Imperial Crown.

Chapter 421 The Future Baron

early morning.

Nord Province, Snow Maple County, and Val Territory.

That is the territory of the new Baron Eric.

This place is located in the northwest of Xuefeng Territory. To the south is a plain washed out by the Liujing River, and to the north are large jungles in the mountains.

In spring, the fields on the plains are shiny black, and the jungle is covered with a hazy green.

Seen from a high altitude, it looks like a two-color silk scarf.

At the border of the two colors lies the Dyson family's castle.

The castle is divided into two layers, the inner layer is the lord's residence, and the outer layer is where various slaves live and work.

At this moment, Henry, the blacksmith's apprentice, was sitting on the threshold of the blacksmith shop in a daze.

He was only 15 years old, with mostly brown hair, but a tuft of arrow-shaped white hair on his forehead.

The tattered clothes he was wearing were patched up with patches, and because he had grown too fast, his clothes and pants looked a little small and ill-fitting, with most of his arms and calves exposed.

He has a thick frame and is as tall as most adults, but his physique seems a little skinny. With a little effort, you can clearly see his slender and powerful muscles stretching out his height.

Staring at the thumb exposed from the tattered pigskin boots, Henry sighed anxiously:

“Is it really possible…?”

Although the lord of this castle, Lord Eric, was recently promoted to baron, he is a very old-fashioned person and insists on training the servants in his castle from scratch.

Horseman, hunter, blacksmith, carpenter, cook, brewer... and the list goes on.

In the words of Master Eric, this is what a noble should be like.

Henry didn't understand what aristocracy was, and usually he spent most of his time thinking about how to have enough food to eat - if he hadn't been such a big eater and his family couldn't afford to support him, he wouldn't have been sent to a blacksmith shop to be an apprentice at the age of 10.

And today is the day that will determine whether he will be able to have enough to eat every meal in the future.

He wanted to forge a knight's sword independently. As long as he was sure that the quality was up to standard and could be used, Guy, the owner of the blacksmith shop, would promote him from an apprentice to a "helper."

If you work as a helper, you can get paid!

10 copper coins a day, for every weapon you create, you will get a commission of 3 copper coins.

With the wages, I can support myself, so I don’t have to go hungry in the blacksmith shop and go home to add to the pressure on my parents.

Gululu...

His stomach growled with hunger, so Henry opened the linen package at his feet and took out two of the only three pieces of black bread inside. After thinking for a while, he put one piece back and then sealed the package tightly.

I have two younger brothers at home. If I eat more, they will have to eat less.

Henry slowly ate the black bread in his hand bit by bit, not even leaving out the residue that fell on the ground, and his stomach was slightly satisfied.

The sky was finally bright.

"Henry! Stop sitting there!" Guy the Blacksmith shouted.

"Coming!" Henry quickly stood up, put the bag on his belt, and rushed to the blacksmith's shed.

Looking at Henry, who was taller than him but looked silly, Guy tapped the stove with his chin impatiently:
"Make a fire, get the iron ingredients, you don't want me to serve you, do you?"

There was a hint of sarcasm in his words, and Henry did not retort. He picked up the tongs and poked a few times, and the charcoal stove began to burn fiercely.

"It's still quite sharp..." Guy muttered, "It's a pity it's useless."

It’s not that Guy looked down on Henry. In fact, he liked this young man who worked efficiently and never complained.

Although he was poor, he was honest and would never steal things from the shop even if he was hungry.

Just having good character doesn’t mean good craftsmanship.

The last time, there was an apprentice who had followed him for 9 years. He was usually very smart and could quickly remember any key points. But he still wasted three chances and failed to forge a usable sword.

Not to mention Henry, who is usually as silent and stupid as a donkey.

If Master Thor had not recently wanted to recruit and arm a group of servants in preparation for war, and the blacksmith shop urgently needed to expand its production capacity, he would not have let Henry try.

