Nearly half a month had passed, and Eugene Smithson seemed like a different person. His eyes had turned dull and lifeless, as if he were a walking corpse, tormented inside. Louis Hidden forbade Eugene from entering the smithy. Eugene had tried sneaking in at midnight, but Louis was already there waiting for him.
No matter what Eugene said—whether he wanted to hone his craft or help his fellow apprentices—Louis would not let him set foot in the smithy.
One day, Louis prepared to leave for the mines himself, to purchase high-quality ore. Before he left, he instructed everyone that while he was away, Eugene was strictly forbidden from entering the smithy and everyone was to keep watch. If anyone allowed Eugene inside, they would all be punished when Louis returned.
"Father, I think Eugene knows he was wrong. Please let him get back to work. He's been miserable these past few days,"
At the front gate, Lucy clung to Louis, pleading on Eugene’s behalf, while Eugene stood just behind the door, his expression complicated.
"Lucy, I’m not blaming Eugene because of what happened to you. But a good smith only knows how to forge iron—that’s not enough. If Eugene can’t understand this, I’ll never allow him in the smithy for the rest of his life."
These words deeply shook Eugene, who was standing behind the door. He realized he was missing something important, but Louis would not tell him what it was. Until Eugene figured it out, Louis truly would not allow him into the smithy.
After so many years spent with furnace and iron, Eugene still had no idea what Louis was trying to teach him.
After Louis left, three days passed. Eugene sat alone at the smithy’s entrance, lost in thought. The sound of hammering inside tormented him—he desperately wanted to go in.
"Eugene Smithson, Eugene Smithson..."
Lucy called out for a long time, but Eugene acted as if he hadn't heard her. Finally, Lucy lost her temper, walked over, and grabbed Eugene by the ear.
"I'm talking to you. Didn't you hear me?"
"Miss..."
After the past few days, Eugene's attitude toward Lucy had changed considerably. He forced a stiff smile as Lucy pointed toward the kitchen and spoke.
"Go. Since Father isn't home and you can't go in the smithy, go stoke the fire and cook for everyone. Better than sitting around doing nothing."
Eugene sighed helplessly and headed to the kitchen, with Lucy following behind as if she were keeping an eye on him. The cook was delighted—she was always busy preparing meals alone—and Eugene obediently started helping out.
"Oh, Eugene, this won't do! You're not forging iron—go wash the dishes. Look at all these cabbages, you've ruined them!"
The cook pulled Eugene away from the vegetable sink. Clumsy as ever, he spent the whole day helping, getting scolded often, his mind still drifting to thoughts of forging iron.
In the days that followed, Lucy had Eugene doing chores around the house every day. Gradually, Eugene began to sense what his master Louis wanted to teach him.
His relationship with the other apprentices also improved a bit. He started learning to cook simple dishes, and several of them even praised his skills.
Half a month passed, and Louis Hidden returned, bringing back a haul of high-quality ore.
After Louis came back, he noticed Eugene had changed a little. Eugene talked more with the others, but still hadn’t grasped what Louis wanted him to learn.
When Eugene saw his master return, he hurried over to share what he’d learned during these quiet days. But it was all about sword forging, and Louis could only sigh.
Louis still wouldn’t let Eugene into the smithy, but at least now Eugene was getting along well with the other apprentices.
At this time, the Lu family received an order from the capital: Louis and his people were to forge a batch of weapons for the war effort. The Yue Kingdom and Wooland often clashed at the border, and the King of Yue was growing restless, preparing for war.
In recent years, the Yue Kingdom’s territorial expansion had reached its limits, and Wooland had begun paying close attention to Yue’s movements. Despite many negotiations, nothing had been resolved.
King Charles’s health had been deteriorating, and though he had named Gavin as his successor, he still feared Yue would be invaded after his death. He ordered the entire kingdom to forge weapons, stockpile grain, and strengthen the military.
During this time, the Lu household was busy forging weapons day and night, while Eugene could only cook. He was completely at a loss as to what his master wanted from him.
In the months that followed, Yue and Wooland finally went to war. Eugene continued to cook and clean every day, his mind honed to the utmost.
Finally, when his master was about to escort the weapons to the front lines, he called Eugene over.
"Eugene, do you know what I hoped you would understand?"
Months had passed, and Eugene gradually understood what Louis wanted to teach him.
"I understand now, Master. Thank you for your guidance. We are not born into this world alone. I used to shut myself away, but through talking with my fellow apprentices, I've learned a lot."
"Eugene, you’ve finally understood. What I want is for you not to keep running into walls. If you do, you’ll only exhaust yourself. As swordsmiths, we must cultivate both inside and out, balancing strength and gentleness. To be rigid like a sword isn’t always good—many things in life can’t be solved by force alone. Human relationships are part of this. I’m heading to Ebonhold soon, Eugene, I’ll leave Lucy in your care."
Eugene felt deeply grateful to his master, but Louis’s words sounded almost like a farewell.
The next day, Louis took a large group of apprentices to Ebonhold, and Eugene was finally allowed back into the smithy. He didn’t forge swords, though—instead, he focused on making farming tools.
The only difference was that now, besides forging iron, Eugene also tended the garden, cleaned, cooked, and did laundry. Gradually, he realized that what his master wanted him to understand was the meaning of life itself. As he worked, Eugene found everything came more easily to him.
Louis was gone for two years, and Eugene managed everything in the Lu household. His relationship with Lucy became subtle—they often went out together, having fun before returning home.
War and peace talks came to a temporary halt, but King Charles was gravely ill. When Louis returned, his hair had turned much whiter and he looked haggard.
After he came back, at Louis’s suggestion, Lucy agreed, and Eugene officially married into the Lu household. When his uncle and aunt heard the news, they hurried over.
Quentin and Mrs. Owens, after seeing the farming tools Eugene had made, finally felt at ease. They knew Eugene had truly changed—his arrogance had been worn away by swordsmithing, leaving only a steadfast spirit.
This time, Louis Hidden brought back a child—a three-year-old named Grant.
Grant was an orphan who had lost his parents in the war. When Louis passed through the battlefield, he stayed for a while, helping locals by forging farming tools.
Louis saw a toddler, just learning to walk, pick up a hammer. He was amazed—the child, silent as a mute, never cried or laughed like other children.
On a whim, Louis brought Grant back and had Eugene and his wife Lucy care for him.
A few months after the wedding, Lucy became pregnant. Eugene devoted himself even more to making farming tools—sharp, well-shaped, and selling well.
"Eugene..."
One night, Louis called Eugene into his room.
"Father-in-law, I was wondering..."
Louis began to explain: King Charles of Yue had asked him to forge a legendary sword. Eugene was thrilled—he knew his master had become even more skilled after two years away.
"Father-in-law, I know your skills and success are far beyond mine. But let me help—I’m sure we can forge a blade famous throughout the land."
But Louis looked troubled. The proposal had come from Marquis Si Ji, who had a history with them. King Charles wanted a peerless sword to boost the kingdom’s fortune and military might. Although Yue and Wooland had made peace, the war had left Yue deeply weakened.
King Charles traded money and his own daughter for temporary peace in Yue. Eugene was puzzled—being asked to forge a sword should be an honor, but Louis was unhappy.
"Eugene, do you know the saying, 'When the rabbit dies, the hound is cooked'?"
After saying this, Louis sent Eugene away. It sounded almost like a final instruction, urging Eugene to devote himself to his craft.
The next day, Louis took many apprentices—except Eugene—to a mineral-rich area outside Smithson City, determined to spend years forging a sword worthy of the King of Yue.