Chapter 61

Dozens of craftsmen were already hammering away when I arrived. A few elderly dwarves, who looked the oldest, frowned deeply when they saw Goltha, who had been guiding me.

It wasn't his appearance that upset them, but the sight of me following behind him.

"Can't you see? This is the human who came to the village this time."

"Goltha, you've really gone mad!"

"How dare you bring a human here!"

Their reaction was understandable.

Goltha was one of the 8 Elders, which meant there were other Elders besides him. And they had refused to meet me, even though I was here for the conversation.

Among them, I saw an elderly dwarf who looked just like Goltha.

"Goltha."

"Brother."

"Explain yourself."

Goltha sighed, ignoring the dwarves who were glaring at me coldly.

"It was a bet. I heard that this young prince of the Raun Kingdom had learned the art of forging."

"So?"

"I just want to let him observe the work, even if it's just for a moment."

"Bring a human to the Central Forge? Goltha! Have you gone mad? You're still drunk, aren't you!"

"I'm fine! I've found a human I like, and I'm staking my position as an Elder on this young prince."

"Goltha, you...!"

Goltha's shout was unexpectedly powerful. He had seemed annoyed when he first saw me, and I assumed the other Elders felt the same. But he was a man of his word.

"Hey, young prince."

"My name is Dave."

"Dave, then. This is as far as I can help you."

"Yes."

"A promise is a promise. I'll help you today, but don't expect me to do it again."

"That's enough for me."

I smiled, and he huffed, clearly displeased, before turning away.

"What are you all doing! I said we have important work today?!"

"Damn it! What kind of ridiculous nonsense is this!"

One of the craftsmen threw the hammer he was holding.

From their perspective, my entry into the conversation must have been infuriating.

-They're overreacting.

'The stubbornness of craftsmen is the same everywhere, and I did something outrageous, so don't be angry anymore.'

She puffed her cheeks, looking displeased.

-You have a good heart.

'I would have done the same.'

This is one of the traces left by my teacher.

I've seen the completed divine sword.

The twin swords, his final work, are in my hands.

The last of his old works is here.

"Damn it! You learned forging? Do you even know what we do here?!"

"Damn, this isn't just any object; it's a divine artifact over 3,000 years old."

"Do you understand! Everyone, I'm staking my position as an Elder on this one request!"

Goltha's determined shout finally silenced the angry dwarves, but their hostility towards me didn't fade easily.

-Why help these people?

'I'm not helping them. I just came to trade corn for diamonds. I just want to see what they do once.'

"For the sake of future generations, show a little mercy."

"What are you all doing! Goltha is an Elder! If he decided this, you should respect it!"

At that moment, the elderly dwarf who looked just like Goltha came to my aid.

Golgoda.

Goltha's brother and the 1st Elder, responsible for managing the Primordial Flash in this generation.

The 1st Elder means the highest-ranking Elder, essentially the leader of the tribe.

"Ahem... Since it's Elder Golgoda speaking, I'll let it slide."

"But this must never happen again!"

Perhaps because of Elder Golgoda's strong influence, the grumbling dwarves soon picked up their hammers and returned to their work.

"Human."

"Yes."

"I accepted you at my brother's request, but if you do anything unnecessary, my battle hammer will crush your skull."

After Golgoda's threat, I smiled, and he seemed displeased, turning away.

* * *

The Primordial Flash is a massive sword, over 2 meters long, with a blade width of at least 30 centimeters. It's an ancient, grand design.

Or rather, it's not a sword but a massive structure with numerous attachments.

A sword that doesn't cut.

Or rather, a sword that can't cut.

The sword, which had been a divine artifact in the dwarf village, was lying broken in the center of the workshop, still exuding its grandeur.

I watched the Primordial Flash in silence.

-What are you looking at so intently?

'It can't be fixed.'

I silently evaluated it.

Fix it? It would be as foolish and disrespectful as trying to revive a dead old man.

'It would be better to make a new one. It's too old.'

A similar process to the divine sword.

But unlike the divine sword, it's an incomplete work.

That's why the Primordial Flash couldn't withstand the long years.

"Everyone, what are you doing! Pull it quickly!!"

