VOLUME 15: CHAPTER 2

VOLUME 15: CHAPTER 2

After delivering the first batch of elven oaks, Blackie and Arcturus left for Daxton City. The Dragon and the Scylla would go back and forth like this until they’d delivered enough materials to build the base platform of the floating castle.

Blackie enthusiastically did this arduous task, afraid that if it didn’t volunteer, Lark would end up overexerting himself trying to transport the massive ancient trees.

Lark and his group looked around the workshop. Although this place looked small from above, it turned out to be quite spacious now that they were inside.

As expected of a gift from the dwarven royal family, everything inside looked grand – from the molds used to cast metals into specific shapes, vises that held materials securely, quenching pots used to cool metals rapidly, the anvils, furnaces, hammers, tongs, chisels and punchers, bellows, and even the grinders and polishers.

All of the pieces of equipment looked brand new, and some were even ostentatiously decorated with gold and jewels that they looked ceremonial rather than functional.

It was worlds apart from the original workshop of Gorovir where dangerous and hastily discarded objects were strewn about.

The dwarven royal family must have poured a fortune into this workshop after learning it would be used to create the floating castle.

Looking at it from a different angle, this was their way of showing their sincerity to Lark’s group and of course, the Dragon Race.

“Good thing there are no longer scrapped swords lying around,” muttered Lark. This was the most important part.

Although what Lark said wasn’t really a praise, Gorovir rubbed his nose proudly. “Hehe, I’ve assigned some of the apprentices to take care of them. After rejecting the royal family’s offer to move here for years, this place was a bit messy before we moved in. Even a little empty, I must say. It’s only a few months ago when all of these equipment were provided to us by the royal family.”

George started running around, gawking at everything he saw.

“Woah! Crazy! That fireplace is huge!” pointed George. “Five of me can probably fit inside! I wanna try entering it!”

“It’s a furnace, idiot,” said Austen. “And why would you enter inside? Stop blabbering nonsense and stick close to me, brat.”

George outright ignored him. He grabbed Lark’s clothes and said, “Master! Do they use that to make swords?”

While George was tugging at his clothes, Lark decided to use this chance to introduce his disciples.

“I believe I haven’t introduced them yet properly,” said Lark. “This kid here is George, and the one over there is Austen, his elder brother. And this one is Chryselle. The three of them are my disciples.”

Gorovir had met Lady Alice before, and there was no longer any need for introductions between them. As for the other three, this was his first time meeting them.

Chryselle gracefully bowed her head, while the brothers fumbled around, unsure how to greet the dwarven blacksmith.

“It’s an honor to meet the greatest blacksmith of the continent,” said Chryselle. “I am Chryselle Vont Aria, Fourth Disciple of His Majesty, King Lark.”

George and Austen quickly introduced themselves after that.

“I am Quickcast George!”

Austen glared at his little brother, then introduced himself. “It’s an honor to meet you, lord blacksmith. My name’s Austen, one of the disciples of His Majesty, King Lark Marcus.”

“His Majesty’s disciples! As expected!” said Gorovir interestedly. “If you are the disciples of His Majesty, surely, you are all exceptional individuals!”

The other members of his race may hate him for it, but Gorovir looked up to Lark more than the dwarven king.

The Dwarven King was well versed in military and a powerful warrior individually, but he wasn’t a visionary like King Lark. All King Lerenon cared about was politics, the military, and bootlicking the Ancient Fire Dragon Tribe.

Only someone capable of forward-thinking ideas, like King Lark Marcus, could elicit respect within Gorovir’s heart.

Naturally, Gorovir believed that King Lark’s disciples were also extraordinary individuals. Although they seemed childish, they must have some abilities that far surpassed their peers. King Lark wouldn’t have taken them under his wing, otherwise.

“A son is the forge’s fire, shaped by the same anvil,” said Gorovir wisely as he gazed at Lark’s disciples. “From the father’s beard, the son’s wisdom grows. It is my greatest honor to meet the future heroes of this continent. Please feel free to look around my workshop as you wish, Young Masters.”

Hearing this, George puffed out his chest in pride, while Austen looked embarrassed after being called ‘one of the future heroes’. Chryselle, on the other hand, simply smiled.

The legendary blacksmith evaluated the kids highly simply for being King Lark’s disciples. Out of the three disciples present here, only Chryselle understood this.

“Hehe, did you hear that?” whispered George. “This dwarf is smart. He knows we are the future heroes of this continent. Maybe I should show him my quickcast?”

Austen whispered back, “Shut up, George. And I’m watching you! I know your hands are itching! Don’t you dare touch that furnace!”

