207 - - 207. The Secrets of Iron

"I have lost.

After the battle was over, the Dwarf chief declared his defeat once and for all.

This is what makes the Dwarves warriors.

"I didn't think it would be so easy to cut up my masterpiece .......

mutters the Dwarf chief as he looks at the cut surface of his battle-axe.

"Your sword is quite a work of art.

"No, it is an ordinary sword made of common materials.

The chief of dwarves says that this sword is great, but it is not that good since it is made from the materials he has on hand.

I'm more surprised that the Dwarf chief's battle-axe can cut so easily.

Dwarves are born blacksmiths who can literally create weapons of the strength of steel out of crude iron.

Why would they make such soft weapons?

"Hmm, whoever made your weapon must be very humble or very twisted."

I'm sorry, I made this.

"Oh, well. We Dwarves recognize your strength. Old elves, you have no quarrel with us?

The elven chiefs open their mouths with a look of bitterness on their faces when the dwarf chiefs speak to them.

"If the chief of the dwarves approves, then we may as well approve.

"Well, if you are so unconvinced, why don't you try fighting? Why don't you use your spirit magic?

"No need!　We do not like to fight in vain!"

When the dwarven chiefs were asked by the elves to fight, they refused, saying that there was no need.

In fact, the elves are not a very active race, partly because of their long life span.

What about the others?

"If the ...... warrior race and the armored race approve, then we, the messenger race, must also approve."

Elves were not the only ones who had words for the Dwarven chief. Other chiefs, such as dwarfs and beastmen, seemed to recognize us as well.

But it is unusual to see so many chiefs of so many races in the same place.

From what I recall from the scene in the town earlier, it seems that the largest number of chiefs are elves and dwarves.

"Alright then, that's all we have to talk about. Follow me."

When the audience with the chiefs was over. The dwarf chief stands up and asks us to follow him.

Where are we going?

"I'll take you someplace interesting."

"Interesting place?"

Everyone is tilting their heads wondering what kind of interesting place the dwarf chief is talking about, but if the dwarves say it's interesting, it must be there.

I'm sure that's the place to go if the dwarfs say it's interesting.

The chief of the dwarves brought us to a building built on a thick branch near the trunk of the World Tree.

There were dozens of dwarves there, all working in front of a hot furnace.

This is the workshop of us dwarves.

Yeah, I knew that. If there's one thing dwarves enjoy, it's blacksmithing.

"Whoa, it's so hot. How can you dwarven guys work in such a hot place?

"Yes, this is hard. ......"

"Melting ......"

Gyro, I know exactly what you mean. I can't even stay in the heat without using magic to regulate the temperature.

"Yes, it sure is hot."

"Yeah, this is kind of hard."

Oh, Liliela and Mina are secretly cooling themselves with cold air magic.

But well, by making use of magic in such situations, we can improve our delicate control skills.

"Ha-ha-ha, it might be hard to get used to it!　But that makes it all the more spectacular!　After all, there is no place in the outside world where so many dwarves are working!"

"I've certainly never seen so many dwarves before."

The words of the dwarf chief are affirmed by Ms. Lilieira.

Is it true that there are not many different races nowadays?

Or do they just happen to be few and far between in these parts of the country?

"We Dwarves are blacksmiths. We often pick up weapons and fight ourselves, but blacksmithing is still our main occupation.

Yes, it is. Dwarves are strong as simple warriors, but it is when they show their blacksmithing skills that they shine the brightest.

But then what about iron?

Mr. Gyro questions the chief dwarf.

"What?　What do you mean?"

Because, you know, you can't pick iron here in the tree tops. But the area outside the fort is crawling with demons and we can't escape with our dwarven legs, can we?　You have the elves fetch the iron from the mines?"

Well, Gyro, you certainly have a good point.

But that's also because I don't know what the World Tree is.

"That's a good question, kid."

You probably thought the same thing I did. The dwarf chief grins and lifts a large lump on his workbench.

"And here is the answer."

"""""Answer? """"""

The dwarf chief lifted up a large piece of bark.

"This is a young bark from the upper layer of the world tree.

"Bark? Tree bark?　Why is that the answer to iron?　I thought you said it was firewood."

When asked what to do with the iron, Gyro and the others tilt their heads in confusion at the mention of tree bark.

"Don't be so hasty. Listen, the World Tree is not just a big tree. It's a tree that's made entirely of high quality materials."

""""" hehe """""

"And this young bark of the world tree is actually hard enough as it is, but by scraping and unraveling the surface, it becomes armor that is harder than most hard leather armor."

""""" just unraveled!?"""""

Everyone is amazed when they hear that a little work goes into making high quality armor.

"But there's one more important use for this thing. It is ......."

The dwarf chief threw the bark of the world tree into the furnace.

"What?　What are you doing?

