Chapter 37 : Steel Mountain Range (5)

The sound of a hammer echoed in the forge.

A steady rhythm, the heartbeat of an artisan.

Clang, clang—

Garuda’s hammering had changed.

More precise, more powerful.

Sweat dripped from her muscular forearms.

“Your posture has improved.”

“Ah… not yet, there’s still a long way to go.”

A shy voice.

But I didn’t miss how her earlobes turned red.

A water bucket was placed on one side of the workbench.

It was where a beer bottle used to always be.

“Aren’t you thirsty?”

“N-No, it’s fine. Beer is for after work…”

Trailing off, she struck the hammer harder.

Clang! The sound was louder than usual.

“Huh?”

Even Garuda seemed surprised as she stared at the hammer.

“That… that sounded different just now…!”

“That’s good, right? Looks like the training paid off.”

“Uh… maybe…”

“Alright, keep that posture.”

A while later, Garuda finished her work and gulped water from the bucket.

Her sweat-soaked hair was swept back, and she looked full of life.

“Thanks to you, I feel like a real dwarf now. Morning exercises aren’t so bad anymore.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Uh, no… but, still, sometimes…!”

She stammered and hurried back to the workbench.

A month passed. The atmosphere in the forge had changed.

Clang, clang—

There was no hesitation in Garuda’s hammering anymore.

It was almost a wonder how such strength came from her small, delicate frame.

A finished sword lay on the workbench.

It was a simple commission, but the rune patterns were flawless.

“You’ve really changed now.”

She still bowed her head shyly, but her shoulders no longer shrank back.

“I’m still… still not good enough.”

Her amber eyes burned like the flames of the forge.

“I feel like I can make something even better…”

“Really? Then go ahead and try.”

I opened my bag and pulled out S-grade materials.

Feathers of a Celestial Horse, Glacier Turtle’s armor, the horn of a Doom Kirin…

And even a stabilized Chaos Crystal.

Garuda’s eyes widened.

Her lips quivered.

“T-This is…!”

“I’m leaving it all to you. Make your greatest masterpiece with these.”

Her hand reached out toward the materials but stopped halfway.

Her amber eyes wavered with uncertainty.

“I… I really…”

“You can do it.”

“Because you believe in me… I will… I will definitely do it.”

Garuda’s voice trembled.

But this time, it wasn’t out of fear.

“I will make the greatest weapon…”

She couldn’t finish her sentence and averted her gaze.

Her long hair hid her reddened cheeks.

“What? Are you about to cry?”

“N-No! It’s just… the materials are so shiny…”

Garuda took a deep breath and picked up her hammer.

Her hands no longer shook.

Clang!

Sparks flew with the first strike.

She no longer hesitated.

Instead, she became even more focused on her work.

“…Haru-nim.”

Amidst her work, she called out.

A name she normally couldn’t dare to speak.

“What?”

“Until now… everything…”

She hesitated, as if choosing her words carefully, then shook her head.

“No, I’ll show you through my work instead.”

The hammering resumed.

Stronger, more confident strikes than before.

“I’ve sent a challenge to Steamforge.”

At my words, Garuda dropped her hammer.

Clang!

Her face turned pale.

“W-What?!”

“The best magitech forge in Ironforge, right?”

“Are you crazy? I mean… sorry! But that’s really insane…”

Garuda flailed her hands in panic, her long hair swaying.

“Don’t worry. The terms are fair.”

I pulled out the challenge letter from my pocket.

The runic letters gleamed under the light.

“Using the same materials, each side will create their work.

The results will be judged through performance testing.”

“But… but I…”

Garuda’s shoulders trembled.

Her amber eyes were clouded with anxiety.

“Steamforge has the latest magitech facilities… and their craftsmen are…”

“You just need to show what you’ve achieved so far.”

I placed a hand on her shoulder.

It was no longer the trembling of a fragile girl, but the firm muscles of an artisan.

“You can do it.”

