Magic Forger?

Shock flashed across his face, but he struggled to keep his expression under control.

"Passable." The officer slid the blue-gray longsword into the scabbard at his waist, then yanked off his own standard-issue sword and scabbard and tossed them into the scrap heap. "It'll do. Someone!"

A personal guard hurried forward.

"Take him to the quarters in the back. Get him clean clothes and some good food and wine!" the officer barked.

"Sir, that's officers' treatment..." The guard hesitated.

"Carry out the order!" The officer kicked him.

The guard jumped, quickly lowered his head, and acknowledged the order. Then he turned and politely gestured for Su Li to follow. "This way, sir."

Su Li tucked the little hammer back into his bundle and leisurely followed the guard toward the rear.

Looks like the skill of smithing really did mean you'd never go hungry, wherever you went.

Once Su Li's back had vanished around the corner, the young officer dropped his calm demeanor and vaulted onto his horse in a few quick strides.

"Hyah!"

The warhorse galloped down the fortress's main thoroughfare.

Its destination was the black stone tower at the heart of the fortress—the command center of Blackstone Fortress's supreme commander.

The officer reined in his horse at the foot of the tower, tossed the reins to a sentry, and took the spiral stairs two at a time.

Four heavily armored knights stood outside the door on the top floor.

"I need to see the count! I have highly classified military intelligence!" The officer raised his identification token.

After checking it, the knights pushed open the heavy oak door together.

A thick red carpet covered the floor, and a massive strategic map hung on the wall.

A middle-aged man with graying hair and splendid plate armor stood before the map, studying it.

He was Count Remington, the supreme commander of Blackstone Fortress.

"Ryan, what's the rush?" The count turned around, his face darkening. "Have the Baris opened fire with their magic cannons again?"

The young officer known as Ryan hurried over. He glanced around to make sure they were alone in the room.

"My lord, it's not the Baris. A batch of conscripts from Grey Gull Port arrived today. There was a blacksmith among them. I took him to the Armory to see what he could do." Ryan lowered his voice as much as he could, barely containing his excitement.

"A blacksmith?" The count looked impatient. "You're bothering me over some smith? Just send him to the logistics corps."

Ryan offered no further explanation.

He drew the newly forged longsword from his waist and presented it to the count with both hands.

The count took the hilt suspiciously.

The instant his fingertips touched it, his expression changed.

As a fourth-tier knight, his perception of aether was exceptionally keen.

Within the seemingly crude longsword, he sensed a remarkably vibrant, concentrated flow of energy.

Its level of energy even surpassed that of the high-grade aether crystals he used in his daily training.

"This..." The count raised the sword to inspect it. Its fish-scale pattern gleamed in the candlelight.

He strode over to his desk and picked up a brass paperweight.

With a flick of his wrist, the count swung the sword at the brass.

"Shhk."

A large chunk of brass was sliced clean off and fell onto the carpet.

"A Magic Forger!"

In this world, ordinary blacksmiths could only work with common iron.

Only those who could perfectly fuse aether into metal and imbue weapons with supernatural properties deserved to be called Magic Forgers.

Magic Forgers were exceedingly rare, and their status far surpassed that of court archmages.

The entire Orenda Kingdom had only two Magic Forgers, both of whom the king kept ensconced in the heart of the Royal Capital and treated like royalty.

An entire royal knight order followed them wherever they went. Every strand of their hair was priceless.

"He just forged this?" The count stared hard at Ryan.

"Without a doubt. I watched him hammer it out from a piece of raw iron." Ryan nodded firmly. "He did it all with nothing but an ordinary furnace and an anvil."

The count clutched the sword and paced back and forth across the room. His boots made dull thuds on the red carpet.

His mind raced.

A young man with the potential to become a Magic Forger had somehow ended up among a group of forcibly conscripted laborers—and fallen right into his hands.

"Could the boy be a Baris spy?" the count muttered.

He immediately dismissed the ridiculous idea.

