Steel gains its tenacious nature only through suffering.
And they take yet another step out into the world.
In the underground fusion facility of a fortress within the Metalum Empire, steel grafted with golden cores proved its resistance to fire.
In the space filled with the golden light Oruma had left behind, the retainers were at a loss for words.
At last, Peron managed to speak.
“At long last, the value of gold manifests as light.”
Agnon spoke as well.
“Indeed, it is magnificent. Look at this color.”
Belkar chimed in.
“It has not only improved in appearance, but become sturdier as well.”
Peron addressed the retainers again.
“I will instruct the assemblers to construct a research institute. Unlike our existing institutes, it will be dedicated to dual-attribute cores. We intend to operate it for the purpose of consuming dual-attribute cores such as golden cores to improve the performance of our soldiers.”
Agnon and Belkar nodded in satisfaction.
“A fine idea.”
“Let us do so. I look forward to it greatly.”
Not long after, Craso, the representative of the assemblers, and many other assemblers consumed golden cores to construct the Advanced Golden Research Institute.
As it was a research institute built with golden cores, it was also a space where research could only be conducted with golden cores.
One assembler said,
“The cores we have can’t be limited to golden cores, can they? We have crystal cores and the like too, don’t we?”
Another assembler answered,
“If research on crystal cores becomes necessary, we’ll have to build a separate institute for that as well. We can’t research crystal cores in the Golden Institute.”
“That makes sense.”
In accordance with Oruma’s command, golden enhancement began to be applied to soldiers as a priority within the Golden Institute.
The soldiers’ armor gained a golden sheen, and when tested with Ignis’s flame cores, not only did it fail to melt, it barely even blackened.
They were able to verify that their armor had indeed become resistant to fire.
“Now we need fear fire no longer!”
Of course, they were not completely free from Ignis’s flames.
If Ignis unleashed even stronger fire, it could still be dangerous.
However, simply obtaining armor that could withstand fire better than before greatly raised the Metalum soldiers’ chances of victory in battle against Ignis.
Inside the research institute, Oruma and his retainers watched the sight unfold.
“We have truly been reborn as an army of gold.”
Oruma said.
Just as he declared, the soldiers lined up in rows clad in golden armor.
Soon, the soldiers strengthened with golden cores appeared in the metal plaza.
Their footsteps were firm, and their armor glittered brilliantly as it caught the light.
The citizens of Oruca looked up at them in awe.
“To think, gold…”
“At last, gold is being properly distributed within our empire.”
An assembler approached them.
He spoke in a voice filled with pride.
“I told you, didn’t I? That we would discover the value of the name gold.”
The citizens’ gazes turned toward the assembler.
“You accomplished that? Aren’t you merely responsible for putting up the outer walls? What are you talking about?”
“In any case, it turned out just as I said, didn’t it?”
One citizen was still staring at the newly reborn soldiers.
“Now we are no longer an empire of steel, but an empire of gold.”
Another citizen asked,
“But is it still in the testing phase? Will it be some time before we become like that?”
“Who knows? If you want gold quickly, you’ll have to volunteer for the army. It’ll take some time before such a precious material is supplied even to ordinary citizens like us.”
“Well, I suppose so. Those Ignis bastards gave us something truly fine. They may have been the first to create gold, but we are the ones who properly recognize its value.”
Just as they said, the appearance of golden armor led to a sharp increase in the number of citizens volunteering for the army.
Its appearance had captured the citizens’ eyes, but because it had even been improved into a material stronger than before, their fear of Ignis had also diminished.
The army standing before their eyes was like a new symbol of the Metalum Empire.
With this, the authority of Metalum’s army became more solid than ever before.
In the conference room of the fortress, Oruma and his retainers sat around the table.
Agnon was the first to speak, his voice excited.
“Thanks to the golden cores, countless citizens have volunteered for our army. With this, our army has grown even stronger.”
Oruma nodded.
“Good. You have all truly worked hard. We are gold that has surpassed steel.”
“If we were to attack Ignis even now, would we not have a chance of victory?”
At Agnon’s question, Oruma paused for a moment, then shook his head.
“The time has not yet come. We have received information recently that Silva approached the Ignis lot, and if we move too hastily, Silva is likely to come to their aid. One wrong move, and we may end up wasting precious gold on the battlefield.”
Metalum’s attitude had become cautious after that war.
In truth, there had been more than a few occasions when they had become drunk on arrogance and tasted bitterness for it.
After thinking for a moment, Peron said,
“Through the Golden Institute, we have developed armor with immunity to fire. If we can produce Aqua’s cores from the lake, then next we can proceed with research on crystal cores, correct? I believe we should construct a Crystal Institute soon as well.”