Garuda’s eyes wavered, but she soon picked up the hammer again.

Clang!

From that day on, the forge’s fire never went out.

Day and night, the sound of hammering echoed.

Clang, clang, clang!

“The soul of a dwarf…”

Sweat dripped.

The flames of the forge reflected in her eyes.

“My father’s craft…”

Even deep into the night, the hammering never stopped.

The essence of tradition blossomed at Garuda’s fingertips.

“That’s enough.”

A few days later, I stopped her.

Her hands trembled slightly.

“But…”

“Replenish your strength. You’ve already done enough, just show them everything you have.”

“Yes! I won’t disappoint you…!”

Finally, the day of the showdown arrived.

Steamforge’s modern workshop and Garuda’s traditional forge stood side by side.

“You’re going to compete with that? With just a single rune hammer?”

The mocking laughter of the magitech blacksmiths echoed.

But Garuda didn’t waver.

“I’m ready.”

Her voice trembled, but it wasn’t from fear—it was from anticipation.

Clang!

With the first strike of her hammer, the spirit of tradition awakened.

A duel carrying the pride of the dwarves had begun.

The two forges stood side by side.

The whirring of magitech machinery and the ringing of a hammer coexisted in a strange harmony.

“Look at that, still working by hand.”

“Isn’t that so outdated?”

Whenever the murmurs of the spectators reached her ears, Garuda’s shoulders twitched slightly.

But her hammering didn’t stop.

Clang, clang—

“The material’s purity is too high! Maximize the mana infusion device!”

“Increase engine output to 120%!”

“Begin rune circuit stabilization!”

Steamforge’s machines roared noisily.

Bright flashes of magical light flickered everywhere.

In contrast, Garuda’s forge remained quiet.

Only the steady sound of her hammer filled the air.

Clang, clang, clang—

“Father… please watch over me.”

Her voice trembled, but the hands gripping the hammer did not.

“She’s not going to finish in time at this rate.”

“If it were machines, they’d have made ten already.”

But Garuda’s gaze remained firm.

The soul of a true artisan resided in her hammering.

Time passed.

Steamforge’s product was completed first.

It was a sword engraved with dazzling magical circuits.

“This is the pinnacle of modern dwarven technology!”

Cheers erupted.

But Garuda continued hammering.

When the final sound of her hammer rang out, her sword appeared humble.

There were no elaborate decorations, no gleaming magical circuits.

“Now, let’s begin the test.”

First, the sharpness test.

Both swords sliced through steel as if it were a vegetable.

Second, the mana affinity test.

Both swords demonstrated flawless mana circulation.

“And now, the final test—durability.”

The examiner lifted both swords.

The air grew still.

Clang!

The two swords clashed.

Once, twice…

Crack!

The Steamforge sword began to crack first.

“T-The mana circuit is unstable!”

“The rune patterns are breaking apart!”

Crash!

In an instant, the dazzling sword shattered into pieces.

Meanwhile, Garuda’s sword remained unscathed.

“How is this possible?”

“How could traditional methods achieve this…”

“Such perfect balance…”

Amidst the murmuring crowd, young dwarves stepped forward.

“The power of tradition… so this is what it means.”

“We had forgotten something important…”

“Could you… teach us that technique?”

Tears welled up in Garuda’s eyes.

But this time, they were tears of joy.

“M-My path…”

She stammered, then lifted her head.

Her amber eyes glistened brightly.

“I… I wasn’t wrong…”

Her gaze met mine, and something had changed in her eyes.

“H-Haru-nim… it’s all thanks to you… No, I mean…”

“No.”

I shook my head.

“It’s your skill.”

Garuda’s face turned red. She shyly lowered her head, but this time there was a sense of pride in it.

“Now… from now on, I’ll work even harder. No, I mean… I’ll show you… the true… soul of a dwarf!”

She tightened her grip on the hammer.

The flames of the furnace reflected in her eyes. The moment when the soul of an artisan ignited.

