In the year 296 of the Conquest Calendar, in the forge above Iron Street in King's Landing.
In the barn filled with forges, Gendry clamped a heated fine steel breastplate with tongs, plunged it into cold water, producing a hissing sound, and then hung it up to dry. This was the task Tobho had given him: to forge a breastplate for a client in King's Landing.
Gendry thought the young master probably wasn't very wealthy. Made of fine steel, it wasn't the most fashionable painted or glazed armor, let alone the most expensive kind, where colors were infused into the steel. It seemed the client might be a minor noble or a bastard from a noble family.
Gendry looked at the breastplate with satisfaction. It was perfect, neat, and consistent. Except for the helmet, he had completed most of the armor. This was the life of twelve-year-old Gendry, with hammers and flames as his daily routine. His strength and robustness made the job relatively easy.
Recently, Gendry had discovered that in addition to his Bastard Vigor, he had unlocked a new talent, also from the bloodline of the Storm God: **"Storm Fury": When severely injured or enraged, he would unleash more ferocious and powerful attacks.**
Gendry's favorite weapon, which he had polished himself, was a warhammer. Although longswords looked more impressive, the warhammer was more deadly. Blunt weapons had a broader striking surface, and more importantly, unless facing Valyrian steel, they were virtually unstoppable.
"Being immersed in blacksmithing isn't necessarily bad; it also reduces others' interest in you," Gendry thought.
As long as he lived this way, content with an ordinary life, people would gradually lose interest in him. After all, a bastard born in a tavern, content with blacksmithing, was quite natural.
Even those around the forge thought Gendry was just an average young blacksmith, let alone the Spider's minions.
Tobho had also become somewhat complacent. A blacksmith kid, at most asking a few more questions, wasn't a problem.
In the forge, sometimes the older apprentices would coax Gendry to go to Flea Bottom to watch dogfights, cockfights, or those kids with sharpened teeth fighting.
Gendry went once or twice and then stopped. It was too bloody and costly. As for the low-class brothels in Flea Bottom, the foreman strictly prohibited all apprentices from entering.
Gendry generally didn't spend money. Among the apprentices, he worked the most and did the best job, and he didn't spend money carelessly, so he saved the most. Gendry was already considering leaving King's Landing.
Next year, there would be a tournament for the twelfth nameday of Prince Joffrey, the heir, to demonstrate the unity of the Lannister and Baratheon families. But the excitement was for others; it had little to do with him. King's Landing was like a powder keg; it was better to stay away.
"Should I stay in Westeros, choose another city, or go across the Narrow Sea?" Gendry was considering two paths.
Compared to the king's well-known noble bastard Edric Storm, he was more secretive and freer.
The Spider used him as a pawn but didn't value him much. After all, there was a more legitimate and noble bastard in Storm's End; he was just a spare piece.
The Spider's main schemes were still focused on the Targaryen remnants in his hands, whether open or hidden.
Traveling far and wide! Blood of the dragon, blood of the Rhoyne, my opportunities lie in Essos." Gendry had already planned his escape route to sneak away to Essos first.
Just as Gendry finished his work, Master Tobho Mott entered the barn with a silver helmet.
The helmet had an elegant design, with key seahorse patterns on both sides, and the seahorses' eyes were made of sea-green gems. It was no small feat, completed by Tobho himself.
"A Valyrian?" Gendry recognized the pattern, representing House Velaryon of Driftmark. Although the lord of Driftmark once had the honor of being the Lord of the Tides, the current Velaryons had fallen from grace.
They were now second or third-rate vassals, dependent on Stannis of Dragonstone. However, the Velaryons still had the air of a fallen noble family; it was hard to say if they were truly loyal.
"Very well done, young man!" Tobho praised. "Your skills are becoming more and more refined. You were born for this trade."
"A plain set of armor is worth five gold dragons, but a set from Tobho's forge is worth ten!"
The others looked enviously at Tobho's praise, but his physique was innate, and they couldn't envy Gendry's.
"Get back to work! Spend less time on chasing girls, drinking, and gambling! Gendry, wait a moment!"
Gendry looked at Tobho in surprise.
In the courtyard, they met their client, a man dressed in sea-green robes and wearing a silver cloak, looking around. This was the mark of House Velaryon.
"Lord Orwen, here is the armor you requested!" Tobho showed Orwen the set of armor, top-grade plate, gorget, greaves, and full helm.
Orwen Velaryon was slender, with silver-gold hair and grey-green eyes. He was the bastard brother of the Lord of the Tides and Count of Driftmark, Montford Velaryon.
In terms of appearance, he also had some features of the old Valyrians. No wonder he would later be seen as a substitute for Prince Rhaegar by the Queen Regent.
"Such lifelike seahorse helmets, children will want to touch them when they see them!" Orwen was very satisfied, examining his armor carefully.
"I'm glad you like it!" Tobho said proudly. "To be honest, any country blacksmith can make armor, but what I make is art."
Orwen Velaryon, as if seeing a ghost, caught a glimpse of Gendry standing behind Tobho and felt a bit dazed.
"This is my apprentice, and he works very diligently!" Gendry's hair was thick and black as ink.
"Where are your parents, boy?" Orwen looked at Gendry, thought for a moment, and asked in a low voice.
"Gone, my lord!" Gendry grinned.
"Come on, Lord Orwen, the boy is just an unlucky kid. There are plenty of kids like him in King's Landing," Tobho laughed with Orwen, feeling a bit careless.
"Unlucky, it seems I'm the same." Orwen took out two gold dragons from his pocket. "One is because you and I are both unlucky, and the other is a tip for you, boy."
Gendry thought for a moment and didn't reach for the gold dragons. "My lord, I'm an apprentice, and the foreman gives me money."
"What are you standing there for! Take it, it's a gift from Lord Orwen. The boy is as stubborn as an ox; I can't do anything about it, so don't mind him!"
"Thank you!" Gendry took the two gold dragons.
"Well, my squire is waiting for me outside. After picking up this set of armor, I should head back to Driftmark. Compared to King's Landing, I prefer the sea breeze of Driftmark," the bastard of House Velaryon glanced at Gendry and then left.
Gendry put away the two gold dragons. It seemed he couldn't stay low-key anymore. But even if Orwen had discovered him, he was unlikely to say anything. He was too far removed from power and had no need to take risks.
As for the two gold dragons, they were incredibly valuable now. A gift from one bastard to another.