Infinite Realm

The whole point of the tournament 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 tournament, this would damage the whole point of the tournament. Take for instance the use of mystery flames like want was happening now.

Since mystery flames were much more powerful than regular flames, they were very good in the refinement of metals and for blacksmiths, the purer the metal as well as the degree of refinement, the higher the quality of the end product. In other words, mystery flames 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 flames, they could add special attributes to the weapon it equipment produced, making it much stronger than the original concept. For example, 4-star Crimson Red flame would add a fiery attribute to any weapon produced with it, granting the weapon the ability to deal fire-type damage.

Since mystery flames weren't the most basic of flames 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 tournament, 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 tournament, to be easing off in.

"Lord Kolin, forgive me for my rudeness but I thought mystery flames were banned from the tournament?"

"I thought the same 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 some 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.

"Some of you seem to be making a fuss about the use of mystery flames, so let me 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 me. Or instead, would you run a race with one leg just because others are doing the same? No!" Kolin roared at them.

"The blacksmith tournament does indeed prohibit the use of external items but a mystery flame isn't external. Just like a sword, a spear it any other weapon is a part of a fighter, a mystery flame 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 flames like cabbages? Like mana crystals that could easily be gotten in stores? No!

"When a blacksmith gets a mystery flame, 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 mean?" 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 mentioned. So it's all just in your heads."

Kolin's last words were enough to disperse the momentum of the contestants. Indeed, no rule targeted Mystery flames 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 came to this realisation were shocked and they couldn't help but curse their luck for not finding a mystery flame before.

Sato however, remained calm as he began contemplating an idea. 

A mystery flame 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 flame laying about that he could use.

"A mystery flame. 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 men; 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 agreement but at the same time, his eyes were wandering the other contestants.

"If I had known, I would have given off one of my young 2-star flames 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 come." 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-time partner and friend as his eyes landed on Sato.

"This can't be! How?!!!"