https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-136-I-m-Actually-Interested-in-Blacksmithing-/12996617/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-138-The-True-Value-of-Hammer-Mastery-/12996619/
Chapter 137: Even Such a Good Thing?
Chapter 137: Even Such a Good Thing?
Lloyd Knight, who was originally going to mention the smithy in passing, immediately understood Rain's intention and smiled, saying, "Perfect, then let's go take a look."
"Rain, Peres and I are very fond of exquisite weapons and armor. However, we're not very familiar with their crafting process."
As expected of Lloyd Knight, who also serves as the estate manager, his words were like a refreshing spring breeze.
Behind the three of them, the head maid, Sadia, who had been following them all along, finally snapped out of her daze.
Seeing the two Full Knights chatting and laughing, Sadia couldn't help but feel a sense of unreality.
How much time had passed since then?
Had Rain already entered the Extraordinary realm and become a Full Knight?
His speed was even faster than Miss Kyra's!
No, it was faster than the Miss's!
Sadia turned her gaze back to Rain, comparing him to her previous impression.
He had obviously grown taller and more robust.
Unintentionally, Rain, standing next to the 1.9-meter-tall Lloyd Knight, didn't seem too far off, indicating that Rain's height had already surpassed 1.8 meters.
Moreover, Rain's exposed arm muscles, broad shoulders, and sturdy chest made him look like a full-grown adult.
The more Sadia looked, the more surprised she became.
Rain, of course, noticed the frequent glances from the head maid behind him.
He knew she must have many questions at this moment, but it was obviously not a good time to talk to Sadia.
Rain hadn't expected such a coincidence; he had just entered the castle and happened to meet Sadia.
He had originally planned to finish using the black tung oil before chatting with her about his entry into the Extraordinary realm.
At this moment, led by Lloyd Knight, Rain entered the castle's smithy.
As soon as he stepped into the smithy, a wave of heat hit him, and the sound of hammering filled the air! Rain quickly scanned the area and found three blacksmiths forging weapons, armor, and daily necessities, along with about fifteen or sixteen apprentices and assistants.
The scale was three to five times larger than the smithy of Borris in Flashgold Town.
Additionally, the entire smithy was approximately six meters high, appearing spacious and airy, with the most eye-catching feature being a cylindrical structure over four meters tall, resembling a blast furnace.
This brought a slight joy to Rain's heart.
The larger the scale, the more likely it was that the special ore he needed would also be more abundant.
Rain also spotted a familiar figure—Bal, the blacksmith forging horseshoes.
Seeing Lloyd Knight and Instructor Peres enter, everyone present couldn't help but look up, and those who could temporarily put their work aside slowed down their forging pace.
Apparently, as the estate manager, Lloyd Knight's prestige was very high.
A bearded hulk named Snail threw his work to an apprentice blacksmith and said, "Knight Lloyd, Instructor Peres, how did you two come here?"
"Snail, tonight's protagonist isn't me, but this man here, Rain, the Deputy Sheriff of Flashgold Town," Lloyd Knight introduced with a smile.
Snail was obviously taken aback, his expression filled with astonishment.
Apparently, he hadn't expected the youthful-looking youth before him to be the guest of honor for the night, and already a Full Knight.
"Rain, this is Snail, who just passed the Empire Blacksmith Association's Armorer exam."
"Greetings, Rain! I'm Snail," Snail said with a slight bow.
An armorer? Rain's eyes lit up immediately.
"Greetings, Snail!
Blacksmiths hold a high status among commoners, and armorers are an advanced profession for blacksmiths.
Generally, after being assessed as a senior blacksmith, one's skills are already very proficient. But if one wants to improve further, they need to choose a specialized field and focus on it, such as armorers, swordsmiths, and so on.
As an armorer, Snail deserved Rain's respect.
"Snail, then show us around," Lloyd said with a smile.
"Yes, sir!"
At this moment, Bal, the blacksmith forging horseshoes nearby, looked at Rain with a puzzled expression.
The youth's appearance resembled that of a boy he had once taught in the servant training, even their names were the same!
Only in stature, the difference was too great.
Their statuses were worlds apart—one was the son of a farmhand, while the other was the Deputy Sheriff of Flashgold Town.
Now that he thought about it, that boy Rain had shown talent in hoof trimming and shoeing.
However, he had heard that the boy no longer participated in servant training.
It was a pity!
If he had continued, there would have been a good chance for him to pass the servant exam and become an estate blacksmith apprentice.
Bal shook his head slightly, then focused on forging the horseshoes.
Soon, Snail led Rain to the area he was most concerned about—the smithy's storage room.
"Rain, this is the storage room. We store some raw materials here, such as iron ingots, flux, and special ores," Snail said.
