Chapter 428 - Eye of the Typhoon (1)
Between the Central Continent and the Western Continent lies the Desert of Silence, where no one but the native creatures can use the sky routes. Not even a Transcendent.
For that reason, Linus, with the help of the Marquisate Esperanza, took the intercontinental spatial teleportation circle from the Central Continent to the Western Continent.
The road back to the volcanic region was rough.
The wheel of the wagon broke and left him stranded, while traveling through a forest, the coachman was killed instantly by a plant that spewed deadly poison. In a secluded area, they were even ambushed by a band of thieves.
Even if the journey went smoothly, the distance was already far, but this felt almost as if the world itself was forcibly interfering.
Nevertheless, Linus stubbornly clung to his survival and lived on.
Even though his combat ability had declined greatly since losing an arm, his experience as a Platinum Rank adventurer had never faded.
Of course, there was also the fact that the wealth he gained from succeeding in reproducing the national treasure [Raindia], at the request of the Royal Family of Estiria, overflowed more than enough.
Months of travel.
Crossing borders, passing through countless cities and villages, Linus inevitably came across a flood of news.
Such as the newspaper reporting that the Bone-Relic Dragon had appeared in the Republic of Beldirn in the Eastern Continent.
He even knew how, and by whom, the Bone-Relic Dragon had been subjugated.
The divinity of the Eastern Continent.
The being Linus now faced was one of the protagonists of those rumors.
"This is..."
At some point, Linus had left his bed and knelt before the dragon's skull.
His gaze was utterly entranced.
Slowly reaching out, he carefully touched a legendary material that, as a blacksmith, he had never once encountered in his life, one he thought he would never even lay eyes upon.
Linus muttered.
"The purified remains of the Undead Dragon were divided between the Luas Church and the DarkWarton Magic Tower, and I heard that only a single rib was released to the market through a guild called Licentia and the Scales of Ignacia..."
"Not everything that appears on the surface is the truth."
Indeed. That was correct.
Whether in the light or in the shadows, the world is stained with all manner of hidden stories.
But what does that matter?
In all recorded history, only nine existed───and now, the 10th dragon skull was right before his eyes!
Linus took a deep breath.
Overwhelmed by surprise, confusion, and shock, his heart quickly calmed.
His mind, on the verge of tipping over, spun all the way around and returned to its place.
Peace settled over Linus's face.
"At the very least, I understand the situation."
"Truly?"
"No, honestly, I don't understand a single thing. But there's no need to nitpick. What matters is that Your Excellency came to find me, to request a commission, is that not so?"
Verden had saved Linus, and Linus, in return for his life, had crafted Orient free of charge. But that kind of relationship does not vanish merely because one pays back a debt.
The goodwill remained.
Linus had more than enough reason to treat Verden as a special guest.
"Still, the material is one thing, but I never thought you would cross the continent and come all the way to the volcanic region yourself. Is there some urgent matter?"
"I need a new weapon."
"A weapon...? Has something gone wrong with the staff I made?"
Orient, the Eastern Dawn, was Linus's masterpiece and magnum opus.
"Hmm, by common sense, it shouldn't be the kind of thing to break down in just one or two years. Furthermore, as a Magus, Your Excellency wouldn't be directly exposed to physical impacts very often. Surely you didn't go around smashing dragon bones with it, did you?"
"It's not as if there wasn't any contact, but Orient is fine. The problem is me."
"Pardon?"
"Rather than explaining, it would be quicker to show you directly."
Verden summoned Orient from subspace and infused it with magic power.
Fwoooooooong!
The metallic resonance brushed past their ears.
The golden light pouring from the orb brightly illuminated the solitary cell.
An uneasy tremor.
Facing it, Linus frowned and tilted his head.
"This looks like a phenomenon caused by the staff itself reaching a temporary threshold of durability... but why all of a sudden??"
Until now, Linus had always perceived Verden's realm as Upper 6th-tier.
The reason was simple.
Leonil Bertanas was an Upper 6th-tier Magus. To defeat the man once called the Kingdom's strongest, it was only rational to assume Verden was at least his equal.
And that was the problem.
Back then there had been no such reaction, so why was this trouble appearing only now?
"It isn't caused by damage to Orient, nor is there any external factor... In my opinion, the only variable left is Your Excellency yourself. Do you perhaps have any guess?"
"An elevation of realm?"
"Well, yes, there are cases where a weapon undergoes anomalies as its owner grows. But if a Magus has risen beyond Upper 6th-tier, that means you've become a Transcendent. Hah, I never thought Your Excellency would joke about such a thing."
"..."
No reply came.
Linus cautiously raised his gaze.
Blue light, piercing through both surface and soul, stared directly at him.
For some reason it was chilling. A gaze entirely different from before.
"A joke... huh?"
"In any case, I've delivered the message, so let us continue the conversation outside. The guard who went to fetch food is returning."
From afar, the presence of a dwarf steadily drew closer.
Verden stored the dragon skull and Orient back into subspace.
