Chapter 35: Forged in Flame, Sealed in Silence
It was well past noon by the time Arc reached the workshop. Nestled just beyond the woods where he'd once clashed with Mica, the structure stood tall and proud, its stone and timber exterior immaculate. It was framed by a field of neatly kept grass and the whispering trees that bordered the property. The sunlight filtered through the canopy behind him, casting long shadows on the earth as Arc approached the entrance with a steady breath.
The moment he stepped inside, the contrast struck him.
Gone was the sun's warmth; in its place, a wave of dry, stifling heat enveloped him. The interior was dim, the gloom broken only by scattered pockets of magical and mechanical light. The true illumination, however, came from the kilns. A dozen blazed like miniature suns, their open maws crackling with living flame, casting molten reflections on every polished surface and metal tool within.
The chamber was vast, an open cathedral of creation. Rows of workstations sprawled in every direction, some cluttered with blueprints and half-formed mechanisms, others humming with enchantments mid-inscription. Arc stood motionless momentarily, overwhelmed by the sheer volume of movement and noise. Sparks flew and Hammers rang against steel. Shouts mingled with the low hum of mana Furnaces scattered around him. It was chaos, yes -- but it was a kind of ordered chaos. The kind that only existed in places driven by passion and purpose.
He wandered deeper into the forge, his boots clicking faintly against the heat-treated floor. Every few steps, his attention was stolen -- first by a team assembling what looked like a mana-infused Armour, then by a group testing the recoil resistance of a Magic Shield. Some designs he recognized. as they were standard issued equipment, others looked so far beyond his understanding they might as well have been arcane.
Arc kept moving, drawn forward not by intention, but by awe -- like a child lost in a grand Fun-fair, each attraction more bewildering than the last. Not noticing, he'd drifted far from the entrance, threading his way through the maze of innovations. Compared to the workers clad in soot-stained aprons and reinforced gear, Arc's attire made him stick out like a misplaced chess piece.
A man took notice.
"Hey, you lost or just admiring the Grunts do the Magic?" the man asked, stepping away from his station. He wore a thick leather apron, sleeves rolled up, and a protective visor pushed onto his soot-smeared brow.
Arc blinked. "Ah--no, yes. Sorry. Are you working on a sword over there by any chance?"
The man followed his gaze to the sketch pinned on the board, a half-finished diagram of a blade, and the sample sabres laid neatly across the table.
"You think!" he said in a rather crass tone. "Who are you? State your Business -- wait are you one of Azures' men again? Well, Tell your Commander his Sword will take more time. Dispatching more men to check up on things will delay my work further. Barring your visit this is the third time today," the man began to mingle with his equipment still engaging in conversation with himself with a muffled undertone, ignoring Arc's presence, "... We are swamped with the Repairs what is he expecting..."
"Sir, I think you are mistaking me for someone else I am Arc Crafter," he replied.
The man's brow lifted at the surname. His stance loosened just a little. "Crafter, huh? That explains a lot. I'm working on that contraption you called a Swort." He nodded toward Azure's broken sword resting on the far end of the work Bench.
Arc approached it, inspecting the fractured metal with a practised eye. "Wow, that damage is nasty. Judging by the colour and the Cracks, it must have been subjected to extreme temperature fluctuations... and blunt force too?"
"You nailed it Kiddo." the smith said, scratching his chin. "Azure wanted something that could survive intense temperature fluctuations, and be resistant to corrosion & heavy blunt strikes. I can forge something close. Sure, but the results are either too heavy or too brittle. If I tweak it for flexibility, it loses the result I'm seeking for. I tried multiple attempts testing them all parallel. This will be my seventh Attempt so far. It's driving me nuts at this point. Those Grunts working for Azure are doing no better either. Bothering me every step of the way."
"Have you tried enchantments to stabilize the weight?" Arc offered.
"I have," the man nodded. "Helps, but only so much. The enchantment has to be actively maintained. Azure might be able to channel that kind of mana into it constantly, but even then..." "The drain would be too much in a prolonged battle," Arc finished, folding his arms. "And if the weight isn't right, handling becomes another issue entirely."
