The dwarves, who revered fire and hammers, were a race famous for never letting the flames of their forges die out.
For them, the location of Karak-Zar was a perfect fit.
The towering mountains served as natural fortresses, and the geothermal heat and lava rising from the depths allowed the dwarves to heat metal and hammer away at any time.
Among these resources, lava was particularly precious.
Ordinary ores could be processed using coal to raise the temperature, but in this fantasy world, there existed many metals that did not exist in modern times, such as mithril and adamantium.
Simply using coal was far from enough to reach the melting points of such metals.
And that problem was solved by the lava infused with the power of the earth.
If elves were the children of the forest, then dwarves could be called the children of the earth.
Just as elves had undines and sylphs, dwarves had gnomes and salamanders.
Among them, salamanders were known to inhabit lava, and they infused it with a special power to aid the dwarves.
With this special lava, the dwarves created something known as Dragon’s Breath.
Capable of melting and refining any metal, Dragon’s Breath was their exclusive invention.
Naturally, Louis had also returned to Karak-Zar to process an exceptionally rare and durable material the black dragon’s scales something that ordinary facilities wouldn’t even be able to scratch.
In fact, without Dragon’s Breath, there was likely nowhere on this continent capable of handling black dragon scales.
And yet, that very Dragon’s Breath, Louis slammed his trembling fist onto the desk, shouting in frustration.
“Why the hell not?”
Bang!
After receiving a temporary entry permit from Kabal, Rosaria’s party had arrived in Lavella, one of the cities within Karak-Zar.
They had gone straight to the guild (which functioned similarly to a town hall) to obtain official entry approval, when suddenly, the commotion broke out.
“Hey, kid! You think yelling is gonna change anything?”
“No, I mean! Half a year ago, Dragon’s Breath was working just fine, and now you’re suddenly telling me I can’t use it!? …Ugh… my hand hurts…!”
The trio, who had been filling out paperwork, turned their heads toward the source of the loud voice and spotted Louis arguing with someone at the counter.
“I don’t know the full details either… but I heard there’s a problem with the lava.”
“Lava? What’s wrong with it!?”
“The salamanders’ power has weakened, making it completely unusable. Nothing we can do but wait until Lord Odin’s mood improves.”
The essential ingredient for Dragon’s Breath was lava infused with the power of fire spirits.
It wasn’t just ordinary lava only when imbued with spirit energy could it truly live up to its name and emit the searing heat required for forging.
But now, that very energy, which should have been ever-present in the lava, was gone this was the reason why Dragon’s Breath had been shut down.
“In any case, that’s why I can’t grant you permission to use it. And after all the hell you raised before leaving, now you come crawling back, asking to borrow Dragon’s Breath? It’s a little galling, but it’s out of my hands.”
Louis had clearly caused some kind of trouble before leaving this city.
Considering how every dwarf they met seemed to have something to say about his antics, it was no surprise that the counter attendant remained unfazed.
“So what, you expect me to just sit here twiddling my thumbs? No way! I need to see it for myself!”
“You ignorant brat! The spiritists have already gone to investigate, so we don’t need you, damn it!”
“That…! That…! Ugh, damn it!”
Even in that situation, Louis gritted her teeth and stubbornly insisted on going to check for herself. However, she couldn’t immediately refute the response she received she could only curse under her breath.
The dwarf in front of her was right. She had no magical abilities, nor could she perceive spirits. Even if she went, she wouldn’t be of any help, and she had no solid argument to convince him otherwise.
“If you get it, then scram.”
Seeing Louis hesitate, the dwarf seemed to consider the conversation over. He snorted and waved his hand dismissively, gesturing for her to leave.
“…Wait a minute!”
“What now, kid? My heart is as wide and deep as a barrel that can hold gallons of beer, but if I keep indulging this nonsense, I swear it’ll burst!”
“You’re right I have no magic, and I can’t see spirits.”
“But… we have both right here!”
“Huh?”
“Wait, us?”
As if she had suddenly remembered something, Louis, who had been glaring at the dwarf up close, backed away slightly and pointed toward Rosaria’s group, who had been standing at a distance, watching the situation unfold.
“What, you mean those humans you brought?”
“Just listen to me first! That guy over there is a professor of magic at the Human Empire’s academy, and the girl next to him is a spirit tamer!”
“Even if they’re humans, wouldn’t a mage and a spirit tamer be helpful?”
“Hah! Kid, you think we dwarves don’t have mages and spirit tamers?”
Louis passionately argued that Felix, who was well-versed in magic, and Rosaria, who had a contract with Ariel, would be useful. However, the dwarf merely snorted, as if unimpressed.
Dwarves were widely recognized as master blacksmiths and magic tool specialists, but that didn’t mean there weren’t any dwarf mages or spirit tamers in this vast fortress.
It was obvious that they had their own experts.
“Wait, that’s not all! Let’s see if you can still say that after looking at this!”
But Louis smirked as if she had anticipated the dwarf’s reaction all along.
“Hold on, let me borrow this for a sec.”
“Uh… sure, whatever.”
“Thanks. Now! Keep your eyes wide open and look at this!”
“What the hell are you…wait… this is… no way!?”
Louis dashed over to Rosaria, borrowed something from her, and then triumphantly held it up. The dwarf, who had been watching with a disinterested expression, suddenly widened his eyes in shock.
“A branch of the World Tree! H-How do you have this…!?”