"How does one leave this place? If it doesn't matter to you, I could break you out right now."
"N-no, there's no need to go as far as jailbreak. It's just a light punishment, if I pay the bail money, I can leave right away. Though for being locked up barely ten days... those dwarves will surely demand quite a hefty sum. Dwarves are greedy."
He had already experienced it before.
"That much, I will cover. The procedure?"
"Well, you tell the dwarf guarding the prison entrance, he'll guide you."
"Simple enough."
Verden turned his back.
"Alpha, is the scan complete?"
[Scan complete. Dwarven technology confirmed. Analysis in progress. Current progress, 17%. Estimated time to completion, 4 hours 32 minutes 13 seconds remaining.]
Alpha spread his arms.
Climbing nimbly up the robe's hem, the little one perched on Verden's nape.
It was the exclusive seat for Alpha, in his mini golem form.
Unfolding short-range spatial teleportation, Verden vanished with Alpha in an instant.
Immediately after, the door opened.
A dwarf appeared, pushing a metal cart laden with food and drink.
"Time to eat!"
"..."
The solitary cell contained only Linus, his face pale.
A short while later, Linus was released.
***
A building in the eastern district of Waystone.
On its top floor, a one-armed man and a stranger of Transcendent rank set foot.
It was a cozy room.
Hurriedly waving his remaining arm, Linus prepared some refreshments and sat across from Verden, with a table between them.
"I-I don't know if this suits your taste. If there's something else you want, I'll go out at once and buy..."
"That's enough."
"Y-yes."
Linus answered immediately.
Then, without realizing, he hid his trembling hand beneath the table.
Since leaving the prison until now, he had not asked a single thing about the Transcendent. This was not about curiosity or anything of the sort.
It was because it wasn't something to ask.
The same went for the palm-sized golem-like creature.
Not knowing in detail was a blessing, and killing curiosity was the correct judgment, or so he decided.
Of course, that did not change the reality of sitting with a Transcendent... but the difference between hearing it directly and confirming it, versus leaving it as nothing more than near-certainty, was vast.
At least, psychologically.
It would not be too late to sort out the inner turmoil later.
Thus steadying his mind, Linus spoke directly, without embellishment, bringing the true subject to his lips.
"Your Excellency entrusting me with the dragon's material... I believe in truth you came through me to find another blacksmith. Am I correct?"
"If you could handle it, I would have left it to you."
"Haha, if I were such a master, I would have stayed in the volcanic region from the start, without losing an arm searching for material."
Even though he had just admitted Verden came to find another craftsman, Linus showed no sign of offense.
What blacksmith would be ashamed of himself for acknowledging that none could dare work with a dragon's bone, much less its skull?
Moreover, Linus was a man particularly skilled at self-objectivity.
"To speak plainly, within this dwarven society, there are only two ways to handle dragon bone. As far as I know."
"Two?"
That part surprised Verden as well.
That there were not just one but two possible means, he had not expected to be given a choice.
"Yes, the 'first' is to entrust it to the clan leaders of the dwarven clans, the second is to commission my master."
"Explain in order."
"Of course. Then..."
Linus cleared his throat.
"First, the former is a collective. Each clan leader's individual skill may be lacking, but they can gather enough talented dwarves to compensate fully, not to mention they have unrestricted access to the most cutting-edge dwarven facilities. Meaning, given enough time, they could eventually melt down and work with the dragon's skull. However, I cannot recommend it."
"Why not?"
"There are several drawbacks, but above all... the moment they see the material, they'll pretend to accept the commission only to snatch it away. They may even secretly contact the Arnak Empire to drive you out. For the group, for themselves, that brings greater profit."
Linus scratched his temple.
"Dwarves these days are very different from how the world imagines. As you can see from the streets of Waystone, they are bitterly divided over ideology, whether they call it orthodoxy or not."
"The protests were intense. Mostly in terms of noise."
"More than half of those loud protesters are disciples of the Hammer of Integrity, Gharun, like myself. With our master, Gharun, the center of the orthodox faction, arrested, it was only natural that chaos would erupt."
Verden narrowed his eyes.
'Hammer of Integrity, Gharun.'
Linus's master, the strange dwarf who had guided him through Waystone, the one the greedy dwarves Vali and Kori had mentioned, the very culprit who had attacked the Second Prince of the Empire.
"I've heard a little about the Second Prince assault incident. Were you caught as one of those protesters as well?"
"Eh? No. I was just caught up in it by chance. Passing by, when Gharun's disciples rioted right next to me... I got seized too, simply because I was also Gharun's disciple."
Linus may have learned technique from the dwarves, but he was, of course, human.
There was a physical difference.
If he had gone around screaming like other dwarves, his throat might have burst within a day.
"And I'm not particularly active in the protests. Gharun... my master being captured is not something I can say is unjust. After all, he swung that monstrously huge hammer at none other than a prince of the Great Empire. To not be executed is already fortunate, I truly believe."
The Empire was unlike other nations.
