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Translator: AkazaTL
Pr/Ed: Sol IX
***
Chapter 217. Dwarf (2)
“…Say that again?”
Dwight couldn’t believe my words for a moment.
Ẇ е̌b̈n̂ov́еl Е̃ n û mа
“So you’re saying you already killed a Dragon.”
“Yes.”
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“No, that makes no sense. How?”
Dwight’s voice quickened.
“If I had at least brought back a corpse, I could’ve proven it. Unfortunately, I don’t have a Dragon corpse on hand to show you right now.”
“…Good heavens.”
Е̌ǹ ům̈ а. î d
Seeing how calm I was, Dwight eventually accepted that I wasn’t lying or boasting. His pupils trembled violently.
“The Karavan Armor… was it truly on that level? The Immortal realm spoken of in legend—True Steel—was it that powerful…?”
Dwight’s voice shook.
Why? This dwarf general should have been a strong Sword Expert himself. Someone of his level should at least be able to stand against a Dragon. Even if he considered it a difficult foe… was there a reason for him to fear it this much?
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
「Because he is a Dwarf.」
My master had once explained the reason.
Ẇе̄ b́ n̄ о̇ v̇ е̂l̄ Е n ü m̃ а
「History.」
History?
「Fear engraved into the blood.」
“……”
「Call it instinctive terror toward a natural enemy.」
A natural enemy— a primal and absolute term. Soon Dwight approached me.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
“Come with me for a moment, Heir of Steel.”
***
Dwight led me outside.
The streets were full of dwarves. Unlike the Iron Kingdom of Cherville—where Dwarves and Humans coexisted—this place had only Dwarves.
A nation whose location was untraceable, as closed-off as the Great Forest where the Elves lived. A fitting sight for the Dwarf Kingdom.
「It’s been a long time since I’ve seen it.」
Еñ u m̄ǎ
The Dwarf Kingdom could be summarized in two words: Fire and Steel.
A nation built on those two pillars. Born with natural resistance to flame, Dwarves became blacksmiths or cooks. Along the streets, blacksmiths hammered steel with clang clang, and cooks held blazing flames in their hands while preparing delicious-looking dishes.
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There were also Dwarves drunk on beer, shouting merrily. A unique landscape indeed.
“This way.”
We walked through the streets until we arrived at a mud-covered training ground.
The training dummies there were all made of steel—never wood. In some ways, it was the Dwarf Kingdom, not Cherville, that deserved to be called the true Iron Kingdom.
Еn úm а̀ . і̃ d̊
“Please swing a sword once.”
“Yes.”
“Ah—not with your own blade. Use this.”
Dwight briefly took Gaia’s Sword and handed me a training iron sword. I followed his instruction, kept my movements simple, and swung briefly at a steel dummy— a thrust, a slash— and then.
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“…!”
“As expected.”
Ё n̊u ṁ а
With a sharp clang, the dummy was cut. But the moment after slicing a mere steel dummy, the weapon in my hand shattered like glass. Ash-colored dust blew out as not only the sword broke, but also the armor, boots, and gauntlets Dwight had lent me were destroyed.
Why?
“You truly have entered the Immortal realm.”
Immortality. That was how Dwight phrased it.
“According to legend, the Karavan who forged the Armor was said to have stepped into the realm of True Steel. Their Armor was not only outside but filled their inner being. Granting strength far beyond the superhuman.”
So growing stronger came with side effects?
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‘Do I have to fight without equipment now?’
Impossible. No matter how powerful my Armor was, equipment in battle was always crucial. People said a master didn’t choose their tools—nonsense. Masters were the ones who chose their tools the most carefully.
“Heir of Steel.”
“Yes.”
“I once told you this. If a time comes when even minor movements cause you to lose all your equipment, come to the Dwarf Kingdom. You remembered that, I took it?”
No. I hadn’t remembered.
Еn̆u̇ m̆ â. id̀
“Do you have equipment here that can withstand my movements?”
Among the Seven Races, Dwarves possessed the greatest master artisans. Innate craftsmen. If they couldn’t craft equipment that fit me, then none on the continent could.
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“Of course we do.”
Dwight nodded. But.
“But I cannot give it to you yet.”
“Because it’s precious?”
W е̊_b̈.ǹ о̆ vé l̊ Ën ǔ m̃ а
“No. For the Heir of Steel, I could offer anything precious. The equipment you broke just now—those were made of Winter Steel and Sky Steel, the finest materials known on this continent.”
“…!”
Not ordinary training materials?
‘What the hell.’
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Dwight handed back Gaia’s Sword.
“Normally, after gaining such power, you wouldn’t have been able to swing a sword at all. Legend says the first Karavan used a single sword for each single swing. Whatever he held shattered instantly.”
Е̊ n̆ŭ m̀ а̇
What a waste.
“Fortunately, you obtained a treasure through fortune. No Dwarf in this kingdom—no one in the world—could forge a blade as durable as that one. It isn’t even a crafted sword, after all.”
“That’s right.”
“A marvel indeed. A sword imbued with the Spirit King of Earth, symbol of endurance. Thankfully, at least your weapon won’t need replacement. Not until you become a Swordmaster.”
Something caught my attention.
“So becoming a Swordmaster means I need a new weapon?”
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“No. Swordmasters do not use weapons of the Middle Realm.”
What?
“The first Swordmaster was not only the strongest swordsman but the greatest blacksmith. Knowing no weapon in the Middle Realm could withstand his power, he forged and polished his own soul into a blade. That was the origin of the Swordmaster’s exclusive weapon. It became possible because the first Swordmaster was of Dwarf blood.”
Really?
「I wasn’t the greatest, but I was good. By today’s standards, they’d call me the greatest blacksmith on the continent. Blacksmiths of my age would scoff, though.」
A neat bit of trivia. Directly from someone who lived in that era.
