"Hmph! You sure are full of yourself, kid!"

The Regular Soldier snorted coldly, nudging the boys groaning on the ground with the tip of his boot.

"A little more force and these guys might have been on their way to see the Celestial Father, don’t you think? Aren’t you afraid I’ll toss you in a cell for a year or two?"

"Heh heh..."

Roland ignored his threat, simply chuckling as he asked a question in return.

"Captain John, when did you get back?"

"Hahaha!"

His identity exposed, John immediately dropped the act. He laughed heartily, stepping forward to clap Roland hard on the shoulder.

"Just got back the day before yesterday. But you, what’s all this fuss about?"

Roland jutted his chin toward Marco, who was standing frozen to the side, and calmly explained his reasoning.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk..."

John tilted his head to glance at Marco and clicked his tongue.

"The kid didn’t even get involved himself? Guess he has some brains after all..."

Then he suddenly leaned close to Roland’s ear and asked in a low voice.

"So, how do you want to deal with him?"

"Huh?"

Roland was momentarily stunned, then frowned and tried to dissuade him.

"Captain John, I appreciate the thought, but his father is Henry, the most famous Blacksmith in Black Water Territory..."

"Henry? Hmph! So what?"

John waved his hand dismissively.

"At the end of the day, he’s just a commoner with good Forging Skills. His son caused trouble on a nobleman’s estate. If I handle him according to the law, what’s he going to do, complain?"

"But it seems we... lack conclusive evidence?"

"Evidence? Ha!"

John threw an arm around Roland’s shoulders, raising an eyebrow.

"Once we toss him in the dungeon, we’ll have all the evidence we need!"

"Won’t... won’t this cause trouble for you?"

"What? You looking down on me?"

A smile played on John’s lips.

"If it weren’t for you, kid, I would’ve been eaten alive by that pack of Kobolds! What’s a little thing like this?"

Hearing this, Roland smiled knowingly.

Marco had caused trouble for him time and time again, even going so far as to hire assassins.

He had remembered every last one of these grievances, keeping a careful tally in his heart.

If not for his concern about Marco’s father’s influence in Black Water Territory, he would have personally ground the boy’s bones to dust long ago!

Now that the opportunity had presented itself, how could he possibly refuse?

"I’ll leave everything to Captain John’s arrangement."

"That’s more like it!"

John released Roland and turned to shout at the two Regular Soldiers behind him.

"What are you standing around for!"

He pointed at the dumbfounded Marco.

"Arrest this kid!"

"What are you doing?"

Being too far away, Marco hadn’t heard the conversation between Roland and John. He was still completely baffled.

When he saw a Guard reach for his shoulder, he finally reacted and struggled fiercely.

Years of swinging a hammer to train his Forging Skills had given him Power far beyond his peers. Coupled with the two Guards’ hesitation to use their full strength due to his status, they couldn’t subdue him for a moment.

"What’s this?"

Seeing this, John strode forward, his voice low.

"Still want to resist?"

Seeing John’s right hand rest on the hilt of his sword, Marco’s Adam’s apple bobbed, and his voice trembled.

"Sir, I... I just... I don’t understand why you’re arresting me."

"Why?"

John sneered, pointing at the boys still groaning in pain on the ground.

"Let me ask you, did you, like these men, follow Mr. Hawke to learn Forging Skills!"

"Y-Yes..."

"Then..."

John suddenly leaned in close, his sharp gaze piercing Marco’s evasive eyes.

"Why did you stand by and do nothing while they were being beaten?"

"Huh?"

Marco never would have thought John would use *this* as a reason to arrest him.

He stood there stunned for a moment before stammering out an explanation.

"Well... Roland is too strong. If I had stepped in, I would’ve just gotten beaten up too. Besides..."

"Coward!"

John shouted, cutting him off.

"If there’s one thing I hate in this life, it’s cowards!"

He turned and barked at the two Guards.

"What are you waiting for? Didn’t you eat breakfast? Do I have to do it myself?"

"Yes, sir!"

Seeing their captain’s anger, the two Guards no longer dared to hesitate. Their iron-like hands clamped down hard on Marco’s arms.

In that moment, the arrogant blacksmith’s son finally understood.

He stared daggers at Roland and John, his eyes burning with venomous rage.

"How dare you do this to me? My father is..."

THUD!

Marco’s shouting came to an abrupt halt.

The pommel of John’s sword slammed into his stomach, turning the rest of his sentence into a pained groan.

"Drag him to the dungeon and interrogate him thoroughly! If I find out you went easy on him..."

"Yes, Captain!"

The two Guards glanced at the gruesome scar on John’s face and couldn’t help but shiver. They hauled Marco away, walking briskly toward the jail.

"As for you lot..."

John turned and bellowed at the group of bruised and swollen boys on the ground.

"Get lost! Or do I need to have my men carry you back?"

The boys helped each other up and limped away, their faces filled with resentment.

But as they passed by Roland, all their resentment instantly froze.

They suddenly stiffened, their necks instinctively shrinking back, a primal fear appearing in their eyes.

In the blink of an eye, only Roland and John remained in the once-bustling clearing.

"I heard today was the selection day for the Blacksmith Apprentices..."

After confirming they were alone, John dropped his serious expression and clapped Roland on the shoulder with a smile.

"Looks like you’ve already passed the assessment?"

"Yes."

Roland nodded in acknowledgment.

"Hahaha, I never would’ve thought..."

John bent down, picked up the bag Roland had dropped during the fight, and casually handed it to him.

