Chapter 38: The Forge's Flames (3)

The reason for stepping back.

It's not simply because he fears the consequences of insubordination.

Hendrick, who would normally stand firm in what he believes is right, has now realized a mistake he made.

'Hendrick, Hendrick. What have you done?'

In that moment.

Old memories came alive.

Even the Master Blacksmith, Hendrick, had an apprentice period.

Back then, his sense of mission as a blacksmith was not as strong as it is now; he chose this path for a living and worked day and night to establish himself as a proper blacksmith.

Beatings were common.

While Dmitri has abolished such practices in the present, Hendrick's body was never free from bruises during his apprenticeship.

One day.

A mercenary came to the forge.

The mercenary, just beginning to shed the last vestiges of boyhood, came with only one silver coin and asked to buy a sword.

"I know very well that this amount is insufficient to buy a decent sword. But this is all I have, and if you sell me a sword, I will repay you many times over in the future. I have a family to support. With only a strong body to rely on, I need a weapon to earn money."

It was a common occurrence.

People without land to farm or special skills would often turn to mercenary work, relying solely on their physical strength.

He was no different.

The master of the forge, not being the type to give a sword to a stranger, harshly scolded the mercenary and chased him away.

The mercenary's back was truly pitiful.

Seeing his slumped shoulders, burdened with the weight of his family, Hendrick couldn't just stand by.

Without the master's knowledge.

Hendrick followed the mercenary.

And without any payment, he secretly gave him the first sword he had made.

He was happy.

Seeing the mercenary express gratitude with tears, Hendrick thought this might be the happiness of a blacksmith.

It was the first time he felt pride in his profession, and upon returning to the forge, Hendrick was driven to make even better swords.

But one month later.

Seeing the mercenary's corpse, Hendrick felt as if the world had collapsed.

Behind the weeping family, people explained why the mercenary had died.

"He died while guarding a caravan. Tsk, what a poor fellow. If his sword hadn't broken during the fight with the bandits, he could have returned alive like the others. This is why you need a good weapon."

"Indeed. Everyone else was fine, but only he died, they say?"

His heart sank.

His hands and feet trembled.

His well-intentioned act had led to the mercenary's death.

Self-loathing set in.

Only then did he understand why the master had said it was too early, but no amount of regret could change the reality before him.

Hendrick lived as a recluse for a while. If not for the help of his friend, Lord Romero, he might never have returned to the forge.

In his pain, Hendrick vowed never to repeat such a mistake and overcame his painful past to become a Master Blacksmith.

However.

He has made the same mistake now.

Because Roman displeased him, and with a complacent attitude thinking, "Surely they won't go to war in the borderlands with this," Hendrick momentarily forgot his past mistake and repeated the error he had regretted countless times.

'Really pathetic.'

Excuses wouldn't work.

No matter the reason, as Roman pointed out, the trash he gave could have led to an innocent person's death.

He swallowed hard.

He didn't make excuses.

If Roman were to punish him.

Whether it was the price of insubordination or any other punishment, he was prepared to accept it.

"I will pay the price for my actions."

"Master!"

The blacksmiths, looking flustered, tried to dissuade him.

They couldn't accept the current situation.

Hendrick was their sky, and they couldn't let him be punished by someone like Roman Dmitri, not even Lord Romero.

Roman held the sword.

Hendrick, waiting for punishment, looked up at Roman's face.

At that moment.

Their eyes met.

"If you truly regret your mistake, I will not press the issue further. Let's return to the main topic. I know that Master Hendrick is an excellent blacksmith. Therefore, I ask you to provide weapons and armor for 30 soldiers."

Roman's words.

Surprised by this unexpected statement, Hendrick's pupils widened.

What a cheeky fellow.

Just a moment ago, he acted as if he would devour him, but when the time came, he didn't hold him accountable.

Roman understood.

Hendrick.

From his position.

How difficult it is to admit a mistake in front of his subordinates.

'Everyone makes mistakes. At least if the mistake can be rectified, one can earn a second chance by showing remorse.'

When he had to cut his subordinate's head off, swallowing his sorrow, it was because the mistake was unforgivable.

This was different.

