Arc 3 Side Story 2 : Dwarven underground city

[Raul PoV]

After retrieving the five artifacts left behind by the Mier people, I spent the night not far from the area.

With a campfire burning beside me, I lay back and stared at the crescent-shaped artifact resting in my hand.

Crescent Shape was the artifact once wielded by Caligura, the Hero of the Mier people.

When Mieren City was on the verge of falling to the invading forces of the Aragon Empire, Caligura had hidden all the artifacts he possessed inside that cave.

As for its counterpart, Crescent Shift, he had given it to his lover, who was carrying their child at the time.

Caligura had hoped that the soldiers of both nations would be unable to find her after she used the artifact to change her appearance.

As a result, his lover managed to escape the massacre carried out by both nations against the Mier people and eventually gave birth to their child.

For hundreds of years, the Hero's descendants continued to survive by concealing their true appearances.

Eventually, in the present era, Siena's mother—who was a descendant of the Hero of the Mier—married Luciano di Reginossa and gave birth to Siena.

In the end, the two peoples who had once fought against each other had unknowingly become one, their bloodlines united within Siena.

That was why she could use magic despite being a descendant of the Venetian people.

The blood of the Mier, a people renowned for their exceptionally high rate of magical births, had allowed her to escape the curse of the Venetian bloodline—a bloodline destined to remain Non-Sorcerers forever.

Siena was half Mier and half Venetian...

"What an unexpected fate for two peoples who once stood against each other," I muttered with a faint smile.

I closed my eyes.

Sleep was beginning to take hold of me.

Tomorrow, I would have to climb the Montana Mountains to meet the Dwarves who inhabited them.

I had two reasons for visiting them.

First, I wanted access to the labyrinth they possessed so I could pass through these mountains more easily.

The Montana Mountains had an average elevation of four to five thousand meters and stretched for roughly a thousand kilometers.

That made them extremely difficult to cross, with only a handful of narrow passages serving as accessible routes.

Furthermore, the mountain range also served as a natural border between the Aragon Empire, the Republic of Venetia, and the Kingdom of Draconia.

I planned to use the Dwarves' labyrinth passage when war eventually broke out between the Empire and the Republic of Venetia.

My second objective was to recruit several Dwarves to work with me and Olen Musk inside the organization I had established, creating weapons and artifacts.

In the game, Dwarves were known as the greatest craftsmen in the world.

Their knowledge of Chemistry, Metallurgy, and Blacksmithing was unmatched.

"Yaaawn... I hope my negotiations with them go well..."

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The next morning, I left the former territory of the Mier people and headed toward the Montana Mountains.

The path beneath my horse's hooves gradually began to slope upward.

A sign that I had reached the foot of the mountain range.

I stopped my horse.

In the distance, towering rocky cliffs rose toward the sky, while the road ahead gradually narrowed into little more than a mountain trail.

"Looks like we have to part ways here," I muttered as I gently stroked the horse's head.

I climbed down from its back and gave it a gentle pat, sending the horse running off into the distance.

"It won't wander too far from this area, will it?" I muttered.

"I suppose I'll only be spending a single day in the Underground Dwarven City."

I began walking through the mountains, making my way toward the entrance to the Dwarves' city.

If I remembered correctly, the entrance was located at an elevation of around 2,500 meters.

To be honest, I wanted to use my wings.

However, I didn't want to risk being spotted by the border troops that frequently patrolled this area.

I continued climbing higher and higher.

The increasing altitude made breathing progressively more difficult.

I could even see a sea of clouds stretching beneath me from this height.

After several hours of climbing, I finally reached the entrance to a cave.

This was the cave where the entrance to the labyrinth—and the Dwarven city—was located.

I entered the cave and continued forward until I reached a crossroads.

Several blue crystals illuminated the surroundings, indicating that I was getting close to the entrance.

I followed the same route I remembered from the game.

After passing through several intersections, I finally arrived before a massive door at the end of the passage.

"All right. Time to open this door with the most ridiculous password imaginable."

There was a spell placed upon the door that automatically translated the language used by whoever knocked on it according to their race.

I approached the massive door and knocked.

Not long afterward, the door trembled and began to glow.

"Why are real men more interested in a woman's breasts than her butt?"

A voice suddenly emerged from the secret door.

This ridiculous password had been Marek's idea—one of my former teammates who had worked on the game.

"Because a real man always talks to a woman face-to-face," I replied, struggling to contain my cringe.

The door trembled again.

Then, with a deep rumble, it swung wide open.

Beyond it was a labyrinth approximately five meters wide and four meters high.

I stepped inside and began making my way through the maze.

Countless blue crystals were embedded in the walls, illuminating the path ahead.

These glowing blue crystals were known as Azure Crystals.

