Evercrag Industrial District, Afternoon
The Evercrag industrial district was filled with the sound of metal clanking and hammers striking steel. The atmosphere in front of the Granholm Shop was lively and warm, with the scent of hot metal and iron grease filling the air.
As soon as the large steel door opened, they were greeted by the sight of shelves filled with weapons. Sharpened short swords, long spears, and even large warhammers lined the walls neatly.
Liam nearly jumped for joy at the sight.
"Wow, look at this! Look at this, Master Damian!" he exclaimed, holding up a small sword. "This is excellent quality! Can you order custom ones?"
The shop owner, a stocky dwarf with a neatly combed gray beard, approached with a friendly smile. "Welcome to Granholm. We accept custom orders, both for kingdoms and individuals," he said in a deep but polite voice.
Liam immediately wandered around like a child in a toy store, asking about the metal material, the weight of the weapon, and the possibility of engraving a name on the blade. Tessa also examined several spears with sparkling eyes, while Rin held a small, miniature sword-shaped ornament displayed in a display cabinet.
Meanwhile, Damian walked slowly through the room. His gaze stopped on a single object on the wall: a large axe with a leather handle and a dark metal blade. On the edge of the axe blade, a small, carved pattern looked very familiar.
Damian's eyes narrowed. He recognized the pattern. He had seen it on the battlefield, in the hands of Velgrin's men, months ago. It was a simple pattern, but enough to jog his memory.
He swallowed slowly, then looked at the shop owner.
"I wanted to ask," he said quietly, "does this shop ever receive orders from outside the kingdom?"
The dwarf eyed him suspiciously. "Orders from outside the Evercrag kingdom?"
Damian continued slowly. "Yes. Probably from someone named... Velgrin."
The smile on the dwarf's face immediately vanished. His hand, which had been busy polishing the blade, suddenly stopped. "Velgrin?" he repeated softly. He swallowed hard, then quickly replied, "Sorry, sir. We only handle official orders from the kingdom."
The shop suddenly fell silent. The workers began packing up their belongings, closing the weapon cases, and averting their gazes.
"Oh, this… we'll quickly pack it for Lord Liam," the dwarf said hurriedly, looking at Liam, who was still busy selecting a sword.
"Eh? But I haven't chosen a good one yet!" Liam protested in disappointment.
Tessa turned to Damian, her brow furrowed. "Why are they suddenly in such a hurry? Did you see anything?"
Damian glanced at the wall where the axe hung, then back at Tessa. His voice was calm, but his eyes were sharp. "I don't know," he said simply. "Maybe it was just a misunderstanding."
But deep down, he knew something was wrong. Velgrin's name alone was enough to make the atmosphere in the shop tense.
Outside the Shop, Evening
As soon as he left the shop, Liam immediately grumbled. "Damn it! I came all this way to look at swords, and instead I was given a lousy one and told to go home early," he grumbled, staring at the small pouch in his hand.
Damian remained calmly walking ahead, while Rin and Tessa followed behind.
Liam finally turned around. "Master Damian, I just heard… you mention the name Velgrin, didn't you?"
Damian nodded slowly. "Yes. As soon as I said that name, the shop owner's face changed. His reaction was suspicious."
Rin bit her lip, deep in thought. "I spoke briefly with the vendor in the corner of the market earlier. He said Granholm is indeed the main weapons supplier for the Evercrag Kingdom's army. But I also heard… rumors about his past."
Damian turned around. "What kind of rumors?"
Rin looked at them one by one before answering. "Some say he used to be a nobody. He wasn't a noble, not even a weapons maker. They say he was a slave in the mines of the Kingdom of Auris Vale, but a major incident led to his banishment."
Tessa frowned. "Banished? From the mines of Auris Vale?"
Rin nodded. "Yes. And they say he hated the nobility of Auris Vale ever since. No one knows for sure why."
Liam glared. "A dwarf? Banished, and now a royal weapons maker? That's insane."
Damian stopped walking, gazing out into the industrial district, which was beginning to be shrouded in evening shadows. "If all that's true," he said quietly, "then Granholm has a past he's hiding. And if he really has a connection to Velgrin…"
He looked at his three friends. "We need to find out more. But without proof, we can't just make accusations."
Tessa crossed her arms. "So, what's next?"
Damian tucked his hands into his coat pockets. "Let's start where rumors tend to spread fastest."
Liam looked at him curiously. "You mean…?"
Damian stared at the afternoon sun slowly setting behind the roof of the stone building and said. "Tavern."
Night, Granholm's Closed Shop
Granholm's shop was deserted. Inside, only the dim light of the still-burning fireplace illuminated the room full of weapons, casting long shadows on the stone walls. The fire crackled softly, accompanying the heavy silence.
Granholm sat in a large chair in the shop's living room, holding a cup of hot drink. Steam curled in the cool air. He stared at the waning flames and took a deep breath. "Sooner or later… everything will come to light," he said softly.
His eyes stared at the fire, and his thoughts slowly drifted back to the past, to a place he could never truly forget.
He could still hear the screams in the mine shafts, the crack of whips, and the smell of blood mixed with metal. The guards beat him relentlessly, while his body was forced to work in the darkness. His family was gone, murdered by a nobleman who had never been punished.
One day, he chose to fight back. He killed the nobleman with his own hands. In retaliation, he was severely punished and banished from the kingdom of Auris Vale.
Years passed, and he traveled until he arrived in the Kingdom of Evercrag, slowly starting his own life from the bottom. One day, someone came to him, a man in a black robe, with an offer that could change his life.
"If you seek revenge, we can help," he said flatly. "You make weapons for us, and we will give you the power and freedom to do whatever you want."
Granholm accepted the offer without hesitation. From that day on, he forged weapons for that mysterious group, weapons that were sold on the black market and also to the shadow empire's forces. From there, his name began to be known. From a mine slave, he rose to become the greatest weapons maker in Evercrag.
However, behind this success lay a secret he never revealed. Granholm was the weapons supplier to the Demon Lord's army and also to Velgrin.
Granholm opened his eyes slowly, staring at the dying flames. His breathing was heavy.
"They will all know. This world must feel the same fear I once did," he said.
However, his mind was troubled. A few days after news of Velgrin's defeat spread, he received a mysterious message from someone.
'Velgrin failed. The children of Zephyrus defeated him. Be careful, they are more dangerous than they seem.'
Granholm clenched his fists. The cup in his grip cracked. "Damn," he said quietly. "I didn't expect them to find me so soon."
His gaze shifted to the large axe hanging on the wall of the axe shop, carved with the same carvings as those used by Velgrin's followers.
Granholm stood up, banging his fist on the table. "No matter what… my plan must succeed."
Outside, the night wind blew fiercely, bringing the first snow of the new season. The Evercrag nobles' feast was just days away, and Granholm had decided there was no turning back.