“That again! Stop telling me what to do, you’re not my father!”

“What?! This little shit!”

Gorovir stroked his beard and laughed, “Hahaha! Your disciples sure are lively, Your Majesty!”

Lark also laughed, “They’re my pride and joy. Gorovir, show me the place where you plan on making the engine core.”

Hearing Lark say that they were his pride and joy, even the unruly George shut his mouth. Although he didn’t really care what others would think of him, unlike Austen, at that moment, he felt compelled to match their Master’s expectation of them.

For the first time since coming to the Dwarven Kingdom, George straightened his back and moved around with an air befitting the disciple of King Lark. Of course, this act was nothing but a façade that would probably crumble later on.

Austen raised one of his eyebrows, wordlessly asking George what he was up to this time.

George smirked, his expression clearly stating that his older brother wouldn’t understand even if he explained to him.

“The engine core… Of course, Your Majesty,” said Gorovir. “This way, please.”

Gorovir led them to the back of the building. Surprisingly, the place where they planned on making the engine core wasn’t located inside the building or in a secret underground chamber.

“They’re making it here?” said Austen.

“What if someone steals it?” said George.

Gorovir explained, “The dwarves may not look like it, but they are fanatics – kuhum… that includes me, of course. Everyone knows how important this project is, and even ordinary dwarves would fight any thieves who would dare mess with the engine. Also, no one in their sane mind would dare steal the engine core in this workshop. Forget the dwarven royal family, even the Dragons would hunt the perpetrator once they’re found out.”

There was also the weight issue. Once the engine core was completed, it would be so heavy that it would need at least ten dwarves to lift it properly. Stealing it in this workshop filled with numerous workers and guards would be next to impossible.

“Here, come closer, please.”

Gorovir led them to a massive forge several times larger than the furnace inside the building. It was covered by a stone ceiling around twenty meters in height, with rotating discs at both sides to channel massive amounts of air to stoke the fire.

Currently, there were no workers around this area.

Since they’ve yet to mine the adamantite in the Bottomless Gorge, Gorovir hadn’t started creating the engine core.

“I call this the God’s Forge. It’s the largest forge in the entire kingdom, and probably in the entire continent. This beast will generate so much heat that it’ll be too dangerous to keep it indoors.”

Lark studied the forge carefully. He said, “You plan on using volcanic fire stones?”

Gorovir’s eyes glimmered.

He was inwardly thrilled when Lark casually uttered the method they would use to smelt the adamantite.

It went to show that the human king’s knowledge when it came to these things weren’t inferior to Gorovir, who’d been studying adamantite for decades.

“Your Majesty is truly wise. That’s correct. The dwarven royal family already promised to provide volcanic fire stones for this forge. It will be delivered once we’ve successfully mined the adamantite.”

As the world’s strongest metal, there were two ways to refine and forge adamantite: first was to use mana and normal fire to alter it, and the second was to use extreme heat capable of melting even iron in mere seconds.

Due to the size of the engine core, the first method was nearly impossible to utilize, leaving Gorovir without a choice but to use the second one.

The volcanic fire stones, minerals found only in the deepest parts of an active volcano, were necessary in order to produce the extreme heat required by the second method.

After showing them the forge where they would be creating the engine core, Gorovir enthusiastically gave them a tour of the different parts of the workshop.

In the end, they arrived at the room on the second floor of the building where the completed maintenance golems were being kept.

“Ah! Come, come! Let me show you the golems!” said Gorovir.

“Oooh! Golems!” said Austen.

“Let us see! Let us see!” said George.

Having been exposed to the Blackstone Knights for a long time, George and Austen were thrilled to see the maintenance golems upon hearing about them from Gorovir.

They could already envision their tall, majestic, and powerful-looking bodies!

The golems, guardians and overseers of the floating castle!

“Eh? What’s that?” whispered George.

But their excitement quickly died down the moment they entered the room.

George whispered, “Don’t they look like they’re made… of mud?”

Austen nudged the little kid, telling him to shut up lest they hear him.

Honestly speaking, even Austen felt disappointed when he saw the golems.

Unlike the Blackstone Knights, which looked heroic and badass, the maintenance golems looked nothing but a bunch of stones and mud clumped together, forming a humanoid shape.

They looked even uglier than the snowman George and Austen had created in Lion City years ago, back when they were still paupers.

Lark walked toward one of the maintenance golems and inspected it. After a while, he nodded approvingly. “You did well. They’re perfect.”

The brothers frowned.

Did they hear their Master correctly?

Gorovir laughed, fully expecting to be praised the moment he showed the completed golems to King Lark.