They could only be found in the Dwarven city.

The Dwarves created them by combining several types of stone and processing them into crystals capable of producing light, just like the ones illuminating this labyrinth.

Not long afterward, I finally emerged from the labyrinth.

A cliff stretched out before me.

I walked toward its edge and looked down.

A city stood directly below.

"This is Drimgot City—the home of the Dwarves who inhabit the Montana Mountains..."

I wondered how many hundreds of years it had been since they had last seen a human enter their city.

Tap... Tap... Tap...

I heard footsteps approaching from the side.

I turned my head.

A short humanoid figure stood there, only reaching around my waist.

His face was covered by a long brown beard, and he carried a pickaxe resting against his right shoulder.

He was...

A Dwarf.

"Qui es-tu, mon grand?" the Dwarf said in a language I didn't understand.

"Thorim!" I called out the name of a Dwarf I remembered from the game.

"Thorim?" the Dwarf repeated, looking confused.

I nodded and approached him.

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Then, I mimicked a split beard with my hands, imitating the distinctive beard style of the Dwarf character named Thorim.

"Thorim a chanté la métallurgie?" the Dwarf said.

I had absolutely no idea what he was saying.

Still, I nodded as though I understood every word.

"Suivez-moi!"

After saying that, he began walking down the cliff along a narrow mountain path.

I followed behind him.

"Voulez-vous lui demander de vous en fabriquer un en métal?" he asked again.

"Hmm! Hmmm!"

I simply nodded repeatedly, agreeing with whatever he had just said.

I really needed to learn some of the foreign languages spoken in this world.

It would make carrying out my future plans much easier.

Eventually, we arrived in the Dwarven city.

Countless small houses had been built directly into the rocky walls surrounding the area.

Several Dwarves walking through the streets looked at me curiously.

The Dwarves had inhabited this place ever since the First War between humanity and the Demons.

There were only five Dwarven settlements that players could visit in Path of Destiny.

They lived exclusively within the great mountain ranges scattered across the continent.

The Dwarf I was following then entered a building.

I had to duck my head to get inside after him.

As soon as we entered, I was greeted by loud music and the boisterous chatter of countless voices.

There were Dwarves everywhere, drinking and talking among themselves in a language I couldn't understand.

"Thorim! Thorim! Thorim!" the Dwarf who had brought me here shouted.

Not long afterward, a Dwarf with a red, split beard approached us while holding a drinking glass in his hand.

His eyes widened the instant he noticed me.

"A-a-are you a human!?" Thorim stammered in Serapomic—the language spoken by followers of Goddess Diana.

"That's right. Can we speak privately?" I asked him.

Thorim nodded before speaking briefly with the Dwarf who had brought me here.

Afterward, Thorim asked me to follow him to his home.

His house was located not far from the Dwarven Council.

The Dwarven Council was the highest authority in this city.

Its members were the most respected Dwarves, responsible for establishing and enforcing the policies governing their society.

After walking for a while, we finally arrived at Thorim's small house.

"Come in, Human. We can talk inside," Thorim said as he opened the door for me.

We entered the house.

Thorim gestured for me to sit, but I declined.

The chair he owned was far too small for me, so I decided it would be better to remain standing.

"My great-grandfather was the last person in our family to meet a human," Thorim explained as he handed me a glass of traditional Dwarven alcohol.

"That's why I can speak the human language. My great-grandfather taught it to my grandfather, my grandfather taught it to my father, and I was the last one to learn the human language from him."

Thorim's great-grandfather had been a legendary Dwarf who traveled across the world in search of the strongest metal ever created.

Several artifacts belonging to great noble families were products of his genius craftsmanship.

"Tell me, Human. What brings you here? And how were you able to open that door?" Thorim asked.

I took a sip of the alcoholic drink Thorim had given me before answering.

"I am an Inventor with knowledge of Metallurgy. I've come here because I want to establish a partnership with the Dwarves," I replied casually.

"As for how I opened the secret door, I discovered a document that discussed the Dwarves and found the password written within it."

Hearing my explanation, Thorim burst into laughter.

"You? A Metallurgist? I'm curious to see how far human knowledge of Metallurgy has advanced after all these years!"

Dwarves really were like this.

They took immense pride in their mastery of Metallurgy, Blacksmithing, and Chemistry.

They had a habit of looking down on other races whenever those races attempted to challenge their expertise.

"Could you introduce me to the Council?" I asked him.

"Of course I can. But what do I get in return?" Thorim asked.

I opened my bag, pulled out a bottle of the finest wine I had brought with me, and tossed it toward him.

He caught the bottle, opened it, and immediately inhaled its aroma.

"Give it a taste. You know, there is something humans can make better than Dwarves."

Glug! Glug!

