#237
In Tarak (2)
-Entity Name: Howard
-Race: Dwarf
-Common Traits: 「Mind Hub」, 「Persona」, 「Super Recovery」, 「Clear Mirror, Still Water」, 「Monstrous Strength」, 「Nervous Sensitivity」, 「Insight」, 「Xenoglossy」
-Entity Traits: 「Craftsmanship」, 「Dwarven Creative Logic」, 「Song of Fire and Metal」, 「Soul of the Artisan」, 「Metallurgy」, 「Precision Crafting」
-Special Notes: He has surpassed the apprentice stage and become a proper dwarven artisan in his own right. He possesses strong resistance to the two attributes of fire and metal. Due to the effects of the “Elixir of Growth,” all actions are receiving an additional growth correction.
The dwarven secret art learned from Zaonic, 「Soul of the Artisan」.
Simply put, it was the ability to go beyond ordinary crafting and create something more special… in other words, magic tools.
It was the power to engrave mystery into an object by hammering mana into it solely through the pure process of creation, without the aid of any particular magic circuit or spell formation.
Of course, even that was only possible when one did one’s utmost with excellent materials as a foundation, so it wasn’t as though he could churn out magic tools at random.
At the very least, however, he could use it far more easily and under much better conditions than others.
‘As expected of a branch of the World Tree. Its performance is certain.’
As fuel for kindling a fire, it was truly the final boss.
Simply by touching those flames, the metal that served as the material would come to contain a special power, and that in turn became the foundation for using 「Soul of the Artisan」.
There was a reason high-level artisans went mad over branches of the World Tree.
“A full-body suit for all-purpose combat? Hmph, isn’t that just full-body armor?”
It’s different!
Anyway, it’s very different!
‘But saying that won’t be enough to make him properly understand.’
As expected, showing the result was best.
Holding the completed arm part, Howard examined the internal components made with 「Precision Crafting」 and nodded resolutely.
They had been made with knowledge from Earth, which he had continued studying even while engraving Zaonic’s teachings into his body—components assembled to mesh with one another as though linked.
Naturally, each and every one of those components held 「Soul of the Artisan」 within it, bearing special possibilities.
‘The quality of the materials used is still low, and there aren’t that many technologies I’ve been able to reproduce yet, but…’
It was only a prototype, so there was plenty of room for further development.
What he had to do was localize the design—a compilation of technologies from many worlds, including all manner of engineering knowledge—so that it could be used here, and then make it real.
Even as he was firming up his resolve, Zaonic continued speaking.
“Well, if reinforcement enchantments are added after it’s completed, I suppose you will end up with one incredible suit of armor. It’s not a particularly novel method, though. From what I hear, every member of the Imperial Guard Knights is armed with armor like that.”
He knew that too.
Heinrich’s armor, the Guardian of Glory, currently under repair at the Rosellia Great Temple, had also been made in a similar way.
In truth, all top-tier armor in this world was effectively manufactured through that kind of process.
“Just you wait and see! I’ll show you something that’ll make your jaw drop!”
“Oh? You’re quite confident.”
“Ah, obviously!”
Even as Howard grumbled, he carefully put away the completed part with a confident air.
For now, it was only one arm.
Not only did he have to make all the rest, but he still had plenty left to do besides that, such as additional magical processes and connecting an energy source…
‘Let’s take it step by step, step by step. I never thought I’d be able to complete it quickly from the start.’
Thanks to the time difference, he had plenty of leeway anyway, so there was no need to rush too much and botch the work.
In a situation where ideals and reality interlocked.
In a workshop in Tarak, his small dream was smoothly taking shape.
***
In the middle of a spacious bedroom filled with antique decorations.
“Phew— hah—.”
Atop the large bed placed at its center, a child who looked no more than five or six years old kept flapping his arms and legs while taking deep breaths.
‘It really is amazing.’
That child, Horus, had already been in this world for two days.
During that time, all he had done was stay shut up in Hubert’s mansion, rolling around on the bed and repeatedly using 「Polymorph」 to adapt to his two bodies…
‘Is this just what dragons are like, or is the elixir’s effect that incredible?’
