NOVPUB
Chapter 122: Bring Their Attention To You!
Aldrian’s mind was drawn back to the moment when he glimpsed memories of his time as a ruler—or something of that kind. During that time, he saw a symbol much like this one. The symbol was a large circle, emanating light that seemed to illuminate everything around it. Beneath the large circle was a smaller one, the symbol of yin and yang.
The symbol that Duke Valiard had drawn was the same as that one. It felt surreal to Aldrian, as if he had just uncovered a small piece of his true identity—an identity rooted in his ’past.’ This also reaffirmed that what he had seen was real and not just some illusion.
Duke Valiard sensed the change in Aldrian’s mood and wondered if he recognized the symbol.
"Young master, do you know what this symbol represents?" he asked.
Aldrian, after letting his emotions slip for a brief moment, composed himself and responded calmly to Duke Valiard.
"No, I just find this symbol intriguing. It piqued my interest," Aldrian replied.
Duke Valiard narrowed his eyes suspiciously, but continued his explanation.
"The only clue to my elder brother’s disappearance is this symbol, which none of us had ever seen before. It appeared out of nowhere. We thought it might be connected to some organization, but no records mention anyone using this kind of symbol, even to this day. We began to suspect it might not be a symbol at all, but rather a hidden message. But we still don’t know what that message could be."
"You won’t find any message because this is a true symbol," Aldrian thought to himself.
"With the disappearance of the blueprint, there’s a growing sense of anxiety among the kingdom’s higher-ups. As for me, many of my rivals have begun to lay the blame on my family, suggesting that we’ve stolen the kingdom’s secrets. The pressure on my family has increased, and my position as Duke is becoming less stable. The only thing keeping me in this role is the king’s generosity, due to his close relationship with my brother."
"But I know His Majesty also has limited options due to the pressure from many high-ranking nobles. In these uncertain times, with the prophecies from the Heavenly Direction Church and all the signs showing that this continent is changing, the king doesn’t want any instability within the kingdom. So, he gave me this chance to silence those nobles."
"A chance to prove that my elder brother’s disappearance has nothing to do with my family. To show that I can offer something even greater to this kingdom, something that will make up for my brother’s absence. Even though it’s impossible to replace the blueprint of the peak divine-grade sword, His Majesty gave me the opportunity to prove my worth."
Aldrian finally understood what Duke Valiard was trying to achieve. With everything that had happened, and all of Valiard’s abilities, Aldrian could now connect the dots.
"So, you want to shape me into a master blacksmith to help you? Even if it means giving me your secret techniques?"
Duke Valiard was silent for a moment before nodding.
"When I first saw you create that simple dagger, I thought you were a one-in-a-million genius. But after spending more time with you, observing all of your skills, I’ve come to the conclusion that no one is like you. You are on a level of your own. Sometimes, I even doubt that you’re human—you are more like a higher being capable of performing miracles, with no bottlenecks in your learning."
"The timing of your arrival was perfect. It’s as if the heavens themselves arranged this meeting."
Aldrian looked at the duke’s face, which was full of optimism—something he needed at this moment.
"And why do you think I’ll help you? You’ve just told me all of this. I could walk out of here and sell the secrets of the Forgeheart Kingdom, earning a fortune in energy stones or the backing of some powerful faction. You’d be branded a traitor, and with your brother’s mysterious disappearance, it would drag you even deeper into the pit. You’d never regain your position, and your name would be sullied forever," Aldrian remarked.
Duke Valiard looked at Aldrian, acknowledging the truth in his words, but he still replied.
"Why, huh? To be honest, I don’t really know. Maybe I’m just that desperate—to show those bastards who are pressuring me that I can still make a greater contribution to this kingdom. Or maybe, after spending time with you, I just know you’re different from everyone else. No, I’m certain of it. All these factors... I gladly took this gamble. Maybe I’ve gone crazy, and if I’m wrong about you, then it’s a fate I will have to face."
Aldrian was truly impressed by Duke Valiard’s boldness. In the end, the duke seemed to have found a glimmer of hope—a hope he was willing to gamble his life on. Looking at duke Valiard’s determination Aldrian took out the divine iron and placed it before them. He infused the iron with his energy, manipulating its structure, then sliced off 5% of the material and set it on the floor.
Duke Valiard watched in confusion, unsure of Aldrian’s intentions, but as he stared at the divine iron, he suddenly recalled their initial agreement to teach Aldrian the craft of blacksmithing.
"You said you needed a greater contribution to atone for what your elder brother did, right?" Aldrian said. "Then I’ll give you this piece of divine iron now. You can research it to your heart’s content. This material will broaden your horizons as a blacksmith. And to be honest, I’m also very curious about your brother’s disappearance. I can help you with that, but I have one request."
"What is it?" Duke Valiard asked.
"Can you bring me to the unfinished divine sword?"
Duke Valiard was stunned. His brow furrowed as he shook his head.
"I’m afraid that would be too difficult—almost impossible. The existence of that sword is only known to high-ranking nobles and the royal family. If I bring you to it, it’s as good as openly revealing our kingdom’s secret. It would be considered treason."
Aldrian leaned in, his voice steady. "What if you could bring the entire Forgeheart Kingdom’s attention back to you? No, not just the kingdom, but the entire continent. What if you could make your name soar higher than ever? From what you’ve told me, it sounds like they don’t see you in the same light as your elder brother. They believe the feat of creating the divine artifact was mostly his accomplishment, not a joint effort. They’re underestimating you."
"You can start by making a contribution so grand that the entire continent will take notice, and the high-ranking nobles of the Forgeheart Kingdom will no longer look down on you. You’ll gain more influence, and the royal family will have no choice but to listen to your request."
Duke Valiard clenched his fist tightly, anger bubbling beneath the surface, because what Aldrian said was the truth. While the world praised both him and his brother for their creation of a divine artifact, within the noble circles, most gave the credit to his elder brother alone. His brother had a higher attainment in blacksmithing and had made greater progress on the divine sword. Outside of that, they believed duke Valiard lacked the same abilities.
This belief had always been a thorn in his heart. He held his elder brother in the highest regard and had never resented him, but what he longed for was recognition—not just for his brother’s achievements, but for his own efforts as well.
Duke Valiard loosened his fist, exhaling a long breath to calm himself. This young man had read him so clearly—Aldrian’s intuition was razor sharp.
"I see what you’re suggesting," the duke said. "You want them to listen to my request and allow you to visit the divine sword, don’t you? That sounds good, but easier said than done. What kind of contribution could possibly make the royal family and nobles relent and allow me to show you the sword? You said we could bring the entire continent’s attention to me... How do we do that?"
Duke Valiard grasped what Aldrian was suggesting, but he still had doubts. Aldrian smiled, his eyes gleaming with certainty.
"By blacksmithing, of course. That’s your race specialty."
Duke Valiard frowned, deep in thought. Naturally, blacksmithing was their craft, but to impress the entire Forgeheart Kingdom, it would require something extraordinary. Something rare, on a monumental scale. Then, suddenly, his eyes widened as he realized what Aldrian was implying.
"You don’t mean...?"
"Yes, let’s create another divine-grade artifact!"