"Not only are you a great fighter, kid, but your Forging Skills are outstanding too."

"You flatter me, Captain John. I’m just..."

"Cut the pleasantries!"

John cut him off with a magnanimous wave. After a bit more small talk, he finally said,

"Well, if there’s nothing else, I should get going..."

Seeing John about to turn and leave, Roland suddenly remembered something and quickly spoke up.

"Oh, right, Captain John. There’s something I’d like to ask of you."

"Hmm..."

John stopped. Seeing a Guard approaching in the distance, he grunted and then said,

"Kid, I’m still on patrol... How about this!"

"You’re heading to the eastern Blacksmith Shop to report in, right? I’ll come find you for a drink tonight when my shift is over!"

"Well..."

Faced with John’s enthusiastic invitation, Roland scratched his head, looking troubled.

"I’m afraid Mr. Hawke won’t allow me to drink..."

"Er..."

At the mention of Hawke’s name, John’s bravado immediately deflated a bit.

"Since it’s Mr. Hawke’s rule... then how about this: you can just watch me drink! Don’t worry, I’ll bring some good food to go with it!"

"Alright!"

Roland smiled faintly.

"In that case, I’ll skip dinner and wait to taste Captain John’s delicacies."

"Now you’re talking!"

Seeing that Roland had finally dropped the formalities, John nodded in satisfaction and strode away.

Roland let out a long breath. Thinking of Marco’s pathetic state just now, he couldn’t help but crack a smile.

He then picked up his bag and, before long, arrived at the eastern Blacksmith Shop.

’Whoa...’

Standing at the entrance, Roland couldn’t help but hold his breath at the sight before him.

The spacious and bright forging hall was at least three times the size of his previous workplace. Several Fine Iron forging stations were arranged in neat rows, each equipped with a full set of brand-new tools.

Compared to this place, the workshop where he had first learned Forging Skills was a rundown little shack.

"You must be Roland, right?"

Just then, a tall young man strode over, a friendly smile on his face.

"My name is George. I’m one of Master Hawke’s apprentices. The master already told me you were coming. Follow me..."

As he led the way, George gave a detailed introduction to the Blacksmith Shop’s facilities and rules.

After a short while, the two arrived at one of the forging stations.

"This is where you’ll be working from now on. If there’s anything you don’t understand, feel free to ask me anytime. As for the regulations..."

At this point, George seemed to remember something, and a strained, awkward smile appeared on his face.

"You’d better follow them strictly. Master Hawke’s temper... I assume you’ve already had a taste of it."

"I understand. Thank you, Mr. George."

Roland thanked him sincerely.

"Don’t mention it."

George smiled, waved his hand, and left.

Glancing around the spacious and bright forging hall, Roland’s lips curled up in an unconscious smile.

Unlike the tense, competitive atmosphere when he was first learning the trade, the apprentices here seemed exceptionally friendly, likely due to the lack of competition.

After a few conversations, Roland grew even more excited about his future life as an apprentice.

From the other apprentices, he learned about the work system here.

In addition to the basic monthly forging tasks, Hawke would also assign some extra work.

Performing poorly would, at worst, earn you a scolding, but you’d still get paid.

On the other hand, outstanding performance would earn an extra monetary reward, though there was little left after deducting costs and the portion to be turned over.

Because of this, most apprentices chose to just stick to the basic tasks.

’This is a slacker’s paradise...’

After hearing all this, Roland couldn’t help but murmur in amazement.

「The sun sank low, and twilight deepened.」

As Roland walked out of the Blacksmith Shop, he ran right into John, who was carrying several bags.

"Yo! Perfect timing!"

John’s hearty laughter washed over him, accompanied by the smell of wine and roasted meat.

He threw an arm around Roland’s shoulders.

"Come on, let’s go hang out in your dorm. I heard you apprentices under Mr. Hawke all get single rooms? Tsk, tsk, that’s a perk to be jealous of..."

Chatting and laughing, the two arrived at a row of detached cabins.

Following George’s earlier directions, Roland quickly found his own quarters.

Pushing the door open and looking inside, he saw that although the furnishings were simple, the clean, bright space was a world away from the crowded bunkhouse he had shared with a dozen others before.

"Whoa! It’s really spacious!"

John clicked his tongue in amazement. Then, making himself right at home, he moved a wooden table from the corner and laid out the food and wine.

After pulling out the cork with his teeth and taking a swig, he asked bluntly.

"Alright, kid, what did you need from me?"

"I want to learn Archery from you."

Roland took the offered roasted chicken leg, his eyes burning with intensity.

He still remembered John’s masterful Archery.

Back then, if the Bloodscale Dogman hadn’t been covered in tough Scales, John and his two Regular Soldiers probably could have killed it by themselves.

"Archery? You can count on me!"

John agreed, slapping his chest.

"But it’s too late today. Let’s start tomorrow afternoon. I can give you the basics first, though..."

As John gave his easy-to-understand explanation, Roland realized that shooting an arrow was far more than just drawing the bow and letting go.

From stance to breathing, from finger placement to applying force, every aspect was a skill in itself.

Before they knew it, the night had grown deep.

After stuffing the last piece of chicken and a chunk of black bread into his mouth, Roland asked, feigning casualness.

"By the way, Captain John, that horde of Kobolds that poured in from Chenxi Territory... what’s the situation with them now?"

The words had barely left his mouth when John’s smile suddenly froze.

The usually boisterous veteran’s brow furrowed, and he let out a heavy sigh.