A loud bang woke Guy from his thoughts. When he looked up, Henry was grinning at him. He was holding a long iron bar in the pliers in his hand, which he had obviously just picked up from the ground.

"Ugh……"

Giving Henry a blank look, Guy pulled out an iron bar from the barrel next to him, walked to another furnace, and began to prepare for forging.

Seeing the blacksmith start to work, Henry took a deep breath, calmed himself, put the iron bar in his hand into the furnace, and started to forge it step by step.

Watching the iron bar in the furnace gradually burn red, then change from red to golden, until it turned into the color of ripe wheat, Henry quickly pulled it out, moved it to the anvil, and picked up the small hammer next to it.

It is called a small hammer, but the hammer head is as thick as a child's arm.

The hammer hit the iron bar with a crisp sound and a burst of sparks.

Then the hammer was raised again and fell again!

Each beat was very rhythmic and gradually became coordinated with Henry's breathing.

At this moment, Henry had only one sentence going over and over in his mind:
"Swing the hammer hard, drop it lightly!"

The hammer must be swung hard to generate enough force to deform the steel; the hammer must be dropped lightly to avoid injuring the wrist from the rebound force and to save energy!
The sun gradually rises.

The temperature in the blacksmith's shed was rising.

Henry had taken off his shirt at some point, revealing his naked body. Sweat was all over his body, and every time he swung the hammer, drops of sweat would splash out, leaving a puddle of water on the ground.

The originally golden iron bar gradually cooled and turned red. When the knocking sound turned from crisp to dull, Henry decisively stopped the hammer and put it back into the fire.

Then use your feet to step on the bellows vigorously.

As the carbon chips flew, the charcoal stove that had been burning quietly suddenly burst into a bright yellow flame.

When the iron bar returned to its original yellow color, Henry moved it back to the anvil.

Ding, ding, ding, ding…

The bright and clear rhythm sounded again.

This inevitably attracted the attention of Guy the Blacksmith.

He saw that the iron bar in Henry's hand had gradually taken shape and could be called a sword blank, and a glimmer of surprise appeared in his eyes:

"This kid isn't as dumb as he appears."

"Guy! Guy!" There was a sudden shout from outside.

The blacksmith put down his work, went out, and saw a cart parked at the door, driven by the carpenter of the castle.

"Guy, hurry up, I need 10 shovels and 10 pickaxes," the carpenter urged.

"No." Guy spread his hands and said, "I've been busy forging weapons lately. How can I have time to make farm tools? If you need farm tools, go find a blacksmith in town."

"I asked, but his place has been sold out too." The carpenter complained, "This is delaying my chance to make a fortune."

"What's the fortune?" Guy asked.

"The Earl has made another big move." The carpenter said, "Just beside the Eagle City, 2000 serfs have been mobilized to clear an area 10 times the size of our castles. Shovel and pickaxe are in short supply, and they are paying a high price for them."

"Such a big event?" Guy was a little curious: "What exactly is this for?"

"How should I know? That's the masters' business!"

In the end, the two men bargained and Guy sold the remaining shovels in the warehouse at a price 1 silver coin higher than the market price.

When they returned to the shed, Henry was still forging hard and didn't notice Guy had gone out.

Henry was indeed always focused on forging the weapon in his hand. He heated the blank four times.

It was soon past noon.

Finally, the sword took a definite shape.

Next comes the final step.

He put the nearly completed sword into the furnace for the final heating. When it emitted a clear light, Henry grabbed the tail of the sword and walked to the side, then stabbed it into a large barrel full of cow urine!

Shila-

White mist rose up with a pungent smell, and the surface of the liquid that the sword blade touched quickly boiled.

Henry didn't dare to stay for long. After the sword was completely soaked, he immediately picked it up and inserted it into the oil barrel beside him!
When the sword had completely cooled down, Henry hammered a wooden handle on it, sharpened the blade on a grinding wheel, and deliberately left about a quarter of the hilt unsharpened. Finally, a knight's sword was completed!
"Mr. Guy, I'm done!" Henry wiped the sweat from his head and called out loudly.

