Versatile: Alternate World

"A Rodola Ore? Do you even know what you want me to make? Everyone knows a Rodola Ore is useless and cannot be processed!"

"So you are unable to do it? I thought you were a top blacksmith."

"Of course I am!"

"Then if you are, how come you can't even make anything out of that?"

"Hmph, fine! Let me show you that making anything from a Rodola Ore is a fruitless endeavor!"

We followed the blacksmiths to the workshop where the forges and anvils were located. The elder blacksmith quickly started making the necessary preparations for the ore. Soon, all tools needed for the job are all laid out to the table.

"Master, are you sure about this? Do I have to even go back to the mines and grab another ore?"

"No need. Just watch. Also, give me the pickaxe, I will give you the reward later."

I nodded and handed the Hephaestus Pickaxe and we continue watching the preparation of the old dwarf. Once he is done, he grab he started to heat up the ore to the fire. Since the standard Rodola Ore is much more brittle compared to Iron Ore, he quickly pulled it out once the heat of the ore already entered the ore. Of course, it's not the usual Rodola Ore but since Almira is not saying anything about it, I also keep myself quiet.

Now that the ore is hot, he grab his hammer and started the hammering session.

BANG!

CRACK!

I sighed when I saw the result. And from the looks of Almira's expression, she also knows that it will also happen too. The blacksmith and the apprentice blacksmiths were all too shocked to say anything. Perhaps this was something they didn't expect.

The Rodola Ore that they mocked a lot became the one that caused the hammer of the blacksmith to become a piece of trash. The moment the hammer hit the Rodola Ore, it crumbled like it was already on its last legs before it crumbled the moment those weaknesses it got were exposed and exploited.

"What the... is my hammer already on its limit? I didn't notice that. Well, I still have a few hammers I haven't used so this time..."

BANG!

CRACK!

This time, the blacksmith is no longer surprised but he was speechless at the situation. After all, the hammer he used is new and isn't used by anything yet, and still, the hammer was reduced to dust. However, it seems the old man has the tenacity of an experienced blacksmith and decided to keep on doing it without giving up. Seeing that his hammers has been broken to pieces, he decided to change the approach.

He put it back into the forge and started heating it up more than usual. I think he is already using the amount of temperature to process gold ore to a gold ingot.  After a few minutes, he pulled it out, and once again, he started his hammering session but...

BANG!

CRACK!

BANG!

CRACK!

This results in the blacksmith raging over the results.

"What is going on!? Why is it destroying the hammers even though I just swung the hammer once? I don't understand!"

Almira shook her head and looked at the old dwarf with a disappointed look in her eyes.

"And here I thought you are indeed a big shot of a blacksmith, you are not even close to it. Next time, you should boast about it if you are already confident about your ability as a blacksmith. Now, go and touch some grass. You need it."

Almira then wears her thick gloves and grabs the Alpha Rodola Ore sitting on the table.

"Apprentice, come here and watch the process. Since I don't have any disciples, you are already qualified in knowing this."

"What about the other blacksmiths?" I asked.

"It's their choice to remain or not. Besides, even if they remain, they can't learn what I am going to teach you today. Come on, time is ticking and we can't just keep on dawdling."

Almira then activated the forge and maximize the firepower of the forge. However, she didn't put the ore right away, and instead, she flicks her fingers and frosty magic was applied to the fire. The flames didn't die out but instead got encased in ice. She repeated the process and freeze the flames inside the forge but she kept them alive without letting them go out. After doing so, she put the Rodola Ore in the middle of the frozen flames and covered the whole ore with frozen flames.

"What is this method, Master?"

"This is your first time seeing this kind of smelting process right? This is a technique that was developed to specially process the Alpha Rodola Ore. Advanced blacksmiths might have heard of it but no one knows how to properly execute the technique since it is something that only a few blacksmiths can understand and not only that but it has limited uses since it is not a practical technique to process ores."

"If it isn't practical, then why is this being used to process the Rodola Ore?" I asked.

"Because this practice is the only way for us to melt the ores and metals that cannot be melted. I told you before, right? This is an advanced technique. Most of the time, this is how some godly blacksmiths are able to create weapons and armors out of items that are seemingly impossible to process. I will tell you later how to perform it but for now, let's focus on the work at hand."

She looked inside the forge and to my surprise, the ore is already ready to be processed while the flames encased in ice still remained as if nothing happened and it didn't have any signs that it melted at all. Almira grabbed the tong and removed the ore from the forge and put it on the water.

"Why did you put it on the water?" I looked at Almira confused.

"The Alpha Rodola Ore is too hard for any hammer to break it, that is the main reason the hammer from earlier keeps on breaking to pieces and without doing this, that hardness will not disappear and will remain, leaving us without any method to properly create anything out of this thing."

After putting it on the water, she pulled it out and returned it to the forge, and continue doing the process.

"We will have to keep this process a few more times until it shows up some signs that it is now ready to be processed."

Due to this, the other apprentice blacksmiths got tired of looking at the process decided to leave.

"See them? That's why I called them not good enough. If a blacksmith can't even endure this much of a process, how much more could they do in the harder items? There is no way they can keep on creating weapons and armor just in iron and silver after all."

Almira is right, without enough patience, becoming a top blacksmith will remain a pipe dream. After all, processing some items that are stronger and harder than the iron and silver ore exist and they needed longer time to process properly. If a blacksmith doesn't have the slightest patience, nothing will happen and nothing will get better for them too.

"Alright, it's time to begin. The ore is now ready."

I nodded and she pulled out her hammer. The Alpha Rodola Ore also lost its usual luster and it just became a normal metal to me. She pulled it out from the forge but she didn't douse it into the water once again but she put it to the anvil already.

Her hammer looked the same as the other hammers that were used by the other blacksmiths but it has a lot of clear signs of being used for a long time. It was so worn out that it looked like it was about to give in any minute. I know her reasons and I also believe in her reasons too.

"A blacksmith's hammer is going to be his or her partner throughout its whole life and it will continue to do so until the very end. It is the heart and soul of the blacksmith and its not easily replaced. It's not something that can be casually thrown away after use."

With that, the hammering began and the sound of the metal resonates the whole smithy. Every move of Almira is smooth and precise, with no extra movement, and every strike is firm and strong. I didn't even notice it but the Rodola Ore is no longer looking like the ore I brought back just earlier. It is now a piece of equipment that has yet to properly show its true worth but is already showing what form it will be.

Soon, Almira finished the process and gives the new item the final touches. She nodded and handed the item.

"Alright, the final item is ready, as, for the name, I will call it, [The Smite of the Fallen]. Go and inform the queen. We are now ready to depart."