Chapter 613: City Tour (2)

Chapter 613: Chapter 613: City Tour (2)

We walked away from the bustling food street, into a different district. The air changed, from the warm, savory smells of cooking to the hot, metallic tang of industry.

This was the ’Forge District’.

And it was loud.

The rhythmic clang of hammers on steel, the roar of furnaces, and the hiss of quenching metal created a symphony of creation that vibrated through the earth beneath our feet.

"By the great mother..." Vespera muttered, her eyes wide as she took in the scene. "It’s... loud."

"That’s the sound of progress," I said with a grin. "Come on, I want to show you something."

I led her towards a large, open-air forge that was separated from the rest by a series of obsidian pillars. Unlike the other forges, this one was quieter, more organized, and the few dwarves working inside moved with a focused precision.

Behind the main forge area, a single, much smaller anvil stood apart from the others.

And at that anvil, a figure was working.

Vespera squinted, her lavender eyes trying to make out the details of the lone smith. It was a dwarf, but not like the others. He was older, with a long, braided beard that was threaded with silver and gold. His arms were thick with muscle, and his face was a roadmap of scars. But what was most striking was his eyes. They were a deep, piercing blue, and they were focused on the piece of metal in front of him with an intensity that was almost frightening.

He was forging a sword.

But not just any sword. He was heating a bar of steel that had a strange, silvery sheen, then folding it over and over again, his hammer falling in a steady, hypnotic rhythm. Each strike was precise, each fold perfect.

My world, Elytheum, was ’primitive’ in a way if we compared its technology to Earth, for example, without taking magic into consideration. My world just came out of the Bronze Age into the Iron Age.

And now?

That old dwarf was folding steel.

The concept of folding steel to create a stronger, sharper blade was revolutionary here. A technique that Earth had mastered centuries ago was now being introduced to my world, right here, in my city.

I have to thank Arwen for that. She was the one who bought the necessary knowledge from the Nexus and gave it to me.

My twin sister Vicky is a monster in management, but no matter what, it’s hard to compare it to a thousand years of managing an entire world.

Yes, my sister was the acting queen of Hell and the Unspoken Realm, but those places hardly count as a normal ’civilization’ that needs to be managed in the traditional way.

Arwen has the experience, the knowledge, and the connections.

She knew exactly which knowledge cards to buy and how to adapt them so the dwarves could actually understand and use them without their brains melting from too much information at once.

And apparently, she also has an unhealthy obsession with acquiring anything remotely useful.

Which, honestly, made her one of the most valuable people in my administration.

The dwarf’s hammer continued its steady rhythm, each strike resonating like a heartbeat in the quiet forge. Sparks flew with each fold of the silver-steel alloy, illuminating his scarred face with brief flashes of firelight. Vespera watched in awe, her gaze fixed on the master at work, sensing that this was no ordinary smithy—it was a creator of legends.

"You see," I said softly, voice tinged with pride, "this dwarf is one of the few who truly understands the art of forging in Elytheum. His name is Thrain, and he’s been perfecting this technique for decades. Here, we don’t just make weapons; we craft symbols of resilience, of ingenuity."

Three days ago, I teleported the dwarf into the Nightmare Tower, and with a little adjustment to the time flow, he spent 30 years inside the tower learning the art of forging.

Vespera watched, mesmerized, as the dwarf worked. She was mesmerized by the silver-steel sword, now taking on a faint, ethereal glow with each fold. The blade was beginning to form, its shape elegant yet deadly, its surface rippling like water in the moonlight.

The old dwarf finally noticed us, but he didn’t stop his work. He simply glanced up, his piercing blue eyes appraising Vespera for a moment before returning to the anvil.

"Another curious onlooker," he grunted, his voice a low rumble like stones grinding together. "Unless you’re here to commission a weapon that can cleave a dragon’s skull, don’t waste my time."

"Heh~... even a dragon’s skull would need more than just your blade, old dwarf," I teased. He didn’t recognize me, of course; the Mask of Silence perfectly hid my aura. To him, I’m just a hot silver-haired human with big tits and a juicy ass.