“Look at this!!”

Garuda swung the hammer excitedly. Her brown hair fluttered like a waterfall.

“The rune patterns, now I can do this! Look!”

Her usual timidity was nowhere to be found; her voice was full of playfulness.

“Hmm…”

I shook my head while watching Garuda work.

“This time… Oh, and this is something new I’ve been researching!”

She hurriedly gathered tools, running around the workbench like a child showing off toys.

“The mana circulation is like this… Ah! Also, check this out!”

“Garuda.”

“Yes? Oh, wait! This too…”

“You’re getting too excited.”

Garuda froze in place. Her amber eyes blinked.

“T-That… um…”

Her face turned red, and she stared only at the tips of her shoes. But soon she lifted her head.

“But now I’m… I mean… I’m an artisan now…”

She pouted slightly, looking so cute. Was she a gold 500 rank artisan or something?

“Really? Then how will you explain this?”

I pointed to the sword on the workbench. Garuda’s face turned pale.

“T-That… that’s…”

“The rune patterns are disrupted.”

“No! It’s a new attempt… I mean…”

“A mistake, right?”

“OO…”

“Don’t get cocky.”

Garuda stamped her feet. Her long hair swayed like a storm.

“Ha… but now I’m the best…”

“Not yet.”

Her shoulders slumped at my firm voice.

“Do it again.”

“Y-Yes…”

Her hand, lifting the hammer, became cautious again. But this time, it was different.

It wasn’t timidity, but the humility of an artisan.

Clang!

The sound of the hammer echoed. This time, it was perfect.

After the competition, her self-esteem soared. She became completely confident and occasionally chuckled to herself.

But the streets were different.

“How dare they disregard tradition?”

“Outdated fools!”

Looking outside the window, the central square was in chaos.

The sounds of hammers and wrenches clashing could be heard.

It was a clash between traditionalists and modernist dwarves.

“Hey, take your hammer to a museum!”

“What’s so great about it? It’s soulless mechanical work…”

The central square had turned into a battlefield. Bearded dwarves glared at each other, growling.

“We saw Garuda’s victory!”

“Machines have their limits!”

“Ha! She was just lucky!”

“Yeah, next time, we won’t…”

Fists started flying. Hammers and wrenches soared through the air.

“Wh-What should we do?”

Garuda’s small victory had sparked a conflict throughout the city. Dwarves on the streets continued to clash over tradition and innovation.

“Did I get too cocky? I mean… after the victory… I bragged too much…”

I watched her lower her head.

“It’s not your fault.”

“But…”

“This is their problem. You just followed your path, right?”

Garuda’s eyes wavered.

The turmoil outside continued.

“Tradition is the answer! These youngsters, tsk tsk.”

“Old fogeys stuck in the past! Technology is what changes the world!”

The fight grew more intense. Explosions from magitech devices echoed, and hammers flew through the air.

“This can’t keep going…”

Garuda gripped her hammer tightly. Her voice trembled as she muttered.

“My father… my father always said…”

“What did he say?”

“Tradition and innovation… they’re not enemies…”

I listened carefully to her words.

“The hammer sound… and the machine sounds… both ringing together…”

Garuda’s eyes sparkled.

“That’s the true future of the dwarves…”

Her words struck a chord in my heart. But the dwarves in the streets wouldn’t understand.

Another explosion echoed. The clashes between hammers and wrenches continued.

“Tradition or innovation…”

“For the pride of the dwarves…”

Shouts full of anger and hatred filled the air.

Garuda’s shoulders trembled. Her small frame shrank even more.

“I… I have to do something…”

“No.”

I grabbed her shoulders.

“Just do your part.”

“Wh-What?”

“Make the best weapon. That’s your role, right? Solving the city’s quests is the hero’s job.”

Garuda’s eyes wavered. But soon, she lifted the hammer again.

Clang!

The sound of the hammer rang out, clearer than the noise in the streets.