[Raul PoV]
After securing the five artifacts of the Mier people, I made camp not far from the area. I lit a campfire and lay back, examining the crescent-shaped artifact resting in my palm.
The Crescent Shape was a relic once worn by the Mier Hero, Caligura. When the City of Mieren was on the verge of falling to the Aragon Empire's assault, he concealed all his artifacts within that cave.
As for its counterpart—the Crescent Shift—he bestowed it upon his lover, who was then carrying their child. Caligura hoped that by altering her appearance with the artifact, the soldiers of the two invading nations would fail to find her.
Ultimately, she escaped the massacre carried out by both nations against the Mier, and Caligura's lover brought their child into this world. For hundreds of years, the Hero's descendants survived by masking their true forms. Eventually, in the present era, Siena's mother—a descendant of the Mier Hero—married Luciano di Reginossa and gave birth to Siena.
In the end, the two nations that had once warred were united in Siena's blood. This was the reason she could wield magic despite being of Venetian descent. The blood of the Mier, renowned for their success in producing mages, had liberated her from the Venetian curse of being a Non-Sorcerer.
Siena is half Mier and half Venetian...
"A truly unexpected twist of fate for two nations so deeply at odds," I murmured with a faint smile.
Closing my eyes, I felt the pull of exhaustion. Tomorrow, I must ascend the Montana Mountains to meet the Dwarves who inhabit those heights.
I had two objectives for this visit.
First, I sought access to their labyrinthine tunnels so that I could traverse these mountains with ease. The Montana Mountains have an average elevation of 4,000 to 5,000 meters and stretch for nearly 1,000 kilometers. This makes the range nearly impassable, offering only a few narrow passes for travel. Furthermore, the mountains serve as a natural border between the Aragon Empire, the Republic of Venetia, and the Kingdom of Draconia. I planned to utilize the Dwarven labyrinth as a strategic route if war erupted between the Empire and the Republic.
Second, I intended to recruit several Dwarves to work alongside me and Olen Musk to forge weapons and artifacts within the organization I was building. In the game, Dwarves were known as the greatest artisans. Their expertise in Chemistry, Metallurgy, and Blacksmithing was unrivaled in this world.
"Hooammzz... I hope my negotiations with them go smoothly..."
. . . .
The following morning, I left the former Mier territories and headed toward the Montana Mountains. The path beneath my horse began to steepen, signaling that I had reached the foothills. I halted my mount as the towering rock faces loomed in the distance. The road narrowed into a mere mountain trail.
"It seems we part ways here," I muttered, stroking the horse's head. I dismounted and gave it a pat, sending the horse running off. "He won't wander too far from this area, will he? I expect I'll only spend a single day in the Underground Dwarven City."
Setting off on foot, I began the trek toward the entrance of the Dwarven City. If I recalled correctly, the entrance was located at an altitude of 2,500 meters. Truthfully, I wanted to use my wings, but I didn't want to risk being spotted by the border patrols that frequently scoured the area.
I walked on and on, climbing higher until breathing became difficult. I could even see a sea of clouds from this height. After several hours of climbing, I finally reached a cave entrance—the gateway to the labyrinth and the city of the Dwarves.
Entering the cave, I pressed forward until I reached a junction. Pale blue crystals illuminated the area, indicating I was close to the entrance. I followed the same path I remembered from the game. After navigating several forks, I arrived at a massive door at the end of the corridor.
"Alright, time to open this door with a very ridiculous password."
The door was enchanted with magic that adjusted the language of the prompt based on the race of the individual knocking on the secret door. I approached and rapped on the massive door. Moments later, it vibrated and began to glow.
"Why are real men more interested in a woman's chest than her backside?"
A voice echoed from the secret door. This absurd password was an idea from Marek—one of my teammates who helped create the game.
"Because a real man will always speak to a woman face-to-face," I said, suppressing my cringe.
Shortly after, the door vibrated again and swung wide, revealing a labyrinth five meters wide and four meters high. I stepped inside and traversed the tunnels. Countless blue crystals lined the walls, casting a light that illuminated the path.