Hendrick had a grudge against Roman and, without considering the consequences of his actions, had acted out of petty revenge.

If he hadn't shown remorse, it could have been seen as malice, but at least Hendrick knew right from wrong.

'Punishment and reward should not be influenced by emotion.'

It was Baek Jung-hyuk's principle, and he always acted according to it.

Roman said,

"As I mentioned earlier, I don't think Master Hendrick intentionally disobeyed. It was probably due to his dislike of me, which I fully understand. So, let's put this mistake behind us. What I hope for is that you will provide swords and armor to protect my soldiers."

It was a carrot and stick approach.

After making the skin turn bright red with the stick, Roman cleverly offered the carrot.

Roman's attitude.

Hendrick was once again impressed.

'Roman has changed.'

He had heard rumors.

Especially after this mercenary recruitment, he knew that Roman had truly changed, as people around him had commented.

But seeing it firsthand was different.

Hendrick, who had been ignoring the truth, finally saw Roman's true nature.

He was different from before.

The scrawny, dull-eyed Roman had become a strong man, and the charisma emanating from his sharp eyes made hearts tremble.

It wasn't just a change in appearance.

Roman was so different that it was as if he were a completely different person.

How was this possible?

There were traces of the Roman who was once called a fool, but he was no longer that Roman.

A layer of prejudice was shed.

He acknowledged it.

Roman had changed, and today's incident was his mistake.

He, who had regretted past mistakes countless times, could not tolerate giving trash out of personal feelings.

Hendrick said,

"Once again, I am truly sorry for this. I will not repeat such a mistake in the future. As a sign of apology, I will prepare the weapons and armor for your soldiers with the best iron that Dmitri boasts."

After the commotion.

Roman left the forge, agreeing to receive the items later.

During the process, he learned about Hendrick's situation from another blacksmith.

"The sword Roman stole that day was a masterpiece by Master Hendrick. It took six months just to conceptualize and three months of living in the forge to complete. Selling it at a low price to a street merchant was naturally infuriating. What truly upset Master Hendrick was not that Roman stole and sold it, but that his masterpiece found no proper owner and was sold at a low price."

It made sense.

Why Hendrick was angry.

Even though he knew it was against the spirit of craftsmanship, why he had thrown trash at Roman.

The Roman from the previous life had crossed the line.

An unforgivable mistake.

That's why, before leaving, Hendrick said to Roman,

"I haven't completely forgiven you for this. I will grant your request because I was wrong, but I still cannot tolerate the heir of the Dmitri family being negligent in forge work. Remember, the foundation of Dmitri lies in the forge. If one day you make even a single piece of trash with your own hands, it might be a chance for me to see you differently."

Hendrick was stubborn.

Although he had shed a layer of prejudice through this incident, he did not recognize Roman as the successor of the Dmitri family.

However.

Hendrick had made one miscalculation.

'The Roman Dmitri I remember was a fool who had no interest in forge work. A waste of a man who ignored the family's foundation and indulged in pleasure. It's understandable why the people of Dmitri disliked him. But.'

Baek Jung-hyuk.

He was different.

"Let's start preparing for the campaign."

He moved his steps.

This outing had one more purpose.

* * *

The place Roman arrived at.

It was the workshop where he had undergone seclusion training.

What was once a dilapidated and shabby workshop was now neatly organized, ready for immediate work.

Immediately after deciding to go to war.

Roman asked Hans to make this place usable for its original purpose.

"It's been a while."

Swish.

He walked inside, checking the surroundings.

It was a good place.

The high ceiling provided good ventilation, and the lighting distinguished the areas that needed to be bright and those that needed to be dim.

Ventilation is essential for a forge.

The smoke and dust from the coal fire can obstruct the view, so when checking a suitable forge, he always prioritized ventilation.

After that.

Familiar items came into view.

The blazing forge.

The cold and heavy anvil and the oak stand supporting it.

And the hammer, tongs, and other tools.

Items he had seen in Hendrick's workspace, but for Roman, this moment felt special.

'The first day comes to mind.'

The first day.

When Roman's life began.

In the shabby shack, listening to the history of Dmitri, Roman