"The storage room was approximately 70 to 80 square meters. Upon entering, Rain was greeted by a sight of numerous wooden shelves stacked with at least a dozen types of peculiar ores, the names of which he couldn't recall.
On the ground, various high-quality metal ingots were piled up, each with a distinct appearance.
As Rain approached the shelf with the peculiar ores, he seemed captivated by them, filling Snail with a sense of pride and joy.
These special ores were meticulously collected by Snail through his connections within the industry.
Some of them were so rare that even auction houses rarely had them in stock.
When Rain picked up one of the ores and examined it carefully, Snail felt a sense of recognition and appreciation. His prized possessions were also valued by others.
Initially, Snail's introductions were more of a courtesy to his guest, but now, his words came from the heart:
'Lord Rain, this is Star Iron, known for its exceptional hardness and toughness. It's an excellent material for sharp weapons, perfect for crafting daggers, longswords, or even two-handed greatswords.'
'This is Flame Rock, found around scorching volcanic craters, with an extremely limited supply.'
'And here we have Bloodstone...'
Snail, a renowned Armorer with the Blacksmith Association, possessed far superior knowledge in forging compared to the town's blacksmith, Boris. As he introduced the ores, system notifications flooded Rain's vision like a rapid-fire display:
[Your skill in ore identification has improved. Experience gained: +19]
[You have learned to identify the special ore Flame Rock. Blacksmithing experience gained: +6]
[Your skill in ore identification has improved. Experience gained: +21]
[You have learned to identify the special ore Bloodstone. Blacksmithing experience gained: +7]
[Congratulations! Your skill in ore identification has reached Level 2.]
Here it comes! Here it comes! It's here!
Rain's smile widened as he felt a surge of excitement. The purpose of his visit to the Habsburg Manor for the banquet had already been partially fulfilled.
Suddenly, Rain's mind was flooded with fragmented memories, as if he had spent months studying these ores, making him intimately familiar with their characteristics.
Just as Rain finished processing these fragmented memories, another system notification appeared:
[Congratulations! Your skill in ore identification has reached Level 3.]
This...
As soon as Rain finished absorbing and processing the fragmented memories, another wave of fragmented memories about ore identification flooded his mind.
This made Rain truly understand the meaning of the saying, 'Listening to your words is more valuable than reading books for ten years!'
Looking at the dazzling array of peculiar ores, Rain felt like he had discovered a gold mine.
He thought of the Flame Black Church's bizarre black flames and their scorching high-temperature damage.
Among the special ores, Rain noticed several that were heat-resistant materials.
After a moment of contemplation, Rain believed that if he could prepare a set of heat-resistant Knight Plate Armor, it would give him an advantage against the Flame Black Church's sinister attacks.
Unfortunately, the prices of these ores were exorbitant.
Rain realized he needed to focus on earning more money.
With his limited metallurgical knowledge from his previous life, Rain noticed that this world's research on alloys was still in its infancy.
Initially, he had thought it was due to the blacksmiths' lack of skill, but even Snail, an Armorer, had only a rudimentary understanding of alloys, without any systematic study.
Alloys are substances with metallic properties created by combining two or more metals or a metal with a non-metal, using specific methods.
For instance, bronze is a typical metal-metal alloy, composed of copper and tin in specific proportions. Variations in the ratio can significantly affect the alloy's performance.
Rain felt he had grasped a hint of the underlying pattern among the various peculiar ores. This was the real gold mine, but it was a massive undertaking, and the timing wasn't right to embark on such a project.
Once Snail finished introducing all the ores, Rain checked his Blacksmithing Profession Panel and noticed that his Blacksmithing level had reached Level 3 (112/500), while his Ore Identification level was at Level 3 (27/500).
This progress was akin to a rocket's speed!
Snail was delighted each time he saw Rain's expressions, alternating between a thirst for knowledge and deep contemplation.
Although he didn't know much about this unfamiliar, young Lord Rain, Snail admired his enthusiasm.
Therefore, Snail's introductions became even more enthusiastic.
If Rain knew what Snail was thinking, he would have shaken Snail's hands vigorously and shouted, 'Comrade! Let's dedicate our lives to the blacksmithing cause!'
After introducing the ores on the shelves, Snail began to describe the neatly stacked metal ingots nearby.
'...This is a Bloodstained Steel ingot, created by mixing iron ingots with a certain proportion of Bloodstone, resulting in a high-quality steel ingot with excellent strength and toughness, suitable for crafting blunt weapons.'
Ah! This was the Bloodstained Steel that Lagra had mentioned! Rain picked up an ingot, feeling its considerable weight, and noticed that its density was slightly less than that of Star Iron.
Rain carefully counted the stacked Bloodstained Steel ingots and estimated that there were about twenty of them. Roughly half of these would be sufficient for forging his war hammer.
"Sir Snail, could I purchase some of these bloodstained steel ingots from you?" Rain asked during a brief pause in Snail's introduction.
