So he returned to Westhand instead. He walked through the town, observing the few surviving NPCs. Soon, he spotted a familiar face—Dahl, the muscular blacksmith with arms like iron beams. "Mr. Nighthale!" The moment Dahl saw him, he jumped to his feet from the steps, eyes shining with admiration. Aiden's reputation had spread through the entire city like wildfire, and Dahl had heard every bit of it. "You came here for something, sir?" "I've got some equipment I need appraised," Aiden said, smiling slightly. "Can you handle it?" "Of course. It's an honor to serve you." Dahl placed a hand over his chest, then paused. "Although, my forge was destroyed. Without a smithing table, the process will be a lot slower." "That's alright," Aiden replied smoothly. "I have a way around that."He gestured for him to follow. "Come with me." "Hmm?" Dahl raised a brow in surprise but quickly followed after him. Before long, the two stepped into an extravagant shop. "What in the world is this place?" Dahl froze where he stood, his mouth hanging open. His eyes went straight to the enormous smithing table gleaming in the center of the room. His throat went dry. That table alone had to be worth at least a million marks. It wasn't just a regular forge that could just appraise gear. It was the kind that could create masterpieces. To him, it was like stepping into heaven. "Can I use this?" Dahl asked breathlessly as his rough fingers slid over the shining surface. His voice trembled with excitement. "You're not going to charge me, right?" "Go ahead," Aiden said with a faint, amused smile. "This place belongs to me. I bought it a while ago, but it's been sitting unused. Lately, I've been thinking of opening it up again."Dahl's eyes widened, realization hitting him all at once. "Wait, are you saying you want me to run this place?" "That's right," Aiden replied smoothly. "Name whatever pay you think is fair." Dahl immediately waved his hands. "No, no, I would never. Leafport's a mess right now. Just having a place like this to work in is already a blessing." He wasn't exaggerating. Most of Leafport's forges had been burned or torn down. Blacksmiths were left wandering the streets, fighting over whatever work they could find. Rebuilding was going to start, but not enough forges could be built so soon. Even with his skills, Dahl hadn't been sure he'd ever land another steady job. Now, this offer had fallen right into his lap. Only a fool would hesitate. "Alright then," Aiden said evenly. "You'll take charge of the forge. The earnings will follow your old setup."He paused for a moment before adding, "If you know any other smiths looking for work, bring them here. I'm going to need a lot more people soon." Among all the businesses he owned, the forge mattered most. With no limit to the number of beasts he could command, his need for beast equipment would only grow. Building a full-scale production line in advance was the smart move. "Yes, sir!" Dahl said quickly, nodding with so much enthusiasm it looked painful. "Now's the best time, too. There are smiths all over the city desperate for work. I can bring in the best for cheap." "Good," Aiden replied. "You'll have full control of the forge. Handle everything however you see fit." "What?" Dahl's eyes went wide. He pointed at himself, his voice cracking. "Me? You're giving me management rights? Are you serious, sir?" Aiden gave a short nod. He didn't have the time or patience to manage things like this. Selling off most of his properties hadn't just been about the money. It was about freeing himself up for more important work. Finding someone dependable to handle it made more sense. The profits didn't matter much to him. As long as the forge was ready when he needed equipment, that was enough. The same went for his other businesses. Still, thinking about all the logistics made his head throb. At least the forge was handled. But for the rest, he had no one lined up. He would need to ask Sienna for advice when the time came. Sometimes, having too much wealth wasn't a blessing. It was a burden. "Alright, we'll talk about everything else later. Let's deal with the equipment first." Aiden took a slow breath, forcing his mind to focus. He opened his inventory and pulled out the Ravager Horn of the Destroyer. "Think you can appraise this?"Dahl leaned closer. The moment his eyes landed on the item, he froze. His jaw dropped as his voice broke into a stunned gasp. "Wait… this is an artifact?!" Before Aiden could speak, Dahl grabbed his head in disbelief. "That's impossible! Artifacts never need appraising! This makes no sense!" He stood there stiff as stone, his gaze empty, as if his brain had short-circuited.