These glowing crystals were called Azure Crystals. They were found only in the Dwarven city. The Dwarves blended several minerals to create a crystal capable of producing light like this.
Before long, I emerged from the labyrinth. Before me lay a cliff. I walked to the edge and looked down at a city nestled right beneath the precipice.
"This is the City of Drimgot—the home of the Dwarves who inhabit the Montana Mountains..."
I wondered how many hundreds of years it had been since they last saw a human enter their city.
— Tap... Tap... Tap...
I heard the sound of footsteps from the side. Turning my head, I saw a dwarf standing only as high as my waist. His face was covered in a long brown beard, and he carried a pickaxe resting on his right shoulder.
He was... a Dwarf.
"Qui es-tu, mon grand?" the Dwarf asked in a language I did not understand.
"Thorim!" I shouted, calling the name of a Dwarf I knew from the game.
"Thorim?" the Dwarf repeated in confusion.
I nodded and walked toward him. I gestured toward my chin, mimicking a beard split in two—the trademark feature of the Dwarf named Thorim.
"Thorim a chanté la métallurgie?" asked the Dwarf.
I didn't know what he was saying, but I simply nodded, agreeing with whatever the Dwarf had uttered.
"Suivez-moi!"
After saying that, he began walking down a mountain trail leading away from the cliff. I followed behind him.
"Voulez-vous lui demander de vous en fabriquer un en métal?" the Dwarf spoke again.
"Hmm! Hmmm!" I just nodded my head in agreement.
I suppose I should learn a few foreign languages in this world to make my future plans easier.
We arrived in the Dwarven city, where small houses clung to the stone walls. Several Dwarves on the street watched me with curious gazes. The Dwarves had inhabited this place since the first war between humanity and the Demons. There were only five Dwarven settlements that players could visit in Path of Destiny. they occupied only the major mountain ranges on the continent.
The Dwarf I was following entered a building; I had to duck my head to follow him inside. A cacophony of music and loud chatter greeted us. Many Dwarves were drinking and talking in a language I couldn't understand.
"Thorim! Thorim! Thorim!" my guide shouted.
Soon, a Dwarf with a red, split beard walked toward us, holding a glass. His eyes widened when he realized who I was.
"Y-y-you... a human!?" Thorim stammered in Serapomic—the language used by the followers of Goddess Diana.
"Exactly. Can we speak in private?" I asked him.
Thorim nodded and spoke briefly to the Dwarf who brought me here. He then asked me to follow him to his home. Thorim's house was not far from where the Dwarven Council was located.
The Dwarven Council was the highest authority here. They were the most respected Dwarves, tasked with creating the city's policies. After walking for a while, we reached Thorim's small home.
"Enter, Human. We will talk inside," Thorim said, opening the door.
We entered, and Thorim gestured for me to sit, but I declined because his chairs were far too small for me, so I chose to remain standing.
"My great-grandfather was the last to meet a human in our family history," Thorim said as he handed me a glass of traditional Dwarven alcohol. "This is why I can speak the human tongue; my great-grandfather taught my grandfather, who taught my father, and I was the last to learn it from him."
Thorim's great-grandfather was a legendary Dwarf who traveled the world to create the strongest metals in existence. Several artifacts belonging to Great Noble families were the result of his genius.
"Tell me, Human. What brings you here? And how were you able to open that door?" Thorim asked.
I sipped the alcohol Thorim gave me and said, "I am an inventor and an expert in Metallurgy. I came here to seek a partnership with the Dwarves," I answered casually. "As for how I opened the secret door, I found a document discussing the Dwarves and discovered the code."
Hearing my words, Thorim burst into laughter. "You? A Metallurgist? I wonder just how far human knowledge of Metallurgy has come, a field always dominated by the Dwarves!"
Dwarves were like this; they were immensely proud of their skills in Metallurgy, Blacksmithing, and Chemistry. They always looked down on humans who tried to rival them.
"Can you arrange a meeting with the Council?" I requested.
