novelraw Chapter 454
Chapter 454
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
Chapter 454
As I followed behind Merkavalt, who was walking ahead with light steps, I spotted a group of craftsmen off to one side, protesting loudly.
“Damn it, are you trying to make a fool out of me right now?! Others might accept this, but I can’t! You’re telling me to go back at this point?!”
“Rules are rules. From the start, since there was no eye capable of distinguishing the Sea Dragon’s Armor, it was inevitable that such a decision would be made.”
“You people didn’t know either!”
“That’s right. Which is precisely why we gathered people from outside. If the craftsmen weren’t superior to us, why would we bother offering such a massive reward?”
“Ghh…….”
Nothing had been finalized yet.
But for those who were already convinced internally that they had been selected, this outcome was nothing short of absurd.
“Let’s not do this—let’s cooperate instead. I, too, can witness a masterpiece like the Sea Dragon’s Armor, and you can lend a hand. I don’t even care about the reward……”
“I’m sorry, but that’s not something we can decide. If it were up to us, we’d gladly take even the smallest helping hands… but this policy was set by the greatest patron of the Dragon Forge….”
“The king of the Forge?”
“We cannot speak further on that. For now, there was one craftsman who met the conditions.”
The dwarf who said that turned his gaze toward me.
At once, the other craftsmen followed his gaze, their expressions quickly turning startled.
“What is this brat?”
“This brat is the unparalleled craftsman meant to fix the Sea Dragon’s Armor?”
“You’ve got to be kidding me. Say, have you dwarves gone blind?”
From their perspective, it was only natural.
A young man who still looked like he should be an apprentice—someone barely out of his teens—had defeated all the continent’s greatest craftsmen and been selected alone.
It was unbelievable.
I stared intently at Merkavalt, who was walking ahead.
She had cast a perception distortion spell on herself, making her invisible to others.
Which meant that even if a girl like her wandered freely through the dwarven royal palace as if it were her own home, no one would notice.
No—if that’s how it is, then I should just cast a perception distortion spell too.
I could do it myself, of course, but there was a difference in consideration when the host did it for you or not.
So I decided to be petty.
Snap!!
With a flick of my fingers, Merkavalt’s perception distortion shattered.
And suddenly, countless gazes turned toward her, who had appeared out of thin air.
“Hm~ hmhm~ lalala.”
She had been humming cheerfully, but suddenly froze at the attention directed toward her and glanced down at her own body.
And then—
“What? Is this body dreaming? Why…?”
Only then did she realize her perception distortion spell had been broken, her eyes widening.
In an instant, she tried to cast it again, attempting to hide her existence.
Oh?
Says who?
Crash!!
“Ah—?!”
Only then did she seem to realize who was breaking her magic, turning her gaze toward me.
“Wh-what are you doing?! No… more importantly, how?!”
“What do you mean why? You think you can just put a perception distortion on yourself and that’s it? What about me—am I supposed to just take all those stares?”
At my protest, she clapped her hands.
Her shamelessness was truly unmatched.
“Ah! I see! This body forgot about that!”
Clap!!!
In an instant, a perception distortion enveloped both her and me.
Naturally, those who had been watching us rubbed their eyes in confusion as we repeatedly appeared and disappeared.
“Now then! Let’s go at once!”
“Are you really going to leave that as it is?”
“What choice do we have! Don’t worry! This body will take care of all the trivial problems!”
She beamed brightly like a retriever and grabbed my hand, pulling me along.
In my life, I had never encountered someone so full of energy—no, someone who seemed to drain the energy of others with sheer vitality.
Still, there was something oddly off about her.
For a dragon, she was unusually friendly.
Especially that bright personality—it didn’t quite match with what I imagined a dragon to be.
Of course, the Blue Dragon I had met endlessly in the Labyrinth had just been a mad dragon with deranged eyes.
Even so, it was strange to see a dragon, known for its greed, getting along so well with dwarves.
In fairy tales, dragons were nothing more than bandits who plundered dwarves.
‘Librarian.’
[Confirmed.]
‘Everyone I met in the Labyrinth were beings I personally fought after my regression. That means I must’ve encountered the Blue Dragon as an enemy too. Do you know what could’ve happened to make her like this?’
[I’m sorry. Insufficient information.]
I hadn’t expected much to begin with.
I’ll just ask Isna later when she drops by.
* * *
Within the Dragon Forge, there was a place where only the finest craftsmen could enter—the Dragon Workshop.
Upon arriving there, I let out a brief sigh of admiration.
So this is why it’s called the kingdom of craftsmen.
Every piece of equipment, every structure—each was efficient, meticulously maintained to a remarkable degree.
