Just a short while ago, an apprentice scholar had declared that Baron Leech Clarence—the new heir to his late father's castle—had little more than a day to live. Fortunately, the apprentice added, Baron Leech would be able to pass the last moments of his life in a painless coma.
After his passing, Baron Leech's younger brother, Leo Clarence, would inherit the barony and the dilapidated Porcupine Castle. And when Leo, in turn, returned to the embrace of the Four Gods, he would pass the title and fiefdom on to his eldest son, ensuring the Clarence line would continue forever.
That was, of course, assuming Baron Leech actually died.

'So, what is that yellow dot?'
'My golden finger is summoning tombstones? Am I supposed to crush people to death with them?'


Inside the simple, red-bricked factory walls, the water-powered trip-hammer pounded without rest.


A young man, his cheeks flushed red from the heat of the forge, used a pair of tongs to pull a glowing Iron Ingot from the coals. Gripping the ingot, he strained with both hands, the veins on his arms bulging. Holding his breath, he trotted back to his workstation.


The red-hot piece of iron was clamped onto the anvil.


The water-powered trip-hammer rose, then smashed down.


The massive hammer, which tests had shown could dent an iron ball in an instant, crashed onto the glowing Iron Ingot, sending out a sea of sparks. For a moment, the young man seemed to be submerged in a fiery red lake. But in the blink of an eye, the sparks died out, leaving only a few red marks on his skin.


Chapter 128 - Chapter 127: The First Suit of Armor is Ready