Е̌nú mа̂
“Of course, the wall of Swordmaster is high. You’ll reach it one day. Until then, your current weapon will serve you well. But a weapon won’t be the only thing you need, will it?”
“No.”
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“The strong attract the strong. With your Immortality, powerful beings will gather around you—especially in times as chaotic as these. And to defeat such beings, you’ll need excellent equipment.”
So— did that mean he would give it to me?
“The first Karavan lived in the Iron Kingdom, but left his weapons here in the Dwarf Kingdom. Only we possessed the skill to keep them in perfect condition for centuries.”
“……”
Е.n ǔ.m a
“Not only the first Karavan—every Karavan who carved a new legend left their armaments with us. History erased them, but their swords remained.”
The blades of the Karavans throughout history. My heart quickened automatically.
“Legend says Karavan weapons must be crafted by Karavan hands—the lineage of the greatest blacksmiths. All their priceless treasures remain with us.”
Karavan equipment for Karavans… Was that true?
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「No. I paid the greatest blacksmiths of the Age of War to make them. My children probably did the same. A strange rumor that spread.」
I see. But no need to correct the misunderstanding.
Е̃ n̆ u m̌ a
Because,
“Then I’ll simply be receiving what I should have always had.”
It sounded more impressive that way.
“So where is the equipment meant for me?”
Dwight answered right away.
“The Golden Vault.”
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“The place you mentioned before. Where legendary weapons and treasures are stored—the Dwarf Kingdom’s vault.”
“You remember. Then you also remember why I cannot open it so easily.”
I did.
“Because the greedy ruler of the sky is watching.”
“Correct—the Dragon.”
Dwight’s eyes gleamed.
Ẅ ê bn оv ě l Ё ń.û m̀ă
“Heir of Steel. Since the birth of the continent, Dwarves were slaves to Dragons. Those creatures coveted all precious things, yet wanted their own treasures polished and refined. They dragged innocent Dwarves to the bottom of the Sky Mountains to serve them forever.”
Dwight slowly closed his eyes.
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“We endured ages of humiliation. Until the first Karavan freed us. He drove away the Dragons and gave us freedom. But no hero lives forever. He left this world, became a myth, and the world erased steel and its bloodline from history.”
“……”
“When that era faded, Dragons forgot their old promise and tried to enslave us again. And what protected our freedom was the Golden Vault.”
It protected them? How?
Е̄ n u m а
“The Golden Vault contains treasures Dragons would go mad for. But only young Dragons desire such things. Ancient Dragons do not. Their hoards are far greater than ours could ever be.”
“Then?”
“The old Dragons fear the last remaining trace of Karavan. They believe that as long as even a sliver remains, Karavan may return. They remember the Age of Steel. They know what the blood of Steel can do.”
Dwight’s eyes blazed.
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“The Heir of Steel—who consumed the blades of the Karavans of glory—you may call forth another Age of Steel across time. The Karavans’ power: the ability to summon the souls of those lost to the ages. True Immortality.”
“……”
Е nu ṁ_ӓ
“The Dragons desire the Golden Vault yet fear it. But they can do nothing. They do not know its location, and even if they did, they could never open the lock.”
Dwight smirked.
“If an unworthy one tries to open the Golden Vault, its owner appears. A famous legend.”
“And the owner of the Golden Vault is?”
“No one knows. No one has approached it in centuries. Only the kings of the Dwarves passed down the truth.”
Strict tradition.
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“Dragons believe the owner is the first Karavan. Ancient Dragons still fear the first Steel. Thus, their interference with the Dwarf Kingdom has remained limited. Only young Dragons, forgetting the past, sometimes attack to enslave us—and even those attacks are deadly to us.”
Dwight exhaled.
I asked:
“Why didn’t you repel them?”
“How would we?”
“Dwight, you’re a Sword Expert. Can’t you handle a single Dragon somehow?”
Е̌n̆ u m̌å
“No.”
He couldn’t?
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“A Dragon’s breath burns through Armor and sears the soul. And if a Dragon unleashes elemental fury, this kingdom would fall instantly. And their language—the Dragon Tongue, that creates any phenomenon—how could we stand against that?”
Certainly threatening. But for me?
‘Elemental control doesn’t work. Dragon Tongue is ignored. Breath? Even if it pierces Armor, my Armor regenerates instantly—not even a second.’
Not threatening at all.
Е̂ n ů m̂а̂ .ĭd
“Heir of Steel, thank the heavens you came. Dragons have been emerging from their nests recently. Some even came to the palace and demanded we open the Golden Vault. They no longer listen to the old Dragons. Dragons are returning to the world. Soon they will burn everything as the rulers of the sky once again.”
“……”
“I hear Dragons are aiding the Great Land—helping them cross seas and scorch the earth. They’ve decided to ignore ancient promises. We cannot sit still. When war begins, they’ll come for us first—to enslave us again.”
Dwight’s eyes turned resolute.
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“Fortunately, we’ve prepared for years. Weapons to face Dragons, strategies to counter them, soldiers we trained with everything we had! With all this, we can face a single Dragon with only five hundred troops. And with you, Heir of Steel, we might handle two—”
“…Dwight.”
Ẽ ǹ u̇ m̆а̂
“Why? Haha, do you think even two would be too much—”
“Let’s go open the Golden Vault.”
And— he froze instantly.
Before he could speak, I continued:
“Dragons are not my match.”
“…Ah.”
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“A handful of winged lizards cannot stand against me. So let’s open the Golden Vault. Now that I am here, there is no need to fear them.”
Yes—no need to fear them. Because?
“It’s time Dragons paid the price for forgetting Steel.”
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