The old dwarf snorted, but there was a hint of amusement in his eyes.

"True," he conceded, "but it would be a damn good start."

I didn’t say anything else and kept watching for a few minutes. To me, that sword was only the beginning.

Thrain, with the knowledge he gained in the Tower, would teach the others, and soon, the Forge District would be filled with the sound of hammers folding steel.

However, to keep the knowledge within my grasp, Thrain had to be ’loyal’ to me and me alone.

The 30 years inside the tower weren’t spent just on learning but also... on ’persuasion’ to make sure he knew who the real master was.

Yes... we fucked a lot.

And I have to say, for a short dwarf, his cock was... surprisingly large.

With a slight adjustment to my height and body to match his, we had a very passionate sex life inside the tower that left my womb very... ’happy’.

Soon, I’ll give birth to my first dwarf daughters. And they will be the ones who will keep an eye on their father and the others.

Leaving the old dwarf to his craft, Vespera and I began inspecting the rest of the district.

The other forges were loud and chaotic, mostly dwarves who worked here with a passion and a fire in their bellies, although a few elves and humans were also there learning the craft from them. The dwarves were still hesitant to teach the ’tall folk’ and ’pointy ears’ their secrets, but they were slowly coming around.

The key was respect. I made it clear that the dwarves were the masters of the Forge District, that their knowledge and skills were valued and respected. And in return, they were starting to see the other races not just as potential customers, but as potential apprentices and colleagues.

Especially two middle-aged humans, who were both blacksmiths in the past, crafting armor and weapons for Vandor’s holy paladins. One thing led to another, and they were framed for ’heresy’ and enslaved; now they were my ’slaves’.

Of course, I didn’t treat them like one. And because of that, they were happy to share their knowledge of the ’human’ forging techniques with the dwarves.

This exchange of knowledge was another cornerstone of my city’s philosophy.

Hehehe~... All knowledge, of course, especially the lewd ones.

After all, this is the city of the goddess of breeding.

"Wow!" Vespera was fascinated. Rows and rows of weapons and armor, all gleaming in the firelight. There were swords, axes, spears, and hammers, each one a work of art. There were suits of armor, from simple chainmail to ornate full plate, each one tailored to the needs of its wearer.

"Most of these are going to my city guard," I said, picking up a beautifully crafted shortsword. The balance was perfect, the blade sharp enough to slice through a piece of silk dropped on it. "The rest will be sold to the public at a reasonable price."

"Reasonable?" Vespera asked, her eyes wide. "But these... these are masterpieces! They’re worth a fortune!"

"They are," I agreed, a small smile playing on my lips. "But a well-armed adventurer is a safe adventurer. And a safe adventure is a happy adventure. And a happy adventure... spends a lot of money in my city."

"Pffft..." Vespera laughed. "You’re not a goddess of breeding, you’re a goddess of business."

"I’m a goddess of many things," I replied with a wink. "Breeding is just my cup of tea."

In Vicky’s plan, all this equipment will be sold to adventurers who come to my city seeking riches in the Nightmare Tower, and the currency will only be the coins looted from the tower.

I don’t really care too much about money, but I can’t deny its usefulness. Money opens doors, and blood keeps them shut. I had plenty of both.

Vespera and I spent another hour in the Forge District, with the dark elf being a little too touchy with the swords. And when we were about to leave, a group of my wolf-kin daughters, all of them armed with new swords and clad in leather armor, marched past us. Their postures were straight, and their eyes were fierce.

They were my city guards.

And they were beautiful.

"Wow," Vespera said, her eyes glued to the patrol. "They look... dangerous."

"They are," I said with pride. "They are my daughters, after all."

"Daughters?" Vespera asked, her head snapping towards me. "But... they are wolf-kin."

"And?" I raised an eyebrow. "Is there a problem with that?"

"N-No!" Vespera quickly shook her head. "It’s just... I didn’t know you had... you know... children."

"I have many children," I said with a smile. "Do you want to know how many?"

"Y-Yes!"

"Let’s just say... enough to fill a kingdom."