Chapter 52: Two Hundred Sets of Lamellar Armor

"Watch your attitude," Patrick emphasized coldly, "this is a proper lord."

Arthur, however, was indifferent to the blacksmith shop owner's attitude. "Never mind whether I can lift it or not! You don't want the business that's come to your door?"

Tobho Mott, the finest blacksmith in King's Landing, had no choice but to smile and reply at this moment: "I will forge it. Should I add some rivets around the hammer head? That could increase the lethality."

He still believed this was just a joke played by a few bored young nobles, or perhaps, just forging a toy to see.

After all, there were not many who could lift such a heavy hammer, let alone swing it to strike people.

But he still insisted on giving the suggestion; this was his professional integrity.

"You decide how to forge it; I trust you in terms of technique," Arthur did not object.

Then he added: "Additionally, I need a custom-made set of plate armor, the kind that protects the whole body."

This blacksmith shop of Tobho's was located on Visenya Hill; the rent for the storefront alone was not a small sum, let alone the goods sold in the shop.

The armor for Arthur himself could be crafted here, but for other soldiers, such as Yule's, any blacksmith shop would do.

After all, this was Iron Street, where there was no shortage of craftsmen who forged ironware.

"For the plate armor, do you have any special requirements? Like adding some patterns or something?"

Tobho asked, because adding patterns could increase the selling price; this was a point for making money.

"No, practicality first," Arthur refused concisely and decisively.

He currently had over two thousand eight hundred Gold Dragons on hand; this custom armor set would start at at least ten Gold Dragons, and adding some carved patterns would increase the price significantly.

Perhaps just for this pattern feature, he could buy another set of ordinary plate armor.

Armor is different from soldiers; if maintained well, it can be used for a very long time.

The cloaks of the cavalry are for maintenance, not for showing off.

A cloak can prevent the leather parts of the armor from getting damp in the rain, which is the only way to extend the usage time.

And as long as there is armor, soldiers can be trained into elites. And elites can form the framework of an army.

If the rank-and-file soldiers are wiped out, they can be recruited again; filling the new recruits under the veterans and elites, a new army takes shape immediately.

But once the true elites are wiped out, they are truly gone; training everything from new recruits is too much trouble.

The reason why wars in ancient times did not last long was that once the core elites trained through professional service were wiped out, the combat effectiveness of the conscripted peasant soldiers was poor, and they had no choice but to stop fighting.

After Arthur and Tobho confirmed the details of the Great Hammer and the armor, he proposed his idea for the Golden Guan Dao.

"There is no problem with this at all; just thicken the blade and lengthen the handle. It's just how to make it golden—copper plating or gold plating?" Tobho raised his own doubts.

Arthur glared at him. "Do I look like someone who is easy to fool? Both gold and copper are soft in texture; plating them on is just for show and not practical. I want a good blade that can cut people."

"Then how do you suggest making it golden?" Tobho was somewhat surprised in his heart; this young noble, who looked like he had no experience in the world, actually knew that gold and copper were soft in texture.

"That's not my concern. In short, you make the blade golden, and the forging speed must be fast. If I miss the Tourney, I won't want it."

Arthur dropped a deposit of three Gold Dragons, took the shop's token, and left with his companions.

They had to go to ordinary blacksmith shops to get some ordinary armor.

Ordinary chainmail, lamellar armor, and plate armor for the veterans, warriors, and fully armored elites to wear.

"A full set of plate armor is eight Gold Dragons, a full set of lamellar armor is five, and we don't forge chainmail," said the shop owner, who was wearing a loincloth and was bare-chested.

After visiting several blacksmith shops, Arthur found the cheapest one, but the shop owner's tone was very aggressive.

Compared to Tobho's shop, this one was much more shabby, and the boss even forged iron himself.

"Why don't you forge chainmail?" Arthur asked curiously.

Chainmail is the cheapest iron armor; with the two thousand-plus Gold Dragons in his hand, there was no problem at all with getting a few hundred sets.

A few hundred Level 3 Veterans or Level 4 Warriors in full chainmail, paired with a few dozen Level 5 Elites in plate armor, was already a considerable force.

With this opening, Arthur would be enough to make a name for himself in the War of the Five Kings.

But the first step failed; there was actually no chainmail for sale.

"The workshops in the Westerlands and the Vale have cheap and high-quality ones; go buy chainmail there. This place only accepts the production of plate armor and lamellar armor. Besides, orders have increased significantly these past two days, and the time needed to forge them is also longer," an apprentice explained.

Arthur nodded, indicating he understood.

"Two hundred sets of lamellar armor, can you do it?" After considering for a while, he asked this.

Two hundred sets of lamellar armor would be enough; the total number of adult males in his territory was only three or four hundred, and those who could wear armor to the battlefield were only a little over two hundred.

If there is a shortage of armor after the great war begins, just stripping it from the dead is all that's needed.

When the shop owner heard this, he immediately became enthusiastic: "Lords, please sit."

He signaled the apprentice beside him to bring over half a bench, and then said with a smile:

"It is no problem for our shop to forge them, it's just that the delivery time will be very long, and besides, there are a lot of orders recently due to the Tourney. But please rest assured, we will definitely be able to make them."

"How soon at the fastest?" Arthur asked.

The shop owner rolled his eyes. "Two hundred sets, I have to find a dozen more apprentices; one month, it will take about a month to get it done."

"No, too slow," Arthur refused categorically.

The Tourney would only last a few days; counting on it finishing in two weeks, three weeks later, Eddard would be injured in the leg by the Lannister family, and in another week or two, The Mountain would come running over directly.

In just this one month, Westeros would be turned upside down.

He thought for a moment and said to the shop owner: "Two weeks, half a month at most, I want to pick up the goods."

The shop owner immediately looked distressed. "My lord, can't it be a little more relaxed? We are just a small shop, and our efficiency is not the same as the big workshops in the Westerlands."

"If you can't do it, I'll go find other shops to forge them," Arthur issued an ultimatum, while pulling a handful of Gold Dragons from his money bag.

Light suddenly appeared in the shop owner's eyes.

"Two weeks, we will definitely deliver the goods. My lord, even if I don't eat or drink, I will meet your requirements."

If he didn't take the business for two hundred sets, his peers would be fighting to take it.

Anyway, one shop could never forge two hundred sets no matter what, so in the end, some would still have to be distributed to others.

Since that is the case, why not accept it?

Arthur was very satisfied; after discussing it with the shop owner, he paid an initial deposit of twenty Gold Dragons.

Once they produce a few samples in two days' time and Arthur is satisfied, he will pay the remaining deposit of one hundred and eighty Gold Dragons.

After taking the token, the group left.

They had been strolling for nearly the whole morning and needed to go to those well-known taverns to eat something good.

PS: Seeking recommendation votes and monthly votes.

Someone in the chapter comments mentioned errors regarding the armor; this is my fault, I don't have much knowledge in this area and have been frantically catching up recently, but there will inevitably be oversights.

If there is anything incorrect, please point it out in time, fellow readers.

(End of chapter)