Chapter 17: The City of Black Iron

The preparations began before dawn.

Not openly.

Not ceremonially.

And not with the kind of noise that usually accompanied military movement within the northern fortress, because the mission entrusted to Sir Cedric was not one that benefitted from attention, and every individual involved in its planning understood clearly that secrecy now held more value than speed.

Snow continued falling across the city in slow drifting layers, covering rooftops, walls, and roads beneath pale gray skies while workers within the fortress carried out their routines unaware that the foundation of something far larger than simple territorial expansion had already begun taking shape beneath the surface of recent events.

Inside the inner courtyard, several horses stood prepared near the eastern gate.

No banners.

No noble insignias.

No heavily armored escort.

Only practicality.

Sir Cedric adjusted the thick cloak covering his armor before checking the straps securing the supply packs along his mount, his expression remaining calm and disciplined as always despite the unusual nature of the task he had been assigned.

Most knights expected battlefield orders.

Patrol routes.

Defensive assignments.

This—

Was different.

And that alone told him how important it truly was.

Malen approached first.

"You understand the mission?"

Cedric nodded immediately.

"Yes, Commander."

"Repeat it."

Cedric answered without hesitation.

"Travel south-east to the trade city of Karhold."

A pause.

"Acquire labor discreetly through legal purchase channels."

"Prioritize skilled workers."

"Limit visibility."

"Avoid noble attention."

Malen nodded once.

"Good."

Another figure emerged from the fortress entrance shortly afterward.

Lucas Marcus.

The administrator carried several sealed documents along with a heavy leather pouch secured beneath his arm, his movements calm and organized despite the freezing wind moving through the courtyard.

He stopped before Cedric.

"These contain merchant authorization seals," Lucas said while handing over the documents. "Use them only if necessary."

Cedric accepted them carefully.

Lucas continued.

"The funds are divided."

Another pouch followed.

"If theft occurs, you won’t lose everything at once."

Cedric gave a slight nod.

Practical.

Expected from Lucas.

The administrator’s eyes sharpened slightly afterward. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

"Remember this carefully."

Cedric straightened fully.

"You are not purchasing slaves."

A brief pause.

"You are purchasing workers."

The knight understood immediately.

Because words mattered.

Especially in cities driven by trade.

Workers implied infrastructure.

Construction.

Economic development.

Slaves implied desperation or military expansion.

Lucas continued calmly.

"Buy craftsmen first."

"Miners."

"Blacksmith assistants."

"Masons."

"Woodworkers."

"Laborers only after skilled personnel are secured."

Cedric nodded again.

"Yes."

Then—

The final instruction came.

Lucien himself stepped into the courtyard.

The surrounding guards immediately straightened.

"My Lord."

Lucien’s gaze settled upon Cedric.

"You know why secrecy matters."

"Yes, My Lord."

"Good."

Lucien stepped closer slowly.

"Do not bargain recklessly."

Cedric blinked once, slightly surprised by the instruction.

Lucien continued.

"Cheap labor dies quickly."

Silence followed briefly.

"Buy healthy workers."

"Fed workers."

"Useful workers."

Another pause.

"We’re building something that needs stability."

Cedric lowered his head slightly.

"As you command."

Lucien studied him for another moment before speaking again.

"If trouble appears..."

Cedric answered immediately.

"I withdraw."

"Correct."

The knight’s survival mattered more than labor acquisition.

Because reliable subordinates were far harder to replace.

Lucien finally nodded once.

"Go."

Cedric mounted immediately.

The small escort assigned to him followed shortly afterward, only six riders in total, intentionally limited to avoid attention while still providing enough protection for travel through winter territory.

Then the eastern gate opened.

And they departed.

---

The journey toward Karhold took four days.

Four long days through frozen roads, abandoned watch posts, narrow mountain paths, and trade routes half-buried beneath snow, where caravans moved slowly between settlements while armed escorts watched constantly for miasma beasts lurking beyond visibility.

Karhold itself appeared near sunset on the fourth day.

And even from a distance—

The city looked different from the frontier fortress.

