The Blacksmith Shop

Nord had planned to take it easy for a few days, but to his surprise, the System gave him a quest the very next day after he returned to Tami Village.

[Construction Quest: Blacksmith Shop]

[Quest Description: A blacksmith is a very important profession. Talented blacksmiths have existed since ancient times. A blacksmith shop is crucial for the development of your territory. Whether for military supplies or civilian use, a blacksmith shop is indispensable. Please build a blacksmith shop in your territory.]

[Quest Reward: One Blacksmith]

So, Nord could only arrange for Abel to build a blacksmith shop according to the blueprint provided by the System. However, Nord didn't go out much during these days; instead, he secluded himself in the Manor, leaving all matters concerning the blacksmith shop to Butler Abel.

Every day, apart from training, he would play with Cindy, living a carefree life. Abel was also very efficient and quickly recruited many servants. According to Nord's requirements, most of them were elderly or disabled hunters. In any case, there wasn't much work at the Manor, and these people were sufficient.

Abel even helped Nord find a maid, who was the daughter of one of the servants in the Manor. After her father became disabled, they relied on each other. After Abel understood their situation, he brought them both back to the Manor.

Nord was initially resistant to having a maid, as the idea of such a profession felt somewhat shameful. However, as soon as Nord met her, he accepted Abel's good intentions.

Nord's maid was named Beryl. She was only fifteen years old, barely 1.5 meters tall, with dark skin and a slender build. What left the deepest impression on Nord were her eyes. Nord didn't know how to describe them; they were as innocent as a fawn's. Her timid expression when she saw Nord stirred his compassion. Nord had originally intended to refuse.

But thinking of Beryl's family situation, Nord kept her. After all, Nord could do everything himself, and the Manor wasn't short on food. The first task Nord assigned Beryl was to take care of Cindy.

What Nord didn't expect was how meticulous this young girl was. She took excellent care of Cindy. Nord could tell that Cindy really liked Beryl. Now, Cindy would run off to sleep with Beryl every day, making Nord a little jealous. Fortunately, Cindy hadn't forgotten Nord; no matter what Nord was doing during the day, Cindy would always follow at his heels.

At noon that day, as usual, Nord was in the study, drinking plain water, basking in the sunlight from the window, holding the plans he had conceived over the past few days.

First and foremost, the blacksmith shop needed to be built. So far, the equipment for Nord's guard force was not fully equipped, which greatly affected the troops' combat effectiveness. However, Nord had already arranged for Abel to start construction a few days ago, and it should be nearly finished today.

Next was the Fur Workshop. He could use the salt and linen he had to trade with Distant Mountain Stronghold for animal furs. Once processed, these could become a product for Tami Village to export.

There was also a Brick Workshop. Bricks made from earth were much more convenient than quarrying stone from the mountains, and they didn't require polishing. Uniform shapes would not only make construction easier but also save a lot of time.

With bricks, Nord's grand road-building plan could begin. As someone from a country renowned for its infrastructure, Nord was well aware of the importance of road construction. Whether internal, building roads to Distant Mountain Stronghold, or external, constructing trade routes, they were all indispensable.

As for other buildings like the Carpenter's Workshop and Herbal Workshop, they would only be built gradually once development reached a certain stage. One step at a time, taking too big a step could...

Considering only this for now, Nord leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and reviewed his thoughts.

Suddenly, footsteps were heard outside the door. Cindy, who had been resting on Nord's lap, immediately became alert, raising her head and cocking her ears to listen to the activity outside the door. Soon, the study door was quietly opened. Cindy relaxed when she saw who it was, and her little head rested back down.

"Is that Beryl?"

Nord didn't open his eyes, because only Beryl had entered the study these past few days. Although Nord hadn't asked Beryl to serve him, the stubborn little girl would come to the study to await Nord's commands whenever she had nothing to do. Nord had tried to persuade her a few times to no avail, so he stopped bothering.

"Lord Nord, it's me. The village blacksmith shop has been built. I've sent the villagers home as you instructed."

Nord opened his eyes, a hint of surprise in them. He patted Cindy and stood up.

"That fast? Then take me there now."

With that, Nord rushed out the door.

The blacksmith shop was located northeast of the village, some distance from the village's farmlands. This area was also flat, but there were too many loose stones, making it unsuitable for cultivation, so it had always been barren. Nord immediately took a liking to this spot, expecting other workshops to be built here in the future as well.

Upon reaching the blacksmith shop, Nord was actually a little disappointed. It was just an ordinary small wooden hut, as unremarkable as the other wooden huts in the village. That's why the villagers were able to build it so quickly – not only had building the Manor trained them, but the simple structure of this hut also contributed.

There was one unique feature: two large furnaces stood outside the door, built from earth and stone. They utilized a stove-building technique from Nord's previous life in the countryside, a method Nord had not seen in this world.

Nord couldn't see anything special about this blacksmith shop, so he opened the System panel, wanting to see how to summon the blacksmith.

[Quest completed, reward being issued]

Nord looked around. There was no lightning or thunder, no dazzling light. Apart from a gust of mountain wind, nothing changed. Just as Nord was recalling how Abel had appeared, the door of the blacksmith shop in front of him suddenly opened.

A burly man emerged from inside, standing 1.9 meters tall, with a full beard. His thick arms were covered in bulging muscles and prominent veins, making him look incredibly strong. When he spoke, his voice was like thunder.

"Lord Nord, I am Hansen, the blacksmith. I am at your service."

Nord looked at the big man twice. He felt that in terms of strength, even Ryman might not be Hansen's match. Ryman was very robust compared to ordinary people, but Hansen probably couldn't be classified as ordinary. Unfortunately, Nord couldn't send Hansen into battle, otherwise Ryman's position might be in jeopardy. A smile touched Nord's lips at this thought. He shook his head, no longer dwelling on who was stronger, Ryman or Hansen. He remembered the equipment and spoke to Hansen.

"Hansen, it's a pleasure to meet you. You certainly look strong. Can you forge some equipment for me as soon as possible?"

"Lord Nord, I don't have any pig iron or ore here. If you need equipment, you can purchase finished products at the blacksmith shop. If you can obtain iron ore or pig iron, I can forge them for you; the cost would be very low. If you need a large quantity, I alone won't be enough. I'll need you to send me some helpers, and I will teach them how to forge iron."

Nord nodded. He had actually anticipated this situation. He found the blacksmith shop panel in the System interface, and upon opening it and seeing the prices, Nord couldn't help but curse.

[Machete: 20 Gold Thalers]

[Chainmail: 50 Gold Thalers]

I'll pay more attention to typos in the future, please rest assured. Also, the recommendations have been effective these past few days, and many new friends have joined the comment section and offered many suggestions, which I will seriously consider. Finally, my usual request for recommendation votes, collections, tips, and investments.