In sheer stature as a state, it was no exaggeration to call it the pinnacle of the world.
Verden folded his arms and spoke.
"Well, protests aside, the first method you mentioned has far more fatal flaws than benefits. The answer seems only the latter."
"It does seem that way. Though imprisoned now, my master is the only one who can personally handle dragon bone. But... that side has its own issues as well. Depending on the case, he could be worse than the clan leaders. No, to be precise, it would be more accurate to say he has defects."
"Defects?"
"To put it bluntly..."
Linus let out a sigh.
"That man's personality is seriously, royally, unbelievably twisted and vile."
He did not hold back emphasis in his evaluation of his master.
***
The stronghold of the dwarf clan, built within the geothermal heart of the 'Red Volcano'.
At its deepest place lay a fortress from which one could never escape once imprisoned, a prison level into which the full extent of dwarven technology was poured.
Step, step, step.
The short stride of footsteps.
A dwarf walked alone down a dim corridor───the Clan Leader of the Red Volcano came to a halt.
Before him stood a massive prison.
Through the narrow slits of the dense metal bars, he saw a figure bound hand and foot.
A harsh voice echoed out.
"Since becoming clan leader, I suppose your backside has grown heavier. For you to only now show your face to me."
"Please understand. I had to tidy up what happened above, at least somewhat."
"Tidy up? Is wagging your beard at humans called tidying up these days? Hah, strange indeed. I don't recall your parents teaching you such things."
"..."
At the sudden mention of his parents, the clan leader forced himself to calm.
He must not get entangled.
He must show at least minimal respect.
The opponent was the eccentric of the dwarves, a musclebound midget who had neither weakened nor died in over two hundred years, a legendary blacksmith.
The Hammer of Integrity, Gharun.
"As one who has never been a clan leader, you cannot understand. Unlike you, free as you are, I bear many responsibilities."
"Don't get goosebumps pretending to be solemn and proper. I know your character. For reference, I was there when your grandfather was born."
"That makes the 827th time you've brought up my grandfather."
"Your grandfather was short for his age. A dwarf among dwarves. That makes 828."
"Do you wish to starve in prison?"
"Har har! Go ahead and try starving me. I'll see if I die. And you know I designed this prison myself, right? If it gets on my nerves, I'll escape, keep that in mind."
"The restraints were designed by me."
"Exactly the problem. Want me to show you how many minutes it takes me to break free?"
That was no bluff.
The clan leader's face turned red, and before he knew it, he plopped down onto the ground, exhaling raggedly.
"Yes, breathe deeply. Or you might collapse from apoplexy."
"Damn...."
The clan leader swallowed his anger.
"...Gharun, do you even know what you've done? Of all people, you attacked the Second Prince. Because of that, our relations with the Empire have cracked."
"If I had wished, I could have killed him right there. It was mercy that I left it as a warning. In any case, it turned out well."
"Well? After all the years building those ties, now they're set to regress far backwards!"
"Dwarves have no need for such ties."
Always like this.
No matter how much he tried to reason, he never listened.
The orthodox dwarves.
The clan leader was sickened by these dwarves who could not accept the flow of the times.
"If you're dissatisfied, then go out and protest...!"
"That's not enough. You don't listen anyway."
"Still, did you have to go to such extremes? Do you realize what calamity you've caused? The Arnak Empire has decided to dispatch one of the Lords, the Sword Saint!"
"What, to kill me?"
"The opposite, you senile old man!"
He threw down a letter from the Arnak Empire that he had held in his breast.
"The Second Prince was holding another thread. It was so secretive that even the Empire only realized belatedly."
The clan leader's expression twisted.
"Another Transcendent faction will intervene in this affair."
***
"So this is the volcanic region."
"Just as I'd heard, rocky and hot. The volcano won't erupt while we're here, will it?"
At the summit of the rocky mountain stood a man and a woman.
From head to toe, clad in gray full plate armor, with crimson cloaks draped upon their shoulders.
At their waists hung a sword and twin swords, their appearance unmistakably that of knights.
"I did think we'd come someday, but I never thought the reason would be to clean up after the Second Prince."
"There's no helping it. Since the Lady has affection for the Second Prince... it may be a little troublesome, but in the end it is a good thing for our Lord."
For they had entered the dwarven territory guarded by the Arnak Empire, under legal pretense.
"Having slipped in through the cracks, we must by any means widen the fissure. The only point of caution is the Sword Saint dispatched from the Empire."
"A disciple of a Transcendent who defends the Empire. Interesting. I wonder if the rumors and the real thing will match. Enough sightseeing, let's move."
The woman pressed her fist to the brow of her helmet.
"For the sake of my Oath."
They were part of the Oath-bound Knight Order.
Beings who had each formed their own vow with the Transcendent who reigned over the continent, the Oathkeeper.
To the Red Volcano of the volcanic region, both the Arnak Empire and the Oathkeeper's Knight Order, two Transcendent factions, now gathered.
Unaware of the Transcendent already present in Waystone.
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