Ch.95Chapter 95 – Let’s Ask the Goddess First

The Representative of All Who Dwell in the Grendillet Mountains.

One who bears the duty to protect all life in the Grendillet Mountains.

The one seated upon the most unyielding iron throne.

Yet no descriptor reveals him more clearly than this single term:

‘The Smith King.’

All the aforementioned titles describe the ruler who governs all dwarves of the Grendillet Mountains.

And now, he was repeatedly apologizing to the man seated before him in the reception hall.

Pathos, the Destroyer of Demon Blades.

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“Hohoho, I’m terribly sorry about this. I’ve made a grave mistake indeed.”

There was a reason why Ironbeard was apologizing to me.

When I visited the royal palace and claimed I had been invited by Ironbeard, the guards didn’t believe me.

Naturally, I was arrested, thrown in prison, and subjected to interrogation.

“Where are you from?”

“The Celebrio Empire.”

“Your purpose?”

“To resolve the issues in the Grendillet Mountains.”

“Your name?”

“Pathos Severio.”

“You’re no ordinary fool. Not only did you infiltrate the kingdom, but you even dared to impersonate someone else. You’ll be handed over to the Empire.”

And so the interrogation ended, and my information was sent to the Celebrio Empire.

Not long after, a guard came to release me, apologizing profusely.

“Please accept our sincerest apologies, Count Severio. His Majesty has ordered us to escort you with the utmost respect.”

Well. I’m not entirely sure how it was resolved, but I’m glad the misunderstanding was cleared up.

Thanks to that, I now find myself in a private conversation with Ironbeard.

“Hahaha. It’s nothing. Such things happen in life, don’t they?”

I readily accepted Ironbeard’s apology.

In truth, it wasn’t really my fault, was it?

I mean, come on.

I fixed a device with stabilization formulas for the teleport station—how was I supposed to know the station would malfunction and send me flying here?

Am I a wizard? Well, if I were actually a legendary archmage, maybe.

I’m just someone who’s good at fixing things.

But who could I possibly complain to about this?

‘Whoever broke that teleport station—if I ever find out who it was, I’ll kick their behind.’

“Hahaha! You’re much more reasonable than other humans! I’ll take that as acceptance of my apology.”

As I accepted his apology, Ironbeard laughed heartily and slapped the armrest of the sofa.

But that moment was brief—

Ironbeard’s eyes sharpened, and the aura emanating from him changed.

“As you may have heard from the Emperor of the Celebrio Empire, I asked you to come here for a reason of my own.”

“I’m aware. The Heart of Extreme Flame, which is essentially the lifeblood of the Grendillet Mountains, is malfunctioning and gradually losing its vitality, isn’t it?”

“Indeed. That’s precisely why I summoned you.”

Ironbeard heaved a deep sigh.

That sigh was so forlorn that he looked less like a king of a nation and more like an old man burdened with worries.

“The Heart of Extreme Flame is a legacy of ancient civilization that even I cannot easily repair.”

Then Ironbeard began to tell the story of the Heart of Extreme Flame.

“The Heart of Extreme Flame is a legacy left by ancient civilization. To be precise, it’s a legacy left by our dwarven ancestors who existed in ancient times.”

Hmm? This is new information to me.

“As you may know, here in the Grendillet Mountains, materials for fuel are extremely scarce. Wood or coal were woefully inadequate materials for creating flames of the temperature we desired.”

Ironbeard’s eyes were lost in memories.

“To increase the heat of the furnaces, we needed flame stones. And the powder from flame stones provided warmth that allowed us to stay warm in the cold mountains. And the Grendillet Mountains were a place where flame stones were rarely found.”

Well, this was information I had heard from His Imperial Majesty.

“In that situation, the Heart of Extreme Flame, which creates high-temperature flames on its own without additional external fuel supply, is like the sun outside. And now, that sun is dying out.”

Ironbeard’s face was filled with gloom as he spoke of the Heart of Extreme Flame dying out.

“Then what exactly happened that caused such serious problems with the Heart of Extreme Flame?”

