The Hidden Mountain Territory really has no idea what to do with the railway, and they don’t even know that not long ago a war swept across the entire continent.
After all, the terrain of the Hidden Mountain Territory is rugged and transportation is inconvenient, plus there are little resources and no access to the sea. Therefore, neither the Avars nor the Demon Clan are interested in this barren land within the territory of An Zhu. Added to this, despite being located within An Zhu, it is at a delicate distance from the homeland of dragons, so the only impression the Hidden Mountain Territory has of that war is the few streaks of white light that fell from the sky.
At that time, this was considered a miracle in the Hidden Mountain Territory, but that was all.
The lord of the Hidden Mountain Territory and the members of the church, who were appointed even before Alberto’s bloody coup, have not changed since then. If it weren’t for the occasional dispatch of the lord’s people to procure supplies from other nearby territories, they wouldn’t even be aware of the bloody coup.
Larsen is the only blacksmith in the Hidden Mountain Territory. He was originally not the only one, but because Larsen’s skills are so exceptional, the other blacksmiths found it hard to compete and all changed their professions to do other jobs.
Although there are people around, there are still many women secretly watching Larsen. Women of similar ages as Larsen and younger girls in their teens are all secretly observing Larsen forging iron around the blacksmith’s shop.
Although they say they are being secretive, lately they have become increasingly bold, with some daring village girls directly teasing Larsen.
The attraction lies not only in the fact that Larsen is the only blacksmith in the Hidden Mountain Territory, but also in his muscular physique, which can be considered a divine presence in a place where people are typically malnourished. Not to mention the often melancholic expression on Larsen’s face and the distinctive presence he exudes in all his movements.
Additionally, with Larsen’s mysterious past, many speculate that he may have once worked for a wealthy family, one even larger than the lord.
Some even speculate that Larsen might have been a noble himself, but this theory is only believed by the most innocent young girls in the Hidden Mountain Territory. Although Larsen’s aura is indeed different, his blacksmithing skills are undeniable. Even if memory has faded, he still remembers how to forge, and in the eyes of the people of the Hidden Mountain Territory, only someone who relied on this skill in the past would remember it so clearly.
Thus, the answer becomes evident: Larsen was likely once a dedicated blacksmith for some grand lord’s family, passing down the trade through generations. This can explain why Larsen’s demeanor is so distinct and why he possesses such a strong physique. It also explains why, when he picks up a hammer or tongs, he instinctively knows what to do.
This is a memory etched in his muscles. Even if his mind forgets, his body still remembers the craft.
Larsen even feels that this skill was taught to him by his family, perhaps by his father, who told him that should he fall into hard times, he could rely on this craft for food. Little did he know it would be needed.
“Hey! Larsen, there’s a response from the lord. He wants you to come over!”
Upon hearing someone shout this, Larsen paused his forging and called out, “Got it,” before tidying up his blacksmith shop and preparing to head to the lord’s estate.
Just as the subjects say, Larsen is not a native of the Hidden Mountain Territory. He was found by the lord’s daughter when the lord sent someone to procure supplies some years ago.
Because the found clothing had vague letters, he was dubbed “Larsen,” a name that rings close enough to the original pronunciation, and thus the villagers called him Larsen.
Larsen only remembers coming to An Zhu with a smuggling merchant. He seems to not be from An Zhu, but who in this mountain village cares? Even if they did, Larsen only thought of himself as a blacksmith. After all, once he picks up a hammer, he knows exactly what to do, and the iron he forges is the best in the Hidden Mountain Territory, even somewhat renowned. When he just arrived in the Hidden Mountain Territory, the lord even made a profit from the iron products he made. But who cares where a blacksmith comes from?
Perhaps he encountered thieves on the road, was knocked out, and lost his memory along the way, or maybe he strayed from his hometown due to the war, his head damaged on the battlefield, ultimately being lost here with the smuggling merchants. Who knows?
According to the villagers, there are many such people, enough that even in the remote Hidden Mountain Territory, there are plenty who came over like Larsen. Even Larsen himself is unaware. He just keeps forging iron; at least that provides him food.
By relying on forging, Larsen gradually led a peaceful life, feeling that this would be his life.
At least that is what he thought before seeing that white light.
“You say you want to go to Cape?”
Rubin, the lord of the Hidden Mountain Territory, looked at the blacksmith who had sought him out earlier.
“Do you expect me to lend you a large sum for your travel expenses?”
The somewhat overweight Rubin stroked his goatee, looking at the blacksmith and said, “That won’t do. You’ve gone to Cape, so how do you plan to repay me?”
Larsen said, “I’ve remembered some of my memories. Once I return to my hometown in Cape, I will certainly send someone to repay you. If you don’t believe me, I can mortgage my blacksmith shop and the land to you.”
In fact, it’s not just some memories; Larsen has recalled everything. It may be due to having taken care of himself these past few years, or perhaps it is truly the white light that descended from the sky that triggered some miracle, leading Larsen to desire to see the outside world. This longing, combined with his recovering body, allowed his brain to recall all memories.
He originally named Connor Lars. His father is a grand lord of the Northern Border, and he has four lovely children. Now, he must return to Cape to inherit the position of grand lord.
However, stating this would make everyone in the Hidden Mountain Territory consider him insane. Even if they truly believed him, they would probably just report it to other nobles in An Zhu. Larsen rubbed his arm; that assassination attempt and the magical artifact had seemingly left him with deep aftereffects. Plus, having regained his memories, he hadn’t used his professional skills for a long time, so his strength was likely reduced to less than thirty percent of its peak.
Larsen doesn’t know what the current situation outside is like. He has been in this Hidden Mountain village for about seven years, but he doesn’t even know what is happening in An Zhu currently, let alone in Cape.
Is his father still alive? What about his children? Is the position of grand lord still reserved for him? All of these are unknown.
At that time, Larsen had already discovered traces of the Augustine royal family’s conspiracy, and that was why he became a target for assassination.
Since he was unable to relay the information, Larsen could only tacitly accept that the Augustine family’s machinations and schemes had succeeded. Although his tracking might have alerted his father and delayed things, he has already been in hiding for too long. His presence likely only throws the Lars family into further chaos.
Larsen worries that by the time he returns to Cape, he will find that the Northern Border has already fallen into Augustus III’s schemes, the entire Lars family in disarray, his children scattered, and brothers fighting against one another.
However, given that the Lars family is such a large clan, Augustus III could not possibly wipe them all out, so Larsen felt that he would still be able to find his relatives when he returns to Cape.
Larsen sighed deeply, unsure of how his relatives are faring. Surely they couldn’t have all been wiped out by the Augustines, could they?
(The last day of 2024 is coming to an end, so I’d like to wish everyone an early happy New Year. May 2025 bring more joy, health, and happiness. Let’s say goodbye to regrets and welcome new beginnings. However, I doubt anyone is still reading novels at midnight, haha. But if there is, I thank you for your love of novels. Let’s raise a toast and drink a cup together with all my fellow readers. Happy New Year.)
