It didn’t take long to reach the outskirts we had visited before.
However, getting to the capital of the Dwarf Republic took a whopping two months. Still, the carriage of Ambassador Viral was comfortable, so it wasn’t really a problem. I swallowed hard.
Now, the real fight was about to begin. To put it bluntly, this place was no different from enemy territory. Even if they weren’t demons, the Dwarf Republic was likely to see us unfavorably.
Considering what I had done to Ambassador Viral before and various verbal altercations that had transpired during this negotiation, it was understandable. Had two months really passed? The season had already transitioned from spring to almost summer.
And as soon as we arrived at the republic, we were welcomed by the clang clang of metal and the scorching heat of the furnace. No kidding—it felt like everything around us was a blacksmith’s forge.
Unlike other castle walls, the pitch-black walls greeted us. Even the floor was black. I couldn’t help but wonder if they had built the castle out of steel, but it appeared not to be the case.
“This is the Iron Furnace, the capital of our Dwarf Republic,” she said.
“Iron Furnace, huh… It certainly feels that way,” I replied.
“Such intense heat… It’s not easy to endure,” came the comment.
“Last time I visited, it wasn’t this extreme,” I added.
Helia seemed to struggle with the heat radiating from the furnace, sticking close to me, while Cluna gazed at the view of the Forge with admiration.
“We made remarkable technological advancements due to the war with the demons. After all, war leads to technological development,” she explained.
“The issue is, that swift advancement comes with side effects, right?” I questioned.
“Yes, with unusually rapid progress, there are inevitably some drawbacks,” she confirmed.
“Welcome back safely, Ambassador Viral!” came a voice.
She was clad in chainmail armor with a steel breastplate adorned with a gorilla figure. A girl with blue hair and blue eyes stood before us.
“I remember you from before. Your name is…?” I asked.
“I’m Rain Emerald. I serve as the deputy commander of the Jewel Star, protecting the leadership of the Dwarf Republic,” she introduced herself.
“Jewel Star?” I echoed.
“In simpler terms, it’s similar to a personal guard. Let’s head inside and talk,” she urged.
Before entering, I gathered the Royal Knights into one spot. Fortunately, everyone seemed to have arrived safely—except Bayard, who had trouble with motion sickness.
“Last time we returned to the fortress, you were fainted,” I reminded.
“Bayard has always struggled with motion sickness,” came the reply.
“So he usually transformed into a bear to follow along, huh?” I added.
“…It’s dangerous right now,” he noted.
I was almost 99% sure that demons resided in the Dwarf Republic. The settings indicated that it had been annihilated by demons. I clicked my tongue.
If that were the case, it was highly likely that the current chaos in the Dwarf Republic was due to these demons pulling some strings. They’ve probably been plotting this for a long time. Just what a hassle.
If they were upfront about it, that would be one thing, but they seemed to work diligently behind the scenes like Comprachico. Whatever it is, just let me have that Divine Sword; I’ll take them out in one blow!
“By the way, where is that renowned Divine Sword?” I mused aloud.
It turned out I wasn’t the only one interested in it. Commander Yuren was the first to bring it up. I silently cheered inwardly. I hesitated to speak up, but…
“Just what I needed! Commander Yuren, you’re scratching the itch!” I thought.
Upon hearing Commander Yuren’s words, Ambassador Viral glanced at me before raising his hand to point to the center of the square.
“That sword lodged over there is the Divine Sword.”
“Is that the Divine Sword capable of cutting through everything?” I gasped.
“Oh my~ It’s been a while,” came a familiar response.
“A while?” I asked.
“Cluna may know. That sword was used by the first Hero,” she explained.
Wait, it was the sword of the first Hero?! I barely restrained my drool. That was literally the best weapon! If I got my hands on that, I could become the strongest!
But it’s not the right time yet. Stealing it with Time Stop would be extraordinarily easy, but I didn’t want to act like the Time Stop Breeding Uncle. But… that Divine Sword…!!
After much trouble, we finally reached the reception room, surprisingly adorned with all sorts of jewels and luxurious furniture—quite unlike a Dwarf Republic. I thought they only cared about practicality.