"Look down."

"Down?"

Everyone was surprised at the sudden action of the Dwarf chief, but they did as they were told and looked under the furnace. There they found a pool of glowing red iron.

The bark of the world tree is rich in iron. So if you burn the bark, you can extract only the iron inside.

"""""Iron in the trees?

Everyone is even more amazed when they see the extracted iron.

"Iron is not the only thing in the World Tree. It can be used to make medicines and all sorts of other things we need in our daily lives.

"Wow. The World Tree is amazing."

"Surprise!"

Hearing about the usefulness of the World Tree as a material, everyone was amazed with their eyes black and white.

It is true that the World Tree can be used for various purposes.

However, it is only as a substitute for when the main material is not available.

Even though the bark contains iron, the amount of iron in the bark is less than that of ore that can be obtained in the mines.

Although it is convenient, the disadvantage of the World Tree is that it grows without limit, and it robs the surrounding nutrition from the roots, which makes me twist my head a little.

"Using this iron, we make not only weapons but also tools for daily life.

"Wow, that's interesting."

"Just because you say it comes from the world tree, is the iron itself just ordinary iron?"

"I want to know what other parts of the body can do."

People seem to be very interested in the bark of the world tree, or rather, its performance as a material.

"So, I will teach you how to make weapons specially for you.

""""" what? """""

What does this sudden proposal from the Dwarf chief mean?　They tilt their heads.

Yes, it happens sometimes.

Dwarves are very willing to share their blacksmithing skills with anyone they like.

Of course some of their skills are dangerous if they are misused... but that's the skill of a born blacksmith.

They can't master the skills with a half-hearted partner, and since dwarves' training is only possible because of their robustness, other races would run away before they can master the skills.

Yeah, I had a bad experience with that.

Don't use air-conditioning magic to touch the ore, because you can't tell the subtle changes that good quality ore undergoes when it's heated!　I was forced to go to a mine where lava flowed nearby to collect ore. ......

But everyone who doesn't know that is excited to hear that the Dwarves are teaching them how to do it.

"Whoa!　Seriously?　I'm going to be able to make my own weapons like my brother?

"If I can make good quality weapons by myself, I can make them cheaper than buying them at the store, and it will be a good way to make money when I don't have any money."

"Well, I'm a monk, so I don't need the skill to make weapons, but it would be nice to be able to help people when I stop by a village in need on my pilgrimage."

"I'll keep that in mind. I'll keep that in mind. I was in danger of having my weapon broken when Mr. Rex saved me.

Everyone is ready to learn.

"I'm a magician, so maybe I shouldn't."

Mina was the only one who was trying to refrain from doing so because she was a wizard, but the chief dwarf tapped her lightly on the shoulder.

"You know, wizards might run out of magic and have to fight each other when they can't use their magic anymore.　Then there's no harm in being able to make weapons out of whatever you can find around."

Ha-ha-ha, that's right, Mina. Once a dwarf locks on to a target, he never misses until you teach him the technique. So good luck.

"All right, come here then. You too, boy!"

Oh, yes. Me too. I knew it.

I'll make you a knife first.

The dwarf chief pours the iron from the bark of the world tree into a mold, creating a thin sheet of burnt iron.

We will beat it into shape, but be careful here.

The dwarf chief, more interested in teaching us than in perfecting the knife, slowly explains the steps as he goes along.

If we were to work this slowly in the real world, the steel would get cold in no time at all.

Yes, he's very kind, unlike the master in his previous life.

So, I repeat the process. Don't cut corners just because you're tired. You can't forge iron by hammering without effort."

And here I question the teachings of the Dwarf chief.

What's that?　Why would they skip that step?　The finished product would be far worse without that one, wouldn't it?

Could this be ...... testing us?

Which reminds me of a question I had earlier in the battle.

The battle-axe the dwarf chief used in battle was strangely soft.

I wondered why he used it, but when I saw the way this knife was made, it finally made sense.

In other words, the Dwarf chief is trying to teach us the difference between weapons made according to real procedures and weapons made by cutting corners!

Perhaps by showing the difference from the real armor when we make a bad one after this, they intend to teach us the importance of following the basics.

I see... That's why you used that battle-axe on purpose.　　

"Well, that's how it is. Then, you guys can try to make one like it."

The Dwarf chief gave the order to begin work, and everyone began to make knives as they had learned.

All right, I'll make a knife, too!

But of course, I make knives according to the original procedure.

Phew, let's surprise them with the skills I learned from the dwarves in my previous life!

It's done!

"Hmm, it's done!"

"So, I think it's done."

"Ugh, my arm is soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ......"

"Hmmm, is this what I think it is?"

After a while, everyone finished their knives one after another.

"All right, let's see what you got.