“Eh, Master?” said George. “Aren’t they ug—”

George was about to call them ugly, but Austen covered his little brother’s mouth just in time, preventing him from speaking further.

Lark knew what was on their mind. “They’re maintenance golems, George. Although they have a certain degree of fighting capabilities, their main function is to patch and repair any damages done to the floating castle.”

Lark’s disciples looked at him quizzically, still unable to comprehend why they needed to be made out of mud instead of iron like the Blackstone Knights.

Lark patiently explained, “After we are done creating the base platform of the floating castle, we will cover it with a thin layer of soil and rocks, mimicking the ground. After that, we will erect buildings, barracks, and other amenities, making it livable for us humans.”

Lark continued, “These golems, made of hardened mud, are capable of repairing themselves by absorbing the soil on the ground. And although it looks like that—”

Lark tapped on one of the golem’s thick arms, creating soft thud sounds.
“—They’re pretty compact.”

Unable to contain his curiosity any longer, Austen asked, “But Master, wouldn’t it be better if they’re made of iron? That way, they will be more durable.”

“Their main role is to repair the castle,” said Lark. “There’s no need to waste precious metals like that. Moreover, we have to consider the weight of the maintenance golems. If we house several dozen maintenance metallic golems and hundreds of Blackstone Knights in the floating castle, it would take too much energy to keep the castle afloat. Although it may not seem much, these small things add up over time.”

Magic wasn’t omnipotent.

In order to keep the castle afloat, an equal amount of mana would be consumed each second. Although the engine cores were designed to absorb ambient mana, replenishing its reserves automatically, they’d wouldn’t be able to keep the castle afloat if the load exceeded their regeneration capacity.

Of course, Lark had designed them to house at least several thousand people if needed, especially during times of emergency, but it didn’t mean they should abuse the weight limit.

Furthermore, although the Kingdom of Lukas had been receiving a constant supply of iron from the United Grakas Alliance as per their trade agreement, it still wouldn’t be enough considering the numerous projects Lark wished to undertake.

Considering utility and cost-efficiency, Lark deemed that creating maintenance golems out of hardened mud was the best route to take.

“I agree with everything His Majesty said,” said Gorovir.

Even the legendary blacksmith believed this was the correct decision.

“With the current design, once the maintenance golem receives damage, it would be very easy for it to repair its body. I know it is ugly, but it’s designed to be functional. Repairing a body made of mud will consume far less mana compared to repairing a body made of iron.”

Gorovir paused, “Hmm… If there are any issues that needs to be addressed, it would be the sentience of these things. Your Majesty, based on the blueprints, you plan on personally giving life to these golems later on, yes?”

Lark shook his head. “You’re making it sound like I’m a god. I’m not giving life to them, Gorovir. I will simply be animating them.”

Gorovir still couldn’t’ fully understand how Lark was going to pull it off, but he got the gist of it.

According to the rumors, the human king was capable of creating living suits of armor using monster corpses.

There were even rumors circulating that the Trial of the princes was chosen in order to provide monster corpses for the Kingdom of Lukas. Of course, only a few dwarves believed this, thinking that their Great Guardian Deities couldn’t have stooped so low as to cater to the lukasians’ needs and desires.

“Animating them…”

If Gorovir wasn’t mistaken, Lark would perform the same ritual to these golems, animating them and granting them the ability to repair and maintain the floating castle.

Honestly speaking, for Gorovir, that feat was no different from giving life to these things.

“…Almost like a necromancer.”

Chryselle looked at Lady Alice, who silently stood near Lark. The leader of the Witches of Aravark was a well-known necromancer. According to records, she was capable of tilting the tide of battle on her own due to this ability.

Her ability to preserve her body’s youth in exchange for her life force and her ability to raise an undead army were probably interrelated.

“Hm?”

While Gorovir and Lark were in the middle of their discussions, Lark noticed a figure flying toward them from a distance.

It was Shahaneth in her polymorphed state.

She landed softly right outside the workshop. The dwarven workers nearby who saw her immediately prostrated on the ground. After looking at the massive elven oaks nearby, she walked toward Lark’s group and smiled.

“Your Majesty, it’s been a while,” said Shahaneth.

Lark greeted her back, and the two exchanged pleasantries. Shahaneth also expressed her shock at the elven oaks delivered by Lark’s group. Although she’d seen elven oaks before when they are abducted to the Kingdom of Elves by Blackie, the ones in this place were at least twice bigger.

Noticing that Arcturus wasn’t around, she asked, “I don’t see my little brother?”

“Arcturus went back to Daxton City to retrieve the rest of the elven oaks,” said Lark. “He’s currently flying there together with Blackie.”

