Chapter 65: Baron Romero's Dilemma (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 65: Baron Romero's Dilemma (2)
Morcan.
It was a name Romero knew well. Morcan had worked at the iron mine for a long time, and Romero had heard about his recent appointment as the safety manager. He was a highly trustworthy man. Moreover, if Jacob had gone out of his way to bring him here, he was undoubtedly the right person to speak on behalf of the iron mine.
"So, you were with Roman at the scene?" Baron Romero asked.
"Yes, my lord."
"Tell me exactly what happened. How did Roman act when the accident occurred? Why did he show interest in the mine's safety issues? And did he truly find the solution himself? I want only the truth—without a single lie or the slightest exaggeration."
"Understood." Morcan bowed respectfully.
He spoke his mind, recounting everything exactly as he had experienced it—just as Hans had done before him.
"The accident occurred a week after Young Master Roman began working. A cave-in caused by a ground collapse injured a worker. As the one in charge on-site, I ordered a rescue operation using safe methods in accordance with our accident manual. However, Young Master Roman thought differently. He judged that, with his abilities, he could save the worker himself instead of taking unnecessary risks. Despite the protests from myself and the others, he went directly into the collapsed tunnel. That is the truth. No one forced him, and no one asked him to. The young master made that decision entirely on his own."
It was just as Hans had said. Because he bore the name of Dmitry, Roman had braved the danger.
The thought of his son descending into that pitch-black underground alone made Baron Romero unconsciously tighten his grip on the armrests of his chair.
"To be honest, I didn't know why the young master had come to the iron mine in the first place," Morcan continued. "But after he personally treated the injured worker and declared that he would resolve the mine's safety issues, I realized how pathetic and foolish I had been. The young master didn't have any hidden motives. As the eldest son of the Dmitry family, his only intention was to personally experience the hardships his people faced. And upon confronting a safety issue, he believed it was his responsibility to resolve it."
He was deeply moved. As a mere laborer, Morcan had been completely won over by Roman. That was why, even if Roman's proposal had an underlying purpose, Morcan truly believed his intentions were solely for the people of Dmitry.
"From beginning to end, the solution to the safety issue was entirely the young master's idea. If the purpose of today's meeting is to ask what kind of person the young master is, I would say he is the heir to the Dmitry family—a man I truly trust and wish to follow."
He poured his heart out. Even with his head bowed, his unwavering voice proved that he had honored Baron Romero's demand: there was not a single lie or exaggeration in his words.
"...I see."
He had heard everything he needed to hear. Baron Romero dismissed him.
Not a single person says Roman is unfit to be the heir of Dmitry.
The sentiment of the iron mine was entirely on Roman's side. Seeing how carefully Morcan had chosen his words, terrified of causing any trouble for the young master, Romero realized the truth.
To them, Roman was already the heir of Dmitry.
He fell into deep thought. The tide had turned. Everyone wanted Roman, but Romero still couldn't make a final decision.
There was still the Master Blacksmith. The opinion of the forge—the most important faction of all—still remained.
*
A few days ago.
The forge was operating just like any other day, the blacksmiths toiling away before the roaring flames of the furnaces.
"Master."
"Speak."
"A shipment of items has arrived under Young Master Roman Dmitry's name. Should we accept them?"
Roman.
It was a taboo word in the forge. Ever since the incident some time ago, they had tried their best to avoid mentioning his name. However, since a formal request had come in, the blacksmith had no choice but to report it to Master Hendrick. He was incredibly tense, but Hendrick's reaction was completely unexpected.
"Accept them."
"...Pardon?"
"Are your ears clogged? I said, accept them."
"Ah, yes, sir!"
The blacksmith hurriedly ran off. Before long, he returned carrying a massive pile of ironware. He couldn't carry it all by himself, so several other blacksmiths lent a hand. Soon, the forge was filled with iron weapons and armor. It was an amount that couldn't possibly be finished in just a day or two.
Considering his personal feelings toward Roman, Hendrick should have rejected the commission outright. Instead, he calmly examined the iron pieces without the slightest sign of reluctance.
"What a complete mess. Just how hard did they train for their gear to end up in this state?"
The equipment clearly belonged to the private soldiers who followed Roman. In truth, Hendrick had wanted to refuse. However, his feelings toward Roman had changed slightly of late.
He had heard about the incident at the iron mine through Jacob. Learning that Roman had risked his own life to save a worker made Hendrick see the young master in a different light. Come to think of it, the argument they'd had in the forge wasn't really Roman's fault, either. Hendrick had shown a complacent attitude as an artisan; from Roman's perspective, getting angry was only natural.
This task was largely a way to make amends. Since he had wronged Roman before, he wanted to do a flawless job on this request to appease him. Therefore, he meticulously examined the condition of the items, checking for flaws and pondering how to ensure Roman's satisfaction.
But then, as Hendrick sifted through the mountain of ironware, his eyes widened. He noticed a single sword set apart from the rest.
"...W-What on earth is this?!"
He was certain. This sword was a Famous Sword—a masterpiece rarely seen on the continent.
