Mairtilas exclaimed in surprise, "Whose short sword is this? How did it get damaged ?!"
"It’s this kid’s. That night he fought bravely, charging ahead, but ended up surrounded by enemies who slashed at him repeatedly. In the end, his short sword ended up ..." Tini Bazus pointed to his subordinate and complained, "Yesterday, the Great Captain instructed us to turn in all damaged weapons and bring them here for repair. But this guy insisted his weapons were fine, and it wasn’t until this morning I discovered..."
Mairtilas glanced at Samoras. The burly man responded with a goofy smile, and Mairtilas somewhat understood that this soldier under Tini Bazus likely wasn’t all that sharp.
After thinking for a moment, Mairtilas said, "Here’s what we’ll do... You take this short sword in by yourself. Someone in the courtyard will assist you. Tell him, ’You’re a soldier under Leader Maximus, bringing this short sword for repair under orders.’ They probably won’t refuse. If anyone tries to make trouble for you, don’t argue with them—just come outside and tell me."
Tini Bazus asked in surprise, "Mairtilas, are you implying that the blacksmiths inside might refuse to repair my short sword?"
Mairtilas lowered his voice and said, "You should be aware that the blacksmiths inside are Pompeians, compelled to join us under the threat of force. Do you think they’re happy to work for us? But when we came here for duty, the Great Captain Torrelugo explicitly reminded us, ’Our army has finally secured two blacksmiths, and Leader Maximus hopes that, over time, they will come to genuinely accept us and willingly craft weapons for the army. So during your shifts, aim to interact amicably with them and avoid any conflict whenever possible.’"
"I understand now. Don’t worry, I’ll handle it carefully and won’t cause you any trouble." Tini Bazus nodded knowingly, then asked Samoras to wait at the entrance while he himself walked into the courtyard of the blacksmith’s shop.
The courtyard was fairly small. In the center stood a well. Against one corner of the wall lay a large pile of pitch-black charcoal, while the opposite corner held a heap of oddly-shaped discarded iron equipment. Long nails jutted out from the courtyard walls, on which hung several forged iron tools—scythes, shovels, hammers, saws... Additionally, wooden racks were lined up in the courtyard, each holding neatly arranged short swords, shields, helmets, breastplates... The entire courtyard was packed tight.
As Tini Bazus looked around curiously, a young man with bronzed skin and a well-built physique approached, his upper body bare. Smiling, he addressed Tini Bazus, who was clad in leather helmets and leather armor, and said, "Hello, which unit are you with, and what brings you to the blacksmith shop?"
Tini Bazus straightened his posture and replied, "I am Tini Bazus, First Centurion of the Fifth Hundred-man Team, Second Battalion of the Maximus Army, sent by the Great Captain to deliver this damaged short sword for repair."
The young man took the short sword, unsheathed it for inspection, and immediately exclaimed, "It’s damaged so severely!"
"Can it be repaired?"
"No problem. It’ll just take a bit more time. Please wait here; I’ll go inside and inform Pessianaxis."
"You... aren’t the blacksmith?" Tini Bazus finally caught something unusual in his tone.
"My name is Endias, and I’m currently an ironsmith apprentice." The young man replied candidly, his expression growing somewhat emotional. "I used to be a slave at this blacksmith shop, working endlessly on heavy and grueling tasks, all while wearing oppressive shackles on my hands and feet. Like Leader Maximus always said, we labored like cattle and sheep... It was thanks to your army’s rescue that we gained our freedom! Now, we’re part of the Maximus Army, entrusted by the leader to remain here as apprentices to learn smithing skills so we can eventually craft weapons and armor for you all."
In the past, Tini Bazus might have dismissed such words without a second thought, but after spending time within the ranks and being influenced by the army’s ethos, he felt a sense of shared understanding. "Brother, we’ve all been slaves. To be rescued and granted freedom is truly our fortune!"
"You’re absolutely right!" Endias said passionately. "A comrade who used to share my quarters was scratched accidentally while transporting some finished farming tools about ten days ago. That night, he developed a high fever. Pessianaxis didn’t call for a doctor, and he endured for a few days before passing away. He didn’t live long enough to see today, this better time..."
Endias sniffled slightly, suppressing the aching sadness in his heart, before speaking softly, "Please wait here for a moment. I’ll take this short sword inside and speak to Pessianaxis. Then we just need to register some details, and you can leave."
"When should I come back for it?"
"You don’t need to come back. I’ve heard there’s a dedicated team tasked with collecting repaired weapons and distributing them to you."
"Understood." Tini Bazus nodded, then inquired casually, "My name is Tini Bazus, from Pontus in Little Asia. What’s your name?"
"Endias, from Iberia."
"Now that we’ve met, we’re brothers. If there’s anything you need, don’t hesitate to find me!" Tini Bazus echoed the words he had been repeatedly saying to the new recruits recently and added emphatically, "I am the First Centurion of the Fifth Hundred-man Team in the Second Battalion of the Maximus Army." At that moment, he felt that being a centurion wasn’t such a bad thing.
"I’ll remember that." Endias responded with a smile and walked into the room holding the short sword.