"I certainly can, but what do I gain from doing so?" Thorim asked.
I opened my bag, pulled out a bottle of the finest wine, and tossed it to Thorim. He caught the bottle, opened the cork, and inhaled the aroma.
"Taste it. There are some things humans can make better than Dwarves, you know," I told him.
— Glug! Glug!
The sound of Thorim gulping the wine echoed as he drank without stopping. Dwarves were heavy drinkers; they could finish several bottles without pause.
"Kuhhh! Mamma Mia! What is this drink you've given me?" Thorim asked, looking extremely satisfied.
"What you're drinking is called Wine," I answered with a smile. "Haven't the Dwarves only been drinking Trembolit for hundreds of years?"
"Aye, we press Trembol fruit and ferment it for our post-work drinks," Thorim replied.
"In this place, there are only a few fruits and plants that can be processed into alcohol," I remarked. "Unlike out there where humans live, we have various ingredients to develop our drinks."
Thorim nodded at my explanation and finished the bottle.
"I will give you a one-month supply if you introduce me to the Council," I offered.
"Deal!" he answered without a second thought; that was how much Dwarves loved alcohol. "Wait here, I will contact those stubborn old men."
Thorim rushed out toward the largest building in the settlement. After an hour inside, he emerged and returned to me.
"Well?" I asked.
"They are ready to meet you now," Thorim answered. "The council members are curious about a human Metallurgist and their capabilities after hundreds of years without contact."
I nodded, and Thorin led me to the Council building. At the entrance stood a Dwarf wearing armor and clutching a hammer. Hammers and axes were the primary weapons of Dwarven soldiers; they were not accustomed to using swords like human soldiers.
"Est-ce la personne?" the guard spoke to Thorim, but his eyes scanned me from head to toe.
"C'est vrai, le conseil s'est-il réuni?" Thorim said.
"Dépêchez-vous de monter, ils sont arrivés," the guard replied, thumbing toward the interior.
It seemed he was telling us to enter quickly. Could the council already be inside? I followed Thorim into the building. Several Dwarves passed us in the lobby.
Thorim then opened the door at the end of the lobby. We entered a large room where a round table was occupied by the Dwarves representing the Council. We stood in the center.
The council members observed me and whispered. It seemed this was the first time they had seen a human in their city. The last human visit was 300 years ago, while a Dwarf's average lifespan is 100 years.
— Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
A loud rapping sound silenced the room. A Dwarf wearing spectacles struck a wooden hammer against the round table.
"Mes chers collègues, nous avons un invité humain dans notre ville bien-aimée après des centaines d'années," the spectacled Dwarf said, looking at everyone at the table.
It seemed he was delivering the opening remarks. He then looked at me with an interested gaze.
"Il est métallurgiste et souhaite conclure un accord avec nous! Écoutons ce que ce jeune homme a à nous offrir," he added.
After the spectacled Dwarf finished speaking, Thorim approached me and said, "The Council Chairman says he wants to know what deal you wish to make with us."
Hearing Thorim's translation, I looked at all the Dwarves present.
"Gentlemen, it is a great honor to be in your amazing city," I began with a compliment. "I have always heard that the Dwarves are the greatest artisans, blacksmiths, and metal-smiths in the world."
Thorim translated my words, making the Dwarves nod with pride.
"My arrival here is to propose a partnership and to borrow your skills to create various objects. With your legendary Metallurgy and Blacksmithing abilities, we can surely create great things under my direction."
Thorim's expression changed before he translated it. Suddenly, all the Dwarves burst into laughter upon hearing Thorim's words. I knew why they were laughing. I suppose I had to convince them by creating something they had never been able to produce.
Suddenly, a Dwarf with an orange beard climbed onto the table and hopped down to approach me.
"Vous? Un humain veut nous diriger dans la fabrication de quelque chose? Ne plaisantez pas! Je ne vais pas suivre les ordres d'un humain qui est si loin derrière!" the orange-bearded Dwarf said, looking annoyed.
