"Amazing." Richard said as he glanced over at the various weapons laid out on a table. They were unfinished, but he could tell a lot of effort was put into each of them. They still needed a handle, spacer, pommel, and such but each of them was essentially 'finished'. He noticed the lack of a pattern on them, they weren't the kind of weapons he was used to making lately.

His last three sword projects were all damascus, while these were not.

It did not bother him in the slightest. Richard felt as if he had stepped into his own workshop.

"Who?" A man short with a thick red beard spoke up. He thought he was alone here, since he sent his apprentice to fetch him some water and firestone. Yet, when he glanced up from his work he saw a man he's never seen before.

Tall but lean with dark hair. The male smelt terrible, but all humans did to him.

He stopped hammering.

Richard saw the short man and nodded to him. "Sorry, I didn't mean to enter but the rhythm of your hammer drew me here. I must say, this work is quite good."

"Quite good? Pish-posh! My work is extraordinary! You've no eyes if you think anything here is anything besides excellent." The man's voice was deep, something Richard was not expecting.

Richard scratched his cheek before he picked up one of the longswords that was unfinished. He checked the weight, checked for any warpings, the polish, and finally the metal.

At first glance, Richard saw that the longsword was well made, but it seems the person who made it had a subpar polish technique. He also noticed that the sword was not made of steel as he assumed, it was something else. Something he knew felt familiar in his hand.

"You're correct, I take back my words. I'm amazed that you managed to create such work using whatever material you used." Richard set the longsword back down on the table.

"Y-you!" The man couldn't find the right words. He was so furious he felt like grabbing Richard and tossing him into the fire. Never has he been humiliated like this. Ever!

He gazed at Richard once more before looking him over. Richard was not the lord of Evergreen, that much was clear. He wasn't even the lord's son!

Even those two would not talk about his work in such a manner. People in the city lined up to purchase and request he make something for them. Now this dirty man without an eye for quality basically told him his work was garbage. While Richard did not say that outright, the man knew that is what he meant.

"Who are you?" He asked before he blew a casket.

"Richard. And you are?" Richard asked.

"Gregor, Gregor Flamebeard, Master of the flames!" Gregor sounded proud, as he was positive Richard had to hear of him and his many titles. Anyone that was interested in weapons or armor has heard of his name here in Evergreen. He might not be the master blacksmith, but his work was on par with one.

"You have a long name. Although, I'm sure the last bit was your title. So Gregor Flamebeard, what metal did you use for this? It's not steel, is it?"

"Steel? Never heard of it. You can't even tell what Iron is, yet you dare judge my work? Sho, go away before I pop your head like a melon." Gregor told Richard as he felt himself calming down. To think he was getting upset by some random guy who didn't even know what iron was.

Gregor could see that Richard was an uneducated bastard who was just trying to get under his skin. There was no need to waste any more time on him, he had to finish working.

Each of his weapons were requested by members of the lord's personal guard. He had to make sure they were perfect.

Richard laughed a little. He couldn't help himself. "Iron?" He should have known as he wiped the corner of his eye. Truthfully he's only worked with iron a couple of times, but even then it looked better than what Gregor produced.

To think that the world he was in used iron. These people were so behind in times that Richard felt they had no clue what they were doing. Thinking that such a metal was precious enough to create extraordinary weaponry. But Richard didn't make fun of Gregor or his creation after knowing that the man was messing around with iron.

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"What's so funny?"

"Nothing. Sorry, I guess you are quite good at using iron if you've made this. However, I still find it lacking. Still, good, but lacking." Richard told him.

He words seemed harsh, but he was always blunt in how he spoke. Only being poliet when he needed to. But, Gregor should not be offended, they were both blacksmiths. Richard was more than a blacksmith since he had knowledge of woodworking, glassmaking, and creating various tools. Still, his blacksmithing skills were top-notch.

Blacksmiths were not weak-willed, so Richard knew Gregor would not cry over hearing his words. If he did, then he wasn't truly a smith. After all, smiths liked working with their respective metals and creating. It was not a bad thing to have someone with more experience talk to you about your work.

"And who are you to say such a thing?" Gregor asked.

Richard thought about this for a second before he decided to answer. "I'm a blacksmith as well, but I'm new in town. Guess we got off on the wrong foot, what do you say about a fresh start?" Richard asked as he reached his hand out.

