CHAPTER 131: CHAPTER 130: TARN’S FORGE

The hammering stopped, and the dwarf slowly looked up, wiping sweat from his forehead with the back of a thick, soot-covered glove. His gray beard was tied at the end with a copper ring, his eyes sharp and golden, and his expression was somewhere between amused and mildly annoyed.

"You three still alive?" the dwarf grunted. "World really is ending."

The men laughed like boys caught stealing apples, and one of them clapped Axelius lightly on the shoulder, "Told you we knew the right person."

The dwarf finally stepped closer, thick boots thudding against the wooden floor as he studied Axelius carefully, his eyes lingering a moment on his clothes, the edge of the golden guild card peeking out, and then back to his face.

"You brought me a noble brat now?" he said, raising a thick brow. "What, you want a custom sword for your pony, lad?"

Axelius just smiled, stepped forward and extended a hand. "Name’s Axelius. I need a trustworthy blacksmith for something bigger than just a sword."

The dwarf looked at the hand, then back at Axelius’s face, then slowly took the handshake, his grip strong despite his height. "Name’s Tarn. If you can handle heat and pay fair, then maybe we’ll talk."

The three men smirked and slapped each other’s backs, already joking again.

"Look at that! Tarn actually shaking hands with a noble—write that down!"

"Must be the gold still ringing in his ears."

"Nah, he probably smelled the coins the moment we opened the door!"

Axelius glancing around the forge again, "Let’s talk business then. I’ve got a project, and I need the best."

Tarn crossed his arms and leaned against the anvil, his golden eyes narrowing. "Then tell me what kind of madness you’re planning, boy."

The three men who brought Axelius there laughed loudly, clearly having fun teasing the dwarf, and one of them patted the counter saying, "Anyway, we’re heading back now! Can’t waste the free drinks, right?"

The second one chuckled, "Yeah, the guild might run out of booze before we get back!"

And the third looked at Axelius with a smirk, "Good luck with whatever you’re cooking up, young lord. Hope it doesn’t blow up the forge!"

They all laughed again and waved as they left the shop, still joking and bumping each other on the way out. The door creaked closed, and the forge returned to a quieter state.

Tarn gave a tired sigh, brushing off his apron, then looked at Axelius with a raised brow. "Alright, kid. They’re gone ,come in."

Axelius nodded and followed him deeper into the forge, past stacks of materials and hanging tools, where a wooden table stood with a thick layer of dust but enough space for what Axelius needed.

"So what’s the real deal?"

Axelius nodded and stepped closer to the main table. He reached into his bag and carefully took out a small cloth-wrapped object. He placed it down gently and unwrapped it—revealing a small, detailed toy car with polished wheels and a sleek carved shape. It almost looked like a miniature vehicle from a faraway world.

Tarn squinted, leaning in with curiosity. "What’s this supposed to be?"

Axelius sat down across from him and smiled. "A prototype. It’s a mana-powered vehicle. No beasts, no pulling, just movement powered by a core and mana flow systems I designed. This one’s just a small model to test structure and balance."

Tarn frowned and gave him a skeptical look, "What kind of nonsense are you speaking, boy? That thing’s smaller than my hand."

"It’s just the idea. I’ve already worked on some of the inside, and I’ve made a list of everything I’ll need. I’m not asking you to believe in it yet—I just need you to help me build it. I’ll provide blueprints, parts, and payment."

"Mana powered carriages?" Tarn asked,

Axelius shook his head. "No, this isn’t a carriage. This is different. It’s smaller, faster, and meant to move on its own using refined mana circuits and rune channels inside. No pulling, no pushing. Just control, speed, and mana."

He leaned forward, "I want to build a full version. Something that can move through cities, roads, and maybe even rougher places. I already have the basic blueprint and a materials list. I need a blacksmith I can trust, and one that won’t run when things sound strange."

Tarn didn’t speak for a moment. He looked at the toy car again, then at Axelius, then back at the car. "Mana circuits inside a machine... This is not the usual forge job, boy. You trying to change how transport works?"

Axelius grinned, "Maybe,"

Tarn let out a long grunt, rubbing his chin. "Alright then, rich brat. Show me the plans. If it’s even half possible... I’ll tell you if we can make it real."

Axelius carefully laid the blueprint flat on the table. The old parchment stretched out, showing a rough but clever design—a four-wheeled machine with labeled parts, rune symbols drawn at the base of the wheels, and a small mana core slot right in the center of the engine box.

There were lines and arrows, notes written with quick but sharp strokes, and even a few small drawings showing the inside.

Tarn leaned over it, squinting as he followed the lines with his thick finger as he listened to Axelius.

Later on, Tarn let out a chuckle, "You got some wild ideas, boy." He tapped the paper twice with a heavy finger. "But we’ve got problems."

Axelius tilted his head. "I figured. What kind?"

Tarn pointed to different parts of the blueprint. "First, the core. You need a small but powerful mana crystal that can hold constant output without exploding. Those are rare. Expensive too."

He moved his hand to the wheels. "Second, the alloy for these. If you want it to move fast and not break, it has to be light but tough. Regular iron won’t cut it. We’ll need moonsteel or something like it. That’s not cheap either."

He tapped on the engine casing drawn. "Third, precision. These parts are tiny. We’re not making armor—we’re crafting moving pieces that need to fit exactly. That takes time, tools, and very careful work. One mistake and it won’t even roll."

Tarn looked at Axelius with a serious face. "You said money’s not the problem. But this job isn’t just about coins. It’ll take days, weeks even, maybe years if we mess up. You ready for that?"

Axelius leaned back in the chair, nodding. "I didn’t come for fast results. I’ll pay, I’ll wait. I just need to know if you’ll work with me."

Tarn looked down at the blueprint again and grinned, scratching his beard."You’re crazy. But I like it."

Then he held out a hand. "Alright, Axelius. You’ve got yourself a blacksmith."

Axelius shook it with a smile.