Probably both.
This time, he could clearly feel what it meant to grow stronger just by breathing.
Due to the influence of 「Ruler of All Things」, the mana drawn into his lungs along with his breath circulated through his body and was then absorbed into the dragon heart situated in his chest.
During that process, the greater the energy contained in his heart grew, the stronger the physical correction provided by 「Gold Dragon」 became.
‘That’s also why adapting was harder.’
Even without that, a dragon’s body was on a completely different level from the other races he had experienced so far, and whenever he was just about to get used to it, his senses would fall out of alignment, so it ended up taking longer than expected.
“Hup—!”
But that was only until just now.
From his lying position, Horus lightly snapped his waist and sprang to his feet, then checked the state of his body again.
His outward appearance was still the same young form as at the beginning, but the things his body, now completely under his control, could do were on an entirely different level in terms of efficiency.
‘I’m not used to the dragon state yet, but I’ll be living in human form most of the time anyway, so it shouldn’t matter.’
If a dragon, said to have gone extinct, and a hatchling at that, suddenly appeared, it would send no small shockwave across the continent.
Of course, that too wouldn’t be a bad way to earn karma, but stepping forward before he had certain power would likely bring plenty of trouble.
‘I’ll take the stage after I have definite strength. If possible, after I find a way to grow my outward appearance.’
It was only his second day entering Auterica.
There was still a lot to think about.
When he had first thought of a dragon avatar, he had pictured a grand scene: the hero Heinrich riding on his back as he confronted the Immortal King mounted atop a bone dragon…
At this rate, there was no telling when he would be able to stage that cool scene.
‘To gain power quickly, it’d be best to start by learning magic. That should also have good synergy with 「Dragon Word Magic」. If I keep increasing my strength that way, somehow…’
Like that.
Just as Horus was briefly lost in thought—
“Indeed, you are without a doubt a hatchling.”
A stranger’s voice suddenly rang out from inside the room, where he should certainly have been alone.
“Gweh?!”
Startled from the bottom of his heart by the sound, Horus leaped up.
He hurriedly retreated several steps from the direction the voice had come from, lowered his stance, and kept watch over that spot.
‘When?’
This was Hubert’s residence.
It went without saying, but its security was even tighter than Hubert himself, who normally went around with all manner of magic tools hanging from him.
Layers of barriers and magic tools were activated in overlapping fashion, making it a place even someone who had reached the extreme would never be able to infiltrate easily.
And yet this person had ignored all those defenses, entered without anyone knowing, and immediately recognized Horus’s true identity despite him having transformed perfectly into a human child.
With a tense expression, he glared at the intruder before him—a man in his thirties with dull blond hair and yellow eyes.
Horus’s sharply raised round eyes and the man’s utterly hazy, tired-looking gaze became entangled.
But only for a moment.
‘Huh?’
From the instant he faced him, Horus had felt a ticklish sensation, and after looking at the other party more closely…
He was soon able to instinctively recognize the intruder’s identity.
‘A dragon!’
A dragon, one that had vanished from the continent’s history for long ages and was now said to be extinct.
And what was more, a gold dragon, one that could be called his kin, stood before him.
“Since you were inside a barrier, I thought you were trapped, but it seems that wasn’t the case. It was good that I entered quietly.”
The unidentified dragon lightly looked around and slowly nodded.
Then, turning his gaze back to Horus, he slightly twisted up the corner of his mouth and spoke in an awkward voice, as though forcing out gentleness.
“I am an elder dragon of the gold clan, Shurihartgen. Young hatchling, what is your name?”
Elder dragons were those above ordinary adult dragons and below the most senior ancients.
They were living witnesses to history who had lived for thousands of years, calamity-like beings equipped with corresponding military might.
“…Horus.”
“Horus?”
At that, Horus forcibly suppressed the childish instinct that wanted to act stubbornly like a little kid, pouted his lips, and spat out his name.
He knew the other party had not come with malicious intent, but considering who he was dealing with, he couldn’t simply relax and treat him comfortably.
And thanks to that tension…
“…What a strange name.”