“How surprising. I thought there wouldn’t be any decorations at all,” I noted.
“We treat all crafts, like gemstone engraving and furniture making, equally. That’s what our Dwarf Republic has always been… but….”
“The war has changed everything,” I concluded.
Viral nodded heavily. He mentioned that currently, only exceptionally powerful weapons gained recognition in the Dwarf Republic. Unlike in the past, this wasn’t a good phenomenon.
No matter how much a war is ongoing, warfare isn’t solely conducted with weapons. It involves a combination of various technologies and people. Yet they insist on only focusing on weapons?
Slowly, the puzzle pieces in my mind started to fit together. The absurd weapons like a mobile fortress mentioned in the original story. Could it be the demons aimed for this from the start against the Dwarf Republic…?
Of course, they didn’t annihilate the Royal Knights from the beginning, but they were definitely working behind the scenes to absorb the Dwarf Republic’s technological prowess.
“I initially thought it was a temporary situation. But after secretly investigating, we discovered…”
“Demons, huh.”
“…How did you know?”
“Huh?”
I accidentally let my voice slip. By the time I realized, everyone around me was staring at me, especially Viral and Rain, who looked confused.
The other members also had puzzled expressions. We hadn’t even heard the story yet. They probably didn’t suspect the big bad was a demon at all.
Ah, damn it. With my head full of thoughts related to demons, I failed to read the mood around me properly. I hurriedly tried to recover.
“I know of a nation similar to the Dwarf Republic that faced annihilation.”
“Now that you mention it, I’ve heard before that there used to be several Human Kingdoms,” someone said.
“Well, true. Because of the demons, they’ve all merged into one now,” I answered.
The names of the nations being called the Human Kingdom and Dwarf Republic weren’t just for show. Only beastmen and dragons could still retain their unique names.
Speaking of which, I remembered the Holy Kingdom as well.
But the Holy Kingdom held a significant symbolic meaning. After all, it was the benefactor that helped protect over half of the continent. Although its power has been gradually weakening.
“Humans have their own history. Sir Hans, you’ve been through a lot more than you seemed,” Rain observed.
“So that’s why you say it that way…”
“Mom, do you have some sort of inkling?”
“You said to call you by name, right? Lady Clara?”
“…….”
Fortunately, Viral and Cluna misconstrued the situation. I kept my mouth shut; it was better to remain quiet than to keep babbling.
Thanks to them, I navigated the crisis successfully and learned the detailed happenings from Viral. He had a strange feeling and began investigating secretly with Rain Emerald.
They had managed to obtain proof of demon involvement but couldn’t reveal it immediately. The grasp of the demons around the Dwarf Republic was deeper than anticipated.
“I could have easily been eliminated. Therefore, I had no choice but to feign allegiance to them and escape the Dwarf Republic,” he stated.
“Lucky that Ruby’s father was heading to the Royal Knights’ castle. You joined him and came along?” I surmised.
“That’s correct.”
“This doesn’t add up. Why go as far as to capture someone so far away and toss them into the furnace?”
“……That’s…..”
“Are you saying you want to explain that yourself?”
Ruby, who had been silent until now, finally spoke. What now? Do you have some hidden power from your lineage? Though the thought welled up inside me, I stifled it. I replied.
“Alright, go ahead.”
“There are cases where Dwarves are born with special powers,” she explained.
“Special powers?” I inquired.
“We usually refer to them as gemstones. We can turn iron into gold or control refined iron made by oneself freely,” she elaborated.
In simpler terms, it’s like a superpower. Come to think of it, Beril Sapphire from the original also had a similar skill—gaining a buff by consuming a gem.
“So that man was after Ruby’s gemstone?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“What exactly is that gemstone?”
“…To be precise, it’s the gemstone inherited from my mother.”
“Your mother?”
Ah, this doesn’t sound good at all…
“My mother and I can turn metals into the finest quality depending on the purity of our blood,” she stated.
Why is it that my ominous premonitions have never been wrong?
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