"Sure," Snail replied, his expression turning slightly awkward.
Although he wanted to do Rain a favor, these bloodstained steel ingots were already designated for a specific purpose.
Rain noticed Snail's subtle glance towards Lloyd Knight, standing nearby.
Apparently, these ingots were intended for Lloyd Knight's use, but before Rain could say more, Lloyd spoke up.
"Since Rain needs them, let him have them first. Snail, my shield and armor can wait a few more days," Lloyd said with a smile.
Rain suddenly understood!
These ingots were meant for Lloyd Knight's equipment, which explained their purpose. Rain recalled that Lloyd Knight specialized in sword and shield combat, having seen him wielding a sword and shield on several occasions. He seemed to be a knight who prioritized defense.
"Thank you, Lloyd Knight. I've been practicing hammer techniques recently, and I plan to forge a war hammer, so I need some bloodstained steel," Rain explained, sharing his intentions with Lloyd.
With the bloodstained steel in hand, Rain generously revealed his purpose to Lloyd.
"Hmm? Rain, you've been practicing hammer techniques lately?" Peres, hearing this answer, seemed a bit surprised.
He had intended to discuss the Great Bear Sword Technique with Rain after the banquet, but now, hearing that Rain was practicing hammer techniques instead of utilizing his exceptional sword talent, Peres felt a bit puzzled.
"Yes, Instructor Peres. Having an additional skill is beneficial, but in actual combat, I still primarily rely on the greatsword," Rain explained with a smile, choosing not to reveal his true reasons.
At that moment, Armorer Snail spoke up, "Lord Rain, do you need me to contact a hammer smith in the county city to help with your warhammer?"
"Thank you, Lord Snail, but I've already contacted a friend," Rain politely declined Snail's offer.
The correct version is available at the 69 Book Bar! 6=9+Book_Bar.
He was still hoping to learn hammer forging from Lagra to improve his blacksmithing profession level, so he naturally wouldn't choose to have his warhammer crafted in the county city.
Before arriving, Rain had prepared 300 imperial gold coins, nearly his entire fortune. After spending a whopping 280 gold coins to purchase the bloodstained steel ingots, his funds were almost completely depleted.
"This is the smithing area, and Senior Blacksmith Basil is currently crafting a bronze warhammer," Snail continued his introduction.
Huh?
Wouldn't the melting point of bronze be much lower than that of an iron hammer? Rain recalled his past life's chemistry knowledge. Although he didn't know the exact melting points, he remembered that bronze had a melting point well below 1000 degrees, while iron's melting point was around 1500 degrees.
The difference was enormous.
Rain glanced at his Arcane Apprentice (Extraordinary) panel and noticed the 'Scorching Touch' skill, forming a preliminary plan in his mind!
Due to Rain's affinity for the smithy, his visit lasted longer than expected. After the tour, Lloyd Knight suggested heading directly to the banquet, and Rain readily agreed.
This trip had already yielded significant gains!
Habsburg Manor.
The dining room on the first floor of the castle was brightly lit.
A luxurious tablecloth adorned a rectangular table at least ten meters long, with Lloyd Knight seated in the central position of honor.
Rain and Peres took the right and left upper seats on either side of Lloyd.
Aside from the three of them, there were no other diners.
The bustling servants came and went like a revolving door.
Although only three people were dining, their appetites were immense, as all three were human extraordinary knights.
Soon, half of the table's delicacies had disappeared into their stomachs.
Lloyd Knight wiped his mouth with a white napkin and asked, "Rain, the technique you demonstrated at the Flashgold Town Cathedral, was it the Great Bear Sword Technique?"
Rain's eyes flickered slightly, knowing that the real test had arrived.
Lloyd Knight wouldn't have invited him just for a simple banquet.
Before arriving, Rain had contemplated this question.
He surmised that Lloyd would likely inquire about the origins of his breathing technique and sword skills, how long he had been learning them, and other related matters.
Subsequently, there might be attempts to win him over or other possibilities.
If the roles were reversed, and Lloyd had discovered that a former servant from the manor had suddenly entered the extraordinary realm, he would also want to understand the situation.
Rain had no intention of hiding the truth, especially since he had already confided in Hamilton.
There was a saying, "When you tell something to one person, it's as if you've told it to everyone!"
"Actually, I learned both the Great Bear Breathing Technique and the sword technique within the castle," Rain replied, wiping his mouth with a white napkin and smiling.
Lloyd and Peres exchanged puzzled glances, seemingly incredulous.
Then, they fixed their gazes on Rain, waiting for an answer.
Rain didn't intend to keep them guessing. "It was Miss Krya who taught me the breathing technique and sword skills."
"Haha!"
"So that's it!" Upon hearing this answer, both Lloyd and Peres burst into laughter.
