The Path to Lordship Begins in the North

Chapter 443 Larsen

Hidden Mountain Territory truly had no idea what a railway was, and they were even unaware that a war had recently swept across the entire continent.

After all, Hidden Mountain Territory has a rugged terrain, inconvenient transportation, and few resources. It is also not near the sea, so neither the Avars nor the demons are interested in this barren land in Anjou. In addition, although it is located in Anjou, it is at a delicate distance from the dragons' homeland. As a result, Hidden Mountain Territory's only impression of the previous war was that a few white lights fell from the sky.

This was considered a miracle in Hidden Mountain Territory at the time, but that was all.

The lord and church members of Hidden Mountain Territory were appointed even before Alberto's bloody coup, and this has not changed to this day. If it weren't for the lord of Hidden Mountain Territory occasionally sending people to other nearby territories to purchase supplies, they wouldn't even know about the bloody coup.

Larsen was the only blacksmith in Hidden Mountain Territory. He wasn't originally the only one, but because Larsen's skills were so good, the other blacksmiths couldn't keep their jobs and all switched to other professions.

Although he was already middle-aged, there were still quite a few women in Hidden Mountain Territory who were secretly watching Larsen. They ranged from middle-aged women of similar age to teenage girls in the throes of first love, all of whom were secretly watching Larsen forge iron around the blacksmith shop.

Although it's said to be done secretly, in recent years it has become increasingly brazen, with some bold village girls even going so far as to flirt with Larsen.

Besides Larsen being the only blacksmith in Hidden Mountain Territory, another reason was Larsen's muscular physique, which was practically divine in Hidden Mountain Territory where malnutrition was common. Not to mention the melancholy expression on Larsen's face and the unique aura he exuded in every gesture.

In addition to Larsen's mysterious amnesiac past, many people speculate that Larsen may have originally worked for a wealthy family, perhaps even more powerful than the lord.

Some speculate that Larsen may have originally been a nobleman, but this speculation is basically only believed by the most innocent girls in Hidden Mountain Territory. Although Larsen's aura is different from others, his blacksmithing skills are not fake. Even though he has lost his memory, he still remembers the blacksmithing skills. In the eyes of the people in Hidden Mountain Territory, only someone who used to make a living by this skill would remember it so clearly.

So the answer is obvious: Larsen was likely the blacksmith of a great lord, a family that had been blacksmiths for generations. This explains why Larsen had such an extraordinary demeanor and such a muscular build, and why he knew exactly what to do as soon as he got his hands on a hammer and tongs.

This is a memory etched into one's muscles; even if the mind loses its memory, the body still remembers it.

Larsen could even vaguely sense that this skill was passed down to him by his family, perhaps by his father, who said that if he ever fell on hard times, he could make a living with it. He never expected that he would actually need it.

"Hey! Larsen, the lord has responded and wants you to come over!"

Upon hearing someone shout that, Larsen stopped forging, said "Understood," and then tidied up the blacksmith shop, preparing to head to the lord's manor.

Just as the people said, Larsen was not a native of Hidden Mountain Territory. He was picked up by the lord's daughter when the lord sent someone to purchase supplies a few years ago.

Because the clothes he found had blurry letters on them, the local illiterate lord called him Larsen. Anyway, that's roughly how it was pronounced, so the villagers also called him Larsen.

Larsen only remembered that he came to Anjou with smugglers. He didn't seem to be originally from Anjou, but who would care in this remote mountain village? And even if they did care, Larsen only thought of himself as a blacksmith. After all, as soon as he got a hammer, Larsen knew what to do. The ironware he forged was the best in Hidden Mountain Territory, and it was even somewhat famous far and wide. When he first arrived in Hidden Mountain Territory, the lord even made a fortune from the ironware he forged. But he was just a blacksmith. Who would care where a blacksmith came from?

Perhaps they encountered bandits on the road, were hit on the head, lost their memory, and were dumped here. Or perhaps they were far from their homeland due to war, had their heads damaged on the battlefield, and were eventually dumped here by smugglers. Who knows?

According to the villagers, there are too many people like this, so many that even in the remote Hidden Mountain Territory, there are quite a few people who have come through the same ordeal as Larsen. Even Larsen himself doesn't care; he just keeps blacksmithing, at least that way he has food to eat.

Through blacksmithing, Larsen gradually settled into a peaceful life, feeling that this was how his life would be.

At least that's what Larsen thought before he saw that white light.

"You said you're going to Capet?"

Lord Rubin of Hidden Mountain Territory looked at the blacksmith who had previously sought an audience with him.

"You want me to lend you a large sum of money for your travel expenses?"

The somewhat overweight Rubin stroked his small goatee, looked at the blacksmith of the territory, and said, "That won't do. You've already gone to Capet, so how are you going to pay me back?"

Larsen said, "I have recalled some of my memories. When I get to Capet’s hometown, I will send someone to repay you. If you don’t believe me, my blacksmith shop and those properties can also be mortgaged to you."

Actually, it wasn't just some memories; Larsen remembered them all. Perhaps it was because of his proper recuperation over the past few years, or perhaps it was truly the white light that fell from the sky and was seen by everyone that triggered some miracle, making Larsen want to go outside and see the world. This desire, coupled with his well-rested body, caused his brain to recall all his memories.

His original name was Connor Lars, his father was the Grand Duke of the North, and he had four lovely children. Now, he was going back to Capet to inherit the position of Grand Duke.

Of course, if he said that, everyone in Hidden Mountain Territory would think he was crazy, and even if they really believed it, they would probably only report it to the other nobles in Anjou. Larsen rubbed his arm. The assassination and the magical artifacts at the time seemed to have left him with deep aftereffects. In addition, he had lost his memory and had not used the power of a professional for a long time, so his power was probably less than 30% of his peak.

Larsen had no idea what was going on outside. He had been in this hidden mountain village for about six or seven years, but he didn't even know what was happening in Anjou, let alone in Capet's place.

Is my father still alive? What about my children? Is the position of Grand Duke still reserved for me? I have no idea.

Larsen had already discovered clues to the Augustinian royal family's conspiracy at that time, which led to his death.

Because he was unable to pass on the intelligence, Larsen could only acquiesce to the success of the Augustinians' conspiracy and plan. Although his disappearance might alert his father and delay things, he had been missing for too long, and his disappearance would probably only make the Lars family more chaotic.

Larsen fears that when he returns to Capet, he will find that the North has fallen into Augustine III’s conspiracy, the entire Lars family has fallen apart, his children are scattered, and his brothers are killing each other.

However, even if Augustine III wanted to take action, he couldn't kill the entire Lars family, so Larsen felt that he could still find his clansmen after returning to Capet.

Larsen sighed heavily, wondering how his people were doing. Surely they couldn't all have been killed by the Augustins?

(As 2024 draws to a close, I'd like to wish everyone a Happy New Year in advance, and may 2025 bring you more joy, health, and happiness. Say goodbye to regrets and welcome a new beginning. But surely no one will be reading novels on New Year's Eve? Haha, if so, thank you for your love of novels! Let's raise a glass and have a drink with all my fellow book lovers—Happy New Year!)