Ch.99Chapter 99 – Guide of the Flame

The dwarves working in the communal workshop of the Grendillet Mountains had recently begun to accumulate complaints.

“Ah, the forge’s flame ain’t what it used to be.”

This was because the weakened flames of the forge kept resulting in defective products.

The heat from the Extreme Flame Heart was hotter than any flame produced by fire stones.

For dwarves, the hotter the flame, the more excellent equipment they could forge.

The equipment made in the communal workshop using the Extreme Flame Heart’s fire was superior in quality to anything produced in any other forge across the continent.

However, recently, the intensity of the flames erupting from the forge had weakened compared to before.

Of course, even this level was still sufficient to make good equipment.

But for dwarves accustomed to the formidable heat of the Extreme Flame Heart, flames produced by fire stones or coal didn’t contain satisfactory heat.

“Did you make any satisfactory equipment today?”

“Not really. Lately, everything I make has been unsatisfactory.”

For them, saying something didn’t meet their standards was nothing short of humiliation.

“This one might be good enough to sell at the market. But as a craftsman who wants to make a name for himself in the world, isn’t it shameful to make such items every day?”

One dwarf said while looking at the dagger he had made.

The look in his eyes as he gazed at his creation contained not pride, but regret and anger.

“What on earth happened to make the forge’s flames so weak?”

Several dwarves who couldn’t stand it anymore approached the manager to complain, but the manager knew nothing either.

“I don’t know either. So go back and wait.”

All he could say was to go back and wait.

The dwarves, knowing that the manager was in the same situation as them, quietly retreated.

But every dwarf gathered here knew.

The forge’s flames were growing weaker with each passing day.

If the current situation continued, they would have to abandon this hard-earned settlement and go elsewhere.

“Abandon this place and leave? Not a chance.”

But the dwarves who had settled here had no intention of backing down.

The Grendillet Mountains, where they had settled after a nomadic life.

The dwarven kingdom established here was their long-desired homeland and livelihood.

“Lord Valkena. Please, give us one more chance.”

One dwarf was praying to Valkena, the deity most worshipped by dwarves.

In extreme situations, relying on transcendent beings was a common phenomenon among living creatures.

“Hmm?”

A dwarf approaching the forge to resume work discovered something strange.

“What? Why did the forge’s fire suddenly…?”

The forge’s fire, which had been burning adequately despite being unsatisfactory, had suddenly gone out.

“Is there a problem?”

“The fire went out.”

“What?”

At the news that the forge’s fire had gone out, dwarves flocked to gather in front of the forge.

Just as he had said, the forge’s fire had indeed gone out.

“What’s going on?”

“The fire went out?”

Everyone fell into despair at the news of the extinguished fire.

The flames that burned vigorously without adding fire stones or coal were the driving force of creation for the dwarves.

And now the endless burning flame had gone out, and the dwarves had lost their creative power.

“The fire…”

“It’s gone…”

News that the forge’s flame had gone out spread instantly throughout the Grendillet Mountains.

“What are we to do now…”

The thought that they could no longer stay in this land because the forge’s flame had disappeared began to emerge in the dwarves’ minds.

“Everyone… we must prepare to leave.”

“…”

The thought no one wanted to have.

They had to leave this land they had grown attached to.

This place was located too high up, making it nearly impossible to import fire stones or coal.

The amount of coal and fire stones needed to create flames was enormous, but there were no means to transport them.

As all the dwarves were sinking into despair, an acrid smell began to push through from the forge’s vent.

“What’s that?”

“Must be leftover smoke escaping.”

“Tsk, I should reduce the vent opening.”

One dwarf rose from his seat and approached the forge to adjust the vent.

“Sigh, why is only smoke coming out instead of the fire we need…”

As he approached to adjust the vent, lamenting that only smoke was coming out of the forge’s vent instead of fire—

—Whoosh!

“Arghhhh!”

From the vent that had only been emitting smoke, an enormous flame with unprecedented heat burst forth.

Since he had approached closely to adjust the vent, the large flame engulfed him.

Fortunately, since he had been bending over to adjust the vent, he was able to avoid having his beard catch fire.

“Hey!”

“What are you doing! Everyone, quickly pull him out!”

The dwarves pulled out the dwarf who had approached to adjust the forge’s vent and closed the vent.

“What’s going on?”

“Flames suddenly from the forge?”

All the dwarves were bewildered by the anomaly of flames suddenly rising from the forge that had gone out.

But that was only momentary.

All the dwarves could clearly see flames with the previous intense heat blooming from the forges and furnaces set up in the communal workshop.

“Hey, I’m not seeing things, am I?”

“Arghh… my hair!”

“From the forge, from the furnace… flames are blooming!”

Flames were once again rising from the forges and furnaces that had gone out.

Moreover, unlike before, the flames were not red but burning blue.

“Blue flames?”

“Impossible, blue flames!”

The fire burning in the forges and furnaces was not red, but blue flames.

The dream flame that could only be created with the highest quality fire stones.

“This, this is no time to stand around!”

“Hammers! We need hammers and tongs!”

The moment they saw the blue flames burning in the forges and furnaces, all the dwarves present regained their passion.

With renewed enthusiasm, the dwarves rushed to their respective forges and furnaces and began heating metal in the blue flames.

“Hahaha! Inspiration is flooding my mind!”

“Blue flames! Lord Valkena! Thank you!”

News of the blue flames burning once again brought vitality throughout the Grendillet Mountains.

Even dwarves who had been packing to leave the mountains threw down their belongings and rushed toward the forges.

Soon, the sound of hammers striking metal began to resonate throughout the Grendillet Mountains.

This was a symphony of steel, a concerto of blacksmiths.

◈◇◈◇◈◇◈◇◈◇◈

It was a full day later when Ironbeard and I, who had descended deep underground, returned to the surface.

“I apologize. Who would have thought the passage would collapse.”

“It seems the problem wasn’t just the elevator.”

Ironbeard’s warning about the weak ground was true.

I fixed the elevator damaged by the flame storm with my abilities, but what lay beyond was the problem.

The spiral staircase had been completely destroyed by the aftermath of the flame storm.

In the end, I had to swing a hammer with Ironbeard all day long to break through…

And only after a day could we finally return to the surface.

“I’ll make sure the compensation is generous.”

“Even if I ask for half of your kingdom?”

“You are a benefactor to our clan. Giving half the kingdom to a benefactor is not difficult.”

…I heard dwarves were clear about debts of gratitude, but I didn’t know they were this serious.

“It’s fine.”

“Thanks to you, the Extreme Flame Heart has been completely fixed, so the Grendillet Mountains will regain their passion.”

“Indeed.”

What I hear now is the sound of blacksmiths placing metal on anvils and striking it with hammers.

A rhythm repeated at regular intervals.

This must be the blacksmiths directly projecting their passion, hotter than the flames, onto the metal as the forge’s fire burns again.

“It’s been a long time since the Grendillet Mountains were filled with the sound of hammering.”

A deep smile spread across Ironbeard’s face as he listened to the hammer sounds.

“Thank you, Count Severio. We dwarves will never forget this.”

Ironbeard expressed his gratitude to me and took my hand.

Then he raised my hand high into the sky—

“Behold! Lord Valkena has sent us the Guide of Flames! Everyone, welcome the Guide of Flames!”

“Hurrah!”

“Long live the Guide of Flames!”

As Ironbeard raised my hand and shouted, the dwarves around us all cheered in unison.

“Glory to the Guide of Flames! All dwarves! Never forget his grace!”

“Long live the Guide of Flames!”

Guide of Flames, huh.

So what exactly is that supposed to be?