“You’ve arrived, Lady Merkavalt.”
“Mm. Yes. Is everything prepared?”
“Yes. We’ve done our best, but…”
Guilt flickered in the eyes of the dwarf craftsman who avoided her gaze.
“My apologies. We have failed to meet your expectations.”
“Mm. It’s fine. We’ve found a craftsman with true sight now, haven’t we? What about the blueprint he left behind?”
“We have it prepared.”
The elderly dwarf headed off somewhere and returned with several sheets of worn paper.
He then showed them to me.
“These are the manufacturing blueprints for the Sea Dragon’s Armor held by the Dragon Forge. Normally, revealing them externally is forbidden, but given the circumstances…”
Curious, I asked,
“Aren’t you suspicious of me, sir?”
“A craftsman speaks through his skill. And if my senior protects you so much, then there’s no need to question your ability. A craftsman’s skill is proven, not determined by age.”
He seemed close with Dobog.
“I’ll be assisting you throughout the process. It’s embarrassing to admit, but I failed to restore that. I couldn’t even understand the blueprint.”
At his words, I skimmed through the blueprint.
The breath of metal.
Pathways like meridians existed within it.
It certainly wasn’t something ordinary craftsmen could comprehend.
As I silently examined the blueprint, several dwarves quietly slipped into one corner of the workshop, lining up to watch us.
To properly restore the Sea Dragon’s Armor depicted in the blueprint, conventional techniques wouldn’t even come close.
It wasn’t just about shaping it with each hammer strike—you had to be able to knead the metal itself within those strikes.
No wonder even the finest craftsmen had given up.
As I continued staring at the blueprint, Dobog, who had entered the workshop, called out to me.
“What do you think?”
“Did everything go well with your business, sir?”
“It did. Now then, how is it, seeing the blueprint firsthand?”
At his question, I examined the blueprint from different angles.
Then, I noticed something strange.
“Is this… all of it?”
“What do you mean?”
“No, it’s nothing.”
It was undoubtedly a perfect blueprint.
A culmination of immense contemplation and skill—enough to inspire reverence for the craftsman who created it.
In fact, if it were made exactly according to this blueprint, there would be virtually no issues.
But—
Something felt missing.
It could clearly be completed without problem, yet within the flow of the metal’s grain, there were pathways of breath whose purpose I couldn’t understand.
‘There’s no reason they would’ve made this.’
Unless they intended to add some kind of DLC to the Sea Dragon’s Armor to resonate with additional components, creating such flows within the metal served no purpose.
Especially for something like the Sea Dragon’s Armor, which manipulated the breath of metal, such an addition would have significant consequences.
As I pondered this for a long time, Merkavalt approached and asked,
“Could it be… impossible?”
“How have you restored it until now?”
“You could say we used every method available.”
At her answer, I glanced at the Sea Dragon’s Armor, now reduced to rags.
Then I nodded and replied,
“The core materials can be transferred, and the minor parts can be handled by the craftsmen. But as for the main breastplate… you should just give up.”
“Wh… what? Then?”
“You’ll have to make it anew. Well, if you’re attached to the item itself, it can’t be helped, but…”
At my muttering, her eyes widened.
“Make it… anew?”
“It’s impossible to restore it in that condition. Even if you did, it would break again soon. Realistically, it wouldn’t even be usable. So—what will you do?”
At my question, the dwarves and Merkavalt huddled together, whispering among themselves.
Before long, they responded with bright expressions.
“Very well! We can provide as many materials as needed!”
“Before that, may I see the black mineral you promised as a reward?”
“Ah, that? What difficulty is there? This body shall bring it at once.”
Straightforward.
This job might be easier than expected.
Adamantium for something this simple?
Quite the profit.
* * *
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
Within the Dragon Forge, there existed secret information about a certain being.
The Blue Dragon Lord, Merkavalt Ludimille Cabranarin.
She was the very reason the Dragon Forge bore its name—a guardian dragon who had protected this place since its earliest days.
She called herself a Dragon Lord.
And indeed, she possessed the mark of a Lord, as well as considerable power.
However, the king of the Dragon Forge felt pity for her.
For a very long time, she had not seen a single one of her own kind.
It was said that dragons still existed somewhere on the continent, but Merkavalt herself had already stated—
Dragons were practically extinct.
There might be a few scattered somewhere, but finding them was nearly impossible.
“You seem to be in a good mood, Lady Merkavalt.”
“Of course! Is it not his legacy?”
“With the Sea Dragon’s Armor, you will be safe now as well.”
At his bitter smile, Merkavalt brushed over her golden eye.
“That’s right. It’s thanks to this eye he left behind that I can suppress the corruption in this one.”
