novelraw Chapter 135 : Chapter 135
Chapter 135 : Chapter 135
Chapter 135. Heading Towards Reubungwo (3)
Anonymous' nose was accurate.
As we cautiously advanced along the edge of the canyon in the direction she pointed, the subtle smell she had mentioned, the smell of old stone, hot iron, and strong liquor, grew stronger and stronger.
My heart began to pound with anticipation.
‘Are dwarves really living and breathing near here?’
The source of the smell was a cave entrance hidden behind a cleverly camouflaged crevice in the rock.
An ordinary human eye would never have been able to find it.
If it hadn't been for Anonymous' keen senses, we would have missed this precious clue and taken a long detour that would have taken several days.
I thought for a moment.
Taking Adel, Rude, Aman, and the elf escort all inside could be too conspicuous.
If this was indeed a dwarf hideout, the sudden appearance of outsiders could provoke unnecessary caution and hostility.
So, it was necessary to approach cautiously.
“Anonymous. Let's just the two of us go in first.”
She nodded silently.
The cave was deeper and wider than expected.
A faint light was seeping out from deep inside, and the sound of what seemed to be hammeringiron echoed intermittently along with intense heat.
And finally, when we reached a wide space deep within the cave, I held my breath.
There, there were beings that existed only in legends.
Short but sturdy bodies, abundant beards, and strong eyes.
They were undoubtedly dwarves!
Dozens, or so it seemed, of dwarves were engrossed in their work, but at our sudden appearance, they all stopped in unison and took a defensive posture.
They held tools like hammers and pickaxes in their hands, but those could turn into deadly weapons at any moment.
I found it hard to hide my surprise and excitement.
‘They were really alive! The heavens are helping us!’
Anonymous, beside me, also let out a low exclamation of admiration.
“Amazing. To think they were continuing their lineage in such a deep place.”
Bewilderment and hostility were evident on the dwarves' faces.
They shouted something at each other in rough voices and glared at us.
‘How did they find this place? Are they intruders?’
Their eyes seemed to be saying that.
A tense atmosphere filled the cave.
It was a touch-and-go situation.
As I was momentarily pondering how to start a conversation, Anonymous stepped forward and, surprisingly, gave a gentle smile.
Then, in a voice that sounded somehow familiar, unlike her previous admiration, she asked a dwarf.
“Where is Brokk Ironfist?”
The moment that name was called, a huge commotion arose among the dwarves.
They looked at each other in disbelief and began to murmur in bewilderment.
‘How does that outsider know Brokk's name?’
It was as if they were saying this.
Their confusion was palpable.
Amidst the clamor, the sound of heavy footsteps came from the innermost part of the dwarf crowd.
And finally, an old dwarf with a much longer and whiter beard than the others, and who exuded a deep sense of age, slowly revealed himself.
***
The white-haired old dwarf was silent for a moment.
His deep eyes seemed to be scrutinizing the unfamiliar intruder, and he soon replied in a voice mixed with deep sadness and caution.
“Brokk Ironfist. He passed away a long time ago. Outsider, who are you to dare speak his name?”
Anonymous, as if she had expected his reaction, looked him straight in the eye without a hint of wavering and revealed her identity.
“I am Anticus. The Queen of Dragons.”
Her red eyes flashed for a moment like a flame resembling the shape of a dragon, and there was even an illusion that the density of the air had changed for a moment.
Once again, gasps of astonishment erupted from among the surrounding dwarves.
Some even took a step back.
The dragon race, especially the existence of the Queen of Dragons, must have been a story from legends to them as well.
The elder's eyes widened in disbelief.
His lips trembled.
“Anticus! Don't tell me you are that legendary dragon who was the only one among the dragon race to become his disciple and companion?”
“That's right.”
Anonymous replied concisely.
Then, she looked around the underground space they had created and asked.
“But why are the dwarves living in hiding in a cave like this? Weren't you once a strong race that commanded the earth and boasted the most outstanding craftsmanship?”
At her question, the elder scowled, glaring sharply at Frank who stood behind her.
“Hmph! It's all because of the greed and betrayal of you humans!”
He began to vent in an agitated tone, in a voice full of anger, how the human kingdoms of the past had coveted the dwarves' technology and wealth.
How they had pretended to form an alliance, only to backstab them and conquer their greatcities.
And so, how the few survivors were eventually pushed back to this deep mountain range and came to live in hiding.
His story was filled with a deep distrust of the entire human race and a bone-deep hatred.
Anonymous listened to the elder's words and assessed the situation inwardly.
‘If we have their technical skills…….’
She quietly approached Frank and whispered in his ear.
“What should we do, Master? If we can get their help, not only will the broken bridge be no problem, but the matter of the ships to Reubungwo that you were worried about could also be solved in one fell swoop.”
