Klein finished reading the parchment, his eyes narrowing slightly before lifting his gaze to Arthur. His tone was calm, measured, but carried a trace of genuine curiosity.
"This task… it should be simple enough to arrange. Once I leave, I'll assign it to the man best suited for the work. It won't take long to set things in motion."
His fingers tapped once against the desk, betraying his calculation, before he added with quiet hesitation:
"Your Majesty, if I may…" Klein paused, as though weighing whether he was overstepping. Then he pressed on. "Why do you wish to organize a blacksmithing competition? Small contests, yes—we've had them before. But never something of this scale. And to offer such a prize…"
He exhaled softly, his brow furrowing as he did the numbers in his head.
"Twenty-five gold coins for first place, with forty in total prizes… not even counting the hosting and other costs. Forgive my bluntness, but isn't this excessive?"