It was Rosaria’s gun, crafted from a branch of the World Tree.
Dwarves, known for their exceptional craftsmanship, had an equally sharp eye for rare and high-quality materials.
Although their primary resources were ores, exceptional artifacts weren’t always made purely from metal. This meant that they also valued other remarkable materials especially those as rare as this.
To dwarves, the World Tree’s branches were an exceptional material.
They had an outstanding ability to conduct magic, making them highly efficient for crafting magic tools. Despite being wood, they were incredibly durable and sturdy defying the usual properties of timber.
On top of that, as long as they had a proper magical conduit, they wouldn’t rot or decay, making them practically a dream material.
However, dwarves lived deep underground, while elves secluded themselves in dense forests. Both races had closed-off foreign policies, making it nearly impossible to obtain such a rare material.
“So, these three actually went to the Grand Forest where the elves live and got it… themselves.”
“Those stuck-up pointy-ears gave this to humans? That’s ridiculous…!”
The dwarf was utterly dumbfounded. Not only did these feeble humans possess such a rare material, but the proud elves had willingly given it to them? It was almost unbelievable.
“Hah! You’re looking right at the real thing, and you still don’t believe it?”
“There’s no doubt… this is the real deal… But what’s with this shape? What kind of function does it serve? And this magic circle…?”
“Aha! That’s as far as you go!”
“Ah—!”
Just as the dwarf’s curiosity was piqued, Louis smugly pulled the gun away. The dwarf, who had been examining it closely, suddenly looked at her with the sorrowful eyes of a child whose toy had been taken away.
“Come on, with people like this, there’s a chance they could help, right? Just let them take a look! If it really won’t work, we’ll leave right away!”
“…Fine. I’ll report this to the higher-ups first.”
“Yes! Score!!”
After relentless persuasion, Louis finally got the dwarf to nod in agreement.
“That is… the Dragon’s Breath?”
Led by Louis’s words, Rosaria and her companions arrived at their destination, feeling dazed and bewildered. Their jaws dropped at the sight before them.
A hissing steam engine.
Pipes, trembling incessantly, wrapped around the entire room like a spider’s web.
At the center of the room, where all the pipes converged, stood the ‘Dragon’s Breath.’ Rather than a machine for processing materials, it was more akin to some massive structure.
Its overall form appeared crude and simple—almost like an oversized furnace one might find in a mansion’s kitchen.
“So, you’re the humans that little girl from the Hopkins family brought here… the ones who ripped a branch off the World Tree from those pointy-eared folks?”
While the three remained awestruck by the magnificent sight, a group of dwarves had appeared without them noticing. One of them stepped forward and extended a hand.
“Ah, yes. Hello…? I am Rosaria Evergarden of the Ovina Empire.”
“Hmm… I see. Nice to meet you. Name’s Orson. I’m in charge of maintaining the Dragon’s Breath.”
Clench—
“…Oh?”
As they shook hands, Rosaria instinctively channeled her spirit’s power in response to the firm grip pressing against her hand. Unyielding, she met Orson’s gaze and returned the pressure.
“Well, well. You look frail, but you’ve got quite a bit of backbone, huh?”
“…You’re pretty tough yourself.”
Once the handshake ended, Orson let out a hearty chuckle, clearly surprised.
“Don’t take it too personally. The Dragon’s Breath is, in a way, a state secret. We can’t just show something like this to anyone, so think of it as a rite of passage.”
“Then… is it really okay for us to see it?”
“Well… to be honest, even if another race were to lay eyes on this, there’s no way they’d understand the technology. It’s a ‘secret’ in formality only unless someone were to steal the internal schematics, just looking at it isn’t much of an issue.”
“Besides, I was curious to see what kind of human had the guts to swindle those high-and-mighty pointy-ears. Haha! And I must say, I like you!”
“…Ah, I see?”
‘It’s hard to keep up with this conversation.’
At first, Rosaria thought Orson’s actions were meant to be offensive, but then he suddenly declared that he liked them.
Not only that, but he seemed unconcerned about showing a state secret to foreigners. His casual attitude left her feeling utterly confused.
Although she had followed Louis here, she and her group were still outsiders in this land. If they caused any trouble, it could easily escalate into an international incident.
The cold sweat running down her back though perhaps due to the stifling heat of the room was a testament to her lingering anxiety.
But Orson’s demeanor left her feeling oddly deflated.
“…This is incredible! How exactly are these pipes constructed? Since the Dragon’s Breath can melt any metal, these pipes must be transporting the fuel for its operation…
But if the molten material reaches extreme temperatures, wouldn’t the pipes themselves be at risk of damage?”
“Oh? You’re the mage, right? Didn’t expect you to be so interested in this kind of thing.”
“It reminds me of a magic circle. If the pipes represent the strokes of the circle, then the molten material flowing inside them would be like magical energy. That parallel fascinates me.”
Unlike Rosaria, who was still grappling with her mixed emotions, Felix was entirely absorbed by his curiosity. Without hesitation, he fired off his questions, eager to satisfy his thirst for knowledge.
“Hah! Finally, a human who speaks my language. Honestly, I’d love to sit down with a pint of ale and chat, but… given the current situation, that’ll have to wait. Follow me.”
Orson, seemingly pleased with Felix’s interest, had softened his expression. However, he quickly shifted gears, beckoning them closer to the Dragon’s Breath as if ready to get to the main point.
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