Chapter 157: Vili’s New Weapon

Chapter 157: Chapter 157: Vili’s New Weapon

"I’ve seen your hard work. I hope you keep it up."

Vili was generous with his encouragement.

For others his age, excessive praise might lead to complacency. But for Alek, neither positive nor negative feedback could sway him.

In some ways, he was mentally stronger than many adults.

"I will, Lord Baron."

Just as Vili had predicted, Alek showed no reaction.

"Keep up the hard work."

Vili offered another word of encouragement, gesturing for Alek to continue with his forging.

His inspection of the Military Equipment Manufacturing Bureau was complete. It was time to head back.

Making a special trip to see Alek was enough to show how much he valued him.

"Please wait a moment, Lord Baron!"

Vili had just turned around when he suddenly heard Alek call out to him.

He turned back and looked at Alek, who seemed to have made some kind of decision. "What is it, Alek?" he asked.

"If you would please wait just a moment."

After Alek finished speaking, he quickly ran back into the forge.

Flana snuck a glance at Vili and saw that he didn’t look the least bit displeased.

He suddenly felt a pang of envy for Alek. To have the Lord Baron personally wait for him was an honor few could ever dream of.

It was no wonder Flana was overthinking it. For Lower-Rankers, every action of the Upper-Rankers was worth scrutinizing.

Soon, Alek ran out from inside the forge again.

Only this time, his hands held a brand new Cross Sword.

The Cross Sword was about 1.3 meters long. Stood on end, it was almost as tall as its creator, Alek.

The Cross Sword’s surface was smooth and elegant, its edge sharp and imposing. It looked like an exquisite masterpiece from an old master craftsman.

"This is the first complete sword I have forged. I hope you will accept it as a gift."

Alek held his head high, looking directly into Vili’s eyes.

Seeing this, Vili smiled lightly and took the Cross Sword from Alek’s hands.

He held the sword in his hand, examining it carefully, and became even more amazed at Alek’s talent for forging.

For some reason, the more one looked at this Cross Sword, the more it felt as if it were naturally formed. It was as if it had originally grown within the iron ingot, and Alek had simply stripped away the outer layer to reveal its true form.

"I like it very much. Thank you."

Vili thanked Alek.

"It is my honor."

With that said, Alek returned to the forge.

Vili gripped the Cross Sword tightly and swung it a few times in front of him.

"Truly an amazing child," Sandoor praised him once again.

He had seen many Cross Swords, and the one Alek forged was definitely of superior quality.

"During the forest hunt in a few days, Lord Baron, you can give this sword its first taste of blood," Sandoor suggested to Vili.

The Midsummer Hunt was a noble tradition.

Every year in June or July, whether it was a Count, a Viscount, or a Baron, they would hold a hunt in their territory.

This hunt usually lasted for two to three days, with the Lord leading his men. During this time, everyone from Civil Servants to Guard Officers was expected to ride and hunt. The purpose was to remind the Noble Group that they must be willing to fight to the death to defend their honor.

Of course, by now, experiencing that enterprising spirit was no longer the focus. More often than not, it was treated as a mid-year group activity—a way for the upper echelons of the nobility to curry favor with their subordinates and enjoy themselves alongside their officials.

According to tradition, the young people who showed promise during the Midsummer Hunt would be commended by the Lord, and even be given important positions.

As such, the younger generations of many officials’ families were all fired up, preparing to make a name for themselves at the Midsummer Hunt.

"That’s a good idea."

Vili agreed.

Back in the days of Blue Whale Town, Baron Enton had sectioned off a private forest. While not particularly large, it was home to a wide variety of wildlife, with the exception of certain large and dangerous beasts.

It was an excellent hunting ground, as one didn’t have to worry about the less-than-sturdy Civil Servants getting hurt by dangerous beasts, while still allowing everyone to enjoy the thrill of the hunt.

The Midsummer Hunt used to be held in this forest.

This year, with Vili in charge of White Bear Town, he planned to continue the hunting activity there.

"Let’s go."

Vili handed the Cross Sword to the Personal Guard beside him.

Then, with all the senior staff of the Military Equipment Manufacturing Bureau watching, Vili and Sandoor departed.

「Inside the forge.」

After Vili left, Alek resumed the forging at hand.

Suddenly, the sound of a small dog yapping came from outside the forge.

Alek raised his head, only to see a three-legged yellow dog enter the forge and stop at his feet.

It rubbed against Alek’s pant leg, seemingly very affectionate towards him.

"You’re here."

This yellow dog was a stray that Alek had found outside the Military Equipment Manufacturing Bureau, and now he had brought it inside.

Normally, animals were not allowed inside the Military Equipment Manufacturing Bureau, but Alek, who was specially looked after by the Lord Baron, was an exception.

The first time he saw the yellow dog, it already had only three legs. Its right hind leg was disabled from birth.

"You’ve come at the right time. I’ve already forged the thing you need."

Saying this, Alek opened a cupboard door and took out a prosthetic limb made of steel.

The prosthetic limb looked a little rough, but at the joints, one could see precise gears.

"Let me put this on for you."

Alek began to fit the geared prosthesis onto the dog’s hind leg himself.

’It seems to work quite well...’

Watching the dog walk around excitedly, a smile actually broke across Alek’s usually stoic face!

He could clearly hear the WHIRRING of the gears as the dog walked.

This sound enthralled Alek completely.

Many people praised Alek as a forging genius, a future master blacksmith who could create magnificent weapons. But only Alek himself knew that crafting static tools was never his true passion.

It was gears, mechanical devices like this, that truly fascinated him.

If Vili knew what Alek was thinking right now, he would be absolutely astonished.

Here was Alek, a boy in an agrarian society, with the mindset of someone from the Industrial Age.

Incredible.

’If weapons have souls, then they must be the miracles born from the movement of gears.’

Alek raised his head, glanced at an unusually rough and ugly ordinary shovel placed in the middle of the table, and a determined look appeared in his eyes.

If Vili were here, he would recognize it. This was the first, and only, iron tool he had forged in the Fandou Village blacksmith shop.