Though she hadn’t told Leon, the Sea Dragon’s Armor wasn’t just armor—it contained a special power.
It wasn’t merely a remarkable relic passed down from the beginning.
“How are you holding up right now?”
“Not good. Once the faint power remaining in the Sea Dragon’s Armor disappears, even this eye won’t be able to suppress the corruption.”
“In that case…”
“Yes. This body will become a mad dragon.”
With a bitter smile, she approached in quick steps and gently stroked the king’s head.
Though she looked like a young girl patting an old man’s head, the king showed no displeasure.
After all, Merkavalt had lived dozens of times longer than him.
From the king’s perspective, he was simply grateful that this young-looking girl had protected the Dragon Forge all this time without losing her smile.
“Do not worry. If it truly becomes irreversible, I will go as far away from here as possible.”
“We will protect you.”
“Ahh. A child should not say such things. This is a place that holds both his dream and mine. I cannot destroy it with my own hands. And…”
A smile formed on her lips.
“That boy has already begun his work. Once the Sea Dragon’s Armor is completed, this eye will be able to suppress the corruption again. Everything will turn out well.”
“Can he… truly accomplish it?”
“He possesses the same eyes as mine—but those of a true craftsman. In truth, if it isn’t him, then no one else could possibly achieve it.”
Smiling softly, she embraced the king.
“Do not worry at all. I will protect you all until the very end—”
At that moment—
Her body trembled, and she hurriedly pulled away, clutching her golden eye.
“Lady Merkavalt?!”
Startled, the king rose from his seat and tried to approach her, but she shouted,
“Do not come closer!!”
When she lifted her head, her face had turned pale.
Her once beautifully glowing golden eye now flickered with a red light.
“Lady Merkavalt… the corruption…”
“It’s fine. I can still suppress it with my own power—for now. Once the Sea Dragon’s Armor is restored, everything will be resolved. Haven’t we preserved the blueprint? We simply need to follow it.”
“Should we not inform him of your condition?”
“Mm… I do not wish to reveal such a disgrace of a Dragon Lord. And telling him would not be of any help anyway.”
There was no need to explain the complicated circumstances.
The blueprint for the Sea Dragon’s Armor already conveyed everything within it.
They had tried countless methods, all of which had failed.
For both the king and Merkavalt, this was their last chance.
“Enter.”
Once Merkavalt seemed to calm down, the king called in the dwarf waiting outside.
“Master Dobog, I greet Your Majesty.”
“Master Blacksmith Dobog, I know your heart well, and I feel sorry for keeping you confined in the royal palace.”
“No, this was my own decision. Please do not trouble yourself over it.”
Watching him bow, the king asked,
“How is he doing?”
“He has been placing mithril ore into the furnace and watching it all day.”
“All day?”
Though the king sounded surprised, Dobog shook his head.
“Is it not strange? The mithril has been heated all day in flames hot enough to melt everything, yet this was not achieved through magical means.”
No dwarf craftsman could accomplish such a feat.
Just like Black Night Sword No. 3.
Leon was altering the very nature of mithril itself.
“Your Majesty. I have not observed him for long, but I believe there is a reason behind his confidence.”
“…Leon Cascadia. I have looked into him. The information is all over the place.”
He was supposed to be a craftsman, yet across the continent he was known as a swordsman—or even a mage.
Which made the king wonder.
Just what kind of person was he?
Could they really entrust their last chance to someone like him?
To the high-ranking dwarves who knew Merkavalt, she was a precious sister, a mother, and their most cherished guardian.
Naturally, they couldn’t help but worry.
“Do not worry! A craftsman with those eyes will surely complete the Sea Dragon’s Armor!”
“…Very well. If you need anything, please let us know at any time, Lady Merkavalt.”
“Mm!”
Though she smiled brightly as she ran out, the king noticed her hands trembling.
Outwardly she smiled—but he understood just how much she was suffering.
Leaving the royal chamber, Merkavalt headed toward the central workshop.
She was curious what Leon, who had been heating mithril all day, was doing.
And the moment she arrived, she saw it.
Leon, who had stood with his arms crossed doing nothing until now, slowly taking out the mithril ingot.
“Oh.”
She stood beside the dwarves sitting quietly in one corner, holding their breath as they watched.
Normally, she would assist with magical processing—but now she was merely a spectator.
The other dwarf craftsmen were filled with curiosity.
No different from when they had caused a commotion upon his arrival.
Soon—
He slowly raised his hammer.
It had a slightly unusual shape.
At a glance, one could tell the material it was made of was no ordinary substance.
Clang!!!
When Leon struck the mithril ingot, blue, mystical sparks scattered in all directions.