“It was due to our arrogance. Our arrogance in thinking we could fix anything.”

Excuse me. That’s not the explanation I was asking for, is it?

“I see you want me to explain quickly. Very well. A divine sword beyond masterwork blades and treasured swords. We tried to repair it with our own hands.”

Divine sword? Wait, a divine sword? Not a divine examination, but a sword made by gods?

“Could it be that divine sword is…?”

“Yes. The sword used by the ancestor of the Ekatos family. People call it the Storm Guide, but it has a different true name.”

What? This is quite different from what I knew.

“The true name of the Storm Guide is ‘the Key Blade.'”

“The Key Blade?”

“Yes. The Key Blade. It’s the only key that can unlock the seal of a heinous being said to exist somewhere in this world. And that sword can only be wielded by the hero who will save this world.”

Hmm. That information wasn’t in the weapon description.

“According to legend, after sealing the heinous being, the Key Blade—that is, the Storm Guide—split itself. This was to ensure that no one could ever break the seal of that heinous being again.”

“Then why did you try to repair it?”

“When the craftsman’s spirit tells you to fix something, how can you resist? But it was a trial sent to us by the God of Smiths. And my clan and I failed to understand the true meaning of that trial and failed spectacularly.”

But what was that trial exactly?

“We didn’t recognize our limitations and lacked patience. As a result, the treasure that sustained our clan like the sun was damaged. When we raised the temperature to the extreme to repair the Storm Guide, the output of the Heart of Extreme Flame became unstable, and eventually, its output began to gradually decrease.”

“I suppose you couldn’t fix it because it’s an ancient relic.”

“That’s right. But I see it differently. It’s not that we couldn’t fix it because it’s an ancient relic.”

Then Ironbeard looked at me.

“It’s punishment. Punishment from the God of Smiths for challenging divine authority. Punishment for not knowing our place and lacking patience.”

Then he rose from his seat and approached me.

Upon reaching me, Ironbeard grasped my hands.

“So I ask you, Destroyer of Demon Blades. Would you repair the Heart of Extreme Flame? I believe you can do it.”

Hearing Ironbeard’s request to fix the Heart of Extreme Flame, I pondered.

‘I don’t think it would be impossible to fix it, but should I fix it right away?’

To be honest, when I asked myself if I could fix the Heart of Extreme Flame, the answer was YES.

But there was one thing that bothered me.

‘What if I fix this and then get in trouble with the God of Smiths?’

The concern was whether it would be appropriate for me to repair something that a god had deliberately damaged as punishment for the dwarves.

I didn’t have many options here.

I could refuse.

I could accept.

Or I could buy some time.

What I chose was—

“Could you wait a moment? I think I need to consult with the Goddess.”

I decided to invoke Epitrina’s name.

“The Goddess… could it be?”

I nodded at Ironbeard’s question.

“Yes. I believe I should consult with the Great Goddess who granted me my abilities.”

I’m sorry, Epitrina. I’m borrowing your name for a bit.

“Hmm, then there’s no helping it. There’s a temple of the Great Goddess here as well. If you wish to pray, you can visit there.”

Ironbeard finished speaking and clapped his hands a couple of times.

Then a dwarf in armor entered.

“You called for me, Your Majesty?”

“Please escort our esteemed guest to the temple of the Great Goddess.”

“Yes, understood!”

Hmm. He’s sending me directly to Epitrina’s temple?

His decisiveness is truly impressive.

Well, I suppose that’s why he sent a letter to His Imperial Majesty requesting to send me here.

“Then I shall take my leave.”

“Very well. If you have any news, come to the royal palace.”

I bowed to Ironbeard and left the palace.

“I will guide you to the temple of the Great Goddess.”

Following the dwarf knight’s guidance, I was able to reach Epitrina’s temple.

“Welcome. We’ve been expecting you.”

And as if it were the most natural thing, a priest serving Epitrina came out to greet me.

This scene feels familiar somehow.

“Please come in. I will guide you to the place where you can meet the Great Goddess.”