Black Iron and Earth

An hour after Scarlett left, Cecia belatedly realized just how desperately short of money her household was.

She really should have swallowed her pride and asked Scarlett for a loan earlier... It was too late to chase after her now, and she couldn't exactly march up to the gates of the Roland estate to ask for money. When Scarlett had offered to help, she should have just come clean.

Regret was useless anyway. If nothing else, simply revealing her dual elemental affinities and talents would have the high-and-mighty lords of the Church and the Mage Towers scrambling to recruit her. Keeping herself fed and clothed would be trivial. But a person carrying a treasure invites trouble; exposing her trump cards before gaining enough strength to protect herself was far too dangerous.

Although the only spell she possessed was Fireball Lv. 1, and she hadn't practiced it properly, she at least had her 【Enhanced Learning Ability】 talent. Even if she couldn't make leaps and bounds overnight, learning faster than ordinary people was definitely manageable.

The top priority right now was making money.

Cecia needed a job, and it would be even better if someone was willing to invest in her.

There were quite a few high-level merchant guilds in this world: "The Stars," which specialized in potions; "Black Iron and Earth," which focused on forging; and "Fey Whisper," which concentrated on carving and enchanting. Having developed alongside rich mineral resources, Asgard had the most mature iron ore and forging industries.

Cecia decided to try her luck at the Black Iron and Earth workshop.

On the way to the workshop, she calculated her bargaining chips in her mind: Light Element Affinity, Fire Element Affinity, and a knack for casting Fireball—Black Iron and Earth would never reject an artisan who could precisely control fire. Even if she didn't know how to forge iron, starting as an apprentice should be fine, right? After all, she learned quickly.

This was Cecia's first time stepping inside the forging workshop of Black Iron and Earth. The surroundings were pitch-black, with scrap metal parts scattered messily across the ground. Walking deeper inside, several burly men were swinging heavy, black hammers, striking glowing-red iron billets again and again.

Clang—

Sparks flew in all directions.

For thousands of years, the art of forging had been the exclusive domain of dwarves. However, with the rise of humanity and the cultural integration brought by trade routes, humans had gradually mastered the craft. Today, humanity possessed two legendary forge masters; though still outmatched by the dwarves' five, they showed a strong momentum of catching up from behind.

A skilled trade meant one would never starve. Cecia felt her talents were a perfect fit for this line of work.

She quickly found the person in charge of the front desk. The man was sloppily dressed, unshaven, and sprawled out on a bench, swaying lazily while carelessly flipping through a novel.

Cecia stepped forward and asked tentatively, “Mr. Raven, I wanted to ask if you're hiring any apprentices or shop hands? I'd like to try...”

Raven acted as if he hadn't heard her, continuing to flip through his book.

A moment later, he set the book down and asked slowly in a deep, raspy voice, “Oh? Little girl, do you have any extraordinary skills?”

A standard interview question. Cecia was no stranger to interviews in her past life and was already a seasoned workplace veteran. Times like these called for a bit of resume embellishment to maximize her chances.

“Of course. I master an ancestral forging technique. Don't let my young age fool you; I understand the ins and outs of the craft completely,” Cecia spouted absolute nonsense without batting an eye.

If it were an ordinary refugee girl, Raven would have shooed her away long ago. But hearing the word "ancestral," he raised his bushy eyebrows and decided to give the girl before him a chance.

“Little lady, why don't you show me a trick or two then?”

Though Cecia had never touched a blacksmithing hammer in her past life, she had watched plenty of episodes of 《Forged in Fire》 during dinner. Even if she hadn't eaten pork, she had certainly seen pigs run, hadn't she? Combined with the physical endurance the original owner gained from herding sheep and the theoretical knowledge learned at the academy, Cecia intended to display her abilities in full.

Raven's requirement was very basic: forge a simple hunting knife using ready-made forged steel stock.

