was being called a practice piece. They immediately felt an overwhelming sense of arrogance wash over them.

"Which master did you learn forging from?" Emily asked, her beautiful big eyes sparkling.

"I studied forging under Master Bentham," Abel replied honestly. He was very polite to this girl who might be his future sister-in-law.

Martin couldn't help but say, "Master Bentham is a respected forging master. How long have you studied under him?"

"A month."

Martin, Bob, and Emily all exclaimed in shock, "My goodness, that's incredible."

"Do you really believe this kid could forge a Hundred Refinements Greatsword after only a month of study? Even if his teacher is Master Bentham," Joshua said with a cold laugh.

"What's it to you!" Emily interrupted Joshua unceremoniously.

Emily knew that both Joshua and Zack liked her, but she despised the way Joshua tried to curry favor by belittling her younger brother. Emily knew Zack wouldn't lie to her.

Joshua shot Abel a resentful glance, pouted, and said sarcastically, "Abel, don't claim Master Bentham's work as your own just to save face."

Zack's face turned red with anger. "Joshua, if you keep spouting nonsense, don't blame me for falling out with you!"

Martin stepped forward and separated them. "It's easy to find out if it's Master Bentham's work. The Giant Hammer Weapon Shop is just ahead. We can ask their appraiser to verify it."

"Of course, no problem," Zack said after glancing at the calm-faced Abel, who nodded at him.

Joshua burst into laughter. "Zack, you actually believe Abel can forge a Hundred Refinements Greatsword? Let's make a bet." He patted the greatsword on his back. "I'll bet this genuine work of Master Bentham. If that sword isn't Master Bentham's work, then I lose, and this greatsword is yours. If it is Master Bentham's work, then your greatsword is mine. Do you dare to bet?"

Martin quickly stepped forward. "Do we really need to go this far? Never mind, let's not make any bets."

Even Bob, who had been silent, stepped forward to persuade them. "We're all friends. How about betting on treating everyone to a good meal?"

Joshua taunted, "Are you chickening out, Zack?"

Emily, however, loudly declared, "I'll be the referee. Anyone who tries to renege, I'll deal with them."

Martin and Bob sighed as they looked at the excited Emily. With her here, the bet couldn't be stopped.

Abel couldn't help but frown slightly. Ever since they met, Joshua had been constantly belittling him. He had never seen him before. Could he be his older brother's enemy? But he didn't seem like it. Although there had been some arguments before he arrived, he could tell it was just a minor dispute between friends.

"A bet is a bet," Zack said angrily. Joshua's constant mockery of him and his brother in front of Emily had filled him with rage.

Seeing that things had reached this point, everyone quickly headed towards the Giant Hammer Weapon Shop.

The Giant Hammer Weapon Shop was a store in Harvest City specializing in weapons and armor. Upon entering, they saw a huge counter made of ironwood. The weapons in this world were large and heavy, and only a counter made of ironwood could bear their weight.

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the Giant Hammer Weapon Shop. I am the shopkeeper, Ted. Is there anything you need?" a thin middle-aged man greeted them.

"Shopkeeper Ted, we need to appraise a greatsword. Please have your best appraiser help us," Joshua said impatiently.

"Wait, I'm the referee. Give me both greatswords. I'll handle this," Emily said, blocking Joshua with her hand, her face clearly showing her serious and responsible demeanor.

Zack said nothing and casually handed his greatsword to Emily. Joshua seemed very reluctant to hand over his greatsword, but seeing that Zack had already given his to Emily, he had no choice but to grudgingly hand his over as well.

"You're more hesitant than a woman," Emily said, seemingly forgetting she was also a woman, and snatched the greatsword.

At this moment, shopkeeper Ted had called over an old man with a long beard. "This is the chief appraiser of the Giant Hammer Weapon Shop. You can hand the sword over to him. The appraisal fee for each weapon is 2 gold coins."

Emily threw out 2 gold coins and placed Zack's greatsword on the counter. "Please appraise this weapon and tell us if it is a work by Master Bentham."

Upon hearing that the appraisal was to determine if it was a master's work, the old appraiser's spirits immediately lifted. He drew the greatsword from the counter and examined it carefully. Gradually, the old appraiser's gaze became fixed, and a look of fanaticism appeared on his face. He suddenly lunged at the greatsword, caressing it meticulously with his fingers.

"It's perfect! Whose masterpiece is this?" the old appraiser murmured. "What kind of secret technique was used on this Hundred Refinements Greatsword? How can this greatsword be so sharp?"

The old appraiser made no secret of his admiration for the Hundred Refinements Greatsword, seemingly forgetting about everyone else.

"Ahem," Emily coughed lightly to get the old appraiser's attention, then repeated her question, "Can you confirm whether this weapon is a work by Master Bentham?"

"Oh, no, of course not. I can't tell whose work this is, but it's definitely not Master Bentham's work," the old appraiser stated with absolute certainty.

"This... this... how is this possible..." Joshua knew things weren't as he imagined when he saw the old appraiser's expression. Upon hearing the old appraiser's firm reply, he immediately lost it and jumped up, saying, "You better look closely and don't spout nonsense. I won't let you off."

The old appraiser looked at Joshua coldly and said proudly, "If you are not satisfied with the appraisal result, you can report me to the Lord's Mansion. The Giant Hammer Weapon Shop is the property of the Lord's Mansion, but if you intend to cause trouble here, please consider the consequences."

Emily glanced at Joshua, whose face was flushed red but who dared not act out. She disdainfully picked up both greatswords and moved away from Joshua, as if she didn't know him.

Seeing Emily put the greatswords away, the old appraiser looked regretful. He then asked, "Is this Hundred Refinements Greatsword for sale? I can offer 1200 gold coins."

The old appraiser's words surprised everyone. Emily asked, "Didn't you say the value of a Hundred Refinements Greatsword is 1000 gold coins? Why are you offering 1200 gold coins to buy it?"

The others were also curious, and Abel was surprised. He hadn't expected that by simply using a method from another world for the first time, he had increased the value of a greatsword by several hundred gold coins.

"That's for an ordinary Hundred Refinements Greatsword. The value of a premium Hundred Refinements Greatsword far exceeds that of an ordinary one. And this sword uses an extraordinary secret technique, making it the best of the best. In the hands of a powerful knight, it could cut through an ordinary Hundred Refinements Greatsword in just a few strikes. Any powerful knight who obtains this greatsword would be like a tiger with wings."

As they left the Giant Hammer Weapon Shop, Joshua, having lost the bet, felt too ashamed to stay and left on his own.

"Zack, you're treating," Martin and Bob said enviously, looking at the two greatswords in Zack's hands. Emily looked curiously at Abel. Her good upbringing prevented her from prying into what secret technique it was.

"Abel, can you forge a sword for me? I can pay you," Emily asked Abel softly, her eyes blinking.

"I only forge weapons for family," Abel refused outright, causing Martin and Bob beside them to abandon their own thoughts.

Emily seemed to have thought of something and glanced at Zack with a slight blush on her face, then said to Abel, "Hmph!"