"You've worked hard. Go drink some water first." Guy took the sword, grasped the hilt and held it horizontally, opened and closed one eye against the sunlight, and slowly adjusted the angle of the sword. The sword was straight, without any bends.

He swung the sword, then grasped the blade about 1/3 of the way, and Guy's eyes gradually showed some surprise.

The balance and center of gravity are surprisingly good!
Holding a long sword, Guy walked to the straw target in the yard and swung the sword at the target!

Henry, who was standing by, did not leave at all. Seeing this scene, he couldn't help but hold his breath, his eyes full of anticipation.

As long as this test is successful, he will officially become a helper and a real adult. He will no longer be a burden to the family, but will be able to make money!
Bang!
The long sword cut through half of the straw target, but stopped at the very center, and the sword body bent down like a broken branch!
Henry's heart suddenly sank to the bottom. It was a hot day, but his hands and feet were extremely cold.

"Ah..." Guy was used to it: "During the forging process, the heat was too strong, resulting in insufficient hardness."

"You still have to learn."

"That's all for today. You're exhausted. Go back first and come back tomorrow morning."

After no one responded to his instructions, Guy turned around and saw Henry standing there in a daze, obviously unable to accept the reality.

Shaking his head and throwing the bent sword in his hand into the bucket, Guy wondered whether he should keep Henry for dinner.

The thought of this made him feel a little painful.

It’s not that I’m reluctant to give up a meal, but Henry eats too much!

He now provides Henry with two meals a day, lunch and dinner. Henry can eat at least 4 pounds of black bread for each meal, and even then, he is still restricted.

Guy still remembers that when Henry first came at the age of 10, he ate 6 pounds of brown bread and a large pot of vegetable soup for lunch alone!
suddenly.

There was a sound of horse hooves, and then a sturdy young man walked in.

Seeing this, Guy quickly took off his leather gloves, walked forward and saluted with a smile: "Lord Thor!"

"Hmm?" Thor glanced at Guy: "What did you call me?"

"Ah...oh!" Guy suddenly realized and quickly changed his words: "The future Baron!"

Ever since Master Eric became a baron, Master Thor has required everyone in the territory to call him "the future baron". If anyone dares not to call him that...

Well, Guy has never heard of anyone so stubborn.

After all, the young master is the only young master in the family. Calling him that won't lose any money and it can also make him happy, so just call him that.

Thor then smiled and said, "Okay, no need to be so serious. Has the sword I want been forged?"

"The first batch of 20 swords are ready!" Guy nodded and turned around to say, "Henry, quickly move the swords out of the warehouse for the adults!"

Following Guy's line of sight, Thor saw Henry and his eyes lit up: "Is this your son?"

Guy's heart skipped a beat, worried that Thor would blame Henry for not greeting him. "No, he's just an apprentice in my shop. He's a nice guy, but a little stupid. You don't have to bother with him!"

"Come here!" Thor ignored Guy and shone his hands at Henry.

Henry had not yet recovered from the blow of failing to forge the sword. He walked up to Thor and saluted woodenly: "My Lord Baron..."

Without the word "future", Thor felt more comfortable listening to it.

"I don't think this guy is stupid!" He walked around Henry and asked, "Are you strong?"

Seeing that Thor had taken a fancy to Henry, and looking at the depressed Henry, Guy was anxious:
"Big! Very big, as big as a cow."

Thor nodded and pointed to the anvil next to him: "Pick it up and let me see it."

Guy was shocked. The anvil was not a particularly large model, but it was not small either. It weighed 230 pounds!
Henry walked forward, held the anvil with both hands, sucked in his stomach and exerted force, and the 230-pound anvil was lifted up.

Not only did he pick it up, he also walked around the yard three times before finally putting it back where it belonged.

This time, not only Guy, but also the followers who followed Thor were dumbfounded.

