Strongest Among the Heavens
Chapter 423: Eighty-percent Constructed Smithy

Chapter 423: Eighty-percent Constructed Smithy

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Hammer against metal. Steel against steel. An eighty-percent-constructed smithy with the unmistakable smell of molten steel and heated charcoal. The Turkish mountain of a man known as Husnü with thick, muscular arms seemed softer when he worked. He was bent over an anvil, shaping a glowing bar of steel. Around him, the forge was in organized chaos: crates of raw ore, stacks of freshly cut lumber for fuel, and barrels of quenching oil lined the walls.

’Nice, nice.’

Kazi walked into the workshop, taking it all in with an appreciative grin. The forge itself was already taking shape as a masterpiece of black-blue. The central furnace was a towering structure of reinforced blue firebrick, its interior glowing black from the flames. Ventilation shafts spiraled up toward the high ceilings, designed to siphon smoke efficiently while keeping the heat centralized. A custom double-acting piston bellows system flanked the furnace, the anvil and the forge, connected to a series of gears that allowed for both manual and automatic operation.

On the floor were tools of various sizes, tongs, chisels, and a few delicate instruments for more intricate work.

Everything Kazi had funded and Husnü brought forth.

"This is what I like to see." Kazi applauded and walked toward the furnace. He ran a hand over the polished edge of the framework surrounding it, nodding in approval. "You worked fast. Did your sons help out? It’s beautiful."

Husnü straightened, wiping sweat from his brow with a soot-stained rag. "You don’t pay me for beautiful," he grunted. "You pay me for efficient. And yes, they did help."

Kazi chuckled, stepping over the weapons clattered on the floor. This early on, it was okay to be messy. "Call it whatever you want, but I know quality when I see it. What’s that?" He pointed to a stack of blue-glinting ingots.

"Stormiron," Husnü said. "Rare stuff. Ever heard of Magonia? Known for its storm. Causes the metal deep underground to supercharge. Over thousands of years, it turned into this. Hard to work with, but worth it for the right project. It’s high-quality, no shortcuts. Second or third best on the market for lightning weapons depending on who you ask."

Kazi picked up one of the Stormiron ingots, testing its weight. It was dense, cool to the touch. Everything here was hot. This was not. This was magical. "Impressive," he murmured. "Looks like you’ve got everything under control here. Which is good, because your first big order is ready to go."

Husnü raised an eyebrow, tossing the rag over his shoulder. "Big order, huh? Stuff ain’t exactly in the condition for a big order but I’ll try."

"One hundred weapons," Kazi said, flashing a grin. "Swords, spears. Long weapons. All forged and ready to go in three weeks."

Husnü stared at him, expressionless for a long moment. Then he let out a bark of laughter. "You’ve lost your mind, Kazi. A hundred weapons in two weeks? You realize the amount of money and materials that’ll take, don’t you? Not to mention the manpower."

Kazi held up a hand, his grin widening. "Don’t worry about the money, Husnü. I’ve got that part covered. You just focus on getting it done."

"Covered?" Husnü crossed his arms, towering over Kazi. "You’re talking about a fortune. Stormiron alone costs—"

"I know," Kazi interrupted smoothly. "Cheap metal is fine here. I’m not looking for quality but quantity. I’ll make sure you have every coin you need. Trust me, Husnü."

This wasn’t his first time pulling off an impossible business.

The blacksmith’s scowl deepened, but he didn’t argue further. He knew Kazi well enough by now to recognize that his confidence wasn’t baseless. "Alright," he said finally. "I’ll need to bring in a couple of apprentices to speed things up. I have a big name so they will be more than willing to volunteer for free."

’Exploiting interns? Sheesh.’

"And I’ll have to prioritize standard-grade steel for most of the weapons. I wanted to use Stormiron’s today for your new weapon but I’ll have to keep it aside."

"Oh?"

"Like I mentioned, it’s supercharged. You gotta keep it stored and away from normal metals. If not..." The blacksmith made an explosion sound.

"Got it," Kazi said. "As long as they’re functional and durable, I’m happy. Oh, but I do have an additional request. A modification, essentially. Is it possible to incorporate anti-fire?"

"No way, not for me. I’m not Hephaestus who can grant concepts like that so easily, I would need months of time material. I best I can do is some minor heat resistance."

"That’s fine by me. Something is better than nothing."

Husnü nodded, still grumbling under his breath about the logistics. He walked over to a workbench cluttered with blueprints and began flipping through them, muttering about ratios and heat treatments. Kazi leaned against a support beam, watching him work.

"While we’re on the subject of impossible orders," Kazi said casually, "let’s talk about that new weapon. Is it a new Stormedge?"

Husnü paused, glancing over his shoulder. "It’s going to take a while is what."

"Define a while."

Husnü sighed. "I’ve got a plan for the successor, but it’s going to take time—at least two months, maybe more. Still have to sketch the blueprint and still have to decide on how to temper its shape. I’ll need to acquire some very specific materials, and with this hundred-weapon order you’ve just dropped in my lap, it is REALLY going to have to wait."

Kazi was unbothered. His fists would do fine. "I wasn’t expecting it right away anyway. Just wanted to check in."

The blacksmith frowned. "You sure? It can be hard to fight without a familiar weapon."

Kazi shrugged, a wry smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "My fists have served me well so far. Besides, I’ve got enough faith in you to know the wait will be worth it."

Husnü snorted. "You’ve got a lot of faith for a man who keeps asking for the impossible. You better not die."

"You neither," Kazi replied, clapping the blacksmith on the shoulder. "Now, I’ll leave you to it. If you need anything—materials, money, more hands—let me know. Even if it might be irrelevant, I want this to happen as smoothly as possible."

Husnü grumbled something unintelligible but nodded, already pulling out a fresh sheet of parchment to sketch out plans for the massive order. Kazi lingered for a moment, watching the blacksmith work with an intensity that belied his gruff exterior. It wasn’t just about the weapons or the forge—it was about trust, about building something that would last.

’I’m counting on you.’

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.