Harbingers of Change

Kaijin woke up to the pleasant smell of breakfast filling the home. The housekeeper, who was assigned to take care of the house that he and the three dwarven brothers lived in, was up before them, as usual. Not that he particularly needed someone like her, but since he now didn't need to worry about the housework, he had more time to concentrate on his actual work.

With his oversight, the blacksmithing district was taking shape and his students improved from day to day. The first crude attempts at crafting armor and weapons could not be comparable to the armaments the young hobgoblin smiths were making now. Of course, they had a long road ahead of them to get to the level of even an average dwarven blacksmith, but with his guidance, it should be a realistic goal.

Kaijin quickly washed up, put on his work clothes, and went down to the kitchen area. The dwarven brothers were already at the table, eating and ogling at the goblina housekeeper. Kaijin shook his head and joined them at the table.

"Good morning."

"Good morning, sir." The goblina answered with a smile and put a large mug with cider and a plate of fried meat and fresh vegetables in front of him. Despite the girl's charms, he was aware that she most likely reported on his activities to the lords, rather than simply do housework. They may have been given the illusion of freedom, but their masters kept a close eye. Not that the girl wasn't easy on the eyes. The only thing that separated her from humans was the green skin and, from what he heard, everyone named by the Guardian Overseer was outstandingly good-looking.

The trio, however, was firmly wrapped around her little finger. You could see their heads following her every move and the goblina surely played up from leaning forward a bit too much to brushing against them from time to time.

'They will never learn. Poor fools.' Kaijin shook his head again and dug into his food.

At least she was keeping the house clean and all of them well fed. The food was decent enough for his tastes. As someone who spent years in the military, he wasn't a particularly picky eater and the cider was decent enough as well. His heart longed for a nice, cold mug of dwarven beer, but that wish would probably have to go on unfulfilled for some time. After all, it was too late to go back to his homeland.

Just as Kaijin was about to finish his breakfast and head to work, a sudden guest interrupted his daily plans like a tornado. The goblina went to open the door and practically slammed herself onto the wooden floor, dropping on one knee once she saw who it was.

"There is no need for formalities. You can rise. Hey, Kaijin!" The voice of the majestic avian filled up the room.

"Lord Peroroncino!" Kaijin said as he got off the chair and kneeled as well.

"Guys, you don't have to do this outside the official events. This shit gets old real fast, you know?"

It was better to be safe than sorry. Even if the Lord insisted on a more casual approach, some of his more fanatical servants may have a differing opinion.

"How can we be of service, my lord?"

With a casual movement, Pero reached into his inventory and put two healing potions on the table, and slid them over to Garm and Dord. "I think we can start with the payment."

To see the limbs of his friends restored was a relieving sight. Considering that such potions, if they even existed to such a degree of potency, were not available to the general public, even one such potion was worth more than they could have earned in salaries up to this point.

"Our blacksmith was thrilled to receive your notes, Kaijin. He already replicated the process on harder materials, and I have to say that the results are not bad."

"I can't take too much credit; those were just basic guidelines all dwarven smiths follow."

"It helped a lot either way. So you're up for a little tour?"

"Tour?"

"I can show you Nazarick's crafting department and maybe a few additional places. I think you guys have earned it."

Kaijin could only nod. Very few of the outside world have been inside the fabled Nazarick. His own guess was that it was located somewhere deep within the cave system that was guarded by the impressive keep.

Before he could wonder for long, a dark void appeared behind Lord Peroroncino, and he motioned for them to follow. If someone would have told him he just stepped into the realm of Gods, Kaijin would have believed them in a heartbeat. The long hall they appeared in had rows of doors so intricately made that he could only guess how much work was required to make them.

"I thought you might appreciate it as craftsmen. My friends and I made this place. We didn't do it by hand, though. Everything you see was made by… by magical means."

Pero just motioned for them to follow and walked on. Kaijin and his friends eagerly looked at each unfamiliar sight. This Nazarick surely was more than he could have imagined it to be. Not long after, a beautiful woman in a maid's outfit passed by. She, like everyone else, bowed and greeted Lord Peroroncino.

A barely audible metallic sound drew his attention, and it took a few moments to realize that the maid's dress was weaved out of metal.

'That has to be made by magical means. The weaving is so flawless; it almost looks like it's made of silk.'

The revelation made Kaijin wonder if he could even understand how the armor of Nazarick's leaders was made. Maybe if he showed unwavering loyalty and hard work, those secrets would be revealed to him at some point. His craftsman's sense was tingling inside him like never before.

Blacksmithing for Kaijin was something he lived for. The blacksmith district he helped to make in Tempest was an impressive achievement. Seeing the masterpieces Nazarick was capable of put his accomplishment to shame. The crafting department was a marvel, unseen by the mortal eyes.

First were the great elemental forges that were operated by an army of crablike creatures. The heat coming out of them even from a great distance gave him the idea of what temperature was needed to melt the beliat ore. His gaze fell to one of the crab creatures who was shaping a long sword.

'Such precise mechanical movements.'

No wonder the sword that Koby presented when he first found out about Nazarick was without a single flaw.

"So what do you think?" Pero asked.

