When William told Lady Shelle about the matter, she immediately arranged for the top floor of the West Tower to be remodeled to prevent anyone from accidentally discovering the secret chamber. Officially, it was redeveloped as a floor dedicated to steam engines. After that, with a weight lifted from his mind, William spent a delightful period at Harrenhal. Having grown up in Oldtown, he now enjoyed quality time with his family while also observing the operation of the rune disc.
The daily life of nobles was filled with social engagements and luxurious indulgence—truly distracting enough to make one forget everything else. Luckily, William kept in mind his dream of "rising alongside Mother Dragon," so amidst the endless outings, hunts, and banquets, he made time to train in the Flowing Stone courtyard with the knights, strengthening bonds and mutual understanding. He also discussed with Walter and Master Moras how to expand the workshop's production and fully utilize the West Tower. William specifically suggested improving the workers' living conditions.
Thus, over ten joyful days passed until the wizards delivered the items he requested. Walter and Minisa's health improved steadily, and William knew it was time to temporarily bid Harrenhal farewell.
The next destination: King's Landing—though under normal circumstances, he would have avoided coming to this stinking city. He preferred the clean, fragrant streets of Oldtown.
As the capital of the Seven Kingdoms and the seat of the Iron Throne, King's Landing was indeed densely populated, bustling, and chaotic. Yet the disparity between the rich and the poor was shocking. Except for the wealthy district near the Old City Gate, the city was littered with garbage, reeking with stench, which dragged down the city's atmosphere and value. William could not understand the king and Council mindset: living in a trash heap—could one truly be happy?
King's Landing had seven great gates. Despite Iron Gate and Street of Steel sounding close together, they were actually far apart. William chose to enter through the Gate of the Gods to avoid the chaotic flea-infested districts—but even so, the stench of the city was unavoidable. Frowning upon entering, he muttered to himself, If I ever become Hand of the King, I will clean up King's Landing properly! So filthy and disorderly—how can this even resemble a capital?!
Gazing at the high spire of the Crystal Tower in Baelor's Great Sept, William made his way forward, passing Cobbler's Square. Near the entrance to the Alchemist's Guild Hall, he turned onto the Street of Steel.
Street of Steel stretched across the Vinesya Hills, flanked by massive buildings. Along the way, forges blazed and blacksmiths swung hammers over anvils, the clanging ringing constantly. Poor freelance riders and secondhand iron merchants haggled loudly, making the already narrow street feel even more cramped and chaotic.
William rode his sand-colored horse, leading his warhorse along the narrow alley to the hilltop, arriving in front of a huge wooden and plastered building. He stood at the entrance for a moment; everyone was busy with their own tasks, and no one approached him. He called over a young maid to notify the owner. Soon, Tobho Mott, the master blacksmith—more merchant than craftsman—hastened out with a broad smile. "Ser William, long time no see. Please, come inside."
The saddle on the sand-colored horse carried a large bag on each side. William removed one and carried it inside. Tobho quickly instructed the maid to pour drinks, then looked at William earnestly. "May I ask the purpose of your visit this time? Have you made a breakthrough with your spells?"
When William had studied Valyrian steel enchantments, he naturally thought of this blacksmith, who could truly reforge Valyrian steel in the original story, and came to exchange ideas. Tobho, unable to resist the profit potential of crafting Valyrian steel, quickly agreed to collaborate. Though they ultimately failed, they had mutual respect for each other and became friends.
Although William had long abandoned the plan to forge Valyrian steel, as the saying goes, life never ceases, imagination never stops. This time, besides helping Garlan commission a gift, he had a new idea to try.
"Exactly," William whispered in Tobho's ear with a mysterious smile. Tobho nodded repeatedly, finally looking enlightened, and excitedly led William to his personal forge in the backyard. Though Tobho appeared more like a merchant and had a few blacksmiths working under him, he personally handled the most technically demanding tasks.
Soon, Tobho changed into his work attire: a simple vest on his upper body, a hammer in hand, his muscles bulging like fists, gleaming in the firelight—a true master blacksmith's aura.
William opened the bag and selected several fragments that seemed to have been chipped from a large vessel, handing them to Tobho. Tobho glanced at the fragments, then at the remaining pieces in the bag. "All of these are Valyrian steel?" Seeing William nod with a smile, Tobho looked enviously at the bag and eagerly got to work.
The bag contained all the Valyrian steel fragments William had accumulated over the years in Oldtown, mostly scavenged from antiques on the black market. The sellers didn't realize William only cared about the Valyrian steel portions and thought they were fleecing a naive buyer. William, quietly accumulating wealth, made it a mutually happy, classic win-win transaction.
"It's a pity I can't call the apprentice to help," William thought. Still, he had no intention of approaching Gendry to alter his fate.
As the fragments were heated to a molten red, Tobho's expression grew solemn. He intoned an oddly pronounced spell, and William felt the magic within the fragments stir. This was the crucial step in reforging Valyrian steel; without it, the magic would dissipate upon melting, leaving only ordinary iron.
One by one, the fragments melted, flowing as molten streams into a crucible. Both William and Tobho watched anxiously as the molten steel roiled and intertwined, eventually merging into a single mass. It worked! The two exchanged a glance and laughed heartily.
"Ser, your guess was correct. Valyrian steel from the same source can indeed be reforged together," Tobho said with a fawning smile. Clearly, he saw a golden opportunity—not as dazzling as forging Valyrian steel from scratch, but a fortunate windfall nonetheless.
William felt a surge of excitement. After years of studying magic, he had finally found a way to monetize it.
Traditionally, it was believed that small pieces of Valyrian steel could not be fused into larger ones. No one had dared melt large blocks to see if they could be reforged. Tywin's reforging of Ice had no intention of recombining it. As a result, finished Valyrian steel items were priceless, while fragments like those in William's bag were largely ignored, plentiful, and relatively inexpensive. By identifying magic in the steel, William could selectively find fragments from the same source. Small amounts could be made into daggers or ornaments, selling for tens or hundreds of gold dragons—a tidy profit. With enough fragments to forge a Valyrian steel longsword, the value would be incalculable.
The two discussed a cooperation method: Tobho would secretly purchase various Valyrian steel fragments, and William would authenticate them. Regarding the surplus fragments, William smiled mysteriously. "Master, I actually have a method to make even fragments that cannot be fused priceless."
A gleam of gold flashed in Tobho's eyes, and the two laughed again.
When William left, Tobho almost escorted him out, his attentiveness so exaggerated that the young maid nearly thought he was seeing off the king himself. William mounted his horse and said to Tobho, "Master Tobho, this item is both a sample and a wedding gift for the Lord of Highgarden's son, Ser Garlan Tyrell. It must not be delayed."
Tobho patted his chest vigorously. "Rest assured, Ser. Even if I forgo sleep, I will complete it as quickly as possible."
Only then did William leave, satisfied.
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