The village fires burned low that night, the people huddled in their homes after the tense encounter with Serpenta's raiders. A quiet unease lingered in the air, though it was softened by the presence of Spartan sentries moving like shadows along the ridges.
Leonidas stood near the forge, the rhythmic sound of Kaelen's hammer ringing faintly. Sparks leapt into the darkness with each strike, illuminating the young man's face—a mask of thought more than determination.
"You didn't strike them down outright," Kaelen said without looking up. His words were sharp but curious. "You could have ended the threat in one move."
Leonidas watched the sparks fade into the night. "If I had, what would you have learned?"
Kaelen finally looked at him, eyes narrowed. "That you're strong enough to end them."
"And if tomorrow another band comes, and another after that? Would you still wait for me to swing the blade each time?" Leonidas asked quietly. "Strength wins battles. But strategy wins peace."
Kaelen paused, his hammer still in his hand. The firelight caught his profile, his youthful arrogance tempered by thought. "You're saying restraint teaches more than destruction."
"I'm saying every action shapes how others see you—and how they see themselves," Leonidas replied. "You saw today that your people stood firm because they had an example. If you'd fought without purpose, they would have only learned fear. Fear doesn't hold a shield wall. Respect does."
---
Theron approached, lowering his voice as he glanced at Kaelen. "The boy is listening. He doesn't admit it, but he's starting to measure himself against you."
Leonidas gave a slight nod. "Good. But we don't push. Trust grows slowly, like the tempering of iron."
Kaelen, overhearing, muttered with a smirk, "Iron bends when struck enough times."
"True," Leonidas said. "But it breaks if not tempered carefully. You're strong, Kaelen. But raw strength is wasted without direction."
The boy turned back to his forge, though his strikes were slower, thoughtful now.
Kaelen: Strength 8, Agility 9, Intelligence 10, Luck 55, Potential SSS, Loyalty 53%
---
The next day, Serpenta's forces returned in smaller groups, probing the Spartans' defenses. Leonidas gave orders calmly, countering each move without unnecessary force.
Marcus, watching the maneuvers, muttered, "You're baiting them into overconfidence."
"Exactly," Leonidas replied. "A serpent strikes harder when it thinks you're vulnerable. Then you cut off its head."
Kaelen observed from the forge again, but this time his hands were still. He studied not just the Spartans' discipline, but how Leonidas anticipated each move, striking only when necessary, never wasting effort.
By sunset, the Serpenta raiders withdrew once more, confused and frustrated, their morale fractured by invisible chains of strategy they couldn't break.
---
That evening, Kaelen approached Leonidas directly. His tone was cautious but earnest.
"You don't fight like the others I've seen," he admitted. "Most men swing until they fall, or until their enemy does. But you…" He hesitated, searching for the words. "…you guide the fight, like the hammer guides the iron."
Leonidas allowed a faint smile. "And what does that tell you?"
Kaelen's gaze flickered to the Spartan soldiers, still at their posts, calm and unwavering. "That maybe there's more to strength than I thought."
Loyalty shifted again, subtle but undeniable.
Kaelen: Loyalty 58%
---
As the forge crackled and the night deepened, Leonidas knew this was only the beginning. Trust had to be built strike by strike, test by test. And Kaelen—like iron—would need time and heat to reveal his true form.
But when he did, Leonidas had no doubt: the boy would become a weapon sharper and stronger than any blade forged by mortal hands.