The reason for taking a step back was not simply because he feared the price of defiance.
Hendrick, who believed in standing firm for what he thought was right, now realized the mistake he had made.
"Hendrick, Hendrick. What on earth have you done?" In that moment, memories from the past came rushing back.
Even the master blacksmith known as Hendrick had once been an apprentice.
Back then, it was not a sense of duty as a blacksmith that drove him, but the need to make a living.
He worked tirelessly day and night, eager to establish himself as a proper blacksmith as soon as possible.
Beatings were a common occurrence.
While Dmitri had abolished such cruel practices, there was not a day during Hendrick's apprenticeship when his body was free of bruises.
One day, a mercenary came to the forge.
Just stepping into manhood, the mercenary brought only a single silver coin and asked to buy a sword.
"I know I lack the funds to purchase a decent sword. But this is all I have, and if you sell me a sword, I will repay you many times over in the future. I have a family to support. With nothing but my strong body, I need a weapon to earn money."
Such requests were common.
Those without land to farm or special skills often relied solely on their physical strength to become mercenaries.
The blacksmith master was not a man of compassion, so he cursed the mercenary and chased him out of the forge.
The mercenary's back as he left was truly pitiful.
Seeing the burden of his family on his slumped shoulders, Hendrick could not just stand by.
Secretly, he followed the mercenary.
Without asking for anything in return, he gave the mercenary the first sword he had made, without the master knowing.
Hendrick felt happiness.
Seeing the mercenary tearfully express his gratitude, he thought that this might be the true joy of being a blacksmith.
It was the first moment he felt pride in his profession, and upon returning to the forge, he became absorbed in the desire to create even better swords.
However, a month later, when he faced the mercenary's corpse, Hendrick felt as if the world was collapsing around him.
Behind the grieving family, people spoke of how the mercenary had died.
"They say he was killed while on a guard duty for the merchant guild. Tsk, tsk, poor fellow. If only his sword hadn’t broken while facing a band of thieves, he could have returned alive like the others. That’s why you need to use good weapons."
"Right? Everyone else is fine, but he’s the only one who died."
Hendrick's heart sank.
His hands and feet trembled.
What he thought was a kind act had led to the death of a mercenary.
He felt a deep sense of shame.
Only then did he understand why the master had said it was too early for him.
But no matter how much he regretted it, he could not turn back the reality before him.
For a time, Hendrick lived like a shell of his former self.
If not for the help of his friend, Baron Romero, he would not have returned to the forge.
In his pain, Hendrick vowed never to repeat such a mistake again, and thus he overcame his painful past and grew into Master Blacksmith.
Yet now, he had made the same mistake again.
Out of a careless mindset, thinking that he would not start a war over this just because he disliked Roman, Hendrick briefly forgot his past mistakes and repeated the countless regrets he had felt before.
"How pathetic."
There was no excuse.
For whatever reason, as Roman pointed out, innocent people had nearly died because of the trash he had handed over.
He swallowed his words.
He did not make excuses.
If Roman chose to punish him, whether it was the price of defiance or another form of punishment, he was prepared to accept it.
"I will bear the consequences of my actions."
"Master!" The blacksmiths were taken aback by Hendrick's words.
They could not accept the current situation.
To them, Hendrick was their sky; he could not be punished by someone like Roman Dmitri.
The sword's hilt was held by Roman.
Hendrick looked up at Roman, waiting for his punishment.
In that moment, their eyes met.
"If you truly regret your mistake, I will not press the matter further. Let us return to the main topic. I know that Master Hendrick is a great blacksmith. Therefore, I ask you to equip thirty soldiers with weapons."
Roman's words.
Once again, his unexpected statement caused Hendrick's pupils to widen.
It was absurd.
Just moments ago, Roman had acted as if he would devour him, and now, when he had the upper hand, he did not even seek responsibility.
Roman understood.
Hendrick knew how difficult it was to admit a mistake in front of his subordinates.
"Everyone makes mistakes. If that mistake can be rectified, one can earn another chance through the act of repentance."
The tale of the weeping execution of Ma Su was a judgment made when the mistake was absolutely unforgivable.
It was different now.
Hendrick had a grudge against Roman and had acted out of petty revenge without considering the consequences of his actions.
If he had shown no remorse, it could have been deemed malicious, but at least Hendrick knew right from wrong.
"Punishment and reward must not be clouded by emotions."
This was the ironclad rule of Baek Jung-hyeok, and he had always acted according to that principle.
Roman spoke.
