"Hmph! Impressive, kid!"

The standing soldier snorted and nudged the groaning youths sprawled across the ground with the tip of his boot.

"Use any more force and these people might be off to meet the Heavenly Father, eh? Aren't you afraid I'll throw you in prison for a year or two?"

"Heh..."

Roland ignored the threat and chuckled. "Captain John, when did you return?"

"Hahaha!"

Once his identity was exposed, John dropped the act. He laughed, stepped forward, and clapped Roland hard on the shoulder.

"Only got back the day before yesterday. But you, what sort of mess is this?"

Roland lifted his chin toward Marco, who stood frozen to the side, and calmly explained his deduction.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk..."

John tilted his head and glanced at Marco, clicking his tongue.

"That kid didn't personally join in? Then he has a bit of brains."

As he spoke, he leaned close to Roland's ear and lowered his voice. "Tell me. How do you want to deal with him?"

"Ah?"

Roland paused, then frowned. "Captain John, I appreciate your kindness, but his father is Henry, the most famous blacksmith in Blackwater Territory..."

"Henry? Hmph! So what?"

John waved the concern away.

"He's just a commoner with better forging skill. His son caused trouble in a noble estate. If I deal with him according to the law, would Henry dare complain?"

"But we seem to lack solid evidence."

"Evidence? Ha!"

John slung an arm around Roland's shoulder, his brows rising.

"Once he's locked in the dungeon, we'll have as much evidence as we want."

"This... will not cause trouble for you?"

"What? Looking down on me?"

John grinned.

"If not for you, kid, I would have been eaten alive by those Kobolds long ago. What does this little matter count for?"

Roland smiled in understanding.

Marco had caused trouble for him again and again. He had even hired people to kill him.

Roland remembered every grudge, one by one.

If he had not been wary of Marco's father's influence in Blackwater Territory, he would have dealt with Marco himself long ago.

Now that an opportunity had come to his door, why refuse it?

"I will follow Captain John's arrangements."

"That's more like it!"

John released Roland and turned to the two standing soldiers behind him.

"What are you standing around for?"

He pointed at Marco, who remained stiff as a post.

"Seize that kid!"

"What are you doing?"

Marco had been too far away to hear the conversation between Roland and John, so he was still confused.

Only when the guards reached for his shoulders did he react and struggle with all his strength.

Years of swinging hammers and training in the smithy had given him strength beyond most boys his age. Since the two guards were also wary of his status and held back, they failed to subdue him at once.

"What?"

John strode forward, his voice dropping.

"Still want to resist?"

Seeing John's right hand settle on his sword hilt, Marco's Adam's apple bobbed.

"Sir, I... I just... don't understand why you want to arrest me."

"Why?"

John sneered and pointed at the youths still groaning on the ground.

"Let me ask you. Did you, like these people, once follow Mr. Hawk to learn forging?"

"Yes... yes..."

"Then..."

John bent forward, his sharp gaze stabbing into Marco's evasive eyes.

"When they were being beaten, why did you stand by and watch?"

"Ah?"

Marco had never imagined John would use that as the reason for his arrest.

After standing stunned for a moment, he stammered, "Well... Roland was too strong. If I went up, I would only get beaten too. Besides..."

"Coward!"

John cut him off with a shout.

"What I hate most in this life is cowards!"

He turned to the two guards and barked, "What are you waiting for? Didn't you eat breakfast? Do I have to do it myself?"

"Yes, sir!"

Seeing their captain angry, the two guards no longer hesitated. Their hands clamped down on Marco's arms like iron pincers.

The blacksmith's son, who had always looked down on others, finally understood.

He stared at Roland and John, venomous anger burning in his eyes.

"How dare you treat me like this? My father is..."

Bang!

Marco's shout stopped short.

John's sword hilt slammed into his abdomen, smashing the rest of his words into a painful groan.

"Take him to the dungeon and interrogate him properly! If I find out you went easy on him..."

"Yes, Captain!"

The two guards saw the fierce scar on John's face and shuddered. Then they dragged Marco quickly toward the prison.

"As for you..."

John turned and shouted at the bruised youths on the ground.

"Why aren't you rolling away? Do you want me to send someone to carry you back?"

The youths supported one another and limped away, unwillingness written across their faces.

But when they passed Roland, all that resentment froze.

Their bodies stiffened, their necks drew in, and fear filled their eyes.

In moments, the noisy open space was left with only Roland and John.

"I heard today was the day to select the Blacksmith Apprentice..."