Where does this guy get so much strength?!
"Okay, it's you!" Thor clapped his hands and said, "From today on, you are my follower!"

Guy patted Henry on the back of his head, who was still in a daze: "Why don't you thank the master quickly!"

"Thank you, thank you very much, future Baron!" Henry bowed quickly.

He was not stunned, but was overwhelmed by the sudden joy.

The salary of Master Thor's attendant is much higher than that of the blacksmith's assistant!

Thor also laughed at his expression and said to his attendant, "My attendant cannot be dressed so raggedly. Give him a month's salary in advance so that he can buy some decent clothes and report to the castle tomorrow morning!"

The attendant next to him took out a small purse and placed it in Henry's hand.

It was not until Thor and others left with the first batch of weapons that Henry leisurely left the blacksmith shop.

The purse was not big and could be held in one palm, but when Henry opened it and poured the coins into his palm, he felt his palm getting hot.

There are only 22 coins in total.

But they were all silver coins!
A bunch of silver coins!

1 silver coin is equal to 100 copper coins. How many days of help are these silver coins equivalent to?
When I walked into the town in a daze, it was already getting dark.

A fragrance suddenly came into my nose, followed by an intense feeling of hunger.

Henry then remembered that he hadn't eaten for a whole day.

Next to it was the town's tavern, a place he normally would never dare to go to, but now that he had money in his hands, he felt a little more confident.

Sitting in the bar, he couldn't read and couldn't understand the menu, so he pointed to the table next to him and said, "I want one of these, too!"

"Oh, hamburgers, right? Please sit down first and I'll serve it right away!"

Henry rubbed his palms together and sat down at the table. Soon the so-called hamburger was served.

There are two slices of white bread on the top and bottom, with a thick meat patty in the middle!

He grabbed the burger and took a big bite.

It smells so good!

Henry's eyes widened. It was the first time he had tasted such delicious food.

So, so this is what meat tastes like, so delicious!

This wasn't a high-class pub, and the burgers were generous in size, enough to feed a big stomacher, but not enough to fill Henry's stomach.

"Another one..."

"One more!"

“One more!!”

When Henry finally finished eating, there were 11 empty plates on the table.

Henry, who had eaten and drunk his fill, finally came to his senses and anxiously asked for the bill - he was really afraid that he could not afford it.

The waiter said, "A total of 1 silver coin and 65 copper coins."

After paying the bill, Henry walked out of the tavern. The night wind blew on his face, bringing out a smile and also tears.

Only now did he realize what it meant to be Lord Thor's squire.

22 silver coins per month can buy 10 meals like this!
He is not this hungry every day, nor does he need to eat so much every day. As long as he saves a little, he can come here to eat every day and eat meat every day!
His crying and laughing appearance attracted the attention of passers-by. Henry quickly wiped away his tears, went to the tailor shop, gritted his teeth and spent 7 silver coins to buy a decent set of clothes and shoes - the boots alone cost him 2 silver coins!
After returning home, he handed over 10 of the remaining silver coins to his father. When his family learned that he had become Thor's follower, they were overjoyed again.

His father also took him to have a drink for the first time.

After just one drink, both the father and son were drunk and unconscious.

The next morning, Henry got up early, washed up, and came to the castle.

The tuft of white hair on the forehead looks more energetic!
"You're here. I thought you ran away with the money!" The one who greeted Henry was the follower who was with Thor yesterday: "My name is George. From today on, we are colleagues."

"Mr. George!" Henry saluted respectfully.

"No need to be so formal." George smiled and waved his hand: "Remember, there are only three people in the entire castle who need you to greet, Master Eric, Madam Romi, and Master Thor."

Henry nodded to indicate that he had made note of it.

"Okay, go up, the master is waiting for you in the study on the second floor." George instructed: "By the way, don't go to the third floor."

Henry was a little confused: "Why?"

George lowered his voice:
"…The Baron is in the process of breaking through. No one is allowed to interfere!"

……

(End of this chapter)