The throne room was imposing, yet cold. King Eldric IV, an elderly man with gray hair and tired eyes, watched him from his golden throne. Around him, courtiers and nobles whispered, casting Duncan wary glances.
"So you are the stranger who forges impossible blades," the king said hoarsely. "If your hands are truly as good as they say, then prove it. Forge me a weapon that no other man in my kingdom could create."
Duncan bowed slightly, without humiliating himself. "Give me the right metal, and I will give you the weapon you desire."
The nobles' voices exploded, some indignant, others skeptical. The king waved his hand, and silence fell again.
"We will see if your arrogance is rewarded. You will have three days. Then, either you bring me your marvel… or you will be thrown into prison."
Duncan nodded. He wasn't afraid. The real challenge wasn't the iron, but the future that awaited him.
---
Leaving the room, he found Kael waiting for him. The boy stared at him with a mixture of relief and concern.
"So? You're alive, at least."
"For now," Duncan replied with a half-smile.
Kael lowered his gaze. "You know… I don't know why I'm telling you this, but I will never have a place in this kingdom. I'm heir to nothing, yet I can't even live as a free man. I belong to no one."
Duncan looked at him for a long time. In those eyes, he saw the reflection of himself: a man torn from his world, rootless, without belonging.
But perhaps for this very reason, they could become something more.
"Kael," he said finally, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Listen carefully. I still don't know why I'm in this world, nor what my destiny is. But one thing is certain: I won't let you fade into the shadows. You want a place? Then we'll forge it together. I'll help you."
The boy stared at him, surprised. Then, slowly, a sincere smile lit up his face.
"You're strange, Duncan. But… thank you."
Duncan laughed softly.
"I'm not a hero, Kael. I'm a blacksmith. But know this: a blacksmith never works just with iron. He also works with people's futures."
And in that moment, without realizing it, Duncan had not only found an apprentice or a friend… but a brother in arms.