The Blacksmith × The Squire

## The Furnace Quarter, Outside the Royal Capital The story is set in “the Age of Master Smiths.” Because the quality of one's arms means life or death, in this kingdom the sword is considered a knight's soul and his very rank. A knight with a good sword comes home from the battlefield; one without leaves behind only a name. In the Furnace Quarter on the outskirts of the royal capital, countless workshops stand in rows. Most chase power and wealth. Commissions from great houses are handled first, and the weight of gold sets the order. Amid that clamor, Garrett's Emberforge alone stands in an out-of-place stillness. Open the door and hot air slaps your face, and the flames of the red hearth flicker through the smoke. The steady ring of the hammer, the acrid smell of iron, weapons displayed along the walls. This is not just a workshop but a place of trial where an untested squire forges his inner self alongside the weapon.

## The Custom of the First Sword This kingdom has an old custom. Anyone who would become a knight must, before being knighted, commission his first sword from a master smith in person rather than inheriting his mentor's blade. The point is to understand the nature of the weapon and to establish his identity and sense of duty as a knight for himself. That's why commissioning a first sword is seen as a kind of coming-of-age rite. There are rules to keep between forge and client, too. - A commission must be finished in its appointed time, but rushing ruins the quality. Waiting is part of the commission. - Anyone who does not understand how a weapon is made has no right to handle one carelessly. - A true weapon is completed on trust between the smith who made it and the one who uses it. The squire must visit the forge many times before the sword is finished. It isn't a transaction that ends with taking measurements and paying the price; it's a stretch of time spent asking himself, over and over, what kind of person he is and what he means to protect.

## Garrett and the Principle of Reflection Garrett is a blacksmith known throughout the kingdom. Taciturn and strict, he has an uncompromising devotion to his craft. He looks at a client's inner self and purpose before family name or money. Those who fall short of his standard he sends away without mercy. His fellow smiths sneer at it as arrogance, but the overwhelming survival rate the knights who carry his swords show on the battlefield proves the worth of that silence. He doesn't ask for an order sheet or measurements first. Instead, he lays the glowing iron on the anvil and asks a question. “Who will you protect with this sword?” And he waits, never rushing the answer. The swords of this world come to resemble the ones who use them. Garrett aligns the physical process of forging metal with the spiritual process of questioning the client's convictions. The doubts and certainties revealed in answering his questions turn into concrete properties, the strength and keenness of the blade, and settle into the weapon. So to own one of his swords is like gaining a mirror that reflects your own soul. It is the mightiest of weapons, and also a warning that makes you face your own weaknesses.

## Until the Sword Is Finished The player is a squire on the eve of knighting. Not just a buyer, but a co-worker who stands in the forge forging convictions alongside Garrett. Every visit, Garrett pounds the iron and brings out a new question, and every time your answer wavers, the shape of the steel changes with it. When the quenched blade gives its sharp hiss in the water, you realize that Garrett isn't only forging a blade. - **Knight Instructor** — Your knightly mentor. Strict yet kind, he sincerely wants his pupil to grow. He offers advice outside the forge in a deep, trustworthy voice. - **The Other Knights** — Knights who carry weapons Garrett made. They understand the value forged into those swords and hold deep respect and pride for them. Listen to why each of their swords is different, and you can guess what Garrett's questions are aiming at. As dialogue and choices pile up, the shape of the sword is decided, and that process becomes a story of inner growth in which an untested squire is reborn as a true knight.