Massive black walls surrounded the settlement, their surfaces darkened permanently by soot and industrial smoke rising endlessly from the countless furnaces built throughout the outer districts, while towering chimneys released thick streams of dark gray smoke into the sky above, creating an almost permanent haze over the city.

Where the northern fortress represented military survival—

Karhold represented industry.

Trade.

Production.

The City of Black Iron.

Cedric slowed his horse slightly as they approached the outer gates.

The roads here were crowded despite the winter.

Merchants.

Workers.

Guards.

Ore wagons.

Smith caravans.

Slave transports.

Everything moved constantly.

Because unlike frontier territories struggling merely to endure winter—

Karhold profited from it.

The city’s iron production supplied multiple northern territories, including military contracts extending even toward royal lands further south.

Which made it the perfect place to disappear.

And the worst place to make mistakes.

Cedric pulled his cloak slightly tighter before entering through the main gate alongside his escort, the guards barely sparing them more than a quick inspection after noticing the merchant authorization seals attached visibly near the saddle packs.

Money opened gates faster than rank.

Another lesson this world understood clearly.

Inside the city—

Noise dominated everything.

Hammering metal.

Steam vents.

Shouting merchants.

Grinding machinery powered through mana-assisted industrial systems far more advanced than anything existing within Lucien’s territory.

Cedric observed carefully while guiding his horse through the crowded streets.

Karhold was ugly.

Dirty.

Cold.

But efficient.

And efficiency meant opportunity.

The slave district lay near the lower industrial quarter.

Not hidden.

Not secret.

Simply normalized.

Rows of holding compounds lined the streets near the labor markets where traders negotiated contracts openly beneath large iron-framed structures designed to protect buyers and merchandise from heavy snowfall.

Cedric dismounted near one of the larger exchange halls.

A broad man wearing layered fur clothing approached almost immediately.

"Looking for labor?" the man asked casually.

Cedric answered calmly.

"Construction workers."

The trader’s eyes sharpened slightly.

"Mining?"

"No."

"Fortifications?"

Cedric paused deliberately.

"Infrastructure."

The trader immediately relaxed.

Because infrastructure meant long-term purchase potential.

Better profits.

"Skilled or unskilled?"

"Both."

The man smiled slightly.

"You came to the right district."

Cedric followed him inside.

The interior smelled of metal, sweat, smoke, and damp wood while groups of workers sat or stood behind reinforced partitions separated by category and trade skill, each wearing identification tags around their necks displaying origin, health condition, and labor specialization.

Cedric’s expression remained unreadable.

But internally—

He understood why Lucien had emphasized healthy workers.

Many here looked exhausted beyond recovery.

Useful only temporarily.

Not sustainable.

The trader gestured toward one section first.

"Miners."

Strong frames.

Rough hands.

Harsh expressions.

Another section.

"Masons and quarry workers."

Then another.

"Woodworkers."

Cedric observed carefully.

Not emotionally.

Practically.

Because this was not charity.

It was acquisition.

Still—

He selected carefully.

Healthy individuals.

Working-age adults.

Several older craftsmen.

Even a few younger apprentices capable of long-term training.

Hours passed.

Then more.

By the time negotiations ended, Cedric had secured over one hundred workers divided across different trades, with contracts processed legally beneath frontier construction authority seals provided earlier by Lucas Marcus.

Not enough for a city.

But enough—

For a beginning.

As the final documents were signed, the trader smiled broadly.

"Your lord must be planning something large."

Cedric answered calmly.

"The frontier always needs stronger walls."

The trader laughed.

"Fair enough."

But Cedric noticed the curiosity lingering behind the man’s eyes.

And understood immediately—

Karhold would remember this transaction.

Which meant they needed to move quickly now.

Very quickly.

Because somewhere far away beyond frozen mountains and hidden valleys, Lucien’s secret headquarters still existed only as an idea waiting beneath snow-covered land.

But soon—

Workers would arrive.

Then construction.

Then furnaces.

Then industry.

And once that process truly began—

The world itself would slowly begin changing around it.

End of Chapter 17