"Master, what is wrong with you?" Andy asked as he watched Richard disappear.

In his mind, Gregor was this amazing blacksmith that never liked anyone. Now, he was going against everything Andy knew about him. He asked for help on a project that would bring in lots of tales. He was all smiles, and eager to talk. Gregor even shared some of his ore with Richard!

The last part was the craziest of them all. If Andy did not know this was Gregor, he'd think someone replaced him.

"What's wrong with you? How dare you ask me something like that?" Gregor shouted at him.

Yeah, that was more in tune with the master he's spent time working under. Grumpy, always yelling, and...

"If you've got time to run your mouth, then you've got time to get water. Go on, what are you still standing around for? I don't have all day!"

Yes, and he was demanding. The total opposite of when Richard was around. Well, not truly opposite, but he changed just enough it was hard to believe this was the same dwarf he knew of.

"Asking me what's wrong? Bah! Kid needs to clean his eyes, how dare he ask me something like that?" Gregor said to himself.

He looked at the small cart full of swords. All of them had the same length, weight, and had the same sharpness. It took him less time to finish all of these thanks to Richard's help, which meant that he spent less time crafting for months. If he knew they'd work at this speed, he'd have signed a contract to do fifty more.

All he had to do was deliver them to the estate, and his assignment would be finished. But, Gregor had to wait.

Richard's been working on a sword of his own and said it was almost finished. He asked for two more weeks, so Gregor planned on waiting. He still had a month left before he needed to deliver the swords to Lord Kirk.

He was excited about how Richard's sword would look and feel. Especially after the young man said it would be a better piece than his last one. Which was saying something since what he forged then was marvelous. Gregor had no idea how it could get any better than that.

Gregor sighed as he looked down at his own hands. When would he be able to forge something like that? If his skills did not increase soon, people would start tracking down Richard for all their needs, instead of him. Gregor did not want that to happen, but he knew it was impossible to stop it.

He also was not the kind of person to try and limit another blacksmith's growth. Which only worked against him in all of this. If he was similar to other smiths who felt threatened at the prospect of a new younger blacksmith growing in fame, then Gregor would have cut Richard off at the limbs. He would have never helped him get so far.

That was not who he was, so he had to adapt.

Maybe Richard would teach him something. It was a small hope of his, and if it came true then he could see his skills advancing.

On the twentieth of Fogveil, the first snow began to fall. Painting the world white.

Richard was glad to see that the snow was the same color he knew it to be. Half a year, that is how long he's been in this world for. While in hindsight it seemed like a long time, it did not feel that way. Richard did not feel as if time was moving slow at all. His life has been a busy one.

Crafting one thing right after the other, ever since he met Gregor.

A lucky encounter if he had to say so himself. But, how would things have ended up if he didn't have these skills of his?

Richard shook his head. Man's greatest enemy is always himself. If he began thinking about What If he'd go down a rabbit hole and be stuck there for who knew how long. He should be thankful the dwarf helped him at all.

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In all rights, he did not need to do anything. He could have and should have kicked Richard out from the first time they met. Yet he didn't, and because of that, Richard was standing where he was today.

It took him a bit longer because of the tools he was working with, but he finished it. Damascus steel. While normally he'd use twenty or more bars of steel to create a more intricate pattern and improve its strength. This time he only used five, to save on time.

While he loved longswords, Richard decided to create a katana instead. It was a style of blade he hasn't seen yet in this world, but then again he's only been in Evergreen. And even here, he has not been to many places.

The only thing that was free was the ore Gregor gave him, but hearing the stories he told him and what he could gather from Andy, things were not looking good. There was a shortage in Evergreen, of everything besides food. Ore prices for iron were now at two silver each, which was a staggering amount considering Gregor said it used to go for only a few dozen bronze tales.

As for the rest of the material, Richard paid for it out of pocket. He ended up spending five silver on the rest of the material, but he wasn't bothered by this. One he did not know the original prices, and two he was not strapped for cash. He had money, thanks to not buying anything besides a few bits of clothes, shoes, and food.

Richard gave it one last look and felt satisfied with the finished product.

All he had to do now was head back to Gregor and go to Lord Kirk. At first, Richard wanted land, which he still did. However, he was wondering if he should ask for something else instead.

Leaving his workshop, he headed north. It'd take him thirty minutes, but what else could he do? Transportation sucked in this world, and when he asked Gregor about the horse. The dwarf told them they came from the southern part of the continent. Not only that, he said they were expensive, and he'd have to travel south to get one. There was no other way.

That put a damper on his plans to create a horse-drawn carriage. It would make traveling a lot faster, especially now when it is cold.

When he arrived at Gregor's workshop, Richard saw the short dwarf looking over the iron swords. He looked a bit disappointed to Richard.

"Hey, I finished." Richard said as he entered.

Gregor looked up a bit surprised to see Richard. He saw the sheathed katana and his eyes grew large. "You're from the south?" Gregor asked.

Richard raised his eyebrow. He lived in Texas, so he was from the south, but in this case, Gregor was not talking about that.

Seeing Richard's reaction, Gregor pointed to the katana. It was unusual for a sword to make its way this far north. The design was unique, and only used in the southern part of the Milthur continent. Even Gregor had no idea how to make the curved blade.

"The Mitsugah in your hands." Gregor stated.

Richard looked at the katana. Mitsugah? What?

"You mean the katana?" Richard asked as he held the sword up a bit higher.

Gregor nodded once, but the word katana was foreign to him.

"Quickly, draw the sword." He said excitedly.

Richard did as he was requested, and drew the katana, showing off the beautiful patterns. Gregor's eyes were drawn to the blade, he couldn't move them. The sword was beautiful and aesthetically pleasing to the eye. For its design alone someone would pay a fortune. But, could it cut? Was it durable? That's what truly mattered.

"May I?" Gregor asked.

Richard nodded his head as he passed the katana to Gregor. The dwarf looked funny wielding a katana, but he saw a smile creep up on Gregor's face. Gregor inspected the sword and gave it a passing grade, it was of high quality and a hundred times better than those iron swords they worked on.

He felt ashamed he even asked Richard for help. Richard must think Gregor was just paying blacksmith, while Richard actually was one. The difference in their skills was just too much. Gregor's hand tightened around the hilt of the katana.

"Teach me." Gregor asked.

In his entire life, he's only had one teacher. One of the ten greatest blacksmiths of the generation. He studied under the best, and because of that Gregor was arrogant when it came to his own work. Only a few in his eyes could even match his skill, and he had proof of that as well. But his arrogance was also his weakness.

Gregor left his master to seek greater fame, and to craft something that would bring him praise. A masterpiece, that is what he wanted.

Year after year, decade after decade. Nothing changed, Gregor did not feel his skills improving.

Now, here comes Richard. A young man not even twenty! Yet, his skills far surpassed that of even Gregor's own master. His thirst for fulfilling his drew grew, he had to finish it soon. He had to. Gregor needed something he could be proud of, something he could take back to his master. The man that never told Gregor good job.

Gregor wanted to shove his work in the old dwarf's face, and gloat.

But, that dream of his was a far stretch. He had to be honest with himself, his talent in blacksmithing was not great. If it were, he'd have already created something he should be proud of.

That's why he felt now, was his only chance. To seek help, and learn under Richard.

Never in his life would Gregor imagine he'd ask a human to teach him. Never! If any other dwarf heard of this, he'd be laughed at. His reputation would be in shambles. But, Gregor didn't care for any of that.

He hit a wall, and he could only see one way to break through it.

"No."