Evergreen, 7th of Budrise, year 179 BN

Outside the large made out Darkwood, there was a bronze plaque seated above it that read "Meeting Room." Gregor pushed the door open revealing the interior. The room is spacious, illuminated by firestone torches that cast a light over the individuals in the room. Five dwarves were seated at a large round table in the center of the room. Richard made note of their expressions, some seemed bored, others a little curious. As they stepped into the room, all eyes fell on the two of them.

Among the dwarves, two mirrored Gregor's appearance with fiery red hair contrasted by deep black eyes. Yet, it was the striking figure of a dwarf with hair like smoldering embers and eyes that burned a fierce red, who caught Richard's attention. He had his elbow on the table as his chin rested in his palm. His right hand was tapping on the table in a rhythm.

The others bore the traditional dark hair and golden eyes of their kin, with one in particular drawing a line of recognition from Richard. Leaning back, arms crossed, he bore the unmistakable signs of countless nights lost to the forge—dark circles like smudges of soot under his eyes.

These were the most established blacksmiths here in Evergreen. Richard noticed how that elf he saw earlier was not present, and even when he was on the first floor he didn't spot any elves. The floor below teemed with humans, yet here, amongst the masters of their craft, only dwarves held court.

It didn't bother him, Gregor mentioned that master blacksmiths were usually dwarves so for the most established ones to be dwarves here in Evergreen didn't come as a shock to Richard. Besides, all blacksmiths, human or otherwise, would eventually be working with him in some fashion. At least here in Evergreen.

Moving with a sense of belonging, Gregor approached the table and easily claimed a chair. "Gravenwish, Skull, Sully, Durrin," he announced, "this is Richard, the human I've spoken of." He settled into his seat, then turned, gesturing for Richard to join him. "And Richard, meet Gravenwish, Skull, Sully, and Durrin," he introduced, nodding to each dwarf in turn.

Bojack glared at Gregor as his name was not mentioned. Despite previous encounters with Richard, the omission of his name stung, a blatant disregard for his stature as master smith. His lips quivered imperceptibly with suppressed frustration and the bitter taste of being overlooked.

Richard, taking his place beside Gregor, offered a nod of acknowledgment to the gathered dwarves. Besides Bojack, there was one other dwarf that was giving him a strange look. Durrin, the dwarf with locks for a beard and tangled black hair. He was wearing a dirty tan tunic with thick gloves covering his hands.

"Well, let's not waste any more time," Gravenwish interjected, his voice cutting through the murmurs of the room. The elder dwarf, with his closely cropped hair streaked with silver, and his thick beard threaded with wisps of white glanced at Richard. "Gregor mentioned that you managed to create a new metal, steel he calls it. I'll be frank, none of us here believe that's true, but given that we've seen the work you've made for the lord, we can't help but be curious."

"You know damn well it's true. You saw with your own eyes the marvel I brought in. Nothing like it has ever graced your forges, has it?" Gregor's boast echoed with the confidence of undeniable truth.

Durrin, unimpressed, dismissed Gregor's pride with a flick of his hand. His gesture was forceful, bringing his hand down on the table with a resounding thud. "It's not the existence of steel we're questioning, nor its worth. It's the claim that a human," he paused, his gaze intensifying as it landed on Richard, "could be behind such an innovation. A metal surpassing iron, capable of enduring blows from obsidian? The dwarf responsible should be standing among us, not hiding behind..." His gaze shifted disdainfully back to Gregor. "A puppet. So, enlighten us, from which dwarf did you really learn this?"

Richard couldn't believe what he was hearing. A chuckle escaped him, not out of mockery but from the absurdity of the skepticism. It wasn't unexpected to face disbelief, but the outright dismissal of his capability stung with a hint of disrespect. But, he wouldn't get upset over mere words.

"Bah!" Gregor scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Think what you want, but do you honestly think someone would hide from such an accomplishment? News would have spread if a dwarf managed to create steel, and you all know it."

Bojack interjected, "With the scarcity of traders lately, whispers of such a creation could very well have gone unnoticed." His eyes, sharp and calculating, landed on Richard. "And isn't it convenient? A foreign human, claiming ownership of knowledge that could revolutionize our craft. It's possible that he stole the knowledge and is claiming it as his own. He's not from here right? Haven't you found it odd that a human would possess such knowledge?"

Gregor opened his mouth to speak, but what Bojack said did have merit. Richard was not from Evergreen, and some of the things he said were just off. Not to mention, he was a human, and human blacksmiths were not renowned for anything special. There were a couple of 'master' blacksmiths who were human, but their creations still lacked in comparison to a dwarven master blacksmith. However, Richard's techniques, his knowledge, and the way he worked. That could be taught, but it'd take years, more years than he currently showed age-wise.

