NOVEL NEXT Chapter 35
Chapter 35: The Last Gifts
After handing the mushrooms and moss to the dwarves, I pulled out the last gifts I had made for them.
“What is this?”
“These are items I thought might help you. Take them.”
I handed a one-handed hammer made out of black metal to the dwarf representative.
“This is… a hammer?”
Hmm, recognized it at first glance. Well, primitive stone hammers are still around.
The material is totally different though! This is a hammer made of steel, not bronze, which is the most advanced material you’ve got these days!
And it’s a hammer made of steel that’s somehow been altered by my magic!
“Someday, you will discover a new metal. A metal that can barely melt in flames hotter than the ones you currently handle. This hammer will be used to craft that metal, so I made it in advance for you.”
The dwarf grabbed the black hammer I handed over.
A hammer made of steel that’s been modified by magic. I initially contemplated what would happen if steel was altered by recalling the altered silver, but honestly, it turned out even tougher than I expected.
I think it’s pretty remarkable that it stays intact even when I hold it in its original form. I’m just dying to know how ordinary steel transforms like this when magic steps in.
On top of that, it completely repels magic and has fire resistance to the point it survives even the temperature at which steel melts.
This could be the top-notch tool for a blacksmith’s hammer.
Sure, it feels a bit short for weapon use… but it’s definitely not useless.
Well, it’s not without its downsides though… Since it completely bounces off magic, you can’t throw any other spells on it, and it’s quite heavy.
But given a dwarf’s strength, they should be able to handle it just fine.
“When you find that metal, heat it in a scorching flame and pound it with this hammer. The metal, hammered by the endlessly hot flames and solid hammer, will be reborn as the item you desire. This will serve as proof that you’re embarking on a new path.”
The dwarf hesitated for a moment before finally speaking.
“Can we… actually find that new metal?”
“Of course! But I’m not going to tell you what it is or what properties it has. All I’ll share is that it exists. You’ll have to figure out the rest on your own.”
“Of course, just knowing that is enough. The rest is for us to deal with.”
The dwarf grinned behind his beard while holding the hammer.
Dwarves and hammers—classic combo, right?
“And this is a bellows I made to make adding air to the flames easier.”
Originally, I had plans to imbue it with elemental affinities so they could handle the spirit of flames… But for some reason, the spirits just wouldn’t listen to these guys.
At least the earth spirits followed Sagarmatha, their parent, ensuring the dwarves weren’t hurt even if a rock tumbled on them. But the flame and wind spirits? Nope, they were having none of it.
In the end, it was completely up to the dwarves to ignite and fan the flames themselves.
Feeling a bit sorry for the dwarves frantically puffing away, I ended up crafting this bellows for them.
Just so you know, it’s a regular accordion-style bellows. No magic here. I figured that if they could grasp the principle, they could replicate it!
“Grab both sides, expand and contract, and airflow will come out this side. So much more efficient than blowing.”
“Ooh… what a fascinating item. And the wind it produces is pretty strong too.”
“Exactly! If you use this to add wind to the flames, you can crank up the heat even more. So craft a few to distribute to your fellow dwarves! The structure isn’t too complicated, so you can easily imitate it.”
In simple terms, it was a prototype.
“Giving us such valuable items… Thank you. Really, thank you!”
“Yeah. Work hard now. I have high hopes for you.”
Alright, I’ve laid the foundation for the dwarves I remember… now it’s just a waiting game to see how they develop.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
The rhythmic clattering of iron and hammer fills the underground city.
Like a skilled tamer wrestling a wild beast called flames, the dwarves expertly nurture the fire, heating the iron.
They yank the glowing red iron out with tongs, set it on the anvil, and strike it with the hammer in their right hand.
Clang!
The exhilarating scream of iron. Normally, hitting it would only leave a minor dent, but since this iron just got a taste of fierce flames, it starts to change shape a bit because it’s slightly softened.
Once. And again. They keep pounding that heated iron with the hammer until it’s shaped just right, then dunk it in a bucket of oil to cool rapidly, granting it extra durability.
That entire process looks like a piece of art, honestly.
“The dwarves’ smithing skills are truly artistic,”
the hero exclaimed in awe, having witnessed their craftsmanship. Black iron, or that legendary adamantium ore—it’s said to be impossible to melt with regular skills, yet these guys are casually refining it like it’s a walk in the park.
“My father is quite skilled! It was just bad luck that he missed the forge master position by a hair.”
“Don’t blame my skills on bad luck. A loss is a loss. And I won’t be defeated again next time.”
The young dwarf girl assisting the blacksmith spoke up with a disgruntled expression.
“Honestly, it really was bad luck! How could the forge master have known he’d strike high-purity mithril ore there? If it weren’t for that mithril, my dad would’ve won.”
“Sagarmatha raised that hand of his.”
The blacksmith murmured, gently examining the iron that had cooled in oil.
A black circular shield, but not yet complete.
In silence, the blacksmith tossed the shield back into the flames.
“Since the purity of the black iron we found is so high, I’ll need to break the work down into several steps. Sorry, but this might take a little longer.”
“That’s fine. I was planning to stay here for a while anyway. But be sure to craft it well—it’s a shield for a dear companion.”
“Don’t worry about it. Dwarves are straightforward like that.”
The blacksmith resumed forging, making the flames grow even stronger, intending to engulf the black shield.
In front of those roaring flames, the blacksmith quietly asked the hero, “So, hero… can you defeat that Demon Lord?”
The hero didn’t reply.
He himself thought it was a reckless undertaking.
Countless monsters had poured out, causing chaos, and several nations had already crumbled. It was a dire situation; almost half the world lay under the thumb of the Demon Lord.
In this scenario, the Demon Lord seduced humanity with sweet words, claiming he needed nothing else as long as he got what he desired.
But the Demon Lord’s demands were utterly unacceptable.
That’s why someone had to take on the task of defeating the Demon Lord.
No matter the risk involved. It was a job that had to be done.
So… even if it meant burning his own life away, it was a duty he had to fulfill.
“You’re quite the quiet one. Much more trustworthy than those who just talk big.”
The blacksmith seemed to have a favorable impression of the hero, smiling wide beneath his beard.
“I’ll inform the Dwarven Trade Guild. Your gear will be prepared here. You’re not likely to find better gear than what comes out of this place—unless it’s from a legend.”
“Thank you.”
The hero expressed his gratitude softly.
“Let’s see. Were there five of you in total?”
“Dad, you didn’t forget about me being included, did you?”
“Hmmm. Including my underachieving daughter, that makes six. Not to mention, you’re all from different races. And even the Church of Life’s prized Dragon Priestess who recently reappeared in centuries. Quite a dazzling crew, indeed.”
At that, the hero simply nodded in agreement.
The elf, a prodigy in spirit magic and an exceptional archer, bonded with spirits of light and darkness.
A young but powerful dwarf warrior doubling as an assistant blacksmith.
A steadfast lizardman great warrior, not one to back down even against a thousand foes.
A fox beastman, skillful in her duties but a bit clumsy around others.
And, of course, the Dragon Priestess from the Church of Life, who had resurrected him after he met his end… If it hadn’t been for her, the hero and his companions would have never gathered like this to confront the Demon Lord.
“They are all precious comrades.”
Whispering softly, the hero firmed up his resolve.
– Record of a certain hero party’s adventure.