"I have never seen a better-organized forge. And their work appears to be flawless. Any dwarven smith longs for an apprentice who works so meticulously. If not for Dord, Garm and Myrd, I would beg to get one of them as my assistant."

"I think I can arrange for a few of them to be in Tempest and help with a thing or two. The forge has become overcrowded recently."

"Would Lord Momonga approve?"

"Sure he will. All of Tempest's industry is my responsibility after all. We can go visit him as well."

There was no way he could argue against the whims of one of the Lords. Lord Momonga may be the absolute ruler of the Tempest, but Lord Peroroncino was his close friend and, by what others have explained, one of the three remaining Supreme Beings. He wasn't sure what it even meant, but the understanding that he was part of something greater than he could imagine was there. He prayed that King Gazel would be wise enough to not seek conflict with the new nation, else his kind may face something they are not prepared to fight.

The tenth floor trumped even the magnificent ninth floor they were on before. And then there was the throne room. He had been in Dwargon's royal castle a few times, but that felt like child's play compared to what he was witnessing now.

On the throne made for the king of kings sat Lord Momonga himself, with Lady Albedo sitting on a smaller chair beside him. It made his mind wonder what kind of relationship the two had. The succubus watched the incoming group intently, but Momonga seemed to not even be aware of his surroundings as the dark flames in his eyes were gone.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything?" Peroroncino asked.

"Lord Momonga is analyzing his skills, Lord Peroroncino." Albedo said, standing up and bowing.

"Pero, did you need something?" Momonga asked, with the dark flames flickering in his empty eye sockets once again.

"I plan to send some of Kanimetaru's assistants to Tempest. Too many have spawned recently, and I could use a few."

"Just provide a guard for them as well. Ah, Kaijin, Garm, Dord, and Myrd. I see Peroroncino gave you the healing potions."

"Yes, my lord." Kaijin answered kneeling, "We are grateful for the kindness you have shown to us."

"Don't mention it. You all are doing a wonderful job for Tempest."

Seeing that Momonga wanted to continue to tinker with his skills, Pero quickly ushered the dwarves away from the throne room and back to Tempest.

To see Nazarick itself was an eye-opening experience for sure. As a craftsman, he always strived to improve his craft and now he had seen how deep blacksmithing could go, giving him extra motivation to strive to better his own crafting skills.

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Momonga was sitting on a chair outside once again, with Ranga already laying down beside the chair silently. Each time he came to enjoy the solitude, Ranga would show up and lay beside the chair as a silent guardian. He most likely did it out of a desire to protect him, as all who were connected to Nazarick did, but at the same time, something felt different.

"Ranga, do you come here because you want to or to protect me?" he asked. Sure, it put the giant wolf on the spot and he already knew what Ranga would say.

{ I felt I needed to be by your side, master. }

"Why so?"

{ The connection between us made me feel it. I cannot explain why. I just know this is the place I have to be. Am I mistaken, and my presence is bothering you, my master? }

"Not at all," Momonga said, stroking the fur between the giant creature's ears. Ranga let out a content rumble and leaned into his skeletal hand.

'Just like a giant dog. Would it be disrespectful to him if I made that comparison?'

"You know Ranga, in the world I came from, humans had befriended creatures similar to wolves and made them their companions."

{ Master… Am I your pet? }

Momonga froze up. How did Ranga make that connection so fast? Sure, he felt like a pet dog, but he also was the Prime Alpha of all the direwolves, and it surely would be a degrading position for someone like him.

"What makes you think so?"

{ Lady Bukubukuchagama explained it to me already. I resemble creatures called dogs from your original world and you never had one as a pet. She assumed I was your pet. }

"Ranga, you are the leader of the direwolves. I couldn't just…" To his surprise, Ranga deflated, disappointed, letting out a whine.

'Did I misread the situation? Does he actually want to be a pet? Why did Buku tell him that? Argh, she is doing things on her own once again.'

"Would you want to be?" Momonga asked, trying to mend the situation.

{ Yes master, it would be a great honor to be your pet! }

"Then you are my pet wolf."

To call Ranga's reaction an enthusiastic one was an understatement of the century. Even without looking behind him, he could hear trees shaking from the wind the giant wolf's tail wagging generated.

"But don't forget about your duties as well. Just because you are my pet now doesn't mean I will just spoil you."

{ I won't forget, master. }

Silence fell upon the surroundings once again as both of them just looked up towards the sky. No words were needed to enjoy one another's company.

{ Master, can I protect you from your shadow when I'm not performing other duties? } Ranga asked after a while.

"I don't see any harm in it." Momonga said and released his protection wards, letting Ranga jump inside his shadow.

'Why does it feel so strange? Is it because Ranga is far more intelligent than a regular dog?' Ultimately, it didn't matter. He wanted to have a more casual relationship with his subordinates, and this was another step in the right direction. He would have to explain it to Nazarick's denizens in a way that made sure that the more zealous ones didn't get the same idea. He could make an exception for those who were more animalistic creatures, but if a floor guardian would make such a request, it would likely exhaust his emotion suppression to a breaking point.

Anyway, it was a worry for tomorrow. For now, Momonga settled on watching the clear night sky and forgetting about his worries as his new pet slept in his shadow.

Edited by Edgy

Additional proofreading by placid_void