Richard was glad that his request was fulfilled, but the problem was that he'd have nowhere to place all the ore. Which is why Lord Kirk told him that he'd send him batches of the ore over the next four months. After which, Lord Kirk left to manage whatever affairs he had to. Not that Richard was interested in them.

After leaving the estate, he informed Gregor that he was heading back to his workshop. Richard did not want to go to the tavern because there was nothing for him to do there. He also informed Gregor that he would share some of the ore he received from Lord Kirk as repayment.

This made the red-haired dwarf happy.

With that settled, Richard was in his workshop gazing at a schematic for the carriage he'd been working on. He started the sketch months ago but never crafted it due to him working on the damacus steel katana.

While he was free to do whatever he wanted at the moment, Richard felt that he still needed some sort of information. Mostly about the Verlpax.

He saw that there was a horse, but he was not designing the carriage for a horse. Mostly because Gregor told him how rare horses were in this part of the world, and that it would cost him a fortune. Which is why he was making the carriage for a Verlpax.

Richard had to get as much information about them as he could. Not to mention he wanted to ride one for himself. Those beasts were huge and looked fierce. It was strange not to see more of them around the town, but he figured it was for a good reason.

Even with the carriage design, he still had a slight problem. Monsters. Everyone told him that they surrounded the town, so it would be hard for him to travel. To counter this Richard planned on hiring some mercenaries for protection, which means he'd have to find some eventually.

For now, he was free to do whatever.

The thought came to him that he should create a gameboard. Chess to be specific. It was a fun game to pass the time, and anyone interested in strategy would love it. He could probably sell it to the rich for a nice price, and it was easy to make as well. However, once others found out about it, the game could be replicated.

No. Richard shook his head, it was best to focus on one thing.

Create a prototype of the carriage and adjust as needed. Once satisfied, he could buy some items here, travel to the nearest town and unload the products. Only to pick up and sell it elsewhere. Repeat as needed while gaining information on the price of items. Eventually expand to become a trade network grabbing hold of various opportunities as they arise.

Richard set a goal for himself, create the carriage within the next month.

He first needed to find a sturdy type of wood, but there was also the option of making the carriage out of steel. He was thinking of creating the base out of steel, but the actually box itself out of wood to hold more weight. While the wheels would be made out wood with a steel brace for support.

Add to that a suspension system and Richard would have himself a pretty advanced cart for transportation.

As he was in his own thoughts someone entered his workshop. Richard quickly woke himself up and saw the blonde man take a look around. He was fairly tall with white skin wearing a suit. Richard felt the man was familiar, but couldn't exactly place where he'd seen him before.

"You're Richard?" He asked.

"Yeah, and you are?"

"Arthur. My father's heard great stories of your work, and has sent me to get you." Arthur's voice was flat.

There was nothing amazing here in the workshop. Usually, the blacksmith had their works on display for sale, but Richard had nothing out. He's heard the young man has been here for some time now, so surely there had to have been something he made. Arthur wanted to judge his work for himself than believing the words of others.

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

Tales could easily be exaggerated which is why a person had to see for themselves. His father's words, not his own.

"I don't know your father, and I don't go with strangers." Richard said but felt that was a lie. He hung out with Gregor and even went to see Lord Kirk with him. So, he technically did go somewhere with a stranger.

"My father is Issac, surely you've heard of him." Arthur said figuring that once he stated his father's name things would progress much more smoothly.

His father was famous in Evergreen, being the richest man in town. Everyone and their grandmother wanted some of his fortune, so it was unlikely that Richard had not heard of him. He'd be surprised if he didn't.

Richard didn't look amused or surprised by what he just heard. He simply shrugged.

"Is that supposed to mean something to me? If your father wants to see me, he knows where I am." Richard bluntly told Arthur.

He had important work to do, and couldn't be bothered by distractions at the moment. Finishing the carriage was his top priority, not playing games with someone he'd never heard of before.

"I take it that's your final stance?" Arthur asked.

Richard nodded.

"Very well." Arthur turned to leave.

Richard was a few steps behind him as he watched the man hop on a white horse. That's when he recalled where he's seen Arthur before. Back when he first saw a Verlpax.

Maybe he shouldn't have been so dismissive, but he was busy. Kind of. If Issac wanted to meet him for anything, the man would come find him. Not like Richard was hiding anywhere.

As Arthur went home to their estate, he passed through the front gate and handed the reigns of his horse to one of the guards. Their family owned a lot of land in Evergreen, and it wasn't by luck. For years they've been cultivating farmland, building alliances, and just recently breeding Verlpax.

They had trade agreements all over the region, and could easily muster up thousands of troops if the need called for it. That wasn't even on top of their own home guard troops that his father kept.

He was proud to have been his father's son, and even more so to be one of the richest people alive. For a mere blacksmith to deny his father's request, pure insanity.

Arthur was different from the other stuck-up nobles who would call Richard names, and lean on their families' background for support. No, he was not like them at all. He'd just do as he was told, and if the need called for it, then he'd take out the trash. Simple as that.

Richard was so beneath him it didn't even matter what the young man said or did.

Entering the estate he went directly to his father's quarters. His father was seated at his desk looking at the ledger. Arthur and his father resembled one another. Arthur's seen the photos of his father back when he was still in his teens. He was essentially the splitting image of him, while his younger sister took after their mother.

Issac gazed up from his work as he noticed the door open. "You've returned."

"Yes, the blacksmith refused to come."

Issac raised his eyebrow after hearing that. His eyes focused on the missing swords that usually hung on the wall. A family heirloom that was destroyed and no longer there.

"Refused? Did you inform him that I wanted to see him?" Issac asked.

"I did, he said if you wanted to see him then you know where he is." Arthur repeated the words Richard told him.

Issac smiled at that. A man should be proud, especially when someone like Lord Kirk spoke highly of his skills. It was the only reason Issac wanted to see Richard.

"And what of his work? Did any of it interest you?" Issac asked Arthur.

Arthur shook his head. "He didn't have anything on display. We can only go by Lord Kirk's word of his skill. But Serena did say that her father was I repeat, 'Bashing two swords together like a maniac'. She doesn't know anything of swords or their quality, but from her account, her father and the master smith were both shocked by the results."

"What sword was he using?"

"The black one."

"Oh? Interesting." Issac said as he rubbed his chin.

Issac closed the ledger he was reading and sat up. "Very well, guess I'll go meet this blacksmith."

Arthur wanted to ask what was the point of that but kept his mouth shut. His father was always a bit mysterious in the way he acted. This is where the two of them differed. While his father liked to do things in secrecy, Arthur liked to do things out in the open.

There were plenty of blacksmiths in town, and many others they could contact. Going to see on specific one that seemed rude, just rubbed Arthur the wrong way. He saw no point in it.

Issac glanced at Arthur as he walked past him.

"You want to know why?" Issac asked.

"I would, yes."

"Because our family cares about prestige, and having someone to restore our family's heirloom is my goal. But only if it is the best. Also... It isn't a bad thing to have a few people in your pocket." Issac stated.

Arthur started walking with his father.

"You want to invest in him?"

Issac nodded.

"I'm thinking about it. Expanding our business to the crafting section does not seem like a bad idea. They'll be more likely to listen to us, than anyone else. And if I can get one of the on the council, even better."

Issac was thinking ahead, far ahead into the future.