How would he even steal the knowledge in the first place? No dwarf would openly share knowledge that could change what they knew about blacksmithing, especially not to a human. Gregor was more inclined to believe that Richard's ability was his own, not anyone else's.

"Bah! You're speaking nonsense!" Gregor finally returned. "There have been traders for days now, and have you heard anything about steel appearing? Have you?" The question was rhetorical as none of them heard anything that even resembled that. "Exactly! It's only appeared here, and that is because of Richard." His eyes fell on Bojack. "You should know this best, considering he worked under the watchful eye of the lord and his guards. None of them had anything to say about his work, and there's was no way Richard could have snuck a dwarf in to forge the weapon either."

At this remark, all eyes fell onto Bojack. They've all heard the whispers of a human smith's unprecedented work for the lord, now found these rumors cast in a starkly different light. The notion that a smith, particularly a human one, had not only gained the lord's patronage but did so under the vigilant eyes of his guards was a narrative none had considered. They were skeptical at first, yet the suggestion that their human counterparts would fabricate tales of skill for mere flattery was laughably implausible, serving no purpose at the craftsmen's table. The glaring omission of this detail by Bojack, however, gave way to doubt and questions.

Bojack’s eyes narrow, his jaw sets firmly, an unmistakable sign of his growing irritation.

"You’re too quick to defend him, Gregor," Bojack retorted in his voice low. The flicker of doubt he had sown about Richard’s origins and knowledge seems to take root, not in Gregor, but in the others who are listening intently. His gaze shifts from Gregor to Richard, then back. "And why is that? What's in it for you?"

Gregor's eye's ignited with a fire that wasn't there before. "Because I’ve seen his work, Bojack. I've seen what he can do with metal. It’s not just skill—it's art. And you’d know that if you weren’t so blinded by your own pride."

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“There’s no need to argue and waste time,” Richard begins, his voice cutting through all the bickering going on. “I didn’t come here to be accused of being a thief, nor to be looked down upon.” His gaze sweeps across the assembled dwarves, meeting eyes, seeking understanding. “I came here for a civilized discussion, to talk about an idea that could benefit us all.”

As the room fell into silence, Richard continued, “But if we’re going to sit here and act like children, then maybe that isn’t the case. Maybe I’d be better off working with blacksmiths of my own kind, or less well-known.”

Gravenwish sat up in his seat as he nodded in agreement. The conversation was being diverted from the main reason they came here. While reputation was important, it didn't matter to him as long as he could gain access to steel. If Richard, a human blacksmith was capable of forging weapons from it that could be considered high quality. Then what about him? What about all the dwarven smiths in town?

"Yes, things have seemed to have gotten out of hand. Tell us, why are you here?" Gravenwish asked as he looked at Richard. "We wanted to know how to get our hands on steel, which is why we entertained this meeting in the first place. But, what about you? Why did you want to meet with us?"

Grinning, Richard leaned back a little in his seat. "To be honest, it didn't have to be any of you. I could work with any blacksmiths in Evergreen, but," Richard paused as he looked at all of them at the table. "I picked you all because of your influence here within Evergreen, and maybe even beyond. This steel you want, I know how to make it. I wanted to meet for us all to cooperate and benefit all together."

"You all want to forge pieces, be it weapons, tools, or armor. You all want to make something that will last long after you are gone, and have a legacy behind it. While the reputation and respect you'll gain from that is admirable, it'll be hard to achieve if you continue to use iron. Sure, obsidian is an option, but we all know how difficult that ore is to work with. More importantly, it'll be expensive to continue being a blacksmith here in Evergreen. Trade is essentially nonexistent from merchants coming from other towns, and we have no mines of our own here for ore. So, what does that mean for us? Prices will continue to rise until there's no ore left on the market to buy, blacksmithing will become much harder to do, and we'll have to venture out to another town in hopes of restarting. But outside of these walls, outside of Evergreen monsters roam. The dangers you'll face out there are more than any of us would ever ask for." Richard stated.

Gravenwish, his expression contemplative, interlaced his fingers thoughtfully. "Are you saying you have an answer to this?"

Richard nodded. "The answer is something you want. Steel. I want to work with you all to produce steel, on a scale that can benefit us all. As you know, and Gregor has shown, steel is something that's only appeared here so far. It's durable and strong, best of all it is easier to work with than obsidian. What blacksmith wouldn't want to use it? None, that's who." Richard's index finger fell on the table as he made his point clear. "After producing the steel, we can use it to forge stronger weapons, armor, and tools. Best of all, as news of this spreads, blacksmiths will come wanting to obtain this metal for themselves. That means one thing, trade. The only place people will be able to obtain steel is here in Evergreen, so even if the journey is dangerous they'll do it."