The chief of the dwarves called us and we put the knives we had made on the workbench, and there were seven knives in a row, including the one made by the chief of the dwarves.

Incidentally, the dwarf chief was making knives from scratch as we began our work. Probably for comparison.

"What do you think of my knife?　Isn't it cool!"

It was Gyro who confidently showed his knife.

Gyro's knife was different from everyone else's and had a unique shape.

The Dwarf chief takes a long look at the knife and swings it down on a wooden stick for a test cut.

The knife cracks open with a resounding crack.

"Aaahhh?　My knife!"

"I've been too preoccupied with the shape and not trained enough. Train harder and then focus on the shape."

"andoho ......"

"But ...... the spirit to make it different from others from the beginning is not bad. If you lay a solid foundation, you will be able to make a knife that is uniquely yours.

The dwarf chief is not only strict, but also appreciates Gyro's spirit of challenge.

"What?　Oh, oh!　Good luck, Master!"

"Yes, you will make a good blacksmith."

"No, what's the point of being a blacksmith?"

Yeah, you're a fighter, Gyro.

"Okay, next."

The dwarven chief then reviews everyone's knives.

"The strength is good, but the sharpening is not so good."

"Ugh."

"Too thin. You put too much emphasis on sharpness and neglect strength."

"Hah!"

"...... a poker?"

"......, it's a knife."

"Oh, yeah. Good luck."

"Not bad. Now you just need to build on the basics and you'll be good to go."

"Yay!"

Wow, Liliela got the best evaluation today.

She has been an adventurer longer than any of us. I can't believe she didn't scold me for making a knife for the first time. I got scolded a lot.

Finally, it's my turn to make a knife.

"Well, this is quite good. Do you have experience in blacksmithing?"

The chief dwarf knew immediately that I had experience in blacksmithing.

"Yes, I met a Dwarven blacksmith a long time ago.

I see. But this is ...... mmm, what is it?"

The chief dwarf, who was convinced, picked up his knife and swung my knife down on the wooden stick for test cutting, as if he had some doubts.

Then the knife cut the wooden test stick without a sound.

"What?

the dwarf chief shouts in surprise.

"What the hell is this?

The dwarf chief cuts the wooden stick with the knife again and again, as if he is testing it.

"What the hell is going on?

The dwarf chief takes his own knife, which is on the workbench, and cuts the wooden stick with it in the same way.

This time, the stick is severed with a cracking sound.

"The sound is different, the weight is different, the grip is different. Above all, the sharpness is drastically different!　What the hell is this?

What?　What?　Did I do something wrong?

...... Oh, right. What I know is the technology of the dwarves of the past.

The technology of the dwarven chiefs, on the other hand, is modern, state-of-the-art.

Maybe, just maybe, the technology that the dwarf chief taught me is actually the latest technology that eliminates unnecessary procedures of the past, even though it seems to be missing important technology from my old knowledge.

Oh, no. I'm so embarrassed that I didn't even notice that!

Sure enough, the chief dwarf came to me with a very scary look on his face.

"How did you make this?　Please tell me!

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. ......?"

But the words of the Dwarf chief were the opposite of what I expected.

"This is a great cut!　And yet so thin and hard!　It's so easy to use it's as if your own hand had grown out of it!　I've never seen a technique like this in my life!　What the hell kind of technology are they using?

Oh, what?　I thought you were going to be mad at me.

"Uh, it's just a normal dwarf technique I learned from a dwarf I know. ......"

Yes. I didn't do anything special.

I just made it with the dwarven techniques I learned.

"This is normal?　This can't be ...... normal!

Then the Dwarf chief had an epiphany and his eyes widened.

"It can't be!

"""""The work of the Dwarf King?

Hearing the words of the Dwarf chief, everyone tilts their heads to the side, wondering what he is talking about.

Not only that, but the other dwarves who were working also looked at us to see what was going on.

"The work of the Dwarf King, it is a Dwarven skill that was lost with the fall of the ancient magical civilization".

"What?

Dwarven technology was lost with the collapse of the ancient magical civilization?

"I heard that due to the countless disasters and calamities that occurred frequently at that time, many of the dwarves who possessed the technology died, and most of the technology of the dwarves, which was said to be the best in the world, was lost."

That's right. But then again, the collapse of an ancient magical civilization was the cause.

"This technology is definitely from the time of the ancient magical civilization. The technology that has been passed down here in the land of Reiju would not be able to make such an amazing knife.

I just made a knife like a normal knife.

As I was thinking this, the chief of the dwarves suddenly got down on his knees and came to worship me.

"Please!　Teach us your skills!　No, please teach me!　And!"

The chief of the dwarves even changed his language and asked me to teach him a lesson.

"And become king of the dwarves!

Not only that, he wants me to be king. ......?

"""""" King ah!?""""""

What the hell is going on?