Chapter 341: The Forge.

After about a 30-minute walk, Kael and Alrisa appeared in front of the Forge. On their way here, Kael also noticed how busy the streets were.

He asked Alrisa about it, and the woman said that it was busy because everyone was going to work.

Mind you, this was very early in the morning, the sun rose just about 30 minutes ago, and to think these people were already out to work, it was even nightmarish to think that the work was going to continue till the sun fell down, 12 hours straight with only the necessary break.

It honestly surprised Kael how hardworking these people were.

Of course, he also understood their condition, so he did not say anything else and simply nodded. In his mind, however, he couldn’t help but compare things here to everywhere else.

The people in Ashen Heights indeed had it tough.

Soon, however, Kael stopped thinking about it as his eyes fell on the Forge in front of him. Its entrance yawned open like a mouth carved into the mountain’s stone flank. Its walls were black with old soot, the lintel marked with faded symbols—Velmourn sigil that flickered faintly in orange as Kael passed beneath them.

The moment he got inside, the heat struck him at once. Not like a wave, not like a blast—it felt like something… much deeper, much… heavier.

Almost as if the entire Forge was built on top of his chest.

“This is the Forge of Enduring Flame, one of the biggest Forges in Ashen Heights.”

Alrisa explained with a light smile on her face.

Kael looked around, curious. Honestly, he hadn’t been to any Forges before this. He, however, had seen a few in animes and shows he had watched,

But this…

This was far different than anything he had known or expected.

What surprised him the most was that the Forge was silent.

There were no roaring bellows, no coughing smoke, no coal-choked air—

Instead, the warmth came from long stone trenches carved into the floor—like shallow canals—filled with softly glowing ash and flickering veins of emberglass. These ancient trenches pulsed with an inner heat that shimmered through the air without flame.

“This place runs on dragonbone ash,”

Alrisa explained as she noticed Kael looking around with a curious look on his face. It was almost as if the woman could read his mind and explain things whenever he needed her to.

“Dragonbone Ash?”

Kael raised his eyebrow.

“Laid and sealed into the earth twelve hundred years ago. Fed with memory-flame. It never goes out.”

“Memory-flame?”

Again, Kael just frowned.

“A form of bound heat magic,”

Alrisa replied as she began walking again, her hands lightly clasped behind her back.

“The fire remembers what it once burned.”

“What did it burn…?”

Kael questioned carefully. Alrisa was walking in front of him, so he couldn’t see her expression, but he felt like asking this question was important.

“Dragon bone.”

Alrisa answered in a solemn tone, and Kael’s expression changed.

However, the history lesson wasn’t yet over.

“The first thing our ancestors did when they were exiled to Ashen Heights was to cremate their savior—Lord Dragon Vorgath’s—body here.

The flames that arose that day still burn beneath the ground, empowering all five of our Forges.

This was considered Lord Vorgath’s last gift to Velmourns, flames that never burn out.”

“Flames that never burn out…”

Kael repeated those words. For some reason, he was mesmerized. He started getting more and more curious about the Steel Dragons, especially the Steel Dragon Vorgath, who gave his life to protect his people.

As Alrisa continued walking, Kael followed her. The tone became slightly heavy since Vorgath was mentioned. Lavinia had told Kael how this was a sensitive topic for the Velmourns.

He looked around silently, glancing at the trenches again. They glowed faintly as they passed. However, Kael could no longer bear the silent awkwardness,

“There’s no coal here?”

He asked.

“Too rare,”

Alrisa answered in an instant. It was as if she was more troubled by the situation than Kael.

“Too heavy to haul up the slopes as well.

So even though the flames we have here are limited, we use what we have. These are also the only flames that can survive the winter here.”

She muttered.

Soon, a big grin appeared on her beautiful face and—

“This is also the reason I suggested the Forge first. This is the only place that stays warm even in the harsh winters. I suggest you work here in winters and then do something you prefer once the winter is gone.”

“I can do that?”

Kael questioned, a little taken aback.

At his question, Alrisa’s grin just widened and—

“You are the Dragon Rider. You can do whatever you want. Once you earn a name and become people’s favourite, then even if you don’t work, no one would dare say anything.”

“…are you sure you can say that?”

“I am Lord Kael’s Assigned Liaison. I will say whatever benefits him the most.”

Alrisa winked playfully.

