As the coals sparked to life, flames began to dance and climb, signaling the rebirth of the forge. The flames grew higher and a gentle warmth spread out from the hearth. Lucas stepped back, admiring the fruits of his labor. Bathed in the flickering light of the hearth, the workbenches and counters gleamed, freshly cleaned and ready for action. The meticulously arranged tools hung in anticipation, poised for any new project that may beckon.
Curious, Lucas turned to the lit hearth. The flames had grown to a modest size and now filled the furnace completely. The furnace was equipped with a smoke chimney, preventing the room from filling with fumes, and the blower attached to the furnace did not appear to be leaking any. However, this would not explain the constant and stable light.
Driven by curiosity, Lucas continued to explore the forge. However, his attention was soon captivated by a crystal in the corner of the room, adorned with a metal band. Within the crystal, a hazy mirror image of the furnace's flame flickered, accompanied by a faint luminescence. As Lucas observed, the mirrored flame seemed to simultaneously grow and diminish, yet never surpassed the midpoint.
Moments later, Lucas noticed a similar phenomenon occurring within the four crystals located in each corner of the room. Each crystal housed an image, partially filled and emitting a faint glow. Intrigued, Lucas decided to test the boundaries further. Retrieving his shovel, he replenished the furnace with two more shovels of coal, seeking to ignite a greater blaze.
While awaiting the flames' crescendo, Lucas roamed the forge, keen to discern any other alterations. To his astonishment, only the crystals pulsed with the peculiar radiance. As the light within the crystals intensified, a vivid band of green encircled each one, forming an ethereal link between all four.
While staring at them, Lucas suddenly understood that it was a silencing array. How he knew that was it, he couldn't explain. He just knew that as long as the door was closed, no one outside would hear any sounds from within the forge shop. Yet, before Lucas could examine the enigmatic symbols adorning the green bands further, they vanished, leaving behind only the memory of their ephemeral connection.
Glancing out the door, Lucas realized the sun was close to setting. He decided to bank the coals from the furnace into the hearth to keep a flame for tomorrow. Afterward, he headed back inside. Remembering Rabbie's warning, Lucas hurried through supper before washing up for the night. As he entered his bedroom, Lucas wondered if the shop still held any more surprises for him.
With the rising sun the next morning, Lucas groggily attempted to rise from his cozy bedding. His sore muscles protested, causing him to fail on the first attempt. However, he managed to rise on the second try, forewarned about the way his body would react. Though Lucas was eager to work at the forge that day, his body clearly disagreed. He let out a small sigh and headed to the bathroom for a long, hot shower.
Nearly an hour later, Lucas emerged from the restroom. The hot water had done wonders for restoring his basic movements, but he was still wary of exerting himself with physical labor. He made his way to the kitchen and prepared another serving of rice and veggies.
As Lucas sat at his kitchen table, his mind raced with ideas on how to structure his days. A morning workout routine seemed like a good addition since it could help improve his stats. In fact, it might be the only way he could make progress, considering his curse prevented leveling. Speaking of the curse, he realized he wouldn't learn more about it by staying cooped up in the shop. He needed to venture out and explore.
However, Lucas also needed to earn enough money to sustain himself and pay for the taxes to keep the Hammered Glory. While he didn't have a master teaching him blacksmithing, the high elven books could provide guidance through visions. With his system path now set to blacksmith, his skills should favor him following this path. Of course, to make money as a blacksmith, he needed to be present in the shop, selling his wares and services.
Lost in thought about the best way to cover all his needs with a new routine, Lucas slowly finished breakfast. Eventually, he made a decision on his course of action, realizing it might not be perfect but made the most sense to him at the moment. In the mornings, Lucas would engage in blacksmithing or explore the town to expand his knowledge of the world. In the afternoons, he would return to the shop after lunch and open it for business. This would allow him time to read books and other materials while ensuring a reliable time frame for his customers to visit.
Having settled on his plan, Lucas decided to start following it immediately. He retrieved a sheet of paper from under the shop counter and wrote down the new shop hours. Afterward, he posted it outside the door. Satisfied, he changed his clothes, intending to explore the town. Lucas grabbed his coin purse, just in case, locked the front door, and set off on his journey.
Delving into Lucas's old memories proved futile in setting a specific destination for his exploration. He had spent his childhood on the streets, true, but it was in the lower layer among fellow orphans. In fact, it was over five years ago that he had taken a job as a material transporter for a merchant, sneaking into the middle layer. While evading the guards who would have sent him back to the lower layer, Lucas had fortuitously encountered the master of Hammered Glory, which ultimately led to him finding a home. With limited information beyond his own sector of town, Lucas resolved to take a bold step and forge a path toward the center of the layer.
After venturing through five semi-familiar streets, Lucas found himself officially exploring new territory. He spotted a tempting small book store along the way but decided to make the purchase on his return to avoid carrying the books all morning. As he approached the outer edges of the center plaza, the surroundings underwent a notable change.
The first thing that caught Lucas's attention was the difference beneath his feet—the road. Colorful pebbles of various materials covered the ground, firmly embedded by time and use, creating a smooth pathway that withstood all weather conditions.
Next, Lucas observed the road sidelines. Around the Hammered Glory and other shops, there were small wooden porch-like walkways for customers to use over the muddy road. However, in this area, there was something resembling a sidewalk from his old world. Although narrow and constructed with uneven paving stones, the pathway was complete on both sides and extended the entire length of the street.