After confirming no one else was nearby, John dropped the stern expression and smiled as he patted Roland's shoulder.

"Looks like you passed?"

"Yes."

Roland nodded.

"Hahaha, I really didn't expect it."

John bent down, picked up the pack Roland had dropped during the fight, and handed it over.

"Kid, not only are your fighting skills impressive, your forging skill is outstanding too."

"Captain John, you praise me too much. I only..."

"Enough of that polite talk!"

John waved him off. After a few more words, he said, "Since there's nothing else, I'll..."

Seeing John about to leave, Roland suddenly remembered something.

"Right, Captain John. There are still some things I would like to ask of you."

"Hmm..."

John stopped and glanced at the guards approaching from a distance. With a muffled grunt, he said, "Kid, I still need to patrol right now. How about this?"

"You're going to report to the eastern smithy now, right? When I rotate off duty tonight, I'll come drink with you."

"This..."

Facing John's enthusiasm, Roland scratched his head.

"Mr. Hawk probably will not allow me to drink."

"Uh..."

Hearing Hawk's name, John's momentum weakened.

"Since it's Mr. Hawk's rule... then how about this? You can watch me drink. Don't worry, I'll bring good food to go with the wine."

"All right."

Roland smiled.

"Then I will skip dinner and wait to taste Captain John's fine food."

"Now that's more like it!"

Seeing Roland stop standing on ceremony, John nodded in satisfaction and strode away.

Roland released a breath. Thinking of Marco's sorry state just now, he smiled.

Then he picked up his pack and soon arrived at the smithy on the eastern side of the estate.

"Good heavens..."

Standing at the entrance, Roland held his breath at the sight before him.

The spacious, bright forging hall was fully three times larger than his original workplace. Several refined iron forging platforms were arranged in neat rows, each equipped with a full set of brand-new tools.

Compared with this, the place where he had first learned forging was a shabby little workshop.

"You're Roland, right?"

A tall young man walked over quickly with a friendly smile.

"My name is George. I'm Master Hawk's apprentice. Master already told me about you. Come with me."

George led the way while introducing the smithy's facilities and rules in detail.

Before long, they arrived in front of a forging platform.

"This will be your workplace from now on. If there's anything you don't understand, you can ask me at any time. As for those rules..."

George seemed to remember something, and his smile turned awkward.

"You'd better follow them strictly. Master Hawk's temper... I imagine you've already experienced it."

"I understand. Thank you, Mr. George."

Roland thanked him sincerely.

"No need to be so polite."

George smiled, waved a hand, and left.

Roland looked around the spacious forging hall, and a smile came to him despite himself.

Unlike the tense atmosphere from his time as a trainee, the apprentices here were especially friendly because there was no competitive relationship between them.

After a few conversations, Roland looked forward to his future apprentice life even more.

From the other apprentices, he learned how work was handled here.

Each month, aside from basic forging tasks, Hawk would assign some extra work.

If the work was done poorly, the apprentice would be scolded at most, and the pay would still be issued.

If it was completed excellently, there would be extra money. But after deducting costs and the portion turned in, not much remained.

So most apprentices chose to finish only the basic tasks, step by step.

"This is practically paradise for slacking off..."

After hearing all this, Roland sighed.

The sun sank westward, and dusk deepened.

When Roland walked out of the smithy, he happened to run into John carrying packages of every size.

"Yo! Perfect timing!"

John's hearty laughter arrived together with the aroma of wine and roast meat.

He threw an arm around Roland's shoulder.

"Come on, let's sit in your dormitory. I heard apprentices under Mr. Hawk all live in single rooms? Tsk, that treatment really makes people envious."

The two talked and laughed all the way to a row of detached small houses.

Following George's directions, Roland soon found his residence.

He pushed open the door and looked inside. The furnishings were simple, but the clean, bright room was worlds apart from the large shared bunk where more than ten people had once crowded together.

"Whoa! This is plenty spacious!"

John clicked his tongue in wonder, moved a wooden table over from the corner with practiced ease, and set out the wine and food one by one.

After biting open the wine stopper and taking a gulp, he asked directly, "Go on, kid. What did you want from me?"

"I want to learn archery from you."

Roland accepted the roasted chicken leg John handed him, his gaze intent.

He still remembered John's superb archery.

Back then, if the Bloodscale Kobold had not been covered in hard scales, John and the two standing soldiers might have been enough to kill it.

"Archery? Leave it to me!"