Thorim began drinking the wine without stopping.

Dwarves were heavy drinkers.

They could easily consume several bottles without pause.

"Khuhhh! Mamma Mia! What kind of drink is this!?" Thorim asked, looking utterly delighted.

"What you're drinking is called wine," I answered with a smile.

"Don't Dwarves only drink Trembolit?"

"Aye. We squeeze Trembol fruit and ferment it into our drink after a day's work," Thorim explained.

"There are only a few fruits and plants here that can be processed into alcoholic beverages," I told him.

"It's different out there, where humans live. We have access to all kinds of ingredients that allow us to develop a much wider variety of drinks."

Thorim nodded along as he listened to my explanation.

Then he raised the wine bottle again and drained the rest of it.

"I'll provide you with enough supplies for an entire month if you introduce me to the Council," I offered.

"Deal!" he answered without hesitation.

That was just how much Dwarves loved alcoholic beverages.

"Wait here. I'll go contact those stubborn old men."

Thorim immediately rushed outside.

I watched him make his way toward the largest building I had seen in the settlement.

An hour passed before he finally emerged from the building and returned.

"Well?" I asked.

"They're ready to meet you now," Thorim replied.

"The council members are curious about a human Metallurgist and want to see how much your people have advanced after hundreds of years without contact with us."

I nodded.

Thorim then motioned for me to follow him into the Council building.

At the entrance stood a Dwarf wearing armor and gripping a hammer.

Hammers and axes were the primary weapons of Dwarven warriors. They weren't accustomed to using swords like human soldiers typically did.

"Est-ce la personne?" the Dwarf soldier asked Thorim, although his eyes remained fixed on me from head to toe.

"C'est vrai, le conseil s'est-il réuni?" Thorim replied.

"Dépêchez-vous de monter, ils sont arrivés," the Dwarf soldier answered, pointing his thumb toward the inside of the Council building.

Apparently, he was telling us to hurry inside.

Could the Council members already be waiting?

I followed Thorim as he entered the building.

Several Dwarves could be seen moving through the lobby.

Thorim then opened a door at the far end of the lobby.

We entered and found ourselves in a fairly spacious chamber.

A round table occupied the center of the room, surrounded by Dwarves who represented the various members of the Dwarven Council.

Thorim and I stepped into the center of the table and stood there.

The council members stared at me while whispering among themselves.

It seemed this was the first time many of them had ever seen a human in their city.

The last human to visit this place had arrived three hundred years ago.

Considering the average lifespan of a Dwarf was around one hundred years, none of the Dwarves currently alive would have personally witnessed it.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

A loud series of knocks suddenly rang through the chamber, silencing the council members.

A bespectacled Dwarf struck the round table three times with a wooden gavel.

"Mes chers collègues, nous avons un invité humain dans notre ville bien-aimée après des centaines d'années," the bespectacled Dwarf announced, looking around at everyone seated around the table.

He seemed to be giving the opening remarks for the meeting.

Then his gaze shifted toward me, filled with curiosity.

"Il est métallurgiste et souhaite conclure un accord avec nous! Écoutons ce que ce jeune homme a à nous offrir!" he continued.

Once the bespectacled Dwarf finished speaking, Thorim approached me.

"The Council Chairman says he wants to know what kind of agreement you wish to make with us."

After hearing Thorim's translation, I looked at all the Dwarves gathered around the table.

"Gentlemen, it is truly an honor to stand here in your magnificent city," I began with a compliment.

"I have always heard that Dwarves are the greatest craftsmen, blacksmiths, and metalworkers in the world."

Thorim translated my words for the Council.

The Dwarves nodded proudly.

"I have come here to establish a partnership with you and make use of your skills to create various kinds of items. With your legendary knowledge of Metallurgy and Blacksmithing, I am certain that together we can create incredible things under my direction."

Thorim's expression changed as he translated my words to the council members.

Then—

The entire Council suddenly burst into laughter.

I knew exactly why they were laughing.

As expected, I would have to prove myself by creating something they had been unable to produce for hundreds of years.

Suddenly, a Dwarf with an orange beard climbed onto the table before jumping down and approaching me.

"Vous? Un humain veut nous diriger dans la fabrication de quelque chose? Ne plaisantez pas! Je ne vais pas suivre les ordres d'un humain qui est si loin derrière!" the orange-bearded Dwarf snapped angrily.

"He says the Dwarves will not follow the instructions of a human who knows nothing about Metallurgy or Blacksmithing," Thorim translated.

Just as I expected.

The Dwarves' pride in their craftsmanship was so immense that they looked down upon other races whenever the subject involved their specialties.

"I can make Adamantite."

Silence fell.

Although the Dwarves didn't understand the words I had just spoken, they understood what Adamantite meant.

