That girl… she's too young to remember this, but if she does…
Hahaha, it would be too awkward for her to meet me , if she ever do meet me in future.
Well I hope empress quickly confiscates her " historical accounts" and also finds how she got them .
I flew as quickly as possible toward my territory. I felt tired — as soon as I reached, I decided I'd take a bath. The search then the fight and I immediately left for Empire with no rest and now I am returning to territory, it's really hectic.
Soon, I arrived and entered the castle. Lyra came to greet me.
I asked,
"Has she come?"
Lyra replied,
"Yes, just yesterday."
I said,
"Send her to my bedroom."
Lyra frowned slightly.
"In the day, my lord?"
Day???
This little…
I changed my words,
"I'm going to take a bath. Send her to my office afterward."
Lyra nodded.
I quickly went to my bedroom, took a bath, and then went to my office. After a few minutes, there was a knock, and Lyra entered with Mirella.
This little…
She had given Mirella clothes that could easily lead to misunderstandings.
I stared at Lyra, and she quickly left.
Sigh…
I said to Mirella,
"Sit."
Mirella smiled and said,
"You were right about your butler. She didn't recognize me or know anything, but she still gave me such clothes."
Well, I was worried, but now that she said it like that — it's true.
Hahaha, take that, Lyra.
Wait… was she doing this to me on purpose?
That little—
Let's leave it for now.
I said,
"How is it? Do you like this place?"
She nodded.
I continued,
"Well, about what you can give me…"
She cut me off,
"It's alright. I have trust."
I asked, puzzled,
"Why?"
She coughed lightly and said,
"No real reason."
I stared at her.
She sighed and said,
"Well… I hypnotized the commander of your army secretly. After all, if you came, I wouldn't be able to resist. That's how I found out about all that Dogkin and Wolfkin business. And such small stuffs often reveals a person's nature."
Right…
Shit…
My face turned red.
To hide my embarrassment, I said,
"But I'll still have to tell you, or how else will you help?"
She thought for a moment, and this time her face turned red.
I said quickly,
"I'll be leaving the territory for a long time. In my absence, handle any threats."
She said worriedly,
"But I can only handle matters within my level."
I nodded and said,
"Apart from me, you're the strongest. So there's no other choice. Order any materials you need and prepare to protect my territory."
She nodded.
I said putting an end to the conversation,
"You may leave."
We both have red eyes — but hers are… brighter than mine.
I needed to meet with the principal of the academy.
I called Lyra, and she entered.
I said,
"Send a message to the principal of Celestara Academy that I'll be coming to meet him."
Then I sent a message to the Second Lord:
> "I need a device that's easy to hide and can cast an illusion on me — something that can make me look like three or four different people."
A message soon returned:
> "Come to my territory. It will be ready by then."
The Second Lord was among the top two or three dwarven craftsmen — a student of the nameless Dwarf himself.
If I wanted to fool the principal, I needed the Second Lord's device.
I informed Lyra and immediately left for the Second Lord's territory.
It would take a day.
After a day, I reached Anvilspire, the capital of the Second Lord's domain.
At his castle, a human butler greeted me.
I said,
"I thought he would have a dwarf butler."
The butler laughed.
"dwarves are always busy honing their craft, my lord."
I nodded and asked,
"So, has the Second Lord finished what I requested?"
The butler apologized,
"I'm sorry, but it will take one more day. The device itself is ready, but the illusions need tuning."
I nodded.
Then I said,
"I was thinking of buying a sword — not for me. A sword that works well until around A-Rank."
The butler nodded and said,
"There are many apprentices nearby. Why don't you choose from their work?"
I smiled.
"That's a good idea."
The butler brought a knight to guide me.
I followed the knight and entered a shop filled with swords of every kind. I admired them quietly.
The knight probably informed the blacksmith that I was the Twelfth Lord, because the blacksmith quickly came and greeted me.
I said,
"I need a sword for a friend. He's a first-year student at the academy. I'm thinking of gifting it to him. He looks exactly like me, so just customize a sword for me — I'll give it to him later."
The blacksmith nodded but hesitated,
"But there's no point in customizing it according to you. I'll just find a sword that fits—"
I interrupted sharply,
"Did I ask for your precious suggestion?"
He paled and stammered,
"I'll do as you asked, my lord."
I nodded and said,
"Get it ready by tomorrow."
What I did wasn't exactly kind — he was only trying to help — but I'm a Lord, and sometimes I simply use that power.
I rested for the day since I hadn't done so in a long time.
The next day, I met the Second Lord.
He gave me a ring and said,
"Only a dwarf around my level can detect that this ring is special, and only a Powerhouse-level illusion specialist could see that your appearance is an illusion. It has four different looks. One of them simply changes your hair and eye color, and also alters your face."
I took the ring and slid it onto my finger.
The ring rested on my finger as if it had always belonged there — a band of deep silver, old yet unblemished by time. Its surface wasn't smooth; faint runic lines were etched along it, shifting ever so slightly when light touched them. They didn't form letters I could read, but I could feel their meaning — concealment, transformation, deception, truth. Four runes. Four faces.
When I focused, the ring responded with a low hum, as if awakening from slumber. The silver darkened, becoming a shade between iron and shadow. For a heartbeat, I saw faint glimmers of color ripple across its surface before fading again. Those colors, I realized, represented the four forms it could bestow.
The gemstone atop it was small and dark — like an onyx, but not quite. When I looked deeper, I could see faint swirls within, smoke trapped inside glass, twisting as though alive. I understood why the Second Lord had said only a dwarf of his level could recognize its true nature. To most, it would look like a simple heirloom, maybe even a worn trinket. But to trained eyes, it radiated the quiet, ancient craftsmanship of the Old Forge — a relic made with both metal and soul.
When I turned it, the ring pulsed faintly, and my reflection in the stone shifted. One look, one illusion. Four masks to choose from. It wasn't merely a disguise — it was a living artifact that remembered the essence of every identity it created. I could feel its subtle weight, not from metal, but from potential — the power to become anyone, yet the danger of forgetting who I truly was beneath it.
I was captivated. There was a reason he was so famous. And to think he crafts for other Lords without holding back.
I nodded and asked,
"So, how may I pay you back?"
He smirked.
"I'm a dwarf. Money doesn't matter much. If you ever acquire a material you think I'd like, just gift it to me."
I smiled and left.
Then I went to the shop where my sword would hopefully be ready. I didn't want to wait too long.
I entered, and as soon as the blacksmith saw me, he quickly brought out a sword.
I reached for the sword lying on the table. Its hilt was cold to the touch, smooth and dark as obsidian. I lifted it slowly — the weight felt right in my hand, balanced, almost as if it had been waiting for me. The sheath was also black, with faint patterns that shimmered only when light brushed against them. Together, they looked like pieces of the same night forged into steel and leather. For a moment, I saw my reflection on the blade's edge — pale and uncertain — before it vanished back into the darkness of the sheath.
I was happy… finally, my sword.
I said to the blacksmith,
"Nice work. My friend can continue his student journey without any problems."
He smiled and said,
"Time was tight. If I'd had a little more, I could've made it even better. A sword is life — it's best not to gamble with it."
I laughed and nodded.
After making the payment, I left the shop.