"Exactly. Besides Magic Swords are considered amongst the worst magical gear out there. Swords are good as weapons sure but paring any with magic. Now that's more often than not a recipe for a disaster waiting to happen. Unless one has the superior skill to craft a better blade and wield one. Now I know Azure is the latter kind so..." the Man continued to mumble loudly still embroiled in his tinkering.
Arc who was keenly listening set his sight over the table at the alloy samples placed haphazardly all over the place, his eyes scanning labels and the shimmer of refined ores. "Stormsilk ore... Emberstone... Starshard... Liquid Fire... Ironbark... Venom Steel... Prismasite... Wait. These two He had an Idea." He pointed at a pair of darker, coarse minerals. "These are the problem. Replace them with Vulcanite."
The smith narrowed his eyes. "Vulcanite?"
"It retains high heat resistance and improves structural cohesion. The result might still be a bit heavy, but far more stable than what you're working with."
He considered it, then barked over his shoulder, "You there! Prep the kiln. We're about to try something new."
As his assistants scrambled, he turned back to Arc with a grin. "By the way Kid, where'd you learn metallurgy like that?"
"I am currently studying at the Crafter Academy. They recently discovered a new Vulcanite alloy. Thanks to a mishap during a failed smelting attempt. Not widely adopted yet but they are still figuring out the details back at the academy."
"Well damn. If this works, it'll be a huge step forward in metallurgy. They usually fall short compared to enchanted counterparts -- less durable, more expensive. But this... this could change things. Mass production's a long shot, but one working prototype is all we need right now."
He extended a hand. "Emberwright Forgewell. Most call me Mr. Forgy around these parts."
Arc took the hand firmly. "Pleasure's mine, Mr. Forgy."
"Now," the smith said, rubbing his hands together. "That said, You looking for something or someone?"
"That is correct. I was tasked with assisting on the Mana Grenade Launcher."
"Then you're in the right place. The sword was just a side hustle Azure threw at us. Most crews are still tied up with post-attack repairs -- only a few active projects are still running. But we'll be back up to full speed in no time."
"Glad to be here," Arc said, already feeling the anticipation build in his chest.
While Arc busied himself in the forge, far beneath the mansion's east wing, a secretive meeting was held within the underground war room -- a chamber reserved only for the most critical strategic discussions.
The room was dim, its stone walls silent witnesses to countless wartime decisions. Though shadows filled most corners, the centre of the elongated table was bathed in a focused pool of light, casting sharp silhouettes of those gathered around it. The chamber was built with purpose -- soundproofed, fortified, hidden behind mana-sealed doors known only to the upper echelon of Crafter's command.
At the head of the table sat Michael Crafter, general of the forces and head of the Crafter family. A man carved from decades of leadership and war, his expression was unreadable, eyes as sharp as his reputation. To his right was Azure, head of the base's security division, his crisp uniform stained only by duty. The only other attendee was Liya Wispwood, who entered shortly after being summoned.
She approached with silent grace, her boots echoing faintly on the marble floor. After a respectful nod, she sat across from Azure, folding her gloved hands over one another.
Michael looked up. "Did anyone notice your approach towards this chamber?" he asked Liya. "Not that I know of." She responded as she sat. "Alright then, Let's begin," Michael Spoke.
"Status report, Azure," he continued. "How are the security procedures progressing?"
Azure straightened. "Steadily, sir. All available troops have been repositioned. The wounded are under treatment, and repair efforts are already underway. By evening, we'll have a fully fortified perimeter encircling the base. If no further complications arise we'll reach near-optimal capacity by noon tomorrow."
Michael nodded, satisfied. "And what about casualties? How are our units faring after the attack?"
Azure exhaled. "Considering the surprise nature of the attack and the fact that fresh recruits were manning the eastern wall, we got off lighter than expected. Casualties total three hundred and fifty-seven. Seventy-nine of those are critical. Thirty-one have injuries severe enough that they won't be returning to active duty. The rest are expected to recover in time and resume their posts. Sir if I may add, it was I who allowed the newer units to man the eastern wall. I will take full responsibility for this debacle on my shoulders. I am willing to step down from my post as the Commander if you so will it."
