Kris woke up early in the morning with the sun on his face. Hulda had woken up at the same time in the other room. She began preparing rye sandwiches with margarine. The sandwiches were accompanied by a plate of sweet berries and two glasses of milk.

  As they ate breakfast, Hulda asked:

  — That sword is quite old. Lucky for you, we have a very good blacksmith in these lands. On the side of the square facing Uller, there’s a forge. You should try going there. He’s used to working with fine metals, even winter steel—the best metal in these lands. That’s not something just anyone can handle.

  — Okay, I’ll give it a try.

  — He may seem tough, but he’s actually quite nice. He’s used to serving many nobles and rarely deals with commoners and the bourgeoisie, much to his own misfortune. Our blacksmith doesn’t like the nobility very much. He comes from there, but they took everything from him.

  — Why did they do that? Did he lose a battle?

  — No, that might have even been more honorable. They cast him out because he was… different.

  — What do you mean?

  — You’ll see.

  Kris was intrigued by the reason. He finished eating, put on his coat, and went to the square. There, he saw Ethan opening his stall.

  — Good morning, Kristofer.

  — Good morning, Ethan. Guess what was in the envelope.

  — I don’t know, you tell me.

  — My father’s first sword. It’s very rusty.

  — It must not have been used for a LONG time. Your father was more famous for a hammer, wasn’t he?

  — Yes. — He nodded and then raised his hand to the sky. — The Viking hammer. But they never told me many interesting battle stories about him. I don’t even know if he used that thing well. I’m going to the blacksmith to see what can be done. I probably don’t have the budget to fix it yet—we only have 420 milllénnis.

  — Okay, may God guide you.

  Kristofer spotted the establishment across the street. It had two floors, was built of dark stone, and had a frostwood roof. It made sense—this wasn’t just any place. Even so, Kris still didn’t understand why the blacksmith had been cast out or why he had never lived in luxury.

  The young man knocked politely on the door.

  — Huh, it’s 8 in the morning, and I already have customers. I swear, if it’s another noble who doesn’t know how to use a weapon and blames me for it being damaged, I don’t know what I’ll do. Or if it’s an arrogant noble… — he continued muttering under his breath. He opened the door. — Ah, well, come in. Who are you?

  Kris looked at the blacksmith and immediately understood the reason for his exclusion. Peter Holmen was a dwarf—short, bald, and stocky, with a thick, well-groomed red beard that made up for his lack of height.

  — Hello! My name is Kristofer, Kristofer Storm. I need a skilled blacksmith to repair an old, rusty sword. Do you think you can take on the job?

  — Of course, lad. — Peter suspected who he was based on the surname but kept quiet. — You’ve come to the right place. I’m so good that all the other blacksmiths in Frostland have no work left. The Yeti’s Claw? I forged it.

  Kristofer looked at him with a mix of amazement and confusion.

  — The king’s weapon. A sword made of winter steel, the strongest in the region. Anyway, let me see what you’ve got.

  — Of course. — Kristofer handed him the envelope.

  Peter took it and walked over to his worktable to open it.

  — Well, look at what we have here. A wooden sword grip, damaged. The other part of the hilt and the blade—completely made of steel, but rusted. And what’s written here? — Peter put on his reading glasses while scratching his beard. — "The first sword of the legendary Phillipp Storm." Ah, I suspected it. You’re the merchant’s son, aren’t you?

  — Yes, Mr.

  — I was younger than you when he started his career. Not long after, I became a blacksmith’s apprentice. Perhaps my master was the one who forged this sword. It’s really been neglected, but it can be repaired—for a good sum of milllénnis. It’ll be cheaper to fix it than to forge a new one from scratch.

  Peter examined the sword more closely.

  — First, this handle is old and splintered—you could hurt yourself just holding it. You’d be better off with a new one. The middle piece is fine, aside from the rust. Lastly, the blade—besides being rusted, it’s completely dull.

  — Let’s talk costs. I’ll need rope. If you want frost-resistant rope, the price goes up, but it’s worth it. I’ll also need wood—same deal as the rope. Then, I need to sharpen and de-rust the blade. You can either bring me the materials yourself or pay for them. I know you can’t afford an ingot yet. How do you want to do this?

  — I’ll bring frost-resistant rope and wood.

  — Very well. I just need to check something.

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  Peter opened a door behind him, leading to his storage room. A staircase in the back led to the second floor, where he lived. He rummaged through his supplies, searching for his special rust-removing honey, but he was out. He returned looking tired.

  — Well, lad, I’m out of my magic rust-removing honey. There’s only one place to get more in Frostland. Every week, goblins from the Magic Kingdom travel to the Seven Kingdoms. On Thursdays, they arrive in the Frozen Winter region. So, head over there tomorrow and buy 10 magic honeys in my name—I’ll pay for them later.

  Peter sighed, then softened his expression.

  — I’ll be kind to you, kid. I know what it’s like to carry a great legacy on your shoulders. But I also know what it’s like to fail. So, to help you out, I’ll give you some milllénnis in exchange for this favor, and you won’t have to pay for the honey.

  — Really? Thank you so much, Mr. Holmen!

  — Of course. Well, I’ll pay you 150 milllénnis for the service. My sharpening fee is 200 milllénnis, and removing the rust is another 175. The cost of the ingot is an additional 100. So, you’ll need to bring me the materials, buy the honey, and pay another 325 milllénnis—since I’m covering 150. Bring me four frost ropes and five frostwood pieces; that should be enough.

  — Okay, got it. I’ll try to bring everything as soon as possible.

  — I hope to see you soon, lad. I wish my other customers were as calm as you. My forge isn’t just a mere service—it’s an art. I can also engrave a guild symbol on the sword if you’d like.