The buildings in this area were no longer predominantly made of wood, except for stables or carriage parking areas. Instead, they were constructed entirely from gray stone, loosely bricked together to form walls. Notably, the buildings were also growing taller, with several featuring windows on the third floor. The shop signs had also undergone a transformation, becoming larger and more elaborate, proudly displaying the names of the establishments alongside their traditional symbols.
As Lucas entered the center plaza, he found himself contemplating the signage for his own shop. He entertained the idea of creating a new, larger sign that would not only bear the symbol of a blacksmith but also proudly display the shop's name. However, Lucas decided against it. While Harold, the tax official, had emphasized the shop's long and dignified history, Lucas didn't have the skills to back it up. He reasoned that until his blacksmithing skills were truly exceptional and worthy of notice, it would be wiser to maintain a lower profile.
Having arrived at the center plaza, Lucas shifted his attention to the signage on the largest buildings surrounding it. On the north side stood the imposing merchant guild building, while the west side was occupied by the mercenary guild. The east side boasted an enormous structure several times the size of the merchant or mercenary building, identified as an auction house owned by the Four Clovers Group, as indicated by the signage.
Facing the plaza from the south, a diverse array of buildings greeted Lucas. They varied in shape and size, with one building standing out prominently. It was a multi-story structure with two sets of doors for entry and exit, constructed with red bricks. The only discernible indication of its purpose was a large metal symbol resting between the two doors—a clear depiction of a blacksmith's anvil.
Curiosity piqued, Lucas approached the building but was promptly halted by a young lady.
"Excuse me, sir. Can I ask you to place your hand on the orb, please?" she requested.
Startled, Lucas turned his gaze towards the young lady who stood beside him, dressed in a white robe adorned with the mark of the temple. In her hand, she held a small orb that Lucas recognized as a god's eye artifact. Positioned behind her were two guards from the town, their expressions conveying boredom.
Glancing around, Lucas noticed similar teams of guards stationed at each building, accompanied by a single priest or priestess conducting scans on every person entering. It appeared that despite not hearing any further reports about the heretic in almost a week, the temple was determined to continue their search.
"Sir?" the young priestess called out, bringing Lucas's attention back to her. The previously bored guards were now focused on the unfolding situation. Realizing this, Lucas quickly composed himself and offered a smile, extending his hand.
"Sorry, I was lost in my thoughts," Lucas explained calmly.
"No problem, sir," replied the priestess as she held the orb up to Lucas's hand. Within moments, the orb emitted a green glow, prompting the priestess to lower it.
"Thank you for your understanding, sir. May the White Lady's blessings be upon you," the priestess said, offering a small bow before returning to her previous position, ready to attend to the next person entering the building.
Not wanting to draw any extra attention from the guards, Lucas swiftly entered the building. As he stepped inside, his eyes were immediately drawn to a magnificent statue positioned in the center of the room. The statue depicted a man defiantly holding a hammer towards the sky, his face displaying determination. A small sign placed before the statue simply read, "The Founder."
Lost in admiration of the intricate details on the statue's face, Lucas was approached by a receptionist.
"Excuse me, sir. Is this your first time visiting the Blacksmith Guild?" the receptionist inquired.
Startled, Lucas turned to see a young man dressed in a gray outfit with a small black anvil pin affixed to his attire. Nodding, Lucas confirmed that it was indeed his first visit.
"Would you like a tour? It's free for new visitors," the receptionist offered with a friendly smile.
"Okay, sure," Lucas agreed.
With a practiced gesture, the receptionist signaled for Lucas to follow him, leading the way as he began to explain.
"The Blacksmith's Guild was established by its founder almost five hundred years ago and can be found in cities across various kingdoms. Its purpose is to foster exceptional blacksmiths by providing a safe space for them to meet, receive work, trade techniques, and promote their craft."
"For blacksmiths who are not official members of the guild, several valuable services are provided. Firstly, the task board features official requests made to the guild. The guild ensures fair transactions between parties, guaranteeing that blacksmiths are paid properly. Secondly, the guild collects and sells rare or difficult-to-obtain resources at fair market rates without seeking profit. Lastly, the guild offers ranking services to help blacksmiths track their progress on their chosen paths more easily."
"For official members of the guild, there are several additional benefits. You receive a small stipend to support you between projects, have access to higher-level techniques for free, and can undertake higher-paying tasks exclusive to members. To become an official blacksmith, you must complete your apprenticeship and pass the membership test."
"If you ever find yourself lost or uncertain about where to go, simply look for a receptionist dressed in gray, like me. We are guides positioned throughout the guild to answer questions and provide directions. I hope you have a wonderful time here at the Blacksmith Guild."
As the tour concluded, Lucas found himself back at the center of the room near the statue. The receptionist offered him a small bow and a smile before making his way back to the front doors. Lucas turned his attention back to the statue, deep in thought as he processed the wealth of information he had just received.
Drawing parallels to crafting guilds he had encountered in games, Lucas acknowledged that there were bound to be several differences in this real-life guild. Curiosity piqued, he pondered the best way to understand what similarities and differences existed. Perhaps the only way to truly grasp the nature of the guild and its services was to actively participate.
Making his way to the task board, Lucas began scanning the available tasks, eager to embark on a guild-sanctioned assignment and put his skills to the test.