Michael leaned back in his chair. "That won't be necessary Azure. Besides the best way to train troops is real battle experience." Michael added as his gaze tilted towards the papers on the table. He skimmed through them and began to speak again, "And the investigation into the attackers? Have we confirmed if they were regular goblins from around these parts or some unknown foe yet to be dealt with?"
"Yes, sir," Azure said, his tone darkening. "We attempted to capture survivors for interrogation once the tide turned in our favour. But the ones we managed to isolate poisoned themselves before they could be restrained. Tenacity isn't uncommon in goblins, but this level of coordination... It's alarming. We analyzed their weapons, armour, and even their spell formations. Everything about them was far more advanced than standard goblin tribes we've encountered in these regions. Their equipment was rusty and degraded -- nothing from the ordinary but they were standardized -- refined even. None of it adds up."
"And What about the One I apprehended? Did he Say a word?" Michael asked giving a Questioning look.
Azure looked at Liya's face then quickly shifted his gaze to Michael as he began to speak, "Sir the injuries he Sustained During your confrontation were severe. We are currently treating him for his injuries. I am afraid for now He is out cold. Given the circumstances and the lack of additional leads to corroborate our findings, we decided not to proceed hastily with his interrogation. The medical team tells us that he should recover in a day or two."
Liya clearing her throat chiming into the conversation mid-course, "General, before my arrival, I spoke with the soldiers who retrieved Master Arc and his party. They reported encountering a similar foe -- smaller but equally coordinated. According to their account, Master Sebeth led an assault on a goblin village, successfully capturing a goblin during the operation."
Michael's brows furrowed. "Interesting. That might give us the lead we need." He tapped a finger on the table facing Azure giving a serious undertone. "Make sure this recovering gobline doesn't die due to unforeseen circumstances." Michale shifted his gaze at Liya and continued, "I read the correspondence you brought, Liya. Commander Kaelon Ashspire's report doesn't bode well either. He's redirected forces from the outposts surrounding his outpost's perimeter after discovering another goblin stronghold in his post. I sincerely hope his efforts are not in vain. I trust we are not facing the emergence of a Goblin Lord, as circumstances could become dire should that prove to be the case."
Azure leaned forward slightly pointing at the map with his pointer staff. "General, given the current state of things... I propose we scale back our forward deployments. Reduce the stationed units to a hundred per outpost. That should be enough to monitor surrounding movements, at least temporarily."
Michael frowned as he studied the map on the table etched with plotting and placeholders indicating unit deployments across the region. "If we do that our communication lines and unit rotations will suffer. A hundred men per outpost can observe. Yes, but they won't be able to act or defend against an assault. We'd be relying entirely on carrier birds to relay intel. One misstep, and we're blind. But wait..." realization struck his mind as he brushed his chin gazing at the map, "I understand your point. In the short term, it might buy us the time to regroup and respond if the worst comes to pass."
Azure nodded solemnly. "It's a risk. But better a calculated one than to be caught scattered and unprepared."
"I agree," said Liya.
Michael glanced between the two, then gave a firm nod. "Very well. Issue the order to all commanders deployed on missions. Units are to rally back immediately. Leave one hundred behind at each station to maintain observation and relay intel. No engagements unless necessary."
The meeting concluded, and the commanders began rising from their seats, one by one, their expressions grim but resolute.
Just as Liya turned to leave, Michael raised a hand. "Liya, stay a moment."
She halted and returned to her seat without hesitation.
"I want you to take Arc under your wing," Michael said.
Liya blinked, then gave a short nod. "He's only just begun using magic, General. His grasp is rudimentary at best."
"Which is why I'm entrusting him to you," Michael said" his voice levelled. "Time is not a luxury we have. You already have a pupil, don't you? Train Arc alongside them. Accelerate his growth. He has potential. I need that potential realized -- fast."
Liya considered for a beat then stood and bowed slightly. "Understood. I'll see to it personally."
The war room fell quiet once more, the echoes of their footsteps fading into the distance as Liya departed. Whatever lay ahead, the pieces were in motion.
***