#165
Meanwhile, in the West (1)
Clang—! Clang—! Clang—!
Amid the sweltering heat, the clear sound of metal rang out at regular intervals.
Hissss—!
The rhythm, which seemed as if it would continue without end, soon entered a brief lull along with the sound of steam bursting forth…
“Focus! Don’t calculate uselessly! Listen to what the fire is saying, feel the heart of the metal, and move exactly as it tells you!”
And then, without fail, Jaonic’s roar erupted.
His instruction, mixed with scolding, had continued since the very first day of training, and even now, nearly a month later, it showed no sign of letting up.
Howard had thought he had prepared fairly well in advance, enough to even gain a skill, but in the eyes of Jaonic, a dwarven craftsman, that was no more than a toddler taking its first steps.
In truth, the amount of time he had invested in it from the start had been absolutely insufficient, so it was only natural that harsh words would come out during instruction.
‘Still, learning the Spartan way really does make me improve fast. It’s worlds apart from when I was studying on my own.’
He swept his eyes over the metal held in his tongs, then put it back into the furnace and wiped the sweat from his brow.
Jaonic’s teaching… in other words, the dwarven method, differed considerably from the fundamentals of metallurgy Howard had encountered so far.
Before beginning proper instruction, Howard had perfectly demonstrated the basics he had learned up to that point in a test meant to gauge his level.
A systematic metalworking process based on the precise figures of modern science.
However, despite the fact that he had presented the demonstration with a fair amount of confidence, the reaction he received was less than favorable.
If summed up in one phrase, it was “too much unnecessary clutter,” and to be more precise, it was “a method far too human to suit a dwarf.”
-“Of course, I have no intention of belittling the techniques you’ve learned until now. It’s certainly a decent method. Of course, that’s only if you weren’t a dwarf!”
Howard had already realized it himself, but the senses dwarves possessed were different in kind from those of humans.
So much so that they could omit many processes humans naturally had to go through and still achieve better results.
‘It’s like how you don’t need complicated formulas if you can do math in your head.’
And dwarves were not only capable of that mental arithmetic; they were an unreasonable race that basically had an engineering calculator installed in their heads.
That was why they were called a race of craftsmen, and it was the basis for their firm assertion that following the methods of other races was inefficient.
Therefore, what Jaonic was focusing on teaching him right now was not some secret art.
-“Still, it seems there’s no need to teach you from the very basics. What you need most right now is only one thing! To properly awaken to the ‘dwarven method’! Everything else comes after that!”
First, to make him properly utilize the advantages of being a dwarven craftsman.
To put it bluntly, rather than moving systematically while strictly following procedures like before, it was closer to simply moving according to feeling.
‘Seriously, it sounds absurd, but the results are much better, so I can’t really say anything. Come to think of it, that’s kind of the image craftsmen have in the first place…’
Yes, scientific statistics and figures were, in a way, nothing more than averages.
The metal being handled, the fuel feeding the fire, even the liquid used for quenching—all of their conditions differed subtly from moment to moment, and the condition of the one handling them was not constant either.
Scientific quantification helped ensure that at least no failures were produced, but to become a true “craftsman” who could go beyond mass-produced goods and create masterpieces past a certain threshold, something more than that was needed.
‘So right now is the time to improve my own capabilities rather than rely on various tricks. Then I’ll only be able to properly use the advanced techniques I brought from Earth once I reach a certain level. That’s kind of a shame…’
Claaang—! Claaang—!
As Howard inwardly grumbled yet continued to focus on his work, Jaonic, who was watching him from behind, swallowed what was probably his umpteenth surprise.
‘…He’s incredible no matter how many times I see him. His learning speed is tremendously fast. Aside from having a few unnecessary habits at the start, his fundamentals themselves weren’t bad either.’
It had not even been long since he had begun teaching him in earnest, yet Howard had already surpassed the level Jaonic had expected.
