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Chapter 29: An helmet fit for a king (1)

<<\'\'There is no armor against fate\'\'>>

-- James Shirley

Conradin\'s envoys had all returned after completing their missions, and he could now count on the assistance of Genoa, Verona, Pavia, and Pisa.

Two months were missing for the estimated time of the invasion, and Conradin had also gotten a second letter from Frederick informing him that he would arrive in the latter half of February, giving him a few weeks before moving.

He was delighted that his diplomacy had been successful and that his efforts were having a beneficial impact on the formation of a strong coalition.

His cause was much stronger with the assistance of the communes of Genoa, Verona, Pavia, and Pisa, and he was convinced that united they would be able to overcome the usurper armies and reclaim his ancestral territory. He knew the impending campaign would be difficult, but he was confident that if they stood unified and battled as one united force, they would triumph.

So the young monarch had some time to kill because all of his preparations had already been completed. He needed to find something to do now. Conradin was nodding asleep inside the castle when he had an epiphany.

Without alerting his butler Gerwin, he stormed out of the castle of Schwyz, leaving the loyal butler to ponder what was going on within his master\'s head.

Conradin met Galvano walking with a cup of wine on his route, and without saying anything, he pointed his finger at him and urged him to follow his liege.

Galvano was taken aback by the abrupt command, but he knew it was his job to obey his master\'s orders without question. He drank the last of his wine discreetly before following Conradin inside the royal smithy. Galvano was attentively eyeing Conradin as they entered the building for any hints of what his orders would be. He was confident in his ability to perform the assignment, no matter how delicate or tough it was.

Conradin\'s face was blasted by an increasing heat the moment he entered the premises. He viewed the inside of the facility after opening his eyes, which had been closed due to the heat emitted by the smithy.

The smithy was buzzing with activity, with men hard at work and pounding away at the hot metal.

It was a busy environment, filled with the sounds and smells of metal working, and it was evident how dedicated and passionate these craftsmen were about their work. It was a place of enormous power and potential, and it was apparent that it was an important center for the House of Hohenstaufen. Conradin could sense their dedication to their work even from a distance, and he could see the sweat they poured into it. Suddenly, one of the workers alerted his master, a middle-aged man with powerful arms, to the coming of some well-dressed men, and the master smith told his workers to cease all work to find out who they were.

\'\'My lord, may I inquire as to why you have come to bless us with your presence in our humble smithy?"

Hearing how his liege was called \'lord\', he notified the smithy owner of the name of the person in front of them, informing him that he was their king.

\'\'Please accept my sincere apologies for my mistake your Highness; I did not recognize you!\'\'

\'\'Enough with this. I came here to assign a task to your smithy. I\'m in search for a new helmet."

\'\'Of course your Highness ! May this modest one inquire as to how you desire your new helmet?\'\'

\'\'I want an iron helmet with chainmail dropping from the sides and rear; I want three apertures in the front, two for the eyes and one for the mouth; I want it to resemble an iron mask in the front; and finally, on top, a placeable crown made primarily of iron but with a gold point. I want it to inspire both dread and majesty. Are you up for the challenge?\'\'

\'\'Of course, your Highness, please leave this task to me. I will undoubtedly produce the best iron in the history of this craft."

\'\'All right, send someone to the castle to notify the servants of your job. I\'ll then arrange for someone to bring it to me.\'\'

Conradin then left the smithy because he couldn\'t stay there any longer due of the heat.

Galvano couldn\'t help but be curious on the way back and asked Conradin why he needed a new helmet.

\'\'Well, I wanted a new one because the last one I had seemed a little redundant and normal. I wanted a helmet that I designed myself, with a shape that is unique to me. Is it odd to want anything like that?"

\'\'Of course not your Majesty; on the contrary, it is a wonderful thing since it symbolizes your ambition to leave a mark on the world that is uniquely yours."

Galvano said this to avoid giving Conradin the impression that his wish was insignificant or fleeting.

The two then returned to the castle on their own. Conradin made a brief display of his young passion, one of the many things he attempts to disguise in order to appear mature to his retainers and soldiers. After all, appearing immature is not a good look for a ruler.

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