Chapter 38 : Steel Mountain Range (6)

The violent incident in the central square escalated uncontrollably.

The shouts of traditionalists and reformists among the dwarves pierced the sky.

“You outdated fools! Magic engineering is the future of the dwarves!”

“Do you think machines can hold the soul of a dwarf? Don’t make me laugh!”

A hammer flew, and a magic engine exploded.

Bearded dwarves rushed at each other.

It was then.

“Dwarves! Proud citizens of Iron Forge!”

A booming voice echoed through the square.

A dwarf in silver armor appeared from the lord’s mansion.

“Stop! Is this the pride of our dwarves? For the sake of Mayor Gadris, please stop the fight!”

The fighting momentarily ceased.

Everyone’s gaze turned toward the lord.

Gadris’s silver beard fluttered in the wind.

A kind smile spread across his lips.

“Dwarves, we are all of the same blood. Whether it’s tradition or innovation, aren’t their roots the same?”

The dwarves nodded to his eloquence.

But something felt off.

“To the traditionalists.”

Gadris turned toward the traditionalists.

“I understand your concerns. The unchecked rise of magic engineering is frightening. Just recently, there was an accident, wasn’t there? The explosion at Steam Forge.”

A murmur arose among the traditionalist dwarves.

“But!”

This time, he turned to the reformists.

“The inefficiency of tradition is also true. Last month, the production of the traditional blacksmiths was only one-tenth of Steam Forge’s. At this rate, we won’t be able to handle the weapons contract with the Empire.”

The reformists’ faces turned red.

A mixture of anger and pride was on their faces.

‘What is this?’

A chill ran down my spine.

It seemed like he was calling for reconciliation, but it felt like he was actually stirring up conflict.

“We must unite! But in order to do that…”

Gadris’s speech continued.

Words that subtly stirred the anxieties of both sides.

‘This guy…’

A bitter smile appeared on my lips.

The one who foments division.

The one who stirs conflict.

And the one who gains from the chaos.

“The dangers of tradition and the fears of innovation. There is a way to solve all of this!”

Gadris’s eyes sparkled.

A faint smile passed under his silver beard.

“That way… is unity!”

In that moment, his lips twisted.

It was so quick that no one would have noticed.

‘As expected.’

It definitely smelled foul.

The real mastermind was hiding behind the curtain, delivering the speech.

The unfolding events were clear.

In the conflict between tradition and innovation, who would profit?

‘This is getting interesting.’

A small smile appeared on my lips.

The Demon Lord is great, but sometimes these small villains need to be taken care of.

The square was still in an uproar.

Gadris’s speech stirred the emotions of the dwarves.

That night, I examined Gadris’s mansion thoroughly.

In the original story, the mansions of such villains always hid secrets.

“I need to find the secret vault. Now, where did he hide it?”

From here on, it was according to Nia’s teachings.

I searched the library carefully.

A hidden button behind a bookshelf, a trapdoor in the floor, and a secret passage behind the fireplace.

“Here it is.”

I traced the stones in the fireplace and found the lever.

With a soft sound, the wall opened.

At the end of the dark passage, a vault appeared.

It was locked with a dwarven-made intricate lock.

“Thank you, Nia. This is all thanks to you. Thanks to you, I, the hero, have become quite the expert in raiding other people’s homes.”

As I unlocked the mechanism, documents poured out.

“Records of the accident 10 years ago…”

I flipped through the dusty documents one by one.

A notable record caught my eye.

[The sudden accident of former Lord Ironheart… presumed to be a magic engine explosion…]

Garuda’s father.

The lord who valued tradition but did not reject innovation.

The one who dreamed of harmonizing tradition and innovation.

But he lost his life in a mysterious accident.

[Guardian Gadris, upholding the deceased’s will… managing the inheritance…]

A bitter taste filled my mouth.

The dirty truths hidden behind the power.

“Garuda’s inheritance…”

I dug deeper into the documents.

Numbers came into view.

[Ironheart’s inheritance list]

My eyes widened as I read the documents.

“All of this is Garuda’s…”

An enormous list of assets followed.

• 3 legendary dwarf forges
• 30% stake in the mithril mines
• Ownership of the rune library
• 12 scrolls of ancient dwarf smelting methods
• Golden vault…

“Did he hide all of this?”

When I turned the last page, a piece of aged parchment appeared.

[To my daughter Garuda]

The last letter from the former lord.

‘Garuda, inheriting the traditional forge may be a heavy burden. But I believe in your talent. Your hammer strikes hold the soul of a dwarf.’

The seal at the end of the document.

This was the real inheritance deed.