"There! How's the iron we made?!"

"Damn it! Are you not hammering properly?! Do you all want to die?!"

The workshop was like a battlefield.

Despite their exceptional skills, the dwarves had been unable to fix the sword for weeks.

If it were a regular sword, so many dwarves wouldn't be needed.

But the Primordial Flash is a magical sword, a magical device, that bestows numerous blessings just by existing.

That's why they are carefully disassembling and handling each part.

-They're quite dedicated, despite their grumpy personalities.

Perseus muttered, surprised by the sight of the dwarves discussing and handling the work carefully.

'I know dwarves have fiery tempers now.'

-You think so?

Even with such temperaments, they are incredibly respectful and reverent to those they recognize.

I had heard such stories before, but this was my first time meeting living dwarves.

The restoration work, which began early in the morning, continued even as the sun reached its zenith, though the Central Forge, located underground, didn't show the sun.

Watching them hammer and research as if pouring their souls into the work, I admired their passion.

I sat quietly, observing their work like a lion watching its prey, lost in thought.

'With that level of passion and skill, they would do an excellent job developing facilities for my estate.'

Their skills were even better than I expected.

The dwarves were so focused on the sword that they wouldn't consider other tasks, but if they came to my estate, they could help with various infrastructure projects, including irrigation.

Among them, the most passionate and efficient was Golgoda, the 1st Elder and Goltha's brother, who had brought me here.

He hammered away silently and relentlessly, as if he had committed a sin, without regard for his own body.

"Damn it! Golgoda, you'll fall over! Take a break!"

"Enough! Where's the clamp? Quickly, move to the next part!"

"Damn it!!"

He pushed himself so hard that even the other dwarves turned pale.

Perhaps the responsibility of the broken Primordial Flash weighed heavily on him, as it was his duty to manage it.

Originally, his father and Goltha's father had managed the sword, but it had broken shortly after they inherited it.

Seeing him grit his teeth and work desperately, I silently clicked my tongue.

"At this rate, it won't work."

He had lost his composure, and only his exceptional skills were keeping him afloat.

Lacking the skill to fix the sword, he was desperately trying, making no progress, and even regressing.

Regardless, they were clinging to a thin thread of hope.

Then, unexpectedly, I had to step in.

"Damn it! The Yellow Rock Tribe finally broke the sword."

A dwarf in black entered the workshop.

"Thor?"

"Why is the Black Rock Tribe here?"

The Black Rock Tribe, a dwarf clan from the southern continent. They must have traveled a great distance.

The workshop fell silent at his sudden appearance, except for one.

"You have the nerve to speak after destroying the divine artifact."

"Shut up, Thor!"

Goltha shouted in anger, but Thor, the dwarf in black, only shrugged and strode into the Central Forge.

How interesting!

Thor, who had been silently observing, soon sneered at Golgoda, whom he had been ignoring.

"What do you think, Elder Golgoda? I wasn't keen on you managing this sword from the start."

"You bastard!!"

"Hand it over to our Black Rock Tribe now. Our craftsmen are better than this. Tsk!"

Spitting, he provoked the other dwarves, whose faces twisted in anger.

"Is that so! We have the Chief Elder!"

"Hah! What a joke. Even the Chief Elder of the Black Rock Tribe can't fix this easily!"

"You've been struggling to fix it for a long time."

Perhaps because it was true, the dwarves gritted their teeth in frustration.

But Golgoda continued hammering the heated part of the Primordial Flash in silence.

Clang! Clang!

Ignoring Thor's presence, he hammered desperately, as if pleading. His hammering was relentless.

"Hand it over now. Don't disgrace the divine artifact any further!"

Thor's shout made the dwarves' faces contort.

Golgoda's hammering grew even more intense.

Some were so angry that their teeth were clenched and their eyes bloodshot, their emotions palpable.

"This was a decision made by all the Elders. We can't entrust it to the least skilled clan. Well, if Chief Elder Gord were still alive, it might have been different."

Dwarves speak through their skills, so no one could refute Thor's words.

Clang! Clang!

The hammering grew louder, echoing through the forge.

Then, something happened.