A qualified member of Black Iron and Earth needed to independently master a series of processes, including purification, forging, shaping, and enchanting. Raven's standards weren't high; as long as Cecia could complete a crude magical forge using processed steel and carve a basic enchantment pattern, it would suffice.

Inside the dark smithy, Cecia summoned Fireball, relying on her Light and Fire Element Affinities to precisely control the heat inside the furnace.

She heated the iron material until it glowed red.

Next came hammering it into shape. Cecia clumsily swung the hammer, striking repeatedly to force it into the intended shape while simultaneously channeling mental power into it.

Magical forging involved injecting mana and mental power while striking, creating a deep resonance with the metal to enhance the weapon's quality. This posed an immense test to one's mental power and physical stamina. Fortunately, early this morning, Cecia's Meditation had already leveled up to Lv. 3, leaving her with abundant mental power.

Textbooks stated that the ability to use magical forging was the dividing line between ordinary blacksmiths and magical artisans. Cecia was brimming with confidence, wondering if she really was a one-in-a-million blacksmithing prodigy.

However, the moment the hammer struck, the feeling changed entirely.

Rather than hammering, it felt more like wrestling a living creature! Cecia instantly got a sense of déjà vu, remembering how a group of people back home during the New Year had to pin down a wild boar together.

The famous alchemy classic 《Record of Gold and Jade》 had posited that all metals possessed life. Cecia hadn't expected this resistance to be so formidable, requiring a mind of steel to temper it down. The difficulty was comparable to riding an enraged wild boar for three hours without falling off, while simultaneously reading through a thick volume of world literature.

She could only rely on her intense concentration and gentle flames, grinding away the metal's volatility bit by bit like a crawling turtle.

Exercising extreme caution, any minor misstep could ruin everything she had accomplished.

After a long while, the knife was finally hammered into shape. Cecia had completed the first forging process of her life.

A system notification immediately popped up in her mind:

【Congratulations to the host for acquiring skill: Forge Equipment Lv. 1】

【Forge Equipment 1/200 Lv. 1】

Just as Cecia picked up the carving knife to attempt enchanting, Raven interrupted her.

“Forgive me, Miss Cecia, but let me interrupt. In truth, you don't have any ancestral craft, do you? Your forging technique is truly dreadful.”

Raven snorted unceremoniously, “This is the worst forging I've ever seen! Look at these terrible magic circuits, your abysmal hammer strikes, and that limp resonance. Good grief, little girl, is this the forging technique your family takes pride in? Is this the result of your painstaking study?”

This was the plain truth. When Cecia swung the hammer, she had no idea how to generate, leverage, or absorb force; it was pure, chaotic bashing. Coupled with her slender frame, it was already quite an accomplishment that she managed to beat it into the shape of a knife.

Cecia silently endured Raven's sharp tongue without panicking in the slightest. Since the skill had already entered her panel, she would be able to adjust rapidly given just one more chance.

“Admit it, your family has no forging technique whatsoever,” Raven said coldly, before suddenly shifting his tone. “However, the fire control you displayed earlier was genuinely impressive. That's the only reason this trash blade didn't end up completely ruined.”

Cecia snapped her head up, hope flaring in her eyes.

“You possess exceptionally high Light and Fire Element Affinities, and even elemental resistances. You're good material for learning forging.” Raven pulled another piece of iron stock from a cabinet and tossed it onto the anvil. “Next, I'll teach you once myself. If your performance passes muster, you'll be allowed to join Black Iron and Earth.”

Cecia marveled inward—as expected of a veteran artisan in Asgard, his eyes were sharp indeed.

The lesson began immediately.

For the next three hours, the rhythmic clanging of metal against metal echoed continuously from deep within the workshop.

Cecia began her second forging attempt. Sweating profusely, her arms grew sore and numb. Though she had grasped the technique, her physical strength was draining rapidly.

However, her 【Enhanced Learning Ability】 talent was operating at full capacity.

【Forging Exp +1】

【Forging Exp +1】

Raven was astonished to discover that the girl's comprehension was shockingly high, making her look like a completely different person from the layperson who didn't know a thing about forging moments ago. With just a subtle hint, she could fully grasp intricate details, even mastering several techniques without instruction.