Adamantite was considered one of the strongest and highest-quality metals by the Dwarves.

Long ago, the Dwarves possessed the recipe for creating Adamantite.

The metal could not be mined naturally. It could only be produced by combining several different metals in very specific proportions.

Several Legendary weapons and artifacts, such as Mjolnir and the sword Balmung, had been forged using Adamantite.

However, there was actually one metal even stronger than Adamantite.

But I wasn't going to mention that one yet.

Seven hundred years ago, however, the recipe disappeared after an earthquake destroyed the Dwarven city.

The Dwarves had repeatedly attempted to recreate it.

Yet even after all these centuries, not a single Dwarf had succeeded in producing Adamantite again.

"Ne plaisantez pas, humain! Qu'est-ce que vous savez de plus que nous!?"

"Singe prétentieux!"

The Dwarves began shouting angrily at me.

As expected, they were offended that a human believed he could create such a rare metal—especially one that the Dwarves themselves had spent hundreds of years failing to reproduce.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

The sharp strikes of the wooden gavel silenced the enraged Dwarves.

I looked toward the bespectacled Dwarf.

He wore an irritated expression.

"Humain, si tu ne peux pas prouver tes paroles, alors tu seras un esclave de cette ville pour toujours!" he declared.

Thorim turned toward me and translated.

"The Council Chairman says that if you cannot prove your claim, you will become a slave of this city forever."

"All right. Take me to your forge and bring me Mythril, Orichalcum, Palladium, and Gold ore!" I said to the bespectacled Dwarf.

After Thorim translated my words, the Dwarf nodded.

He climbed onto the table, stepped down, approached me, and said something to Thorim before walking toward the door.

"Hey, let's follow the Council Chairman to the forge," Thorim said.

"The materials you requested will be prepared there."

I nodded.

Thorim and I followed the Council Chairman.

We descended a staircase that led into what appeared to be an underground chamber.

The sound of metal striking metal echoed through the passage.

Not long afterward, we arrived at the forge.

My body immediately began to sweat from the intense heat radiating from the blazing furnaces used to melt metal and ore.

Several Dwarves soon brought four buckets filled with the ores I had requested.

"Tu n'as qu'une seule chance! Je ne veux pas passer trop de temps à regarder tes bêtises!" the bespectacled Dwarf declared.

"The Council Chairman says you only have one chance because he doesn't want to waste his time watching you make a fool of yourself," Thorim translated.

I nodded.

I carried the four buckets over beside the furnace.

Then I began carefully adjusting the proportions of the ores according to the recipe I remembered from the game.

All right...

If I remembered correctly, the composition was:

Thirty percent Mythril.

Forty-seven percent Orichalcum.

Eight percent Gold.

And fifteen percent Palladium.

After measuring out each material according to those proportions, I placed everything into a large glass container and put it into the furnace to heat.

While waiting for the materials to melt, I approached Thorim.

"Could you find me some Polymorph Water?"

Thorim nodded and left the forge.

Meanwhile, the bespectacled Dwarf who had brought me here showed absolutely no interest in what I was doing.

I suppose he believed I would fail.

After all, the Dwarves had spent hundreds of years trying to discover the correct composition for Adamantite and had never succeeded.

"This is the Polymorph Water you asked for."

Thorim returned carrying a bucket filled with pale green water.

I took it and returned to the furnace.

Next, I retrieved the glass container, which now held the molten mixture of the materials I had combined.

I poured the liquid into a rectangular mold and allowed it to cool for a moment.

Once it had cooled enough, I placed the mold into the Polymorph Water Thorim had brought.

Steam immediately rose from the water as the mold was still extremely hot.

Not long afterward, I pulled the mold out and removed the newly formed metal from it.

A bright pink rectangular ingot emerged from the mixture I had created.

I handed it to the bespectacled Dwarf for testing.

He took it from my hand and carefully ran his fingers across the newly created metal.

Then he removed his glasses and pulled out a device resembling a magnifying glass to examine the object more closely.

After he was satisfied with his inspection, he suddenly threw the metal onto the ground.

He raised one hand and pointed his palm toward it.

"La Foudre!"

A combined spell of lightning and fire erupted from his hand and struck the metal.

This bespectacled Dwarf was clearly no ordinary Dwarf.

Judging by the power of his magic, I suspected he was a powerful Mage on the level of an Archwizard.

Once the spell faded, he picked up the metal again and stared at it.

His hands suddenly began to tremble.

Tears started streaming down both of his cheeks.

Then, while still clutching the Adamantite I had just created, he collapsed to his knees.

"Nous l'avons enfin trouvé!" the bespectacled Dwarf cried out through his tears.

It seemed my negotiations with the Dwarves were going to go very well.