John slapped his own torso and agreed.

"But it's too late today. We'll start tomorrow afternoon. For now, I can explain the essentials."

As John explained in plain language, Roland discovered that archery was far from simply drawing a bow and releasing an arrow.

Stance, breathing, finger technique, exerting force. Every part had knowledge behind it.

Before they knew it, night had settled.

After stuffing the last piece of chicken and black bread into his mouth, Roland asked in a casual tone, "Right, Captain John. That batch of Kobolds that came from Dawnlight Territory before... what is the situation now?"

John's smile stiffened before Roland had finished speaking.

The usually bold old soldier frowned and released a heavy sigh.

Seeing him like this, Roland's heart sank.

After a moment of thought, he asked, "Could it be... Captain John, you were defeated by the Kobolds?"

The moment the words left his mouth, Roland knew the guess was unlikely.

Based on his previous experience, ordinary Kobolds posed no real threat to standing soldiers.

If they could defeat the standing army, then the other side had more than one Mutant Kobold.

And if that were true...

It was not that Roland looked down on John. He simply felt that if they had truly encountered that kind of situation, the old soldier in front of him would probably not have returned in one piece.

"Sigh..."

John sighed again.

He poured the last mouthful of wine down his throat, his Adam's apple bobbing.

After wiping the wine from his beard, he continued.

"If we had actually fought those bastards head-on, that would have been better. But the truth is..."

John slumped against the back of his chair. His rough fingers rubbed the empty cup, and his whole frame looked dispirited.

"We never even saw their shadows."

"Those beasts used some unknown method. They always bypassed our defensive line without anyone noticing, choosing villages to attack only in the dead of night."

At this point, John's voice caught.

His callused fist clenched. The knuckles turned bluish white, and veins stood out on the back of his hand.

Those thatched houses soaked in blood, those broken corpses, and the heart-rending cries of orphans still lingered in his mind.

"By the time we arrived after hearing the news, they had already vanished. Cunning as rats in their holes... those damned beasts!"

Bang!

John's fist slammed onto the oak table, making the wine cup jump.

Anger burned in his bloodshot eyes, mixed with a deep powerlessness.

"Even worse, while tracking them, we discovered Goblins mixed into those Kobold groups!"

"Goblins?"

Roland frowned, and the image of a short, green-skinned humanoid surfaced in his mind.

"That's right!"

John ground his teeth.

"You may not know this, but those green-skinned bastards have always been timid cowards. At most, they used to gather in groups to steal cattle and sheep. But now..."

His voice trembled with anger.

"They actually dare pick up weapons and follow Kobolds to slaughter humans!"

The old soldier shook with rage and opened his mouth to curse again, only to find no words vicious enough for the fury inside him.

In the end, it became a frustrated sigh.

Roland watched John's anger and wisely chose silence.

When the old soldier's breathing steadied, Roland picked up the wine jug.

Amber liquid poured into the cup.

"Then... what happened afterward, Captain John?"

Roland pushed the cup toward him.

"Afterward? Ha..."

John waved a hand, and his mouth twisted.

"Afterward, the commander had no choice but to request aid from the baron and transfer over several warhorses. We selected the most elite soldiers to form cavalry scouts and patrolled day and night. Only then did we barely suppress those beasts' attacks."

He raised the cup and drained it, not noticing the wine dripping from his beard.

"Seeing that they could no longer gain an advantage, those bastards quieted down for a while. But..."

John lowered his voice, his knuckles tapping the table.

"The scouts later reported that they were moving toward the Black Fir Forest."

At this point, John snorted, contempt entering his eyes.

"Hmph! Lord Beckham is stationed at the Black Fir Forest. With those filthy beasts alone, they definitely won't be able to stir up much trouble."

Thinking of a knight's strength, which far surpassed ordinary people, John relaxed a little and leaned back in his chair, looking out the window.

"Whoa! It's already this late!"

The old soldier clicked his tongue and stood.

"All right, kid. I still need to patrol in a bit, so I won't keep chatting. Tomorrow afternoon, I'll come find you and teach you how to use a bow."

"All right. I'll trouble you then, Captain John."

"I told you, don't be polite with me!"

John patted Roland's shoulder in dissatisfaction, then staggered toward the door.

After seeing John off, Roland closed the door and returned to the table, his brow tightening.

"Black Fir Forest..."

Roland repeated the familiar place name, his fingertips rubbing the edge of the wine cup.

For some reason, unease spread through him.

