Chapter 49 Making Armor

The method was very simple. After concocting the liquid, Aldred left the potion in the sun for three days. At first, he did not expect it to succeed but it did.

The wound in his arm healed and closed under the gaze of Bartrem, Mary, Mira, and Pongo.

“It worked!” Aldred shouted.

They all rejoiced, jumping around in the barracks, but then recalled they only had two days left before they had to attack the bandit.

“Now we have to make our own armor,” Bartrem said with a grim expression. “But we don’t have any materials or tools to make them.”

Aldred looked at Pongo and back to Bartrem before smiling. “I have an idea.”

…

Aldred entered the fort with Pongo and looked for a blacksmith. It didn’t take long for him to find one as they were very loud. Hammer clanged against the steel plating of an armor. The blacksmith was a strong man with powerful arms and chests. Whenever they slammed the hammer against the armor, sparks splashed. Aldred activated his godly eyes and analyzed his movement and the changes happening in the armor.

Hours passed, and Aldred felt like he already know how to do it after seeing the blacksmith create a bunch of armor from scratch. With confidence, he approached the blacksmith.

While the man was slamming the hammer, he noticed a boy approaching him. One look and he realized the boy was from that cursed platoon.

“I am busy. Go away. The order is full for this week.”

Aldred snorted. He did not even say anything yet and the blacksmith already shooed him away.

“Uncle, can you teach me how to make armor?”

The blacksmith grunted. “Didn’t I tell you to fuck off?”

“Don’t be so cheap, uncle. Let me learn how to make armor.”

“No.” The blacksmith returned to his work, pounding on the armor.

Aldred approached again. He was now right in front of the blacksmith.

“Don’t blame me if you get hurt, kid.”

Aldred smiled. “It’s okay.”

Suddenly, the furnace behind him burst into flames. The blacksmith panicked and was quickly about to find a wet towel to kill it. But in less than a second, the flame died and turned into thick smoke.

“Cough cough. Fuck! What a shitty luck I have.”

“Seems like you are in trouble, uncle. I am going to leave now.”

“Yeah, go fuck yourself. I am so pissed.”

When the smoke disappeared, he saw that all of his tools disappeared. Even the armor and the ores were gone as well. The blacksmith looked around, but they were really gone. “Was it the boy? Impossible. How could he bring the anvil, the hammer, and everything else? There must be a thief from Montcresia. They must be trying to sabotage the fort. I have to report this.”

As the blacksmith went to look for a knight, Aldred was laughing and giggling as he ran back to the barrack with Pongo.

“What did you do, Aldred?” Bartrem asked, wondering why they were laughing.

Aldred invited them to hide at the back of the barrack. After making sure no one was around, he told Pongo to vomit out everything which he did. Anvil, hammer, tongs, ores, and armor all came out of his stomach which shocked Bartrem, Mary, and everyone there.

“How did you even fit all of this into that little stomach?”

“Pongo pongo.”

“He said that he can even put an entire house in there.”

None of them believed what he said. Even Aldred did not believe the penguin.

After all the tools were out. Aldred grabbed the ores, and burn them with his fire manipulation. His flames were powerful, and soon enough they turned soft as Aldred pounded them over and over again on the anvil.

Bartrem stood nearby wondering if Aldred could really make the armor. Mary on the other hand was amazed at how good Aldred was at pounding that armor. The swing, the force, and the power, all resembled a blacksmith with years of experience. Mira was simply astonished at how the boy lifted the hammer up and down so easily with his strong though small hand.

After a few hours, the armor was done. It was made out of steel and animal skin. Bartrem inspected the armor and pressed the surface a bunch of times. “It’s quite hard.”

He tapped the shoulder paddings and realized that it was properly made.

“This is much better than the armor we usually receive. Aldred, how many can you make in a day?”

“I can make six or seven.”

“Not enough. I will help you in making these armor. In two days we have to produce twenty-three armor.”

“We will help as well,” Joseph and Jeffery stepped forward.

The other soldiers also offered a helping hand. And after stealing a few more anvils, hammers, and other tools, they all worked together to make the armor with Aldred teaching them. Mary tried to make one as well. Mira couldn’t even lift the hammer, so she helped them by bringing food and water.

Night came, but they still pounding on the armor. Some soldiers had been sent by Bartrem to scout for anyone that might want to visit the barrack. Who knew if Pharder wanted to ban them from making their own armor.

They were sleepy, limbs turned weak, yet the hammer still moved above their head and came crashing at the anvil.

Eventually, all of them fell asleep except Bartrem, Jeffery, and Joseph. They made one more armor before their body shut down and fell on the grass.

Mira brought a blanket with her and covered them for warmth. She cast holy golden streams that washed over all of them, helping their body recover much faster. She slept next to Aldred and hugged him.

The next morning, they immediately went to work again. Their ears were filled with the sound of steel clanging against each other along with the sound of flames bursting within the crude furnace they make. Bartrem grabbed an ore with the tongs and pounded it.

Eventually, all of them succeeded in making 24 sets of armor.

They all dropped the hammer and lay on the grass. Their chest went up and down, desperate for air, but their faces were filled with the brightest smile.