#165
At that time in the west (1)
Bang! Bang! Bang!
A metallic sound that felt refreshing even in the sweltering heat resonated regularly.
Cheeeeek!
The beat, which seemed like it would continue on without stopping, soon entered a lull with the sound of steam bursting out···.
“Focus! Stop calculating uselessly! Listen to what the fire says, feel the heart of the metal, and then move accordingly!”
Then, as expected, Zaonic’s loud voice burst out.
His scolding and guidance, which had continued from the first day of training, was still consistent even after almost a month had passed.
Howard thought he had prepared well enough to develop the skill, but in the eyes of the dwarf craftsman Zaonic, it was only the beginning.
In fact, the time invested here from the beginning was absolutely insufficient, so it was natural that rough sounds would come out during the teaching.
‘But since I’m learning in a Spartan way, I can definitely feel that I’m improving quickly. It’s a world of difference from when I was studying on my own.’
He glanced at the metal he had picked up with the tongs, then wiped the sweat from his forehead as he put it back into the furnace.
Zaonic’s teachings… that is, the dwarven way was quite different from the basic metallurgy he had encountered so far.
Before getting into the real teaching, Howard took a test to gauge his level and showed off the fundamentals he had learned.
A systematic metalworking process according to the precise figures of modern science.
But even though it was a demonstration that was presented with some confidence, the response that followed was not very encouraging.
In a word, it was ‘too much frills’, or to be more precise, it was ‘too human-like and not suitable for dwarves’.
-“Of course I don’t intend to belittle the skills you’ve learned so far. It’s definitely a good method. Of course, if you weren’t a dwarf!”
As Howard had already realized, dwarves’ senses were different from those of humans.
To the extent that it can produce better results while omitting many of the processes that humans naturally have to go through.
‘Just like when solving a math problem, if you can do it mentally, you don’t necessarily need complicated formulas.’
And dwarves were an absurd race that was capable of such mental calculations and basically had an engineering calculator installed in their heads.
That’s why they are called a race of craftsmen, and it was the basis for asserting that imitating the ways of other races was inefficient.
So what Zaonic was teaching me right away wasn’t some kind of secret.
-“But I guess I don’t need to teach you the basics. There’s only one thing you need right now! It’s to properly understand the ‘way of the dwarves’! The rest is a problem for later!”
First of all, let’s make the most of your advantages as a dwarf craftsman.
To be honest, it was closer to just moving according to feeling rather than moving systematically and following a thorough process like before.
‘Well, it seems nonsensical, but the end result is much better, so there’s nothing I can say. If you think about it, that’s the original image of a craftsman.’
Yes, scientific statistics and figures are, in a way, just averages.
The metals being handled, the fuel used to keep the fire going, and even the liquid used for pickling are all in slightly different states at different times, and the condition of the person handling them is also not constant.
Scientific quantification helped at least to avoid failures, but to become a true ‘craftsman’ who creates luxury goods beyond a certain level rather than mass-produced goods, something more was needed.
‘Right now is the time to develop our own capabilities rather than rely on various tricks. Then, the advanced technologies we brought from Earth will have to reach a certain level before we can properly use them. It’s a bit disappointing…’
Clang—! Clang—!
While Howard was grumbling inwardly but concentrating on his work, Zaonic, who was watching from behind, was swallowing his surprise for the umpteenth time.
‘···It’s amazing no matter when I see it. The learning speed is really fast. Excluding a few useless habits from the beginning, the basics themselves weren’t too bad.’
It hasn’t been long since he started teaching in earnest, but he has already surpassed the level he had expected.
Howard was absorbing all the teachings in an instant and was making rapid progress day by day, and Zaonic was also excited and was taking on the teachings more actively.
‘And strangely enough, I still have feelings for you. Are we perhaps distant relatives with the same ancestors?’
There was also some emotional reason behind his passionate appearance.
For some reason, I felt like I wanted to take better care of him because he was different from others.
The day when he realizes the reason may never come.
Taaang—!
‘ah?’
And after nearly a month of guidance.
Howard, who had been swinging his hammer recklessly, finally realized that he had reached a certain critical point.
‘I see. This is···.’
Nothing particularly changed.
The senses are as sharp as ever, and the fingertips are as delicate as ever.
But something was different.
The burning flame speaks.
How about increasing the firepower a little bit here?
I empathize with the vibration of metal touching my skin.
I instinctively understood where and with what intensity to strike to make it more perfect.
‘It’s amazing. I can’t believe I’m actually feeling this way.’
That’s all for random thoughts.
Howard was so entranced by the sensation that he gave in to the fire and metal’s wishes…
The moment you complete a ‘work of art’ like that—.
《The entity has gained enlightenment through repeated training. It acquires the special skill “Dwarven Creative Logic.”》
Only then could he take his first steps as a true dwarf craftsman.
Moreover, as if to bless that fact, the message that came to mind was not limited to one.
《Titans look down on you》
《The entity has achieved enlightenment by achieving the conditions. It acquires the special skill “Song of Fire and Metal.”》
At the same time, the flame that had been quietly burning inside the brazier began to flicker violently, and a single ray of fire shot out, lightly wrapping itself around him, and then disappeared.
Howard, who was taken aback by the sudden situation, blinked his eyes and tried to recall his memories.
‘If it’s a Titan…’
That was the official name for the being worshipped by the dwarves, the ‘god of fire and metal’.