"Peres and I had considered various possibilities, but we never imagined that you would have learned the Great Bear Sword Technique right under our noses.
Lloyd sighed with a wry smile and shook his head. "Lord Count Habsburg has also heard about your situation and has specifically asked me to chat with you. He wants to know if you're willing to become his follower."
"But it seems the Count is too late. You already belong to Miss Krya now."
Ryan smiled but remained silent. Only he knew that, as of now, he and Krya had not signed any type of follower contract.
After Ryan revealed the origins of his breathing technique and sword skills, he could sense that Knight Lloyd's attitude became more amiable.
"Ryan, since you mentioned you're learning hammer techniques, how about we exchange some insights after the banquet?" Lloyd suggested.
Huh?
Is this a double blessing?
A ready-made Extraordinary-level experience NPC delivered to his doorstep?
Ryan's joy was evident as he eagerly agreed, "Of course, it would be my honor!"
During their conversation, Ryan learned that Knight Lloyd, in addition to his expertise in one-handed swords, also excelled in one-handed hammer techniques.
After all, in a battle between knights, whoever could break through the other's iron-like defense would already have half the victory.
"Wait, Lloyd, we agreed that I would exchange insights with Ryan about the Bear Sword Technique first."
"As for the hammer techniques, let's discuss them later." The usually quiet Instructor Peres suddenly interjected.
Huh?
Is this a double blessing?
Ryan's eyes lit up at the suggestion. He hadn't expected that after Lady Lagra refused to be his experience NPC during the day, two Extraordinary-level experience NPCs would appear in the evening.
Tsk tsk, it seems like Habsburg Manor is his lucky place! Ryan quickly replied, "Knight Lloyd, Instructor Peres, please don't argue. We have plenty of time to exchange insights this evening."
In his heart, Ryan added silently, 'I hope you two won't find it tiring.'
After the banquet.
In the center of the castle's training ground, Ryan and Instructor Peres stood facing each other, each gripping a fine steel greatsword.
In the next moment, Ryan swiftly stepped forward, his greatsword flashing as he slashed downward at a forty-five-degree angle, aiming a powerful blow at Instructor Peres.
Simultaneously, Instructor Peres mirrored Ryan's move, striking downward with equal force.
"Clang!!"
The jarring clash of metal reverberated through the air.
Both men quickly disengaged.
In just that one strike, Ryan sensed that Instructor Peres matched him in strength, making him a formidable opponent.
Of course, this was without activating any skills.
Immediately, they resumed their sparring.
"Ding ding clang clang!"
Their exchanges grew faster and faster, until they were just two blurry shadows rapidly clashing.
"Clang!!"
After a powerful collision, both men were sent flying apart.
Neither Ryan nor Instructor Peres activated their 'Break Limit' or used secret techniques; it was a standard sparring session.
After all, going all-out in the first encounter wouldn't be a friendly gesture.
Ryan glanced at the system notification:
[Your skill, Bear Sword Technique, has improved. Experience +56]
[You have engaged in combat. Knight (Extraordinary) Experience +17]
Not bad!
A steady improvement.
Too little experience?
But it's safe, and you can do it repeatedly! With an 18-point Constitution, Ryan felt barely any fatigue after the brief sparring session with Instructor Peres.
In other words, Ryan could engage in consecutive battles.
He could take them both on, one after the other!
After witnessing the exchange between Ryan and Instructor Peres, Knight Lloyd also showed interest.
"Ryan, how are you holding up? Do you need a rest?"
"No need," Ryan replied, walking to the side and picking up an ironwood hammer. "I'll switch to the warhammer now!"
"Of course."
Knight Lloyd and Instructor Peres were both curious to see Ryan's hammer skills, which he had never demonstrated before.
Knight Lloyd's sparring with Ryan served a crucial purpose: to thoroughly assess Ryan's strength.
Since Ryan was willing to showcase his previously unseen hammer techniques, it was an excellent opportunity.
---
Meanwhile, in a luxurious mansion within Maestor County City.
In a dimly lit underground hall.
A tall knight with a scythe-like weapon slung across his back reported respectfully, "Master, many nobles have sent word, advising us to stay low-key and avoid drawing attention. The events in Flashgold Town have made them wary."
"And the reason for the town's devastating defeat has been confirmed, according to reliable sources, it was indeed the doing of the newly appointed Knight Ryan."
"It's said that his sword talent is extraordinary, and it was his exceptional skills that defeated Achim, Andrews, and the others. This has been confirmed by Baron Alonso himself."
"Hmm? Ryan again?"
"If he relies on sword skills, we'll find an opportune moment to send an Iron Doll. Let's see if he can cut it down! Haha." A deep, sinister laughter echoed from the shadows.
"As you command, Master!" The knight with the scythe-like weapon smiled beneath his helmet.
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(End of Chapter)
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