Clovis then became more serious as he continued, "There are always threats in the depths," he said, his tone darkening. "It's not just creatures like the ones we fought before. There are... rumors of something older, something stirring in the darkness. I can't say much yet, but I have a feeling we are not far from another war."
Dante leaned slightly forward, his eyes fixed on Clovis' face, sensing the tension in his friend's words.
The dwarf's words weren't a proclamation from a king about his kingdom or the prince of dwarves, but the confession of a friend worried about what the future might bring.
"Something older?" Dante asked, crossing his arms, his chin slightly raised as he processed what Clovis had just revealed. "Do you think there's a greater force behind these creatures? Something we haven't faced yet?"
Clovis nodded, his gaze firm but filled with uncertainty. "I don't just think, I fear. Our people, the dwarves, dig deep in search of riches and answers. Sometimes, I think we dig beyond what we should. I'm not just talking about common monsters... It's as if something is watching from beneath the earth, something we don't fully understand."
"Tiamat..." Dante murmured, thinking about what he still had to kill... "I need a Dragon Slayer..." he muttered, narrowing his eyes. "Have you faced this kind of thing before?"
Clovis nodded slightly, but there was hesitation in his eyes. "We have, but never like this. We've always had aggressive creatures, hungry monsters... but this? This is different. Some of our dwarven sages believe we're touching areas where the ancient dwarf gods were sealed.
Other theories suggest it's not ours... that it's a force beyond the known realms."
"And what do you think?" Dante asked, his voice still calm, but his eyes focused and ready for any answer his old friend might give.
Clovis hesitated for a moment before sighing. "I think we're poking at something that should have stayed asleep. The problem is... stopping now would be impossible. Our mines depend on these excavations. If we stop, we'll lose years of work, riches, and the trust of the people.
But moving forward might mean unleashing something we can't control."
"You've grown... Are you now influencing me to say we should protect the dwarf kingdom like my mother did? Hahaha." Dante laughed at Clovis' words for a moment, crossing his arms and observing the dwarf before him. But he saw that this was no laughing matter; Clovis was truly concerned.
"You're here to ask for help, aren't you?" Dante asked directly, though there was no judgment in his tone. He understood that even the most powerful kings needed trusted allies, and Clovis was one of his most loyal friends.
Clovis smiled, but it was a tired smile. "Part of me always hates asking for help. You know me, Dante. But yes, I'm here for that too. If these excavations continue, we may need reinforcements. And frankly, I trust you more than any army I could gather.
If something awakens down there, I need to be sure we're prepared."
Dante remained silent for a few moments, processing the information. He knew Clovis wasn't asking this lightly. If there truly was an ancient force deep in the Dwarf Kingdom, it could threaten more than just Clovis' territory. And if that threat spread, it could mean trouble for the entire known world.
"If you need our help, we'll be there," Dante said firmly. "But you know we can't fight without the right weapons." Dante laughed, after all, he was already going to need something like that, but he hadn't expected it to come this easily...
She had teleported them.
"Let's go," Dante said, his eyes shining with excitement. "Time to test this forge."
Clovis, as giddy as a child in a candy store, jumped and followed Dante down the corridor.
When they arrived at the forge, the sight left them speechless. The forge was massive, with a chimney reaching up to the sky, releasing smoke in gentle spirals. The tools scattered around the room were all top-tier, made from rare and enchanted materials. The fire in the central furnace burned with an intense bluish hue, indicating it was fueled by something far more powerful than ordinary coal.
Clovis looked around with an expression of pure delight. "By the gods! This... this is even better than ours back home!"
Dante crossed his arms, satisfied. "So, do you think we can forge something worthy here?"
Clovis let out a hearty laugh, already making his way toward the tools with hungry eyes. "With this, we can forge weapons that'll make the gods tremble!"
'This was definitely Morgana's doing. I don't see how Fey could have created something this complex... especially with these tools and materials. Did she already foresee that I'd get a blacksmith? That woman...'
"So, are we in agreement?" Dante said, extending his hand to seal the deal.
"As long as I have what I need to work with, and you all help the Dwarven Kingdom, yes, we've got a deal, my friend." Clovis grinned, shaking Dante's hand firmly.
"Then, welcome to the team." Dante smiled.
While this was happening...
"He left... without even saying hello?..." In the Demi-Human Kingdom, a woman paced back and forth, fury blazing in her eyes. She looked like she could attack anyone who came near.
"Hey, did you call for me?" Aren appeared, wearing a lilac cloak and holding a wooden staff. The goat-like Demi-human looked at Katarina, who was on the verge of losing it.
"He... ignored me again, Aren..." she muttered, and Aren couldn't help but sigh. "Again... You're thinking about Dante Scarlet again? Are you a masochist?" she questioned, unknowingly making a grave mistake. Explore more stories with мѵʟ
BOOM!!!
Aren went flying, crashing through several walls after taking a concentrated punch straight to the stomach. "You don't understand!!!" Katarina screamed.