Gregor stroked his red beard before he nodded his head once. He shook Richard's hand and squeezed, causing Richard to wince in pain. Not the sight that Gregor wanted to see, but he let Richard's hand go.

"A blacksmith you say? I'd like to see this." Gregor commented as he could not picture Richard with his lean build being a blacksmith. Blacksmiths had broad shoulders and were brimming with muscles, not like Richard who in comparison was skinny. Staying next to the flame might cause Richard to pass out.

Not to mention that the amount of humans that dabbled in smithing was so little Gregor could remember each of them. But, Richard said he was new to town, so Gregor gave him the benefit of the doubt. A human being better at smithing than him? With his fifty years of experience?

Yeah, right. That was never going to happen.

Richard smiled at those words. He rubbed his hands together. The feeling of a hammer in his hand as he worked on forging something. There was no better feeling. Well, maybe that feeling when you've gained a lot of money, but that was it.

Gregor passed Richard the hammer in his hand and Richard took it with a joyful look on his face. Gregor found it to creep him out a bit, but he also had a look of satisfaction on his face. Maybe Richard was a blacksmith. Who else would smile like that when they were given a hammer and told to beat on metal for hours a day?

Gregor walked away for a second and entered the building next to where they were currently at. He came back with a piece of clunky black metal and handed it to Richard.

"Well, let's see you do better Mr. Blacksmith."

Richard felt the lump of iron in his hand, but this wasn't steel. While he might be able to amaze Gregor using iron, he didn't plan on simply amazing the man. No. Richard wanted to blow him away.

"There's no time limit is there?" Richard asked.

"Let's say until I finish what I'm working on. That should give you more than enough time."

Richard glanced at the sword that Gregor was hammering away at when he first entered. He did some calculations in his head, thinking about all the processes that had to be finished. "So, about three weeks?" Richard asked as he felt that was more than enough time to finish the sword.

"Three weeks?" Gregor asked as he was beginning to doubt Richard even more now. If he could finish this up in three weeks then he'd be happy. But no, this would take him at least a month and a half to finish, maybe even two. "Five."

Richard nodded his head and felt that was acceptable. He had to turn this piece of iron into steel, and then work that steel into a usable sword. This was a challenge he was very much looking forward to.

"I don't need to tell you anything about the materials do I?" Gregor asked just to be certain.

"Nah, I'm good." Richard said with confidence.

Richard walked around the workshop, looking at everything but he did not say a word to Gregor. Gregor watched Richard for a moment, but after seeing Richard not begin working, Gregor grinned. It seems that Richard was all talk, the man had no idea what anything here was. He couldn't wait to make a fool of him before tossing him out.

An hour later another person entered the workshop. He was short, with a red beard similar to Gregor's but he was bald. Gregor had long tangled messy red hair that flowed down his back and had a braid on his shoulder. There were metal clamps in his hair as well.

"Andy, what took you?" Gregor asked his apprentice as he took the bucket of firestones from him. The bucket of black and red stones caught Richard's eye. He's never seen such a strange rock before, but after a moment he paid it little attention as he went back to doing whatever he was doing.

"Sorry, Draven that bastard went up on the price. So I had to haggle and try to get it cheaper. You know the merchants have been appearing less and less in Evergreen lately, so the prices of firestones are going up. Every blacksmith in the city needs them, and I'm afraid next time I go back the price will be up to two silver!"

"Draven that money-driven bastard, he dares to raise the price? How much did he have left?" Gregor asked Andy.

"He didn't say, but it's best we buy now before the others." Andy suggested.

Gregor nodded his head in agreement. Firestones were the main source of rising fire temperatures in the furnace, and if every blacksmith in the city was after it, then he had to use his money to make sure he had enough. Not to mention the price of metals was beginning to go up. Obsidian was the most expensive, so the price was still at a stable five silver, but iron was already at one silver each.

"Eh, who is that?" Andy asked as he noticed Richard.

Gregor fanned his hand to tell Andy to ignore Richard. "Pretend he's not here, just some bastard who claims to be a blacksmith." Gregor could feel the flames in his stomach begin to ignite again as he recalled Richard's words. He had to calm himself down once more before he entered into a fit of rage.

Andy nodded but also felt this was a bit unfair. He's been at Gregor's side for ten years now and Gregor would never let him make his own sword. Yet, here this strange human was using the workshop as his own. How was this fair?