  — Could you engrave my father’s guild emblem?

  — Of course. No need to show me—I still remember it very well. The thunder in the snow, falling to light up the night. One day, you’ll understand why it was designed that way.

  — Thank you, then. See you next time.

  — Farewell.

  Kristofer left. He liked the dwarf—he seemed friendly. He wouldn’t want to see him dealing with "the other customers." He headed back to the square.

  — So, Ethan, did we sell anything?

  — Yeah, we sold some pine and fir pieces. Made us 40 milllénnis. Not much, but hey, it’s something. And how’s the budget looking?

  — Well, it’s something, at least. As for the money, I need 325 milllénnis, plus frostwood and rope. I also have to go buy something from the goblins tomorrow.

  — The goblins, huh? I’ve heard about them but never been there myself. Be careful—when they sell you something, they’ll do everything they can to sell you a little more and keep you there. But their products are unique and top-quality.

  — I’ll just turn my back as soon as I get the honey. That’s all I need.

  — To remove the rust from the sword, right?

  — Exactly. Peter’s out of honey, and he’s paying me to go buy it for him. So, I managed to get a discount.

  — You got lucky.

  — Didn’t feel like just luck—he actually seemed to have some empathy.

  — What do you mean?

  — I’m not sure how to explain it, but he’s from House Holmen. He lost his titles just for being a dwarf.

  — Sounds complicated. I always heard he had a short temper.

  — Maybe. He did say he wished his other customers were more like me. He’s tired of dealing with arrogant nobles. Anyway, we already have the money—I just need frostwood. I think I’ll stop by the agriculture store and buy some seeds for my small home garden. I’ll try not to spend more than I need—I can only invest 135 milllénnis, and it’d be best if I didn’t use it all.

  — Alright, don’t take too long. We don’t have much left to sell except some frostwood and rope—not much of it, and you need it yourself.

  — There’s still frostwood left? Looks like I won’t have to go gather any. I’m not sure I could collect anything today anyway. Going into the forest without a weapon could be risky. Bears or wolves could show up.

  — There’s not much left. The plants will take time to grow. You could try fishing, but depending on when you finish planting, you might not have time to go see the fisherman. Maybe you can just gather some berries nearby. Ahh, today won’t be a big earning day, then. Well, it’s part of the process.

  — Exactly. Tomorrow will be better.

  Kris headed to the seed shop, located to the left of the forge and to the right of the church. He had been there before with his godmother to buy supplies for the house. The floor was made of pinewood, and the walls were built from granite.

  Today, the shop was being run by its owner, Olia Blonde. The store belonged to the Blonde family, one of the kingdom’s main agricultural producers. Normally, a worker handled the shop, but he was sick today, so Olia had taken over.

  As Kristofer approached the counter, she greeted him warmly:

  — Hello, sir! What would you like from this humble shop?

  — I’m looking for three types of seeds to plant in my small home garden. Preferably something cheap.

  — We have a variety of options. Are you looking for anything specific?

  — No, not for now. I just want something inexpensive that I can plant and sell.

  — Ah, I see. In that case, I think carrots would be a good choice for you.

  — How much would they cost?

  — 60 milllénnis.

  — That’s cheaper than I expected. How much could I sell them for?

  — Prices vary a little, but they usually sell for around 120 milllénnis—double the investment.

  — Sounds fair. I’ll take them.

  — Here you go. Come back anytime, young man.

  Kris had never seen that woman at the counter before, but she seemed kind.

  He headed home and greeted Hulda, who was already preparing lunch, even though it was only 9 a.m. He went to the garden, found the pots and watering can, and grabbed his hoe. Carefully, he dug a hole in the soil and placed a seed inside. He covered it up and watered it. He repeated the process two more times, working slowly.

  Hulda noticed Kris was planting and came over to watch.

  — Very good, you’re doing it right. Sometimes I plant things instead of buying them—it’s cheaper, but it takes longer, unfortunately. That’s why I don’t do it often. What are you planting?

  — Carrots. They were the cheapest option—each one cost 20 coins and can sell for 40. They take about five days to grow.

  — I see you’re on the right track. And what about the sword?

  — 325 milllénnis, plus I need to bring a few extra materials. He was kind enough to give me a discount in exchange for a small favor.

  — I told you, he might seem tough, but he’s not so bad. He has a good heart—he knows what pain feels like.

  — He mentioned that he wished more customers were like me.

  — That doesn’t surprise me. You can be quite polite at times. He’s used to dealing with grumpy old men—warriors from the walls who are tired of battle—or arrogant young knights who think they’re important just because they were knighted a week ago. People outside the nobility or the fortress walls rarely visit him. Even when they do, he doesn’t always serve them because they seem suspicious. You were probably only accepted because you’re a merchant and because of who your father is. If you had just walked in and asked for a sharpened combat knife without explaining anything, he probably would’ve refused—just in case you planned to use it on someone. So, he trusts you. Don’t betray that trust.

  — It’s not like I’m going to kill anyone.

  — I certainly hope not. Though, there are a few people I wouldn’t mind if you did... Hulda thought to herself.

  — I don’t have much to do now. I’m not going into the forest without a weapon in case a bear shows up. I heard the fisherman is busy. I don’t have anything left to sell. Today, we only made 40 milllénnis from selling some planks and ropes.

  — I don’t know much about how your father started his journey, so I don’t really have any advice.

  — That’s okay. I think I’ll just read for a while.

  Kris didn’t do much for the rest of the day. After lunch, he met up with Ethan to close the stall, then went to his friend’s house to plan for tomorrow. He decided to visit the goblins early in the morning and then spend the rest of the day fishing. Later, he went home and spent the evening reading.