Chapter 46: Royal Smithy Wagers
Dominic tidied up the blueprints he had been studying and tucked the notebook that he had been working from under his arm. This was going to be a trial by fire, somewhat literally, to see if his ideas about how he would design something, versus how to repair it back to the original spec, were actually functional.
Along the way, they met up with a pair of Farrier’s apprentices, the ones who made almost all the horseshoes and other equine equipment that the Royal Family needed, including the tack for the Mechanical horses, as they wore through them just as quickly as any other horse.
"So, how does it feel to be the Master Weaponsmith old man? I hope you brought something impressive for that journeyman Armourer, he was pushing hard to be chosen for the spot and I hear he’s pretty bitter." The farrier greeted Pops as they walked.
"I’m not showing him shit. If he wants to impress someone, he needs to at least get on my level. Hell, he’s barely on par with my Apprentice, and I don’t care what his trade core says." Pops snorted in derision.
The farrier laughed and gestured with his chin toward the forges. "Look at that, he’s even come early to wait for you. Don’t mind us if we stay for the show."
The portly man standing by the door sneered as he greeted them.
"Well, look what the gutters coughed up. Finished slumming it with the gate trash?" The man asked.
"If his apprentice is this disrespectful, I can only imagine what the guy who wanted to be granted the Rank of Royal Master Smith is like." Dominic mock whispered to Pops, deliberately loud enough to be heard, and pointedly ignoring the bright blue trade skill gem on the man’s necklace.
If he wasn’t already technically a master, he was very close to it.
"Why you little... are those horns? Did you pick a Sorcerer as an apprentice? Just when I thought that you couldn’t get any lower, you managed to surprise me again." The man snarled, addressing Pops.
"Aye, they’re horns. We were so short on decent smiths in town that I took in the first waif that came to my door looking for work. Good thing, too. He turned out so much better than the last noble who wanted to be my apprentice. He’s got actual skills." Pops replied.