Sully, who had remained silent, finally chimed in. Stroking his thick, red beard, he cast a skeptical look at Richard. "Gregor praised you and your skill, but until I see it for myself I can't see you as a smith." He noticed the looks he was getting from Gregor and spoke again. "But, that doesn't mean your words haven't caught my interest. Let's say I join you in this plan on yours, to produce steel. What do I get out of it? You spoke of benefits, but I'd like to know what you mean exactly."

"The reputation you'd receive from being the, well one of the people who founded and produced steel will spread your name far and wide. People will remember you long after you're gone. That fame, it seems to be something that all of you are after. That's why you all are chasing the dream of creating a masterpiece. But, that's just a mere drop of what you could gain. Wealth, much more than you have now. Influence that spreads far and wide. There's also the knowledge of steel production, as well as having access to it for far cheaper than anyone else." Richard stopped there as he tapped his index finger on the table three times. "You have your doubts about my skill, that's fine. But, I'll show you what I'm capable of. Any of you can challenge me in smithing, and let's see whose work is better. Your techniques are... lacking, and if you don't believe me I'm more than open to accepting any challenge you throw at me that involves blacksmithing. While my words might seem harsh, it's the truth. I can help you improve upon that, and share knowledge with you about something that you haven't seen before."

Gregor crossed his arms and nodded his head with his eyes closed. He'd seen Richard's skill for himself, and the young man was better than him. Which is why he asked to be taught by him. Though he may not claim the title of Evergreen's finest smith, Gregor knew his capabilities were not to be underestimated, especially not by the likes of Bojack, whose boastful claims to mastery often rang hollow.

Bojack, for all his bluster, had not been Lord Kirk's first choice for the position of master smith—a fact that mattered little to Gregor. The titles and accolades were mere distractions from the true essence of their craft.

Sully, leaned forward, his interest piqued. "Very well, I'd like to see your skills for myself," he said, his gaze fixed intently on Richard.

Gravenwish raised his hand. "Wait, as much as we are all interested in his skill. His idea does have some merit to it, which I'm sure you all can agree. However, the costs of such a project would be enormous. But even if you settle that, how would promotion for steel even happen? Sure, we want it, but there's no one else that's interested in it. How would these problems even be solved?"

"Money is not a problem, I already have the Lord's support for this project. The initial investment would indeed be high, but that's being taken care of. As you said, there is currently no demand for steel besides from those that are sitting here. However, that will quickly change once production begins." Richard leaned forward. "The first batch of steel produced will be given to various blacksmiths for free, so they can experiment with it as they will. After, they'll want more especially if the most established blacksmiths such as yourselves all use steel for their creations. This will create the demand here in Evergreen that we need, the most important part of this project is stretching that demand beyond Evergreen. Getting word to the other blacksmiths and cities, but for that, I also have a way to accomplish it. What matters now is if you all want in on it." Richard said.

"Then I have nothing else to say about this matter. Although, I'd like to see for myself the process of you making steel. If it's simply making steel together, sure I'll join you as there is a benefit I'm sure all of us present can see. As for working with you on anything else, that's another matter and will require us to see your skill." Gravenwish said as he eased himself back into his seat.

Richard nodded once thankful that at least one dwarf here was being reasonable. "That's fine by me, and I'm more than happy to show you the process. After, we sign a contract."

Durrin clicked his tongue. "A contract? You want us to sign on to work with you when we don't even know you're the one behind the steel?"

"You're mistaken. This contract will be meant to keep you silent. The process of steel making is known to only me, and the more people that know about it the more likely it is for the process to spread. I'd simply like you to sign a contract stating that you won't share the process with anyone else outside of this room who has not joined the project. Breaking this contract would mean you'll have to pay me a sum of ten thousand gold tales." Richard said with a sly smile. "We'll also have to sign this in front of the lord, or someone he trusts. As I'm afraid if you were to break the contract, you wouldn't pay the fee. This way, the lord who has already given his support can take action. He very much wants this project to work out, and arresting a few dwarves wouldn't be a problem for him."

"Ten thousand gold tales! Are you out of your mind?" Bojack shouted as he stood up from his seat. "No blacksmith in all of Evergreen has that much money saved up. The majority of the council members wouldn't even have that much, let alone us."

"I feel that's a fair price to pay, given the rarity this steel currently has. It's up to you if you want to sign the contract, and you won't have to pay the fee as long as you keep your mouth shut. I'm not willing to show anyone the process unless they sign." Richard stated.

All the dwarves besides Gregor looked at one another. They were silent, thinking it over. This was fine by Richard, he came up with that insane price for a reason. He wasn't sure if NDAs existed here, but given that the steel production method had to stay a secret for as long as possible he was sure Lord Kirk would agree to be a witness to the signing. Even if no one here signed it, there would be some people out there that would.