“Oi, laddie!”

The messenger’s voice was barely audible over the clanging of metal. As a result, none of the men looked up from their anvils. Frustrated, he was left with no choice but to enter the large smithy.

One by one, he passed by each of the roughly a dozen apprentices. They worked in pairs, a Metal Mage to work the steel and a Fire Mage to work the forge. Smithing pairs, they were called. Each and every one of them was a dwarf with an exceptional affinity. Otherwise, they would never have been allowed to pick up the hammer.

At least, that was true about the first few pairs the messenger passed. At the last anvil in the forge stood a solitary man. However, not having a partner was the least odd thing about him.

For one, he towered over everyone else by at least two heads, being the only human in sight. Even more eye-catching was that he controlled neither fire nor metal. Instead, his anvil was bathed in pervasive darkness that seemed to consume the light.

The messenger chuckled at the sight. It wasn’t too rare for humans to come to their city to curry favor or learn their famed smithing techniques, but it was the first time he had ever seen a Darkness Mage trying to do the same.

Fire Mages? Sure, they had plenty. Metal Mages? Always in demand. But Darkness? No way. Honestly, it might be the least suitable Magic affinity for the task. However, against the odds, the man had managed to make it work. From his initial clumsy attempts, unable to even heat a forge, he had somehow transformed into a passable blacksmith in the months since his arrival in the city.

The messenger couldn't help but chuckle at the striking difference. Initially, the man had appeared impeccably dressed in a suit and tie. Now, seeing him hunched over the anvil, the transformation was remarkable. His once neatly groomed hair now tousled, his clean-shaven face adorned with stubble, and his once rigid posture now relaxed.

“Oi, laddie!” the messenger repeated after arriving next to the human, impatiently staring up at him. Even so, the human didn’t seem to hear him. “DAVID!”

This time, the man became aware of his presence, evident from the casual glance he directed his way. Despite this acknowledgment, he showed no signs of urgency. Instead, he leisurely took a deep drag from his cigar, all the while continuing to refine the blade he was forging on the anvil, focusing on ironing out its final imperfections.

The messenger waited for David to set his hammer aside. He wasn’t annoyed by the human’s attitude. Such behavior was typical among smiths, who prioritized the quality of their work over any minor interruption or disturbance.

"What is it?" David inquired, his deep voice coming out slightly hoarse. Yet, this was likely not from overuse but from not using it at all. It reminded the messenger of a creaky door that had not been oiled in a long time. Many of the smiths suffered from this quirk. Some of them went for months without speaking, at least the ones that were any good.

“There’s a letter for ya,” the messenger said, holding out an ornate piece of parchment.

David raised a brow, making no move to take the proffered letter. Instead, he threw his burned-out cigar into a metal container and took a new one out of the opened box on a nearby chair. “I can’t imagine you’d disturb me just for that?”

“Normally, you’d be right, laddie,” the messenger admitted. “However, it’s from that Ezekiel fella. Said you’d want to be notified if a letter came?”

The moment the messenger said that name, David’s hand shook, almost burning his face while trying to light the new cigar. Before the man could even ask if he was okay, David had already snatched the letter from his hands.

“Thank you,” David said while continuing to stare at the messenger. The man nodded and turned. This was a clear dismissal, and he wasn’t tactless enough to pry into another man’s business.

The moment the messenger left, David ripped open the letter and started to read what his young lord had written.

Dear David,

I hope this letter finds you in good health.

I was pleased to hear that you managed to fit into your new surroundings and that you even got an apprenticeship. From what I have heard, such an appointment is a great honor among the dwarfs and certainly not a position you could have gotten without great personal effort…