Chapter 40 : Steel Mountain Range (8) Part 2

She jumped in surprise at my words, but then nodded.

“Yes! This time, with the circulation of magic… I mean… something better…”

The spark of a craftsman’s passion ignited in her eyes.

She was no longer the girl hiding in someone’s shadow.

“Hey, Haru.”

Suddenly, with a serious tone, she asked.

“Yes?”

“Do you really… really think I can become the best blacksmith?”

Her voice trembled, but what was hidden within wasn’t fear, but expectation.

“You…”

I looked at her for a moment.

The calluses on her hand holding the hammer, the soot on her work clothes, and the fire of a craftsman burning in her amber eyes.

“You’re already the best blacksmith.”

Tears welled up in Garuda’s eyes.

But this time, they were tears of joy.

“Thank you.”

Her small shoulders trembled.

Her brown hair covered her flushed face.

“I’ll make even better things for you from now on. Stronger, more beautiful…”

Garuda, unable to continue, sobbed.

I gently patted her back.

The sunset dyed the blacksmith street.

The sound of hammers began to echo again.

The sky of Ironforge had changed.

Instead of black smoke, the air was clear.

The hum of magical engineering and the sound of traditional blacksmith hammers harmonized.

“Look, if you carve the runes this way…”

“Oh, then the magic efficiency will rise by 30%!”

In the Steamforge workshop, traditional blacksmiths were collaborating with magical engineers.

“I’d like to propose a new alloy process…”

“How about a 7:3 ratio of Mithril to Lava Stone?”

At the young engineer’s suggestion, the bearded blacksmith nodded.

There was no more conflict.

The bulletin board in the central square had been updated.

[Ironforge Reform Proposal]

Complete abolition of illegal taxation

Safety inspection standards normalization

Establishment of traditional innovation convergence support fund

The dwarves were laughing and talking in front of the bulletin board.

“The remnants of the Gardris system have completely disappeared.”

“Now, we are truly becoming a city of dwarves.”

More and more people gathered in the plaza in front of the city hall. Today was the inauguration ceremony of the new mayor.

A young girl climbed onto the podium. Her long brown hair fluttered in the wind.

“Uh… I mean…”

Garuda’s voice trembled. But she quickly took a deep breath and lifted her head.

“We are one…! Uh… or not…”

Her amber eyes gleamed firmly. No longer a timid girl, but a leader of a city stood before them.

“Whether it’s tradition or innovation, it doesn’t matter. We are all dwarves.”

Countless dwarves raised their hammers and wrenches.

“The pride of dwarves is not fearing change! But at the same time, not forgetting the fundamentals!”

Her voice echoed through the plaza.

“It’s the future my father… my father dreamed of.”

Tears gathered in Garuda’s eyes. But she shook her head and smiled brightly.

“Let’s build a new Ironforge together. A true city of dwarves where tradition and innovation harmonize!”

The cheers of the crowd pierced the sky. Hammers and wrenches crossed in the air, signaling the new beginning of the city.

“Ugh… What is all this…”

Garuda sighed as she looked at the stack of papers on the desk. In the massive office, her small figure looked even more diminutive.

“It’s the inheritance process.”

The secretary placed a new stack of documents on the desk.

“30% shares in the Mithril Mine, 3 ancient rune libraries, a legendary forge…”

Garuda’s pupils swirled, feeling dizzy. Her long hair spilled over the desk.

“Is this all…?”

“Yes. It’s the legacy of Lord Garion that Gardris hid for 10 years.”

“No, no, that’s not the important part…”

Garuda stared at the documents with a despairing look.

“Do I have to… read all of this?”

When the secretary nodded, Garuda’s shoulders slumped.

“I just liked working in the forge… Can’t I just hammer things?”

Her hand brushed over the hammer placed at the edge of the desk. Just then, another secretary entered.

“Mayor, the 12 boxes of ancient dwarf forging methods have arrived.”

“Eek!”

Garuda jumped up from her seat. Her brown hair scattered like a waterfall.

“Wait! Wait a minute! I… I…”

Her gaze turned toward the window. It was clear she was thinking of running away.

“You can’t escape, Mayor.”

“It’s the 5th floor. It’s dangerous.”

Both secretaries spoke at once. There had been an escape attempt that had failed just last week.

“Ugh… I wonder where Haru is…”

Garuda buried her face in her desk. A sigh escaped between her long hair.

“If it were Haru, they’d handle these documents well…”

Just then, the office door opened again.

“Mayor, the inventory check of the golden vault…”

“Ahhh! I like the hammer! The hammer!”

Garuda tumbled on the desk. Papers scattered like snowflakes.

“Mayor…”

“I just want to hammer things! What did I do wrong? Hwaaahhh…”

The secretaries sighed as they began to clean up the papers. This had become a part of their daily routine.

New papers piled up on the desk.

But even as she complained, Garuda’s hands continued to move. She skimmed the documents, stamped them, and wrote notes.

“Mayor, here’s the document regarding the Mithril Mine shares.”

“The Empire’s trade plan also needs approval.”

“The approval for the establishment of the Tradition-Innovation Convergence Research Institute…”

Every time a secretary placed new papers down, Garuda’s shoulders flinched.

Mines, libraries, research institutes… everything Gardris once controlled was now her responsibility.

“Sigh…”

Garuda mumbled, clutching the hammer tightly.

“I miss the forge… I’ll eat salad, and I’ll work out hard too!”

