Chapter379-He Really Knows His Stuff!
That was Dixon's first thought.
How could someone this young possibly be Flinn's teacher?
This kid looked no older than twenty!
And yet he was claiming to be Flinn's teacher? This was absurd—completely turning logic on its head.
Was he joking? How could this even be possible?
"I'm not joking at all," Daniel said calmly. "Although I only spent about a month with him, I taught him quite a few things during that time."
And indeed, in that short span of time, Daniel had provided Old Flinn with valuable inspiration. The forging insights he shared before leaving were invaluable to Flinn.
So when Daniel said he had taught Flinn a lot, it wasn't boasting—it was the truth.
Dixon stared at Daniel with wide eyes.
"Are you kidding me?!"
"You brat! How dare you come here spouting nonsense? No one knows Flinn's abilities better than I do!"
Dixon was genuinely furious now.
As Flinn's senior, Dixon had seen Flinn's talent firsthand when they studied forging together.
It was a shame Flinn couldn't become a mage. After reaching middle age, he left the forge behind.
Even as a mortal, Dixon had always admired Flinn's talent, which was comparable to his own.
If Flinn had been able to become a mage, Dixon firmly believed that Flinn would now stand on equal footing with him as a master blacksmith.
To Dixon, this young man claiming he could teach Flinn anything was utterly laughable—an insult, even!
"A kid like you, claiming to be his teacher? You're insulting both him and me!"
Dixon slammed his hand on the table, shattering it in his anger.
Even Ed, Dixon's apprentice, stepped back in fear.
This was the first time Ed had seen his teacher so enraged.
To Dixon, Daniel's words weren't just an insult to Flinn—they were an indirect insult to himself. And that was something Dixon couldn't tolerate.
"You've got a terrible temper," Daniel remarked calmly. "I once met a master blacksmith who didn't act like you at all."
Dixon let out a laugh—not out of amusement, but from sheer disbelief.
When emotions run high, laughter is often the result.
"Oh? So you're saying you learned your skills from this so-called master blacksmith?"
"That's right," Daniel replied, now sounding a bit dismissive.
"He's the best blacksmith I've ever met. A good man with a great temperament."
"Is that so? Then tell me, what's this master's name?" Dixon asked with a cold sneer.
"You probably haven't heard of him. His name is Icarus."
Icarus was one of the few forging experts Daniel had encountered in his past.
The man had been introduced to Daniel by Rowan during the expansion of Riverside City.
Daniel had been pleased with the results of the city's expansion, and Rowan had once mentioned that Icarus was polite and skilled.
"Icarus?" Dixon's expression changed immediately upon hearing the name.
He didn't mock Daniel or laugh this time—he fell silent.@@novelbin@@
To most people, the name "Icarus" would seem ordinary, even forgettable.
But to someone like Dixon, it was impossible to hear that name without immediately associating it with one person: Icarus Oren.
Many in the world knew of House Oren, whose founding patriarch, Oren, had introduced forging theories that benefited countless blacksmiths and even ordinary people.
But very few knew that the man who had initially elevated House Oren to greatness bore the name Icarus Oren.
Dixon fell silent, processing what he had just heard.
If what Daniel said was true, then such a scenario wasn't entirely impossible.
Dixon began to feel he might have overreacted earlier. Perhaps he should have asked more questions before jumping to conclusions.
"Alright," Dixon said after a pause. "Let me test you. If you really have the skills you claim, then there will absolutely be a place for you in this forge."
"Fine by me," Daniel replied without hesitation.
Dixon then began testing Daniel, asking him a series of increasingly complex and diverse questions about forging.
But to Daniel, the questions were child's play.
He answered each one with ease, sometimes even providing more insightful answers than Dixon expected.
The more Dixon asked, the more astonished he became.
Even Ed, who was standing nearby, was stunned.
Many of the questions Dixon posed were so advanced that even Ed didn't fully understand them.
Yet Daniel answered them without a moment's hesitation.
While Ed was still trying to comprehend the questions themselves, Daniel was already explaining the solutions.
The gap in their abilities was beyond anything Ed had ever seen.
Dixon felt the same way.
Finally, with a hint of hesitation, Dixon asked Daniel about a forging problem that had been troubling him for some time.
Daniel provided an answer effortlessly, and when Dixon followed Daniel's reasoning, he realized it was correct!
At that moment, Dixon's expression shifted completely.
He no longer doubted Daniel's earlier claims.
The young man before him had likely encountered someone extraordinary—someone truly legendary.
Otherwise, how could he possess such profound forging knowledge?
How could he so casually solve even the most perplexing issues?
"I understand now. You were telling the truth," Dixon said, looking at Daniel with newfound respect.
"I rarely lie," Daniel replied plainly.
And this time, Dixon believed him without question.
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"Master Daniel," Dixon said, his tone completely transformed. "What brings you to our forge? Whatever it is, if it's within our ability, we'll make it happen."
Dixon's abrupt change in attitude left Ed dumbfounded.
He couldn't fathom why his teacher had done such a 180, but one thing was clear: Daniel was the real deal.
"Oh, it's nothing much," Daniel said. "I'm just looking for a place to stay for now. Of course, I'm not the type to freeload—you can assign me some tasks if you'd like."
"Hahaha! You've solved one of my biggest problems. Forget freeloading—stay in this forge for the rest of your life if you want! But if you insist, you can work here as a master blacksmith. Just guide these youngsters when you're in the mood," Dixon said with a hearty laugh.
"What do you think, Master Daniel?"
"That sounds fine. Thank you, Master Dixon," Daniel replied.
He hadn't expected this outcome at all.
What started as a simple search for a temporary place to stay had somehow turned into him becoming a master blacksmith at the forge.
Now, Daniel held a position comparable to Dixon's, free to offer guidance as he saw fit.
Dixon had granted him complete freedom, knowing that even the smallest piece of advice from Daniel would be a life-changing revelation for the apprentices.
After all, Daniel might have encountered the legendary Icarus Oren—the name Dixon would never forget, even in death.
Though Daniel didn't know Icarus's last name, the combination of the name and the skills Daniel displayed left Dixon with no doubt.
This young man had crossed paths with Icarus Oren, the ancestor of House Oren!
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