Even with all its advanced magic technology, the Baris Empire still considered Magic Forgers strategic national treasures.

What ruler would be stupid enough to send a Magic Forger to the front lines as a spy? It would be like throwing a mountain of gold into the sea.

There was only one explanation: this was an undiscovered genius!

A priceless treasure who had no idea of his own worth!

The count's heart pounded faster and faster.

In times of turmoil, territory and gold were nothing. Power was the only truth!

He had never encountered a source of magical power as potent as the one in this sword—not in all his forty-odd years.

Even the epic weapons forged by the two masters in the Royal Capital couldn't possibly contain aether this dense.

If he could keep this man firmly in his grasp...

Then Remington would be more than just a miserable count stuck guarding the border.

With an endless supply of divine weapons, he could arm an invincible personal cavalry force.

Then he'd have the strength to face even the Baris Empire's magic legions head-on.

Glorious military achievements, inexhaustible wealth, the king's wariness and rewards...

The title of grand duke would be within reach! And even if he declared himself king amid the chaos and founded a principality for House Remington, that wasn't out of the question!

Ambition surged wildly in the count's chest.

"Where is he now?" The count stopped and turned to press Ryan for an answer.

"I've arranged for him to stay in a private room behind the Armory. Two absolutely loyal men are guarding the door," Ryan replied.

"Well done. Who else knows, besides you and me?"

"The old blacksmiths at the Armory saw the whole thing. But they're all blind old fools. They just think he's skilled."

The count nodded. "Go. Transfer those old blacksmiths to the front-line suicide corps. They'll lead the charge in tomorrow morning's siege."

"Then bring in a batch of blacksmiths from the neighboring city."

Blacksmiths were valuable, of course, but compared to a Magic Forger, they were nothing special.

Ryan bowed his head and accepted the order.

The dead were the best tools for keeping secrets.

"As for the young man..." The count stroked the stubble on his chin and slid the longsword into his most expensive gold-inlaid scabbard. "What's his name?"

"The registry lists him as Su Li. A free man from Grey Gull Port."

"Su Li..." The count savored the name. "Go to the storeroom and get a chest of gold coins. Then head to the city's brothel and pick out two of the cleanest women to send over. Treat him as our most honored guest! Don't let him feel neglected!"

Ryan bowed and withdrew.

The count turned to the window and gazed at the gray sky outside, unable to hide his smile.

The private quarters behind the fortress.

Compared with the barracks for the conscripts, which had once been a livestock shed, this place was an entirely different world.

Fine silver-thread charcoal burned in the room, filling it with warmth.

A sizzling roast leg of lamb sat on the rosewood table, along with a whole bottle of red wine sealed with a cork.

Su Li sat at the table like a lord, cutting off a large chunk of lamb with his dagger and stuffing it into his mouth.

"Tsk, the cooking could be better." Su Li chewed as he grumbled. "They're too stingy with the spices. It's so bland."

But compared to last night's cold wind and this morning's hard bread, this was a dream start.

The little iron hammer lay right beside him.

Su Li knew exactly what was going on. He'd caught every change in the officer Ryan's expression while testing the sword.

Just then, a jumble of footsteps sounded outside the door.

"Mr. Su, the commander has sent something for you." Ryan's voice came from outside, brimming with warmth.

Su Li wiped the grease from his mouth with a cloth, stood up, and opened the door.

As soon as the wooden door swung open, a rich fragrance swept over him.

Two women wrapped in heavy cloaks stood outside.

The hems of their cloaks revealed sheer skirts that were scandalously thin, and great swaths of pale skin dazzled the eye.

They were also struggling to carry a heavy rosewood chest between them.

Ryan stood to one side, his chubby cheeks bunching into a smile. "Just a small gift. The count asked me to tell you that you must be exhausted from your journey, Mr. Su, and should get a good night's rest. He'll come visit you personally tomorrow morning."

Su Li glanced at the two women trembling with their heads bowed, then looked at the rosewood chest, which creaked under its weight.