Middle-Earth: Kaen, Lord of Light Chapter 50 50: Igniting the Forge

Kaen's diplomatic mission to Rohan marked a historic milestone—the first official contact between his fledgling kingdom and another human realm.

Because of this, Kaen took the endeavor extrely seriously.

He retrieved a sealed box of mithril ore, mined by Orcs deep in a hidden valley within the forest, and entrusted it to Will for safekeeping. Then, he selected twenty Dúnedain Rangers to accompany Will on the journey.

The diplomatic party would travel by boat, heading southward along the River. Their route would take them to the confluence with the Bruinen River, where they would disembark. From there, they would follow the North-South Road straight into the Kingdom of Rohan—a journey of more than 1,600 kiloters round-trip, expected to take nearly four months to complete.

….

Not long after Will's departure, a great achievent took place back in the kingdom.

With the collective efforts of thousands, Alante's weapon factory was finally completed after half a month of intense labor.

Separate zones had been established: an ore refining area, a steel-forging section, a weapon-shaping forge, and an assembly and fitting area… Each step flowed seamlessly into the next, forming a continuous production line not unlike a modern workshop.

At the heart of it all stood the great furnace of the steelworks and the echoing clang of hamrs in the shaping forge.

After conducting a thorough inspection, Alante confidently reported to Kaen: once raw materials arrived, the factory could begin full operations.

Swords and spears could be produced within three days. Chainmail and leather armor would take about two weeks. And within a month, they could begin forging full plate armor.

It was a trendous breakthrough.

In light of this, Kaen handed over his personally designed standard armor blueprints for each military unit:

Archer Infantry: A longbow, fifteen arrows, a wooden-shafted spear, chainmail, a full set of leather armor, and a steel helt.

Mounted Archers: Sa weaponry as infantry archers, but equipped with thirty arrows and three horses.

Heavy Infantry: A long wooden-shafted spear, a wood-and-iron shield, and a full set of black heavy armor.

Heavy Cavalry: Both horse and rider clad in heavy plate, wielding a round shield, a lance, and a longsword sheathed at the hip.

Rangers: Light leather armor, a longsword, and a shortbow. Agile and mobile, they were ant to travel light.

Royal Guard: Gleaming golden heavy armor, a matching golden round shield, and a gilded long spear.

…..

Around the sa ti, Tifa brought more good news.

A vast supply of high-grade iron ore, charcoal, and animal hides for leather armor—all the essential materials for the weapons factory—had been successfully acquired and were already en route to the kingdom.

….

"Boom!"

The furnace roared to life.

When the forge was ignited, it unleashed a flood of blistering fire that seed to consu everything in its path. Under Alante's command, workers steadily poured iron ore into the massive furnace, lting it down into blazing-hot molten tal.

The molten steel flowed along carved channels, cooling in stages and forming thick steel ingots after repeated refining.

The blacksmiths, bare-chested and drenched in sweat, raised their hamrs high and struck the glowing tal with rhythmic precision—clang, clang, clang—a symphony of creation.

Other laborers assisted at the sides, while apprentices stood nearby observing their masters, absorbing the skills passed down through fire and steel.

….

Three days later, the first batch of standard long spears was complete—and every single one glead with the quality of fine craftsmanship.

Alante, surprised and wide-eyed, turned to Kaen and exclaid,

"My lord… I believe we are under the protection of the Valar!"

"Oh?" Kaen chuckled, "What makes you say that?"

Alante explained, "Back when I was in Rivendell, it would take an entire day to forge just one sword. But now—now I can forge three in a day."

"These blacksmiths, though not yet masters, would normally need several days just to craft a decent blade. Yet now, they're producing one sword a day… so even manage two! And I've inspected each one. They are flawless. It's like witnessing a miracle in the history of craftsmanship."

"At this rate, my lord, in just two months, we could fully equip the entire army!"

"We are definitely being watched over by the gods… No, more accurately—you are."

Alante's voice dropped to a reverent hush.

"Ever since this kingdom ca into being, I've noticed sothing strange. Those who swear loyalty to you—they don't just learn faster, or work harder. They even seem… healthier."

"Take Old Jack, for example—he's over eighty, yet he's as vigorous as a man half his age. Even I—my arms used to ache constantly from hamring tal. But lately, I feel young again. My back doesn't hurt, and my legs don't ache anymore."

Kaen watched Alante's growing excitent with a faint smile and said nothing.

He knew the truth: it was the effect of the system's "panel buffs." Territory developnt speed ×3. Growth speed of loyal followers ×3. Average lifespan of citizens ×3.

And it wasn't just Alante who had noticed. Many within Kaen's realm had already begun to quietly suspect that these miraculous effects were tied to Kaen himself.

But no one said it aloud. It had beco an unspoken truth, a secret buried deep in loyal hearts.

Yet inevitably, Kaen was beginning to take on a mythic status in the minds of his people.

His subjects placed unconditional trust in him, offered unwavering loyalty, and gave their all without hesitation.

To all this, Kaen remained silent.

Because ever since he began studying magic, he had been able to wield powers far beyond mortals—wonders that none could deny. And with every upgrade to the system, his strength continued to transcend the bounds of humanity.

Soday, perhaps, he truly would beco like a god. By then, calling him "divine" would no longer be exaggeration—it would be truth.

And when that day arrived, Kaen would no longer et their reverence with silence.

He would accept their faith without sha, standing tall beneath their devotion.

As that thought passed through his mind, Kaen reached out and patted Alante on the shoulder, smiling.

"It is not the gods who are great," he said,

"It is we who forge miracles."

Alante froze for a mont.

Then, from the depths of his soul, an unshakable thought rose—one so audacious, even he couldn't believe he was thinking it.

His gaze toward Kaen shifted—first with disbelief, then with a glimr of fervor.

His lips trembled as he whispered, "My lord is right!"

….

Leaving the weapons factory behind, Kaen gave instructions to store the newly-forged longswords in the warehouse for now.

He took a carving knife, entered the storehouse, and selected a blade from the rack.

Turning it over in his hand, he pondered in silence.

Then, carefully and with precise strokes—

He began to etch sothing into the steel.