“Did Gadris…”

Anger surged within me.

‘As a guardian, he took everything for himself. Probably said something like “I’ll give it to you later when you’re older.”‘
He reminded me of Xruto of Xmut Leaf Village.

And then I found the most important document.

[Magic Engine Modification Order]

Output forcibly increased by 200%.

Safety devices disabled.

Explosion induced.

“Just as expected.”

The truth behind the accident 10 years ago was revealed.

The former lord who dreamed of harmonizing tradition and innovation.

The planned murder to stop his dream.
And everything was taken by Gadris.

I could also find Gadris’s next plan.

[200% Tax Increase on Traditional Forges]
[300% Increase in Magic Engineering Facility Permit Fees]
[Special Safety Inspection Fee]

The one who fosters hatred and deepens the division.

The one who profits from the cracks.

The lord of Iron Forge, Gadris.

Then, footsteps were heard.

“Who are you?”

It was a guard.

I quickly put the documents back in place.

“Ah, I am a hero. The city is rather unstable these days.”

When I showed my holy sword, the guard lowered his head.

“Yes, Hero. But it’s late…”

“I just received permission from the lord.”

The lie flowed easily from my mouth.

Actually, Gadris was hosting a banquet right now.

He had invited representatives from both sides to ‘promote unity,’ they said.

“Ah… Yes, understood.”

The guard nodded, but his gaze was suspicious.

That guy, he’ll probably report to Gadris.

Shall I follow him?

The faces of the traditionalist and reformist representatives leaving Gadris’s banquet were flushed red.

It wasn’t just the alcohol that caused it.

“What did they talk about?”

I quietly followed them.

The ‘unity’ banquet happening at the lord’s mansion.

There must be something more to it.

The traditionalist representative spoke in a voice trembling with anger.

“How dare they ignore us? Magic engineers breaking safety regulations? This is why those with no foundation are useless!”

The reformist was even more agitated.

“Because of the traditionalists, our Empire contract was delayed, and now they blame us! Do they have any idea how much we’ve lost because of them?!”

It seemed that both sides had heard something from Gadris, and it was something that stirred up dissatisfaction with each other.

The next day, the market was even noisier.

“Is it true that the Empire contract is in jeopardy?” – Traditionalists.

“The city is in danger due to magic engineering experiments!” – Reformists.

The rumors spread uncontrollably.

Then it happened.

Bang-!

An explosion was heard from the magic engineering workshop.

Smoke covered the sky.

“Look! That’s the truth of magic engineering!”

“Who failed to conduct the safety inspection properly?”

The streets turned into chaos.

In the midst of it, Gadris’s managers were moving frantically.

“Additional safety inspection fees.”

“You must also pay the permit fees.” – Emergency.

While holding those responsible for the accident, they were collecting money.

On the opposite side, in the traditional forge, another scene was unfolding.

“To meet the Empire contract, you’ll need to pay more taxes.”

“This is to prevent defective products.”

Money and resources were leaking out from both sides.

And all the assets flowed into one place.

Looking up at Gadris’s mansion, I saw the true nature of the chaos.

The explosion, the Empire contract issue—both were planned.

The next day, I looked around the market.
The merchants were sighing.

“The taxes went up again?”

“If this keeps up, I’ll have to close my shop.”

Sighs from the traditional forge.

“Why are the permit fees so high?”

“And what’s with the safety inspection fees?”

Complaints from the reformist workshop.

Both sides were in a dire situation.

But someone’s vault was growing bigger.

As the conflict deepens, no one will be left to question Gadris.

“Garuda’s father too…”

Could it be that accident as well?

My fists clenched involuntarily.

In games, I used to enjoy punishing such characters.

Now, it was time to feel that thrill in real life.

A small smile appeared on my lips.

I could almost hear the holy sword screaming.

From the traditional forge street to the magic engineering workshop, Steam Forge, torches flared up in the darkness.

The faces of the angry traditionalist blacksmiths twisted in the light.

“We can’t take it anymore!”

“Let’s punish those who trample on our pride!”

Dozens of dwarves swung their hammers and charged.

The glass windows of the magic engineering workshop shattered, and the machines were torn apart.

Bang, boom, bang!

“St-Stop!”

A faint voice cried out.

It was Garuda.

“Please stop!”

But the dwarves intoxicated with anger didn’t listen to her.

Instead, they destroyed the magic engineering facility even more violently.

Crash!

“I told you to stop!”

At that moment, Garuda slammed her rune hammer into the ground.

A sound overwhelmed all the noise in an instant.

It was a resonance that seemed impossible to come from her small body.