"He says the Dwarves will not follow the direction of a human who understands nothing of Metallurgy and Blacksmithing," Thorim translated.
As I expected, the pride of these Dwarves regarding their skills was so high they looked down on other races.
"I can create Adamantite."
Silence fell when I said that. Even though the Dwarves didn't understand what I said, they knew the meaning of Adamantite.
To the Dwarves, this was the strongest and highest quality metal. Long ago, the Dwarves held the recipe for Adamantite. This metal could not be mined; it was created from several metals mixed in a specific composition. Legendary artifacts like the hammer Mjolnir and the sword Balmung were forged using Adamantite. However, there is actually one metal stronger than Adamantite, but I won't mention it now.
But 700 years ago, the recipe vanished after an earthquake destroyed the Dwarven city. They had tried to recreate it, but to this day, not a single Dwarf could produce Adamantite.
"Ne plaisantez pas, humain! Qu'est-ce que vous savez de plus que nous!?" "Singe prétentieux!"
All the Dwarves began shouting at me in anger. They felt insulted that a human thought he could make this rare metal and felt superior to the Dwarves who had failed for centuries.
— Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
The sound of the wooden hammer silenced them. I looked at the spectacled Dwarf, who also had an annoyed expression.
"Humain, si tu ne peux pas prouver tes paroles, alors tu seras un esclave de cette ville pour toujours!" the spectacled Dwarf exclaimed.
Thorim then told me I would be a slave to these Dwarves forever if I couldn't prove my words.
"Fine. Take me to your forge and bring me Mythril, Orichalcum, Palladium, and Gold ores!" I said to the spectacled Dwarf.
He nodded after Thorim translated. The Dwarf hopped off the table and approached me. He said something to Thorim and walked toward the exit.
"Hey, let's follow the Council Chairman to the forge," Thorim said. "The materials you requested will be prepared there."
I nodded, and Thorim and I followed him. We descended a staircase to a sort of basement. The sound of clashing iron echoed. Soon, we reached the forge. I began to sweat from the heat of the furnace.
Several Dwarves brought four buckets containing the ores I requested.
"Tu n'as qu'une seule chance! Je ne veux pas passer trop de temps à regarder tes bêtises!" the spectacled Dwarf barked.
"The Chairman says you only have one chance because he doesn't want to waste his time watching your foolishness," Thorim translated.
I nodded and brought the buckets to the furnace. I adjusted the composition of the ores to be mixed to create Adamantite according to the in-game instructions I remembered.
Alright... if I recall, the composition is 30% Mythril, 47% Orichalcum, 8% gold, and 15% Palladium.
After dividing the materials, I placed them all into a large crucible to be heated in the furnace. While waiting for the materials to melt, I approached Thorim and said, "Can you find me some Polymorph water?"
Thorim nodded and left. Meanwhile, the spectacled Dwarf seemed completely indifferent to my work. I suspect he thought I would fail like the Dwarves before me.
"Here is the Polymorph water you asked for." Thorim returned with a bucket of light green liquid.
I took it and walked back to the furnace. I grabbed the crucible, now filled with the molten mixture. I poured it into a rectangular mold and waited for it to cool for a moment. Once ready, I dipped the mold into the Polymorph water. Steam erupted as the hot object hit the water.
Shortly after, I lifted the mold and removed the result. A bright pink rectangular ingot had been created. I handed it to the spectacled Dwarf for testing. He took it and felt the new alloy. He removed his glasses and pulled out a magnifying glass to analyze it further.
Satisfied, he threw it to the ground and aimed his palm at the metal.
"La Foudre!"
He fired a spell combining lightning and fire at the object. It seemed this spectacled Dwarf was no ordinary Dwarf; he was a powerful mage on par with an Archwizard.
After the spell dissipated, he picked up the ingot again and observed it. His hands suddenly began to shake, and tears flowed down his cheeks. He fell to his knees while clutching the Adamantite I had just made.
"Nous l'avons enfin trouvé!" the spectacled Dwarf cried out, sobbing.
It seemed I would succeed in striking a deal with the Dwarves.