An unusual forging process.
But Merkavalt noticed something odd about Leon’s expression—it was stiff.
“Hey. Master Blacksmith.”
“Yes, Lady Merkavalt.”
“Why does that one’s expression look so dark?”
“I am not sure. There is no hesitation in his work, but… it feels as though he is doubtful about something.”
As they spoke, Leon suddenly stopped his hammer.
“Hey. Dwarf craftsmen.”
“Wh-what is it?”
“That blueprint… is that really everything?”
“Huh? What do you mean? Why would we hide anything? We gave you everything we have.”
“No… there’s definitely something missing…”
Muttering to himself, he turned his head and looked at Merkavalt.
Watching him so focused on his work… he’s quite cute.
Just as Merkavalt had that thought—
Leon, having paused his work, asked,
“Lady Merkavalt.”
“Y-yes?”
“Is there anything else you can tell me?”
At his question, she tilted her head in confusion.
“I don’t believe so. Do you perhaps need this body’s help?”
“…No. Well, that craftsman might not have been perfect either. It’s probably just coincidence.”
As if discarding his hesitation, he began striking the hammer again without restraint.
It was simple forging.
But to the dwarves, it looked entirely different.
Every single motion contained immense know-how.
To put it simply—a monstrous craftsman.
They couldn’t bring themselves to leave as they watched the breastplate rapidly take shape in Leon’s hands.
While Leon forged it, the other craftsmen also had to work on the remaining parts.
Even if they weren’t the core components, anything going into a sacred relic of the Dragon Forge demanded their full effort.
And yet, the dwarves kept stopping mid-work, glancing over at Leon, unable to help but watch in fascination.
Meanwhile, Leon did nothing but work.
He struck the hammer silently, without a single moment of hesitation.
The dwarves sensed it.
According to the blueprint, a transformation would occur soon.
Until now, even the finest craftsmen of the Dragon Forge had followed the blueprint, yet at that stage, the metal would twist, crack, and shatter as if it were alive.
That was precisely how the Sea Dragon’s Armor had been reduced to rags.
So what about this time?
Amazingly, the metal did not deteriorate.
As if acknowledging him, it transformed perfectly without issue.
Time passed—they didn’t know how much.
At first, they simply watched without understanding, but at some point, the dwarf craftsmen became completely absorbed, forgetting their own tasks.
Some even went mad with excitement each time Leon brought down his hammer, only to be kicked out for being too loud.
The emotions in their eyes were awe—and passion.
Leon stared at the newly completed, pure white, silver armor before him for a long time.
At a glance, it was perfect.
The dwarves swallowed their admiration, marveling at the monstrous skill of the young craftsman.
Just looking at it felt imposing—something they hadn’t experienced since the original Sea Dragon’s Armor.
For a proud dwarf, the gap in skill was so overwhelming that it might drive them to snap their hammer in frustration.
Such was the beauty and brilliance of the piece.
And yet—
Leon’s expression was not good.
“Something’s off… no matter how I look at it, something’s off…”
“Wh-what do you mean?! I’ve never seen such an incredible armor since the Sea Dragon’s Armor in my entire life!”
“Well, sure. The quality is what it is. The problem is… it feels like I misinterpreted the intention.”
“Didn’t you complete it according to the blueprint?”
“I did.”
“Then isn’t there no problem?”
The dwarves couldn’t understand the look on the face of this young genius craftsman.
They themselves were craftsmen who would smash even masterpiece-level works and call them failures if unsatisfied—yet even they could not point out a flaw in the white armor before them.
So they couldn’t comprehend it.
What exactly was bothering him?
At last, Leon spoke while looking at Merkavalt, whose eyes were shining.
“For now, it’s finished. Um… could you extract the dragon essence? I need it for the final process.”
“Mm… mm?! O-of course! It’s already done? This body will extract the essence and bring it right away! You’ve worked hard!”
“No, it’s fine. Thankfully, it wasn’t as difficult as I expected.”
Surprised at how quickly it had been completed, Merkavalt hurried over and reached toward the tattered remains of the original Sea Dragon’s Armor.
Though everything else had worn away and broken, the central gem remained intact, faintly glowing.
She thought,
‘At last… I can be freed from this madness. Once the new Sea Dragon’s Armor is complete, the golden eye implanted in her will be able to suppress the corruption.’
Though this meant completely dismantling the armor crafted by someone precious to her, she did not hesitate.
She had attachments to it—but to protect the Dragon Forge, she would have to let go of the past.
Smiling brightly, without lingering regret, she extracted the essence.
And thus—
The most difficult, seemingly impossible part of restoring the Sea Dragon’s Armor was completed.
That’s what she believed.
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]