Oruma answered,
“Of course. However, water is not an attribute that attacks us by nature, is it? In any case, our capable researchers will soon discover the value of crystal as well.”
Peron then asked him,
“However, Your Majesty. When Aqua came to that lake, I understand that Your Majesty told those who had come to protest, ‘You may go find land where the aura of iron emerges yourselves’… What if Aqua truly does find such land and begins producing our metal cores? I know we have no room to object, since we are now trying to do the same by using the lake, but I think it would be somewhat regrettable if our steel were no longer ours alone.”
Oruma answered as though it were of no consequence.
“What is the problem? If they do so, would that not be even better? The more they use metal cores, the more the greatness of our steel will be proven. Even if they create something that imitates steel, they will never catch up to us.”
Peron soon fell silent.
Belkar then spoke.
“Through the war with Ignis, we were able to produce a large quantity of golden cores, but it is still not enough to supply even our citizens. If we are to continuously produce gold, we must secure a region that possesses the aura of fire, like the lake.”
At that, Oruma pointed with his fingertip to a spot on the map atop the table.
It was a volcanic region located midway between Metalum and Aqua.
“If it is a region where the aura of fire emerges, I remember visiting such a place long ago. We need only make that place our territory as well. However, the aura of fire is dangerous, so we will have to dispatch soldiers clad in gold and researchers to occupy it.”
After a moment, he continued.
“But the greater problem is that we currently have no manpower to allocate there. First, we must focus on the research at the lake. Once we succeed in harvesting wave cores from the lake, we can move there immediately.”
Metalum had no reason to hurry.
There had been a time when they had briefly rushed after obtaining information that Ignis had secured the ownerless forest, but with the success of their research into improving defense through golden cores, Ignis no longer frightened them.
Rather, if they were to start another war with Ignis, the golden cores that would be consumed in the course of the battle would feel like a waste.
Peron nodded.
“Indeed, if we secure that region of fire as well, there will be no reason to attack Ignis anymore. We will be able to produce their cores without stealing Ignis’s cores…”
Oruma said,
“Let us arrange the order. First, once the research at the lake is complete, the fusion facility will produce crystal cores in large quantities. Then we will begin developing the crystal cores. At the same time, our external researchers will move to the newly secured region of fire and continue research into harvesting fire cores.”
There seemed to be no issue with his plan.
It did not seem that Ignis, Aqua, Silva, or Terra could interfere with their plan.
Not one of the retainers raised an objection to his remarks.
Oruma rose from his seat.
“Now I must go see how the researchers are doing at the lake. Let us move to the lake.”
The retainers followed after Oruma.
They headed for the lake they had taken.
The ownerless lake located in the northwest of the world.
There, Keldren, Renma, and a small number of researchers were moving about busily.
Commander Robik had also arrived in advance.
“Your Majesty, you have arrived!”
As soon as Robik spotted Oruma and his party, he ran over and bowed his head.
Oruma asked him,
“What brings you here?”
“At the researchers’ request, I brought crystal soldiers. They say they will likely need them to control the aura of water.”
Near the lake were one crystal infantryman and one crystal archer.
They were soldiers newly produced with great difficulty using the few crystal cores that remained.
Peron asked Robik,
“You mean these soldiers are necessary?”
“That is what they say. From what I heard, in order to control the aura of water, beings with the same attribute are needed.”
Indeed, the two crystal soldiers were carrying out some kind of work beside the lake.
Crystal soldiers possessed both the iron attribute and the water attribute at the same time.
As they belonged to Metalum, they could follow Metalum’s orders while also handling the aura of water.
The dark-blue aura rising from the lake could be seen connected to their fingertips.
Oruma asked,
“It does look as though something is happening. Then can we now create Aqua’s cores in this way?”
Researcher Keldren answered while watching the crystal soldiers.
“We will have to confirm further. The process is not yet perfect, but there is a sufficient possibility of success.”
To one side, a spherical device had been placed.
Inside the device, a transparent energy core was fixed in place, and its color had changed to a faint blue, as though the aura of water had flowed into it.
Peron said,
“Wait… That appears similar to Aqua’s core.”
He compared the wave core, which had not yet been fused into a crystal core, with the energy core inside the device.
Though the energy core’s color was pale, the wave pattern vibrating within it largely matched that of the wave core.
Peron nodded.
“At… at last, the researchers’ efforts seem to be bearing fruit.”
His voice trembled with excitement.
The aura of water held by the lake was taking form through Metalum.
And that might well be the prelude announcing yet another new era for the Metalum Empire.