Hendrick was an artisan. Having spent decades sweating and bleeding in the forge, he could recognize the brilliant splendor of a masterpiece at a single glance.
"Where did he get such a weapon?"
He held the sword up to the light. The flickering glow glided smoothly down the blade, and the hilt felt like a work of art in his grip. When tapped, the hardness of the blade proved perfectly balanced. While it might not be the absolute greatest sword on the continent, even in Dmitry—the stronghold of blacksmiths—a sword of this caliber was incredibly rare.
Above all, there was one detail that truly left Hendrick in awe.
Its mana responsiveness is extraordinary.
When caught in the light, the sword absorbed the glow and shone brilliantly. This meant its ability to absorb the energy of nature—mana—was on a completely different level compared to ordinary iron.
A very long time ago, the standard for a masterpiece was simply how well it cut and how durable it was. However, ever since Emperor Alexander opened up the possibilities of the Aura Knight, the standards had completely changed. While basic performance was taken for granted, a weapon was now judged as a masterpiece based on how well it accepted mana.
Hendrick brought the sword closer to the fire. On very rare occasions, weapons with exceptional mana responsiveness would trigger a dramatic phenomenon just by being brought near flames.
Just like right now.
Whoosh!
Fwoosh!
"...?!"
The flames wrapped around the sword. To be precise, the flames that should have flared in all directions seemed drawn by a gravitational pull, clinging to the blade. It wasn't quite dramatic enough to say they literally coiled around the steel, but for such an effect to occur without any mana being actively channeled into the blade... this was undoubtedly a weapon that Aura Knights would go absolutely crazy for.
To think such a treasure existed in this world.
His heart pounded. Hendrick prided himself on possessing the finest ironworking skills on the continent. But artificially increasing mana responsiveness was a different matter entirely. How on earth could someone craft such a masterpiece?
Driven by his burning curiosity as an artisan, he approached the blacksmith who had brought the weapons.
"This sword. Whose is it?"
He already knew who the owner of this masterpiece must be, considering it was Roman's request. Yet, he had to confirm the truth. As expected, the blacksmith uttered the very name Hendrick had in mind.
"...It belongs to Young Master Roman. After collecting all the weapons and armor from the private soldiers, he handed this sword to me separately. Is there some kind of problem? If you order it, I can return all of this to Young Master Roman right now."
"No, there's no need for that."
Roman. The name was firmly engraved in his mind.
Where did he obtain such a sword? With Dmitry's wealth, he must have purchased it for an astronomical sum. If so, who on earth was the blacksmith who crafted it? Countless questions swirled in his head, and Hendrick ultimately arrived at a single conclusion.
I must ask him directly where this sword came from.
He was burning with impatience. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't want to exchange a single word with Roman, but his desire to know was so strong he was willing to swallow his pride.
To meet Roman, he had to finish this commission as quickly as possible. He couldn't very well go and ask him about the sword without any results to show for the rest of the gear.
Hendrick shouted, "Gather every available blacksmith right now! We must finish this job completely within a few days!"
In this place, Hendrick's word was law. From that day on, the fires in the forge's furnaces did not die down until long after the sun had set.
*
Clatter!
Clang! Clang!
A blacksmith poured the repaired iron gear onto the floor. Seeing the equipment gleaming as if it were brand new, Chris looked genuinely surprised.
"It's finished already? It's equipment for thirty men, so I thought it would take at least two weeks."
"...I thought so too," the blacksmith replied, shuddering. "I expected us to take our time and work on it over two weeks, but for some reason, Master Hendrick went completely wild and put every single free blacksmith on this job."
The past few days had been a living hell. Although they hadn't been forced into night shifts due to the danger, they had relentlessly hammered iron from sunrise to sunset. They couldn't even enjoy their usual guaranteed breaks. When the Master Blacksmith himself shoved bread into his mouth in under a minute and ran straight back to the anvil, how could the blacksmiths under him dare to rest?
After slaving away like that for three straight days, they had finally produced these results.
"Please make sure to ask Young Master Roman later why Master Hendrick was so desperate."
"I will." Chris nodded.
Glancing to the side, he saw Roman and Hendrick talking.
Hendrick's face was gaunt. Though he was severely fatigued from overworking, his eyes burned with intense passion.
"Roman. Where on earth did you get this sword? And who is the blacksmith who made it?"
He fired off the questions. Demanding an immediate answer, he couldn't hide his nervous anticipation, even with Roman standing right in front of him.
At that sight, a faint smile played on Roman's lips.
Just as I expected.
From the moment he first submitted the request, Roman had anticipated that Hendrick would react exactly like this. Artisans were all the same. When they saw a fascinating object, they couldn't help but lose their minds over it, regardless of their relationship with the owner.
Therefore, Roman gave the answer he had prepared beforehand.
"It's not a sword I acquired from somewhere. I forged it myself."
"...What?!"
Sheer shock washed over Hendrick's face. It was a statement so absurd that he hadn't even dared to imagine it over the past few days.