Howard absorbed every lesson in an instant and was improving by leaps and bounds each day, and Jaonic, delighted by this, was teaching him even more actively.
‘And strangely enough, I keep feeling fond of him. Could he be some distant blood relation with the same ancestor?’
There was also a bit of such sentimental reason included in his enthusiastic attitude.
For some reason, Howard did not feel like a stranger, and Jaonic kept wanting to take care of him a little more.
Though the day he realized the reason would never come.
Taaang—!
‘Ah?’
And at the end of nearly a month of instruction.
Howard, who had been swinging his hammer in a trance, finally realized that he had reached some kind of critical point.
‘I see. So this is…’
Nothing had changed in particular.
His senses were as sharp as ever, and his fingertips as delicate as usual.
And yet, something was different.
The burning flames spoke to him.
Asking whether it might be better to raise the firepower just a little here.
He empathized with the vibrations of the metal touching his skin.
He instinctively understood where and with what strength he had to strike for it to become even more perfect.
‘Amazing. I really feel this way.’
His stray thoughts ended there.
As if bewitched by that sensation, Howard fell into a trance and complied with what the fire and metal desired…
And the moment he completed a single “work”—
《The entity has gained enlightenment through repeated training. Special Skill 「Dwarven Creative Logic」 has been acquired.》
Only then was he able to take his first true step as a dwarven craftsman.
And as if to bless that fact, the messages that appeared did not end with just one.
《Titan gazes down upon you.》
《The entity has fulfilled the conditions and gained enlightenment. Special Skill 「Song of Fire and Metal」 has been acquired.》
At the same time, the flames that had been burning quietly inside the furnace surged violently, and a strand of fire sprang out, lightly wrapped around him, then vanished.
Howard, who had frozen at the sudden situation, merely blinked before recalling his memories.
‘If it’s Titan…’
That was the official name used to refer to the being worshipped by dwarves, the “God of Fire and Metal.”
Due to their culture, which regarded directly calling a god’s name as irreverent, they usually spoke around it, but it was a name held in awe in dwarven society—so much so that the name of the dwarven nation on the Enamel Continent was “Titania.”
‘Did I satisfy some condition for drawing attention because of what just happened?’
Otherwise, there was no way He would reveal Himself at this exact timing.
In any case, the appearance of a new sponsor was always welcome.
Clap, clap, clap—
“Congratulations, Howard! To think you’d awaken to that already! And a blessing of the furnace at that—the god seems to have taken notice of your talent as well.”
Jaonic approached while clapping, then thumped him on the shoulder with a satisfied smile.
From what he said, it seemed to be a phenomenon promising dwarves experienced several times.
It was apparently an expression of interest that mainly appeared when one made something meaningful before the furnace, or when a craftsman favored by the god crossed a wall and grew.
Howard looked down at his palm with new eyes, repeatedly clenching and unclenching it.
The heat filling the workshop moved this way and that according to his gestures, and the fire energy drawn in with his breathing felt far more familiar.
Even without seeing it directly, he could sense where the metal nearby was and what state it was in.
‘「Song of Fire and Metal」 is, just as the name says, a skill that raises my affinity with those two attributes. I feel like there’ll be something more once its proficiency rises, but for now, that seems to be the limit.’
It was a good thing to gain more skills, no matter how.
Just as he was savoring the fruits of his training and nodding in satisfaction…
“Good! Now that you’ve finally got the basics down, I can finally give you proper instruction! I won’t go easy on you anymore, so keep up! Wahahaha!”
When Jaonic, still thumping him on the shoulder, burst into hearty laughter with those words, Howard had no choice but to put on an awkward smile.
‘I don’t think he was exactly going easy on me until now.’
However, to him, who could follow along in any harsh environment as if it were nothing, it did not matter much.
No, rather, it could be said to be exactly what he wanted.
Since creation was heavily dependent on experience, it was more affected by time than other fields—
And to surpass that limit and reach the very top, he needed to put in several times more effort than others.