Kael could almost imagine her like an anime girl who would say ’tehee~’ after her sentences. Honestly, the image he had of her as a competent lady who works hard was crumbling—and it was crumbling fast.

Now, she looked more like a lazy girl trying everything in her power to avoid work.

It was something that made Kael chuckle.

Alrisa laughed as well. She then took Kael inside the main Forge.

The place was vast—larger than Kael expected considering the narrow entrance. The roof arched high above, held by dark iron struts that crossed like ribs. Massive stone tables lined the walls. Dozens of workers moved across the floor—blacksmiths, apprentices, and runners. Their tools were worn but carefully cared for. Their movements were quick and exact.

Kael didn’t even understand how forging worked, but for some reason, one look at these people and just one word came to his mind.

Efficient.

Everything was efficient—the order at which they moved, the sounds of hammering, the weapons in the process of creation—it was quite a sight to watch.

Even the very air felt orderly.

“You won’t see anything thrown out here,”

Suddenly, Alrisa began.

“If a blade shatters, we melt it down. If the hilt cracks, we wrap it in goat hide. If the handle burns, we press it into ashcrete molds and turn it into hammer bases.”

“You make hammers out of burnt sword hilts?”

Kael raised an eyebrow.

“If you lived with only one shipment of wood a year, you’d understand.”

She smiled.

“But isn’t the land here vast? You could have gotten wood if you wished, couldn’t you?”

Kael did not understand. There weren’t many, but he saw quite a few trees in this place, especially at the west where Imperia was currently building her Ant Empire.

“This place is barren. Trees grow rarely. We cannot cut everything we see, or the future generations won’t have anything to burn in the winter.

There are a few trees at the west, but the lumberjacks cannot go there on their own. They would need Watch Soldiers with them. Currently, that isn’t the best use of our men—not when the winter is upon us.”

Alrisa answered with a light smile on her face, and Kael just nodded in silence. Things were indeed much more difficult than what he was expecting.

As they chatted, the two of them approached the central Forge, where a wide-shouldered man was shouting orders to three boys wrestling a bundle of metal rods.

“Forge Leader.”

Alrisa stepped forward and greeted politely.

The Forge Leader turned, his face and beard streaked with soot and sweat. Since the people inside the Forge did not wear the Velmourn signature coat, his hard and well-built muscles were clear to all.

“You again? Thought you’d graduated from ash-slinging.”

The Forge Leader grunted as he saw Alrisa.

“I have,”

Alrisa nodded.

“Today I’m back to help teach.”

She gestured to Kael.

“The Dragon Rider?”

The Forge Leader raised his eyebrow. He may not have been there to watch it on his own, but he had heard the news his men told him.

Someone who defeated the Young Patriarch as if he were a child.

Honestly, he found it hard to believe, especially when he…

“Looks too clean.”

He muttered.

Kael frowned, not knowing how to react to that.

’I thought hygiene was a good thing?’

He wanted to counter, but something inside him told him it was best to stay silent.

“He wants to understand the Forge.”

Alrisa answered.

“Really?”

“Yes, it was decided that he will work here for the day and see if the Forge suits him.”

“So another non-permanent guest, huh? Funny how you are the one bringing him, ain’t it?”

He laughed.

Alrisa just chuckled politely, as if knowing exactly what the man was thinking. The Forge Leader gave Kael a slow, measuring look.

“He will learn quickly,”

Alrisa added, noticing his gaze.

“He’d better,”

The man muttered, trusting the genius girl he had known for a while now. Then, he barked,

“Drenic!”

“Here!”

A wiry young man waved from a nearby bench.

“Take him,”

The Forge Leader said.

“Apprentice station, north wall. Start him slow. If he ruins a blade, I’ll hang him over the trench.”

“Understood,”

Kael said, matching the man’s glare with a calm nod.

The Forge Leader turned to Alrisa.

“And you?”

“I’m shadowing him.

I’ve done this before.”

She answered with a smile and—

“You’ve done everything before.”

The Forge Leader just snorted, still not liking how he missed out on an incredible worker. Not wanting to waste his time anymore, he just waved his hand and shooed the two away,

“I’ll leave the North Apprentice Station to you then. Take over it.”

He ordered, trusting the entire station to the girl because he knew exactly how skilful she was, and Alrisa just smiled politely.

“Alright.”

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