But her eyes were still scanning through the documents one by one. Even while whining, she didn’t neglect her mayoral duties.

With a small sigh, she picked up the pen instead of the hammer.

“I’ll finish this and then go hammer things…”

The sunset leaned over the pile of documents. The day of Garuda Ironheart, the new mayor of Ironforge, was coming to an end.

A peaceful morning arrived in Ironforge. As the mayor, Garuda was still battling with the papers today.

Her hand holding the pen trembled. As she tried to stamp yet another document, stifling a yawn.

“Mayor, the elven delegation has arrived.”

“What? El… Elves?”

The stamp slipped from Garuda’s hand. Before the secretary could finish speaking, the door opened.

A cold energy filled the room. Emerald-colored long hair fluttered elegantly.

“Nice to meet you, the new mayor of Ironforge.”

It was Sylvia. The elven queen and the master of spirits.

“Ah… ah…”

Garuda’s voice trembled. Sylvia’s green eyes gleamed coldly.

“I’m sorry for the sudden visit, but…”

With graceful steps, she approached the desk. Green spirits swirled around her.

“I thought it was necessary to establish good relations with the new mayor.”

“Th… That’s true. It’s an honor.”

Garuda unconsciously gripped the hammer tightly. Cold sweat began to form on her palm.

“By the way…”

Sylvia walked toward the window. The air around her became cold.

“Have you heard anything about the hero Haru? Oh, don’t worry. Haru and I are best friends… well, even more than that.”

“Haru’s friend?”

Garuda’s eyes widened. Her long hair flickered slightly.

‘Not a dragon, not a saint… but the elven queen!’

A fleeting memory rushed through her mind. A small voice before Haru left.

‘You must never… never tell anyone…’

But Sylvia’s green eyes gleamed coldly. Spirits circled around the desk.

Cold sweat began to drip down. Garuda’s hand tightened around the hammer.

Garuda hesitated. She bit her lip, then fidgeted with her fingers.

“Th… That is…”

Sylvia’s gaze turned sharp. The green spirits glimmered threateningly.

“You must not say anything! This is a promise…”

Garuda bit her lips tightly. With the pride of a dwarf, she made a firm resolve not to speak.

“I’m Haru’s personal blacksmith! I can’t betray that trust!”

A burning flame of loyalty flared up in her chest. Her heart steeled itself.

“Be honest. Spirits can detect lies immediately.”

Garuda’s fire was extinguished. Sylvia’s voice remained soft, but there was an edge beneath it.

“Eek!”

In the end, Garuda screamed and hid under the desk. Her long hair spilled like a waterfall.

“H-Haru went… to the north!”

Garuda finally shouted. Her voice trembled.

“Before the snowstorm… before the blizzard comes…”

Sylvia’s eyes wavered. There was a moment of silence.

“Is that so…”

Finally, Sylvia spoke. Her lips curved into a cold smile.

“I’m glad you were honest.”

With elegant steps, she walked toward the door. Green spirits circled around her.

“I hope we can maintain a good relationship, Mayor.”

The door closed, and Sylvia left. Only then could Garuda let out a breath.

She wiped away her tears and muttered to herself. But then, she shook her head.

“Ah… no, this shouldn’t be… but… Heeeng… still, it was so scary…”

More papers were piled up on the desk, but now that didn’t matter.

Clutching the hammer tightly, she stared blankly at the direction Sylvia had left.

After some time, Garuda lifted her head from the pile of documents.

“Secretaries, I’m really done for today! Can I go hammer things now??”

She shouted with a lively voice and jumped out of her seat. Her long hair scattered like a waterfall.

“Mayor, there are still approvals…”

“I said it’s finished! It’s all done! The hammer is calling me!”

Garuda hastily began to tidy up the papers on the desk. She looked like a child whose school day had ended.

The secretaries sighed and left the room. This was the usual routine.

When the door closed, Garuda’s expression changed. The mischievous spark in her amber eyes faded.

She pulled out a thick blueprint from under the desk. Ancient dwarf designs and modern magical engineering blueprints were mixed together.

“Haru…”

Her fingers traced the blueprints. Her red eyes sparkled like a furnace’s flames.

“Don’t worry. I’ll… definitely…”

Strength flowed into the hand gripping the hammer. There was no longer any trace of trembling.

A cold smile played at the corner of her lips. Her long hair cast shadows over the blueprints.

“Perfectly combining tradition and innovation… that is the true power of the dwarves.”

The ancient wisdom and modern technology fused in her mind.

She headed toward her forge. The forge had grown dozens of times larger, now filled with specialized equipment.

Clang!

The first strike of the hammer rang out. It was a cold, different sound.

On the workbench, fragments of chaos crystals sparkled. Garuda’s hand movements surpassed that of a craftsman.

“With this power… for sure…”

Clang, clang—

Each hammer strike deepened her gaze. The soul of a craftsman had turned into madness.

“I’m the only one who can truly help Haru.”

An odd device, a monstrous creation mixing traditional smithing and magical engineering, appeared on the workbench.

“Please wait.”

A smile spread across Garuda’s lips. It was no longer the shy dwarf girl’s smile.

“I can crush even dragons and spirits…”

Her hand holding the hammer trembled. But this time, it was not fear, but anticipation.

“Then, Haru… will need only me…”

The eyes of the once timid dwarf girl now burned with madness.

The sound of the hammer rang again, this time stronger, colder.

The sunset bathed Ironforge. The sky beyond the window was still peaceful, but beneath it, something dangerous was awakening.