Forging

Forging

They soon arrived at the smithy. At Verek's forge, they lit the fire and prepared all manner of tools. Only then did everyone else begin trickling in. Dole greeted them one by one, then passed word to the back to get breakfast ready.

Dole had already gotten used to arriving early, though the others grumbled that the little brat came far too soon. On the way over, he was kicked several times, drawing bursts of laughter. But Dole knew they were only talking about him with smiles on their faces, teasing him in play. The whole smithy felt like one big family, warm and welcoming.

After being here for several days, he had also learned the smithy's true standing.

Supervisor Harley was responsible for all management matters at Old Ke Smithy, including staffing arrangements.

There was one third-rank smith, who held down the fort in the main hall at the back and rarely worked personally; three second-rank smiths—Verek, Santis, and Molai; and five first-rank smiths. Dole remembered only a few of their names, such as Aike and Bati. Every smith had assistants and apprentices. Altogether, the smithy employed more than thirty people. In Duomeng City, Old Ke Smithy was considered mid-tier. It also had official backing; whenever those second-rank smiths had spare time, they forged and repaired all kinds of military equipment. Verek was no exception, and through him Dole had seen many standardized weapons.

After breakfast, Verek sat on an iron stool, picking his teeth as he watched Dole bustle about. It had been a long time since he had seen such a diligent youngster.

"Dole, there's nothing going on this morning. I'm going to test your basic hammering techniques," he said with a smile.

Dole turned around, and his eyes immediately lit up. "I've only practiced for a few days, but I'm getting the feel for it. Shall I demonstrate for you?"

Verek nodded. "Start by making a hoe."

Dole nodded.

There were only a few steps to forging, and Dole completed every one of them meticulously. Soon, he opened the mold and took out an iron plate.

Using tongs in his left hand, he removed the blazing-red iron plate radiating searing heat and placed it on the anvil. After securing it, Dole turned and took the Number Two hammer from the tool bench beside him. He weighed it in his hand, then began hammering the iron plate.

At first, he could only use the smallest Number One hammer, which weighed just two and a half kilograms. Now, he could wield the Number Two hammer, a five-kilogram hammer. His strength had increased greatly.

He had used the Number Two hammer all day yesterday, so he went straight to it today.

He did not know what had been happening lately, but every time he woke after a night's sleep, his whole body brimmed with strength and drive. The Number Two hammer was already as familiar to him as an extension of his arm.

Bang.

One hammer blow dented the iron plate. Dole lowered his head to check the depth, then continued forging.

There were no fixed movements in the basic hammering techniques. Back and forth, there were only a few forms, each suited to different circumstances. Dole had long since practiced them to proficiency over the past few days. All that remained was becoming familiar with the material in his hands.

Clang, clang, clatter. The iron plate cooled, then was heated again. Dole quickly hammered it flat, preparing to fold it over for the second forging.

Ordinary farm tools generally underwent two or three forgings, depending on the material itself. This was scrap metal, so three forgings would be enough.

Verek merely watched from the side without offering guidance. Only when Dole was preparing for the second forging did he smile and say, "Not bad, not bad. You've gotten the basics down so quickly. Ordinary farm tools don't require much finesse. As long as you hammer the material evenly and shape it properly, that's enough. Two forgings or three, that's up to you. But if it's scrap, it's best to forge it three times or more."

He raised his head, took Dole's tongs, and removed the iron plate for inspection. He pointed at several spots before setting it down. "These areas all have flaws. The thickness is uneven. Use lighter force and strike in many layers, starting from the surrounding areas."

Dole nodded without speaking. Over the past two days, he had learned many things and understood what Verek meant.

Beginning with the second forging, the material's hardness started to increase. That was when strength was put to the test. Dole had two years of experience in the mines, so he certainly had strength. On top of that, he had always kept up warrior training, so power was never lacking.

Verek watched Dole forge while instructing him, and before long, a hoe blank was freshly completed.

After quenching, the hoe took shape. Though it had a few minor flaws, it was more than enough for Dole.

This hoe was also the first farm tool Dole had completed on his own. He carefully recalled the process just now, and his understanding of forging became much clearer.

Just as he was preparing to make a second one, Supervisor Harley strode in from outside with the force of a tiger. Behind him were five armored soldiers in military garb, each carrying quite a few iron weapons.

Supervisor Harley said a few words to the soldiers. They then took the items in their hands and headed respectively toward several second-rank smiths, Verek among them.

Verek seemed long accustomed to this. As soon as he saw the soldier approach, he respectfully stepped forward, accepted the weapons in his hands, and lowered his head. "Verek at your service."

The soldier nodded, speaking politely. "As soon as possible."

Verek nodded.

He lowered his head and saw that the weapons were all swords: two broadswords, two war swords, and one thrusting sword.

These swords bore many chips, scratches, and even signs of breakage. Clearly, they could no longer be used.

He inspected them carefully, then turned to Dole. "Go to the back and apply for some refined steel, around ten kilograms."

Dole nodded and went to prepare the materials.

Repairing a weapon was different from forging a new one from scratch. Dole had already gained some understanding of it, so the moment Verek spoke, he understood what needed to be done.

Besides Verek, Santis and Molai also received tasks. For a time, the entire smithy rang with clangs and clatters.

Dole was Verek's apprentice, so he was only responsible for this side. He followed Verek, helping while learning. His expression was meticulous and earnest, because he knew this was his livelihood, at least for now. Once he became a first-rank smith, he would be able to survive independently without having to watch other people's faces. This was the foundation of survival.

No matter what he might do in the future, his task for now was to focus on learning.

Verek used a Number Three hammer, weighing a full ten kilograms—an entire size larger than the one in Dole's hand. With every blow, sparks flew in all directions. Yet in Verek's hands, the twenty-jin iron hammer seemed as light as a feather.

Clang, clang, clatter. Whoosh, whoosh.

The morning soon passed. Verek repaired only one thrusting sword. After eating, he continued with the repairs.

Dole learned at the side. Whenever Verek needed him, he would have Dole assist with a small hammer—sometimes striking hard, sometimes lightly, sometimes having him tap in a rapid shower of raindrops. These variations taught Dole a great deal.

After only one day, he felt that he had grown tremendously.

He did not know what had been going on lately, but he felt sharp-eyed and keen-eared, with strength that seemed to have no limit. It was as though, as long as he ate his fill, he would have inexhaustible power.

Forging weapons was also a process of understanding them. The five swords took a full two days to repair. Holding the last repaired broadsword in his hand, Dole thought of the basic sword techniques and began swinging it around inside the smithy.

The broadsword was very heavy, and Dole could not hold it steadily. He was merely playing around with it, but with the sword in hand, he looked as though he were drunk, making Verek burst into hearty laughter.