Before, hearing such news might not have made him think too deeply.

But after hearing Bronson's guess about the recovery of mana elements, these abnormal phenomena demanded attention.

First, the monsters in the Black Fir Forest rioted. Then monster unrest appeared in neighboring Dawnlight Territory.

And now, all these monsters were coincidentally gathering toward the Black Fir Forest.

Stacked together, the signs gave Roland a terrifying guess.

Could something deep in the Black Fir Forest be attracting monsters?

Yet the information he had was too limited. No matter how he reasoned through it, he could not find a clear thread.

"Forget it..."

Roland rubbed his aching temples.

"Since a knight is stationed there, there probably will not be any major trouble. If it really doesn't work..."

"After I adapt to life as a Blacksmith Apprentice, I'll find time to ask Mr. Bronson. Perhaps he knows something."

After making up his mind, Roland rose, cleaned the leftovers from the table, and collapsed onto the bed.

Unlike the large shared bunk he had slept on before, which had been hard as stone, this bed was surprisingly soft and comfortable.

Fatigue surged over him. His head had barely touched the pillow before he sank into sleep.

Early the next morning, Roland remembered George's instructions and arrived at the smithy just as dawn began to break.

"Good! Not a single one missing!"

Hawk's booming voice echoed through the empty hall.

He folded his arms, his sharp gaze moving over each apprentice's face.

When he looked at Roland, he gave another nearly imperceptible nod.

"Now, I will assign today's tasks..."

After explaining the work, Hawk gave a few more reminders, then left the smithy.

The task was unexpectedly simple.

Perhaps because spring plowing was approaching, they did not need to forge weapons or armor today, but all kinds of farming tools.

Their structures were far simpler than weapons and equipment. Roland only glanced over the blueprints a few times before pulling the bellows.

Clang, clang, clang!

With crisp metallic strikes, the iron head of a hoe took shape.

Roland assembled it with a polished oak handle, the process clean from start to finish.

At that moment, a line of golden text appeared before his eyes.

[You have successfully forged a finished tool. Basic Blacksmithing Experience +1]

"Farming tools count as finished tools too?"

Roland's eyes lit up, surprise rising inside him.

He had thought only proper weapons and armor would be recognized by the system, and that had troubled him.

After all, forging even the simplest iron sword would take at least half a day with his current skills.

If he occasionally activated [Focus] the way he had during yesterday's examination, his efficiency would rise sharply, but the cost was too high to sustain.

At that pace, raising Basic Blacksmithing from Level 1 to Level 2 by completing the one hundred basic tools required by the occupation panel would take at least three to six months.

Now, things were different.

Compared with fine weapons and equipment, farming tools were simple to forge and saved both time and effort.

Roland's grip on the hammer tightened, excitement bright in his eyes.

He moved quickly, completed his own task, and stacked the final hoe neatly in the finished product area.

When he straightened, his gaze moved to the work areas of the other apprentices.

Most people had only two or three farming tools beside them and were gathered in groups of three or five, chatting.

They were not exactly slacking off.

The amount of work Hawk assigned was already loose. Even the slowest apprentice had more than enough time to finish within a day, much less someone like Roland, who could complete it in half a day.

Roland's attention sharpened.

He clearly remembered George saying that every step from raw materials to finished products in the smithy had to be strictly recorded.

This standardized management meant he could no longer secretly misappropriate ore and forge tools whenever he wished, the way he had while learning the craft.

But if he wanted to raise Basic Blacksmithing quickly, relying only on the work Hawk assigned was nowhere near enough.

Roland wiped the sweat from his hands, and a plan formed.

"Mr. George."

Roland walked to George, who was chatting and laughing.

"Oh, it's you, Roland."

George turned and patted his shoulder in a friendly way.

"How many times have I told you? Just call me George. Did you run into some difficulty?"

"No..."

Roland smiled shyly and pointed toward his own workbench.

"My task is already complete. I saw you still had work unfinished, so I thought I would come help, as thanks for taking care of me yesterday."

George froze, then laughed.

"Ha! You sure are diligent, kid."

Roland's energetic look reminded him of himself when he had first entered the craft.

That green kid who had been full of passion for forging and wished he could soak in the smithy all day.

"But no need."

George waved a hand.

"It's almost lunchtime. Since you're finished, why not go eat first?"

He lowered his voice and winked.

"Don't worry. I won't tell Master Hawk that you left early."

"George, you misunderstand."

Roland explained at once.

"I truly want to help."