"As I mentioned earlier, I do not believe Master Hendrick intended to defy me. It is likely due to your resentment towards me, and I fully understand that feeling. Therefore, I hope we can bury both of our mistakes here. All I desire is a sword and armor to protect my soldiers' lives."
It was a mix of the whip and the carrot.
After swinging the whip until his skin turned red, Roman cleverly presented the carrot.
Hendrick was once again impressed by Roman's demeanor.
"Roman has changed."
He had heard rumors.
Especially with this recruitment of soldiers, he was somewhat aware of the surrounding opinions that he had truly changed.
But seeing it firsthand was different.
Hendrick, who had been trying to ignore the truth, now saw Roman's true self.
He was different from before.
The once frail and dull-eyed Roman had become a robust man, and the charisma emanating from his sharp gaze made Hendrick's heart tremble.
It was not just a change in appearance.
Roman seemed like a completely different person, so much so that he hardly resembled his past self.
How was this possible? There were still traces of the fool known as Dmitri, but he could not be compared to the Roman of that time.
His prejudices had peeled away a layer.
He acknowledged it.
Roman had changed, and today’s events were his own mistake.
He could not forgive himself for having handed over trash due to petty emotions after regretting his past countless times.
Hendrick said, "…Once again, I apologize for this incident. I will never repeat such a mistake again, no matter what happens. And as a gesture of apology, I will prepare the finest iron that Dmitri boasts of for the weapons and armor for your soldiers."
After the uproar settled, Roman agreed to receive the items later and left the forge.
During this process, he learned about Hendrick's circumstances through another blacksmith.
"The sword that young master Roman stole that day was Master Hendrick's masterpiece. It took six months just to conceive, and he spent three months living in the forge to complete that fine work. So it is only natural that he would be furious for having sold it for a pittance to a street vendor. What truly angers Master Hendrick is not that young master Roman stole and sold it, but that his masterpiece was sold for a pittance without finding its rightful owner."
It made sense.
Hendrick's anger was understandable.
He knew that his actions were contrary to the spirit of craftsmanship, yet he had thrown trash at Roman.
The past Roman had truly crossed the line.
An unforgivable mistake.
Perhaps that was why, before leaving for the last time, Hendrick said to Roman, "I do not completely forgive you for this incident. I will grant your request because I was wrong, but I still cannot accept that the heir of the Dmitri family is neglecting the forge. Remember this: the foundation of the Dmitri family lies in the forge. If the day comes when you create even a single sword of trash with your own hands, that may be the opportunity for me to see you again."
Hendrick was stubborn.
Although he had peeled away a layer of prejudice through this incident, he did not recognize Roman as the heir of Dmitri.
However, Hendrick had also made one misjudgment.
"The Roman Dmitri that Hendrick remembers was a fool who had no interest in the forge. A piece of trash who ignored the family's foundation and only indulged in pleasure. I can fully understand why the people of Dmitri dislike him. But…"
Baek Jung-hyeok.
He was different.
"Shall we start preparing for the expedition now?" He moved forward.
This outing had one more purpose left.
The place Roman arrived at was the workshop where he had trained in seclusion.
The once old and shabby workshop was now neatly organized, ready for immediate work.
Right after deciding on war, Roman had asked Hans to make this place usable for its original purpose.
"It’s been a while."
He walked through the interior, checking his surroundings.
It was a good place.
The high ceiling allowed for good ventilation, and the lighting clearly distinguished between areas that needed to be bright and those that should remain dark.
Ventilation was essential for a forge.
The smoke and dust from the coal fire could obstruct vision, so when checking for a suitable forge, ventilation was always prioritized.
After that, familiar items came into view.
The hot, bubbling furnace.
The cold, heavy anvil supported by an oak stand.
And the hammer and tongs, among others.
These were things he had seen in Hendrick's workspace, but for Roman, this moment felt particularly special.
"It reminds me of the first day."
The day he began his life as Roman.
Listening to the history of Dmitri from a shabby shack, he thought that perhaps this was his destiny.
Cheonma Baek Jung-hyeok.
In the history of the martial world, he was simply referred to as the best in the world, but those who had even a little interest in him could see another side of Baek Jung-hyeok.
That was the figure he had in this forge.
Immediately after deciding to go to war, Baek Jung-hyeok always came to the forge to perform his own rituals.
A life of struggle.
To survive.
To win.
And to reign.
Baek Jung-hyeok manifested his soul before the blazing flames.
Flame.
Fwoosh.
He ignited the furnace.
From now on, it was time to create a sword just for himself in preparation for the upcoming war.