Joey looked at Carter, but he remained staring intently at the furnace.

"Alright, since we're already here, let's go in and take a look."

Joey patted him on the shoulder, snapping Carter out of his reverie.

"Okay!"

The two approached the smelting furnace together.

"Father? What brings you here?"

Martha, who was busy by the smelting furnace, wanted to put down her work when she saw Carter arrive.

"What have I always told you? You can't leave the furnace halfway through operating it!"

Carter immediately stopped Martha's actions.

Martha could only listen to what Carter said, and then she turned around and lashed out at the bearded man.

"Sam, there's not enough iron ore!"

Poor bearded man, he was just an innocent bystander caught in the crossfire.

"Joey, there's something I want to talk to you about privately. Martha is too naive; it might not be good to tell her!"

Upon hearing Carter's words, Joey, who had been relaxed, changed his expression and became serious.

"Let's talk inside. The room you left behind is still there!"

Joey led Carter down a different path.

Squeak—

He gently pushed the door open, and Catherine and Medes were inside.

"Captain Joey, I didn't slack off. I delivered all the ore we needed today!"

When Joey suddenly came in, he thought she had come to check up on him, so he quickly explained.

"Alright, alright, I didn't ask you that!"

Joey found a seat and sat down, and Carter, as if he were at home, pulled out a chair and sat down as well.

When Catherine saw that the two of them had sat down, her woman's intuition told her that something big was about to happen!