“Now then, shall we begin right away?”
“Yes, sir!”
And so, in a workshop on the frontier, a dwarven craftsman rapidly grew under his master’s guidance.
With an indomitable mind that would not yield even to the abyss, and a steel-like body strengthened by karma doping.
***
The depths of the Bright Ducal House in the Kingdom of Thalia.
Knock, knock—
“Lord, it is Theodore.”
“Come in.”
Heinz, who had been listening to Mulo’s report on the state of the continent, slightly turned his head and looked at the man entering the office.
As soon as the man stepped inside, he immediately bowed in greeting, then exchanged an awkward nod with Mulo, who was standing to the side.
They had once belonged to hostile clans and had now united under the banner of “Hybrid,” but since it had not been long since an all-out war had broken out between them, it was only natural that they still felt uncomfortable with each other.
Their levels and positions were also all fairly similar, so they had once again become entangled like rivals.
Of course, such subtle circumstances between the two were none of Heinz’s concern as their superior.
“So, Theodore. Is everything finished?”
“Yes. The children scheduled to arrive soon are the last personnel from each region. Excluding those we cannot contact for certain reasons, the remaining forces of Yufersch will soon all gather in the Kingdom of Thalia.”
The migration work of the Yufersch Clan, which had continued for quite a long time.
Since they were the largest vampire group, active across the entire continent, it had dragged on longer than expected.
“Well done, Theodore. You have worked hard all this time.”
“Not at all. Compared to the opportunity the Lord has granted me once more, this is nothing. And is this not also for the sake of all of us vampires?”
Theodore immediately added flattery the moment an opportunity came.
Compared to Mulo, who, as a former clan lord, was still somewhat stiff, the seasoned social experience Theodore had accumulated as a second-in-command in the past naturally showed itself.
And whether or not another covert power struggle began between the two, Heinz leaned back in his chair and quietly closed his eyes.
With this, the work of strengthening Hybrid’s forces with 「Refined Blood Crystals」 while firmly establishing the ruling system was also entering its final stage.
A considerable number of blood crystals had been consumed in the process, but fortunately, thanks to the large stockpile of dragon blood he had stored up, it did not become a major problem.
‘Once I inject 「Refined Blood Crystals」 into the ones who will arrive this time, the first stage will be over. Then I can slowly move on to the next stage.’
The goal held by Heinz II.
At first, it had only been to form an intelligence organization spanning the entire continent, but at some point, one more had been added.
‘At last, we’re ready to step onto the front stage.’
That was to bring the vampire race into the light, allowing them to operate openly and proudly.
They were a race that, by nature, had no choice but to live parasitically off other races—especially humans, who were numerous.
Naturally, the continent’s perception of them could not be the same as that of other races such as elves or dwarves.
‘In truth, it’s hard to call them a normal race. Drinking blood is one thing, but the fact that they can’t reproduce on their own and can only increase their numbers through infection is the problem.’
That was why vampires, by their very existence, had no choice but to be enemies of humanity.
Heinz had experienced it himself, but thirst for blood was not something that could be endured by personal will, and humans had also always been wary of them as long-standing natural enemies throughout history.
Since they were in a relationship where a fight would inevitably break out once they faced each other, even vampires with powerful forces had no choice but to always hide and hunt humans.
Of course, that did not mean coexistence was completely impossible.
‘If I am there, that is.’
Internally, strict discipline and control; externally, continental affairs and political negotiations.
It was something only Heinz II could do in this world.
“Both of you, stop that and take your seats. Once Briki arrives, we will begin the meeting immediately.”
“Yes! Understood.”
“I shall bring something to drink.”
“……”
And so, on the far western frontier of the Ion Continent, the vampires who had lived in darkness for long ages began to quietly stir.
Under the name of the vampire clan alliance, “Hybrid.”
And naturally—
This, too, was a major event that would change the history of the continent.