In the open space to the side, the deafening sound of hammering rushed toward him.
The skeletal frame of the unfinished Blacksmith Shop had already begun to take shape, with thick oak beams resting upon a heavy stone foundation.
With every heavy strike of the hammer, sparks flew in all directions from a temporary anvil.
Two unfamiliar Dwarf figures were busy at work.
They were even more robust than Theodore, their bronze skin covered in grease and sweat.
One of the Dwarf artisans was using iron tongs to hold a red-hot iron piece, preparing to plunge it into a water tank for quenching.
The moment the iron piece hit the cold water with a loud *hiss* and a burst of steam, he caught sight of Muxuan walking slowly toward them out of the corner of his eye.
*Clang!*
“Light… Light be praised!”
A rough sound escaped his throat.
His large hands unconsciously gripped his soot-stained leather apron, his knuckles turning white from the force.
The other artisan stopped hammering as well, following his companion’s stunned gaze.
When his eyes landed on the Crosier in Muxuan’s hand, he gasped sharply, and the hammer in his hand fell to the ground with a *thud*.
He instinctively took half a step back, as if the light possessed a searing heat.
His weather-beaten face was a mix of extreme awe and unbelievable ecstasy.
Even though the light shrouding the Light Church’s outpost had already shocked them to their core, the light naturally radiating from Muxuan’s body was clearly more divine and pure.
Master Fagreim’s description was not even one-ten-thousandth of what it was like to see him in person.
“Hey! Barton! Torque! Are you two dazed?”
A crisp, smug voice broke the frozen atmosphere.
Theodore hopped out from behind a pile of timber, shaking an empty goat milk bottle as if showing off, a faint milk stain still on the corner of her mouth.
She dashed over to the two stunned artisans and slapped one of them hard on the arm.
“I told you I wasn’t lying!”
Theodore tilted her head up, her reddish-copper braids swaying proudly behind her, and her small eyes sparkled intensely.
Muxuan watched the scene, a gentle smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
He signaled for Qiansitelin to stay back slightly while he stepped forward, his gaze landing on the two Dwarf artisans named Barton and Torque.
His voice was calm, yet carried an unquestionable authority.
“Welcome to the Light Church. I am the Forty-second Pope of the Light Church.”
“Allow me to thank the Great Artisan God for his trust in the Church, while also expressing my respect to the both of you.”
Muxuan’s voice sounded holy and majestic amidst the lingering echoes of the hammer.
Barton and Torque finally snapped out of their shock.
They hurriedly wiped their soot-covered hands on their leather aprons over and over again, as if doing so could wipe away the trepidation of facing the incarnation of a God.
The two awkwardly performed the chest-thumping salute of the Vulcan Tribe, not even bothering to pick up the hammer that had fallen to the ground.
“Praise you, Your Holiness.”
Barton’s throat was hoarse from excitement, his bronze face flushing red.
“It is my honor to be here at the Church!”
Although both were Deep Sea Layer experts and most people in the Church seemed extremely weak to them, they did not dare to look down on the Church in the slightest.
Facing the Pope, whose aura of light was incredibly dense, they felt an immense respect that bordered on fear.
“Oh, there’s no need to be so nervous. The Pope is very nice!”
Seeing Barton and Torque act this way, Theodore couldn’t help but curl her lip.
“Theodore, do not be rude!”
Seeing this, Barton hastily pulled Theodore behind him and lowered his head toward Muxuan again.
Muxuan chuckled, lightly tapping his Crosier on the ground.
A soft glow fell like warm raindrops.
Barton and Torque instantly felt the exhaustion leave their bodies, and even the red burn marks on their skin smoothed over.
“May the Light favor you.”
Muxuan’s gaze swept over the half-finished Blacksmith Shop.
Within the rising steam of the quenching pool, unfinished refractory bricks were stacked neatly, and the frame of a heavy anvil had already been set upon the oak beams.
“I wonder if you have any intention of taking on apprentices?”
Feeling the warmth of the falling light and that wondrous sensation, Barton and Torque felt much more relaxed.
Hearing Muxuan’s inquiry, Barton immediately patted his solid chest and said, “Your Holiness, our Dwarf Tribe’s forging methods might not be suitable for the Human race, but if you are willing to trust me, I will definitely train a batch of formal artisans for you!”
“Of course, Your Holiness. Overall, it’s still about training one’s strength. I can teach the apprentices the methods for tempering the body.”
After experiencing the beauty of the Light, both of them had grown quite fond of this place and were doing everything they could to show their value.
They were already very reluctant to return to those cold, dark caves.
‘Who would want to stay in such a harsh environment when they could be in a place this warm and beautiful?’
Besides, there was goat milk to taste here!
‘Great Artisan God… it’s not that we don’t want to go back, but this place is simply the land of dreams!’
In a place so full of light, the two even felt that their forging abilities could improve further.
Muxuan saw their attachment to the Church and followed up, “What are the requirements for the apprentices? Roughly how many will you take?”
This was practically a steal.
If things were as the two described, this venture would be extremely cost-effective.
“Your Holiness, it’s hard to explain the requirements all at once; I must personally check their physical condition. Given the current scale of the Blacksmith Shop and our energy, we can take ten people at most…”
“But please rest assured, Your Holiness. Once they become official, they can definitely lead the next generation of apprentices!”
Torque added hastily, seemingly afraid that Muxuan would think the number was too small.
“But—”
Theodore struggled to step out from behind Barton, but she was held back firmly by him.
“Very well. I will announce the recruitment of apprentices. I’ll leave the rest to you.”
“If you need any ore, speak directly to Lutherch. He will handle it for you.”
“However… are you able to forge Magic Tools?” Muxuan shifted the topic.
“That… it is possible, but Magic Tools must be forged in coordination with spells…”
“We can only forge the vessels. We aren’t proficient in spells.”
Having received their answer, Muxuan nodded in satisfaction.
“That will suffice. I may need your help to forge some later on.”
“It would be our honor, Your Holiness.”
Now that everything had been said, Muxuan did not linger.
He walked toward Qiansitelin, who was standing not far away.
He truly felt a bit tired.
“Uncle Barton, why didn’t you let me speak…?”
Theodore looked at Barton, pouting with confusion.
“Theodore, we aren’t like you… we don’t want to be kicked out.”
“Showing respect to a superior is the most basic etiquette…”
If they were sent back by the Pope because of a lack of respect, not only would the Great Artisan God punish them, but they would likely feel like finding a rock to bash their heads against.Chapter 127: We Don’t want to Be Kicked Back
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