Chapter 35 - New Steel.

Running his fingers across his new blade, Arthur felt a small vibration, as if somehow the sword's new name pleased him.

"Now that we are done with the sword business, I have something else I wanted to talk to you about, Master Tobho," spoke Arthur, changing his cheerful countenance to a more serious one.

"So tell me, child, what can this old man still be of use to you?" asked Tobho Mott, leaning back on the couch.

"Let me get straight to the point. I am recruiting some people to help me achieve my future goals, and in return, I help these people achieve their own goals," Arthur said, still caressing the blade of his sword.

"I know there is no such thing as a free lunch, Master Tobho. Before I can tell you the benefits you would gain if you join me, I would like to hear from you. What do you want, Master Tobho?" Arthur asked, looking directly into the depths of the old blacksmith's eyes.

After a few seconds of silence, Tobho let out a long sigh that he himself didn't even know he was holding.

'These kids these days, they amaze me more and more...' Tobho spoke, almost whispering.

"Whatever! I'll listen to what the brat has to offer before I reject it," Tobho thought.

"Okay, where do I start..." spoke Tobho, as he scratched his head.

"I was born in Qohor, a city on the banks of the Qhoyne River in Essos. I come from a line of ancient blacksmiths; my ancestors worked in the forges of the Dragon Lords. However, the Valyrian steel forging method was not passed down to us. The only information I have about it is that the steel was produced by a specific Valyrian family. I don't know the actual name of this family, only that they produced the ingots, and the slaves working in the forges created the weapons, jewelry, and other things," Tobho spoke as he took a sip of his drink.

"Answering your question, child, my ambition is to be able to produce Valyrian steel again. I do not crave riches, fame, women, or recognition. I am an artist, and everything I forge is for my own satisfaction. I have full conviction that I am one of the best blacksmiths in the known world, but because I cannot produce this cursed steel, I feel something in me that I cannot explain. It is as if a part is missing for me to reach completeness." Tobho spoke with such fervor that as he finished, he felt something was pulled from his chest.

"I guess I needed to have a conversation like that..." thought Tobho with slight satisfaction.

After a few seconds absorbing Tobho's lines, Arthur rose from the couch, placed Frostbite in its sheath, and soon approached the door.

"I fully understand your wishes, Master Tobho, and if you follow me, I promise that I will do the possible and the impossible for you to achieve this dream of yours. Unfortunately, it is something extremely difficult to achieve at the moment, but in the future, I am fully sure that I will be able to help you with this. But for now, I can provide you with something in return..." spoke Arthur with a small smile at the corner of his lips.

"And what will you give me, boy?" asked Tobho, curious about what that child could provide him with.

"I will not give you anything, Master Tobho. I will teach you..." spoke Arthur as he left the room.

Curious about what the boy was talking about, Tobho got up from the couch and followed the boy out of the room.

Arriving at the floor where the forges were located, Arthur stopped in front of one and turned to Tobho.

"Can I use it?" he asked.

"And do you know how to use it?" Tobho asked slightly suspiciously.

"We'll see..." replied Arthur with the smile still present on his lips.

"Alright then, make yourself at home. At the back of the store, there is a storeroom with the irons. You can use them, but if somehow you waste any material or are just acting like you understand forging, I swear on my name that I will never make anything for you again. Is that okay?" asked Tobho with a straight face.

"I agree," answered Arthur, as he headed to the back of the store to get the items he needed.

After a few minutes, Arthur returned, bringing with him two types of ingots.

Seeing the ingots Arthur brought, Tobho was left wondering what the boy would do....

One of the ingots Arthur had brought is steel with a high carbon content, and in a blade, the greater the amount of carbon, the harder the blade is and the thinner the cutting edge, which helps the blade stay sharp for longer. This is because it is the carbon that allows the metal to harden when tempered.

The other ingot was one with a low carbon content. This increases the hardness of the blade, and the resulting corrosion resistance property gives it a silver layer almost as bright as nickel. Arthur began preparing the forge and the steel for the job.

As the forge heated up, Tobho noticed Arthur's movements and realized that he was not an amateur; on the contrary, his skill in the forge was excellent, almost as good as Tobho's.

After a few hours, Tobho realized that the forging process was already reaching its final stage. For some reason, something that would have taken days to produce was done in a few hours. The sound of the hammer crashing into the steel echoed in the room. To people who had no concept of forging, the noise might be annoying. But to Tobho, who was an extremely decent blacksmith, it was like music to his ears.

"I'm done," spoke Arthur, turning to Tobho.

His face was dusty black, and several drops of sweat were running down his forehead.

"Come on, show me," Tobho spoke, unable to contain his enthusiasm.

Picking up the one-handed axe from the stand, Arthur showed Tobho the blade. Tobho's eyes widened as he looked at the axe. He tried to speak, but no words came out of his mouth. Right in front of him was what they were talking about hours ago: a blade of Valyrian steel.

"Is that?...." Tobho spoke, still amazed.

"No, Master Tobho. That is not Valyrian steel," spoke Arthur with a smile, enjoying Tobho's surprise.

"Then what is it? The patterns on the blade are extremely similar to Valyrian steel," Tobho spoke.

"Yes, but it's not," spoke Arthur.

'How could he explain to Tobho that it was actually Damascus steel? In fact, that steel didn't exist in this world as far as he knew. Maybe he could take advantage of it...' Arthur thought.

"This is a new kind of steel I invented," said Arthur.

"But how?" asked Tobho Mott.

"The secret of forging that kind of steel is entrusted only to my subordinates," spoke Arthur with a smile.

Understanding the significance of his answer, Tobho thought briefly before making a decision.

"Okay, I am willing to be your subordinate if you teach me this method," Tobho spoke.

"Then it is done. I thank you for trusting me, Tobho," spoke Arthur, stretching out his hand for a shake.

"Likewise," Tobho replied, shaking Arthur's hand.

"By the way, what is the name of this steel?" asked Tobho.

'That's a good question...' Arthur thought.

"Let's call it Frost Steel."