Though persuading that stubborn elder would be the problem.
Frank looked at her for a moment and then answered briefly.
“I'm counting on you.”
His voice was filled with deep trust in her.
Anonymous, with a smile on her face, turned back to the dwarves.
This time, her attitude was more confident.
“I actually have a promise that I made a long time ago with him. With Brokk Ironfist.”
The elder's eyebrows twitched.
“A promise?”
“A promise that my words are the same as his.”
Anonymous looked him straight in the eye and continued.
“He surely left such a record. Why don't you check the dwarf's record archive?”
At her words, a look of bewilderment flashed across the faces of the dwarves, including the elder.
They couldn't answer easily and only exchanged glances.
Either the record existed, or they knew the weight of the promise made between the blacksmith Brokk they revered and the Queen of Dragons.
Anonymous did not miss their hesitation and said firmly.
“Help us. Now is not the time for you to be bound by old grudges with humans.”
She gestured towards the cave entrance with her head and added.
“The world is on the brink of destruction.”
The world's destruction?
At those words, the murmuring among the dwarves grew louder once again.
“What does that mean! The world is being destroyed!”
Their gazes, mixed with anxiety, curiosity, and suspicion, were focused on Anonymous.
Now it was time to move these stubborn stonemasons.
***
Several days had passed since Frank and Anonymous returned from the cave below the canyon.
The broken canyon bridge was being restored at an astonishing speed.
It was the result of the legendary beings, the dwarves, stepping forward themselves.
Douglas Junior stopped what he was doing for a moment and stared at the scene, entranced.
With a few hammer blows, giant rocks were carved into the desired shapes, and complex structures were assembled in an instant.
A precision and efficiency that was unimaginable with human technology.
‘Amazing. Not just elves, but dwarves too. Truly unimaginable beings are gathering around the Master.’
It was a truly marvelous sight.
He couldn't help but admire their amazing technical skills and the craftsmanship contained in each and every hammer blow.
Noemi came up to his side, linked arms with him, and said proudly.
“How about it? Amazing, right? This is the power of our daddy.”
Her voice was filled with a deep pride for her master.
Douglas Junior sincerely nodded and agreed.
“You're right. The Master is a truly amazing person.”
From the Queen of Dragons to demons like Mammon.
A mysterious vampire lord.
And now, even elves and dwarves.
The Master's ability to unite all these beings was awe-inspiring.
A faint hope arose that perhaps the kind of world the Master dreamed of, a world where all races coexist, might actually come to be.
But this was just the beginning.
No, perhaps it was preparation for the end.
The great mountain that all those races had to overcome by joining forces, Primus.
If they couldn't defeat him, the peaceful world the Master desired would never come.
‘I need to get stronger too.’
With that resolve, Douglas Junior gripped his sword again.
There wasn't much he could do at the dwarves' construction site.
Just silently hone his swordsmanship and be of a little more help in the coming battle.
That would be the best he could do.
Douglas Junior composed his breathing and began to swing his sword.
Beads of sweat constantly flowed down his chin.
It was at that very moment.
Feeling a familiar yet somehow sharp presence, he turned his head to see Lady Adel walking towards him.
Instead of her usual gentle smile, she looked at him with serious eyes and said.
“Douglas Junior, I will be your sparring partner.”
Douglas Junior held his breath for a moment at the unexpected proposal.
To be Lady Adel's sparring partner.
A chance to cross swords with one of Lumen Fortis' top talents.
He gulped down his dry saliva and slowly nodded his head.
While Frank's party was pouring their efforts into restoring the broken bridge with the dwarves in the northern canyon.A great storm was brewing in the south of the continent, beyond their sight.
Over the vast southern desert, which had been filled only with sandstorms, a wave of steel was writhing towards the north.
It was the grand army of the Durani Empire.
“Hurry! Break through the desert and show those arrogant northerners the greatness of the empire!”
The general's shout from the front cut through the wind.
And at the center of that steel wave, the old Emperor was staring at the northern horizon with burning eyes.
Conquest of the continent?
That was just a hollow pretext.
His true intentions were much more twisted and ugly.
‘How dare they insult this body twice. I will never forgive them. I will trample on your arrogant home and prove to the entire world that this Durani Empire is the center of the world!’
And so, he would crush the noses of those northerners who always considered themselves the only civilized nation.
He would thoroughly ravage them so that they could never stand up to them again.
Under the command of the Emperor, who was possessed by revenge and a twisted ambition, hundreds of thousands, nearing a million, of the empire's soldiers silently crossed the desert.
The endless procession of black armor shimmered like a heat haze under the scorching sun, and the desert, which had only seemed yellow, was slowly losing its color as if a black river were flooding it.
It was the moment a great disaster began its march to the north.