The second forging was soon drawing to a close. Cecia was pleasantly surprised to find that her mental power could fully support the high-intensity mana injection. Was this the benefit of having a high Meditation level? I really am amazing! Cecia gloated secretly.

Clang, clang, clang!

The final three hammer strikes fell crisp and clear, followed by the crucial steps of quenching and polishing.

A brand-new hunting knife was neatly completed!

It was still a portable dagger, but its blade exhibited smooth, symmetrical lines, faintly glowing with a subtle azure light, its magical circuit stable and reserved—a fully qualified magical item.

Enchantment effect: Bloodless. Blood would not stain the blade's surface; a gentle flick was all it took to slide off completely. Though it was the most basic minor enchantment, no glaring flaws could be found in the dagger's overall quality.

“This one isn't half bad. It's hard to imagine both daggers came from the same hands. The lines are smooth, the sharpness high, and the magic resonance is steady.” Raven scrutinized her suspiciously. “Miss Cecia, you weren't playing dumb just to pull my leg earlier, were you?”

“And the mental power you displayed just now... has your Meditation level already reached Lv. 3?”

Cecia's heart stirred slightly. This Raven was no simpleton—in just a few exchanges, he had already deduced most of her background.

“I'm just exceptionally gifted!” Cecia declared righteously, hands on her hips.

Her words made Raven blow his mustache and glare at her: “Arrogant brat! You're still far off compared to me in my youth!”

“I really am exceptionally gifted. I've never properly learned blacksmithing before. If you don't believe me, you can ask my neighbors. I have no reason to lie to you, sir.”

“Hmph, even so, it's not enough. You must at least independently master enchanting. Carve one for me to see right now.” Raven still refused to relent easily.

“Mr. Raven! I'm completely destitute right now. If you help me out today, I will definitely repay you twofold in the future! Just consider it an advance investment for Cecia's exceptional talent.”

Raven tapped his fingers lightly on the tabletop, falling into thought. Taking on a novice apprentice was within the rules, but hiring her directly as a regular employee...

“You brat... you really make things difficult.” Raven stroked his chin, his expression softening slightly.

“Earlier really was my first time forging. Give me two more chances, sir, and I'll definitely produce a qualified enchantment.”

Raven circled Cecia twice before suddenly stopping. “First, let me verify your Meditation level. Relying purely on the naked eye isn't reliable enough.”

“How should I cooperate?”

“Reach out your hand and inject mana into the necklace I'm holding.”

Cecia did as bidden, channeling a wisp of mana into the pendant. The crystal immediately lit up with a pure, light-blue light, devoid of any impurities.

Raven stared at it for a moment before waving his hand like a deflated balloon.

The natural talent Cecia displayed threw him into a dilemma—geniuses ought to receive preferential treatment, but he had just given her a harsh scolding moments ago. Turning around to praise her now would make him look like a blind fool.

“Fine, fine, you pass. We'll skip the enchantment test to save time.” Raven waved his hand impatiently. “Report here tomorrow morning. It's piece-rate pay—the more you work, the more you earn.”

Pausing, he muttered another sentence, “If it weren't for the recent commotion caused by the Abyss in the lower district creating an urgent shortage of hands and weapons in the city... forget it.”

“Congratulations on becoming an artisan of the Black Iron and Earth Asgard branch. Your status is a novice employee. Here, sign the contract.”

Raven had someone bring over a parchment contract. After carefully checking to make sure there were no predatory terms, Cecia neatly signed her name: Cecia Laplace.

Afterward, a black iron badge engraved with the pattern of a black hammer was handed to her.

This was indeed an excellent job: it allowed her to temper her mental power while practicing Fireball through forging, and most importantly, it brought in real silver and gold.

At dusk on her second day after transmigrating into this world, Cecia had finally secured a livelihood for herself.

The setting sun slowly sank below the horizon.