Although it is usually said indirectly in their culture that directly calling the name of a god is blasphemous, it is a name that is revered in dwarven society to the extent that the name of the dwarven nation that exists on the Continent of Enamel is also called ‘Titania’.
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‘Did something just now satisfy the conditions for you to be interested in something?’
Otherwise, there would be no reason for him to reveal himself at this time.
In any case, the emergence of new sponsors was always welcome.
Clap clap clap—
“Congratulations, Howard! Who would have thought you’d figured it out already! And the blessing of the hearth? It seems like God has taken notice of your talent.”
Zaonic approached him, clapping his hands and patting his shoulder with a satisfied smile.
From what I’ve heard, it seems like this is something promising dwarves experience several times.
It is said to be an expression of interest that mainly appears when creating something meaningful in front of the furnace, or when an artisan who pleases the gods grows beyond the wall.
Howard looked down at his palms with renewed eyes, clenching and unclenching them repeatedly.
The heat that filled the workshop moved here and there with my gestures, and the fire that came with my breath felt much more familiar.
Even without seeing it with my own eyes, I could feel where the metal was and in what condition it was located nearby.
‘Is “Song of Fire and Metal” a skill that literally increases affinity for two attributes? It seems like there will be more as proficiency increases, but for now, that’s about the limit.’
Increasing your skills in any way is a good thing.
As he was nodding his head in satisfaction, enjoying the fruits of his training…
“Okay! Now that you’ve finally got the basics down, I can finally give you some proper instruction! I won’t let you watch anymore, so just follow along! Hahahaha!”
Howard couldn’t help but laugh awkwardly as Zaonic, who was still patting his shoulder, burst out laughing at those words.
‘I don’t think anyone has been paying much attention to me until now.’
But it didn’t really matter to him, as he could easily endure any harsh environment.
No, rather, that could be said to be what was hoped for.
Since production is an area where experience is important, it is more affected by time than other fields—.
Because to overcome those limits and reach the top, it took several times more effort than others.
“Okay, shall we start right away?”
“Yes, sir!”
In this way, in a workshop in the outskirts, a dwarf craftsman grew rapidly under the guidance of his master.
With a strong mentality that is unyielding even in the abyss, and a body as strong as steel, strengthened by karma doping.
***
The Duchess of Bright, the Kingdom of Thalia.
dripping-
“Lord, this is Theodore.”
“Come in.”
Heinz, who was listening to Mullo’s report on the situation on the continent, turned his head slightly and looked at the man entering the office.
As soon as he entered, he immediately bowed to greet me and exchanged awkward glances with Mulro, who was sitting next to him.
Once enemy clans, they are now united under the banner of ‘Hybrid’, but as it was not long ago that an all-out war broke out, they are still uncomfortable with each other.
Since they were both in similar positions and positions, they became rivals again.
Of course, Heinz, as their superior, had no idea about such subtle circumstances between the two.
“Yes, Theodore. Is everything done?”
“Yes, the children who are scheduled to arrive soon are the last ones from each region. Excluding those who cannot be contacted for some reason, the remaining forces of Eupershy will soon all gather in the Kingdom of Thalia.”
The migration of the Eupersch Clan, which had been ongoing for quite some time.
As it was the largest vampire group active across the entire continent, it lasted longer than expected.
“Thank you for your hard work, Theodore. You’ve had a hard time.”
“No. This is nothing compared to the second chance the Lord has given me. And isn’t this also for the good of all of us vampires?”
Theodore, who immediately offers flattery as soon as the opportunity arises.
Compared to Mulro, who is still somewhat stiff due to being from a clan lord, the confidence he had gained from his previous experience as a second-in-command was naturally displayed.
And whether or not another secret fight between the two began, Heinz leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes tightly.
With this, the work of strengthening the Hybrid’s power with “Purified Blood” and solidifying the ruling system has reached its final stages.
A lot of blood was consumed in the process, but fortunately, thanks to the dragon’s blood that was stored up in large quantities, it wasn’t a big problem.
‘If we inject the guys coming this time with 「Purified Blood」, the first stage will be over. Then we can move on to the next stage.’
Heinz Jr.’s goals.
At first, it was just about organizing information across the continent, but at some point, something else came into being.
‘Finally ready to come to the forefront.’
It was to bring the vampire race into the light and allow them to operate with confidence.
They were a species that had no choice but to survive by parasitizing other species, especially humans, who were numerous.
Naturally, the perception on the continent is bound to be different from that of other races such as elves and dwarves.
‘In fact, it’s hard to even consider them a normal species. Even if they do feed on blood, the problem is that they can’t reproduce on their own, so their numbers can only increase through infection.’
So, vampires could not help but be enemies of humanity by their very existence.
As Heinz himself experienced, their thirst for blood was not something that could be endured through individual willpower, and humans were always wary of them, having been their natural enemies throughout history.
Since it was a relationship where fighting was inevitable when they faced each other like that, even the powerful vampires had no choice but to always hide and hunt humans.
Of course, that doesn’t mean coexistence is completely impossible.
‘If I were here.’
Internally, there is strict discipline and control, and externally, there is the continental situation and political negotiations.
In this world, it was something only Heinz II could do.
“Both of you, stop talking and take your seats. We’ll start the meeting as soon as Bricky arrives.”
“Yes! I understand.”
“Let me get you something to drink.”
“······.”
In this way, vampires who had been living in darkness for a long time in the westernmost part of the Ion Continent began to quietly emerge.
The Vampire Clan Alliance, under the name ‘Hybrid’.
And of course.
This was also a major event that changed the history of the continent.