When Shurihartgen tilted his head and casually tossed out those words, he was barely able to swallow the words that had nearly burst out reflexively.
‘Your name is weirder!’
Though there was nothing he could do about the indignation surging up inside him.
***
As expected, Shurihartgen had come out of pure goodwill.
To be more precise, he had come to protect the last hatchling of his clan, whose line he had thought had already been cut off.
“…I have unexpectedly become able to fulfill my duty. This too must be grace bestowed by Drakarion. After even Hureione fell to them, I thought the gold clan had come to an end.”
Thus, in a voice soaked with melancholy, he began to speak of his clan’s secret history.
Of the moment when, at the end of a long war, even the youngest hatchling who had remained until the very end was finally sacrificed.
‘Hureione?’
And Horus tilted his head at the name he felt he had heard somewhere before—
Then, with a memory from the past suddenly flashing through his mind, he realized where he had seen it.
『Dragon Heart of the Gold Dragon Hatchling Hureione (910,000)』
‘Ah, that…’
The dragon heart that had become Horus’s own medium.
It was the name of its owner, to which he had paid no particular attention.
For some reason feeling embarrassed, he subtly turned his gaze aside and pretended not to know.
“…It was not my child, but everyone in the clan adored that child. It was a little one as affectionate as it was mischievous, so even when we scolded it, before we knew it… Ah, dear.”
Shurihartgen, who had been deeply immersed in memories, saw Horus’s reaction, stopped speaking, and soon put on an apologetic expression, as though he had misunderstood something.
“I’m sorry. Seeing you somehow reminded me of that child. Even if I cling to regrets like this, it would be disrespectful to both of you.”
The old dragon lightly bowed his head along with his apology.
Before Horus could say anything in response to that sincere attitude, he opened his mouth again and continued.
“In truth, wherever you came from, whatever your true identity may be. At this point, none of it matters.”
…It seemed he had indeed harbored doubts about Horus’s existence as well.
Well, he had just finished speaking of the death of the last hatchling a moment ago.
And now, another hatchling had suddenly appeared out of nowhere, so it was only natural.
For a brief moment, silence passed between the two dragons as they looked into each other’s eyes.
Instead of Horus, who had nothing in particular to say and kept his mouth shut, Shurihartgen was once again the first to speak.
“However, you are undoubtedly the last hatchling of the gold clan remaining in this world…”
He met the gaze of Horus, who was quietly looking at him—
“And above all, considering that Drakarion has acknowledged it as well.”
Then, as though making some kind of proclamation, he slowly continued.
“…You, Horus, are recognized as the final heir of the gold clan.”
The final heir.
Wooooong—
The moment those words ended, the meaning contained within that language dug into Horus’s heart.
At the same time, his dragon heart began to tremble as though resonating with the world—
Staggering as though intoxicated without realizing it, he soon realized that he had become connected to something in this world.
‘…Is this the real Dragon Word?’
His attainment in 「Dragon Word Magic」 was still low, so he couldn’t know for certain what had happened, but he could clearly tell that something momentous had just passed.
“Is this too fate? To send me an heir like this when there is little life left in me. Thanks to that, my duty can be passed on as well… Truly, God is mischievous.”
Watching Horus, who had yet to regain his senses from the aftermath of that inscrutable rite, Shurihartgen gave a hearty laugh and wore a faint smile.
“I am the final survivor of the gold clan and the one acting as steward over the clan’s legacy. If you had not appeared, then upon my death, all of it would have been handed over to the other clans that still survive.”
Only then did Horus realize that what lay in that tired-looking face was not fatigue, but death.
If his words were true, then before long, the gold dragon clan would truly disappear from this world.
Leaving only Horus, who had appeared just in time, behind.
‘…Wait? Then, could it be?’
At last, the words he had left behind began to take shape—and when a certain conclusion was reached, Horus could only blink in bewilderment at the sudden development.
And seeing him like that, Shurihartgen smiled faintly and finished what he had been saying.
“…Now, all of it is yours.”
…Thus, together with that “duty.”
Out of the blue, Horus became the sole heir to an enormous prestigious house that had continued for tens of thousands of years.