Thane sat on the bed, his eyes still glued to the opened safe, the pain in his cheek pulsing. Max hit pretty hard despite carrying a dainty frame.

"I have no idea what to do with all these riches," Thane said, his voice low with brief worry.

Max waved his hand. "Give it to your dad?"

Thane hissed. "Why would I? This is my money."

"Fair enough, it’s your money." Max nodded in amusement.

Both teens stayed in the room silently, no one spoke, just a strange quietness that, surprisingly, both enjoyed.

Thane then broke it. "How much is that? Tell me one last time in very simple words, Max."

Max let out a big warm sigh, scratched his chin, and dived into deliberation. "What’s the cost of a sword? The one made by the Ironforge clan."

"I don’t know," Thane said with a poker face. He was slightly embarrassed now. His pride as a blacksmith was hit by his own naivety. "Pops does the business, we just make them."

Max pulled his hair. "Dear Gods, kill me or kill that dumbass," he said in his heart to vent.

He then spun the question a little and asked again. "How many days does it take to make a nice sword? If you can’t even answer that then I’ll be dubious of your identity."

"Shut up, we of the Ironforge bloodline take four days to make one, but others make it in a week, a sword of steel.

But if we talk about the sindhium sword, at least 3 weeks," Thane elaborated.

There are several metals used to make weapons. Copper, iron, and steel. They are the most common, with steel being expensive as it is very good for creating weapons.

However, there is another metal, stronger and sharper than steel. Sindhium.

It is not rare because it has low quantity, but because it is very hard to melt, it needs twice the amount of heat.

It needs specially custom made smithies and smiths who can fight back the heat and masterfully create a piece that has no equal. Alas, there are very few such blacksmiths.

In Bentram, only two establishments of blacksmiths can create them. The top one was, without any doubt, the Ironforge clan.

The second was the Bentram Department of Craftsmanship, a newly formed imperial department located on the fortified peninsula.

"Whoa, you guys are monsters. Alright, a high quality steel sword is worth 7 to 12 gold coins, as for sindhium metal, 100 gold coins aren’t going anywhere.

In the simplest words possible, you have money worth a thousand sindhium swords." Max found his throat dry, so he went to take a glass of water, leaving the weight of his words to sink into Thane’s mind.

The giant teen finally understood, he needed to work for thousands of weeks in the smithy to earn what he had. "Close the safe, it’s blinding my eyes and intentions."

Max chuckled and dragged his feet towards the safe, carrying the glass in his hand.

"How about you invest it somewhere?" Thane asked.

Max didn’t turn back, his eyes were still focused on the safe and he replied. "There is no guaranteed profit in businesses, Thane. Losses may occur, there is a high chance you will lose your money."

"I don’t care anyway, I would have spent it on my town like my father," Thane replied.

"Then spend it, it’s yours."

Thane shook his head. "We are friends, aren’t we? Invest it anywhere you deem fit. You want to surpass your brothers, you need it more than me.

Just don’t forget me when you become a great strategist." Thane winked, he was genuinely pure of soul.

Max couldn’t resist but stare at him in awe. How could someone be like you in such a world where brothers become your first enemies?

There was a strange connection between the two, a link far stronger than friendship, almost like brothers born from the same womb.

However, both couldn’t understand why. They had only known each other for a day, so why? Nobody had the answer.

From Max giving him the mask of Pixiu and Thane fighting Topda, it wasn’t just an action of interest, there was more to it.

Max let out a fake smirk. "I promise you Thane, I will become the sharpest mind of the Bentram Kingdom and make you the greatest general in our history."

"Hell nah, I’m not gonna be a general, I am just joining to get stronger like Edniot Quintess," Thane retorted.

"What! Why?" Max inquired, he seemed perplexed.

"We are blacksmiths, we have our huge county and I don’t like killing people," Thane replied instantly.

Max’s dreams shattered, he already had envisioned Thane in shining armour riding a beastly pony like a storm set to create chaos.

Piles of bodies scattered across the vast field, the stench of blood, piss and rusted metal commingled in the air before assaulting his uncaring sense of smell.

Just beside him, he imagined himself. A handsome man, spoken of in prophecies, said to be descended from the gods themselves.

Everyone knew he was the reason Thane rose to the sky. Thane swung the sword but Maximilian told him where and when.

All those fantasies were now in rubble, how could he let them go? He was about to confront Thane but the door opened.

John came inside. "Time to go, Max." His eyes saw Thane. "Ohh hello, you naughty mighty champion. Goddamn! Your face looks like a mashed watermelon."

John had a jolly smile, he regretted betting less on Thane. He was liking Thane more now, the giant lad had a charm to gather people around him, he also had the charm to piss them off too.

"Yeah, nice to see you too," Thane replied with a deadpan expression, then pivoted his face to Max. "Where are you going?"

"To the arena arranged by the Blessed Fighting Championship, Vidu Morris and Hawk’s fight will start in two hours," Max answered hesitatingly.

Thane flinched, almost stood up, his body cried in pain. He winced and spoke. "Wasn’t that tomorrow? Why the sudden change?"

Max looked at John. "Thane, you were unconscious for a whole day."

Thane’s eyes widened, a whole day! But, it didn’t make sense to him, he could feel the wounds as if they were inflicted moments ago.

"I’m coming too," said Thane.

"No, you can’t."

"Yes, why not?"

Two answers came at the same time, two different opinions. Max said no, John gave his permission.

"Uncle, he needs rest," Max insisted.

John gave a nonchalant grin and shook his finger in disagreement. "He is not a kid, the decision is his to make."

"I am coming, Max." Thane gave out his word. How could he miss such an event? The fate of the casino and the life of Hawk were on the line.

Although he was not attached to Hawk, they were on the same side.

"No, you are told to rest," Max retorted.

Thane looked dead in his eyes. "Then you shouldn’t have given me that mask."

Max was speechless.

"I am coming, understand," Thane said in an imposing tone.

"Aye aye, general," Max said as he sighed. Thane narrowed his eyes and looked at John who was equally befuddled.

Thane is aiming to become a general? That’s interesting, John thought.

Max took out two crutches that were hidden beneath the safe and gave them to Thane. "I already knew you would bite my dick to come, use them to walk."

"Your whole mouth is like an open ass, pooping out nonsense," Thane said irritably.