The Role we Play

Conrad awoke on his second day in Jeremiah's body feeling relatively optimistic.

Nana's machinations had landed him in a position where he could do right by his community, with the skills he had been sharpening over the last months. Better yet, Carmela was still here...though their dynamic had shifted. New opportunities had been presented to him. And if he wanted to make the most of them, he would have to think on his feet and figure out new ways to support Carmela.

He stepped out of bed, got freshened up, and headed out of his room to see Brutus waiting for him. He greeted Conrad with a hearty smile, and leaned in.

"Morning, my boy! Trust me, just humor me for today. I've got some thoughts to share with you that you might appreciate. Sound good to you?"

I nod. "I'm looking forward to it, dad. I'd love to see what you have for me."

Conrad and Brutus had a quick breakfast, then they headed to Brutus' workshop immediately at his behest. Conrad's eyes widened. The forge off to the side of the house was a source of immediate fascination to Conrad. Finished weapons hanging on the wall, billets of steel lying ready to forge with, every tool in its place. He turned to Brutus, the man supposed to be his father, and made a point of showing him how engaged he was. He wanted to make sure that Jeremiah's dynamic with his father was still positive when Nana returned his soul to his body.

"Dad, I really like this place! Thanks for inviting me along for today!"

It wasn't even a lie, he really did appreciate being able to check this out.

Brutus laughed openly, gesturing for Conrad to follow him. Conrad smiled. Brutus gave off a very different feel as a man and father figure than Joshua did. Joshua's quiet stoicism was contrasted quite wildly by Brutus' jovial nature. Brutus walked to his station, pulling out a long steel billet, and inspected it.

"Son, before I actually show you a little bit of this work, I want to ask you something to see where your head is. Tell me, how is a battle won?"

Conrad was taken off guard by the question. He carefully thought it over for a moment before responding. "...In the mind? Are you referring to battles being won in the mind first?"

Brutus smiled, shaking his head. "You're overthinking it. This time, at least. When you're facing down man, beast, creature, anything that threatens your life, how do you win that battle?"

"By rendering your opponent unable to fight," Conrad responded carefully.

"Right. Killing them." Brutus' response was quick and blunt.

"Well, in the case of beast or monster, at the very least, absolutely."

"I respect you appreciation for the value of human life, Jeremiah. Really, I do. I'm sure it's one of the biggest factors that guided you towards protecting people as a royal guard. But within the context of my work, understand that everything generally comes back to one thing. And that's the fact that I make tools that kill people."

Conrad nodded somberly. "Yes, sir."

"Now, don't get me wrong! If one sword can keep another sword in its sheath, and violence can be deterred between men, wonderful. That's an effective way to use my tools too. But that's not generally how things work in this world we live in."

Conrad nodded again. Brutus was quite a realist, as it turned out. Perhaps that jovial attitude of his was a means to keep him positive. It certainly seems like he had pondered quite deeply about how much he had contributed to the bloodshed of the world.

"Now, the reason why I'm bringing this up to you is because success in a battle is a process of several steps. As I've been discussing for the past few moments, the work of a smith is a large step in that process."

Brutus continued. "A battle is won because the enemy is slain. An enemy is slain because he was bested in combat by another. He was bested for two reasons: the quality of the opponent's training, and the quality of the opponent's equipment. I must provide that sword in question, and a master must provide his training. And before the opponent even becomes a warrior in the first place, his mother and father must nurture and raise him, with sound values and a strong body."

"On the surface, Jeremiah, this is all common sense. But once you look at the role of a conqueror, a mighty warrior, from a global standpoint, you learn to appreciate EVERYONE'S role in each other's lives. Even the most famous and grandiose general is but one piece of a larger chain of several people supporting each other. And this is obviously not strictly tied to lifestyles of violence, either! A farmer grows crops, the merchant sells them for a profit, and the good people of the world can have their dinner."

Brutus held out the steel billet for Conrad to take a look at. "This is where MY contribution to society begins, Jeremiah. I heat this billet so the metal becomes malleable, form the tang, then form the blade. I apply my grindstone to it to keep the blade symmetrical. And then, even after heat treating it, cooling it, and tempering it, that still only takes care of the blade. The pommel, handle and guard still need to be attached to the rest of the blade."

Brutus gestured around his workplace, and to each part of a blade that was hanging complete on the wall as he spoke.

"Since I'm the smith in charge of the production of the weaponry used by the royal guard, I play a very serious role in each victory, or defeat, of our troops." Brutus placed the billet back down, turning to Conrad with a markedly more serious look on his face. "You understand why I'm talking with you about all of this, right son?"

"I believe so, father. You're telling me this so I appreciate the responsibility that you and I have to society, right?"

"Partly. I'm also telling you all this to keep you from developing too much of an arrogant attitude. You could become a Squad Captain of the royal guard if you stay smart and keep putting in all the necessary work. Maybe even Chief of Staff of the Royal Guard! I know how capable you are, son, and I could absolutely see you being made responsible for all of the royal guard one day, reporting straight to the king. But no matter how far you make it in life, bear in mind that none of us would have ever achieved even a fraction of our accolades without each other's help."

Conrad straightened up. "Absolutely, sir. I'll make sure I reflect on all of this properly."

Brutus smiled. "Terrific. The sword I'm actually going to be working on today will be yours. Truth be told, I was already planning to make something for you soon, since you're becoming a grown man now. It's important for you to have a good tool to protect yourself. Nobody knows that better than me!"

Conrad smiled warmly. "That means a lot to me, dad. I'll make sure I cherish what you gift to me, and I'll take great care of it as well."

"Very good! See that you do! Looks like what I make you may end up being used quite a bit more aggressively than what I suspected, though. Self-defense is one thing, carrying a blade into battle as a solider for your king is quite another. Either way, though, it will be your responsibility to maintain this once it's done. I don't mind sharing my tools with you and showing you a couple things in here, but I won't be keeping its edge sharp for you."

Conrad chuckled. "What if my Squad Captain orders you to maintain my weapon just the same as everyone else's?"

Brutus' laugher practically shook the ceiling. "Ah, cheeky little brat! Definitely something you got from me. No matter. I'll look your Squad Captain in the face and tell them that I already have plenty of orders on my hands. I have high expectations for my son, and he can take care of it himself!"

Conrad laughed along with Brutus. After winding down, Conrad's face turned somber again, and he posed Brutus one last question.

"Dad, please tell me. Do you ever feel guilty for contributing to the violence of our land like this?"

"No. Not even a little. If the royal guard weren't getting their weapons and armor from me, they'd just go to a different smith. Nothing would change. At least this way I can contribute. I don't claim for a moment that my stance is necessarily ethical or right, son, but it is my stance."

Conrad exhaled, grateful for the straight answer. "Understood, father. Thank you for explaining how you feel about this."