Chapter 113: Master Blacksmith
Korin hesitated only briefly before nodding. "They’re not here. Lord Luminaris’s makes monthly inspections, they search the forge thoroughly. I keep my private work elsewhere."
"At our home," Naia explained. "It’s not far from here. If you’re willing to accompany us, my lord?"
"Lead the way," Grim agreed, signaling to Huangyan that they would be extending their visit.
The Silverscale residence proved to be a modest cottage on the outskirts of the mining district, where the dense industrial smoke thinned somewhat. Though small, it was meticulously maintained, with a small garden of plants that Grim recognized. Likely cultivated to provide some relief for Naia’s condition.
Inside, the contrast between their professional and personal spaces was striking. While the forge had been purely functional, their home contained carefully chosen decorative elements that reflected both their heritages—dragon-motif carvings alongside delicate coral.
"This way," Korin said, leading them to what appeared to be a shrine in the corner of their main room. The altar held what seemed to be family mementos, including a large dragon scale that presumably had belonged to Korin’s father.
The half-dragon moved the altar aside, revealing a hidden compartment in the floor. From this concealed space, he retrieved a large wooden case, its surface carved with intricate flame patterns.
"These represent fifteen years of work," he explained, his hands resting protectively on the case. "Created in moments stolen between commissions, using materials I acquired a bit at a time to avoid notice."
He opened the case reverently. Inside, nested in velvet lining, lay seven distinct items: a sword with a crystal-clear blade, a set of gauntlets similar to those he’d described making for Julius, a circlet of red-gold metal, two identical daggers with matching sheaths, a medallion on a chain, and what appeared to be a small mechanical device.