Chapter 99: The Boy and the Blacksmith

Chapter 99: Chapter 99: The Boy and the Blacksmith

Vili nodded upon hearing this.

’This man definitely can’t be allowed to stay in the village, even with a child. Fandou Village isn’t some relief center; we can’t just let in any vagrant who wanders by.’

After hearing the exchange, Vili had intended to leave, but his sharp hearing caught the sound of the man’s pleading.

"Please, everyone, let me stay. I used to be a blacksmith with decent skills. I can forge farm tools for the village. I don’t need any wages, I only beg for a bite of food for myself and my child."

The man’s voice trembled, his tone one of utter desperation.

’A blacksmith?’

Vili’s interest was piqued.

Just a few days ago, Lake had been complaining about the village’s lack of a blacksmith.

’Let’s go take a look.’

Vili changed his mind.

The villagers had surrounded the man. Vili didn’t push his way forward, instead just peering in from the edge of the crowd.

He was a man in his thirties, with a disheveled and grimy appearance, dressed in rags. Even in this cold weather, he only wore two thin layers of clothing. Vili knew that even he would feel the chill dressed like that.

The man was kneeling on the ground, his eyes filled with a desperate struggle for survival. With his hands clasped together, he kowtowed repeatedly to Old Yor and the surrounding villagers as he begged.

Beside the man stood a boy of about six or seven. Though his clothes were also tattered, he was wrapped up tightly from head to toe in a thick, adult-sized cotton coat.

The man must have given the boy his own coat.

The little boy calmly observed the scene. On his grimy face, a pair of clear, bright eyes stood out. He didn’t cry or make a sound, simply standing quietly beside his father, as if waiting for the villagers to eventually drive them away.

When Vili saw the boy, a flicker of surprise showed in his eyes.

’This boy is strange.’ His eyes held no timidity, no fear, no pleading hope. It was as if they were empty.

"I’m sorry, but we can’t take you in."

A trace of pity flashed in Old Yor’s eyes, but he still refused.

Fandou Village couldn’t take in vagrants. Once they made an exception, there would be no controlling the situation later on.

The last glimmer of hope in the man’s eyes died. He broke down in tears, his face a mask of utter despair.

He and his son hadn’t had a proper meal in a very long time. They had wandered from afar, surviving on wild vegetables they gathered along the way. The occasional rat they caught was a magnificent feast. But as the weather grew colder, the rats stopped emerging from their holes, and even the wild vegetables they depended on had withered away, leaving them with no way out.

The man remained kneeling, his expression numb. Beside him, the little boy gave a gentle tug at the corner of his father’s tunic.

"Let’s go."

There wasn’t a single ripple of emotion in his voice; he seemed completely unaffected by his father’s state.

Hearing his son’s voice, the man froze for a moment. Then he began kowtowing to Old Yor again. "Merciful elder, it’s fine if you won’t take me, but please, can you let the boy stay? You can do with him as you please, give him the hardest labor—he won’t complain, I swear. Just as long as you can give him something to eat."

Old Yor’s brow furrowed, his expression souring. Taking in vagrants was something he had no authority to decide. That was the Lord Village Chief’s prerogative.

He steeled himself and said, "I’m sorry, we can’t take you in, not even just the child. However, I can give you some food. Please, try to find a life for yourselves elsewhere."

Old Yor couldn’t bear to look at the man’s anguished face any longer. He turned, about to ask Yadon to go home and fetch some food, when he suddenly spotted Vili at the back of the crowd.

"Lord Village Chief."

Old Yor hurriedly bowed to Vili.

The other villagers, now noticing Vili’s approach, quickly bowed in deference.

A path opened in the crowd, revealing Vili.

"You’re a blacksmith?"

Vili stepped forward and casually glanced at the man’s hands.

Aside from the chilblains, he saw a finger missing its top joint, a visibly misplaced bone, and the thick muscles of his wrists.

These features were very similar to those of Uncle Ubi from Xiangguo Village.

"Yes, I used to run a blacksmith shop."

Seeing this young man, who was respectfully addressed as Lord Village Chief, questioning him directly, the man scrambled to answer, a sliver of hope returning to his voice.

"Why did you become a vagrant?"

Vili glanced at the child. The boy was looking back at him, yet his expression remained completely placid, without even a hint of the curiosity a child might have for a stranger.

"I was working in my smithy and took on a job to repair a weapon. But I made a mistake and ended up damaging it. I paid a huge sum of money, far more than the weapon was worth, but the man was relentless. He was the Town Mayor’s brother. He forced me to sell everything I owned and even brought men to threaten my child’s life and mine. I couldn’t afford to cross him, so I had no choice but to leave. We fled, afraid he would track us, and ended up wandering all the way here."

As he recounted the painful memory, the corner of the man’s eye twitched.

Vili gave a slight nod. He had watched the man’s expression as he spoke, and combined with his story, it was highly unlikely he was lying.

’These toadies who serve the nobility are often more outrageous than the nobles themselves. People like that exist even in Diamond Town. It’s just that, since it never involved me personally, I never had an excuse to play the hero.’

The man watched Vili anxiously, awaiting the young Village Chief’s decision. Having lost his former life, it would be difficult for him to be accepted anywhere else. He truly had no other options, which was why he had made this last desperate attempt.

A single word from Vili would basically decide whether he and his child lived or died.

"You can stay."

Vili had made his decision.

’This is a perfect opportunity to establish a blacksmith shop in the village. He doesn’t want money, just food. It’s practically a contribution to Fandou Village’s infrastructure.’

’Next, I just need to find a merchant who deals in iron ore. They’ll be more than happy to sell me refined ore at a low price.’

’There’s a small iron mine southwest of Diamond Town; it’s a major source of income for Baron Kels. Those iron ore merchants can only get purchasing rights by staying on good terms with the people at the Town Hall. As the second-in-command of the Personal Guard Team, I naturally get to enjoy the benefits of them trying to curry my favor.’

"Thank you! Thank you!"

The man kowtowed with all his might, so overcome with happiness he nearly fainted.

Vili helped the man up and turned to look at the boy.

The boy looked back at Vili. He knew he and his father had been saved, but his eyes remained as tranquil as a deep lake.

Vili patted the boy’s head.

"What’s your name?"