Shahaneth was visibly surprised. “He’s working with the snake?”

Lark smiled, “What? Is that not allowed?”

Shahaneth shook her head. “That’s not it, Your Majesty. It’s just… surprising.”

If it were Agnus, the hatchling would never agree to work together with the Scylla even if it meant transporting all of the elven oaks by himself.

“Arcturus and Blackie get along surprisingly well,” said Lark. “Honestly, even I didn’t expect it.”

“W-What?”

Shahaneth had been living with Arcturus for a few hundred years. Although they had stayed inside the Lair most of the time, she knew that the scholarly Dragon also had his pride.

How did Arcturus manage to get along well with that obnoxious snake?

Shahaneth started having suspicions in her mind on how her little brother pulled it off, but they were so preposterous that she found it embarrassing to directly ask King Lark Marcus.

Shahaneth frowned, and decided not to pursue the topic any further. Currently, what mattered the most was an entirely different issue – the delay in mining the adamantite in the Bottomless Gorge.

“Dwarf,” said Shahaneth.

“Great Guardian Deity,” said Gorovir respectfully.

“You’ve explained everything to His Majesty regarding the cause of the delay in mining the adamantite?”

“Yes, Great Guardian Deity.”

“That makes things easier then,” she said. “King Lark, as you’ve heard from the dwarf, the monsters of the Bottomless Gorge had spiraled out of control.”

Shahaneth told everyone the reason why she was the only Dragon who greeted them upon their arrival. It turned out that Vulcan was currently at the Gorge, trying to hunt the intelligent creature that was leading the monsters. Vesta, on the other hand, was staying in the Lair, punishing Agnus not only for falling into the Scylla’s petty tricks before, but also for failing to hunt the intelligent monster.

It seemed that Agnus had been suffering ever since he’d been separated from Lark.

“The leader of the monsters,” said Lark. “Even Vulcan couldn’t hunt it until now?”

Shahaneth shook her head bitterly. “It’s really crafty. Whenever it senses danger, it would hide immediately, going as far as ordering the other monsters to act as its shield. We even went as far as suppress our dragon fear and aura, but for some reason, the monster is still able to detect us. It’s really intelligent for a mere beast, King Lark.”

Shahaneth continued, “We could probably take care of it easily if we blow the entire place up, but this dwarf opposed the idea, saying it will taint the adamantite deposits.”

Gorovir said fearlessly, “Tainted adamantite is unsuitable for King Lark’s body reconstruction. Blowing up the monsters of the Gorge isn’t a shortcut, Great Guardian Deity.”

Shahaneth understood this too, so she didn’t rebuke the dwarf for spoking out of turn.

“So basically, we need to take care of that monster before we can start properly mining the adamantite,” said Lark.

All preparations were complete already.

The only obstacle blocking the path to Lark’s body reconstruction was the leader of the monsters of the Bottomless Gorge.

“That’s correct, Your Majesty,” said Gorovir.

“I see,” said Lark.

Wind started forming underneath Lark’s feet. He looked in the direction of the Bottomless Gorge.

Lark said, “All of you stay here. I’ll take a quick visit to the Gorge. Who knows, if I’m lucky, maybe I’ll encounter that monster immediately.”

“Master, can we come with you!” said George.

Austen also looked eager. Surprisingly, Chryselle and Lady Alice also wanted to come with him.

Lark quickly weighted the pros and cons of bringing them with him. In the end, after a swift deliberation, he agreed.

“Alright. But all of you must always stick with each other, no matter what,” said Lark.

There was a very high chance they would be attacked by monsters while they were in the Bottomless Gorge, but Lark deemed this would serve as a valuable experience for his disciples.

“Yes, we promise!” shouted George.

“Thank you, Master!”

Lark said to the leader of the Witches of Aravark, “Lady Alice.”

“King Lark?”

“I’ll trouble you with the protection of the kids. Please look after them while we are in the Gorge.”

The dwarven military had already set a camp there, but Lark believed that assigning Lady Alice to protect his disciples would be enough to ensure their safety.

Although she didn’t look like it, Lady Alice was a powerful necromancer who could be considered a one-man army.

Lady Alice looked visibly pleased when Lark finally requested something of her. She said enthusiastically, “Of course! Please leave it to me!”

“Then, I’ll come along, too,” said Shahaneth.

After telling Gorovir that they would return as soon as possible, Lark cast a massive wind spell, embracing every member of his group. With a thought, they all shot toward the sky and flew toward the direction of the Bottomless George.

It was time to hunt the leader of the Gorge’s monsters.

Lark silently hoped that the corpse of this monster would be enough to create a living suit of armor on par with the Lord Knight.