George exchanged a glance with the apprentice beside him and finally shrugged.

"Fine, stubborn kid. But I'll say the ugly words first..."

"I understand!"

Roland took over, thumping his own torso.

"If Master Hawk asks, I'll say my skills were insufficient and that I specifically asked you to guide me."

"You clever little..."

George laughed, waved for Roland to do as he liked, then turned back to his companion.

With permission secured, Roland felt like he had found treasure and fetched ore with excitement.

By the time the lunch bell rang, Roland had completed George's task before the midday break.

He watched the experience on the system panel continue to change, hummed a tune, and walked toward the dining hall.

Compared with the crude meals from his days as a trainee, the food here could almost be called luxurious.

Although the staple was still black bread, the side dishes were far richer.

Delicious fish soup glistened with oil. Thick-cut slices of cured meat shone with an amber luster. Two boiled eggs sat on the plate, and beside them was a small piece of golden butter.

Hungry, Roland spread butter over the black bread and devoured it with the side dishes.

Only when the plate was completely empty did he notice something strange.

"Strange..."

Roland touched his flat abdomen and thought,

"Since practicing the Mithril Body Tempering Method, my appetite has been growing, and I get hungry faster too... Right! These next few days, I should be able to practice the Mithril Body Tempering Method again. I can also verify the method's level cap!"

With that in mind, he carried his plate back and refilled it twice more.

Only after eating enough for three people did that long-missed sense of fullness return.

After a satisfied burp, Roland went back to the smithy.

The apprentices who had not finished their morning tasks were all good chances for him to farm experience.

Soon, with George's guarantee, Roland took over another apprentice's work.

He had just finished the final procedure and stretched his body when urgent hoofbeats came from outside the smithy.

Neigh!

With the whinny of a fine horse, a tall figure strode into the smithy against the setting sun.

The dazzling light prevented Roland from seeing the newcomer's face clearly.

"Sorry to disturb everyone. I am looking for..."

The tall figure's gaze swept around and fixed on Roland.

"Hey! Roland!"

The newcomer swept back his cloak, revealing brilliant blond hair.

"Remember me? Darco!"

"Of course I remember, Young Master Darco..."

Roland was about to salute, but the other's powerful arm supported him.

The strength in that support startled Roland.

"This guy's strength... seems quite a bit greater than mine..."

Darco seemed unaware and patted his shoulder warmly.

"No need to be so polite when we meet in the future!"

"Yes, Young Master Darco. May I ask..."

"Are you free tomorrow morning?"

Darco put an arm around Roland's shoulder and asked with great enthusiasm, leaving no room for refusal.

The sudden closeness left Roland at a loss.

George set down the hammer in his hand and quickly walked over.

He bowed slightly, wearing a respectful smile that was neither servile nor arrogant.

"Young Master Darco, Roland only arrived at the smithy today, and there is still a great deal of work he needs to familiarize himself with..."

Darco's smile did not change, but his amber eyes narrowed a fraction, like a beast locking onto prey.

"Oh? Is that so?"

His voice remained gentle, but Roland caught the coldness beneath it.

"But I heard that Roland has already exceeded today's task."

A fine layer of sweat appeared on George's forehead, but he still insisted, "Young Master Darco, Master Hawk instructed..."

"George..."

Roland drew a breath, and a mild smile appeared on his face.

He did not know why Darco had come looking for him, but he had never liked dragging unrelated people into his own matters.

Besides, after thinking it through, Roland was certain that he had no grudge with Darco.

From the original owner's memories, Darco did not seem to have any special habits either, so there should not be any danger.

Even if something unexpected happened, Roland's current strength was more than enough to protect himself.

With that decided, Roland continued,

"Since Young Master Darco needs help, please trouble yourself to request leave from Master Hawk for me."

"All... all right..."

George looked at Roland with worry, but in the end, he nodded and turned to leave.

"Good! Then it's settled, Roland!"

Darco laughed and released the arm over Roland's shoulder.

"I'll come pick you up tomorrow morning."

Before the words had fully landed, the blond youth had already turned and left in a rush, his cloak snapping behind him and leaving only a string of forceful footsteps.

Roland watched him go, then frowned and rubbed his aching shoulder.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk..."

A familiar click of the tongue came from behind him.

Roland turned and saw John standing beside him at some point, squinting in the direction Darco had left.

"I really didn't expect it, kid."

The old soldier nudged Roland with his elbow and said meaningfully, "You actually know Young Master Darco?"